The invention comprises a system and method for determining at least one material property of a material sample (such as a bone sample) at at least one point. The system includes a transmitting ultrasonic transducer and a receiving ultrasonic transducer, both transducers being confocal transducers. The transducers are configured to receive the material sample therebetween such that the confocal point of the transducers are located at the at least one point in the material sample. A processor initiates an ultrasonic signal from the transmitting transducers that is transmitted trough the at least one point of the material sample when positioned between the transducers. The ultrasonic signal is received by the receiving transducing and the processor in turn receives a signal reflecting one or more measures of the received ultrasonic signal. The processor determines at least one ultrasonic parameter for the at least one point of the material sample based upon the transmitted and received ultrasonic signals. The processor further determines the at least one material property at the point of the sample based upon the at least one ultrasonic parameter.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention deals generally with diagnostic methods and apparatus for determining the condition and quality of bones and other materials. In particular, it discloses a method for determining non-invasively, non-destructively, ex vivo or in vivo, the condition and quality of certain bones in humans and animals.
2. Description of the Related Art
The need for assessing the mechanical properties of a material is found in a wide variety of applications. For example, it is necessary to test the strength of materials in a wide variety of industrial applications non-invasively and non-destructively. In many applications, destructive testing techniques can be utilized to determine the mechanical properties of a material. In other types of material testing, the material is easily accessible for analysis and nondestructive techniques can be utilized. Further, many materials are homogenous on a macroscopic level, permitting simplified techniques based upon assumptions of the homogeneity.
While many different techniques have been developed for investigating the mechanical properties of materials, many types of materials are not accurately analyzed using conventional techniques. For example, in many medical applications, it is desirable to determine the mechanical properties of the material for proper diagnosis and treatment. In many medical applications, however, the testing is difficult to analyze because destructive testing cannot be used, invasive types of testing are undesirable, and the non-homogenous nature of biological tissue presents unique problems. A good example is the need for accurate measurement of bone mass and bone strength as an indication of resistance to fracture and a condition for bone quality.
The capability to accurately assess resistance to fracture and the status of bone quality has great clinical significance in the diagnosis and treatment of numerous medical problems such as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects one in three women and one in five men over the age of 60. Over 80% of the one million fractures sustained yearly by women over the age of 50 in the United States is a consequence of osteoporosis. Half of the patients with fractures resulting from osteoporosis never recover normal functions, and 30% progress to premature death, 10% dying within three months because of peri- and post-operative complications. However, treatments exist which alter, delay or reverse the progression of osteoporosis if the disease is accurately diagnosed before fracture occurs or if the risk of fracture can be assessed. The development of improved treatments would be greatly facilitated by a technique capable of delineating their effectiveness.
In osteoporosis, bone mass is lost gradually and progressively thus altering the macro and micro bone structure and decreasing the mechanical strength of the skeleton until bone fracture due to minimal trauma results. Bones are composed of cortex (compact bone) and trabeculae (sponge bone). From the tissue level regions of bone that experience relatively high stiffness tend more towards cortical bone. Regions of bone experiencing low stiffness tend to be more trabecular. In most sites of trabecular bone, the trabecular mass is surrounded by a relatively thin layer of cortical bone which may vary in thickness between individuals. Osteoporosis is manifest as an absolute decrease in bone tissue mass primarily in the trabecular region. A person suffering from osteoporosis loses initially a greater proportional amount of trabecular bone than cortical bone.
3. Description of Current Methods
The prior art includes various approaches to measurements related to bone characteristics:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,959 (Palmer) purports to describe an apparatus in which a bone containing body member to be tested is placed between a pair of transducers and a predetermined sequence of tone signals having frequencies spanning a range from 200 to 600 kHz is transmitted through the body member. Amplitudes of the received signals are used to calculate the rate of change of attenuation of ultrasound transmission of the body member with respect to frequency. The rate of change of attenuation is used along with a bone width measurement in a calculation that purports to correlate reliably with changes in bone characteristics which occur with the onset of osteoporosis. Palmer does not describe the purported correlation or its reliability in any detail. Among other problems with Palmer, each single ultrasonic measurement covers a large portion of bone, such as a patient's heel. In any case, the frequencies used in Palmer would not be able to provide for measurement of a relatively small region of bone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,157 (Pratt) describes similar apparatus as Palmer. Again, each single ultrasonic measurement covers a large portion of bone, such as the kneecap. From the data measured by passing ultrasound through the bone, certain ultrasound characteristics are derived, such as velocity of the ultrasound in the bone. The bone velocity of a patient is compared with a database of bone velocities, age and corresponding bone density conditions for a group of patients. Pratt purports to determine the patent's relative bone condition by comparing the bone velocity of the patient as measured to the spectrum of velocities for the patient's age. Among other deficiencies, Pratt does not describe this empirical correlation or its reliability in any detail.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,820 (Rossman) discloses apparatus for use in ultrasound bone density measurements in which a pair of ultrasound transducers are mounted on the arms of a caliper so that they may be placed on either side of the bone under test. From the data measured by passing ultrasound through the bone, certain ultrasound characteristics are derived, such as broadband ultrasonic attenuation. Physical properties and integrity are purportedly determined by comparing the ultrasound characteristics with a material of known acoustic properties. Alternatively, comparison may be made with a database of patients, similar to the Pratt patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,929 (Goll, et. al) discloses apparatus for use in ultrasound bone density measurements. The apparatus measures or calculates a number of "Ultrasonic Bone Indices" ("UBI") from emitted and received ultrasound for a number of bone locations. Regions of interest in the bone are identified, for example, a region surrounding a minimum with respect to a particular UBI parameter. Certain UBIs are said by Goll to be measures of bone properties; for example, the UBI corresponding to an autoregressive moving average spectral estimation function of the stored output of the transducer is purported to be usable as a measure of bone porosity and non-connectivity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,538 (Jorgensen, et al.) similarly discloses emitting and receiving ultrasonic transducers for taking ultrasonic measurements at a number of locations of a patient's bone. Various ultrasonic properties are measured or calculated, such as speed of sound transmission in the bone (SOS) or broadband ultrasonic attenuation (BUA). The ultrasonic data is said to be used to define the location of select internal anatomical features of the bone. The attenuation measures are said to be used to display an image. Jorgensen also makes a brief reference to comparing BUA and SOS values for a patient with ranges of such values for a large number of patients, similar to the database concept of Pratt and Rossman. Jorgensen does not describe this purported empirical correlation or its reliability in any detail.

Method and apparatus for scanning confocal acoustic diagnostic for bone quality

The Research Foundation of State University of New York


A locking device for a storage cabinet that has a door, a cabinet body and a hook defined in the cabinet body facing the door. The locking device mounted on the door. The locking device has a body, a cylinder and a card. The body has a case, a cap and a controlling device. The case has a card slot. The cap is mounted on the case. The controlling device is mounted inside the case and connects to the cylinder. The cylinder has a cylinder body with a keyhole and a key. The card can be inserted into the card slot. When the card is inserted into the card slot, the key can be rotated to operate the lock. The method of using a card instead of coins for the operation a locking device provides convenience.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a locking device, more particularly to a locking device for a storage cabinet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many public places provide lockable storage cabinets, or lockers, for use by the general public and most of these lockers require payment for use. A conventional pay locker has a cabinet body and a locking device. The cabinet has a door. The locking device is mounted on the door of the cabinet. When a coin is put in the locking device, the locking device can be operated. The structure of a conventional locking device is very complex and coins are almost always required to operate the locking device. The method of using a conventional locking device is inconvenient.
Thus, a real need exists for a locking device for a storage cabinet that is simple and convenient to use.


The invention is directed to methods for identifying candidate beta cell-sensitizing compounds comprising providing a pancreatic beta islet cell population derived from a diabetic subject, contacting the beta islet cell population with one or more somatostatin receptor 5-binding compounds, and identifying those somatostatin receptor 5-binding compounds that promote insulin secretion from the pancreatic beta islet cell population at a higher rate than from a control cell population. The invention is further directed to methods for treating type II diabetes comprising administering a beta cell-sensitizing compound identified by the first method of the invention to a diabetic patient in need of treatment.

Diabetes mellitus is a complex chronic disorder that results primarily either from partial or complete lack of insulin secretion by the pancreas. The endocrine pancreas consists of the islets of Langerhans, which include several different cell types, including beta cells that are responsible for insulin secretion, alpha cells that produce glucagon, and delta cells that produce somatostatin (Luft, Efendic et al. Med Biol 52:428-430, 1974). Insulin and glucagon secreted from the beta and alpha cells serve to regulate blood glucose levels.
In diabetic patients, the pancreas produces insufficient or no insulin, the hormone which is responsible for the uptake of glucose into cells. As a result, the level of glucose in the blood becomes abnormally high. There are two main types of diabetes mellitus. In Type I diabetes mellitus, pancreatic beta cells are destroyed and insulin production ceases almost completely. Without regular injections of insulin the sufferer lapses into a coma and dies. Individuals suffering from Type I diabetes are totally insulin-dependent.
In patients with Type II diabetes, insufficient insulin is produced to maintain normal blood glucose levels. Often the body is resistant to the effects of insulin as the transduction of insulin signal is impaired. In most cases, insulin-replacement injections are not initially required. The combination of dietary measures, weight reduction and oral medication can keep the condition under control for a period of time, but most people with Type II diabetes ultimately require insulin injections.
While diabetes may be controlled with insulin and in some cases through careful diet or combinations of diet and oral medication, blood sugar levels fluctuate, sometimes dramatically, in diabetic patients irrespective of therapy. The pathological complications of diabetes are fundamentally related to hyperglycemia. If the diabetes is poorly controlled it can lead to diabetic complications. Such diabetic complications include nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy, heart disease, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, stroke, and neurodegenerative conditions.
Intensive insulin treatment or treatments that produce insulin, such as sulfonylureas and glinides, increase the risk of hypoglycemia (or insulin shock), which occurs if blood glucose levels fall below normal. To date, FDA approved drugs that promote insulin secretion do so indiscriminately, at both high and low blood glucose levels, which can lead to hypoglycemia, discouraging the use of such drugs. Ongoing efforts in the pharmaceutical industry have identified genes and target molecules that participate in insulin expression and secretion. However, the identification of key molecular processes that regulate glucose-induced insulin expression and regulation requires knowledge of the complex inter-relationships of the metabolic pathways that govern this process.
Somatostatins are ubiquitous polypeptides known to affect basic biological processes such as growth, development, metabolism, and cell differentiation in vertebrates (US 20010025097). There are two major forms of somatostatin in mammals, SS-14, a 14 amino acid polypeptide (Ala-Gly-Cys-Lys-Asn-Phe-Phe-Trp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Thr-Ser-Cys) (SEQ ID NO:1), and SS-28 (Ser-Ala-Asn-Ser-Asn-Pro-Ala-Met-Ala-Pro-Arg-Glu-Arg-Lys-Ala-Gly-Cys-Lys-Asn-Phe-Phe-Trp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Thr-Ser-Cys) (SEQ ID NO:2), a 28 amino acid polypeptide. Both SS-14 and SS-28 are produced by proteolytic cleavage from larger precursors, and SS-14 is conserved among such mammals as monkeys, rats, cows, sheep, chickens and humans (US 20010025097).
The biological effects of somatostatin are apparently all inhibitory in nature, and are elicited upon receptor binding on a target cell. For example, somatostatin inhibits the pancreatic secretion of glucagon and insulin.
The effects of somatostatin on target cells are mediated by at least 5 classes of somatostatin receptors, SSTR1-SSTR5. SSTR2 and SSTR5 are the predominant subtypes in peripheral tissues. In rodents, somatostatin inhibits glucagon and insulin release via SSTR2 and SSTR5, respectively. Previous work has demonstrated that SS-14 interacts with SSTR1-5 with similar affinity, while SSTR5 displays a 10-fold higher affinity for SS-28 than SSTR1-4. SS-28 has been shown to preferentially inhibit insulin secretion from beta cells, and SS-14 inhibits the release of glucagon more potently than that of insulin.
Previous work has shown that an SSTR5 selective agonist inhibits glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic islets isolated from normal rats and from normal mice (see, for example, (Rossowski et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun 205:341-346, 1994). SSTR5 knockout mice indicate a role for SSTR5 in mediating pancreatic insulin secretion (Strowski et al., Mol Endocrinol 17:93-106, 2003). Antagonists for the somatostatin receptors, such as PRL-3195 (an SSTR5 antagonist) are known in the art. (Rajeswaran et al., J Med Chem 44:1305-1311, 2001).
Compounds that preferentially promote insulin release in response to hyperglycemia in Type II diabetes would represent a new class of drugs that minimize hypoglycemic episodes, and provide a pharmacological strategy with greater application and acceptance to improve glycemic control in Type II diabetic patients, and possibly decrease risk of developing diabetic complications, including but not limited to nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy, heart disease, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, stroke, and neurodegenerative conditions, caused or exacerbated by poor glycemic control in diabetic patients.

Methods for identifying compounds for treating diabetes mellitus


Methods and articles so produced for increasing the camouflaging effect of any camouflaging pattern, the invention relates to the coating of at least portions of a camouflaging pattern disposed on an article with a material capable of assuming different chromic states at different ambient light levels. Materials employed to produce color changes in the camouflaging pattern include light and/or heat sensitive dyes and/or inks and particularly photochromic materials capable of reversible color changes. At least portions of camouflaging patterns modified according to the invention change color, such as from a color in the original camouflaging pattern to a different color or from a first shade of a given color to a second shade of that same color, on exposure to sunlight either of a more direct nature or a greater intensity, the color change being reversed in whole or in part by a return of ambient light conditions toward or to a given set of original light conditions. Color changes can also be from a clear "no color" state to a colored state. Since lighting conditions, especially direct sunlight, can cause thermal changes, materials capable of reversible alteration in chromic state due to heat changes also find utility in the methods of the invention.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to methods for camouflaging articles including articles of clothing and the like and to camouflaging patterns, the invention relating particularly to methods and articles so produced for increasing the camouflaging effect of a camouflaging pattern by changing the chromic state of materials forming at least some of the camouflaging pattern on exposure to changing ambient light conditions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Camouflage is an art unintentionally but advantageously employed in nature to conceal by pattern and/or color. Mankind learned basic camouflaging techniques from natural sources long prior to recorded history in order to conceal human beings, their possessions and even dwellings from human enemies as well as from animals being hunted or possibly hunting human beings. In more recent times, camouflage has been commonly employed in sport hunting and in military situations, these differing applications sharing a common intent of concealing people, clothing, armament and other accessories through the use of patterns and color which cause the concealed entities to merge with a given background. Camouflaging patterns presently in use vary widely but usually involve representations of natural structure taken from a given environment with which the hunter intends to blend. Such structure includes vegetative materials in particular, whether as individual leaves, stems, branches or the like or vegetative groupings which can be representative of one or more bushes, trees, etc. These patterns are often colored with a number of different colors depending upon the background with which a particular pattern is intended to blend. Such patterns are typically formed by the screening of individual colors in succession on a substrate such as a textile substrate. Even when a variety of colors are employed in an original printed camouflaging pattern of this kind, the color intensity and color type does not change to produce an improved camouflaging effect when the camouflaging pattern is exposed to increased ambient light conditions such as occurs, for example, when the sun comes out from behind a cloud. In prior art camouflaging patterns, the reflective capacities or capabilities of the colors forming portions of the camouflaging pattern do not change since a given color in the camouflaging pattern remains that color regardless of ambient lighting conditions. Given this characteristic of prior art camouflaging patterns, it is readily seen that such prior art patterns do not allow for changes in the colors forming the pattern when the pattern is exposed to increased lighting levels such as are primarily due to changing sunlight conditions. Even more clearly, prior art camouflaging patterns do not provide for changes in the patterns themselves when the pattern is exposed to increasing levels of sunlight. Essentially, except for possible minor changes in color shading brought about by reflectivity only when a prior art camouflaging pattern is exposed to increased ambient light levels, the prior art does not encompass in its teachings a change in a camouflaging effect, much less an improvement in a camouflaging effect brought about by differing ambient light conditions and particularly sunlight exposure levels. In effect, prior art camouflaging patterns remain essentially the same regardless of sunlight intensity.
Photochromic materials are well known in a variety of arts and include light and/or heat sensitive dyes and/or inks both inorganic and organic including polymeric materials, microencapsulated materials and paints inter alia, which materials can be solvated in water-based or other solvents. A characteristic common to photochromic materials is the ability to change chromic state between at least two different light levels. A chromic state is that color condition, including a colorless condition, which exists at a given light level or levels. As an example, a photochromic dye can be essentially colorless at ambient light conditions such as would exist indoors out of direct sunlight but would change to a colored state when exposed to increased ambient lighting conditions such as direct sunlight and/or when exposed to increased heat levels. Photochromic dyes such as "chromasome inks" are particularly available which exhibit colorless chromic states at ambient lighting conditions such as would exist indoors out of direct sunlight but which change chromic state to a colored condition when exposed to direct sunlight, these dye materials having previously been used in articles of apparel such as "T" shirts and the like to produce a colored pattern on the article of clothing when the wearer is in direct sunlight but which "disappears" when the article of apparel is worn indoors in normal indoor ambient light conditions. As such, the prior utility of photochromic dyes and inks of this type has been to produce a highly visible and recognizable pattern on an article of apparel when that article of apparel is exposed to direct sunlight, such articles of apparel and the patterns thus formed thereon being the literal opposite of camouflage since such prior art patterns are intended to be seen.
The present invention intends the provision of methods and articles produced by the methods for increasing the camouflaging effect of any camouflaging pattern by virtue of coating of at least portions of the camouflaging pattern with a photochromic material capable of different chromic states under differing ambient light levels. The camouflaging patterns produced according to the invention are intended to change color and even shape due to color change and when the patterns are exposed to differing ambient light levels and particularly to direct sunlight as opposed to indirect sunlight. Still further, the invention intends the formation of "shadows" and the like in a camouflage pattern such as in areas of the pattern not previously colored or not previously bearing indicia, the shadowing being formed as representational of the manner in which shadows are formed in nature. The invention therefore intends an improvement in camouflaging effect for articles provided with a camouflage pattern produced according to the invention.

Methods for increasing a camouflaging effect and articles so produced


Methods of producing a bioplastic are disclosed. Furthermore, chimeric polypeptides useful to transport polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are disclosed, as are polynucleotides that code for the chimeric polypeptides, cells harboring the chimeric polypeptides and methods of transporting PHAs.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are polyesters accumulated by a variety of microorganisms in response to nutrient limitation or an environmental stress. The intracellular storage of these bioplastics provides a reserve of carbon, energy, and reducing power. The material properties of PHAs are similar to those of traditional petroleum-based plastics, like polypropylene, which enables their use in commercial and medical applications. Additionally, PHAs have the advantages of biodegradability and renewability, therefore providing a sustainable source of non-petrochemically-derived plastic.
The high cost of microbial PHA production has limited the use and application of these materials. Specifically, downstream processing and purification procedures can be as much as 50% of the total expense. Traditional PHA downstream processing methods involving the use of solvents, enzymatic digestion, or mechanical disruption are often impractical for industrial-scale recovery.

Methods, chimeric polypeptides, polynucleotides and cells for producing bioplastics


A method and apparatus for acquiring high resolution 3D marine seismic data using at least two seismic streamers which are generally parallel to one another longitudinally, and offset from one another in both the vertical and horizontal plane. In one embodiment, the acquisition method uses a vertically staggered source array which is operated using end-fire principles as described below. A processing method is applied for reducing the effect of receiver signal ghosts on the processed signal, thereby allowing the seismic array to be towed deeper without reducing the effective bandwidth of the processed seismic signals. In another embodiment, a vertically staggered source array is utilized. Such that the array provides for the removal of source signal ghosts from the processed seismic and thereby complement the quasi-over under receiver array to synergistically provide for removal of all signal ghosts.

This invention relates to a method for acquiring and processing three-dimensional (xe2x80x9c3Dxe2x80x9d) marine seismic data.
Exploration for hydrocarbons under offshore waters is becoming increasingly important. The prospective hydrocarbon reservoir structures that need to be detected are becoming smaller and are more difficult to image on seismic sections and their commercial value is more difficult to establish with standard seismic data quality. The need to mitigate these difficulties translates into a requirement for higher resolving power of the seismic data.
Further, the depth of the waters where the search is conducted is continually growing deeper. As the water depths grow deeper, the costs and risks associated with exploring for and producing the hydrocarbons increases.
Also, new techniques such as directional drilling have allowed several reservoirs to be produced from a single platform. This significantly reduces the costs associated with recovering the hydrocarbons and allows maximum usage of the installed facilities. To effectively drill and complete directional wells into several reservoirs and to optimally produce hydrocarbons from the reservoirs, it is desirable to have as much information as possible about reservoirs and the sediments that overlie the reservoirs. It is desirable to be able to cheaply and effectively collect and process higher resolution seismic data than is typically acquired today. For these drilling and production requirements it is also desirable to increase both the lateral and the vertical resolution of processed seismic data.
Currently, the most common system used to acquire marine three dimensional (3D) seismic data is shown in FIG. 1. A conventional acquisition system 21 utilizes one or more seismic sources 23, such as air guns or waterguns, which radiate sonic energy into the water. These conventional arrays also utilize a group of streamers 25 that are laterally separated from one another, but lie in approximately the same horizontal plane. Located at regular intervals along the length of each streamer are hydrophones 27. Normally, seismic source 23 is fired while source 23 and streamers 25 are being towed through water 29. The sound energy that is produced from source 23 travels downward through water 29 and underlying strata 31. Hydrophones 27 located on streamers 25 collect the seismic signal that is reflected from strata 31 and travels back through water 29 to hydrophones 27. The collected seismic signal is recorded and processed by methods known to the industry.
In general, the vertical resolution of processed seismic data is proportional to the effective bandwidth of the processed seismic signal. Streamer noise can be a major factor in limiting the effective bandwidth of the processed seismic signal. Typically, streamers 25 are towed deeper below the sea surface 33 to minimize the noise and thereby maximize the effective bandwidth of the processed signal. However, as the depth at which streamers 25 are towed increases, the adverse effect of Receiver Signal Ghosts (as hereinafter described) on the processed signal increases. For conventional seismic acquisition and processing, the Receiver Signal Ghosts cause deep notches in the wavelet spectrum of the recorded seismic signal. In practice, no sound energy is typically usable at frequencies greater than the first notch (xe2x80x9cghost notchxe2x80x9d). The approximate frequency where the first notch occurs can be determined by Equation 1 below:
fN=VW/2Dxe2x80x83xe2x80x83Eq. (1)
Where,
fN=Notch frequency
VW=Propagation velocity of sound wave in water
D=Depth of the detector
This frequency (fN) is approximate because an assumption is made that the sound waves are plane waves propagating vertically in the water. Due to the fact that the velocity of sound in water is much lower than the velocity of sound under the seabed, Eq.(1) is generally a good approximation.
As can be seen from Eq.(1), the first notch moves lower in frequency as the streamers are towed deeper, thereby, reducing the effective bandwidth of the processed seismic signal. Therefore, in conventional 3D marine seismic acquisition, the streamers tend to be towed deeper to minimize streamer noise, but this tends to reduce the effective bandwidth of the processed signal and thereby reduces the vertical resolution of the processed seismic signal.
Seismic acquisition techniques have been developed which use xe2x80x9cvertical arraysxe2x80x9d in which the hydrophones are vertically offset from one another, but generally lie in the same plane. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,281 discloses a method for collecting seismic data from a towed vertical hydrophone array that uses one or more towed seismic streamers that are spaced apart vertically. U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,281 does not disclose a method for collecting 3D marine seismic data using streamers separated both vertically and horizontally.
Techniques have been developed in an attempt to reduce the effect of ghost signals on processed seismic data. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,992 discloses a method for collecting seismic data from a towed vertical hydrophone array that uses a towed seismic streamer having a slanted orientation in the water. The patent also discloses a method for processing the seismic data to reduce the effect of ghost signals on the processed seismic signal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,992 discloses that the recorded data is processed to align the primary signals, thereby misaligning the ghost signals. The patent also discloses that the data is also preferably processed to align the ghost signals, thereby misaligning the primary signals. The patent further discloses that the two resulting data sets may be combined. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to maintain a streamer in a straight slanted orientation while it is being towed through the water. The devices necessary to maintain the streamer in a slanted orientation are difficult to operate and create a large amount of noise that can reduce the quality of the processed seismic signal. This can result in seismic surveys that are expensive to acquire and difficult to process effectively.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,991 discloses a method for acquiring marine seismic data that utilizes at least three seismic cables that are towed parallel to the surface of the sea and are located at two different depths. Each of the cables has a plurality of hydrophones spaced along its respective length. The patent discloses that the arrangement of the hydrophones in the seismic array allows the directionality of the wavelets entering the network of cable to be determined and that one advantage of the array is that the actual separation distances of the cables within the network of cables can be controlled for maximum wavelet direction identification. However, the patent does not disclose configuring such a network of cables to acquire high density 3D seismic data. Further, the patent does not disclose any particular methods to use for processing the seismic data acquired and does not disclose any method of processing the acquired seismic data to reduce the effects of Receiver Signal Ghosts on the processed seismic.
For a 3D marine seismic survey, the achievable lateral resolution of the processed seismic is proportional to the areal density of the seismic data acquired. It is generally cheaper and therefore more desirable to acquire high density seismic data using a large number of closely spaced streamers in a single pass seismic acquisition layout, than to acquire that data by making several overlapped passes using a boat towing streamers that are not as closely spaced. However, for a conventional marine 3D seismic acquisition, minimum streamer proximity becomes a key obstacle in shooting high density surveys. Typically, a minimum lateral spacing of at least fifty meters (50 m) between adjacent streamers is desirable to avoid collision or entanglement of the streamers. In general, for a single source seismic design, the minimum achievable subsurface line spacing is about half the minimum streamer proximity. Therefore, in conventional marine 3D seismic acquisition, the minimum achievable subsurface line spacing for a single pass seismic acquisition design is typically about twenty five meters (25 m). In many situations, it is desirable to acquire seismic data that has a subsurface line spacing on the order of twelve and a half meters (12.5 m) or less. However, due to cost constraints and/or situations of timesharing of seismic acquisition boats, it is unacceptable or impracticable to acquire the seismic using multi-pass seismic survey designs.
What is desired is a seismic acquisition method that in a cost effective manner provides seismic data, that can be processed to provide both increased vertical resolution and increased lateral resolution over conventional seismic acquisition methods. Also, what is desired is an acquisition method that improves the efficiency of acquiring 3D marine seismic data by allowing continued acquisition in deteriorating sea states. What is further desired is a method for processing marine 3D seismic data that reduces the effects of Source Signal Ghosts (as hereinafter described) and Receiver Signal Ghosts on processed seismic data.
As used herein, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) xe2x80x9coffsetxe2x80x9d is the horizontal distance from the source-position (or from the center of a source group) to a seismic detector, or more commonly to the center of a detector group measured in the horizontal (x-y) plane. For a vertically staggered source array, the source-position is assumed to be located at a point in the x-y plane directly above the center-point of the stacked elements;
(b) xe2x80x9cin-linexe2x80x9d refers to a line whose axis lies in the horizontal (x-y) plane and lies parallel to the direction in which the 3D seismic data was acquired;
(c) xe2x80x9ccross-linexe2x80x9d refers to the direction in the horizontal (x-y) plane which is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the direction in which the 3D seismic data was acquired;
(d) xe2x80x9csubsurface line spacingxe2x80x9d refers to the distance between adjacent subsurface seismic lines, measured in the cross-line direction;
(e) xe2x80x9csubsurface seismic linesxe2x80x9d refer to lines of source-receiver midpoints, when the source-receiver midpoints are projected onto a common x-y plane. The subsurface seismic lines in general lie in the in-line direction;
(f) xe2x80x9cmidpoint(s)xe2x80x9d are the notional points that are located halfway between source and receiver;
(g) xe2x80x9cvertically staggered source arrayxe2x80x9d refers to individual source elements or groups of individual source elements that are positioned so that an element is located at a different vertical location than another element;
(h) xe2x80x9ckxe2x80x9d refers to the spatial wavenumber, or the inverse of the wavelength;
(i) xe2x80x9carealxe2x80x9d shall mean xe2x80x9cpertaining to an areaxe2x80x9d and refers more specifically in this application to measurements that lie in the x-y plane;
(j) xe2x80x9cprimary signalxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cdirect sound energyxe2x80x9d refers to that portion of the sound energy that propagates to and from the strata and through the water, without being reflected off the sea surface. An example of a primary signal would be the signal that results from the sound energy traveling ray path F, as depicted in FIG. 4A;
(k) xe2x80x9cSignal Ghostxe2x80x9d refers to a delayed negative representation of the primary signal and is caused by reflection of the sound energy at the sea surface;
(l) xe2x80x9cSource Signal Ghostxe2x80x9d refers to a Signal Ghost which results from the reflection at the sea surface of the source sound energy near the seismic source, as depicted by ray path D in FIG. 4B. For a Source Signal Ghost, the source sound energy reflects off the sea surface before it travels to the strata;
(m) xe2x80x9cReceiver Signal Ghostxe2x80x9d refers to a Signal Ghost which results from the reflection at the sea surface, near the receiver, of the sound energy emerging from the strata, as depicted by raypath E in FIG. 4C;
(n) xe2x80x9cSource-Receiver Pairxe2x80x9d refers to a source at a specific position being recorded in a receiver located in a particular position relative to said source. A seismic recording, or trace, is uniquely defined by the description of the corresponding source receiver pair;
(o) xe2x80x9cCharacteristic Wavelengthxe2x80x9d refers to the wavelength of the fundamental frequency of a pattern, or cycle, that repeats itself across a seismic survey. It should be noted that for a given seismic acquisition design there may be more than one Characteristic Wavelength. The Characteristic Wavelength is measured in feet, meters, or some other unit of length;
(p) xe2x80x9cDMOxe2x80x9d refers to a process that creates apparent common reflection-point gathers by a convolution applied to adjacent common-midpoint gathers, with the feature that the normal moveout for reflectors from a dipping bed no longer depends on the dip angle.
(q) xe2x80x9cWiener filterxe2x80x9d refers to a causal filter which will transform an input into a desired output as nearly as possible, subject to certain constraints. xe2x80x9cAs nearly as possiblexe2x80x9d (in a least-squares sense) implies that the sum of the squares of differences between the filter output and the desired result is minimized.
The invention provides a method for acquiring high resolution 3D marine seismic data using at least two seismic streamers which are generally parallel to one another longitudinally, and offset from one another in both the vertical and horizontal plane. Preferably, the acquisition method uses a vertically staggered source array which is operated using end-fire principles as described below.
The present invention also provides a processing method for reducing the effect of Receiver Signal Ghosts on the processed signal, thereby allowing the seismic array to be towed deeper without reducing the effective bandwidth of the processed seismic signals. Towing the seismic array deeper will greatly reduce the noise. This will lead to methods for acquiring and processing 3D marine seismic having higher vertical resolution, than conventional seismic acquisition and processing methods.
The processing method of the present invention also reduces any unwanted effects stemming from the cyclic signal variations when viewed in the cross-line direction, that result from the acquisition method of the invention.
The present invention allows the seismic acquisition streamers to be towed laterally closer together than would be practicable using conventional acquisition techniques. The invention thereby allows the minimum achievable subsurface line spacing to be reduced and increases the achievable horizontal resolution. This also increases the number of subsurface seismic lines that can be acquired in a single pass acquisition survey, thereby reducing the cost and complexity of acquiring high-density seismic data. It is believed that the current invention will be much more economical than the alternative of acquiring high-density seismic data by an interleaved seismic acquisition design.
In some aspects, a vertically staggered source array is preferably utilized. The use of a vertically staggered source array will provide for the removal of Source Signal Ghosts from the processed seismic and thereby complement the quasi over-under receiver array to synergistically provide for removal of all Signal Ghosts.

Method of marine seismic exploration utilizing vertically and horizontally offset streamers


A stand adapter holds containers, such as bottles, in inverted positions for facilitating pouring of viscous contents. The stand adapter is a one-piece structure that includes a mounting plate having a central opening, side walls extending from the inner surface of the mounting plate and an open base defined by distal free edges of the side walls. The opening in the mounting plate has dimensions for receiving a bottle neck and for frictionally engaging surface features of the outer walls of the neck portion of the bottle. The side walls of the adapter have sufficient width and thickness so that the bottle is sturdily supported in an inverted position. Opposing side walls are spaced such that a person's fingers and thumb easily extend between the side walls for twisting, pulling or flipping open the bottle cap. The side walls may form a continuous ring or may have cutout regions for allowing lateral access to the bottle cap and for facilitating non-vertical pouring of the contents of the bottle. The adapter may have any shape, size and width and may be integral with or separable from the bottle. The connection of the adapter may be inward of the cap or may connect directly to the cap so that the cap/adapter combination may be unscrewed as a unit. To connect the stand adapter to a bottle, the bottle cap is removed and the neck of the bottle is urged through the opening in the mounting plate of the adapter. The edges defining the opening engage the walls of the neck, securely connecting the stand adapter to the neck.

The present invention relates to bottle adapters for facilitating pouring of viscous substances from bottles.
Generally, viscous condiments, such as catsup and mustard, are packaged in plastic or glass bottles. Pour spouts or caps are screwed on threaded open end necks of the bottles. The bottles are sold and stored in upright positions. Most food bottles have a security seal across the open end. A screw cap covers the security seal. A compressible insert in the cap seals the bottle after the security seal has been punctured or removed. Pour spouts have secondary openings with secondary seals which flip or axially slide open or closed. To dispense condiments from the bottles, the spouts or caps are opened or removed, the bottles are tipped and the contents of the bottles are urged toward and out of the open end by gravity or under pressure caused by squeezing plastic bottles. Efforts to dispense the viscous condiments may be frustrating and time consuming and often result in overpouring. Needs exist for inexpensive improvements that provide immediate and controlled dispensing of the bottle contents.


An apparatus has circuitry which determines a location of a user, based on sound data representing speech of the user, and identifies the user based on the determined location of the user and user identification information and location information received from a mobile device.

Known (home) agent devices are becoming more and more popular and such devices are typically voice controlled for taking over easy tasks, e.g. for switching lights on/off, playing music, purchasing items over an internet shop, etc.
However, for voice control of such devices, the user should be identified, for example in cases where a purchase is made, personal information is accessed or the like.
Although there exist techniques for voice controlling of devices, it is generally desirable to improve apparatus and methods using voice control.

Apparatus and method to identify a user based on sound data and location information


An oven assembly having a housing enclosing a cooking compartment and a blower compartment, and having a blower for circulating air within the cooking compartment, a door mounted to the housing, and a failsafe switch that is capable of deactivating the blower when the door is opened beyond a set point in the range between at least about 10% to 50%.

Convection ovens are widely used in restaurants for cooking a variety of food products. Many fast food restaurant menu items require rapid cooking, and such restaurants have found it advantageous to cook those items in a convection oven to expedite the cooking time. In a convection oven, it is necessary for an internal blower mechanism to be engaged during operation, to force the heated air through the convection oven chamber. This blower mechanism increases the effectiveness of the oven, but presents a safety hazard. Specifically, the fan element of the blower mechanism is accessible through the oven door. The fan is seated behind an air panel, which panel can be removed. This allows the fan element to be cleaned after the oven has been used. In existing ovens, a risk exists that the blower mechanism could be activated (possibly by the activation of the cooldown cycle) while an operator is cleaning the fan element.
Ovens are known in the art in which the fan element is powered off when the oven door is opened. However, such ovens are unsuitable for use because the oven only cools efficiently when the oven door is ajar and the blower is running. By disabling the blower when the oven door is opened, even slightly, effective cooling is curtailed. Accordingly, a need exists for an oven having a safety mechanism that allows the door to be opened partially, to permit the oven to cool, without deactivating the blower. However, once the oven door is open sufficiently to allow an operator to access the blower mechanism, the blower is deactivated. The present invention provides such a failsafe convection oven assembly. The present invention also provides many additional advantages which shall become apparent as described below.


A water-ejection-angle adjustable shower head includes a main body, and a swing rod, a water dispenser disk, an upper plate, and a lower plate built in the main body from top to bottom. An upper end of the lower plate passes through the upper plate and is hinged onto the water dispenser disk. A center of the swing rod is hinged onto a center of the water dispenser disk. The water-ejection-angle adjustable shower head can be operate to make the water outage holes on a lower surface of the lower plate to swing to various different directions, to form the dispersion water ejections or converging and merging water ejections. As such, the form and intensity of water ejections can be varied, to meet the demands of various customers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shower head, and in particular to water-ejection-angle adjustable shower head.
2. The Prior Arts
Shower head is a kind of water ejection device utilized in a shower, and it can be classified into three categories: (1) portable shower head, that can be held in a user's hand to more freely around, and a shower head support is used to fix the shower head when it is not in use; (2) overhead shower head, that is put and fixed in an overhead position, with its support built in the wall, thus it can not move up and down; and (3) side position shower head, that is put into the wall sideways to the body, such that it may have a plurality of installation positions and water ejection angles, to provide cleaning and massage functions.
Though the shower head is capable of providing a plurality of water ejection functions and types, yet presently, an adjustable shower head is not available, that is capable of providing dispersion water ejections, or water ejections converging and merging with one another, to change the form and intensity of the water ejections to meet the demands of various customers.
Therefore, presently, the design and performance of the shower head is not quite satisfactory, and it has much room for improvement.

Water-ejection-angle adjustable shower head


A filter module (10) has a housing (12) which is subdivided by a membrane filter (14) into an inlet chamber (16), which is connected to an inlet connecting piece (22) arranged rigidly on the housing (12), and an outlet chamber (18), which has a filtrate outlet (20). The inlet connecting piece has two connectors, specifically a first connector (26) and a second connector (28), which connect selectively and fluidically to the inlet chamber with a 3-way valve (24) integrated into the inlet connecting piece. The valve has a first entry, which is connected to the first connector, a second entry, which is connected to the second connector, and an exit, which is connected to the inlet chamber. The first connector is configured as an adapter for outwardly sealed coupling of a culture medium bottle (30), which coupling permits a gravity-driven exchange of liquid with the first entry of the valve.

In many sectors, for example in the food, pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries, the sterility of liquids used or produced is of fundamental importance. Correspondingly great effort is required for detecting microorganisms possibly contained in such liquids. The following method has long been established for this purpose: The liquid to be tested, referred to as test liquid here, is pumped through a membrane filter whose properties, in particular the pore size thereof, are configured such that the microorganisms in question cannot pass through and, when the liquid flows through, are deposited on the surface of said membrane filter. After a representative portion of the test liquid has been filtered, so that a representative portion of the microorganisms possibly contained has accumulated on the filter, the filter is wetted with a suitable culture medium and incubated under growth-promoting conditions. In this case, the microorganisms which have possibly accumulated on the filter surface multiply to an extent at which they can be detected with suitable detection means. If standardized process steps are followed, highly reproducible and comparable results can thus be obtained.
In order to avoid contamination-prone removal and transfer of the filter from the filter module into an incubation container, the aforementioned document, which constitutes the generic type, proposes the dual use of the filter module as both a filter holder and an incubation vessel. In the region of its inlet chamber, the housing of the known filter module has an inlet connecting piece for liquid, and a venting connecting piece which is provided with a sterile filter. In its outlet chamber on the other side of the membrane filter subdividing the housing, provision is made of a filtrate outlet formed as an outlet connecting piece. In the first step, test liquid is pumped via a tube connection through the inlet connecting piece into the inlet chamber, through the membrane filter into the outlet chamber, and through the outlet connecting piece into a collecting container. Then, that is to say afterwards or after one or more optional intermediate cleaning and/or flushing steps, the outlet connecting piece is closed off. The tube connection to the inlet connecting piece is eliminated and replaced by a tube connection to a culture medium bottle. A vacuum pump is connected to the venting connecting piece. By way of said vacuum pump, culture medium is then sucked from the culture medium bottle into the inlet chamber such that the membrane filter is wetted with culture medium. After the tube and pump connection means have been pulled off, the inlet and venting connecting pieces are closed off and the incubation step, in which the inlet chamber serves an incubation container, follows. The incubation result is checked through the transparent housing wall in the form of a color and/or turbidity measurement. The cited document suggests carrying out the filtration in a parallel manner with two filter modules, the inlet chambers of which are filled with different culture media, in particular culture media for aerobic and for anaerobic microorganisms, prior to the incubation step.
A similar principle is known from US 2017/0002395 A1, wherein however, the filter module is provided with a rotating mechanism by way of which the tube connection to the inlet connecting piece can be broken more quickly and easily and the inlet connecting piece can be closed off. Beside the complicated and error- and contamination-prone handling, which is associated with the change in the tube connections, a disadvantage of the systems mentioned is also the long incubation time, often of several days, that is required until the formation of a reaction which is measurable in the manner described above.
Incubation containers having integrated microorganism activity sensors are known from US 2012/0238007 A1. On the market, containers of said type are closed off in a sterile manner and are only in part available filled with a culture medium which is matched to the microorganisms specifically to be detected. The test liquid which is to be checked for the presence of microorganisms is injected through a septum closure into the culture medium bottle, which is then used as an incubation container. The activity of the microorganisms leads to a change in an externally detectable property of the integrated sensor, for example to a change in colour. However, said method requires a relatively high content of microorganisms in the test liquid, of which only small volumes can be tested using this method. This approach is not suitable for detecting very low contaminations of nominally sterile test liquids or for testing large volumes.

Filter module and method for detecting microorganisms


A storage pocket for an inflatable towable vehicle that includes an inflatable member and a protective outer shell. The storage pocket includes a flexible panel attached to the outer shell by sewing or other suitable methods. The flexible panel comprises a continuous solid lower portion and an open weave net upper portion that allows ventilation of the storage compartment to prevent mildew of items stored. Indicia on the lower portion may include warnings and water safety information. Attachment of the storage pocket to the outer shell conserves valuable interior space in the towable vehicle and does not interfere with passenger comfort.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of storage devices, and more particularly to a storage pocket for an inflatable towable vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage compartments for use with towable water vehicles are typically separate units that may be lost if the towable vehicle capsizes. Also, storage compartments used in an aquatic environment are subject to problems with mold or mildew. In addition, storage compartments generally occupy valuable interior passenger space and interfere with the comfort of the passengers.
Those concerned with these and other problems recognize the need for an improved storage pocket for an inflatable towable vehicle.

Storage pocket for inflatable towable vehicle


A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber that accommodates an object to be processed, and provides a plasma process to the object in a vacuum or reduced pressure environment, a dielectric for transmitting microwaves to the vacuum chamber and for maintaining the vacuum or reduced environment of the vacuum chamber, a plate that has slots for guiding the microwaves to the dielectric, and a temperature control mechanism that has a cooling channel between the plate and the dielectric, and controls temperature of the dielectric.

The present invention relates generally to plasma processing using plasma generated from the microwaves, and more particularly to cooling of a dielectric that transmits the microwaves into a plasma process chamber and maintains the reduced pressure or vacuum environment in the plasma process chamber.
A manufacture of semiconductor devices that forms devices on a semiconductor single crystal substrate ("substrate"), such as silicon, includes the steps of applying photosensitive resin onto a substrate surface using a coater, exposing and transferring a pattern on a previously prepared mask (reticle) using an exposure apparatus, and developing the resultant substrate using a developing machine, thereby obtaining a desired transfer pattern of photosensitive resin. This transfer pattern is used as a mask for subsequent steps of etching, diffusion, film formation, etc., so as to perform a desired process for a substrate, etc., and form devices.
The semiconductor process step inevitably requires a plasma processing apparatus having a high processing speed and damage resistance for improved productivity. A method that introduces the microwaves into dielectric through slots in a metal plate and generates high-density plasma on a dielectric surface at the vacuum side, have recently been proposed as a means to achieve required high processing speed and damage resistance.
A conventional plasma processing apparatus typically supplies the microwaves from a microwave source to a plasma process chamber that accommodates a semiconductor substrate as an object to be processed, through a metal plate having slots and a dielectric. The plasma process chamber is maintained in the reduced pressure or vacuum environment, and supplied with reaction gases. The reaction gases turn into highly active radials and ions by plasma, and react with and plasma-process the semiconductor substrate. The dielectric serves to transmit the microwaves to the plasma process chamber, and maintain the reduced pressure or vacuum environment in the plasma process chamber. The metal plate serves to introduce the microwaves into the dielectric through its slots, prevent the dielectric from liberating and mixing as impurities with the gases, and make the plasma distribution uniform. Such a plasma processing method can generate microwave induced high-density plasma on the dielectric surface at the vacuum side, and is promising method for generating high-density plasma in a large area.
However, the conventional plasma processing method has been disadvantageous in that the dielectric becomes high temperature due to the received heat during the plasma generation. This temperature rise of the dielectric and the lowered temperature just after the apparatus becomes idle, fluctuate process characteristics, and cause malfunctions of the apparatus.
The process characteristics include, for example, the following disadvantages: Photoresist forms a hard layer as a degenerated surface after high-concentration ion implantation, and thus a phenomenon that pops resist, i.e., "popping" occurs when the wafer is heated above the resist bake temperature after the lithography step. The popping resist due to heating remains on the wafer even after over ashing, and greatly affects the remaining chip yield. Therefore, ashing after the high-concentration ion implantation should be processed by maintaining the wafer temperature below the resist bake temperature after the lithography step. In the process using an apparatus that does not have a temperature control function over the dielectric, the dielectric temperature rises whenever the above process step repeats, and the processed wafer becomes above the resist bake temperature due to the radiation heat from the dielectric after the lithography step, whereby the popping occurs disadvantageously.
On the other hand, the apparatus includes, for example, the following malfunctions: The vacuum processing apparatus that uses the dielectric employs a sealer between the dielectric and a process-chamber component to maintain the vacuum against the outside. In general, this sealer utilizes a fluororubber system sealer, a perfluoro system elastomeric sealer etc., but the highest service temperature is below 200° C. due to the physical properties of the material. Therefore, in the apparatus that does not use a temperature control function over the dielectric, the dielectric temperature rises whenever the process repeats, the dielectric temperature rises above the highest service temperature of the sealer, and the sealer cannot serve to maintain the vacuum. In addition, when the apparatus that does not have a temperature control function of the dielectric is used after long idling, the dielectric and an inner wall of a dielectric holder are below the temperature at which sublimate generated from the processed wafer and reaction products turns from gas to solid, and thus will suffer from depositions since they are not exhausted in the gas state. The reattachment of the cumulative deposition to the processed wafer would greatly lower the chip yield.


According to one embodiment, a stamper for a magnetic recording media has patterns of protrusions and recesses to manufacture a discrete track recording type magnetic recording media having servo areas including an address portion, a preamble portion and a burst portion, and data areas including a recording track portion, the patterns of protrusions and recesses being formed at a pitch of 400 nm or less, in which a magnitude relation of depths of recesses corresponding to the address portion, the preamble portion, the burst portion and the recording track portion is inverted to a magnitude relation of area ratios of the protrusions to the recesses in the address portion, the preamble portion, the burst portion and the recording track portion.

1. Field
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a stamper for a discrete track recording (DTR) type magnetic recording media, a method of manufacturing a DTR type magnetic recording media using the same, and a method of manufacturing a stamper for a DTR type magnetic recording media.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a media for realizing high capacity recording, many developments of discrete track recording type magnetic recording media have done. Patterns of the DTR type magnetic recording media are largely divided into patterns of data area and patterns of servo areas.
The data area includes a recording track portion. The recording track portion is to form a user recording area for recording and reproducing user data by a head, and has patterns in which toric magnetic tracks are arranged at a specified cycle (track pitch Tp) via nonmagnetic guard bands. The magnetic track is formed of a ferromagnetic material, for example, CoCrPt. The nonmagnetic guard band is an unrecordable area, and separates a data recording layer radially. Further, the toric magnetic track is divided into sectors in the circumferential direction by the servo areas, and formed so that a radial width Tw of the magnetic track is larger than that of the nonmagnetic guard band.
The servo areas are prebit areas in which patterns of magnetic material/nonmagnetic material corresponding to information necessary for positioning the head are formed. The shape of the servo areas is a circular arc to be the orbital of access of the head to a magnetic recording apparatus, and is formed such that the circumferential length thereof becomes long in proportion to the radial position.
The servo areas are generally comprising a preamble portion, an address portion, and a deviation detection burst portion (hereinafter, burst portion), and the servo areas are formed into patterns of magnetic material/nonmagnetic material in the same manner as the data area.
The occupancy rate of magnetic material factor varies in the data area and the servo areas.
An ultrafine structure of such a DTR media with the track pitch of 400 nm or less cannot be manufactured by a method using photolithography. Meanwhile, a method of manufacturing patterns on an entire disk surface by electron beam lithography or the like leads to low mass productivity. The DTR media having such an ultrafine and large-area structure is manufactured by, for example, an imprint method. The imprint method, to be described in more details later, is a method in which a resist film is applied onto a recording layer formed on a substrate, a stamper having patterns with protrusions and recesses inverted with respect to patterns to be formed is pressed onto the resist film to transfer the patterns to the resist, and a magnetic film is processed according to the patterns.
A UV type imprint method and a hot embossing type imprint method have been known as the imprint method. The UV type imprint method is suitable for forming ultrafine and highly precise patterns. On the other hand, the hot embossing type imprint method is suitable for forming complicated shapes and high-aspect structures. However, the two methods have had the problem of their low throughput.
Examples of the imprint method for improving throughput include a high pressure type imprint method in which high pressure is applied to between a substrate and a stamper at room temperature to offset film thickness unevenness.
A stamper for a magnetic recording media to be used in the general imprint method can be manufactured by use of the electron beam lithography, X-ray lithography and the like, and for example, a master disk can be also reproduced by use of the imprint method. Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-38477 discloses a method of manufacturing a stamper by use of the imprint method.
A stamper for a magnetic recording media has recesses corresponding to magnetic portions after completion of the media. By using stampers of different areas of the bases of the recesses corresponding to respective magnetic portions after completion of the media, the above-described DTR type magnetic recording media having patterns with different occupancy rate of magnetic material can be manufactured.
Herein, in the case where a normal stamper in which the depths of recesses are equal is used in the manufacture of magnetic recording media, the spatial volumes of recesses vary with the respective areas of the base. The resist volume necessary for filling the space varies between areas of small spatial volume and areas of large spatial volume. The difference in necessary resist volume is compensated in such a manner that the resist existing around the areas of large spatial volume moves to the spaces of the recesses in the area. As a result, there occurs unevenness in the movement amounts of resists depending on pattern areas, and the film thickness of resist residues in patterns transferred by recesses of large area of the base becomes thinner than that of resist residues in patterns transferred by recesses of small area of the base.
When unevenness occurs in the film thickness of resist residues, a problem arises in removing residues by reactive ion etching (RIE) of oxygen or the like. That is the problem that resist residues of thin film thickness are removed before resist residues of thick film thickness are removed, and accordingly, side etching is performed excessively on the portions where the resist residues have been removed first.
Patterns of protrusions and recesses transferred by use of a stamper broaden due to RIE for use in removing resist residues, Ar iron milling for use in processing a magnetic film, and the like. In the broadening, there occurs unevenness according to respective pattern areas if the above-described excessive side etching occurs. For this reason, there occurs a difference in broadening of patterns depending on pattern areas between a stamper pattern as a design value and the pattern after completion of media. As a result, it becomes difficult to design a stamper for manufacturing DTR type magnetic recording media of desired dimensions. The problem arising from the difference in resist movement amount does not happen in the UV type or hot embossing type imprint method, and it is the problem peculiar to the high pressure type imprint method.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-38477 discloses a stamper for transferring patterns of protrusions and recesses to a data recording area, but there is description that the above "data recording area" does not include an area where servo patterns for tracking are recorded (servo area), a retreat area of a magnetic head, or the like. In other words, the stamper of the Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-38477 does not take into consideration transferring patterns to areas of different occupancy rate of magnetic material.
J. Vac. Sci. Tecnol. B21 (1), January/February 2003 describes that, when aspect ratios are varied between patterns in nano imprint, the amount of moving resists changes together with aspect ratios, and the depth at which resists are filled in recesses of the stamper also changes. The literature describes that adjustment is made by changing resist viscosity and imprint time. In the literature, a stamper of constant depth of recesses is employed.

Stamper for magnetic recording media, method of manufacturing magnetic recording media using the same, and method of manufacturing stamper for magnetic recording media


A vehicle seat with an integrated belt tensioner secured thereto comprises a seat part, a seat frame and a connection element to connect the piston of the belt tensioner to the safety belt. The tube of the belt tensioner is curved transversely to its longitudinal extent and is substantially adapted to the outer contour of the side wall in the region of the side wall of the seat part so that the belt tensioner only slightly projects from the side of the vehicle seat. In addition, due to the curved tube a relatively long tensioning path results.

Vehicle seats customary hitherto to which a belt tensioner is secured require a relatively large construction space, since the tube as part of a piston/cylinder unit is relatively long and projects sidewardly from the seat. In addition, the belt tensioner is to be installed so that in the case of restraint a possibly linear force initiation from the safety belt towards the piston is achieved. This requirement reduces the possibilities of installation for belt tensioners.

Vehicle seat with integrated belt tensioner


A method and system is provided for computing a final cyclic redundancy check (CRC) checksum for an entire data block. The method includes segmenting the data block into at least first and second segments and calculating a partial CRC for each segment. A residue table T is calculated that has ‘R’ entries, where the CRC is R-bits in length. An effective CRC is initialized and the entries of the residue table corresponding to nonzero bits of the partial CRC of the first segment are summed. The final CRC for the data block is computed as the sum of the effective CRC and the partial CRC of the second segment.

This disclosure relates generally to error checking in digital systems and, more specifically, to a method and system for efficiently computing cyclic redundancy checks on data in a digital system.
Error checking is commonly used in digital communications, file back-up systems, and storage systems to verify that a message or file is free from errors (e.g., that the message or file being checked corresponds to the original message or file). One method for detecting such errors is to employ a cyclic redundancy check (CRC). The CRC performs a mathematical calculation on a block of data (e.g., the message or file) and returns a number (a "checksum") that represents the content and organization of that data. The basic idea is to have the CRC return a checksum that uniquely identifies the data.
CRCs are widely used for a number of reasons. For example, a CRC is a fixed-length checksum (typically sixteen or thirty-two bits), data for which a CRC can be calculated can be of arbitrary length, there is a dependency on data order for computing a CRC, CRC is linear, and a CRC computation is of reasonable computational complexity.
In a digital communications system, a CRC may be used as follows. A data stream in a digital communications system consists of headers and data packets. As the data arrives at a source node, a CRC checksum is computed for the data and transmitted along with the data. A target node, upon reception of the data, independently generates the CRC checksum and compares the generated CRC checksum with the CRC checksum received from the source node. An exact match between the independently generated CRC checksum and the received CRC checksum indicates that there were no errors in the transmission. If the checksums do not match, an error is assumed to have occurred.
In file processing, CRC may be used as follows. An entire data file is considered as a data block for which a CRC checksum is calculated. The CRC checksum is stored along with the data. When the file data is restored, the CRC checksum is independently computed and checked against the pre-stored CRC checksum to check for errors. As in the case of communication systems, a CRC checksum match indicates that there were no errors in storage, whereas a mismatch indicates that an error occurred.
Generally, the CRC computation on a data block is accomplished in a serial manner and the entire data block has to be available. By using the linearity property of CRC, the computation may be made more efficient by pre-computing CRC tables, whose entries contain pre-computed effects on the CRC for any n-bit data, where n is usually 4, 6, or 8 bits. However, look-up tables become less desirable with increasing table index 'n', because they grow exponentially as 2n entries. Furthermore, there are situations where the entire data block for which the CRC is to be computed is not simultaneously available and the CRC checksum needs to be calculated on segments of the data block. This is generally accomplished by either employing data buffering to do the CRC computations, which results in processing delays, or computing the CRC checksum using alternative methods, such as computing a checksum for each data segment and then combining the data segments' checksums to obtain a final checksum.
Data buffering is often undesirable because it may affect performance (e.g., it requires additional read/write time to and from memory) and generally adds complexity to the CRC computations. Data buffering also requires that all the data for which the CRC needs to be computed is available before the computation starts, which slows down the receiving process that is waiting for the data. Some current methods for computing CRC checksums for multiple data segments and then combining them require constantly updating the CRC checksum while processing the CRC for each data segment, which adds computational complexity to the CRC computations. Other methods that compute CRC checksums for multiple data segments often use multiplication and polynomial division to obtain the final CRC checksum, which requires additional time and computational resources.
Therefore, what is needed is a method and system for efficiently computing CRCs on data in a digital system. For example, it is desirable to compute a CRC checksum for multiple segments and then to efficiently obtain a final CRC checksum.

Method and system for efficiently computing cyclic redundancy checks


An object includes an electro-optic display device provided with an optically active element, the optical properties thereof can be modified by applying an electric voltage or current between at least one electrode and one corresponding auxiliary electrode, between which the optically active element is disposed. The object further includes a middle part which delimits an opening closed by a crystal including a bottom surface beneath which the electro-optic display device is arranged. The crystal is provided with an opaque frame which is made remotely from the edges of the opening and which covers the contour of the electro-optic display device so as to conceal electrical connection elements. The electro-optic display device defines an active display area which is confined by the opaque frame, such that, when the electro-optic display device is activated and displaying information, a transparent area remains between the opaque frame and the edges of the opening.

The present invention relates to the field of electro-optic display devices. The term "electro-optic display device" is understood to mean a display device comprising an optically active element whose optical properties can be modified by applying an electric current or voltage. The display devices that comply with this definition in particular include liquid crystal display devices (also known as LCD devices), organic light emitting diode devices (also known as OLED devices), electrochromic display devices and electrophoretic display devices.
The electro-optic display devices concerned by the present invention conventionally comprise at least one substrate which acts as a support for an optically active element disposed between at least one electrode and one corresponding auxiliary electrode, and whose optical properties can be modified by applying an electric current or voltage between these at least one electrode and auxiliary electrode.
For the purposes of illustration only, the case of a liquid crystal display device can be considered, for example of the twisted nematic (TN) type comprising a front substrate which extends parallel to and remotely from a rear substrate. These front and rear substrates are joined to one another by means of a sealing frame which delimits a sealed enclosure confining the liquid crystal. Electrodes and auxiliary electrodes are structured on the faces facing each other of the front and rear substrates. The application of an electric voltage between a determined electrode and a determined auxiliary electrode makes it possible to modify the optical properties of the liquid crystal at the crossing point between this electrode and this auxiliary electrode.
In order to ensure correct operation of a liquid crystal display device, the electrodes and auxiliary electrodes thereof must be connected to an electronic power and control device at least partially located externally to the display device. For this purpose, one of the two substrates, usually the rear substrate, is provided such that it is larger than the front substrate and this additional surface is used to extend, via electrically-conductive tracks, the auxiliary electrodes supported by the rear substrate outside of the sealing frame of the display device. Similarly, the electrodes supported by the front substrate are transferred to the rear substrate, for example by means of electricity-conducting balls dispersed in the sealing frame. These electrically-conductive balls are in contact, on the one hand with the electrodes, and on the other hand with conductive tracks which run along the rear substrate and allow these electrodes to be extended outside of the sealed enclosure delimited by said sealing frame. Thanks to electrical connectors, the conductive tracks, and thus the electrodes and auxiliary electrodes of the liquid crystal display device can be connected to the external electronic power and control device.
Numerous applications exist today wherein an electro-optic display device such as a liquid crystal display device of the type described briefly hereinabove is sought to be attached. Among the examples that immediately come to mind are timepieces such as wristwatches or smartphones. Such portable objects comprise a frame (also referred to as a "middle part" in the specific case of wristwatches) which delimits an opening that is closed by a crystal. This crystal comprises a top surface directed towards an observer and a bottom surface, opposite the top surface, and to which a liquid crystal display device, for example, is rigidly connected. This liquid crystal display device is intended to display information that will be discernible to the user through the opening delimited by the frame of the portable object.
The problem faced by all designers looking to equip an object, such as a wristwatch or smartphone, with an electro-optic display device directly attached to the bottom surface of the crystal, lies in the need, for understandable aesthetic reasons, to conceal from the user's view all of the electrical connection elements that are required to connect the electro-optic display device to the external electronic power and control device thereof. The most common solution to date for overcoming this problem consists in giving the front substrate via which the electro-optic display device is rigidly connected to the bottom surface of the crystal a dimension that is equal to or substantially the same as that of this crystal, and in providing a rear substrate of a larger dimension than the front substrate in order to obtain a large enough surface area for arranging all of the elements required for the electrical connection of the electro-optic display device to the external electronic power and control device thereof. The portion of the rear substrate that exceeds the dimensions of the crystal extends beneath the frame which is, by definition, opaque, of the portable object and is thus hidden from the user's view.
In these embodiments of the prior art, the active area of the electro-optic display device, i.e. the scope over which such an electro-optic display device can display information, is substantially equal to the scope of the opening delimited by the frame of the object. Objects such as a wristwatch comprising two superimposed display devices of the electro-optic type are already known. More specifically, the upper electro-optic display device is arranged such that, when not displaying information, it is semi-transparent and allows information displayed by the lower electro-optic display device to be viewed. However, this solution appears less suited to the case where the lower display device is not an electro-optic display device. Such is the case, for example, if an object such as a wristwatch is equipped, for example, with a dial above which indicator hands move. More specifically, since the electro-optic display device that is arranged above the hand display device is disposed between two polarisers, less than 50% of the external light that falls on this electro-optic display device will penetrate the inside of the watch case, such that the dial and the hands moving thereabove will appear dark and difficult to perceive by the user. There is thus a need in the prior art for an object, in particular a portable object such as a wristwatch or a smartphone, comprising a frame that delimits an opening through which can be viewed not only the information displayed by the electro-optic display device, but also the information displayed by a second display device arranged beneath the electro-optic display device, while hiding from the user's view the construction elements and electrical connection elements, whose view thereof would be aesthetically detrimental for the object.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Object provided with an electro-optic display device

The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd


A window shade arrangement having a manually operated window shade web whose movement between open and closed positions is guided by guide rails at each side. A pull rode having oblong sliding blocks travels in the two guide rails. The sliding blocks, together with the pull rod, can swivel about an axis parallel to the pull rod. In this way, the sliding blocks can become secured in corresponding locking pockets in the guide rails. The locking can be released by manual turning of the pull rod in the opposite direction.

The prior art recognizes many manually operated window shade arrangements in motor vehicles, which are used to regulate the entrance of light into the vehicle interior. Such window shade arrangements are situated at the side windows or the rear window of a vehicle. In either case, such window shade arrangements in the vehicle typically include a winding shaft, which is tensioned in one direction of turning movement by means of a spring drive. A web of window shade is secured at one end to the winding shaft, and its free movable edge is connected to a pull rod. The ends of the pull rod are moveable in guide rails, which are firmly anchored in the vehicle. This is intended to prevent a rattling when the shade is extended caused by the pull rod knocking against the window.
In order to keep the shade in an extended position, a hook arrangement is commonly is used, otherwise, the shade would wind back onto the winding shaft because of its spring drive. The hook, however, is visible within the vehicle and requires manual lifting of the pull rod from the hook to release engagement between the hooked parts so that the shade can be returned to a retracted condition.

Window shade arrangement with concealed locking device


A self-regulating magneto-dynamic system, utilizing steel core rails and permanent magnets as sources of magnetic field, provided for magnetic levitation, stabilization and propulsion in a high speed ground transportation vehicle moving with high speed without friction along a track having a predetermined trajectory, comprising of a self-regulating magneto-dynamic levitation and stabilizing system (MDLSS) provided for magnetic levitation and stabilization of the vehicle, and a permanent magnet linear synchronous motor (PMLSM) provided for stable propulsion of the vehicle. Both systems are situated on the same vehicle, interacting with each other only through electro-magnetic process, working synchronously, supporting each other's stability and self-regulation, where the stability of the MDLSS affects the functionality of the PMLSM, and the precise work of the PMLSM allows for more optimum design of the MDLSS.

Presented invention pertains to Maglev high speed ground transportation comprising magneto-dynamic suspension and linear synchronous motor both utilizing permanent magnets and steel cores with electro-dynamic processes proceeding in them.
There are two types of existing Maglev transportation systems: Transrapid (Germany) and High Speed Surface Train—HSST (Japan). Their suspension systems differ in the ways of producing internal magnetic forces. Transrapid utilizes Electromagnetic Suspension employing electromagnets attracted to the stator steel rails, and HSST utilizes Electro-dynamic Suspension employing superconductive magnets repelled from conductive plates during vehicle motion. Both types of suspension are not self-regulating.
To perform their working functions the electromagnets of Transrapid suspension must be powered with current sources installed on each car and regulated by a complicated servo control system monitoring the vehicle deviations from its track. As a result, any malfunction in the servo control system may lead to a disaster. Utilizing superconductive magnets for electro-dynamic suspension is not appropriate for HSST or any other high speed public transportation as they present a health hazard for passengers. This bulky, and fragile device is incapable of tolerating large mechanical loads. Moreover, it requires permanent sophisticated helium cooling system that is explosion-hazardous.
In both existing Maglev systems propulsion force is produced by linear synchronous motor with stator winding uniformly distributed along a guideway. Therefore propulsion force as well as vehicle speed are regulated by frequency and value of current. This requires sophisticated equipment, comprising converters from conventional system of AC of constant frequency into DC and invertors from DC into AC of alternating frequency for regulating the vehicle speed. Therefore the linear synchronous motors are also not self-regulating.
As a result the solutions found for the existing versions of Maglev for performing their working functions are palliative since they relayed on servo control systems thus making passengers' lives dependent on the control systems reliability. This has been delaying commercial utilizing of Maglev for public transportation. Current versions have been developing for more than 40 years and require full-scale modeling for their development.
The proposed new type of Maglev-Amlev system—utilizes magneto-dynamic suspension and linear synchronous motor—both employing permanent magnets and steel cores.
For a long time numerous attempts to create high-speed ground transportation without friction (a flying car suspended by its permanent magnets to steel cores placed along designed trajectory) had been unsuccessful and gave reason to believe that stable flight of a car on a passive suspension is impossible. It is shown in the detailed description of the invention that this belief is erroneous because the following has not been taken into account:                a) the magnets can be of alternating polarity and move along stable laminated steel cores of the stator;        b) magnetic permeability of steel decreases as intensity of magnetic field in it grows;        c) laminated steel of cores eliminates electric component of running electromagnetic wave thus converting it into running magnetic wave;        d) a flat screen of non-magnetic metal (aluminum) becomes an insulator for leakage alternating magnetic fluxes from laminated cores (following Lenz principle of electro-magnetic inertia).
Above features allowed creating a design of self-regulating stable passive magnetic suspension for moving car (MDLSS) and self-regulating linear synchronous motor, based on permanent magnets and steel cores (PMLSM), that is fed by three-phase current of constant frequency (FIGS. 1, 2, 3). Moreover the design was based on precise analytical calculation and measuring internal stabilizing and destabilizing forces on a desk-top model.
The possibility of creating a stable suspension system was proven more than two centuries ago and supported by the Lagrange-Dirichlet theorem. Applied to our case it states that equilibrium of a MDLSS levitator is stable if potential energy of the MDLSS magnetic field has its local minimum in the equilibrium position.
Magnetic suspension utilizing permanent magnets, steel cores and rigid constrains is a conservative system, i.e. one that conserves its potential magnetic energy Ep. Potential magnetic energy is that part of energy that cannot be transformed into kinetic energy because of rigid constrains. Two parts of MDLSS: stator and levitator—are separated in space, interacting with each other through magnetic field. Internal forces in a conservative system are derivatives of the potential magnetic energy Ep with respect to coordinates of a shift between its parts. Permeability of steel parts of the MDLSS is very dependable on the intensity of the field. This peculiarity of saturated steel makes it possible to build a stable MDLSS based on the permanent magnets and steel cores. The deduction method was applied to the Lagrange-Dirichlet theorem that in our case states that position of MDLSS levitator magnets is stable if potential energy Ep of magnetic field produced by permanent magnets has a local minimum Epm, not coinciding with a cores surface. It is impossible to reveal or to measure potential energy of magnetic field. Therefore, it is expedient to proceed from the opposite premise: if MDLSS levitator is in equilibrium position, and any its small shift produces a stabilizing force then MDLSS is stable. Such interpretation of Lagrange-Dirchlet theorem prompts the way of creating a stable MDLSS.
It was shown in [1], [3] and [4] how to create a self-regulating magneto-dynamic system (MDLSS)—a vehicle with permanent magnets affixed to its floor and sides, which flies stably along the stator steel laminated cores.
The design of a self-regulating linear synchronous motor (PMLSM) with screening permanent magnet rotor having extendible poles which has a winding powered by three-phase current of constant frequency versus varying frequency of the existing types of Maglev. It has been achieved due to non-uniform distribution of the stator winding along the guideway. The stator turn length is proportional to the vehicle speed. Such design does not have complicated devices for regulating. The PMLSM is stable (never falls out synchronism), and self-regulating. It was presented in [2] and [5].
The following additions and changes are given in this application:                1) Assembly of MDLSS and PMLSM in the common transportation system—Amlev;        2) Remodeled design of MDLSS and its parts;        3) Remodeled design of PMLSM and its parts;        4) Complete description of the physical processes during Amlev vehicle motion;        5) Design of a small (desk top) model that helps to obtain optimal shapes and dimensions of all the parts of MDLSS producing magnetic forces applied to the car which will ensure stability and safety of its flight.

Self-regulating magneto-dynamic system for high speed ground transportation vehicle


A method and apparatus are described including a laser with a plurality of internal or external actuators for affecting an optical frequency of light output by the laser, wherein the plurality of actuators have a corresponding plurality of different frequency response bands for changing optical properties of the laser and a corresponding plurality of actuation ranges of optical frequencies affected. Also included is an optical detector, and a plurality of optical paths configured to direct light output by the laser onto the detector. A laser controller is configured to provide a plurality of inputs to the plurality of actuators based on a detector signal output from the optical detector and the corresponding frequency response bands and actuation ranges.

Many laser applications require the laser's frequency to be changed in time ("frequency modulated") in an extremely controlled and predictable manner over large optical frequency bandwidths. Many of these applications require the optical frequency to change linearly and monotonically in time (to form a "linear frequency chirp," called simply a "chirp" hereinafter). For instance, researchers have actively linearized an optical frequency radio frequency (RF) sideband to improve the performance of frequency-modulated, continuous-wave (FM-CW) laser detection and ranging (LADAR). Other researchers have actively linearized the carrier optical frequency for reading out spectral information recorded in optical crystal transitions.
Previous work has demonstrated techniques for providing feedback through circuits that drive a laser to provide stable, highly linear laser output for low optical bandwidth systems. This previous work exhibits frequency tuning, including highly linear chirps, with bandwidths of up to 10 gigaHertz (GHz, 1 GHz=109 cycles per second, also called Hertz and abbreviated Hz).

Precise broadband frequency modulated laser