First hook portions (15) are formed at front end portions in a side of an opening portion (12e) of a main body portion (12a) in a long lower rail (12), and second hook portions (17) are formed in lower portions of both side portions (12b) in the main body portion (12a). First engagement portions (18) engaged with the first hook portions (15) in the long lower rail (12) are formed in upper walls (13d) in an upper rail (13). Projection portions (18a) are formed in the first engagement portions (18) so as to protrude to the side of the first hook portions (15). Second engagement portions (19) engaged with the second hook portions (17) in the long lower rail (12) are formed in front end sides of both side portions (13b) of the main body portion (13a) in the upper rail (13).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seat slide apparatus, and more particularly to a seat slide apparatus comprising a lower rail mounted in a longitudinal direction of a floor surface for mounting a seat and an upper rail guided and supported on the lower rail so as to freely slide in a longitudinal direction and mounted to a side of a seat main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a seat for a vehicle is provided with a seat main body constituted by a seat cushion, a seat back stood at the back thereof so as to be freely rotated and adjusted, and the like, and supports the seat cushion or the like constituting the seat main body on the vehicle body floor surface via a longitudinal slide mechanism, thereby being structured such as to be adjusted so as to freely slide in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and being formed so as to variously modify a layout of the seat within a passenger""s room.
Further, as a longitudinal slide mechanism for the seat mentioned above, there is employed a seat slide apparatus which is formed to be long in the longitudinal direction on the vehicle body floor surface, is mounted on the vehicle body floor surface and is constituted by a lower rail provided substantially in the same height as that of a surface of a floor carpet and an upper rail mounted to the seat main body. Further, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-95163, there is disclosed a structure in which a lock member is provided in the upper rail and the lower rail so as to adjust a sliding operation.
As shown in FIG. 1, in a conventional seat slide apparatus 1, a pair of left and right lower rails 2 are provided with main body portions 2a made by a metal plate member and formed in a substantially upward-C shape, and a pair of left and right engagement portions 3 inward bent from front end sides of both of side portions 2b of the main body portions 2a and downward directed, thereby forming opening portions at end portions of the engagement portions 3. Further, front end rear end portions of the lower rail 2 are adhered to the vehicle body floor surface via front and rear leg portions 4a and 4b.
A pair of left and right upper rails 5 in the seat slide apparatus 1 are formed in a substantially inverse-T shape so as to be assembled in an inner portion of the lower rails 2, and engaged portions 7 are formed by both side portions 5b upward bent from front end sides of horizontal portions 5a in the upper rails 5. The engaged portions 7 are assembled so as to be capable of engaging with the engagement portions 3 in the side of the lower rails 2. Further, anchor members, shafts of a seat lifter, bases of a reclining mechanism and the like are mounted to substantially inverse-T shaped vertical portions 5a of the upper rails 5. A roller 9a is inserted between the lower rails 2 and the upper rails 5, and balls 9b are inserted between the engagement portions 3 and the engaged portions 7.
In the case that the lower rail 2 of the conventional seat slide apparatus 1 as mentioned above is formed long, it is complex to work the respective portions, and there is a problem of rattle in the respective portions due to a size error or the like. Further, there is a disadvantage that a weight is increased if it is intended to keep strength with respect to a load. Further, in the case that a peeling load is applied upward to the side of the upper rail 5 due to an impact load or the like, an upper portion of the lower rail 2 is opened, and there is a risk that the peeling strength is reduced. Further, in the case that the lower rail 2 is mounted to the side of the vehicle body floor surface, refuses on the floor surface drop down into the inner portion of the lower rail 2 from the opening portion of the lower rail 2, and there is a risk that a smooth sliding operation of the upper rail 5 can not be obtained. Further, it is impossible to suitably support a weight of a sitting person or the like and to obtain a simple and inexpensive structure.
The present invention is made by taking the problems mentioned above into consideration, and an object of the present invention is to provide a seat slide apparatus which can prevent an upper portion of a lower rail from opening so as to improve a peeling strength in the case that a peeling load is applied upward to a side of an upper rail due to an impact load or the like, can improve a strength of the lower rail so as to prevent the upper rail from deforming, can form an opening portion of the lower rail narrow so as to prevent refuses on a floor surface from dropping down into an inner portion of the lower rail from the opening portion of the lower rail, has a simple structure, requires no increase of a number of new parts and no additional operation, is inexpensive, can easily and rapidly execute a mounting operation, can obtain a smooth and stable sliding motion, and can reduce a sliding resistance so as to improve an operability.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a seat slide apparatus comprising:
a lower rail mounted in a longitudinal direction of a seat mounting floor surface; and
an upper rail guided and supported so as to freely slide in a longitudinal direction on the lower rail and mounted to a side of a seat main body,
wherein the lower rail is provided with a main body portion formed in a substantially upward-C shape and a pair of right and left upper side portions extended inward from front end sides of both side portions in the main body portion so as to form an opening portion, slider receiving portions are formed in front end of both side portions in the main body portion, a first hook portion is formed in a front end portion in a side of the opening portion of the upper side portion, and second hook portions are formed in both side portions of the main body portion, and
wherein the upper rail has a main body portion formed in a substantially downward-C shape capable of being assembled in the lower rail, and a vertical wall protruding upward from a center of an upper wall in the main body portion and protruding upward from the opening portion of the upper side portion in the lower rail, slider receiving portions are formed in upper ends of both side portions in the main body portion of the upper rail, a first engagement portion engaged with the first hook portion of the lower rail is formed in the upper wall of the main body portion, a projection portion is formed in the first engagement portion so as to protrude to the side of the first hook portion, and second engagement portions engaged with the second hook portions in the lower rail are formed in the side of the front ends of both side portions in the main body portion of the upper rail.

Johnson Controls Automotive Systems Corporation


By improving a structure of a discharge flow path of a robot cleaner, it may be possible to minimize a loss of a suction force, thereby reducing a noise without deteriorating cleaning efficiency. The robot cleaner includes a fan motor configured to generate a suction force, a first housing in which the fan motor is accommodated, a second housing in which the first housing is accommodated, and a chamber positioned between the first housing and the second housing, wherein a plurality of slits are formed in the chamber.

A robot cleaner is equipment that performs cleaning by autonomously traveling on an area to be cleaned without a user's operation and sucking foreign substances such as dust from the floor. During cleaning, the robot cleaner determines a distance to an obstacle, e.g., furniture, office appliances, walls, etc., present in the cleaning area through a distance sensor, and changes its driving direction based on the determined distance to clean the cleaning area.
The robot cleaner includes a main body with a fan motor and wheels for driving the main body. In the bottom of the main body, a suction portion is provided to suck dust on the floor by a suction force of the fan motor. The sucked dust is collected in a dust collector installed in the inside of the main body. In the suction portion, a brush for picking up foreign substances on the floor is installed. The brush is rotatably installed on the bottom of the main body.
The inside space of the robot cleaner is small compared to that of a canister type cleaner or a upright type cleaner, and therefore, a small-volume fan motor is installed in the robot cleaner. The small-volume fan motor provides a weaker suction force than a fan motor installed in the canister type cleaner or the upright type cleaner. However, when the suction force of a fan motor is weak, cleaning efficiency may deteriorate.
A user can operate the robot cleaner to clean the floor, while doing another activity in the same space as the robot cleaner. At this time, if the robot cleaner makes a loud noise, the user may find it uncomfortable to do the activity.
Since a greater suction force of a fan motor generally makes a louder noise, fan motors having a smaller suction force and a smaller volume, compared to those installed in canister type cleaners or upright type cleaners, are installed in typical robot cleaners.


A solid-state image sensor and a method for manufacturing thereof and a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing thereof are provided. A semiconductor substrate is made to be the thin film without using an SOI substrate and cost is reduced. An edge detection portion having hardness larger than that of a semiconductor substrate is formed in the thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate; the semiconductor substrate is made to be the thin film until a position where the edge detection portion is exposed by chemical mechanical polishing from the rear surface; and means Tr1 for reading out a signal from a photoelectric conversion element PD formed in the substrate are formed on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, where incident light is acquired from the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate.

The present invention relates to a solid-state image sensor and a method for manufacturing thereof as well as a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing thereof, in which a semiconductor substrate needs to be a thin film.
Description of the Related Art
A CMOS solid-state image sensor that designates an X-Y address to be read out and a CCD solid-state image sensor that is a charge transfer type are typical as a solid-state image sensor. In each of the solid-state image sensors, photoelectric conversion is performed on incident light into a photodiode two-dimensionally arranged and one of the electric charges (for example, electron) is made to be a signal electric charge.
With respect to the CMOS solid-state image sensor, a CMOS solid-state image sensor of a front-illuminated type in which light is illuminated from the front surface side where a wiring layer of a semiconductor substrate is formed and the light is detected by a photodiode formed on the semiconductor substrate is typical. However, in this CMOS solid-state image sensor of the front-illuminated type, it is known that efficiency in using light is reduced and sensitivity is lowered, because multi-layered wirings exist on the route of light illuminated, particularly, on the optical path of oblique light in the vicinity of the effective pixel area and the light is scattered by the multi-layered wirings. Because of this, a CMOS solid-state image sensor of a back-illuminated type is promising in which light is illuminated from the rear side of a semiconductor substrate where the multi-layered wirings are formed on the front surface side (refer to Patent Document 1).
Further, in the CCD solid-state image sensor, it is known that light is absorbed into an interlayer insulation layer on the element to reduce sensitivity and so a structure where light is illuminated from the rear side of the substrate to perform photoelectric conversion has been proposed (refer to Patent Document 2).
Patent Document 1: Published Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-31785
Patent Document 2: Published Japanese Patent Application No. H6-29506
As for a CMOS solid-state image sensor, for example, in the case where light is illuminated from the rear side of the substrate, because typically the thickness of a silicon substrate is thick such as several hundred μm not to pass the light, it is necessary to make the silicon substrate thin to be 10 μm or less. If the film thickness of the silicon layer is uneven when making a thin film, differences in the strength of incident light are caused and such inconvenience as unevenness with respect to color occurs.
On the other hand, a method using an SOI (Silicon On Insulator) substrate has been considered to prevent unevenness of the film thickness of the silicon layer. In other words, by using the SOI substrate, mechanical polishing of a high speed etching rate is applied, then CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) processing is applied, and wet etching is applied and with operation of making thin film being stopped at a SiO2 layer, unevenness of the film thickness of the silicon layer is prevented.
A method for manufacturing a CMOS solid-state image sensor of the back-illuminated type using the SOI substrate is explained referring to FIGS. 1 through 3.
First, as shown in FIG. 1A, an SOI substrate 4 in which a thin-film silicon layer 3 is formed on a silicon substrate 1 with a silicon oxide film (SiO2 film) 2 in between is prepared. An alignment mark 5 is formed at a required position in the silicon layer 3 of this SOI substrate 4.
Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, with the alignment mark 5 used as a reference, in the silicon layer 3 from the front surface side are formed a pixel separation area in an image area (not shown), a semiconductor well area (not shown), a photodiode PD to be a photoelectric conversion element and a plurality of MOS transistors of a HAD (Hole Accumulation Diode) structure which constitute a pixel with the photodiodes PD.
Further, a multi-layered wiring layer 6 is laminated thereon in which a multi-layer wiring 8 is formed with an interlayer insulation layer 7 in between.
Next, as shown in FIG. 2A, for example, a support substrate 9 such as a silicon substrate or the like is stuck to the multi-layered wiring layer 6.
Then, as shown in FIG. 2B, the SOI substrate 4 is reversed, and the silicon substrate 1 is polished and removed by back-grinding (mechanical rough grinding) and wet-etching with the silicon oxide film 2 being used as a stopper film. Further, the silicon oxide film 2 is removed by the wet-etching.
Next, as shown in FIG. 3A, for example, a silicon nitride film 10 to be a passivation film is formed on the rear surface of the silicon layer 3, and an opening 11 that reaches a wiring layer 8a is formed by selectively etching part of the silicon layer 3 together with the silicon nitride film 10, namely at a portion where an electrode should be derived from the wiring layer 8a. Further, for example, an insulation film 12 such as a silicon oxide film is formed from the inside wall of the opening 11 to cover the surface of the silicon nitride film 10. A conductive layer 13 that connects to the wiring layer 8a inside the opening 11 is formed and an electrode pad 14 that connects to the conductive layer 13 and faces to the rear surface is formed, and what is called a rear surface electrode 15 is formed.
Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, a color filter 16 and an on-chip lens 17 are formed on the rear surface at a position corresponding to the photodiode PD of each pixel, and a CMOS solid-state image sensor of the back-illuminated type 18 is obtained.
However, in the case where the CMOS solid-state image sensor of the back-illuminated type is manufactured using the SOI substrate, there has been a problem that the manufacturing cost increases because the cost of the SOI substrate is higher than that of a silicon substrate.
The problem when using such an SOI substrate also occurs in a CCD solid-state image sensor of the back-illuminated type, and furthermore, not limited to the solid-state image sensor, the problem may also occur, for example, in a semiconductor circuit device in which a semiconductor element and/or multi-layered wiring are formed on both the front and rear surfaces of a semiconductor substrate.

Solid-state image sensor and method for manufacturing thereof as well as semiconductor device and method for manufacturing thereof


A compressor system includes: a compressor having a suction side and a discharge side, wherein the compressor is operative to compress a gas using oil, wherein the suction side operates at a suction pressure and is operative to receive a the gas and the oil into the compressor; and wherein the discharge side is operative to discharge the compressed gas and the oil; a gas/oil separator tank operative to store oil separated from the compressed gas for subsequent use by the compressor; a supplemental oil reservoir in fluid communication with the suction side; and a valve operative to, when opened, expose the supplemental oil reservoir to the suction pressure of the suction side of the compressor, and draw oil from the supplemental oil reservoir by suction into the suction side of the compressor.

Compressor systems remain an area of interest. Some existing systems have various shortcomings, drawbacks and disadvantages relative to certain applications. For example, in some compressor systems, a low oil level in a primary oil reservoir or gas/oil separator tank requires a time and labor intensive refilling of oil, e.g., after losing some oil, and results in wasted energy. Accordingly, there remains a need for further contributions in this area of technology.

Compressor system and system for maintaining a desired oil level


At a network node, positioning assistance data blocks are determined to be requested to be broadcasted by a base station to a UE for use by the UE in calculating a position. A message is sent toward the base station with positioning assistance data blocks and corresponding information indicating to the base station that the base station is to admit or not admit for broadcasting positioning assistance data block(s) in response to insufficient resources at the base station to broadcast all the blocks. Indications are received of success or failure of broadcasting the positioning assistance data blocks, the success or failure based on the base station's admitting or not admitting, respectively, the positioning assistance data blocks. The base station determines which positioning assistance data blocks should be admitted or not admitted for broadcast and either broadcasts the admitted ones or does not broadcast the non-admitted ones.

This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention disclosed below. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived, implemented or described. Therefore, unless otherwise explicitly indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section. Abbreviations that may be found in the specification and/or the drawing figures are defined below, after the main part of the detailed description section.
A work item called "UE Positioning Accuracy Enhancements for LTE" has been approved for 3GPP Rel-15. See Nokia, Nokia Shanghai Bell, "WID Update: UE Positioning Accuracy Enhancements for LTE", RP-172313, 3GPP TSG RAN Meeting #78, Lisbon, Portugal, 18-21 Dec. 2017. One of the main objectives of the work item is broadcasting of positioning assistance data using the LTE system information broadcast mechanism. This requires new LPPa (LTE Positioning Protocol "a") procedure(s) to convey the assistance data from an E-SMLC to an eNB, and to trigger the broadcasting of the assistance data over the air interface in System Information Blocks (SIBs).
Multiple SIBs are expected to be defined for the assistance data, as follows.
1) Different SIBs for different positioning methods (e.g., RTK, GNSS, OTDOA).
2) For a given positioning method, different SIBs for different "parts" of the assistance data. For example, some data may need to be refreshed more frequently, or needed only for extremely accurate positioning, and the like.
Some SIBs are expected to be very large due to the size of the assistance data defined for the SIB, thus segmentation will likely be needed due to message size limitations in the radio protocol (RRC). That is, while SIB messages themselves might be not be able to be segmented, the content broadcast in SIB messages can be segmented (i.e., application-level segmentation and not RRC layer segmentation).
There are multiple different options, described below, for handling and sending these SIBs, but these options could be improved.

Ranking and grouping positioning assistance data for broadcast


An electrophotographic printing system having an apparatus for improving image fidelity is disclosed. The electrophotographic printing system includes a photosensitive drum, a first and second retractors and a paper presser. The first and second retractors position a sheet of printing paper within a first and second predetermined distances, respectively, from the photosensitive drum. The paper presser, which is operatively secured to the second retractor, presses the printing paper firmly against the photosensitive drum when developed toner images on said photosensitive drum are being transferred onto the printing paper.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to electrophotographic printing systems in general, and, in particular, to an apparatus for improving image fidelity on a high-speed electrophotographic printing system.
2. Description of Related Art
Within a conventional electrophotographic continuous form printing system, a photosensitive drum is electrically charged by a charger while receiving a laser light beam, and each character written on the photosensitive drum in the form of a latent image is developed by a developer. As a strip of printing paper is being delivered through the printing system, the developed toner images on the photosensitive drum are transferred onto the printing paper. After the fixing operation has been completed, the printing paper is received in a stacker.
Sometimes, the print quality may be degraded during printing. Specifically, when the developed toner images are fixed onto the printing paper with the aid of a preheating plate and a heat roll in the electrophotographic printing unit, the printing paper is thermally damaged to a certain extent, causing it to be warped due to local expansion and contraction of the printing paper. In addition, when the developed toner images are transferred onto the printing paper from a photosensitive drum, a portion of the developed toner images will probably be incorrectly transferred onto the printing paper because of the above-mentioned warpage of the printing paper. As a result, a portion of the developed toner images representing certain characters is not printed on the printing paper.
Consequently, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus for improving image fidelity on a high-speed electrophotographic continuous form printing system.

Apparatus for improving image fidelity on high-speed electrophotographic printing systems


Nozzle, apparatus and method for extinguishing fires that includes applying to a fire simultaneously a first fluid surrounded by a second fluid and that includes a nozzle for discharging a first fluid in a path surrounded by a second fluid.

In the following discussion large complex industrial fires comprise the paradigmatic fires of interest. The burning of petrochemical storage tanks or tanker ships offer examples of such a large complex fires.
The so-called three dimensional fire, or a fire fed by a remote replenishing source, presents a fire fighter with a particularly troublesome scenario. The apparatus and method of the present invention are appropriate for attacking three dimensional fires in a complex industrial context. It is anticipated that the apparatus and method, however, have applications in many other fire extinguishing situations.
Method and apparatus for extinguishing fires using water, water fog and water foam mixtures are well known. Such method and apparatus are discussed and disclosed, for instance, in the inventor's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,640,461, 4,497,442, 4,828,038, 4,705,405, 4,781,467 and 5,012,969.
A liquid and powder method and apparatus for fire fighting was recently determined to exhibit unexpected and startlingly effective results, particularly in fighting large conflagrations. This method and apparatus form the subject of the inventors' U.S.. Pat. No. 5,167,285.
The use of powder to extinguish fires, however, as mentioned above, has certain disadvantages. Powder is relatively expensive and difficult to store and to maintain over a long period of time in its dry particulate form. Further, a powder does not comprise the most desirable agent with which to flood an environment when human life is caught within the fire zone, such as may occur in an airplane crash.
Certain fluids are known for their effective fire fighting capability in a gaseous state, including certain common inert gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen. One reason such fluids in their gaseous state, or as vaporized, may be effective is that they may deprive the fire of oxygen, thereby effectively starving a fire to death. Alternately, the vapor or gas might be an effective fire extinguishing agent because it operates as a heat sink, a diluent in suppressing combustion, or inhibits oxidation. In sum, important fire extinguishing effectiveness may be achieved by a gaseous fluid through various operations, both physical and chemical.
Fluids that demonstrate effective fire fighting capability in a gaseous state when applied to a fire may lack some of the disadvantages of powder mentioned above. For instance, such fluids may be easier to store over time and can comprise a more favorable agent for use when human life is caught within the fire.
Attempting to deliver many gaseous or volatile, vaporizable fluids, however, by streaming or throwing the fluid to the fire, such as for a distance of 50 feet or more (which is a desirable distance to maintain from a large conflagration in the interest of managing personnel risk), has proven difficult in the past. As one example, effectively streaming carbon dioxide to a large fire has generally been conceded to be difficult. A blunderbuss type of a horn nozzle has been known for the application. The horn end of the nozzle is several feet long. Unfortunately, the outlet end of the horn must be virtually placed on the fire to effectively deliver the gas, since by the nature of the gas, it quickly diffuses and dissipates when dispensed into the atmosphere. The proximity of the fire fighter to the fire required to so deliver the gas renders the horn almost useless in fighting large fires. As a general matter, for many desirable gases or highly volatile fluids, it has been conceded to be impracticable heretofore to attempt to deliver the fluids to a large fire in sufficient quantities, and with the right timing, to comprise an effective fire fighting technique.
Given the difficulty in delivering many desirable gases or volatile fluids to large fires, a system for teaching the effective use of such fluids together with other fire fighting techniques and agents has also been lacking. The present invention addresses these problems and deficiencies.
The present invention discloses apparatus and method that achieves surprising and unexpected results. Apparatus is disclosed that enhances the effective and efficient delivery of fluids to a fire, including gaseous fluids and highly volatile fluids and/or fluids that vaporize rapidly upon contact with the fire. (These types of fluids, some of them historically difficult to use in streaming applications, are sometimes referred to herein as "gas fluids".) Methods for extinguishing fire by the delivery of a gas fluid to the fire are also disclosed. The effective and efficient results are achieved by delivering a first gas fluid surrounded by a second liquid fluid. The discovery of the effectiveness of such delivery in a quantity, in a state, at a time, and in a combination with other activities, such that the first fluid at the fire can exert a significant fire fighting effect, is novel.
The term "liquid fluid" as used herein is intended to refer to a fluid or fluid mixture that assumes or retains a liquid state under general atmospheric conditions. Such common liquid fluids may comprise water, foam, water and foam, water and foam concentrate, or other liquid fluid mixtures known to have beneficial fire fighting properties. "Fluid" is used herein to refer to a substance in its liquid or gaseous state.
It is believed that the success of the invention is due in part to multiple synergistic effects experienced in the simultaneous delivery and application to a fire of a first fluid surrounded by a liquid fluid. For instance, the simultaneous delivery process, wherein a first fluid is delivered through the atmosphere within the envelope of a liquid fluid, may itself enhance the fire fighting effectiveness of both fluids. The liquid fluid envelope may not only enhance the streaming of an enclosed fluid or gas, it may permit the shaping and directing of the placement of the first fluid over the fire. The ability to tailor the shape of the envelope allows the area of contact of the first fluid to be controlled, enabling the first fluid to be applied to the totality of a targeted fire area. This marks a noted improvement over present art experience that may include shooting a hole in a fire through too narrow of an application of a gas fluid. The envelope may also enhance the retention of any first fluid upon the fire. Further, the first fluid, or a portion thereof, may become entrained within the liquid fluid envelope, or a portion thereof, during the delivery process. This entraining may enhance the delivery of the first fluid. The entraining may also enhance the retention of the first fluid at the fire after delivery. Also, the first fluid, especially if a volatile liquid, by its expansion, agitation and/or entrainment after discharge from its orifice, may enhance the foaming of the liquid foam mixture envelope during delivery. This assumes that the second fluid is capable of enhanced foaming. Enhanced foam usually improves the fire fighting capability of a liquid foam mixture.

Dual fluid method and apparatus for extinguishing fires


A fluid ejection device controller for controlling a fluid ejection device of a three dimensional printing system has a processor and a memory. The memory includes executable instructions that when executed by the processor causes the fluid ejection device controller to control a motion of the fluid ejection device to print agent onto a layer of build material in a build area; and to flush agent through at least one nozzle of the fluid ejection device in response to detecting, by the fluid ejection device controller, an erroneous stopping of the motion of the fluid ejection device and the fluid ejection device being positioned on top of the build area.

Some three dimensional printing systems print three-dimensional objects by printing agent onto a layer of build material and heating the build material layer whereby the particles of build material moistened with agent fuse.
Moreover the drawings provide examples and or implementations consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and/or implementations provided in the drawings.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A method is provided for merging assertions in one input file with hardware description language (HDL) code in another input file to produce an HDL output file. One embodiment, among others, comprises the steps of: copying an assertion identified by an assertion identifier from the first input file; locating a matching assertion identifier within a section of the second input file; and merging the assertion with the section of the second input file to produce a section in the HDL output file.

Designers of digital integrated circuits (ICs) use various software tools to design an IC. The design engineer typically writes code in a Hardware Design Language (HDL), also known as a Register Transfer Language (RTL). The IC designer then runs a simulator which tests the design using the HDL code as input. After fixing any problems found in the code by the simulation process, the HDL code is then used as input by a synthesizer. The synthesizer translates the HDL code into a physical representation of an IC, which can then be produced as a physical IC in the form of an Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or custom silicon IC.
During the simulation process, a verification engineer instruments the HDL code with assertions to verify that the HDL code is an accurate implementation of the intended design. An assertion is a statement which expresses how a particular design feature should or should not behave. For example, the code for a particular logic block may assume that only one of two input signals is active at any one time. As another example, a logic block may assume that an input will never be larger than a certain maximum value. As yet another example, a logic block may assume that a request signal will remain asserted until after an acknowledge signal is asserted. Each of these assumptions made by the designer can be expressed as assertion.
After creating these assertions, the verification engineer typically inserts the assertions into appropriate areas of the HDL source file. However, this manual insertion method is not desirable because both the design engineer and the verification engineer need to update the same file. Source-code control tools can be used to prevent the two engineers from updating the file at the same time. Using such systems, one engineer "checks out" the file, makes his changes, and checks it back in.
In addition, the type of assertion whether using PSL or SVA (System Verilog Assertion) can be determined at merge time. This allows the IC designer to choose the "best" type of assertion to use for his/her purposes. The current fad may be to use OVL (Open Verification Library) but within two years it will be SVA which has more powerful capabilities. In any case, the specific identifier remains with the RTL code to increase the documentation purpose also.
However, the process of inserting assertions manually is still problematic, since while the verification engineer is creating the assertions and instrumenting the HDL code with them, the HDL source file is unavailable to the design engineer. By not inserting verbose assertion information, the RTL code remains cleaner and is not obfuscated by other types of coding. Therefore, a better process of integrating assertions with HDL source code is needed.

Merging a hardware design language source file with a separate assertion file


Accommodating a particular kind of out-of-order data; namely, when data arrives out-of-order because the data is generated in systems that may have different application timelines. As data arrives, it arrives with a particular partition key. For instance, the partition key might identify the source of the data. The data from each partition key is kept in-order with respect to all other data from that same partition key. That said, data from one key is permitted to have a different timeline as compared to data from any other key. Thus, the data may not be in-order when viewed globally across keys. Rather, data is tolerated to be out-of-order globally so long as the lag in the arrived data is within some tolerated lag. If the data arrives having a time that exceeds the maximum tolerated lag, then the system applies some policy to determine what to do with the delayed data.

Computing systems and associated networks have greatly revolutionized our world ushering in what is now commonly called the "information age". One of the characteristics of the information age is that queries may be generated and issued against collections of data. For instance, the data collections may include relational databases, or other data stores of structured, or even unstructured data. Now, queries may even be generated against streams of data that are organized in accordance with time. An example of streamed data is a stream of time-stamped events.
When processing streams of data, the processing often occurs assuming that the streamed data arrives in some semblance of temporal order. The assumption of temporal ordering is made for several reasons, mostly for performance optimization. But the assumption is generally well-founded based on the use cases commonly used in streaming data processing. The ideal case is always in-order arrival of streamed data. However, data may arrive out of order due to various environmental or system causes (such as network delays). Thus, out-of-order data arrival is a real-world scenario that requires accommodation but not part of the optimal data processing path.
Out-of-order processing is generally dealt with by a streaming data processor in one of two different ways. In one conventional way, all out of order data is made to be in order at the time that data ingresses into the system. This can be done by waiting a period to sort the out-of-order data to be in order, by adjusting the time-stamp(s) of the out-of-order data to be in order, or by dropping one or more pieces of out-of-order data such that the remaining data is in order. Once data is inside the system, the streaming engine may operate on the data knowing the data is safely in order and optimize for that case. In a second conventional way of dealing with out-of-order data, all processing done within the system accommodates out-of-order data, and it becomes up to the system user to decide what to do when out-of-order data arrival happens.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.

Stream data processing on multiple application timelines


A method of feeding and restraining wire for a vehicle instrument panel includes feeding the wire into and restraining it in a system of troughs attached to a structure serving as a wiring board. Each trough has a floor and two substantially parallel side walls perpendicular to the floor and extending upwardly from the trough to an open ceiling. The system of troughs has at least two terminals disposed remotely from one another. Steps in the method include attaching one end of a first wire to a first terminal within a first trough, laying the first wire to trace the extension of the first trough, spraying the first wire at intervals with adhesive to attach the wire to the floor of the trough, cutting the first wire at the location of the second terminal, and attaching the wire to the second terminal.

A few years ago, the automotive industry began to reverse the trend, which it had begun almost twenty years before, of replacing dashboard gauges with small warning lights or so-called "idiot lights". In part this was due to the sophistication of electronic gauges. Electronics are now used in various subassembly components of the modern day vehicle instrument panel. Electronic modules are used as small on-board computers that monitor hundreds of inputs from various sensors on the vehicle. Many leads or wires are used to electrically convey information from sensors at the sources of the information to the electronic gauges, through relays monitored by the modules. Other electronic subassemblies, such as radios, message centers, power antennae relays, intermittent windshield wiper controls, electronic air conditioning switches and relays, and other subassembly components are also interconnected by leads and wiring to electrical sources and sensors.
Because of the sheer number of electrically conductive wires used to electronically connect the subassembly components to each other and to other vehicle electrical components, wiring harnesses are typically used to arrange the conductive wires in groups. The wiring harnesses are attached the instrument panel and routed along its substructure during assembly of the board or instrument panel. Wiring harnesses have the advantage of bringing some order to a spaghetti-like entanglement of wires, facilitating some tracing of the wires to allow for proper connections during assembly and to allow for trouble shooting such connections for repair.
While wiring harnesses have advantages over loose arrays of wires that are difficult to trace, wiring harnesses also have shortcomings. Manually attaching and routing the wiring harnesses is a tedious and labor intensive task. Furthermore, owing in part to the tediousness and labor intensiveness of the task, manual manipulation of the wiring harnesses during assembly often results in damage to the instrument panel, to the subassembly components, and to the wires themselves. Because of the number of subassembly components that must be electrically interconnected, it is of limited advantage to systematize the deployment of wires simply by restraining wires as is done by using wiring harnesses.
For example, bunching a number of wires in a wiring harness does not help in allowing work operations to be performed upon the ends of the wires. This shortcoming can be appreciated by considering the teaching of U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,822, issued to Folk on May, 18, 1976. Folk discloses a method and apparatus for positioning lengths of individual leads of a plurality of leads in spaced apart relationships with respect to one another, so that work operations can be simultaneously performed on the ends of the leads. The lengths of leads are positioned in a plurality of spaced apart grooves of a template by progressively positioning successive parts of the lengths of each of the plurality of leads into respective grooves. Each groove is wider and deeper than the lead positioned within the groove. Each of the grooves has one or more spaced-apart lead confining means that retain segments of the leads positioned in the groove. The template with its grooves are only employed to perform the work operations on the ends of the leads. When the work operations are complete, knockout pins are associated with each of the spaced apart lead retaining means to facilitate stripping the leads from the template. Accordingly, a wiring harness does not facilitate end operations of leads, such as the installation of terminals. As disclosed in the related U.S. patent application entitled "Wiring System for Automotive Instrument Panel Wire", cited in the Cross Reference to Related Applications section of this specification, a system of grooves or troughs as used in the present invention has advantages over both work templates and wiring harnesses.
Several devices have been disclosed as means for automatically feeding wires, cutting them and positioning them on wiring boards, thereby to eliminate the labor intensiveness of routing wires to electrical subassembly components to complete circuits. For one example, Alderman et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,213, disclose a machine for cutting, forming, and inserting the leads of lead bearing components in a workpiece. The machine has means provided for supporting a wiring board in a pre-determined position relative to operating instrumentalities mounted on the machine head. This relative positioning allows components to formed and applied with their leads extending to or through the wiring boards for suitable connection with circuitry on the mounting boards. The board is mounted on a pallet that is associated with a pair of conveyor belts to move the board into its position.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,573, von Roesgen discloses a quick-connect interconnection system. By this system, all interconnections are performed on one side of a component-receiving board, using slotted-beam insulation-piercing connectors. Boards with or without metalization patterns are adapted to the basic approach. Using boards with an X-Y pattern of holes arranged in columns, slotted-beam connector elements are readily pressed into one side, and corresponding circuit elements, such as dual-in-line packs, plugged from the other side into the connector elements. The system is enhanced by a tool that feeds insulated conductors from a source and into selected slotted beams. The tool includes a retractable knife or a retractable cutter with which a given wire run may be terminated. For the manual mode, a sequence of wiring is indicated to an operator by stepping of a laser beam that illuminates slotted-beams to be interconnected.
Rock, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,061, teaches a method and apparatus for connecting wiring to insulation displaced-type, circuit board-mounted electrical contacts. The Rock method comprises automatic positioning and orientating of individual contacts relative to a wire insertion head. A portion of the wire is fed from a supply to the tip of a pusher which inserts this portion into fingers of the contact. Another contact is positioned and oriented relative to the pusher to receive a second portion of the wire and provide a wire run between the contacts. The wire run can be terminated at the last contact without repositioning the contact and pusher relative to each other, with the remaining supply wire being prepared for another insertion. The Rock device and method is similar to that of von Roesgen, and furthermore, Rock does not teach the use of troughs with restraining means.
Aceti et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,543, discloses a robotically operated wire insertion apparatus for insulation displacement terminals. The Aceti et al. system automatically feeds wire to a wire insertion hand. The apparatus automatically straightens the wire during the feeding so that the wire is aligned with the hand. The apparatus inserts the wire progressively into a plurality of insulation displacement terminals and severs the wire from the last inserted insulation displacement terminal. The apparatus is initialized to begin a new wiring circuit. The method and system as taught by Aceti et al. is adapted for insulation displacement terminals that have any orientation in any plane on one or more different substrates.
None of these systems, alone or in combination with others, teaches the advantages of the present invention. For example, except that the device disclosed by Alderman et al. is an automated machine for forming and applying leads to a wiring board, the device lacks the structure of a machine adapted for movement through a trough while laying wires as will be shown to be an advantage of the present invention. While the von Roesgen disclosure is relevant for its teaching of the quick-connect interconnection system, as will be seen to be an advantage of the present invention, the von Roesgen disclosure provides no teaching of the overall wiring system of the present invention, including the use troughs and a wire feeding method for laying wires in troughs, notwithstanding its teaching of a cutter with which a given wire run may be terminated. And while Aceti et al. teaches point-to-point wiring in different directions to different terminals, there is no teaching of the trough structure and means of restraint taught by the present invention.


A method implemented in a network for enhancing transmission is disclosed. The network contains a number of network devices, and at least one network device provides traffic scheduling function to schedule transmission of packets. The method starts with arrival of a packet. In response to arrival of the packet, the network device determines whether a timer has expired, whether a congestion level has reached a congestion threshold, whether the packet is a high priority packet, and whether a burst accumulation counter has reached an accumulation threshold. The packet is transmitted, along with any packet waiting for transmission, in response to at least one of the conditions are satisfied: the timer has expired, the congestion level has reached the congestion threshold, the packet is a high priority packet, and the burst accumulation counter has reached the accumulation threshold.

Today Ethernet is the dominant computer networking technology. As Ethernet gains wide popularity among enterprise, carriers, and cloud service providers, energy consumption by Ethernet based systems becomes an important concern. In an Ethernet based system, the majority of Ethernet transmission channels spend significant time waiting for data packets. Worse, during idle periods, Ethernet transmission channels still consume power at near full active levels because of clock synchronization requirements during those idle periods.
Concerning power consumption of legacy Ethernet equipment, two important facts have been observed:
(a). Consumption increases with the transmission channel speed. This is due to the increased hardware complexity that is required to achieve higher speeds;
(b). Consumption is mostly maximum and does not necessarily depend on the traffic load because of the continuous transmission of physical layer signaling in the absence of user data. This signaling is mandatory to keep the receivers aligned to the channel conditions.
In order to address Ethernet power consumption issue, the Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE), sometimes referred to as Green Ethernet, is proposed. EEE is a set of enhancements to the twisted-pair and backplane Ethernet family of networking stands that allow for less power consumption during period of low data activity. The intention is to reduce power consumption by 50% or more without impacting the vital function that these network interfaces perform in a communication infrastructure. For example, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), through the IEEE 802.3az task force, has developed a set of standards for the effort. Yet, the mechanism and standard proposed have deficiency in transmission efficiency that should be improved.

Method and system of transmission management in a network


Embodiments of the present application relate to a method for generating special topic pages, a device for generating special topic pages, and a computer program product for generating special topic pages. A method for generating special topic pages is provided. The method includes determining a configuration file bound to a special topic category corresponding to a received keyword, determining sub-categories that are under a category associated with the keyword in a quantity equal to the special topic content page module quantity in the configuration file, regarding the sub-categories as sub-category keywords in special topic content page modules, looking up product information that meets the query condition for the special topic content page modules in a database, regarding the looked up product information as content in the special topic content page modules, and generating the special topic content page modules within the special topic page.

A special topic page is a type of aggregator page that is generated in connection with a product or commodity within a special topic category. The special topic category may be an industry or a theme. Examples are an aggregator page generated about MP3 products within the consumer products industry, an aggregator page generated about acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic products in the raw materials industry, and an aggregator page generated about sports news in the news industry.
Using the aggregator page relating to MP3 products within the consumer products industry shown in FIG. 1 as an example, a special topic page separately creates a plurality of page modules according to different aspects, such as features and brands, of MP3 products. For example, a page module is created for MP3 products without an FM tuner feature, and a page module is created for Apple-brand MP3 products. Each page module includes a certain number of pieces of feature-specific or brand-specific MP3 product information for the best-selling MP3 products so that users can quickly look up MP3 products with high sales volume according to desired features or brands while browsing the special topic page.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a conventional special topic page. Product information included in each page module of the special topic page shown in FIG. 1 can be product information acquired from a product sales website's own background database or product information acquired from background databases of other product sales websites. MP3 product information can include MP3 product images, names, model numbers, vendors, sales volumes, and other such information.
In addition to including the page modules for the product information, the special topic page can also include page modules relating to search and login/register modules of an ordinary page.
Types of page modules for product information included in the special topic page are also called special topic content page modules (e.g., the page module in FIG. 1 created for MP3 products without an FM tuner feature). A type of page module that is in a special topic page and that does not include product information, but includes service functions provided by the special topic page is called a service page module (e.g., the page module in FIG. 1 created for performing a searching function).
The generated special topic page is stored in the form of HyperText Markup Language (HTML) in a server. FIG. 2 is a diagram of two conventional service page modules in a special topic page. Using a "shopsearch" service page module (displayed as "Search this shop") and a "customcontent" service page module (displayed as "Customized Content Zone") shown in FIG. 2 as examples, HTML code of the "shopsearch" service page module and the "customcontent" service page module stored in the server are shown below:
Code 1iv id="shopsearch"> //"shopsearch" service page module...

 //"customcontent" service page module...

With respect to Code 1 above, because the code for creating the "shopsearch" service page module is located in front of the code for creating the "customcontent" service page module, the "shopsearch" service page module is located on top of the "customcontent" service page module in the generated special topic page, as shown in FIG. 2.
After a special topic page is generated, content of the special topic page is not fixed and unchanging. Ordering of various page modules in the special topic page and the content of the page modules can be adjusted according to actual need. For example, reasons for adjusting content in the special topic page include changing levels of user interest, shifts in product popularity, and even seasonal changes.
Currently, adjusting the content of a special topic page typically includes providing visualized operating functions in the generated page modules (including service page modules and special topic content page modules). FIG. 3 is a diagram of conventional visualized operation functions of service page modules. As shown in FIG. 3, the following visualized buttons in the "customcontent" service page module are provided: an editing function button (displayed as "Edit"), a transfer-up function button (displayed as an Up Arrow), a transfer-down function button (displayed as a Down Arrow), a delete function button (displayed as "Delete"), and an add function button (displayed as "Add module"). The visualized buttons are used to adjust the sequence of "shopsearch" service page modules and "customcontent" service page modules in the special topic page based on changes in levels of user interest. FIG. 4 is a diagram of two service page modules after their order has been switched. After clicking the transfer-up function button in the "customcontent" service page module, one switches the order of the "shopsearch" service page module and the "customcontent" service page module within the special topic page (the special topic page following the adjustment to the page module sequence is shown in FIG. 4).
After the order of the "shopsearch" service page module and the "customcontent" service page module within the special topic page has been switched, the positions of the HTML code stored in the server can also be switched. As shown below in Code 2, Code 2 will replace Code 1 in the server in order to exchange the positions of the two service page modules.
Code 2
 //"customcontent" service page module...

 // "shopsearch" service page module...

Adjusting special topic page content by switching the positions of two service page modules is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. If one is going to make an adjustment to the content within a page module in the special topic page, for example, an adjustment to the content in the "customcontent" service page module, the content in the "customcontent" service page module is adjusted by clicking the editing function button in the "customcontent" service page module and the HTML code for the "customcontent" service page module originally stored in the server is replaced with the HTML code of the edited "customcontent" service page module. Accordingly, the goal of adjusting the content in the "customcontent" service page module can be implemented.
The order of special topic content page modules and the content in special topic content page modules are adjusted similarly to the way in which the service page modules are adjusted.
Typically, the service page modules in a special topic page are not modified frequently because the service page modules provide users with page operation services. However, the content in the special topic content page modules regularly undergoes changes. Therefore, the content in the special topic content page modules is to be updated frequently as described above.
The above approach for adjusting special topic page content relates to a single page. In other words, when content of a special topic content page module in a special topic page is to be adjusted, someone manually operates the visualized operation functions of the special topic content page module. Although the visualized operation functions are relatively easy to use, when the content of special topic content page modules of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of special topic pages are frequently adjusted, the manually implemented visualized operation functions are inefficient. Also, avoiding operator error leading to content adjustment errors in a large volume of manual operation functions is difficult.

Method and device for generating special topic pages


A method of forming a copolymer is provided, which includes (i) mixing a diamine and a diester to form a mixture, and heating the mixture to form a diamine compound, wherein the diamine compound has a chemical structure of

Transparent polyamide (nylon) is currently used in applications like packaging materials and overlay materials for optical instruments. The major commercially available nylons are polymerized of three or more monomers. Although these nylons achieve the purpose of being transparent, three or more monomers are necessary. Different monomers differ greatly in how they react, so the sequence of the repeating units in the nylon products is difficult to control. As such, the molecular sequence distribution is random, variations in physical properties are high, and stability is low in nylon products. In addition, some commercially available nylons are aliphatic polymer, which have disadvantages such as poor thermal resistance, high water absorption (resulting in processing being difficult and oxygen permeability being too high), low Tg about 40° C. to 60° C.), and poor mechanical strength. A nylon product polymerized of aromatic monomer such as isophthalate (IPA), e.g. representative transparent product PA-6I/6T/66 (6I/6T<30%, and I content <20%), may overcome the disadvantages of the aliphatic transparent polymer. However, the water absorption (6.8%/8.0%, percent equilibrium water at 23° C. and 100% RH) of PA-6I/6T/66 needs to be improved further. If water absorption is reduced to less than 5.8 the I content (e.g. IPA content) should be increased. However, a conventional nylon product with an I content higher than 25% is very brittle and difficult to process.

Diamine-diacid salt, copolymer and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract: (ii) mixing the diamine compound and a diacid to form a diamine-diacid salt, wherein the diamine-diacid salt has a chemical structure of

Abstract: and (iii) heating the diamine-diacid salt to polymerize the diamine-diacid salt for forming a copolymer, wherein the copolymer has a repeating unit with a chemical structure of

Abstract: wherein n=2-12, R is

Abstract: and m=2-12.

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE


An artificial intelligence device includes a microphone configured to receive a speech command, a speaker, a communication unit configured to perform communication with an external artificial intelligence device, and a processor configured to receive a wake-up command through the microphone, acquire a first speech quality level of the received wake-up command, receive a second speech quality level of the wake-up command input to the external artificial intelligence device from the external artificial intelligence device through the communication unit, output a notification indicating that the artificial intelligence device is selected as an object to be controlled through the speaker, when the first speech quality level is larger than the second speech quality level, receive an operation command through the microphone, acquire an intention of the received operation command and transmit the operation command to an external artificial intelligence device which will perform operation corresponding to the operation command according to the acquired intention through the communication unit.

Competition for speech recognition technology which has started in smartphones is expected to become fiercer in the home with diffusion of the Internet of things (IoT).
In particular, an artificial intelligence (AI) device capable of issuing a command using speech and having a talk is noteworthy.
A speech recognition service has a structure for selecting an optimal answer to a user's question using a vast amount of database.
A speech search function refers to a method of converting input speech data into text in a cloud server, analyzing the text and retransmitting a real-time search result to a device.
The cloud server has a computing capability capable of dividing a large number of words into speech data according to gender, age and intonation and storing and processing the speech data in real time.
As more speech data is accumulated, speech recognition will be accurate, thereby achieving human parity.
Recently, a plurality of artificial intelligence devices capable of performing speech recognition is located in the home.
In order to select an artificial intelligence device to be controlled, a user utters a wake-up command for activating the artificial intelligence device.
However, when the plurality of artificial intelligence devices is located in the home, the plurality of artificial intelligence devices may be activated in response to the wake-up command uttered by the user, thereby making it difficult for the user to select the device to be controlled.

Artificial intelligence device and method of operating artificial intelligence device


A loudspeaker fixing structure and a display device are provided. The loudspeaker fixing structure includes: a fixing frame configured to be connected to a back plate of the display device; a pair of fixing side plates, opposite to each other and configured to be connected to a loudspeaker body; fixing members, fixed on the fixing frame and arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the fixing side plates, and in each pair of the fixing side plate and the fixing member, the fixing member is at a side of one fixing side plate away from the other fixing side plate, the fixing member is fixed to the fixing side plate through a curved protrusion and a curved groove, and a protrusive direction of the curved protrusion is perpendicular to the fixing side plate.

In a display device in the related art, the loudspeaker is fixed to the backlight by fixing the screw or the elastic component to the back plate groove. However, when the display device is vibrated in multiple directions or the loudspeaker operates in a large volume for a long period of time, the connection between the back plate and the screw or the elastic component may become poor, which may cause noise during the use of the loudspeakers and thus affect the sound effects of the loudspeaker.

Loudspeaker fixing structure and display device


A pressurizing cap for a conventional tennis ball container includes a sleeve that defines an internal sealing surface shaped to seal against a lip defined by the tennis ball container as the sleeve is moved axially along a stroke when the sleeve is applied to the container. The pressurizing cap includes an end panel sealed to a closed end of the sleeve and the cap defines an annular recess adjacent to the sealing surface near the end panel. This recess is shaped to receive the annular lip and to hold the cap releasably in place on the container. The cap can be placed on the container and then moved axially into position on the container without rotation. The sliding seal created between the lip of the container and the internal sealing surface causes movement of the cap toward the container to pressurize the container.

This invention relates to a pressurizing cap for use in pressurizing a container of the type having at least one sidewall that defines an open end, and an annular lip extending radially from the open end. As described below this pressurizing cap may be used to provide a pressurized storage environment for racket-sport balls such as tennis balls.
Racket-sport balls such as tennis balls are originally packaged in pressurized containers, and such balls begin to deteriorate when the containers are opened and the balls are kept at atmospheric pressure. In the past, several approaches have been suggested for pressurizing containers that can be used to increase the effective life of such balls, as disclosed in the following patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s) ______________________________________ 4,020,948 Won 4,019,629 Dubner, et al. 3,897,874 Coons 3,888,347 Kramer 3,853,222 Helms 3,819,040 Coons 3,581,881 Hobbs 3,233,727 Wilson 1,911,125 Miller 1,910,930 Morris ______________________________________
As illustrated by the Wilson. Miller and patents, one approach is to provide a pressurizing container with a valve that allows pressurized air to be admitted into the container. Another approach is to supply a piston pump as an integral part of the container, as disclosed in the Kramer, Dubner, Helms and Morris patents. The Dubner and Helms patents disclose caps that include integral pumps, and that are designed for use with conventional tennis ball containers.
Another approach as illustrated by the Won and Coons patents is to provide a container having an externally threaded base and an internally threaded lid. The base and lid are provided with seals such that rotation of the lid simultaneously moves the lid to the closed position and pressurizes the internal volume contained by the body and the lid. A major disadvantage of this approach is that it requires a custom container having external threads to receive the lid.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved, simplified pressurizing cap which preferably can be used with a conventional container to pressurize the contents of the container.

Pressurizing cap and method for using same


An aspect provides a computer-implemented method for compiling software code. The method comprises: receiving software code to compile; receiving a set of parameters associated with settings and software employed to compile the software code; forming a first hash of the set of parameters to establish a unique identification of the set of parameters used to compile the software code; and associating the first hash with the compiled code. A further aspect provides a computer-implemented method of checking compatibility of compiled software code.

Visual content generation systems are used to generate imagery in the form of still images and/or video sequences of images. The still images and/or video sequences of images include live action scenes obtained from a live action capture system, computer generated scenes obtained from an animation creation system, or a combination thereof.
An animation artist is provided with tools that allow them to specify what is to go into that imagery. Where the imagery includes computer generated scenes, the animation artist may use various tools to specify the positions in a scene space such as a three-dimensional coordinate system of objects. Some objects are articulated, having multiple limbs and joints that are movable with respect to each other.
The animation artist may retrieve a representation of an articulated object and generate an animation sequence movement of the articulated object, or part thereof. Animation sequence data representing an animation sequence may be stored in data storage, such as animation sequence storage described below.
Various aspects of animation sequence movement may be authored in source code that is then compiled for runtime operation efficiency. Compiled code has the potential to be different between compilations due to, for example, different versions of compiler. This can lead to binary incompatibility that can require extensive manual version checking.
It is an object of at least preferred embodiments to address at least some of the aforementioned disadvantages. An additional or alternative object is to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Method and system for identifying incompatibility between versions of compiled software code


A process for separating a multi-component mixture containing solid or liquid organic components by treating the mixture with a gaseous entraining agent comprising a superheated carrier fluid containing a lower monohydric alcohol or a lower monohydric alcohol and water to cause constituents of the multi-component mixture to become entrained in the gaseous entraining agent, and separating the gaseous entraining agent containing constituents of the multi-component mixture from the multi-component mixture.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention describes proposals for intensifying and/or simplifying the separation of multicomponent mixtures of at least partly organic origin using a stream of carrier gas to simplify the removal of the more readily volatile constituents of the mixture. Accordingly, the principle behind the process according to the invention is based on purification steps which may be classified under the heading of "treatment with steam (steaming)". However, the working principle according to the invention differs from this in the choice of the carrier gas stream which is described in detail in the following in regard to its composition and the operating conditions applied and which is not formed by steam, but instead by a carrier gas of at least partly organic origin. Nevertheless, the measures known to the expert from steam distillation may be widely applied.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The principles of steam distillation for separating multicomponent mixtures and, in particular, for purifying useful materials or mixtures of useful materials of at least partly organic origin are part of established chemical knowledge, cf. for example L. Gattermann "Die Praxis des organischen Chemikers", 33rd Edition (1948), Walter De Gruyter & Co. Verlag, pages 26 to 28 and 252. The principles described herein for laboratory practice are used in various technical applications in such diverse forms that it is only possible here to refer briefly to a number of characteristic applications.
The purification of vegetable or animal fats and oils comprises a multistage treatment in which steaming of the prepurified material is usually carried out as the last stage. An important technical objective of this stage is deodorization of the prepurified material. Unwanted and, in particular, olfactorily troublesome impurities often present in traces only are separated from the useful material or mixture of useful materials by distillation with steam. However, this steaming stage may also be used as a distillation aid, for example to facilitate the removal of short-chain fatty acids from the natural fats and oils. The relevant literature is represented, for example, by "Ullmanns Enzyklopadie der technischen Chemie", 4th Edition, Vol. 11 (1976), pages 479-486; Kirk-Othmer "Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology", 3rd Edition, Vol. 9 (1980), pages 816-820 and E. Bernadini "Vegetable Oils and Fats Processing" in "Oilseeds, Oils and Fats", Vol. 11 (1983), InterstampaRome, Chapter VII, pages 221-251 (Deodorization of Fats and Oils). The industrial purification processes described herein using the principle of steam distillation or steaming operate in vacuo and at high temperatures. For example, steaming is carried out under a pressure of 2 to 30 mbar and at a temperature of 150.degree. to 290.degree. C. The amount of steam used and the treatment time are determined by the particular type of process selected. Batch processes, semicontinuous processes and continuous processes are known. Whatever the type of process, the steam is passed in finely dispersed form through the melted and flash-heated fat or oil. In semicontinuous and continuous processes, other aids may also be provided to enlarge the surface between the steam and the oil phase to be purified. Packed or filled columns in particular are described in this regard. In the column, the liquid to be purified is exposed to the steam passing through with a spread and, hence, enlarged surface.
Another typical industrially significant application for purification by steaming is the removal of residues based on ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide from reaction products which have been produced by ethoxylation and/or propoxylation of organic compounds containing at least one active hydrogen atom. Compounds of this type are widely used, for example, as nonionic surfactants or as intermediate products for the production of anionic surfactant compounds. They are used, for example, in the field of detergents and cleaning formulations and also on a large scale in the field of cosmetics or pharmaceutical auxiliaries. From their production, the reaction products initially accumulating contain traces of ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide and of unwanted secondary reaction products, such as dioxane. The removal of these residual materials from the alkoxylated derivatives is described in legislation and is an essential step of the production process. The steam distillation or rather steaming of the reaction products initially accumulating to remove the unwanted impurities is the process step industrially applied in practice, cf. for example EP-A1-0 283 862, DE-A1-34 47 867, U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,072 and the literature cited therein.
According to one modification of the above-described working principle, however, the useful materials or mixtures of useful materials to be purified may advantageously be heated in vacuo and at the same time concentrated by evaporation and purified by the principle of steam distillation. The use of additional, optionally superheated steam for this purpose is known from the prior art. If desired, the impurity-free products of relatively low water content thus obtained may be subsequently converted back into a water-containing preparation, cf. for example DE-A1 30 44 488 which describes a process for the production of ether sulfates of reduced dioxane content.
It is also known that the deodorization and/or removal of unwanted impurities can be carried out using non-condensable gas phases as a distillation aid. The preferred auxiliary for this purpose is gaseous nitrogen which may be used to facilitate removal of the more highly volatile constituents from mixtures, cf. for example JP-AS-5414/81. In this document, polyalkylene glycol derivatives (for example for use as emulsifiers, lubricating oils, starting materials for plastics, detergents, cosmetics and the like) are subjected to purification and deodorization by the introduction of gaseous nitrogen or steam into the liquid material to be purified at around 30 torr and at a temperature of 90.degree. to 100.degree. C. It has also recently been proposed to use non-condensable inert gases, especially nitrogen, instead of steam as a stripping aid in the above-mentioned deodorization of edible oils and/or fats, cf. for example EP-A2-015 739.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,634 describes a process for the purification of fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, in which the material to be purified is sprayed into a chamber from which the impurities are removed in vaporous form. Corresponding mixtures containing less than 2% by weight of the impurities to be removed, based on the liquid starting material, are described as the material to be purified. The material to be purified is said to be sprayed in an inert atmosphere, the pressure having to be selected so that droplets between 50 and 1,000 .mu.m in diameter are formed. These droplets are said to be exposed to the inert gas atmosphere for a matter of seconds and then collected. Nitrogen, helium and argon are mentioned as inert gases. The impurities to be removed by this spray treatment are, in particular, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, dioxane, water and alcohol. Spraying of the liquid phase into the space filled with inert gas may even be carried out several times in succession.
In their earlier German patent applications P 42 37 934.2 and P 43 07 115.5, applicants describe important improvements for purifying organic materials with superheated steam. The first of these two earlier patent applications describes a process for improving the purity and, in particular, color and odor of useful materials or mixtures of useful materials from the field of wetting agents, detergents and/or cleaning formulations (starting material), which is characterized in that an impurity-laden starting material is treated with superheated steam, bleaching agents optionally being used in the starting material to produce improvements in color. The impurity-laden starting material is preferably subjected to the treatment with superheated steam in fine-particle form and especially in admixture with water and, if desired, is at least partly dried at the same time. The treatment with superheated steam is best carried out in a spray zone and/or a fluidized bed.
The second of the earlier applications cited above describes a process for intensifying and/or accelerating the distillation-based separation of multicomponent mixtures of at least partly organic origin using a stream of steam to facilitate the removal of steam-volatile components of the starting material (steaming) which is characterized in that a starting material liquid under the treatment conditions is steamed in finely sprayed form. The treatment with steam is preferably carried out with steam superheated at the operating pressure. In one particularly important embodiment, the liquid phase to be purified is sprayed using a propellent gas. In one particularly advantageous embodiment, multicomponent spray nozzles are used. In the most important embodiments of this technical teaching, steam and, in particular, superheated steam is at least partly used as the propellent gas.
The disclosures of the two earlier German patent applications P 42 37 934.2 and P 43 07 115.5 cited above are hereby specifically included as part of the disclosure of the present invention. The principles described in those applications are also applicable to the teaching of the present invention as described in the following, the modification according to the invention being that a selected superheated vapor phase of at least partly organic origin is used instead of superheated steam as the gaseous entraining agent.
Before the teaching according to the invention is discussed in detail, applicants would first like to mention a totally different industrial application of the principles of steam distillation. It is known that, quite generally, difficult distillation-based separations can be made easier by applying the principle of steam distillation. For example, the removal of unreacted fatty alcohol components in the production of nonionic surfactants from the class of alkyl polyglycosides (APG) is described in EP-B-0 092 876 and later corresponding applications. Distillation of the APG-containing crude product is carried out in vacuo in a thin-layer evaporator. Removal of the free fatty alcohol to be distilled off can be promoted by exposing the starting material spread widely over the inner surface of the thin-layer evaporator to the stream of steam passing through with its enlarged surface.

Process for the simplified separation of multicomponent mixtures of at least partly organic origin


Some embodiments of the invention include an apparatus and system for keyboard arrangements where one or more of the keys are adjustable. In some embodiments, the arrangement includes one or more keys and a moving mechanism for controlling the position of the keys. The keys may be adjusted in terms of height. The adjustment in height may result from the operation of a lever or switch, or as a result of opening the case or shell of the system. Other embodiments are described.

1. Technical Field
Some embodiments of the invention generally relate to keyboards. More particularly, some embodiments of the invention relate to keyboard attached to a personal computer (PC), a personal digital assistant (PDA), and other apparatuses.
2. Discussion
As the trend toward smaller, thinner, and lighter electronic devices continues, small and low-profile keyboards convenient for portability have been increasingly demanded by users. In addition, user demands have also included the need to reduce the drawbacks of low-profile keyboards. These drawbacks include, among other things, reducing the thickness of the keyboard (especially in notebook computers and other mobile devices) resulted in loss of tactile feel and reduced key travel distance.
Thus, there is a need to maintain the precision and operability of a keyboard, such as maintaining the length/depth of a keystroke, and maintaining tactile response, at the same time minimize the overall keyboard thickness.

System and apparatus for adjustable keyboard arrangements


Gaming chairs and wagering game systems and machines with a gaming chair are presented herein. A gaming chair is disclosed for a wagering game system with a controller and a display device for displaying aspects of the wagering game. The gaming chair includes a backrest portion, a seat portion, a base for supporting the seat and backrest portions, and a mounting plate attached to the seat portion. The mounting plate is configured to attach, one at a time, to each of first and second mounting assemblies for removably attaching the mounting plate to the base. The first mounting assembly includes at least one actuator for selectively repositioning the seat portion in response to signals from the controller. The second mounting assembly is selectively repositionable with respect to the base to thereby lock the seat portion at any one of a number of vertically stationary heights.

Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines, and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine, as well as the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Consequently, shrewd operators strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play, enhance player loyalty and, hence, increase profitability to the operator.
Heretofore, gaming machine design and innovation has focused primarily on attraction devices, lighting, payout mechanisms, networking, and predominantly on game play, such as base game characteristics and enhancements, bonus games, progressive-type game play, and community gaming. Gaming chairs have received less attention, with such attention being generally limited to improving player comfort and convenience. Even less attention has been paid to automating chair positioning, integrating haptic technology, and improving other game-dependent chair features.
While player comfort has been addressed to some extent, typically, it has been isolated to chair ergonomics and the incorporation of adjustable features, such as pivotable arm rests, stowable cup holders, etc. For instance, players typically cannot sit back in the gaming chair and relax in comfort because the game play buttons are located on the gaming machine, which requires most players to lean forward. Materials used to promote comfort for individuals maintaining a prone, seated position for extended periods of time have been incorporated to alleviate discomfort and create an environment that enhances the gaming experience.
Convenience features also enhance the enjoyment realized by gaming patrons. For example, footrests, adjustable headrests, and adjustable-height seat cushions allow for players of different sizes and preferences to use and enjoy the same gaming chair. In addition, chair-mounted gaming buttons eliminate the need for players to reach for standard input devices on the cabinet, making the player's gaming experience more comfortable and convenient, and thus more enjoyable.
As the complexity and capacity of microcomputer programs continue to grow, the graphics and audio of wagering games have become more realistic and intense. As a result, different accessories have been provided to enhance the players audio and visual experiences. Surround-sound speaker systems and high-definition wide-screen displays are just some of the accessories that are available on modern gaming machines, often times being integrated into the gaming chair, to enhance the graphic and acoustic output of wagering games and, thus, increase player enjoyment.
Another recent enhancement for wagering game chairs is automation of the seat of the gaming chair. Historically, gaming chair seats were mechanized to provide adjustable heights and positioning to afford improved player comfort. More recently, however, gaming chair seats have been modified to vibrate or shift during game play to simulate events that occur in the wagering game. On a much more limited scale, some gaming chairs have been designed with specialized hardware, such as fans, heating elements, and haptic actuators, for creating game-related tactile sensations. Additional improvements to gaming chair features can add to the value and excitement of the gaming environment.
Automated gaming chairs that are presently available in the wagering game industry have a number of identifiable limitations. As an initial matter, current fully-automated gaming chair designs with moving seats, backrests, footrests, etc., are very expensive to manufacture and maintain due to the requisite mechanical and electrical "automating" hardware. Another known drawback is that "full-motion" gaming chairs with moving seats and backrests can cause anxiety and discomfort for some players, especially the handicapped and the elderly. In addition, most gaming chairs are either automated motion-type gaming chairs or standard non-motion gaming chairs, generally lacking the ability to switch between the two types. Current chair designs are not provided with the requisite hardware to address these issues. There is therefore a need for gaming chair designs that address the foregoing limitations.

Convertible gaming chairs and wagering game systems and machines with a convertible gaming chair


A hard disk drive has a head with a read element adjacent to a write element, with the write element extending closer to the disk than the read element so that the write element is proximate to the disk for writing sharp patterns and the read element is removed from the disk to avoid wear and thermal asperities. The write element is encompassed with diamond-like carbon (DLC) to allow at least occasional dynamic contact with the disk while the read element, which includes a magnetoresistive material, is disposed in a recessed area and may be covered with a thin coating of DLC to avert corrosion. The disk may have a multilayer granular media for low-noise, high-strength perpendicular data storage. Perpendicular data storage may also be provided by keeping the write element in such close proximity to the media that perpendicular write fields predominate, while perpendicular signals from the media are favored by the read element.

Traditional electromagnetic data storage transducers employ a magnetically permeable core coupled with a conductive coil in order to write and read data in an associated magnetic recording surface. In a hard disk drive, such transducers are usually spaced from the rapidly spinning rigid disk by a thin layer of air that moves with the disk surface, often termed an air bearing. This spacing is believed to be important in avoiding damage between the rapidly spinning disk and the transducer, which is appended to a substrate designed to "fly" slightly above the disk surface, buoyed by the moving air layer. This spacing or fly height, however, limits the density with which data can be stored and lowers the resolution and amplitude with which data can be retrieved. In recent years, durable sliding contact operation has been achieved which removes the air layer spacing and thereby enhances resolution, as disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,932 to Hamilton.
Writing is typically performed by applying a current to the coil so that a magnetic field is induced in the adjacent magnetically permeable core, with the core transmitting a magnetic signal across any spacing and protective coating of the disk to magnetize a tiny pattern, or digital bit, of the media layer within the disk. Reading of information in the disk may be performed by sensing the change in magnetic field of the core as the transducer passes over the bits in the disk, the changing magnetic field inducing a voltage or current in the inductively coupled coil. Alternatively, reading of the information may be accomplished by the employment of a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor, which has a resistance that varies as a function of the magnetic field adjacent to the sensor. In order to increase the amplitude and resolution in reading the bits, the MR sensor is typically positioned on the slider as close to the disk as possible.
Such a conventional anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensor is formed of a very thin film with an edge facing and designed to be aligned with the recorded bits, and is subject to deleterious influences other than the magnetic field of the nearby bits. For instance, as little as ten millionths of an inch of wear of the sensor due to occasional contact with the disk is enough to cause most currently available, high-density MR hard disk drives to fail. More sensitive magnetoresistive sensors, such as spin valve (SV), giant magnetoresistive (GMR) and colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) sensors, employ even thinner films and are even more susceptible to problems with imperfections. Moreover, fluctuations in the temperature of the sensor can cause changes in resistance that may be confused with magnetic signals. In particular, even occasional contact between the transducer and the disk is known to result in such thermal fluctuations.
Differing approaches have been used to avoid such thermal asperities. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,141, Valstyn et al. remove an MR or Hall effect sensor from the disk-facing surface of a flying head by utilizing a shunt that is switched to allow sufficient signals for both writing and reading. On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,730 to Dovek et al. employs a thick lubricant and a step to maintain separation between a disk and an inductive-writing, MR-reading transducer, and uses electronic manipulation to filter out magnetic signals from thermal noise. In order to achieve sufficient signal strength for an MR sensor that is removed from a disk, flux guides are commonly employed. In a STUDY OF RECESSED MR SENSORS WITH UNLAMINATED AND MULTI-LAMINATED FLUX GUIDES, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 28, No. 5, September 1992, C. Tang et al. teach that it is important to have such a magnetically permeable path between bits on the disk and the MR sensor in order to reduce spacing losses.
An object of the present invention was to provide extremely high signal resolution in a hard disk drive system by designing a transducer to combine dynamic contact operation and MR sensing while keeping the wear and thermal noise from such contact from destroying the transducer or overwhelming the signal resolution.

Hard disk drive having contact write and recessed magnetoresistive read head


A security system may be administered by interrogating a first user using a first security system that generates a user data set related to the first user's physiological characteristics. An access code may be determined based on the user data set. A range of activities may be enabled in accordance with the access code. A document related to the user action may be accessed so that a digital certificate may be embedded in the document using the user data set.

Biometric security systems measure a user's physiological characteristics to confirm the identity of a user. Biometric sensors that may be used include facial recognition systems, fingerprint identification systems, retinal scanning systems, and voiceprint identification systems. Because the biometric sensors actually measure a physical characteristic, they may be deemed more secure in that they require the user to actually possess the physical characteristic, rather than merely to know something, as is the case with passwords. Also, a security system that uses physiological characteristics of a user may be considered by some to be a more difficult system to defeat.