Provided are an ancillary material, used for shape processing, which is capable of shortening a processing time, avoiding a reduction in quality of a shape provided to a workpiece material, and allowing a relatively low manufacturing cost; a processing method using the ancillary material; and a method of manufacturing the ancillary material. The tungsten alloy grains (1) comprise: tungsten of greater than or equal to 80% by mass and less than or equal to 98% by mass; nickel; at least one kind of metal selected from the group consisting of iron, copper, and cobalt; and an inevitable impurity, a maximum diameter thereof is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 5.00 mm, and a specific surface area thereof is less than or equal to 0.02 m2/g. The tungsten alloy grains (1, 10), the workpiece material (30), an abrasive (20) are blended in a container (100) and the container is rotated, thereby processing the shape of the workpiece material (30). In the method of manufacturing the tungsten alloy grains (1), a granulated powder is stirred at a temperature greater than or equal to a softening point of an organic binder and thereafter, is cooled, thereby spheroidizing the granulated powder.

Conventionally, a process of shaping a piezoelectric element such as a crystal oscillator, an electron device, or the like is performed in a manner in which an abrasive and a workpiece material are blended or an abrasive, an ancillary material, and a workpiece material are blended in a processing container, and the processing container is rotated.
For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 10-217084 (Patent Document 1), a method for manufacturing a rectangular AT vibrating reed is described. In this manufacturing method, an abrasive and rectangular AT vibrating reed are put into a spherical pot, and the spherical pot is rotated on an axis thereof and revolved around in a circular manner, thereby forming an inclination on a planar surface of the rectangular AT vibrating reed.
In addition, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-330042 (Patent Document 2), a beveling work method for a crystal oscillator or the like is described. In this work method, in addition to a piezoelectric blank plate of a crystal oscillator or the like and a work abrasive comprising alumina-based loose abrasive grains, a spherical or tabular ancillary material comprising ceramic, a resin material, a crystal material, metal, and the like is put into a work cylinder and the work cylinder is rotated, thereby performing the beveling work for the piezoelectric blank plate.
As described above, in the above-mentioned Publications, the ancillary material is added in order to increase a work efficiency in a process of shaping the piezoelectric element, the electron device, or the like. Note that the conventional tungsten alloy grains and manufacturing method thereof are described in Japanese Patent No. 2987911 (Patent Document 3) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 4-308003 (Patent Document 4).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 10-217084    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-330042    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 2987911    Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 4-308003

Tungsten alloy grains, processing method using the same, and method for manufacturing the same


Techniques for identifying encoded digital data in a multichannel hologram are described. A method can include steps of reading a first channel of a multichannel hologram, extracting first content data stored in the first channel, reading a second channel of the multichannel hologram, extracting second content data stored in the second channel, and utilizing the extracted content data. The extracted content data may be used for digital signature recognition. A system can include a multichannel hologram configured to store first, second, and third content data at first, second, and third channels respectively, at least one optical sensor configured to read the first, second, and third channels of the multichannel hologram and extract the first, second, and third content data, and a processor configured to measure an acceleration when the system is acted upon by a force.

As the demand for computers and other electronic devices in both the workforce and personal life has increased, so has the number of devices to perform the associated functions. Numerous manufacturers have emerged to develop the various devices needed to fill the demand. As these devices get smaller, and as ergonomics become increasingly important, it becomes more challenging to find space for a label on a device to provide device specific and other information. One example is in a product where there is a significant industrial design element and a desire to minimize text on the product, such as serial numbers, bar codes, and product numbers.
A further complication exists with an increased desire for global products which generates the need for incremental country localization. Broadening the number of countries a company may desire to market their product increases the number of required agency and regulatory marks on the product. It would be beneficial if there was a way to minimize the footprint or space used for these marks and text.
In addition, there is a continued need for higher quality and lower cost acceleration sensors and force sensors. Accelerometers, gyros, and force sensors are used in many industries for inertial navigation, shock test equipment, vibration measurement, and product packaging evaluation. For example, electronic devices are susceptible to vibrations and other movements during any type of transport of the devices and the impact of such vibrations can ultimately damage or render useless the devices. Prior to shipment of such electronic devices, manufacturers spend time and money to test shipping methods and different types of packaging for transport. Additional manners for measuring the amount of acceleration a package frame or other object may be subjected to would also be beneficial. Also, generalized measurement devices and methods are needed for measuring acceleration beyond a single dimension, into two dimensional and three dimensional applications.

Hologram methods for signature security, consolidated content, and an accelerometer


Provided are an exhaust gas purification filter having a high particulate matter (PM) combustion efficiency, a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and superior thermal resistance and a method for producing the same. An exhaust gas purification filter is formed by sintering columnar aluminum titanate particles whose surfaces have a catalyst material deposited thereon and which have an average aspect ratio (=number average major-axis length/number average minor-axis length) of 1.3 or more, wherein a catalyst made from the catalyst material by thermal treatment during the sintering is supported on the surface of the aluminum titanate.

Diesel particulate filters (DPFs) and the like are conventionally used for removal of particulate matter (PM) contained in exhaust gases discharged from internal combustion engines, particularly diesel engines. The combustion temperature of PM is as high as 550° C. to 650° C., so that high temperature is required to burn PM. Therefore, as a porous material used in a DPF and the like, a material is desired which has low thermal expansivity and superior thermal shock resistance to avoid the occurrence of fatigue due to thermal shock within the operating temperature range. Aluminum titanate meets these performance demands and has a high melting point. For this reason, aluminum titanate has been expected as a porous material used such as for a DPF and developed in various ways.
Meanwhile, since the combustion of PM requires high temperature, attention is being paid to a method in which a catalyst is supported on a DPF to steadily combust PM at low temperature. The supporting of the catalyst is performed, after the production of the DPF, by impregnating the DPF with a solution containing catalyst particles or applying the solution to the DPF, so that a catalyst layer is formed on the wall surfaces of the DPF and in the pores of the DPF walls. However, there arises a problem in that some of the pores are clogged by the catalyst layer so that pores having been previously interconnected are isolated from one another to reduce the number of exhaust gas flow channels, resulting in reduced PM combustion efficiency.
Patent Literature 1 proposes that in order to provide a sintered aluminum titanate body having not only high strength without impairing high melting point and low thermal expansivity characteristics possessed by aluminum titanate but also less degradation in mechanical strength due to repeated thermal history, a substance formed by adding magnesium oxide and silicon oxide to aluminum titanate is sintered.
Patent Literature 2 discloses the production of an exhaust gas filter using columnar aluminum titanate and proposes to produce the exhaust gas filter in which, when the columnar aluminum titanate particles have a negative coefficient of thermal expansion in the longitudinal direction, they have a positive coefficient of thermal expansion in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction or in which, when the columnar particles have a positive coefficient of thermal expansion in the longitudinal direction, they have a negative coefficient of thermal expansion in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. However, the literature does not disclose a specific method for manufacturing columnar aluminum titanate. Furthermore, the literature also does not disclose specific shape features of the columnar aluminum titanate, such as the aspect ratio of the columnar shape.
To solve the problem of reduced PM combustion efficiency due to the formation of a catalyst layer on the DPF wall surfaces and in the pores of the DPF walls, Patent Literature 3 proposes a method in which a spherical pore-forming agent, a columnar pore-forming agent, and an inorganic binder are added in respective predetermined amounts to a catalyst and mixed to form a slurry and a support is immersed into the slurry. However, there arises a problem in that the catalyst may enter microcracks in the DPF to increase the coefficient of thermal expansion. There also arises a problem of poor production efficiency of the catalyst-supported DPF.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Exhaust gas purification filter, and method for producing same


A sigma-delta modulator comprises a summer, a loop filter, a quantizer, a D/A converter and a dynamic element matching logic. The summer receives an analog input signal and a feedback signal to generate an error signal to the loop filter which generates a filtered signal to the quantizer, thereby converting the filtered signal to a quantized output signal to the D/A converter including first and second converting elements which together form a plurality of D/A elements and generating the feedback signal. The dynamic element matching logic selects the D/A elements and determines the number of groups into which the D/A elements are divided, where the number of the groups is prime to that of the first converting elements, distributes the D/A elements to each group equally, and selects the groups and D/A elements thereof according to the quantized output signal and the previous selection of groups and D/A elements.

The invention relates to a data conversion system, and more particularly to a sigma-delta modulator, data conversion system and method with dynamic element matching logic.
Data conversion techniques have been in existence for many years, and their use has become widespread. Converters used, such as a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter or an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, have found homes in applications such as communication systems, consumer and professional audio, and precision measurement devices.
Sigma-delta modulator (SDM), an A/D converter also known as an oversampling A/D converters characterized by high dynamic range and high resolution, has been successfully applied in communication and other signal processing areas. One-bit sigma-delta modulators have been popular in the past for their inherent linearity. However, to fulfill the demand for higher resolution and wider bandwidth without increasing the oversampling ratio, it is necessary to utilize multi-bit sigma-delta modulators which also reduce quantization noise power. Nevertheless, the major drawback of the multi-bit sigma-delta modulators is non-linearity stemming from the mismatching between the D/A elements in the feedback multi-bit D/A converter of the SDMs. The mismatching between the D/A elements in the multi-bit D/A converter, such as capacitors, resistors, current sources and the like, due to manufacturing variations, imperfections in materials used, changes in temperature, humidity, degradation and so on, causes non-linearity in the feedback path, which manifests itself as distortion and noise at output.
One approach addressing non-linearity in multi-bit D/A converters is dynamic element matching (DEM). Dynamic element matching (DEM) randomly selects D/A elements in the multi-bit D/A converter to distribute the non-linear error across the spectrum. Moreover, a particular DEM technique is the data weighted average (DWA). The conventional DWA logic regularly selects the D/A elements of multi-bit converter one by one at a predetermined turn according to a digital input code of the converter. DWA technique averages the participation of each D/A element, thus shifting DAC (D/A converter) mismatch errors to a higher frequency band and providing easy implementation and first order noise shaping.
However, since the DWA logic depends on the amplitude of the input digital code, in-band tones occur when the input amplitude is small, reducing both the SNDR (signal-to-noise plus distortion ratio) and SFDR (spur free dynamic range) significantly. FIG. 1 shows a N-bit sigma-delta modulator 10, wherein N is an integer greater than 2, effectively removing in-band tones, and thus increasing the in-band efficiency of sigma-delta modulators. The N-bit sigma-delta modulator 10 is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/152,132 filed Jun. 14, 2005, entitled "Sigma-delta modulator, D/A conversion system and dynamic element matching method", incorporated herein by reference. The sigma-delta modulator 10 comprises a summing junction 12, a loop filter 14, an N-bit quantizer 16, an N-bit D/A converter 18 and a dynamic element matching logic 22. The summing junction 12 receives an analog input signal Vin and subtracts an analog feedback signal VFB from the N-bit D/A converter 18. The loop filter 14 coupled to the summing junction 12, receiving the output of the summing junction 12, includes cascaded analog integrator stages and generates a filtered analog output to the N-bit quantizer 16. The N-bit quantizer 16 then quantizes the analog output of the loop filter 14 and generates a digital code, also fed back to the N-bit D/A converter 18. The N-bit D/A converter 18, having a plurality of D/A elements, convertes the digital code to the analog feedback signal VFB to the summing junction 12. The dynamic element matching logic 22 coupled between the N-bit quantizer 16 and N-bit D/A converter 18. The operation of the dynamic element matching logic 22 is described in the following.
It is assumed that the N-bit D/A converter 18 includes 8 D/A elements, C1˜C8. The dynamic element matching logic 22 divides the D/A elements into groups, wherein the number of the groups is prime to the number of the D/A elements. For example, if there are 8 D/A elements in the D/A converter 18, the dynamic element matching logic 22 divides C1˜C8 into 3, 5, or 7 groups. FIG. 2 shows an exemplary dynamic element matching logic 22 with the D/A converter 18 including 8 D/A elements, wherein the dynamic element matching logic 22 divides the D/A elements into 3 groups. In FIG. 2, the y-axis denotes the digital code input at every time slot and the grey blocks on the x-axis and the numerals therein denote corresponding selected elements and selected orders. The dynamic element matching logic 2.2 divides C1˜C8 into 3 groups wherein C1˜C3 is the first group, C4˜C5 is the second, and C6˜C8 is the third. When receiving digital code from the N-bit quantizer 16, the dynamic element matching logic 22 selects groups and the D/A elements therein according to the digital code, and the previous selection of group and D/A element, and the number of selected dynamic elements corresponds to the digital code. For example, when the input code is 5 at time t1, the dynamic element matching logic 22 selects C1 from the first group, C4 from the second group, C6 from the third group, C2 from the first group, and C5 from the second group accordingly in the turn of the arrow. When the input code is 2 at time t2, starting from the D/A element succeeding the previous last selected D/A element of the group succeeding the previous last selected group (i.e. C7 in the third group), the dynamic element matching logic 22 proceeds to select C7 from the third group and C3 from the first group accordingly.
Although the described dynamic element matching logic removes in-band tones, it may, however, select the same D/A element repeatedly with large input signal amplitude. FIG. 3 shows another example of the dynamic element matching logic 22 of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the dynamic element matching logic 32 also divides C1˜C8 into 3 groups wherein C1˜C3 is the first group, C4˜C5 is the second, and C6˜C8 is the third. When the input code is 4 at time t2, the dynamic element matching logic 32 selects C2, C5, C7 and C3 in turn. When the input code is 7 at time t3, the dynamic element matching logic 22 proceeds to select C4, C8, C1, C5, C6, C2 and C5 in turn. It is observed that the dynamic element matching logic 22 selects the D/A element C5 twice. Typically, the frequency of the operating clock is increased to solve this problem, this, however, complicates the circuits and increases the costs. Consequently, a simple method for solving described problem without extra effort that maintains the performance of the described dynamic element matching logic is desired.


Requests for computing resources and other resources can be predicted and managed. For example, a system can determine a baseline prediction indicating a number of requests for an object over a future time-period. The system can then execute a first model to generate a first set of values based on seasonality in the baseline prediction, a second model to generate a second set of values based on short-term trends in the baseline prediction, and a third model to generate a third set of values based on the baseline prediction. The system can select a most accurate model from among the three models and generate an output prediction by applying the set of values output by the most accurate model to the baseline prediction. Based on the output prediction, the system can cause an adjustment to be made to a provisioning process for the object.

Computing environments such as cloud computing environments have a finite amount of computing resources (e.g., CPU power, memory, bandwidth, etc.) available at any given time for performing computing tasks. Demand for those computing resources can change over time. For example, the number of requests for those computing resources can change over time. The changing number of requests for the computing resources can affect how the computing environment operates. For example, a large influx of unanticipated requests may cause increased latency in the computing environment. System administrators may therefore wish to understand how the number of requests for computing resources will change over a future time-period, so that they can preemptively optimize their computing environments to properly handle the expected load at any given point in time.

Predicting and managing requests for computing resources or other resources


Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a wireless communication method, a terminal device, and a network device. The method is applied to a CA scenario, and there are at least one primary cell and at least one secondary cell for serving a terminal device. The method comprises: determining, by the terminal device, whether there is a candidate beam that satisfies a first condition among at least one candidate beam when a beam failure occurs in a first secondary cell, wherein the first condition is that at least one of RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR of a signal is greater than a first threshold, and the first secondary cell belongs to the at least one secondary cell; and determining, by the terminal device, whether to perform beam failure recovery for the first secondary cell according to a determination result.

In New Radio Release 15 (NR Rel 15), a beam failure recovery (BFR) procedure is standardized for a serving cell. However, how to achieve the BFR procedure when there are multiple serving cells simultaneously is an urgent problem to be solved, for example, there may be a primary cell (PCell) for a master cell group (MCG), a primary secondary cell (PSCell) and a secondary cell (SCell) for a secondary cell group (SCG) simultaneously under a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario.

Wireless communication method, terminal device and network device

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


A carrier for cans, bottles, containers, or stackable items. In particular, the carrier can also cool or heat the cans, bottles, or other containers.

Collapsible paperboard carriers for beverages contained in cans or bottles are commonplace in the industry. Examples of various such carriers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,860,816 and 5,040,672. Such carriers are examples of one of the many types of commercially used packaging used in transportation and sale of canned and bottled beverages.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,558 describes an adaptation of a common beverage package that enables the same to perform a dual function wherein it also serves as an ice-containing cooler for the beverage containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,224 relates to a triangular carrier comprised of a top panel and converging end panels connected to triangular side panels. The carrier holds a plurality of rows of articles, each article extending between the side panels, with each row containing a greater number of articles then the next lower row. Openings at the corners of the carrier allow portions of adjacent articles to protrude.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,793 relates to a beverage carrier. One embodiment includes flexible water resistant container having a flexible container with a bottom and upstanding walls and a top opening. The container further includes a removable flooring for supporting beverages in the container, nesting in the container adjacent the bottom. A separator is provided for spacing apart beverages in the container from one another. A further embodiment provides like structure with the flooring having a coolant for cooling the beverages.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,389 relates to a reversible food and beverage carrier. A flat paper stock blank is disposed for assembly into a dual configuration food and beverage carrier, selectively folded into an upright box with upward extending side walls and end walls with handle panels extending from the box base around the side walls and meeting over the box as a handle or alternatively into an inverted box with downwardly extending side and end walls with handle panels extending from the base upward and away from the side walls. When the handle panels are folded toward and around the base side walls, the carrier is disposed to enclose foodstuffs placed in the carrier. When the handle panels are folded away from the base side walls, the carrier becomes a cup and cone carrier, the box being carried inverted. One or more holes are provided in the base section for receiving cups and cones. Hinged sections are provided at the hole perimeter to cover the hole, lightly connected until mildly urged downward to receive a cup thereby breaking the light connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,672 relates to a basket style article carrier which includes a bottom wall, a pair of side walls foldably joined to opposite side edges of the bottom wall, end panels foldably joined to each end of the side wall, a riser panel foldably joined to the inner edge of the end panels foldably at one end of the carrier, a pair of medial panels foldably joined respectively to the inner edges of the end panels at the other end of the carrier, a pair of handle panels foldably joined respectively to the medial panels and secured in flat face contacting relation with the medial panels, cross partition structure foldably joined to each medial panel and a longitudinal reinforcing beam panel foldably joined along its top edge to the bottom edge of one medial panel and secured at one end to one of the medial panels and at the other end to one of the riser panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,553 relates to a cooling device for beverage containers. Cooling arrangements are provided for cooling beverage containers of a multi-container package. In one embodiment, a cooling device consists solely of a shaped, generally planar slab of ice including a surface for directly engaging and supporting the bottoms of the beverage containers of the package. This surface includes a plurality of recesses therein in which the bottoms of the beverage containers are received.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,444 relates to a portable cooler for carrying and cooling a 15 pack of beverages including a sealable cavity for pyramid stacked containment of 12 or 16 oz. canned beverages, a plastic insert for retaining the lower layers of cans in side-by-side relation and supporting stacking of subsequent layers of cans upward, and dual storage spaces for ice about said beverage cans. The exterior of the portable cooler further includes such features as a flap with a velcro fastener for closing said sealable cavity, multiple pockets for paraphernalia, and carrying strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,381 relates to a cooling assembly to maintain a bottle of wine or like beverage at a chilled temperature and in a predetermined orientation to facilitate serving. A housing includes a cooling compartment removably secured therein in surrounded relation to insulating material wherein the cooling compartment may be at least partially filled with water and separately subjected to a freezing environment for freezing the water and forming ice to be used as a coolant. A closure and a cover structure is mounted on the cooling compartment to provide access to a coolant chamber while at the same time serving to separate the interior of the cooling compartment from ambient temperature surrounding the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,069 relates to a one piece corrugated container. The container is formed of a unitary blank of foldable paperboard which has a bottom panel generally rectangular in outline which is integrally connected to opposed end walls and side walls to provide an upwardly facing opening. Corner gussets between each end wall and the adjacent side wall are folded inwardly alongside the adjacent side wall with the free extremities of the gussets adjacent each end wall carrying upstanding projections which overlap each other. An end flap on each end wall is folded inwardly along the inner surface of the adjacent gussets and has a slot along its fold line for receiving the adjacent upstanding projections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,276 relates to a paperboard blank storable in a flat condition ready for folding into a dual configuration food and beverage carrier, selectively folded into an upright box with upward extending handle panels and end walls with the handle panels extending from a box base around side walls and meeting over the box as a handle or alternatively into an inverted box with downwardly extending side and end walls with handle panels extending from the base upward and away from the side walls. When the handle panels are folded towards and around the base side walls, the carrier is disposed to enclose food stuffs placed in the carrier and simultaneously capable of carrying one or two cups placed through appropriately sized openings in the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,516 relates to a portable beverage carrier adapted for mounting on a horizontal top frame tube of a bicycle which includes a pair of insulated receptacles, each dimensioned to receive one or a plurality of standard beverage containers. The insulated receptacles each include a zipper fastened cover. The covers and receptacles are each formed from a fabric material lined with a gel refrigerant encapsulated within a water proof liner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,399 relates to an apparatus for use particularly within an automotive environment, including a central support container for securement of a plurality of chambers therewithin, wherein each chamber provides reception of a predetermined quantity of a refrigerant gel or fluid. The support container includes a U shaped support base, including a plurality of upstanding extending arcuate legs for surmounting a transmission tunnel housing of an associated automobile. In one embodiment, the support container includes an elongate cavity to complementarily receive a plurality of insert holder chambers, wherein each chamber includes an insert cavity, each cavity containing a deformable refrigerant chamber. Each refrigerant chamber includes a through extending cylindrical bore to receive a beverage container therewithin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,571 relates to a portable beverage carrier for transporting beverages while keeping them at a constant temperature for long periods of time. The device includes a case and a cooler insert member. The case functions as a suitcase and includes a base, a top hingedly secured to the base, and a latching means. The cooler insert member is disposed within a hollow interior of the case base and includes a plurality of beverage container receiving cavities. The cooler insert member is collapsible for convenient storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,303 relates to a cold can or bottle cooler dispenser for keeping cold and compactly transporting both homemade liquid refreshment and canned or bottled refreshments in separate compartments. A rotatable cowling having an opening which surrounds the mid section of the cooler allows selection of the desired canned or bottled refreshment. Compartments are also provided for reusable substitute ice packs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,526 relates to a disposable and recyclable cooler made of paper coated with a polymer. Some embodiments transform from a first configuration that snugly retains a set of beverage containers to a second, expanded configuration that retains ice proximate the beverage containers.


A vehicle oil pump having a first member and a second member relatively rotatable around one axial center such that one of them is inserted in an inner circumferential side of the other, includes: a slider member interposed there between in a direction orthogonal to the one axial center, being relatively immovable in circumferential direction around the one axial center with respect to the first member and slidable in a direction parallel to the one axial center. In the vehicle oil pump, a cam groove is formed in a circumferential surface of the second member facing the first member, a projecting portion is disposed on the slider member being fitted in the cam groove, and the cam groove causes the slider member to reciprocate in the one axial center direction in association with rotation of the slider member relative to the second member around the one axial center.

An axial piston pump, an internal gear pump, etc., are well known as a vehicle oil pump. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses the axial piston pump. The axial piston pump of Patent Document 1 is a commonly known oil pump and, for example, according to FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1, the number of pistons included in the axial piston pump is eight.


An extracorporeal blood gas exchange device has a bloodstream area for guiding a bloodstream, a gas-carrying area for guiding a gas flow, and a membrane, which forms a gas-liquid barrier between the bloodstream and the gas flow, and which further makes possible the transfer of carbon dioxide of the bloodstream into the gas flow. The device further has at least one measuring cuvette, which is separated from the bloodstream area at least partially by the membrane, so that carbon dioxide of the bloodstream can pass over into the measuring cuvette. The device has an optical measuring unit, which is configured to measure a carbon dioxide partial pressure present in the measuring cuvette.

Extracorporeal blood gas exchange devices are known, in which the bloodstream of a patient is guided in a bloodstream area along a membrane. The membrane forms a gas-liquid barrier towards a gas flow in a gas-carrying area.
The membrane makes possible a transfer of carbon dioxide of the bloodstream into the gas flow as well as a transfer of oxygen of the gas flow into the bloodstream.
It is made possible hereby that carbon possible is removed from the bloodstream and, furthermore, the bloodstream is enriched with oxygen. The bloodstream is then returned to the patient. The bloodstream can be removed from the patient via an arterial access, and the bloodstream is then returned again to the patient via a venous access after passing through the device. This is a so-called AV-ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation).
Extracorporeal blood gas exchange devices are frequently used in combination with ventilation of a patient by means of a ventilator.
The use of an extracorporeal blood gas exchange device is necessary especially when a patient cannot exhale carbon dioxide from the bloodstream in sufficient quantity via the lungs because of an obstructive pulmonary disease, for example, COPD. A high breathing effort implies the risk of fatigue of the respiratory muscles, and an increased carbon dioxide partial pressure in the blood leads at the same time to stress and hyperacidification.
Instead of a so-called AV-ECMO, it is also possible that the bloodstream is removed from the patient via a venovenous access and the bloodstream is then returned to the patient again via the same venovenous access after passing through the extracorporeal blood gas exchange device.
A pump possibly present in the extracorporeal blood gas exchange device can influence the flow velocity of the bloodstream along the membrane. The extent to which carbon dioxide is removed from the bloodstream into the gas flow per unit of time can be influenced hereby. Further, an oxygen source, which enriches the gas flow with oxygen, may be controlled, for example, in order to influence the degree to which oxygen passes over from the gas flow into the bloodstream. Further, a gas feed unit may be present, which influences a flow velocity of the gas flow along the membrane, so that the quantity of oxygen available per unit of time at the membrane for a potential transfer from the gas flow into the bloodstream can be influenced.
Carbon dioxide depletion from the bloodstream into a breathing gas usually takes place in the lungs to the extent that the quantity of carbon dioxide present in the bloodstream still has a partial pressure of 40 mmHg after passage through the human lungs if the patient is sufficiently healthy. If, however, the patient has obstructive pulmonary disease, for example, COPD, the partial pressure may still have a value of 60 mmHg after passage through the human lungs.
A device in which the bloodstream is depleted to a markedly greater extent by an extracorporeal blood gas exchange device than this happens in the human lungs is known from EP 2 777 801 A2. Carbon dioxide partial pressures of 10-35 mmHg may possibly be reached in this case.
On the one hand, this makes it possible to eliminate a high portion of carbon dioxide, as this is actually possible in human lungs. Such highly depleted blood is then returned to the patient again via a venovenous access and mixes there with untreated blood of the patient in his bloodstream, so that a carbon dioxide partial pressure of about 40 mmHg is again reached in a sufficiently healthy patient after the respective portions of blood are mixed. Such a process with a high carbon dioxide depletion in the bloodstream by an extracorporeal blood gas exchange device may be advantageous especially when relatively low flow rates on the order of magnitude of about 1 L/min of bloodstream are treated by the device.
A drawback may possibly be in this case the fact that an excessive carbon dioxide depletion in the bloodstream based on a non-ideal mixing of the treated bloodstream with the untreated blood may lead locally to such carbon dioxide partial pressures that are below the usual carbon dioxide partial pressure of 40 mmHg at the point at which the bloodstream is returned into the patient's circulation, i.e., downstream of the point at which the bloodstream is returned. This may possibly lead to damage to the cells. To avoid this risk, it is desirable, in principle, to be able to provide a measurement of the carbon dioxide partial pressure in the bloodstream within the extracorporeal blood gas exchange device. In particular, this is desirable downstream, i.e., after the treatment of the bloodstream by the extracorporeal blood gas exchange device. This could make it possible to avoid a carbon dioxide depletion within the device to such an extent that the carbon dioxide partial pressure within the treated bloodstream drops to at most 20 mmHg and remains above this value.
Optional sensors, which can measure the particular carbon dioxide partial pressure upstream and downstream of the membrane, are provided for this in EP 2 777 801 A2.
Sensors that can measure the corresponding carbon dioxide partial pressure at a corresponding point within the bloodstream are known, in principle, in the area of ECMO technology.
The drawback in this connection is that the introduction of a sensor into the circulation represents, in principle, a risk to health or risk of infection for the patients.


A reversible matrix converter circuit is provided with n levels per phase including n conversion arms exhibiting on one side n ends for generating or receiving respectively n intermediate DC voltage levels, and exhibiting on another side n ends linked at a common point of AC signal input or output. The circuit includes: —two external arms linked respectively to the highest level of positive voltage and to the lowest level of negative voltage, these two external arms each having a single IGBT transistor or two power transistors, linked by their emitter, —two IGBT power transistors, linked in series by their emitter on each of the n−1 internal arms, —filtering capacitors disposed respectively between the n intermediate voltage levels.

The present invention relates to a reversible matrix rectifier-inverter converter circuit with n levels per phase.
There are known multi-level rectifier circuits. Such circuits may or may not be controlled and make it possible to rectify a three-phase AC signal. Document WO 01/47094 A2, "Method and Control Circuitry for a Three-Phase Three-Level Boost Rectifier", describes a three-phase 3-level rectifier which makes use of a diode bridge which makes the assembly non-reversible. Document FR2881294 describes a reversible rectifier based on IGBT transistors but in a non-multi-level structure. Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,787 describes a multi-level matrix converter circuit comprising several conversion arms supplied by different positive intermediate voltages and connected at the output at a common point generating an output current. The switches are made up of MOS and not IGBT transistors. Also, the voltages are solely positive.
There are also known matrix inverter circuits with n levels per phase comprising n conversion arms supplied respectively by n intermediate voltage levels and connected at the output at a common point generating an output current. Such a circuit is in particular described in document WO 2011/058273 A2, "Multi-voltage multi-level matrix converter circuit, and method for implementing such a circuit"


The subject innovation relates to a system and/or methodology that provides an automated and dynamically responsive infrastructure to support online subscription services. The system coordinates and manages services offered by service providers. This can include automatically creating and managing billing accounts for customers. At least one engine is provided to process multiple rules in response to subscription events that occur in connection with the services to facilitate service delivery. At least one rating processor is provided to process multiple rating rules in response to subscription events.

Network technologies such as the Internet have provided users and other entities with virtually unlimited access to remote systems and associated applications. This type of access in many cases has become a complex maze of processes that is often offloaded to third-party systems to manage. Application heterogeneity has increased exponentially, and rapid growth has forced enterprises to develop and deploy applications ever faster—even at the expense of integration and ease of administration. Historically, enterprises generally only had to consider these issues at an internal level. In many situations however, these enterprises now have to grant external access to employees, supply chain partners, contractors and customers. Organizations that employ third-party service providers (application, network or otherwise) generally, should manage users and access rights across both their internal systems and the systems run by service providers.
In some cases, provisioning systems can facilitate establishing new users' rights and privileges across multiple applications. Generally, these systems are tailored to the needs of an existing business to augment existing security practices by enabling administrators to quickly cut off terminated employees, and when necessary standards evolve, effect changes in employment status and responsibility across business partner networks. Many provisioning systems include a workflow system, a logging and audit system, a database to support the workflow and auditing tasks, and personal agents that communicate with applications to add, delete, suspend or change users and privileges. Not all provisioning systems have equal spans of control and utility, however, wherein several problems currently exist.
At the core of many systems, custom-designed models and architectures have been developed to support existing businesses and/or business practices (e.g., an electronic accounting system that can only manage accounts relating to the associated business it was designed for). These models can include inflexible rules that are configured to one particular business model or a limited subset of business activity. Thus, inflexible or hard-coded designs are not easily adaptable to newer and ever-changing technologies such as provided by the Internet and/or other type electronic services. Consequently, if new services are to be added to existing businesses, or if new packages of services are desired, extensive systems and architectural improvements are generally required to support such services.
Another related problem involves the amount of development effort that is expended when new services become available and another entity that has not developed the service desires to sell the respective service or in some cases become aware of service availability. As an example, if a vendor of a music service were to add a subsequent service such as a retail merchandise service, it is very likely that the vendor would have to develop a custom and/or new interface to support existing billing and/or accounting practices that were previously in place for the original music service. As can be appreciated, if new interfaces, software, procedures and/or business practices are required when new services are added and deployed or in many cases when new relationships are established, then development time and associated costs can become excessive.

System and method providing rules driven subscription event processing


A hand operated device for transferring an adhesive film from a carrier tape to a substrate is provided with a feed spool containing the carrier tape, and a take-up spool mounted in a housing. The carrier tape is fed from the feed spool to the take-up spool over an applicator bar and the take-up spool is driven by the feed spool through a clutch plate to maintain a degree of tension in the carrier tape during operation of the device.

The present invention relates to a device for applying a correction film to a substrate surface and more particularly to a hand operated device for transferring a film from a carrier tape to a substrate such as paper.
The prior art has provided devices that are designed to apply an adhesive film to a surface, the film generally being provided on a carrier tape and further being of the type which adheres to the substrate surface when pressure is applied against the tape at the substrate surface. Typical of such devices are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,849,064, 4,851,076, and 4,853,074 each issued in the name of Manusch et al.
In general these devices are formed of a housing having a feed reel or spool containing a carrier tape which is mounted within the housing and a reel for accepting the tape after usage, the tape being fed over an applicator member which extends from the housing and is generally disposed on a spring support of some type. The device is held in the hand of the user who applies the applicator to the substrate and exerts that pressure sufficient to press the tape against the substrate for transfer of the film to the substrate.
While these devices have proved to be adequate, many require a plurality of elements in order to maintain the tension in the tape during the feeding process and therefore require a number of operations in their assembly. The cost for the various elements as well as the time of assembly is most noticeable when the device is that which is employed for a single roll of film and then discarded.
It is therefore and object of the present invention to provide a hand operated device for transferring a film from a carrier tape to a substrate in which a minimum number of elements are employed, thereby requiring a minimum time for assembly.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type set forth above which is simple to operate and reliable in operation.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a hand operated device of the type under consideration which is simple to construct and therefore economical to manufacture.


Method for conducting an on-site measurement of a density value of an insulation material is provided, comprising: (a) providing an acoustic source for emitting a sound wave; (b) directing the sound wave emitted from the acoustic source through a waveguide and at an insulation material present in a wall, floor or ceiling cavity; (c) measuring a sound pressure in the waveguide to obtain at least one sound pressure measurement; and (d) calculating a density value of the insulation material based on the at least one sound pressure measurement.

It can be desirable to determine a characteristic of an insulation material such as, for example, a thermal and/or sound insulation material for use in a residential and/or commercial building. For example, to determine whether an insulation material is suitable for use in a specific application, it can be desirable to determine the density of such material.
A thermal and/or sound insulation product can be formed by blowing insulation material such as fiberglass and an adhesive onto a surface, and curing the blown-in materials. This method can be used in the formation of, for example, insulation product between wall studs, ceiling joists, floor joists or combinations thereof. Installing such "blown-in" insulation product can be more convenient and/or cost-effective in comparison with installing conventional pre-formed insulation material. Methods and systems for forming such blown-in insulation product are discussed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,712,347, 5,287,674 and 5,641,368.
Characteristics of such "blown-in" insulation product such as the density thereof can be altered by varying parameters of the blowing process. For example, the density of the cured product can be affected by the ratio of the amount of fiberglass used to the amount of adhesive used, the particular equipment used to apply the blown-in material, and/or the manner in which the materials are applied. Thus, it can be desirable to determine whether such blown-in product meets certain density specifications.
Generally, various known methods exist for measuring the density of an insulation material. Some known methods require the removal of a sample of the insulation material from its installed, preferred location and/or the destruction of such sample in order to determine the density thereof. However, the removal and/or destruction of a sample in order to measure the density of an insulation material can be inconvenient, inefficient and/or time consuming.
In view of the above, it is apparent that it can be desirable to enable measurement of the density of an insulation material by non-destructive means, and/or without the need for removing such insulation material from its preferred, installed location.

Method and system for conducting an on-site measurement of the density of an insulation material


Provided are examples of a detecting engine for identifying detections in compressed scene pixels. For a given compressed scene pixel having a set of M basis vector coefficients, set of N basis vectors, and code linking the M basis vector coefficients to the N basis vectors, the detecting engine reduces a spectral reference (S) to an N-dimensional spectral reference (SN) based on the set of N basis vectors. The detecting engine computes an N-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SN*) from SN and the inverse of an N-dimensional scene covariance (CN). The detecting engine forms an M-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SM*) from SN* based on the compression code and computes a detection filter score based on SM*. The detecting engine compares the score to a threshold and determines, based on the comparison, whether the material of interest is present in the given compressed scene pixel and is a detection.

This disclosure relates generally to the field of image processing, and more particularly to an approach for processing hyperspectral imaging data to detect targets while the data is in a highly compressed form.
In many conventional image processing scenarios comprising hyperspectral imaging (HSI) systems, hyperspectral sensors collect data of an image from one spatial line and disperse the spectrum across a perpendicular direction of the focal plane of the optics receiving the image. Thus, a focal plane pixel measures the intensity of a given spot on the ground in a specific waveband. A complete HSI cube scene is formed by scanning this spatial line across the scene that is imaged. The complete HSI cube may be analyzed as a measurement of the spectrum, the intensity in many wavebands, for a spatial pixel. This spatial pixel or "scene pixel" represents a given spot on the ground in a cross-scan direction for one of the lines at a given time in the scan direction.
Hyperspectral imaging data is large in size making it challenging to store and/or send. Typical data size is on the order of 0.1-1 GB per frame, and a frame can be collected in 1-4 seconds; so in a mission lasting many hours 1-10 TB of data can be collected on a mission. There are ways to compress the data into a smaller form making it easier to store and/or send. These data compression solutions, however, do not address the problem of detecting material of interests or targets in compressed hyperspectral imaging data.
Prior detection approaches include first decompressing a compressed scene pixel into an approximation of the original, full-dimensional scene pixel. And then comparing the scene pixel against spectral references (each representing a material of interest) using conventional spectral detection algorithms, such as Matched Filter (MF) Adaptive Cosine/Coherence Estimator (ACE), and to some extent, Reed-Xiaoli (RX) anomaly detection. Based on the comparison, a determination of whether the scene pixel contains a particular material of interest (or combination material of interests) is made (i.e., a detection).
Expanding a compressed scene pixel back into the original scene pixel adds steps to the detection process. These steps require additional computing resources and burden an already computationally intensive detection process. The non-literal nature of HSI requires many processing steps for every measured scene pixel in which the processing steps are often vector or matrix operations. Therefore, subsequent full-dimensional processing also requires more computations than reduced-dimension processing. Accordingly, there is a need to reduce the amount of processing needed to detect material of interests in hyperspectral imaging data that is in a highly compressed form.
In accordance with an example, a method for detecting materials in a hyperspectral scene containing a plurality of pixels is provided. The method includes, in a detecting engine provided with a spectral reference (S) and, for a given compressed scene pixel, a set of M basis vector coefficients, set of N basis vectors with M less than or equal to N, and code linking the M basis vector coefficients to the N basis vectors. The spectral reference (S) is representative of a material of interest. The method further includes reducing the spectral reference (S) to an N-dimensional spectral reference (SN) based on the set of N basis vectors. The method further includes computing an N-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SN*) from the N-dimensional spectral reference (SN) and the inverse of an N-dimensional scene covariance (CN) of a hyperspectral scene in which the given compressed scene pixel is seen. The method further includes for each pixel, forming an M-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SM*) by selecting M elements of the N-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SN*) based on the code of the given compressed scene pixel linking the M basis vector coefficients to the N basis vectors. The method further includes computing a detection filter score for the given compressed scene pixel based on the M-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SM*). The detection filter score being indicative of a likelihood the spectrum of the given compressed scene pixel matches the spectrum of the spectral reference (S). The method further includes comparing the detection filter score to a threshold and determining, based on the comparison, whether the material of interest is present in the given compressed scene pixel and is a detection.
In accordance with another example, a system for detecting materials in a hyperspectral scene containing a plurality of pixels is provided. The system includes memory having computer executable instructions thereupon and at least one interface receiving a spectral reference (S) representative of a materials of interest and, for a given compressed scene pixel, a set of M basis vector coefficients, a set of N basis vectors, and code linking the M basis vector coefficients to the N basis vectors. The system further includes a detecting engine coupled to the memory and the at least one interface. The computer executable instructions when executed by the detecting engine cause the detecting engine to reduce the spectral reference (S) to an N-dimensional spectral reference (SN) based on the set of N basis vectors. The detecting engine further caused to compute an N-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SN*) from the N-dimensional spectral reference (SN) and the inverse of an N-dimensional scene covariance (CN) of a hyperspectral scene in which the given compressed scene pixel is seen. The detecting engine further caused to form an M-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SM*) by selecting M elements of the N-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SN*) based on the code of the given compressed scene pixel linking the M basis vector coefficients to the N basis vectors. The detecting engine further caused to compute a detection filter score for the given compressed scene pixel based on the M-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SM*). The detection filter score being indicative of a likelihood the spectrum of the given compressed scene pixel matches the spectrum of the spectral reference (S). The detecting engine further caused to compare the detection filter score to a threshold and determine, based on the comparison, whether the material of interest is present in the given compressed scene pixel and is a detection.
In accordance with yet another example, a tangible computer-readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored therein for detecting materials in a hyperspectral scene containing a plurality of pixels is provided. The computer readable instructions when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors, for a given compressed scene pixel having a set of M basis vector coefficients, a set of N basis vectors, and code linking the M basis vector coefficients to the N basis vectors, in which the value of M is less than or equal to the value of N, to reduce a spectral reference (S) to an N-dimensional spectral reference (SN) based on the set of N basis vectors, the spectral reference (S) representative of a materials of interest and provided to the detecting engine. The one or more processors further caused to compute an N-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SN*) from the N-dimensional spectral reference (SN) and the inverse of an N-dimensional scene covariance (CN) of a hyperspectral scene in which the given compressed scene pixel is seen. The one or more processors further caused to form an M-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SM*) from the N-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SN*) based on the code of the given compressed scene pixel linking the M basis vector coefficients to the N basis vectors. The one or more processors further caused to compute a detection filter score for the given compressed scene pixel based on the M-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SM*), the detection filter score being indicative of a likelihood the spectrum of the given compressed scene pixel matches the spectrum of the spectral reference (S). The one or more processors further caused to compare the detection filter score to a threshold and determine, based on the comparison, whether the material of interest is present in the given compressed scene pixel and is a detection.
In some examples, any of the aspects above can include one or more of the following features.
In other examples of the method, computing the detection filter score includes computing a Matched Filter (MF) score in M dimensions for the given compressed scene pixel, or an Adaptive Cosine/Coherence Estimator (ACE) or Reed-Xiaoli (RX) filter score in M×N dimensions for the given compressed scene pixel.
In some examples of the method, the detection that is determined based on the comparison is a candidate detection and the method further includes computing a Matched Filter (MF), Adaptive Cosine/Coherence Estimator (ACE), other spectral filters or Reed-Xiaoli (RX) score in full dimensions or N dimensions for the candidate detection. The score being indicative of the likelihood that the spectrum of the candidate detection matches the spectrum of the spectral reference (S). The method further includes comparing the MF, ACE, other spectral filters or RX score in full dimensions or N dimensions to a second threshold and determining, based on the second comparison, whether the material of interest is present in the given compressed scene pixel and is a detection.
In other examples of the method, computing the detection filter score includes computing a Matched Filter score in M dimensions (MFM) for the given compressed scene pixel and the method further includes when the compressed scene pixel is a detection based on the comparison of the MFM to the threshold, computing a Adaptive Cosine/Coherence Estimator (ACE) or other spectral filters score in M or more dimensions, including full dimensions, for the compressed scene pixel. The method further includes comparing the ACE or other spectral filters score in M or more dimensions score to a second threshold, and determining, based on the second comparison, whether the material of interest is present in the given compressed scene pixel and is a detection.
In some examples of the method, computing the N-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SN*) includes multiplying the N-dimensional spectral reference (SN) with the inverse of the N-dimensional scene covariance (CN).
In other examples of the method, forming the M-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SM*) includes selecting M components from the N-dimensional spectral reference detection filter (SN*) based on the code linking M basis vector coefficients for the pixel to the N basis vectors.
The method further includes computing the N-dimensional scene covariance (CN) based on a set of N basis vector coefficients provided to the detecting engine and associated with the set of N basis vectors of the given compressed scene pixel
These and other features and characteristics, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various Figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of claims. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.


The object of the present invention affords a method of feeding dopant and a dopant composition used therein for easily preparing single crystals having a desired doping concentration during semiconductor substrate fabrication.. In accordance with the present invention, a water solution containing oxides of the dopant is first added to the liquid containing colloidal silica. The colloidal silica can adsorb the oxides of the dopant to form a dopant composition. Around rod-shaped polysilicon, that is polysilicon rod, the dopant composition is discontinuously coated on the periphery of the polysilicon rods spaced at constant intervals and then dried. When the polysilicon rods are melted in an apparatus for manufacturing single crystals by a heater, dopant is protected by the glassed silica without evaporation. Accordingly, the dopant can be provided at a predetermined concentration to sustain the grown single crystals having a doping concentration as required.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the technique for preparing single crystals for use as semiconductor substrates. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of feeding dopant in the continuously-charged method and a dopant composition used thereby.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, most of semiconductor substrates used for fabricating integrated circuits are made of single crystal silicon. However, a substantial percentage of the silicon crystals used by the semiconductor industry are prepared by the Czochralski technique, CZ thereafter. In the CZ crystal-growth process, polycrystalline silicon is first loaded into a crucible, which is placed in the chamber of a manufacturing apparatus, as a raw material. A main heater around the crucible is utilized to heat the polycrystalline silicon so as to melt above its melting point. Moreover, a suitably oriented seed crystal is suspended in the crucible by a seed holder, and thereafter is immersed into the melt. It is then slowly pulled up and rotated in a direction the same as or counter to that of the crucible rotation. Progressive single -crystal growing is performed at the solid-liquid interface.
However, dopant, such as boron, phosphorus, or antimony, is added to the melt so that the grown single crystal obtains a desired conductivity type, either N-type or P-type. For example, a known amount of granular dopant is cast into the melt when a single crystal is manufactured by the CZ method and should be doped into a desired concentration. Moreover both granular polysilicon and dopant are added to the melt by the continuously-charged method during the fabrication of silicon crystals.
The continuously-charged method, which replenishes the crucible with raw material based upon the volume of the grown single crystal, can efficiently prepare large-diameter single crystals of silicon. FIG. 3 schematically depicts an apparatus for preparing single crystals by melting rod-shaped polysilicon as the provision of the raw material for the continuously-charged method in a partially sectional view. As shown in the drawing, a single crystal 4 is pulled out from the central portion of a crucible 3. Two heaters 5 are spaced apart over the crucible 3 and the single crystal 4 is placed therebetween. Rod-shaped polysilicon 1, named as polysilicon rods herebelow, are suspended from the upper portion of a chamber 6 and put in those heaters 5, one by one, so as to melt them down. The polysilicon rods are then melted and drop into the melt 7. After one of the polysilicon rods is completely melted, another polysilicon rod starts to melt, thus continually providing the raw material. Reference numerals 8 designate protection casings, each of which encloses the corresponding heater 5, provided with the bottom portions merged in the melt 7 so as to avoid the vibration propagation caused by the dropping as well as to perform gas phases detachment. Furthermore, reference numeral 9 designates a main heater and reference numeral 10 indicates a heat-preservation barrel. Reference numeral 11 is the shaft of the crucible.
When the continuously-charged method is utilized to prepare the single silicon crystals of either P-type or N-type, both the granular dopant and polysilicon are directly cast into the melt. However, those cast articles may float over the surface of the melt because of insolubility. To solve this problem, dopant-containing polysilicon as raw material can be melted and fed to the melt. In other words, the polysilicon rods used in the continuously-charged method have been doped with the same desired doping concentration as the grown crystal. Therefore, by heating the doped polysilicon rods to the melt, single crystals of silicon with the desired and lengthwise uniform doping concentration are achievable. Moreover, a simple and convenient way is utilized to coat a water solution, which contains the oxide of dopant, onto the outer periphery of the polysilicon rods.
However, a portion of the dopant coated onto the polysilicon rods may be vaporized during heating. Accordingly, it is difficult to fabricate single crystals of silicon provided with desired and also uniform doping concentration along the longitudinal length.

Method of feeding dopant for continuously-charged method and a dopant composition


An arrangement for at least one air temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of air entering the combustion chamber of a fuel injected engine powering a water propulsion device of a watercraft is disclosed. The watercraft has a hull defining an engine compartment in which the engine is positioned. The engine has a body defining at least one combustion chamber and an output shaft arranged to drive the water propulsion device. At least one air duct provides air through the hull into the engine compartment, the duct leading from the hull to an outlet in the engine compartment. The engine has an intake system for providing air to the combustion chamber and a fuel system for providing fuel to the combustion chamber, the fuel system including at least one fuel injector. The arrangement of the air temperature sensor(s) reduces or limits each sensor's exposure to water.

Internal combustion engines are commonly used to power small watercraft such as personal watercraft. These watercraft include a hull which defines an engine compartment. The engine is positioned in the engine compartment. The output shaft of the engine is coupled to a water propulsion device of the watercraft, such as an impeller.
Air must be supplied to the engine from outside the hull for use in the combustion process. Typically, air flows through one or more ducts in the hull into the engine compartment, and then through an intake system of the engine to the combustion chamber(s) thereof.
The intake system commonly includes an air intake into which air from within the engine compartment is drawn. This air then flows through an intake pipe to the combustion chamber(s) of the engine.
Fuel is also supplied to the engine for use in the combustion process. In order to accurately meter the fuel and improve engine operating efficiency and performance, the fuel is injected into the combustion chambers with one or more fuel injectors. In this arrangement, fuel is supplied to the fuel injector at high pressure. Each injector has an electrically operated valve which selectively opens and closes, controlling the flow of fuel therethrough to the engine.
The amount of fuel to be injected in order to achieve optimum performance is partially dependent on the density of air also entering the combustion chamber. For this reason, at least one air temperature sensor may be used to provide air temperature data for use in calculating the density of the air entering the combustion chamber so that the amount of fuel injected by the fuel injector(s) may be adjusted accordingly.
One problem associated with this arrangement is that water may contact the air temperature sensor and damage it. In particular, water often flows with the air through the intake ducts into the engine compartment. This water may directly flow onto the sensor, or pool in the bottom of the hull and splash about due to the pitching and rocking movement of the watercraft as it moves through the water. When the water sprays or splashes onto the air temperature sensor, it may interfere with the accurate operation of the sensor, and even corrode the sensor and interrupt the electrical signal flowing therefrom, preventing the signal from communicating with the fuel injector.
An improved air temperature sensor arrangement for an engine powering a watercraft is desired.

Air temperature sensor arrangement for a small watercraft


A spring-compression apparatus for facilitating maintenance of a strut assembly comprises a guide member, a carriage assembly, and a rest assembly. The guide member comprises a first member end and a second member end. The carriage assembly comprises a jack assembly and a slide assembly. The jack assembly is operable to otherwise displace the slide assembly along the guide member. The slide assembly comprises a locator assembly, which comprises a locator extension arm and a center locator. The rest assembly comprises a center rest. A first strut end is positionable upon the center rest. The center locator is engageable with a second strut end for compressing the strut spring. The locator assembly further enables a user to remove a mounting nut from the second strut end when the strut spring is compressed, thus enabling strut assembly disassembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for facilitating maintenance of a McPherson type strut assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to a spring-compression apparatus for enabling users thereof to quickly and safely disassemble and reassemble a McPherson type strut assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to properly maintain a strut assembly comprising a high tension strut spring, it is necessary to first compress the strut spring so as to remove or otherwise redirect forces away from structure maintaining the strut spring in a spring-compressed state. Once the strut spring is further compressed and forces are redirected, a mounting nut may be removed from the strut assembly and the strut spring may be decompressed to a relaxed state. The strut assembly may then be maintained or repaired as required. A number of apparatuses have been developed with an eye toward facilitating strut spring compression. Some of the more pertinent prior art relating to strut spring compression devices and the like is described hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,382 ('382 patent), which issued to Castoe, discloses a Spring Compressor. The '382 patent teaches an apparatus for compressing a spring in conjunction with a shock absorber or other similar structure wherein the apparatus includes a frame upon which a spring to be compressed is mounted. An upper yoke member is slidably mounted in the frame and is operatively connected to a power source whereby a bracket is in position to act with a source yoke member to contact a spring being compressed. Downward movement of the yoke causes compression of the spring in a manner that any desired service or operation can be performed on the spring assembly being compressed. The frame further includes a safety mechanism to insure that the spring is safely compressed during service.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,634 ('634 patent) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,020 ('020 patent), which issued to Spainhour, both disclose a Strut Compressor. The '634 and '020 patents teach a spring compressor employing a fluid operated piston cylinder, which drives a first platen toward a second platen to compress a McPherson type strut mounted between the two platens. The '020 patent further teaches that the first platen may be pivotally mounted for self-adjustment to accommodate many different strut sizes and designs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,547 ('547 patent), which issued to Togawa, discloses an Apparatus for Assembling a Vehicle Suspension Mechanism. The '547 patent teaches an apparatus for assembling a coil spring on a damper strut to manufacture a damper strut assembly. The apparatus includes a clamp for holding the strut in a vertical direction with the lower end of the spring attached to a lower spring seat provided on the strut. A caliper type spring depresser is provided. The depresser is mounted on a plate for movement along a substantially vertical guide rail mechanism. The plate is swingable in a substantially vertical plane so that the direction of movement of the depresser can be adjusted so as to coincide with the direction of the axis of the spring.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,294 ('294 patent), which issued to Krueger, discloses a Strut Spring Compressor. The '294 patent teaches an apparatus for use in assembly and disassembly of a strut assembly having a shock absorber disposed within a coil spring. The apparatus includes a frame and a first spring engagement member secured to the frame for engaging the first end of the spring of a strut. A second spring engagement member is provided connected to the frame for movement with the frame toward and away from the first spring engagement member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,686 ('686 patent), which issued to Bosche et al., discloses a Strut Spring Compressor having Floating Compression Head. The '686 patent teaches an apparatus for use in assembling and disassembling a strut assembly of the type having a shock absorber axially disposed within a coil spring including a frame, a first section connected to the frame for supporting the lower portion of the spring, and a second section for holding the upper portion of the spring or upper spring seat. The second section is movable toward and away from the first section and is arranged for axially compressing the spring as the second section moves toward the first section. The second section includes guide structure, a head, linkage structure, and pivot structure. The guide structure is connected to the frame and is for allowing the second section to move toward and away from the first section. The head is mounted on the guide structure and is for positioning the spring. The linkage structure is connected to the guide structure and is for allowing the head to tilt in a first plane generally parallel to the linear axis of the spring. The pivot structure connects the head to the guide structure and is for allowing the head to tilt in a second plane intersecting the first plane.
From an inspection of these patent disclosures and other art generally known in the relevant art, it will be seen that the prior art does not teach a spring compression apparatus comprising a guide rod assembly for guiding the end of a piston rod of a strut assembly when a user reassembles an otherwise disassembled strut assembly. It is noted that the end of a piston rod must be guided through a rod-receiving aperture for receiving a mounting nut, the received mounting nut for maintaining the strut assembly in an assembled, spring-compressed state. The prior art known to exist does not teach this type of spring compression system. Thus, the prior art perceives a need for a spring compression apparatus comprising a guide rod assembly for guiding an end of a piston rod when a user reassembles an otherwise disassembled strut assembly. In this regard, the prior art does not teach structure for guiding the end of a piston rod through a rod-receiving aperture, which aperture is typically sized and shaped for the maintaining the axis of the piston rod, said aperture being critically sized and shaped. Given the high tension of a typical strut spring, it is often quite difficult for assembly workers to reassemble a strut assembly given that the end of the piston rod must be guided through the rod-receiving aperture. Thus, it is contemplated that the present invention is patently distinct from the prior art as summarized in more detail below.


An image is moved and displayed through an image movement orbit composed of one or more annular orbits. The annular orbit is set such that a central point of the image to be displayed on a display screen is defined as a reference position, and the reference position is used as a start point, and this reference position is returned to when a movement corresponding to one round is completed. Thus, the image movement orbit is established so as to always pass through a reference point, for each cycle of an annular orbit. As a result of such image movement, the image movement as a pixel shift is unrecognizable so as to reduce ghost effects.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display control apparatus for executing a control to display images by image signal input and a method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Plasma display apparatuses have become popular as displaying apparatuses for image display,
As an example of displaying principle for plasma displays, gas is for example sealed into a space formed by making two sheets of glass substrate opposite to each other and surrounding with a barrier rib. Then, by applying a voltage to the gas, vacuum discharge is induced. Consequently, within the space of the glass substrate, the gas is ionized and becomes at plasma state, thereby radiating ultraviolet radiation. Here, if a fluorescent substance layer is preliminarily formed within the space between the glass substrates, in this fluorescent substance layer, the ultraviolet radiation is irradiated, thereby radiating the visible light of a predetermined color. As such a fluorescent substance, by forming the substance corresponding to the three colors of R, G and B and then obtaining the above-mentioned discharge light emission phenomenon for each formed display cell having, for example, the shape of a matrix, the plasma display apparatus is configured which enables the color image to be displayed.
Also, a sub-field method is known as a method of display driving for the above-mentioned plasma display apparatus.
The sub-field method is the driving method of dividing one field into a plurality of sub-fields, and controlling the light emission period of a display cell for each sub-field, and then representing the gradation (brightness) of each display cell. At this time, the gradation of each display cell of R, G and B constituting one pixel is controlled, thereby carrying out not only the gradation balance on the entire screen but also the color reproduction for each pixel. In other words, the color image can be represented.

Image display control apparatus and image display control method


A method for designing a system on a PLD is disclosed according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A logic design is optimized. Logic circuits from the logic design are mapped to resources on the PLD. At least some of the resources are fitted onto locations on the PLD by utilizing a user-specified procedure.

PLDs may be used to implement large systems that include millions of gates and megabits of embedded memory. The complexity of large systems often require the use of EDA tools to manage and optimize their design onto physical target devices. Of the tasks required in managing and optimizing design, satisfying timing and placement constraints of a system is often the most important and the most challenging. In order to satisfy timing and placement constraints, several iterations are often required to determine how components in logic blocks are to be grouped and where these logic blocks are placed on the target device.
Automated placement algorithms in EDA tools perform the time-consuming task of managing and optimizing designs onto physical devices. However, in some occasions, standard automated placement algorithms found in off the shelf EDA tools are incapable of finding solutions that specialized placement algorithms can find. In addition, some designs may require additional placement modifications to be provided. Modifications to placement techniques are often necessary to identify and address fitting issues that automated algorithms are slow to or even sometimes unable to identify. Current EDA tools, however, require that placement modifications be provided after a compilation process by the EDA tools and that the compilation process be run again thereafter. Compilation processes may require hours of time before completion. When multiple iterations are required to find a solution, this translates into several hours of waiting time.
Thus, what is needed is a method and apparatus for extending the capabilities of tools used for designing systems on PLDs. This improved method and apparatus should provide the user with more flexibility in the design process while reducing wait time in the compilation process.

Method and apparatus for extending the capabilities of tools used for designing systems on programmable logic devices by registering a user specified procedure


A multi-line ADSL modem (12) and network (10) whereby the multi-line ADSL modem (12) has connections to several ADSL modems (14) at a central office (CO) (16) through a master loop (18), shared loops (20, 22), and/or broadcast loops (84). The master loop (18) provides the basic connection between the multi-line ADSL modem (12) and the CO modem (14) at the central office (16) while maintaining regular telephone service. The shared loops allow the multi-line ADSL modem to share the transmission capacity with other modems. The multi-line ADSL modem is able to receive broadcast data from the central office where several loops are configured as a broadcast loop for downstream transmission only, but which can also be configured for upstream communication transmission only or in combination with downstream transmission to provide bi-directional broadband communications.

Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Lines (ADSL) is an ANSI standard identified as TI.413 issued in 1995 which presents the electrical characteristics of the ADSL signal as it should appear at a network interface. Generally, ADSL is a high-speed communication technology that allows one client modem, such as that at a remote terminal (RT), to be connected to only one central office (CO) modem through one twisted pair telephone line forming a loop. Typically, discrete multi-tone (DMT) modulation is the chosen line code technique standard in a typical ADSL system. Upstream communications, such as from RT to CO, and downstream communications, such as CO to RT, are divided from one another using frequency division multiplexing (FDM) or using echo canceling, allowing the frequency band for upstream communications to be shared with downstream communications thereby increasing the overall data rate over the loop.
Disadvantageously, the ADSL standard allows only one pair of modems (CO and RT) to communicate over the loop at the same time. The CO modem may send a downstream signal while simultaneously receiving an upstream signal from the RT, frame by frame. Similarly, the RT modem may receive the downstream communication from the CO modem and simultaneously send upstream communication signals to the CO modem.
Since the standardization of ADSL communications, there have been introduced varied implementations and customized uses of the ADSL technology, such as disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,447 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Adaptive, Variable Bandwidth, High-Speed Data Transmission of a Multi-Carrier Signal over Digital Subscriber Lines, the teachings of this patent included herein by reference.
As technology evolves and the world becomes more connected including providing access to high-speed internet devices, digital TV (DTV), and even high-definition TV (HDTV), increased bandwidth will be required to connect such devices which may be located at a home or small office. Today, a single pair of twisted telephone line does not provide sufficient bandwidth to allow communications at the data rate required for some of these devices, which is about 20 Mbps for HDTV in the case of line conditioning. Although cable modems may be designed to reach up to 40 Mbps, there are many users that are required to share this data bandwidth. This means that the 40 Mbps is the burst data rate for one user, or the maximum data rate for all users.
There is desired a higher bandwidth modem and communication network that provides for a higher data rate access than that provided by conventional ADSL modems operating over a single loop of twisted pair of telephone wire. Such an improved higher data rate communication is desired to be compatible with ADSL standards, and which can support high speed communications suitable for the internet, digital TV, and even HDTV.


A connector-transport assembly for holding and transporting a electronic component includes a socket connector having a receptacle sized to receive the component therein and a transport carrier member. The socket receptacle includes two engagement arms formed therewith which are deflectable between first and second operative positions. In the first operative position, the engagement arms extend into the receptacle for contacting opposing exterior surfaces of the component, and in the second position the engagement arms are deflected away from the receptacle so as to not engage exterior surfaces of the component. The engagement arms have cam portions disposed thereon, and the carrier member includes actuating members disposed thereon in opposition to the socket connector engagement arm cam portions so that movement of either the socket connector or the carrier member will move the engagement arms between their first and second operative positions to release or engage the electronic component.

This invention relates to generally electrical connectors, and more particularly, to a connector packaging assembly and method for the mounting of an electrical component on a connector and transportation of the connector and mounted component.
Connectors are used for a number of applications, In one such application that occurs commonly in the computer area, a computer chip or similar electronic component is placed into a socket connector and then transported to an assembly location where the socket and chip are installed upon a circuit board. The socket connector may have a receptacle area for receiving the chip therein and also may incorporate resilient beam members for securing the chip, or component to the connector. When the component is placed into the socket, it may contact with the connector beam members, causing them to deflect and allowing the component to be seated into the connector receptacle area. After the component is fully seated, the beam members return to their undeflected states, thereby securing the component to the connector. The connector beam members in such a connector are used to align the chip and hol dit in place in the socket connector.
One problem with these type mechanisms is that moving contact between the component and the connector during the mounting operation may cause the component to abrade the connector housing material, creating unwanted debris which may interfere with electrical contact between the component and the connector, or which may interfere with later manufacturing processes. It has been found difficult to formulate a connector housing material which will both satisfy the rigid dimensional requirements imposed by connector miniaturization and resist the abrasion encountered during mounting of electrical components. Another, ongoing problem is damage to connector terminals during shipping and handling.
Typically, the chip or component is placed into the socket connector either manually or robotically. In either instance, the beam members must be deflected outwardly so that the chip may enter and seat within the socket and then they return back into contact with the exterior surfaces of the chip to hold it in place. It is desirable to do this process in an automated manner with a mechanism that actuates the beam members into and out of engagement with the chip edges, and which is incorporated in a structure that also provides a protective transport assembly for the chip and its socket connector.
The present invention is directed to such an assembly which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.

Connector packaging and transport assembly


In a positioning apparatus (40), a fixed scroll (34) is positioned with respect to an assembly body (11) in which a compressor motor (25) has been incorporated. In positioning the fixed scroll (34), electric power is supplied to the compressor motor (25) from an inverter (81) to rotate a crank shaft (20) by the compressor motor (25), thereby shifting a movable scroll (31). In the positioning apparatus (40), the shift of the movable scroll (31) leads to calculation of an appropriate position of the fixed scroll (34). A striking unit (70) applies impact force to the fixed scroll (34) to stir the fixed scroll (34) to the appropriate position.

Conventionally, scroll fluid machineries are widely used in compressors provided for compressing refrigerant in refrigeration circuits such as air conditioners. In a scroll fluid machinery, a fixed side volute rap and a movable side volute rap are provided at a fixed scroll and a movable scroll, respectively, so as to engage with each other to form a fluid chamber. In the scroll fluid machinery, the movable scroll revolves to change the volume of the fluid chamber. For example, in a scroll compressor, the volume of the fluid chamber in a closed state decreases, thereby compressing the fluid in the fluid chamber.
In this way, the movable scroll revolves with its rap engaging with the rap of the fixed scroll in the scroll fluid machinery. In order to move the movable scroll smoothly, the fixed scroll must be arranged accurately at the position where the rap of the revolving movable scroll evades hard contact with the rap of the fixed scroll. For this reason, the fixed scroll must be positioned accurately in assembling the scroll fluid machinery. Methods and apparatuses for positioning the fixed scroll have been disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, for example.
Specifically, in the positioning method disclosed in Patent Document, an assembly body is prepared first by assembling a movable scroll, a crank shaft engaged therewith, and a bearing for the crank shaft. Next, a fixed scroll is engaged with the movable scroll of the assembly body, and then, the crank shaft in this state is rotated by a motor. Then, variation in torque necessary for rotating the crank shaft is detected, and a contact degree and a contact direction of the fixed scroll to the movable scroll are calculated on the basis of the detected torque variation. Subsequently, a distance by and direction in which the fixed scroll is to be moved are lead out according to the contact degree and the contact direction of the fixed scroll to the movable scroll, and then, the fixed scroll is moved on the basis of the lead out distance and direction.
Referring to the positioning method disclosed in Patent Document 2, an assembly body is prepared first by assembling a movable scroll, a crank shaft engaged therewith, and a bearing for the crank shaft. Next, a fixed scroll is engaged with the movable scroll of the assembly body, and then, the crank shaft is rotated 90° by 90° in this state by a motor. Wherein, the fixed scroll is moved until the rap of the movable scroll and the rap of the fixed scroll are in contact with each other at each rotation angle 0°, 90°, 180°, 270° of the crank shaft. Then, the position where the fixed scroll is to be arranged is calculated on the basis of the amount of the movement of the fixed scroll in each rotation angle of the crank shaft, and then, the fixed scroll is moved to the calculated position.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 05-024356A    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Publication No. 2002-081385A,

Fixed scroll positioning apparatus and fixed scroll positioning method