A method for manipulating a user interface within a vehicle using finger valleys includes receiving, by a controller, a captured image and detecting finger valleys from the captured image. In addition a hand gesture is recognized by the controller using the finger valleys and a vehicle equipment operation that corresponds to the recognized hand gesture is selected. Accordingly, the passenger is able to manipulate a vehicle steering wheel with one hand and look forward while operating many in-vehicle electronic devices with simple motions of the other hand, thereby improving passengers' convenience and driving safety.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for manipulating a user interface to control in-vehicle equipment by recognizing hand gestures using passenger finger valleys within a vehicle.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Modern vehicles are equipped with many electronic devices for passenger convenience, including a navigation system, a hands-free mobile phone system, and the like, as well as conventional electronic devices such as a radio and an air conditioner.
Conventional in-vehicle electronic devices provide a user interface through assigned buttons, and the use of a touch screen has been developed in recent years. A passenger can manipulate these devices by directly touching the user interfaces with their hands or other objects (e.g., a pen, a stylus, and the like). Since such an operation is based on the passenger's gaze and hand motions, it may hinder safe driving. Accordingly, when the passenger can maintain a wide viewing angle and good posture while operating the electronic devices, safe driving may be ensured. Hence, there is a need for the development of a user interface technology which does not hinder safe driving.
Accordingly, a system has been developed that controls vehicle functions by recognizing images of a passenger's hands using a 3D (three-dimensional) camera (e.g., imaging device) and a webcam. This system controls the vehicle functions without the need for the passenger's field of vision, and is therefore expected to promote safe driving. In particular, the 3D camera delivers depth information, from which poses and 3D motion data can be obtained regardless of hand posture.
However, it is difficult for the webcam to extract hand poses or 3D gestures since the webcam operates on the basic principle of delivering 2D (two-dimensional) information. In a 2D image-based system, feature points can be found based on color and brightness information only, and the feature points are less distinguishable due to external lighting.
The above information disclosed in this section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

System and method for manipulating user interface in vehicle using finger valleys


Techniques for processing sonic waveform data include processing the data based on an initial set of formation-borehole parameters, to produce initial coherence peak attributes, wherein the processing is performed in a borehole; sending the initial coherence peak attributes uphole via telemetry; and correcting the initial coherence peak attributes, based on a second set of formation-borehole parameters, to produce corrected coherence peak attributes.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to sonic well logging. More particularly, the invention relates to methods and systems for sonic log data processing.
2. Background Art
The oil and gas industry uses various tools to probe formations penetrated by a borehole in order to locate hydrocarbon reservoirs and to determine the types and quantities of the hydrocarbons. Among these tools, sonic tools have been found to provide valuable information regarding formation properties. In sonic logging, a tool is typically lowered into a borehole, either after the well is drilled or while the well is being drilled (LWD/MWD), and sonic energy is transmitted from a source into the borehole and the formation. The sonic waves that travel in the formation are then detected with an array of receivers. A typical sonic log can be recorded on a linear scale of slowness versus depth in the borehole, and is typically accompanied by an integrated-travel-time log in which each division indicates an increase of one microsecond of the total travel time period. Sonic logs are typically used as direct indications of subsurface properties or—in combination with other logs or other knowledge of the subsurface properties—to find subsurface porosity and other parameters which cannot be measured directly.
Various analysis methods are available for deriving formation properties from the sonic log data. Among these, the slowness-time-coherence (STC) method is commonly used to process the monopole sonic signals for coherent arrivals, including the formation compressional, shear, and borehole Stoneley waves. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,691 issued to Kimball et al. and Kimball et al., Geophysics, Vol. 49 (1984), pp. 264-28. This method systematically computes the coherence (C) of the signals in time windows which start at a given time (T) and have a given window moveout slowness (S) across the array. The 2D plane C(S,T) is called slowness-time plane (STP). All the coherent arrivals in the waveform will show up in the STP as prominent coherent peaks. The three attributes of the coherent peak are the peak coherent value (COPK) and the peak location in the slowness-time plane (DTPK and TTPK). The attributes of these prominent coherent peaks are the condensed information extracted from the recorded waveforms. The attributes show the coherence, arrival time, and propagation slowness of all prominent wave components detected from the waveforms.
While the STC method has been very useful in deriving formation properties from sonic data, this method is most useful with non-dispersive waveforms (e.g., compressional and shear waves). This method is not optimal for dispersive waveforms (e.g., Stoneley waves and flexural waves). For processing the dispersive waveforms, the dispersive slowness-time-coherence (DSTC) method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,805 (assigned to the present assignee and incorporated by reference in its entirety) is preferred.
The DSTC method can process the quadrupole signals for formation shear slowness from LWD sonic tools. This is a model-based method in which a set of model dispersion curves are used in the processing to determine which model dispersion curve maximizes the semblance of the back-propagated signals. The formation shear slowness is one of the model parameters that are used to generate the set of dispersion curves. The formation shear slowness parameter value corresponding to the highest coherence peak from the best match dispersion curve would be output by DSTC as the shear slowness.
The DSTC method may use a concentric cylindrical layer model to represent an LWD sonic tool centered in a fluid filled borehole within a uniform formation. The use of a simple concentric cylindrical layer model is for convenience, but it is not essential. If necessary, a more complex model may also be used. The model dispersion curves used in the DSTC method depend not only on formation shear slowness (DTs), but also on other model parameters: formation compressional slowness (DTc), formation density (ρb), mud slowness (DTm), mud density (ρm), hole diameter (HD), the equivalent outer diameter of the tool (OD)—assuming the tool ID is fixed, collar density (ρst), collar compressional slowness (DTc_st), and collar shear slowness (DTs_st). The current DSTC method assumes all these parameters are known and uses them to generate a set of dispersion curves as function of DTs. The first few parameters are related to formation and borehole properties (i.e., formation-borehole parameters) and the last few parameters are related to the collar (collar parameters). For a given size collar, the collar parameters are constants, which can be measured or pre-calibrated. On the other hand, the formation-borehole parameters are variables, changing from depth to depth and from well to well. Therefore, the formation-borehole parameters often need to be determined in order to have an accurate model for the DSTC method.
The formation-borehole parameters can be determined (estimated) from other LWD or offset well wireline measurements. Therefore, these parameters are often available at the surface (uphole). However, not all the formation-borehole parameters are available at all times. The LWD or offset well measurements may be performed after the sonic waveforms are acquired. In this case, the formation-borehole parameters will not be available for real-time processing of the sonic waveform. Even when the LWD data is measured at the same time as the sonic waveform measurements, there may be a delay before the LWD real-time data are available, especially if these other LWD tools are disposed above the sonic tool in the bottom hole assembly (BHA). The unavailability of the formation-borehole parameters downhole would prevent real-time DSTC processing of the sonic waveform data because it is impractical to send sonic waveforms through telemetry uphole during LWD time.
The DSTC method relies on the dispersion curves that correspond to the formation-borehole parameters. The dispersion curves needed for DSTC processing are usually obtained via interpolation from a large database of pre-computed dispersion curves. In the downhole environment, limitations on the downhole processor typically preclude the storage of large databases and any substantial computational load. This makes it difficult to perform real-time DSTC processing of the sonic waveform data in the downhole environments.
Real-time delivery of the shear slowness has many applications, such as pore pressure and wellbore stability predictions. The information related to pore pressure and wellbore stability is very important for the driller to safely drill the well. One approach to accomplishing real-time sonic data processing is to compress the sonic waveform data so that they can be transmitted via telemetry. The compressed data are then used at the surface to reconstruct the sonic waveform data (decompression) for processing (e.g., STC processing). One example of such an approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,706 issued to Shenoy et al. Another example is found in a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/711,524 by Wu et al., filed on Sep. 23, 2004.
While these data compression methods may allow real-time processing of sonic waveform data, data compression has limitations. For example, some loss of information may not be avoidable if the data are highly compressed. Therefore, there is still a need for alternative methods that permit real-time processing of sonic waveform data.

Methods and systems for sonic log processing


The present invention provides structures for antifuses that utilize electromigration for programming. By providing a portion of antifuse link with high resistance without conducting material and then by inducing electromigration of the conducting material into the antifuse link, the resistance of the antifuse structure is changed. By providing a terminal on the antifuse link, the change in the electrical properties of the antifuse link is detected and sensed. Also disclosed are an integrated antifuse with a built-in sensing device and a two dimensional array of integrated antifuses that can share programming transistors and sensing circuitry.

Many types of semiconductor fuses and antifuses are known in the art. Both the fuses and antifuses utilize the change in resistance of the individual structure under certain bias conditions. Once programmed, the programmed state of the fuses or antifuses does not revert to the original state on its own; that is, the programmed state of the fuse or the antifuse is not reversible. Thus, fuses and antifuses are conducive to the manufacture of a programmable read only memory (PROM). Programming or lack of programming constitutes one bit of stored information in fuses or antifuses. The difference between fuses and antifuses is the way the resistance of the memory element is changed during the programming process. Semiconductor fuses have a low initial resistance state that may be changed to a higher resistance state through programming, i.e., through electrical bias conditions applied to the fuse. In contrast, semiconductor antifuses have a high initial resistance state that may be changed to a low resistance state through programming.
Various methods of implementing antifuses in semiconductor structures have been disclosed in the prior art. In general, antifuses include one insulating layer sandwiched between two electrically conducting structures. In some cases, the insulating layer is a dielectric layer such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, or a stack comprising silicon nitride layers and silicon dioxide layers such as an oxide/nitride/oxide (ONO) stack. Most of the antifuses are built sequentially such that each of the three components of the antifuse, i.e., the first electrically conducting structure, the insulating layer, and the second conducting structure, is built one on top of another. In this case, the sequential building of the antifuse components results in a vertical structure for the physical implementation of an antifuse. By supplying a large voltage difference across the two electrically conducting structures, a dielectric breakdown is induced and a current path between the two electrically conducting structures is formed, whereby the high resistance state of the antifuse changes to a low resistance state. Various materials may be used for each of the two electrically conducting structures. Improvements upon the basic structure are known in the prior art. As one example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,853,049 utilizes a silicide for one electrically conducting structure and polysilicon for the other electrically conducting structure. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,750,530 provides a mechanism for lowering the antifuse programming voltage by providing a resistive heating element adjacent to, but not in contact with the antifuse.
Other antifuses utilize a layer other than a dielectric layer for the insulating layer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,666 provides one example of such a prior art where polysilicon is utilized as the insulating layer. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,055 discloses another prior art where amorphous silicon is utilized as the insulating layer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,512,284 discloses a structure where one of the two electrically conducting structures comprises a heater and two terminals for providing current through the heater.
Antifuses in the prior art typically require breakdown of dielectrics by electrical bias and/or heat. While these mechanisms offer reasonable reliability of operation, further improvement in the reliability of antifuse operation is desired. An antifuse element that provides improved reliability in programming is therefore desired. Furthermore, arrays of electrical antifuses and fuses require a sensing circuitry to sense the state of an individual antifuse element or fuse element. In the prior art, the sensing circuitry is typically built externally around an array of antifuses or fuses. This type of external sensing circuitry typically requires transistors of substantial size to handle large current and voltages through the wire connections of the array and to insure sufficient signal development during sensing operations. Incorporating a sensing mechanism into the antifuse structure would provide a more compact memory element with a less stringent requirement for current and voltage during sensing. Therefore, an antifuse structure with a built-in sensing mechanism is also desired.

Electrical antifuse with integrated sensor

International Business Machines Corporation


A micromechanical memory sensor. The sensor comprises a latch member mechanically latching upon detection of a threshold value of a variable condition and circuitry for detecting such latching. A sensor further includes a resetting mechanism for electrically unlatching the latch member whereby the sensor latched purely mechanically is electrically reset for repeat use.

This invention relates to a micromechanical memory sensor. More particularly, the invention is directed to a micromechanical device which serves as a mechanical memory latch or sensor, the activation of which is triggered by a change of conditions, e.g., temperature, acceleration and/or pressure. Contents of the memory latch can be conveniently detected at any time after latching. The device is electronically resettable so that it can be conveniently reused.
While the invention is particularly directed to the art of micromechanical memory sensors, and will be thus described with specific reference thereto, it will be appreciated that the invention may have usefulness in other fields and applications.
Micromechanical memory sensors are used or have potential use in sensing a variety of different variables or conditions. These variables or conditions include temperature, acceleration, pressure, force . . . etc.
For example, a micromechanical memory sensor adaptable for use in sensing temperature extremes purely mechanically and being electronically resettable would be advantageous for applications wherein field testing is conducted on products and no power supplies are available in the field. However, there are no known micromechanical temperature sensors of this type.
Conventional electronic temperature sensors require a power supply when monitoring temperatures. However, in most instances where the temperature extreme to which a product has been exposed is the desired information, the field monitoring of temperature is not possible with conventional techniques since a power supply may oftentimes be unavailable.
A bistable snapping microactuator having a power supply, or battery, has also been disclosed. H. Matobo, T. Ishikawa, C. Kim, R. Muller, A Bistable Snapping Microactivator, I.E.E.E., January 1994, pp. 45-50. The microactuator includes a flexible cantilever which buckles when a temperature extreme, induced by a current, is detected. While this device is ultimately triggered by a temperature change, i.e., resistive dissipation, acceptable operation is only achieved through the use of driving voltages and current pulses applied in a particular timing sequence. This microactuator is not triggered purely mechanically.
As a further example, certain micromechanical memory sensors adapted for use as latch accelerometers are known and provide an inexpensive way of sensing moderate and high-g accelerations by using a micromechanical memory sensor. A latch accelerometer is a switch which latches if accelerated by a predetermined acceleration in a particular direction and remains closed after the acceleration ceases. The primary advantage of latch accelerometers over the conventional acceleration sensing devices is that latch accelerometers do not require complicated sensing electronics. The sensed acceleration can be read out long after the accelerating event. Acceleration latches operate without a power supply and can be made to operate at g levels ranging from only a few g's to several thousand g's and to sense the duration for which the acceleration lasts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,255 to Ciarlo discloses an acceleration latch which uses bulk micromachining of (110) oriented silicon wafers to make two cantilever beams having proof masses, or plates, attached thereto that interlock at a set threshold acceleration. FIGS. 21(a) and 21(b) herein respectively show such a latching accemlerometer similar to that shown in FIGS. 3-4 of the Ciarlo patent. The cantilever beams C are typically several millimeters in length. The fabrication of the cantilever beams C and the proof masses P is fairly complicated since corner compensation and silicon bulk micromachining of (110) wafers are used. (110) bulk micromachining is not readily compatible with IC processing.
The cantilever beams C of the Ciarlo patent must undergo large deflections before latching at their proof masses C. Further, since the horizontal cantilever beam C must force deflection of the vertical cantilever C, which involves the sliding of the two large surfaces, the frictional force between the two proof masses P can be significant and can result in uncertainties in the acceleration sensed. Moreover, the cantilever beams C are not delatchable, thus not resettable.
Another main disadvantage of the latch of the Ciarlo patent is the complicated readout schemes that must be used. Since the cantilever beams C are made by etching through a silicon wafer, the two cantilever beams C cannot be electrically isolated, making a simple continuity test between the two cantilever beams C impossible. The readout schemes of the Ciarlo patent use either capacitive or optical techniques. In either of these schemes the accelerometer wafer must be sandwiched between two other wafers containing capacitive plates or light emitting diodes to sense the position of the cantilevers. This makes the fabrication process much more complicated and expensive. Also, bulk micromachining results in large sized devices.
A direct implementation of the latching mechanism of the Ciarlo patent using surface micromachining is possible and may solve the problem of sensing the latch. However, the device would still suffer from other noted problems related to excessive length of beams C with the proof masses P attached at ends thereto and would still not be resettable.


A spectrometric measurement device capable of determining an optimal wavelength for detecting an objective component is provided. One mode of the present invention is a fluorescence measurement device for casting an excitation light of a predetermined wavelength into or onto a sample and detecting a predetermined wavelength of light contained in the fluorescence generated from the sample irradiated with the excitation light.

Spectrometric measurement devices, such as fluorescence measurement devices or absorbance determination devices, are a type of system for detecting or determining an objective component in a sample by a spectroscopic method.
A fluorescence measurement device normally has an excitation spectroscopic system for separating a predetermined wavelength of light from the light generated by a light source and irradiating a sample with the separated light as excitation light, a fluorescent spectroscopic system for separating a predetermined wavelength of light from the light emitted from the sample upon irradiation with the excitation light, and a photodetector for detecting the light separated by the fluorescent spectroscopic system and producing a signal corresponding to the amount of the detected light (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
The wavelength of the excitation light necessary for bringing a substance from the ground state to an excited state and the wavelength of the fluorescence which the substance emits when returning from the excited state to the ground state depend on the kind of substance. Accordingly, in a measurement using a fluorescence measurement device, the excitation wavelength to be used in the measurement and the fluorescence wavelength to be detected with the photodetector must be appropriately set for the component to be detected (i.e. objective component). In a measurement using a conventional fluorescence measurement device, the optimal excitation and fluorescence wavelengths for detecting the objective component are previously determined as follows:
(1) With only a solvent present in a sample cell, a spectrum showing the fluorescence intensity at each fluorescence wavelength is obtained by varying the fluorescence wavelength while maintaining the excitation wavelength at a fixed value. (This spectrum is hereinafter called the "fluorescence-side spectrum.")
(2) With an objective component and the solvent present in the sample cell, a fluorescence-side spectrum is similarly obtained.
(3) The fluorescence-side spectrum of the objective component is obtained by subtracting the spectrum obtained in Step (1) from the spectrum obtained in Step (2), and the wavelength at which the fluorescence intensity is maximized in the obtained spectrum is selected as the optimal fluorescence wavelength.
(4) With only the solvent present in the sample cell, a fluorescent spectrum showing the fluorescence intensity at each excitation wavelength is obtained by varying the excitation wavelength while maintaining the fluorescence wavelength at a fixed value. (This spectrum is hereinafter called the "excitation-side spectrum.")
(5) With the objective component and the solvent present in the sample cell, an excitation-side spectrum is similarly obtained.
(6) The excitation-side spectrum of the objective component is obtained by subtracting the spectrum obtained in Step (4) from the spectrum obtained in Step (5), and the wavelength at which the fluorescence intensity is maximized in the obtained spectrum is selected as the optimal excitation wavelength.
It should be noted that the measurements of the fluorescence-side spectrum and the excitation-side spectrum may be performed in reverse order.
By the previously described method, the excitation wavelength and the fluorescence wavelength at which the highest fluorescence intensity is obtained can be respectively selected as the optimal excitation wavelength and the optimal fluorescence wavelength.
On the other hand, an absorbance determination device normally has an irradiation optical system for separating a predetermined wavelength of light from the light generated by a light source and irradiating a sample with the separated light as the irradiation light and a photodetector for detecting the light that has passed through the sample (transmission light) and producing a signal corresponding to the amount of the detected light.
The wavelength of the light absorbed by a substance depends on the kind of substance. Accordingly, in a measurement using an absorbance determination device, the wavelength of the irradiation light used in the measurement must be appropriately set for the component to be detected (i.e. objective component). Therefore, in a measurement using a conventional absorbance determination device, it is necessary to obtain information about the absorption wavelength of the objective component beforehand by referring to an appropriate document or the like, or to determine the optimal wavelength for the measurement of the objective component as follows:
(1) With only a solvent present in a sample cell, an absorption spectrum is obtained by varying the wavelength of the irradiation light.
(2) With the objective component and the solvent present in the sample cell, an absorption spectrum is similarly obtained.
(3) The absorption spectrum of the objective component is obtained by subtracting the spectrum obtained in Step (1) from the spectrum obtained in Step (2), and the wavelength at which the absorbance is maximized in the absorption spectrum is selected as the optimal wavelength.

Spectrometric measurement device and program


Techniques for measuring process induced damage, such as damage experienced during plasma etching or ion implementation, utilize a differential amplifier having multi-layer antennas (capacitors) of different sizes formed on respective inputs. Measurement of .DELTA.Ids (the difference between Ids.sub.1 and Ids.sub.2 off a MOSFET of the differential pair) or .DELTA.Idlin provides a sensitive and accurate measure of process induced damage. The techniques can be applied to monitor process induced damage while the manufacturing process is ongoing or as a measure of quality of the finished product.

During fabrication of semiconductor devices, techniques which are potentially destructive, such as plasma etching and ion implantation, are utilized modify the surface of the semiconductor at certain stages of manufacture. Because of the small geometries involved, destructive techniques can impact portions of the circuitry not intended to be treated. This can result in a degradation of performance of the fabricated semiconductor device. It would, therefore, be desirable to have a way of determining the amount of process induced damage which occurs during fabrication of a semiconductor device.
In the prior art, it is common to characterize semiconductor devices by measuring a plurality of parameters, such as Vtlin, Vtsat, Idlin, Idsat, Idoff and Gm. The results of each of those measurements were then evaluated as a measure of quality of the fabricated device. The quality of the fabricated device is inversely related to process induced damage. The problems with the prior art techniques include the necessity of making a plurality of measurements and the difficulty of interpreting a plurality of measurements in order to determine the quality of the end product.

Sensitive method of evaluating process induced damage in MOSFETs using a differential amplifier operational principle


An optimized lighter-than-air vehicle or airship incorporating a frame 104, internal propulsion 124, perforated covering 102 and lifting-gas cells 110 is disclosed. Optimization features include variations on a Stratford Ramp, means to control the boundary layer 210, absence of unnecessary protuberances and means to reduce the bow wave. A transportable version utilizing a flexible frame 310 and keels 314 is also disclosed along with a means for rapid descent and landing. The operating concept reduces velocity requirements which, in turn, reduce weight and size requirements.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to lighter-than-air vehicles in general, and to structural plus aerodynamic features optimizing such vehicles for their intended flight environments specifically, with a method to optimize their operation for long-endurance station keeping.
2. Prior Art
The airship field is quite crowded making even modest innovations significant. The need for innovation is most pronounced at very high altitude, here defined as above the jet stream, where many solutions developed for the troposphere fail. For example: traditional design and construction techniques are too heavy; fabrics quickly fail in the intense radiation environment, primarily ultraviolet; traditional shapes are aerodynamically inefficient at the very low Reynolds Numbers above the jet stream [Re: a dimensionless ratio of the product of air density, velocity and length divided by viscosity. Lower Re conditions are more difficult for any aircraft and, therefore, require precise optimization.]; known propulsion systems are inefficient or even ineffective; vehicles cannot be resupplied; and the jet stream's extreme conditions must be crossed at least twice per mission in common latitudes.
On the other hand, flight above the jet stream offers significant advantages, including: generally lower average wind velocities between about 60,000 and 80,000 feet above sea level; the field of view is several hundred miles in diameter; a significantly extended exposure to the energy in sunlight relative to lower altitudes; little to no exposure to extreme weather; significantly extended line of sight contact with low altitude satellites; and there is no interference with or from conventional aircraft.
Given this crowded field, I'll summarize only the recent advances with non-exclusive emphasis on high altitude flight.
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc (AIAA) published an excellent summary by Shafer, Kuke, and Lindstrand in 2002. This is essentially the most current work on very high altitude airships. Their first design, "Lotte", used the conventional elliptical shape appropriate for low altitude plus conventional fins, ballonets [Dictionary.com: "One of several small auxiliary gasbags placed inside a balloon or a non-rigid airship that can be inflated or deflated during flight to control and maintain shape and buoyancy."], a propeller and lifting gas cells.
Their second model, "Speedy", still displayed serious problems. It retained conventional, non-rigid construction requiring fins for flight control, for example. A boom extending down from the nose balanced the ship which obviously cannot remain on an operational design. Speedy does display a more relevant shape, however, which is more appropriate for low Re than other designs. The paper focuses on the flight environment and potential missions before suggesting a solution based on solar energy with fuel cell storage.
Shafer et. al. utilized the shape optimization work published by Lutz and Wagner in "Numerical Shape Optimization of Natural Laminar Flow Bodies". These researchers defined airship shapes optimized for various low Re conditions. Incorporating a turbulent boundary layer, such as that optionally created by my external frame, has not been disclosed previously. While such turbulence increases form drag, it reduces aerodynamic or "wake" drag in a manner similar to the overall benefit produced by dimples on a golf ball. This benefit is more pronounced on relatively smaller airships.
Prior Art: Airship Construction
General construction philosophy is the most crowded area in the airship art. Nearly all airship designs are variations on the pressurized "blimp" defined by Dictionary.com as "A non-rigid, buoyant airship." Non-rigid designs are outdated and especially inappropriate at high altitudes. They require flexible coverings, typically fabrics or films, to bear stresses that, with safety factors, reach 1000 psi. Systems must be hung from fabric surfaces or on a keel that is itself affixed to fabric or film.
Non-rigid airships also necessarily reduce the buoyancy of lifting gasses by compression. Buoyancy is directly proportional to the weight of a substance contained in a space. Compressing gas, with or without ballonets, is necessary to maintain a non-rigid ship's form in the same way that a party balloon requires internal pressure to maintain shape. But such compression within the same space increases the gas' density which increases the total weight of the artificially dense gas, thereby reducing buoyancy. This problem is not factored into lifting gas calculations.
The recent art in non-rigid design has generally focused on gas management, specifically ballonets.
Swearingen et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,458 Jan. 4, 2005, uses conventional gas bags and construction formed into an airfoil-shaped airship optimized for passengers and low altitude. Given that its major axis is perpendicular to the direction of flight, control in disturbed air will be problematic.
Ogawa et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,686 Mar. 2, 2004, describes a means to move lifting gas between lifting-gas cells for pitch control while bulkheads and air filled chambers maintain the airship's shape. But aerodynamic transients act far too quickly to rely on moving huge volumes of gas for balance, especially given the "plurality of additional compartments", i.e. baffles which inhibit gas movement.
Perry et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,680 Aug. 26, 2003, disclosed a flaccid launch method that relies on natural lifting gas expansion to fill out the non-rigid ship as it rises to operating altitude plus moving ballast for rotation to a horizontal flight attitude. The ship then destroys the hull to collapse it for descent, with or without its payload. But this design recently failed several times during flight testing because the flaccid launch method does not allow for an optimized shape, resulting in high aerodynamic drag. The propulsion system could not resist the prevailing wind at the operating altitude. And, the thin film hull was once destroyed by environmental forces. This design also prohibits adhering systems to the hull, such as solar panels. Even if the drag versus thrust problems were solved, this technique prevents fully inflated systems checks before launch allowing hidden problems to manifest after it's too late to correct them.
Perry et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,163 Aug. 19, 2003, disclosed another conventional design but with liquid ballast. Given that vehicle gross weight is the single most important factor in the high altitude environment, lifting ballast is a serious flaw which subtracts directly from useful payload. This patent also discloses an internal solar cell arrangement covered by a transparent membrane. That solution is impractical given that intense ultraviolet radiation turns suitable materials opaque in the relevant frequencies over the long durations intended for this airship.
Yokomaku et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,943 Aug. 6, 2002, discloses a common diaphragm design for separating lifting gas from air but with suspension cords added to reduce sloshing. That design seems as reasonable as baffles regarding sloshing but does not address the fundamental flaws inherent in such pressurized airships.
Onda in U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,641 Oct. 23, 2001, disclosed a super pressured high-altitude airship with "no in-flow or out-flow of gas". That design cannot work given that gas expands 16 fold between sea level and the 20 km design altitude. Even if a miraculous material could be developed to withstand that pressure, the vehicle would never reach high altitude. Gas lifts because it is less dense than the surrounding air. Containing all gas in this manner guarantees that the ship will rise no higher than the point at which the highly compressed gas plus the ship's structure weighs essentially as much per volume as the surrounding air.
Campbell in U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,248 Jul. 8, 1997 disclosed a spherical airship of conventional construction with ballonets and ballast. He shows an innovative propulsion system consisting of a duct through the entire ship with a propulsion fan and rudders mounted internally. His objective is to minimize drag within the duct with no mention of aerodynamic drag from the sphere. Given the geodesic frame required to support the internal features, the ballast and the lack even of the boundary layer control taught by Colting '523 below, it's apparent that Campbell '248 does not mention stratospheric flight because the vehicle would be too heavy and create far too much aerodynamic drag to operate there. It would also prove seriously inefficient at any altitude. A sphere is easy to build but impossible to optimize aerodynamically.
Mellady in U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,203 Jul. 23, 1996, expands the normal pair of ballonets into a plurality, again, without addressing the fundamental flaws of non-rigid airships briefly described above.
There has been some attempt at developing semi-rigid airships with a spine or keel.
Nakada in U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,254 Sep. 20, 1994 disclosed a single keel. In this case, the keel does not give shape to the airship but rather is suspended from conventional gas bags and ballonets. Nakada '254's innovation separates the heavy systems from direct attachment to fabric. The keel supports the empennage, gondola and hydrogen motor. This innovation is minor, however, in that problems attaching motors, etc. to external covering fabric are simply replaced by problems attaching a weighted keel to that same fabric.
Hamilton in U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,922 Mar. 23, 2004, disclosed a sectional spine necessary for the modular airship construction, which is his objective. Such a ship must have uniform or symmetric segments by definition and so cannot be optimized aerodynamically. It is relatively heavy given the frame construction with redundant connection points. The result is a conventional, low altitude airship of somewhat reduced efficiency. As in Nakada '254, the spine does not support the shape in this overpressure, non-rigid ship but is necessary for another purpose, to provide connection points for modular segments.
Sanswire Networks LLC has attempted to build a rigid frame airship during 2005 and 2006 for flight above the jet stream as disclosed on http://www.sanswire.com/stratellites.htm. Those designs have failed to date because their conventional rib and bracing design, conventional propulsion, and pressurized gas containers proved too heavy and aerodynamically inefficient for operation. They have yet to fly a relevant airship.
Prior Art: Aerodynamics
There have been attempts at improving or optimizing airship aerodynamics. Significantly, I could not find high altitude or "stratospheric" airship proposals that build on research into the low Reynolds Number (Re) conditions appropriate for such low ambient pressure applications. Relevant research by Lutz and Wagner was discussed above and forms the basis for optimized airship shapes.
Colting in U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,523 Nov. 22, 2005, advocated another spherical airship, this one intended for the stratosphere. He included a pusher propeller at the rear of the ship to draw the boundary layer around the skin by suction and reduce drag. But a round shape is so inherently high drag that there is no practical propulsion system which could overcome such resistance and still be reasonably lifted to 60,000 feet with more than a few hours' endurance. Compounding the problem, boundary layers separate at the widest point on a ship in the very low Re found above the jet stream. In other words, a spherical ship's boundary layer at very low Re will separate long before it could be influenced by the external suction of this design. The result is a propulsion system rendered ineffective by the separated, turbulent airflow at the back of the sphere.
Rist in U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,925 Nov. 6, 2001, discussed a low altitude, very heavy lift hybrid airship that requires the high thrust of turboprop engines to create the necessary forward velocity for its wings to lift the ship. In Rist '925's innovation, wings are required as the ship needs both static and dynamic lift. The result is a lifting hull that's intentionally far too small to create even neutral buoyancy. Rist '925 also taught an external storage chamber for lifting gas that must be carried in a detachable cargo container. That lifting gas movement modulates pitch similar to Ogawa et al, '686; an idea discredited by the rapidity with which atmospheric forces act. The ship is also burdened by conventional ballonets. It is not a true lighter-than-air vehicle and cannot function at significant altitudes.
Lee et al, in design Pat. D427,137 Jun. 27, 2000, appears to disclose a relevant outline in that the general shape would be efficient at a low Re. The ship's aft end includes a pusher propeller contained in a full circumference shroud. But, as in a design discussed later, such a shroud is ineffective. While somewhat reducing drag from detached airflow within the shroud, total drag is not reduced because the detached airflow drag from the ship's after body is simply replaced by drag on the outside surface of the shroud. The shroud's dead weight is an unnecessary burden in addition. This design is also not detailed enough to reveal a means to control the ship.
Chapman in U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,670 Jul. 4, 2000, proposed drag reduction means for fluid borne vehicles. In this case, he provides a full circumference inlet essentially at the ship's widest point that draws fluid into the ship and through the propulsion system. Chapman '670 specifies an afterbody angle of no more than 15 degrees from horizontal. But the substantially full circumference inlet, certainly when combined with the shallow after body, cannot work at low Reynolds Numbers as the fluid boundary will separate immediately aft of that inlet in a manner somewhat similar to Lee et al, 'D137. The weight and complexity of that inlet design will not be offset by a more beneficial drag reduction in air, though it may be beneficial at the very high Re in water. In addition, Goldschmied demonstrated essentially Chapman '670's concept in a wind tunnel before 1981. Goldschmied noted that the full circumference inlet design would only work for one set of conditions, one Re, and so is not practical on a flight vehicle. Further proof that Chapman '670's innovation could only apply at low altitudes is seen in the preferred embodiment which places the ship's "largest diameter" in the forebody while the inlet intended to prevent boundary layer separation appears to be half of the ship's length further aft. Those two points, largest diameter and boundary layer separation, move closer together as altitude increases.
Onda in U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,200 Oct. 25, 1994 attempted boundary layer control in a similar manner. Rather than draw the boundary layer through an internal propulsion system, Onda '200 advocated a braced shroud enclosing the propeller aft of the main body and forward of an inflated empennage. That means is also ineffective for the same reason as Lee 'D137 and Chapman '670: boundary layer separation on the shroud creates essentially the same drag as on an unmodified ship. In addition, Onda '200 added a very large empennage which is itself a significant drag on a vehicle in low Re. Onda also proposed positioning the ship's maximum diameter as far aft as possible. But that simple design criterion too is inefficient as each combination of airship length and operating altitude—the major factors in a Reynolds Number calculation—results in a somewhat different optimum shape.
Prior Art: Sub-Systems
Sub-systems, those significant elements required for operation, taught in several patents seem relevant before close examination.
Drucker in U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,982 Jul. 27, 2004, disclosed another ship with a duct from front to rear (like Campbell '248) but would install a wind turbine in the duct for energy production. Such an airship relies on other propulsion means. Drucker '982 advocated floating with the wind for movement over the ground while extracting energy from that wind. This system cannot work. Vehicles floating with the wind have, by definition, no "relative wind" flowing around them because the vehicle and the air mass travel at the same speed (see unpowered balloons). The wind turbine would not turn without a velocity difference. When driven by the ship's propulsion system, drag from the duct's walls and the turbine would cost more energy than could be extracted given the laws of thermodynamics.
Lee et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,552 Jul. 30, 2002, disclosed a thermal management system to smooth out buoyancy fluctuations due to heating or cooling of the lifting gas. This proposal would work by storing hydrogen during the day and converting it to heat in fuel cells at night. Lee '552's very complicated system imposes severe design restrictions: the ship must use hydrogen, must have fuel cells, must include pressurized lifting-gas cells plus ballonets, must store water, and must insulate the ship from the sun and albedo radiation. This patent also proposes to heat lifting gas during the day and cool it at night, a process that would exacerbate the same natural heat during the day and cool at night cycle. Another fault is seen in this proposal's plan to control pitch through "cyclically manipulating" temperature. As with the above proposals to shift lifting gas, this method results in a far too slow response to environmental upsets such as turbulence. Such use of heat to maintain pressure and thereby control buoyancy is not useful in this case due to the heavy equipment required. Such an airship would either be massive or have little useful payload. More fundamentally, heating a gas only produces lift if the gas is free to expand. Heating a gas confined in a pressurized cell accomplishes nothing while increasing stress on the cell's structure.
Onda '641 also discussed a duct from the front to the rear of a ship to remove heat from the solar cell area, thereby improving the solar cell's efficiency. But convection, as distinct from conduction, is extremely inefficient in thin gas such as the stratosphere. In other words, moving transient ambient air below the solar cells will not significantly affect their heating in sunlight. Onda '641 does not block such airflow at night thereby denying those solar cells the heat absorbed by the rest of the ship. The result would be solar cells cooled to −60° C. by morning thereby putting tremendous thermal strain on the mechanics.
Onda '641 also states that the air discharged rearward by the ventilation system would reduce drag through fluid control. But Onda never explains how such drag reduction would occur or how he would compensate for the resulting asymmetric forces. Testing on the experimental fixed-wing aircraft X-21A proved that such fluid control requires pulling the boundary layer through the skin. Blowing air from the aft end of the ship, as was disclosed here, would be ineffective as the boundary layer will separate well forward of that point.
Onda '641 also disclosed another weight shifting pitch attitude control system. This proposal has less merit than appears at first glance given the non-rigid design. Shifting batteries as proposed, for example, is impractical to the point of hazardous to the ship's structure when the primary support is fabric. This point is especially relevant given the critical nature of fabric pressurized by the 16-fold expansion of gas. Such fabric cannot survive the slightest imperfection or impact, such as from moving machinery.
Campbell '248 requires a geodesic frame to support the spherical airship. But a geodesic frame is uniquely associated with spheres or sections of a sphere. That design will not work in other shapes. The frame also does not obviate the need for non-rigid airship systems. Campbell '248 still requires pressurized gas bags, ballonets and ballast. It is the worst of both worlds.
Wurst et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,205 May 21, 1996, advocates a hybrid high altitude aircraft composed largely of helium filled sections. The aircraft is intended to fly above the weather while avoiding winds that substantially exceed its velocity. Those conditions only exist above the jet stream or higher than approximately 55,000 feet in northern latitudes. At those altitudes, this aircraft would experience extreme difficulties. Its weight shifting attitude control would need to rotate the solar cell-covered wing to nearly vertical early and late in the day to meet the requirement to be somewhat normal to the sun's angle of incidence. That severe bank leaves the question of directional control entirely unanswered. The cables supporting that gondola, the gondola itself, and the numerous complicated shapes generate tremendous drag relative to the reduced thrust available from propellers at those altitudes. The hydrogen storage cells towed behind the aircraft would almost never float directly in line and, therefore, would pull the aft of the aircraft up or down as gas is pumped in or out. Such flaws explain why this hybrid aircraft is not in operation.
Takahashi et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,090 Dec. 10, 1991, disclosed a propulsion and control means requiring a fluid pathway or duct running the full length of a ship from bow to stern. The pathway includes one or more intersections allowing lateral pathways to exit the ship at various points thereby thrusting the front or rear in desired directions with propelled air. But the preferred embodiment cannot be built. Takahashi et al, '090 lists dimensions of "5 to 10 m" length and the same width. A 10 meter long ship of any width, with approximately half of its internal volume devoted to an empty passageway, cannot lift the claimed 1 to 10 horsepower propulsion system with a power supply, much less a gondola and crew cabin. Even assuming a correct configuration, adding structural weight while eliminating approximately half of the space usually available for lifting gas relegates this design to inefficient, low altitude operations with less utility than decades old alternatives.
It is obvious from this review of recent innovations that there is room for improvement in lighter-than-air vehicles, especially those designed for flight above the jet stream. The prior art clearly shows that lighter-than-air vehicles cannot be optimized with the established technologies typified by non-rigid design, control fins and external motors.

Optimized aerodynamic, propulsion, structural and operations features for lighter-than-air vehicles


A botanical composition made from a plurality of plant materials selected from Gota Kola (Centella asiatica), Turmeric Root (Curcuma longa), White Willow (Salix alba), Rosehips (Rosa canina), Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis), and Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), or phytochemicals or extracts or oils derived from the plant materials has beneficial application in addressing retinopathy and recurring peripheral neuropathy. The botanical composition can include a number of additional agents such as antioxidants, benfotiamine, thiamine (vitamin B1), and lipoic acid.

Modern Western medicines typically consist of a single, purified chemical entity administered to a patient to mediate a specific biochemical pathway. In contrast, many non-Western medicinal compounds that are used by many traditional cultures around the globe are often comprised of several botanicals and botanical extracts. Based on a pharmacognosy with several long-standing pharmacopeias effective in treating a wide range of diseases and their symptoms, these traditional compositions typically include a multiplicity of minimally-processed, naturally occurring ingredients. Composed without the benefit of modern clinical and scientific theory and knowledge, these traditional compositions were often derived from empiric observations in humans over the millennia. Yet, nevertheless, they often contain several biologically active, phytochemical components that act simultaneously and synergistically on multiple molecular targets and cellular mechanisms.
In recent decades in the United States, the active compounds in botanicals and phytochemicals derived from plant extracts have become an area of interest for treating diseases and their symptoms by both healthcare professionals and patients alike. There are many documented examples of this in contemporary scientific, clinical and lay literatures, and in the USPTO patent archive. These is also interest in compositions that combine one or more botanical extracts with one or more other medicinal compounds, pharmaceuticals or other synthetic chemical entities. Some of these compositions are intended to potentiate or modify specific therapeutic effects. In the United States, many of these medicinal compositions are widely used and are commercially available as over-the-counter dietary supplements that do not require a physician's prescription. In some cases, such compounds are available only with a physician's prescription.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimate three out of five U.S. consumers take dietary supplements or nutritional products on a regular daily basis to maintain good health. This is due in large part to demographics, as aging Baby Boomers strive to stay healthy based on the belief that proper nutritional supplementation can avert, or in some instances even replace, the need for costlier prescription drugs and treatments, especially if one has a chronic disease condition. For example, the American Diabetes Foundation, reports that patients with diabetes are 1.6 times more likely than patients without diabetes to use complementary medicinal products such as herbal treatments, nutritional products and medical foods. The Foundation estimates that 17-30% of all diabetics routinely use health care supplements and/or alternatives to prescription pharmaceutical use. Some of these are used to improve blood glucose control; others to manage various symptoms or lessen the risk of developing serious, later-stage diabetic complications.
An example of a dietary supplement aimed at combating pain and inflammation in joints and connective tissue is Bioinflammatory Plus™, a product which includes White Willow Bark in a powder supplement, and Turmeric root in a capsule formulation. These formulations combine a number of ingredients; however, they do not show combining specific botanicals to achieve beneficial effects in addressing recurring peripheral neuropathy or retinopathy.
The USPTO has granted patents for complex herbal compositions and novel formulations used to treat various human and animal diseases and their associated symptoms. These include novel compounds that have been extracted from natural botanical sources and/or synthesized chemically; in some cases the novel compounds are complex combinatorial compositions of several botanicals in combination with synthetic chemical ingredients. These herbal compositions and formulations have targeted a variety of acute and chronic diseases and symptoms, including specific diseases such as various types of cancer, diabetes and arthritis. These herbal compositions and formulations also target various types of symptoms clinically associated with various diseases, as well as symptoms from down-stream sequelae, side effects and adverse events causally related to physician administered or prescribed medications. Examples of patents issued by the USPTO for botanical compositions and formulations used for the treatment include both acute and chronic diseases range from viral infections to cancer, diabetes and arthritis and various symptoms associated a disease include but are not limited to (each of which are herein incorporated by reference): treating glioblastomas with a complex herbal composition that includes modulating gene expression (U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,922); a herbal composition and method for combating inflammation (U.S. Pat. No. 6,541,045); the treatment of ocular inflammation with a composition containing the plant-based alkaloid, tetrandrine (U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,195); a complex composition of multiple botanical ingredients targeting inflammation and related symptoms (U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,697); a composition comprising a mixture of herbs, including species of Scutellaria barbata, as well as their extracts, which is used to ameliorate the effects of malignancy in humans (U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,866); and a formulation of various herbal ingredients which include Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Rabdosia rubescens, and Serenoa repens for the treatment of prostate carcinoma (U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,393).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Botanical composition and method for treating pain and discomfort of various conditions


A motorcycle having a grab bar with sufficient attachment strength and rigidity, minimum wall thickness and size and no deterioration in external appearance. The grab bar has a grab section to be grabbed by a rider and attachment sections to be attached to left and right seat rails. The attachment sections extend through a space below a rear edge of a seat toward the front and are connected to the left and right seat rails.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motorcycle having a grab bar, and more particularly to an attachment structure for attaching the grab bar to a body frame of the motorcycle.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional motorcycles have a grab bar disposed at a rear end of a seat and grabbed by a rear seat rider. The rear seat rider applies a push-down force during acceleration and a pull-up force during braking to the grab bar. Therefore, the grab bar must have sufficient attachment strength and rigidity to the body frame. The structure shown in JP-A-2003-127935, for example, has left and right attachment sections that are located at the front ends of left and right grab sections and extend inward in the vehicle width direction. In this structure, the attachment sections are inserted toward the inside through a space between notches of side covers covering the lower regions of the seat and side edges of the seat, and are fixed to the body frame by bolts.
In such a motorcycle, application of a strong force by the rear seat rider to the grab bar in the front-and-rear direction generates a bending force in the front-and-rear direction and a twisting force around an axis extending in the vehicle width direction on the boundary between the attachment sections and the grab sections. Therefore, to provide a grab bar with sufficient attachment strength and rigidity, the size and wall thickness of the attachment sections must be increased, which in turn increases the weight and cost of the motorcycle.
Moreover, in the structure described above, the notches on the side covers, through which the attachment sections are inserted, are visible from the vehicle side and deteriorate the external appearance of the motorcycle.

Motorcycle with grab bar attached to body frame below seat


A thermal head comprising a plurality of heating resistor elements disposed in a row. Each of the resistor element has a rectangular window formed in a center portion of the element. A slit is formed in the resistor element along a direction perpendicular to the row traversing the window and dividing the element to two halves along the direction of the row.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal head which is applicable to a thermal printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various kinds of thermal head are known which thermal head utilizes Joule heat obtained by applying electric current to a resistor element.
One of the known kinds of thermal head comprises a plurality of heat generative elements which are disposed in a line on which a printing medium such as an ink sheet and a medium to be printed such as a transfer paper (print paper) are arranged so that by selectively applying current signal to the heating elements so as to generate heat, a part of the ink sheet is molten or sublimed by the heat so that the ink of the sheet is transferred to the print paper surface, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laying Open (KOKAI) No.53-87240.
The technique disclosed in the patent document is aiming at reducing the interval between dots formed by the heating elements.
Another kind of thermal head comprising the heating elements which is not publicly known and aiming at different points is proposed which is arranged as mentioned below.
That is, the proposed thermal head arrangement is based on a stand point that to change the recording density of one dot, it is better to arrange a plurality of heat concentrating portions instead of an even heat distribution over an entire area of the thermal head. For this purpose, a rectangular window is opened in the center of the heating element so that heat is concentrated to be generated at the four corners of the rectangular window which is shaped in a form which also enables to make the dot genuine circular as possible.
More precisely, an electrically insulating layer such as a glazed layer is formed on a substrate which is elongated along the direction X which is perpendicular to the direction Y to which the ink sheet and the print paper are fed and conveyed. A plurality of strip shaped heating resistor elements are disposed over the insulation layer covering the layer. On each of the heating resistor layers, a common electrode and an independent electrode are formed on both sides of the strip of the resistor facing together forming a predetermined gap between the electrodes to form a resistor element in the center portion of the resistor layer between the electrodes. Further, a rectangular window is formed open in the center of the heating element formed in the space between the electrodes.
In accordance with the structure of the thermal head mentioned above, at the time when the printing operation is conducted, heat is concentrated to be generated at four corners of the rectangular window.
There are two ink transfer modes, i.e., printing modes, for operating the thermal head. A first mode is to transfer ink in such a way that in a state wherein the ink sheet and the print paper which were conveyed in the direction Y along the strips of heating elements are stopped and being stationary, an electric current signal is selectively applied to the heating resistor elements so as to generate heat therefrom so that a part of the ink sheet is molten or sublimed so that the ink is transferred to the print paper surface.
A second mode is to transfer ink in such a way that in a state wherein both or one of the ink sheet and the print paper is being conveyed in the direction Y along the strip of heating resistor layer, an electric current signal is selectively applied to the heating resistor elements so as to generate heat therefrom so that a part of the ink sheet is molten or sublimed so that the ink is transferred to the print paper surface.
In the case where the first mode is to be adopted, to obtain a dot of genuine circle, the four sides of the rectangular window are arranged equal to each other. While in the case where the second mode is to be adopted, for the same reason, the sides of the window in the direction Y is shorter than that in the direction X.
However, in accordance with either of the first and second modes, an excessive heat concentration phenomenon occurs at the heat concentrating portions at the four corners of the window. The extent of the heat concentration depends on the difference of the resistance value of the resistor between the portion where the window is formed and the portion where the window is not formed, that is, the ratio of the width along the direction X along which the heating elements are arranged.
More precisely, in the temperature distribution on the print paper in a section thereof along a line in the direction X including the two corners adjacent together in the direction X, there are some portions where the temperature exceeds a critical temperature Tc at which the print paper is molten as a result of which the printing quality is degraded.
To cope with this problem, for example, to adjust the ratio of the width of the window in the direction X as mentioned before, the width (a) of the window in the direction X has to be shortened so that assuming that a<c/2 wherein (c) represents the pitch of the heating resistor elements, the gap between the adjacent dots becomes too wide, which causes to form stripes of direction Y in the print paper.


Methods for providing non-volatile solid-state mass storage media with different service levels for different types of data associated with different applications. The method includes partitioning the non-volatile solid-state mass storage media into at least first and second volumes, individually assigning different service levels to the first and second volumes based on a type of data to be stored in the first and second volumes and based on the first and second volumes having different data retention requirements and/or data reliability requirements, and then performing service maintenance on data stored within at least the first volume according to the service level of the first volume.

The present invention generally relates to solid-state mass storage media and their operation. More particularly, the present invention relates to flash-based memory devices that comprise multiple volumes and adapted to operate by exposing volumes with different service levels for different types of data.
Non-volatile solid-state memory technologies used with computers and other processing apparatuses (host systems) are currently largely focused on NAND flash memory technologies, with other emerging non-volatile solid-state memory technologies including phase change memory (PCM), resistive random access memory (RRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), ferromagnetic random access memory (FRAM), organic memories, and nanotechnology-based storage media such as carbon nanofiber/nanotube-based substrates. These and other non-volatile solid-state memory technologies will be collectively referred to herein as solid-state mass storage media. Mainly for cost reasons, at present the most common solid-state memory technology used in solid-state drives (SSDs) are NAND flash memory components, commonly referred to as flash-based memory devices, flash-based storage devices, flash-based media, or raw flash.
Similar to rotating media-based hard disk drives (HDDs), SSDs utilize a type of non-volatile memory media and therefore provide persistent data storage (persistency) without application of power. In comparison to HDDs, SSDs can service a READ command in a quasi-immediate operation, yielding much higher performance especially in the case of small random access read commands. This is largely due to the fact that flash-based storage devices (as well as other non-volatile solid-state mass storage media) used in SSDs are purely electronic devices that do not contain any moving parts. In addition, multi-channel architectures of modern NAND flash-based SSDs result in sequential data transfers saturating most host interfaces. A specialized case is the integration of an SSD into a hard disk drive (HDD) to form what is typically referred to as a hybrid drive. However, even in the case of a hybrid drive, the integrated SSD is functionally equivalent to a stand-alone SSD.
Another difference between HDDs and flash-based SSDs relates to the write endurance of flash-based media. Briefly, flash-based memory components store information in an array of floating-gate transistors, referred to as cells. NAND flash memory cells are organized in what are commonly referred to as pages, which in turn are organized in predetermined sections of the component referred to as memory blocks (or sectors). Each cell of a NAND flash memory component has a top gate (TG) and a floating gate (FG), the latter being sandwiched between the top gate and the channel of the cell. The floating gate is separated from the channel by an oxide layer, often referred to as the tunnel oxide. Data are stored in a NAND flash memory cell in the form of a charge on the floating gate which, in turn, defines the channel properties of the NAND flash memory cell by either augmenting or opposing the charge of the top gate. This charge on the floating gate is achieved by applying a programming voltage to the top gate. The process of programming (writing 0's to) a NAND cell requires injection of electrons into the floating gate by quantum mechanical tunneling, whereas the process of erasing (writing 1's to) a NAND cell requires applying an erase voltage to the device substrate, which then pulls electrons from the floating gate. Programming and erasing NAND flash memory cells is an extremely harsh process utilizing strong electrical fields to move electrons through the oxide layer. After multiple writes to a flash memory cell, it will inadvertently suffer from write endurance problems caused by the breakdown of the oxide layer. With smaller process geometries becoming more prevalent, write endurance problems are becoming increasingly important.
Another difference between HDDs and NAND flash memory technology relates to data retention, that is, the maximum time after which data is written that the information is still guaranteed to be valid and correct. Whereas HDDs retain data for a practically unlimited period of time, NAND flash memory cells are subjected to leakage currents that cause the programming charge to dissipate and hence result in data loss. Retention time for NAND flash memory may vary between different levels of reliability, for example, about five years in an enterprise environment to about one to three years in consumer products. Retention problems are also becoming increasingly important with smaller process geometries.
Data access and reliability-related characteristics and requirements associated with volatile and non-volatile memory components are collectively referred to herein as service levels and encompass such requirements as persistence, validity, write endurance, retention, etc. In view of the above, to be considered as viable storage alternatives to HDDs, SSDs using flash-based solid-state mass storage devices are required to meet certain service levels that include write endurance and retention time. Write endurance can be addressed by, for example, wear leveling techniques based on the number of P/E (program/erase) cycles among memory blocks. The retention constraint has mandated various mechanisms. As an example, the number of P/E cycles may be limited to satisfy the service level probability of the retention requirement. Strong error correction, such as through the use of error checking and correction (ECC) algorithms, can also be applied to reduce errors over time. With decreasing process geometries, constant data scrubbing is required to counteract increasing failure rates associated with retention. As known in the art, scrubbing generally refers to refreshing data by reading data from a memory component, correcting any errors, then writing the data back, usually to a different physical location within the memory component.
Flash-based memory technologies are seldom used as a system memory replacement in host systems, as opposed to a mass storage replacement that takes advantage of the large capacity of flash-based memory components. An intuitive example is in the use of swap files. Modern computer system memory are typically made up of random access memory (RAM) integrated circuit (IC) components, often SDRAM (synchronous dynamic random access memory). As the RAM area of system memory may often be limited and insufficient, operating systems of computers often use the disk area of an HDD as a swap file to temporarily dump and retrieve memory. Another example of such usage is by applications, such as temporary space by databases (e.g., TempDB in SQL Server).
Although traditionally provided by HDDs, system memory replacement does not require the long retention or even persistency offered by HDDs. A typical retention period for a swap file is very short (typically a few minutes at most) and can be limited to a day. Hence, mechanisms that limit the P/E cycles can be relaxed for such files or data, as there is no requirement to be able to read the data very far into the future.
Other applications that have been introduced with flash-based media can further relax more constraints. For example, a flash read cache application can handle loss of data as it can use the production volume's data (the cache just holds a local copy of the same data). That is, the application can use error detection mechanisms to verify data correctness and can tolerate data errors returned from the flash-based media. Also, persistence is not required in this case as again, the reference copy of the data is always available. Hence, such applications can allow even lower levels of data assurance.
In view of the above, different applications require different service levels from flash-based media in terms of retention, persistence and validity, and the use of a device with the highest service level for all data places unnecessary constraints and reduces efficient utilization of flash-based media.
The concept of exposing different logical unit numbers (LUNs), representing multiple volumes, with different service levels is well known in the storage industry. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0169570 addresses the issue from a performance perspective, providing different quality of service (QoS) levels to each volume. That is, volumes are configured to provide different performance metrics (for example, input/output (IO) operations per second (IOPS), bandwidth, latency, etc.) and assigned to different applications according to their importance and requirements.
However, flash-based storage is by nature a high performance volume. Hence, the above service level characteristics do not apply for such volumes. Instead, and as mentioned above, service level characteristics for flash-based storage generally relate to the endurance and retention levels of the data. These characteristics have been addressed from different perspectives. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,621,328 discloses memory that is logically divided into regions, and in which data are stored applying different error correction for dynamic data and static data.

Solid-state mass storage media having data volumes with different service levels for different data types


A semiconductor device includes a base substrate, a doped region at an upper surface of the base substrate, and a transistor over the upper surface of the base substrate and formed from a plurality of epitaxially-grown semiconductor layers. The doped region includes one or more ion species, and has a lower boundary above a lower surface of the base substrate. The base substrate may be a silicon substrate, and the transistor may be a GaN HEMT formed from a plurality of heteroepitaxial layers that include aluminum nitride and/or aluminum gallium nitride. The doped region may be a diffusion barrier region and/or an enhanced resistivity region. The ion species may be selected from phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, argon, helium, nitrogen, and oxygen. When the ion species includes oxygen, the doped region may include a silicon dioxide layer formed from annealing the doped region after introduction of the oxygen.

A typical gallium nitride (GaN) device (e.g., a GaN transistor) is fabricated by depositing a nucleation layer over a base semiconductor substrate, and subsequently depositing a buffer layer over the nucleation layer, where the nucleation layer functions to initiate epitaxial growth of the buffer layer. After deposition of the nucleation, buffer, and channel layers, additional GaN material, other semiconductor layers, and other structures (e.g., gate, drain, and source contacts) are formed over the buffer layer to complete the device.
GaN on a base semiconductor substrate of silicon carbide (SiC) is a technology that is now used extensively in RF and microwave applications. Although GaN on SiC devices may have significant performance advantages over their silicon-based counterparts, a major drawback of GaN on SiC technologies is the extremely high cost of the base semiconductor substrate. Accordingly, GaN developers continually strive to develop less expensive GaN-based devices that still exhibit the superior performance advantages over analogous silicon-based devices.

Semiconductor devices with doped regions functioning as enhanced resistivity regions or diffusion barriers, and methods of fabrication therefor


The present disclosure involves a device for inserting through adjoining panes of glass, which may be oriented to apply pressure to opposing sides of the glass in one orientation. The device generally comprises a shaft that accepts a fastener, which may be moved to tighten or loosen pressure applied by the device upon the glass. In one embodiment, the device comprises one or more plates for insertion through and placement against opposite sides of the adjoining panes of glass, and which can be used to reduce or remove bowing along the surface of the glass prior to sealing.

Glazing relates to techniques used to install glass partitions, typically as part of a wall or window in a building. Separate sections or panes of glass are often used in such installations and arranged in series such that each separate pane of glass abuts another pane of glass, or is mounted to another surface, such as a sash, stile or rabbet. The adjoining panes of glass are frequently bowed, creating difficulties during installation, particularly when aligning larger panes of glass such as "window wall" partitions.
Given these difficulties, it is challenging to properly and efficiently align and secure one or more glass sections, especially prior to sealing each section to the abutting section. Installers often use makeshift devices in the past to address these difficulties. For instance, it is common to see glass temporarily held in place by shims connected on each side of a glass partition by several windings of electrical wire. This solution, however, is time consuming and requires the installer to operate from both sides of the glass partition. The use of temporary devices also requires an installer to locate and fabricate, in ad-hoc fashion, the shim/wire assembly, further delaying the installation process. Occasionally these temporary solutions will become loose or even break, causing further delays.
Other devices used by installers impair the application of silicon or other sealing material between the separate panes of glass and impair the visibility of the installer. Further, these devices provide little or no ability to gauge correction of bowing or accuracy in alignment of separate panes of glass. The temporary device, once made, cannot be reused or applied to different thickness of glass, as the windings must be completely undone before the device can be removed. Due to the time and resources required for these prior art devices, the installer often uses only a single shim/wire assembly along a single joint in the glass, further amplifying the problems described above. Thus, the problems and shortcomings are even more noticeable when utilizing such ad-hoc devices to temporarily secure panes of glass prior to sealing. It is with respect to the above issues and other problems presently faced by those of skill in the pertinent art that the embodiments presented herein were contemplated.
Accordingly, there is a need for a more adaptable and repeatable device that decreases the mean time for installing multiple panes of glass in a partition, enhances correction of defects in the glass, such as bowing, and which otherwise overcomes the disadvantages described above. The present disclosure also addresses different types of joints between abutting panes of glass, such that the objectives described herein can be realized regardless of the type of joint in a particular installation. There is also need for an improved method of adjoining separate panes of glass through use of such a device, which can be quickly inserted through a partition of glass without accessing the opposite side of the partition, and which can be quickly and efficiently secured by a single installer.
Other advantages over the prior art will become known upon review of the Summary, the Detailed Description and the appended claims.

Enhanced glazing device, assembly and method for operating the same


Selectively providing LC overdrive by determining a relative noise level between a current video frame and a previous video frame and overdriving the current video frame based upon the determined relative noise level.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to display devices. More specifically, the invention describes a method and apparatus for enhancing the appearance of motion on an LCD panel display.
2. Overview
Each pixel of an LCD panel can be directed to assume a luminance value discretized to the standard set [0, 1, 2, . . . , 255] where a triplet of such pixels provides the R, G, and B components that make up an arbitrary color which is updated each frame time, typically 1/60th of a second. The problem with LCD pixels is that they respond sluggishly to an input command in that the pixels arrive at their target values only after several frames have elapsed, and the resulting display artifacts—"ghost" images of rapidly moving objects—are disconcerting. Ghosting occurs when the response speed of the LCD is not fast enough to keep up with the frame rate. In this case, the transition from one pixel value to another cannot be attained within the desired time frame since LCDs rely on the ability of the liquid crystal to orient itself under the influence of an electric field. Therefore, since the liquid crystal must physically move in order to change intensity, the viscous nature of the liquid crystal material itself contributes to the appearance of ghosting artifacts.
In order to reduce and/or eliminate this deterioration in image quality, the LC response time is reduced by overdriving the pixel values such that a target pixel value is reached, or almost reached, within a single frame period. In particular, by biasing the input voltage of a given pixel to an overdriven pixel value that exceeds the target pixel value for the current frame, the transition between the starting pixel value and target pixel value is accelerated in such a way that the pixel is driven to the target pixel value within the designated frame period. In order to calculate an overdrive voltage for a particular frame, the overdrive algorithm stores previous frame data (in a non-recursive type algorithm) or predicted frame data (in a recursive type algorithm) in a memory device (such as a SDRAM). Incoming frame data is then compared with the stored frame data and the overdrive values are calculated. The new calculated overdrive data will then be output as new data display on the LCD and the stored frame data (in SDRAM) is updated by the previous frame data (non-recursive) or predicted frame data (recursive).
Unfortunately, however, by improving the response time of the LCD panel, the overdrive technique also allows low-level noise (typically calculated as a difference between observed luminance values between adjacent video frames, or portions thereof) that would otherwise not be visible to become perceptible on the LCD panel as image artifacts. Such noise may appear as a rippling effect in static fields or jitter associated with even slowly moving objects. This is due, in part, to the fact that a by decreasing the response time of the LCD panel, the low-level noise artifacts are preferentially enhanced.
Therefore what is required is a method, system, and apparatus for selectively applying an LCD overdrive techniques that avoids enhancing low level noise artifacts.

Selective use of LCD overdrive for reducing motion artifacts in an LCD device


A vehicle seat includes a back and a cushion. A mounting assembly supports the cushion and includes a first mounting arm coupled with the back and rotatable with respect to the cushion such that the back is translatable over the cushion. The vehicle seat further includes a first restraint arm coupled with the seat back and operatively coupled with the first mounting arm such that translation of the seat back drives corresponding rotation of the first restraint arm.

Various types of reversible or reconfigurable vehicle seats have been used to accommodate different seating directions and positions for occupants in vehicles. By way of example, some vehicle seats allow for repositioning thereof between at least a forward-facing position, wherein the occupant faces the front of the vehicle, and a rearward-facing position, wherein the occupant faces toward the rear of the vehicle. A number of different seat configurations can provide for such repositioning, including those in which the seat rotates on a horizontal plane, about a vertical axis, among positions.
For seats in particular locations of certain vehicles, horizontal rotation-based reconfiguration may not be possible. For example, front seats in a car (such as the driver's seat in a fully-autonomous vehicle, for example) as well as rear or middle row seats in larger vehicles may be positioned too close to one another or adjacent vehicle components to rotate between positions. Accordingly, some reversible seats have been developed in which the seatback is moveable over and independently of the seat cushion. Such arrangements provide a forward-facing position with the seatback toward the rear of the cushion and a rearward-facing position with the seatback toward the front of the cushion. In these arrangements, the seatback has two opposite seating surfaces for respective use in the forward- or rearward-facing configurations. Because the components of the seat move separately from each other during reconfiguration and not as a single unit (as may be the case in horizontally-rotating reversible seats), seatbelt components may also need to be repositioned between seat configurations.
Accordingly, there is a need for a restraint system and a vehicle seat incorporating such a restraint system that provides for reconfiguration of components thereof in response to vehicle seat repositioning.

Seatbelt restraint system for reversible vehicle seat


An umbilical cord blood extractor broadly includes means for receiving the cord, means for squeezing the cord, and preferably means for collecting the blood from the cord. In a preferred embodiment, the umbilical cord blood extractor includes a lower tray for receiving the cord and an upper lid for squeezing the cord, each having a hinged end and a free end. The lower tray and upper lid are connected by a live hinge at their respective hinged ends. The lower tray is further provided with a longitudinal trough and a distal blood reservoir for collecting blood. The trough is closed at its proximal end and opens into the reservoir at its distal end. The lower tray is preferably provided with lateral longitudinal legs which preferably taper in height. A blood collection needle is preferably provided in the lower tray at a lower portion of the reservoir. The upper lid is formed with a longitudinal protrusion (plunger) sized such that when the upper lid is rotated about the hinge, up and toward the lower tray, the plunger enters into the trough.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to medical instruments. More particularly, this invention relates to an umbilical cord blood extractor which extracts placental blood from a cut section of umbilical cord.
2. State of the Art
The umbilical cord serves as the conduit between a mother and a fetus developing in the womb of the mother. Nutrients and oxygen within the blood of the mother pass through the umbilical cord to the fetus. Immediately after a baby is born, the umbilical cord is clamped to stop the flow of blood through the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord is then cut to free the baby from the placenta.
In accord with standard medical procedure, after birth, the blood from the umbilical cord is sampled, and chemical and biological assays are performed on the blood. The assays are used to determine whether a potential mismatch exists between mother and baby blood types and whether the baby is subject to potential genetically transmitted diseases, bacterial diseases, and viral infections, such as human immunodeficiency viruses which lead to AIDS and hepatitis B and C. Generally, it is desirable to recover the cord blood sample quickly and safely given the time and health concerns of the practitioner within managed health care systems.
A quick method of sampling blood from the cord is to manually milk blood from the section of cut cord; i.e., to squeeze the section of cut umbilical cord by hand to rapidly and thoroughly remove blood from the cord. However, this is not usually practical. The umbilical cord is coated with various fluids, e.g., vaginal blood, amniotic fluid and Wharton's gel, making the cord slippery and hard to handle. Furthermore, it is desirable to minimize contact between health care workers and such fluids. In fact, federal law and an association of operating room nurses have mandated protecting health care workers from blood born pathogens.
A number of devices have been disclosed for taking a sample of blood from an umbilical cord which do not require manually milking the cord. U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,795 to Anderson discloses an umbilical cord holder having an elongate portion with a curved open trough and clamps at either end of the elongate portion. A health care worker places the umbilical cord into the trough and seals the ends of the umbilical cord with the clamps. While holding the elongate portion, the practitioner inserts a needle through the open trough and into the cord and a syringe is operated to withdraw blood from the cord. However, this device has several drawbacks. First, the device requires the use of two hands to extract blood, one to hold the elongate portion and one to operate the needle and syringe. Second, the device requires the use of a needle which must be inserted through the open trough and into the cord. As a result, there exists the potential for unintentional needle pricking, and exposure to blood borne pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis. Third, the blood collected in the syringe must then be transferred from the syringe to one or more vials, which creates an additional risk of unintentional pricking. Fourth, the procedure to extract blood from the cord using this device is substantially time consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,665 to Hessel et al. discloses a device which clamps, cuts, and extracts blood from an umbilical cord. The device includes a clamshell housing provided with a removable cord clamp, a cutting apparatus, and valved blood collection vials. However, the Hessel et al. device does not provide a safe method for removing blood. The device must be hand held while cutting the cord and during the collection the blood. Therefore, during cord cutting and blood collection the likelihood of contact between the practitioner and blood is not minimized. In addition, the device is relatively complex and, seemingly relatively difficult to manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,328 to Grossman et al. discloses an alternative to Hessel. The device is a cup having a lower blood reservoir. A cut section of umbilical cord is placed into the cup and allowed to gravity drain into the reservoir. Once the blood has drained, the blood is then transferred to a vial. Very little handling of the cut cord is required once the cord is in the cup. However, the design of the Grossman et al patent requires the gathering of a large section of umbilical cord, as blood is not squeezed from the cord member as in the manual method, or directly extracted by needle and syringe as in Anderson. In addition, the system requires waiting for the blood to drain into the blood reservoir, making it highly impractical given the time concerns mandated by managed health care.


A gas circuit breaker includes: a pair of electrodes provided so as to be able to come in contact with and separate from each other; and an insulating material that is placed so as to generate a decomposition gas in response to a direct or indirect action from an arc occurring between the pair of electrodes when a current is broken, wherein the decomposition gas generated from the insulating material when the current is broken is configured to be utilized for extinguishing the arc, and wherein an ablative material that does not include hydrogen atoms but has a carbon-oxygen bond in a main chain or ring part is used as the insulating material.

According to PTL 1, one conventional gas circuit breaker operates such that, with a high pressure generated in a heating chamber, when a next current zero point is to be crossed, an insulating gas in the heating chamber flows from a blowing slit through an arc chamber and a pressure chamber into an air outlet provided on the side opposite to the arc chamber in the pressure chamber, while the gas flows through the arc chamber into another air outlet chamber on an opening/closing pin side. In this example, the gas flow naturally crosses an arc, adequately removing its ionized gas in the cross range to prevent an arc from occurring after the crossing of the current zero point, which completes arc extinguishing.
According to PTL 2, an attached member that is heated by a gas heated by an arc to generate an evaporation gas is placed within a heating chamber to enhance pressure increase within the heating chamber. In this example, the attached member comprises a polymer having a chemical composition not including oxygen.
According to PTL 3, in an SF6 gas insulating electric apparatus including an SF6 gas insulator and a resin insulator coexisting in an atmosphere exposed to an arc, at least the surface part of a part exposed to the arc of the resin insulator comprises a fluorine resin including at least one type of high heat conductivity inorganic powder selected from boron nitride and beryllia and pigment particles having an average particle diameter of 1 μm or less.


This disclosure provides a data query method and apparatus. The method includes: dividing an object storage system into a plurality of storage spaces based on time slices, establishing a mapping relationship between the storage spaces, the time slices, and operation records, recording time slice information corresponding to a snapshot after generating the snapshot, and implementing services such as a read-only service, a snapshot rollback service, and an object change service based on the snapshot, so as to improve query performance without adding extra storage overheads.

A snapshot is a mirror of a given data set at a specific moment, and is also referred to as an instant copy. The snapshot is a complete available copy of the data set. The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) defines a snapshot as a fully usable copy of a specified data set, where the copy includes an image of corresponding data at a given time point. A snapshot may be a copy or a duplicate of data represented by the snapshot.
An existing snapshot includes two types of snapshots: a full snapshot and an incremental snapshot that use different snapshot technologies. The full snapshot uses a split mirror snapshot technology to create and maintain a complete mirrored volume for a source data volume before a preset snapshot time point is reached. Each time when data is written, the data is written to both the source data volume and the mirrored volume, and this occupies a large number of storage spaces. The incremental snapshot can track changes in the data volume and a snapshot volume. When a new incremental snapshot is generated, old snapshot data is refreshed.
All the foregoing listed snapshot technologies are for objects, for example, snapshot technologies for blocks and files. Currently, there is no snapshot technology for an object storage system, for example, a container-bucket snapshot technology for objects. In addition, for a massive data storage system, for example, a storage system with abundant storage spaces such as cloud storage, there is no snapshot technology that can enable users to have read-only access to content of an object storage system without affecting service performance of the storage system.

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