A vehicle security gate apparatus and methods are provided for inhibiting undesired access to a protected area. The vehicle security gate apparatus preferably has a barricade adapted to be positioned adjacent a roadway to thereby block vehicle passage along the roadway into an area desired to be protected. The apparatus also preferably has a barricade rotating mount connected to the barricade for rotating the barricade about a predetermined axis so that the barricade rotates about the predetermined axis between a vehicle passage position which allows a desired vehicle to readily pass along the roadway into the protected area, a vehicle blocking position which blocks the roadway so as to inhibit an undesired vehicle from readily entering into the protected area, and a vehicle arresting position which arrests an undesired vehicle responsive to an attempt by the undesired vehicle to ram the barricade when the barricade is positioned in the vehicle blocking position.

Over the years, various security gates have been developed for preventing or inhibiting people and vehicles from entrance into areas which are desired to be protected. The security gates are often positioned along a roadway which must be used to transport goods or personnel to and from the protected area. These security gates may or may not include a guard stationed near a security gate who checks personnel or vehicles desiring to enter the protected area. If a guard is not stationed near the gate, and occasionally even if a guard is stationed near the gate, the person or vehicle desiring to enter the protected area requires the use of a key, password, electronic sensing system, or other special access to the protected area.
Nevertheless, criminal-type or terrorist-type attempts continue to occur in order to access these protected areas by attempting to bypass the security gate or security guard. These attempts also can occur in minimal security areas as well, such as parking lots or parking garages. These criminal or terrorist type attempts, for example, can include a vehicle running through or ramming a gate to break a somewhat flimsy barrier to an entrance even when a security guard may be present. Therefore, more substantial, more massive, or more sophisticated barricades have been erected with many of these security gates in order to block access to these protected areas and to prevent or inhibit undesired vehicles running through a gate or ramming a more flimsy barricade. Examples of some of these security gates or barricades can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,576,509 by Beaty, Sr. titled "Security Gate," 4,828,424 by Crisp, Sr. titled "Vehicle Security Barrier," U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,737 by Nasatka et al. titled "Hydraulic Spring Vehicle Barricade And Hydraulic Circuit Therefor," U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,185 by Eikelenboom titled "Collapsible Road Barrier."
These attempts to ram a barricade or security gate, however, can also include even more serious attempts to enter or damage the protected areas, e.g., by a vehicle bomb or by a vehicle military attack,. Accordingly, various security gates and barricades have been developed which arrest or suddenly stop a vehicle from entry into a protected area, particularly to prevent both minimal undesired access activities by people and vehicles and, more particularly, these more serious attempts to enter protected areas.
These attempts at arresting or suddenly stopping a vehicle, for example, can focus on two areas. First, for example as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,246 by Brink et al. titled "Vehicle Trap," attempts have been made to trap or stop an undesired vehicle by having portions of a bridge or roadway which overlie a pit collapse to thereby suddenly lower the undesired vehicle into the pit. These attempts often succeed by hiding the trap from potential criminals or terrorists. In other words, a visible barricade which blocks the pathway of those desiring to enter often is not used. These hidden-type traps can create various problems during use when vehicles which have permission to enter a protected area desire to pass through the security gate. These traps also include risks of collapsing in commercial applications where the trap is hidden by the unsuspecting public users. Also, if a trap is accidently or intentionally triggered, the trap is often difficult to reset. Further, the trap has only one mounting position.
A second example of a vehicle arresting system can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,818,137 and 4,923,327 by Gorlov both of which are titled "Terrorist Vehicle Arresting System" and U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,203 also by Gorlov titled "Friction Reduction For Terrorist Vehicle Arresting System." These attempts have used a massive turnstile to redirect an undesired vehicle to a crash barrier positioned alongside of the roadway to thereby stop or arrest the undesired vehicle. The vehicle arresting systems of these attempts, however, can be complex to install and operate and require a separate and somewhat complex triggering mechanism to initiate the massive turnstile. If the triggering mechanism fails or the massive turnstile fails to be released properly, for example, the undesired vehicle can still pass into the protected area. Also, these vehicle arresting systems only have one mounting position.

Vehicle security gate apparatus and method of operating same


Incorporation into polyacetal compositions of at least one hindered amine light stabilizer which contains a hindered nitrogen that is acetylated results in a composition having good light stability, thermal stability, and physical property retention after exposure to heat and air.

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to certain polyacetal compositions containing at least one acetylated hindered amine light stabilizer, said compositions being characterized as having good stability upon exposure to light. Hereinafter, the term "hindered amine light stabilizer" shall be referred to as "HALS."
Polyacetal, also commonly referred to as polyoxymethylene, compositions are generally understood to include compositions based on homopolymers of formaldehyde, the terminal groups of which are end-capped by esterification of formaldehyde and other monomers that yield oxyalkylene groups with at least two adjacent carbon atoms in the main chain, the terminal groups of which copolymers can be hydroxyl terminate or can be end-capped by esterification or etherification. Compositions based on polyacetals of relatively high molecular weight, i.e., 10,000 to 100,000 are useful in preparing semi-finished and finished articles by any of the techniques commonly used with thermoplastic materials, e.g. compression molding, injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, rotational molding, melt spinning, stamping, thermoforming and the like. Finished articles made from such compositions possess desirable physical properties, including high stiffness, strength, low coefficient of friction, and good solvent resistance.
In some applications, polyacetal compositions are exposed to light for long periods of time. It is desired that said polyacetal compositions remain relatively stable upon exposure to light for such periods of time. To impart or improve the light stability of a polyacetal composition, a HALS may be added thereto. However, it is not uncommon that the addition of such a HALS can adversely affect other properties of the polyacetal composition, such as the melt processing thermal stability (e.g. gaseous formation evolution or discoloration during melt processing) of the composition and/or the ability of the composition to retain physical properties upon exposure to the heat and air. The present invention serves to alleviate such a problem.

Polyacetal compositions containing at least one acetylated hindered amine light stabilizer


A drug delivery device is presented comprising of a housing, a plurality of contacts, and a cylindrical member configured to be rotatably supported inside the housing, wherein the outer surface of the cylindrical member is provided with a plurality of tracks together forming an encoder, each track comprising conductive segments and non-conductive segments, and wherein the cylindrical member is supported in the housing such that each track is engaged by a respective one of the plurality of contacts.

Pen type drug delivery devices have application where regular injection by persons without formal medical training occurs. This is increasingly common among patients having diabetes where self-treatment enables such patients to conduct effective management of their diabetes.
For good or perfect glycemic control, the dose of insulin or insulin glargine has to be adjusted for each individual in accordance with a blood glucose level to be achieved. The present invention relates to injectors, for example hand-held injectors, especially pen-type injectors, that is to injectors of the kind that provide for administration by injection of medicinal products from a multidose cartridge. In particular, the present invention relates to such injectors where a user may set the dose.
A user undertaking self-administration of insulin will commonly need to administer between 1 and 80 International Units.
In medication management, compliance i.e. the degree to which a patient follows medical instructions and protocols, is often of extreme importance. In relation to injection of medicaments, one key aspect of determining the compliance is determination of the actual dose of the medication injected. Another key aspect is determination of the set dose. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide medication delivery devices and/or systems with dose quantity identification systems.
Systems known in the art comprise a detector for providing a signal indicative of an amount of an ejected dose of a drug such that the user may keep a log of the injection history. This kind of system provides information about the actual dispensed dose. However, there is no information available to indicate that the ejected dose is equal to the intended dose. A second sensor would be required to implement this feature.
Other systems known in the art comprise a doseable quantity identifier comprising a rotational matrix and a sensor, wherein a controller circuit interprets the sensed data to determine a quantity of medicine to be delivered. The rotational matrix is often implemented to rotate during dose setting and injection. E.g., the matrix is arranged circumferentially on a sleeve providing absolute positional encoding for one revolution/rotation only. To distinguish between dialing a dose and injection, the processor uses input form an additional separate switch. The switch may be mechanically coupled to a dose button, such that pressing the dose button closes the switch, e.g. via slider, or a barrel having a ramped region. However, implementation is rather complex requiring a dose quantity identifier and a switch arrangement. Both features need to be implemented reliable and resistant against malfunction as well as manufacturing tolerances.


Disclosed is a PWM driver in which, when no signal is input, a PWM pulse wave is not output so as to thereby reduce a power to be consumed and a high output level can be obtained even by the use of a single-polarity power source. Also, provided is a PWM driver capable of changing an output amplitude by a simple circuit. For this purpose, a PWM driving apparatus for supplying a power proportional to an input signal to a load by outputting a PWM pulse wave whose duty cycle is changed in proportion to the input signal, comprises: a PWM modulator for outputting a first PWM pulse having a pulse width proportional to an absolute value of the input signal in a predetermined cycle; an inverting amplifier for outputting a second PWM pulse having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the first PWM pulse; switch means for outputting the first PWM pulse or the second PWM pulse in response to the polarity of the input signal; and an amplifier for outputting the PWM pulse wave in response to an output pulse of the switch means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) driver for driving a speaker, a ringer or the like for use in a portable device such as a portable telephone driven by a battery.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
In a conventional PWM driver, when a power source has a positive polarity alone (the power source having a single polarity), since a circuit is operated even when no signal is input, a power is wasted. That is, a PWM pulse wave of a duty cycle of 50% or more is output when the input signal has the positive polarity, while the PWM pulse wave of the duty cycle of 50% or less is output when the input signal has a negative polarity, and the PWM pulse wave of the duty cycle of 50% is output when no signal is input.
Furthermore, since an output signal of such a PWM driver is subject to DC offset, a capacitor for cutting off a direct-current component is required to drive a speaker or the like.
Therefore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 56-156019 proposes a PWM driver wherein the positive-polarity PWM pulse wave is output in response to the positive-polarity input signal, the negative-polarity PWM pulse wave is output in response to the negative-polarity input signal and for setting the PWM pulse wave is set to 0 at the time of no input signal.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 59-37731 proposes the PWM driver comprising two counters for generating the PWM pulse from PCM data in response to the positive polarity and the negative polarity, wherein each counter outputs the PWM pulse proportional to an absolute value of the input signal, whereby it is not necessary to input a code bit to the counters, so that a clock frequency is reduced in rate.
However, the PWM driver described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 56-156019 of the above-described conventional PWM driver faces such problem that, since this apparatus needs the power source of both of the positive and negative polarities, it cannot be used for a portable device which generally uses the single-polarity power source and reduces a voltage.
On the other hand, since the PWM driver described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 59-37731 needs two counters for outputting the PWM pulse, it is difficult to employ this apparatus for the portable device which is advanced in miniaturization and in reduction of the power to be consumed.
Moreover, as described above, since the portable device generally uses the single-polarity power source and reduces the voltage, when the speaker or the like is driven by the single-polarity power source, it is difficult to obtain a high output level.
In addition, for example, in case the PWM pulse wave is obtained from 2's complement PCM data, if an attempt is made to change the output level by a volume or the like, since it is necessary to perform a digital processing by a multiplier, an adder or the like, a problem is caused in which the circuit is complicated.


A fenestrated implantable medical device, such as a stent graft (10) is provided with a plurality of zigzag stents (12) of which two or more form fenestrations (34, 36) using part of the stents (12) as a support frame (30, 32) for the fenestrations (34, 36). The frames (30, 32) are preferably covered by radiopaque wire (44) coiled around the stent structures. The radiopaque coil (44) provides easy reference to the fenestrations (30, 32) for imaging purposes.

Implantable medical devices having one or more fenestrations are well known in the art. For instance, fenestrated stent grafts are known for placement across the iliac arteries, by the aortic arch arteries and so on. The fenestrations may simply provide openings for side passage of blood passing through the main lumen of the stent graft, but are also known as couplings for side branches to the medical device.
A fenestrated medical device must be positioned accurately, not only in a longitudinal position in the vessel but also in the correct rotational position so that the or each fenestration is correctly aligned with its associated branch vessel or other feature. As such medical devices are more conveniently deployed endoluminally, it is necessary to be able to visualise the device through imaging during the deployment procedure. As the principal components of the device, typically stents and graft material, are not particularly visible under such imaging, it is common to provide on such devices radiopaque markers such as gold tabs or the like. Traditionally, such markers have been attached to the graft material, for instance by suturing.
It is also known to provide fenestrations with strengthening rings around the apertures in the graft material, such strengthening rings for instance being in the form of one of more turns of wire. A radiopaque marker may be provided on the strengthening ring.
Examples of prior art devices can be found, for example, in US-2011/0190868, WO-2010/030370, WO-95/21592, U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,743, US-2009/0157164, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,524,335 and 5,824,042.
Known structures of fenestrated medical devices involve the provision of a multitude of components which require relatively involved assembly procedures.

Implantable medical device with fenestration and radiopaque marker coils on stents


An image processing apparatus comprises a read unit for reading a data file stored in a storage medium which is removably loaded into an apparatus body, a determining unit for determining a file type of the data file read out of the storage medium, and a processing control unit for executing predetermined processing corresponding to the determined file type. When a data file to be processed is selected from the storage medium, a file type of the selected data file is determined and the predetermined processing corresponding to the determined file type is executed. Just by selecting the data file stored in the storage medium or the file type, the data file is automatically processed in the operation mode or the print mode corresponding to the file type. Operability in processing data files is improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for reading data stored in a storage medium, such as a memory card, and executing predetermined processing of the read data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, rapidly expanding use of digital equipment, such as a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated to a "PC"), a digital still camera (DSC), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistance), and a cell phone, has quickly increased a demand for storage media for storing image data, such as a memory card. Also, with increased variety and network adaptability of the digital equipment having data input/output terminals, various types of data files including JPEG, text, TIFF and WAVE, are handled using storage media.
Under such background, a printer, a composite machine, etc. having the read/write-enable function with respect to a storage medium, such as a memory card, has been developed so that print, FAX transmission, LCD display, and voice output can be directly made from the storage medium with no aid of PC.
One known composite machine having that function comprises a data reading unit for reading a plurality of original image data from a removable image storage medium which stores the plurality of original image data, an image synthesizing unit for synthesizing an image per color component from the read original image data, and an image forming unit for forming, on a recording material, the images of respective color components synthesized by the image synthesizing unit in a plane-sequential manner, the image synthesizing unit employing the image storage medium as a work memory (see, e.g., Patent Reference 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-331757).
In the composite machine having various functions including print, however, a liquid crystal display (LCD) has a smaller display area and the number of keys is smaller as compared with PC. Therefore, key-in operation is complex and operability is poor when trying to read various types of data files stored in the storage medium and to display the processing procedure adapted for the type of the read data file.


A slot-in type disk apparatus includes: (1) a base body, (2) a traverse base provided on the base body, (3) a spindle motor held by the traverse base and rotating a disk, (4) a loading motor provided on the base body, (5) a traverse cam member for displacing a location of the traverse base with respect to the base body, and (6) a spindle cam member for displacing a location of the spindle motor with respect to the traverse base. The spindle motor is biased toward the traverse base by a resilient member. The disk is loaded on the disk apparatus and moved to a recording/replaying position, as a result of moving the traverse cam member and the spindle cam member correlatively in the horizontal direction by driving the loading motor and moving the traverse base and the spindle motor upward and downward.

A loading method is widely employed in conventional disk apparatuses. In this method, a disk is placed on a tray or a turntable, and the tray or the turntable is loaded into an apparatus body. According to such a loading method, however, since the tray or the turntable is required, there is a limit for thinning the disk apparatus body. Hence, recently, there exists a so-called slot-in type disk apparatus in which a disk is directly operated using a lever or the like by a loading motor (e.g., patent document 1).
[Patent document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-352498

Disk apparatus having traverse and spindle cam members and method of operating same


A method of data-aided timing recovery for Ethernet systems is disclosed. A first device negotiates a pseudorandom number sequence with a second device and receives a data signal from the second device. The first device samples the received data signal to recover a first training sequence. The first device also generates a second training sequence based on the pseudorandom number sequence. The second training sequence is then synchronized with the first training sequence. The synchronized second training sequence is used to align a receive clock signal of the first device with the data signal received from the second device.

Timing recovery is an important function of many Ethernet systems. Because data is typically transmitted from one device to another in an asynchronous manner (i.e., without an accompanying clock signal), the receiving (RX) device generates an internal clock signal that is both frequency-aligned and phase-aligned with the received data signal. For example, if data is transmitted by a transmitting (TX) device using a 100 MHz clock signal, the RX device would ideally use a local 100 MHz clock to sample the received data signal. However, the RX device may have to adjust the frequency of the local clock signal to correct for drift in its oscillators and/or transmission paths. Further, the phase of the local clock signal may be adjusted so that it is aligned with the received data signal such that the RX device samples each data symbol at its peak (e.g., to reduce the effects of intersymbol interference).
Higher-frequency data rates correlate with shorter symbol (peak) durations, thus providing a smaller window within which a RX device can accurately sample a received data signal. Intersymbol interference (ISI) is also more pronounced at higher frequencies. Accordingly, as data rates increase, so too does the need for precise and accurate timing recovery circuitry.

Method and apparatus for data aided timing recovery in 10GBASE-T system


An endoscopic instrument includes: a knife; a wire having a distal end connected to the knife; a sheath around the wire; a main body having the freely rotative sheath fixed thereto; a slider fixed to the wire, slidable in an axial direction of the main body; a stopper projecting radially from the wire; a first-distal-regulation section in the sheath for regulating distal sliding movement of the wire by making contact with the stopper; and a second-distal-regulation section, provided distal to the first-distal-regulation section, for regulating sliding movement of the wire by making contact with the stopper, wherein the stopper is capable of moving between the first-distal-regulation section and the second-distal-regulation section by rotating the main body relative to the sheath around an axial line by predetermined angle, and at least two different projection lengths can be maintained by contacting the main body to the first-distal-regulation section or the second-distal-regulation section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscopic instrument inserted into an operation channel of an endoscopic apparatus.
The present application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-122524 filed May 7, 2007, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Background Art
Conventionally known instruments, e.g., needle knives for endoscopic insertion use into body cavity incise mucosa etc. using high-frequency electric current (see Japanese Unexamined Utility Model (Registration) Application Publication No. S61-191012, hereinafter called Patent Document 1). Instruments of this type have an incising section, e.g., an interventional needle knife on a distal end of a wire inserted into an insulative sheath inserted through all endoscope channel. The incising section is capable of freely projecting or retracting relative to the distal end of the sheath by maneuvering a maneuvering member having a proximal end of the wire attached thereon.
Projection length, which is generally short, of the incising section of the aforementioned instrument cannot be adjusted easily. Also, in many cases, the maneuvering amount of the maneuvering member does not correspond to the projecting/retracting amount of a distal end member equally since the endoscope inserted into a body cavity makes complex curves. This enables only two-step adjustment of the incising section, i.e., full projection state and full retracted state into a sheath under present circumstances.
An endoscopic incision instrument proposed for solving the problem has an engagement section having a greater diameter than an inner diameter of a sheath disposed on an electrode or a maneuvering section located in the sheath. This enables fine adjustment of the projection length by means of preload applied when extending or retracting the incising section (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2004-544, hereinafter called Patent Document 2).
However, adjusting the projection length of the incising section by the incision instrument proposed in Patent Document 2 necessitates observing an image of the distal end picked up by the endoscope distally slantwise. The above method is difficult to reliably obtain desirable projection length since generally the projection length is subject to small pitch, e.g., 0.5 mm etc.
The present invention was conceived in consideration of the aforementioned circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an endoscopic instrument that can easily and reliably adjust and maintain two or more stepwise projection length of the incising section relative to a sheath.

Endoscopic instrument with stepwise adjustment of projection length


Method and apparatus (2) of a vehicle for alerting a driver of a vehicle when the vehicle deviates from a predefined driving area in a lane. The apparatus includes an image display unit (6) and a control unit (5) connected to each other to enable the apparatus to provide a visual warning via the image display unit when the vehicle is outside the predefined driving area and where the visual warning is displayed in the form of a solid or broken line on the side of the image display unit (6) that corresponds to the side of the vehicle where the deviation occurs.

Many modern vehicles are equipped with some form of information display located either among the vehicle's instruments or in the vehicle's dashboard. A large quantity of information can be displayed, for example information about the operating condition of the vehicle, telephone numbers and navigation aids. It can happen that the driver is distracted by the information on the display and as a result looses concentration on the road. There are, in addition, several other devices in the modern vehicle that distract the driver, for example telephone and audio equipment. This can lead to the vehicle coming close to or crossing over one of the road's lane lines, for example, the centerlines and side lines of the road.
Even if the vehicle's deviation is small, this can disturb the drivers of other vehicles in the surrounding area. In the event of large deviations and/or deviations of longer duration, there is a risk that there may be an accident with serious consequences if, for example, the driver has fallen asleep.
There are known systems that alert the driver when he or she approaches or crosses over a lane line. Some systems also indicate in which direction the deviation occurs.
The use of one or more lamps to alert the driver is already known. Such a system shows warning lights from the side toward which the deviation occurs. If the deviation is large, several lamps can light or the intensity of the light can be increased. There are also systems where a lamp flashes and where the flashing frequency increases when the deviation increases.
JP 11126300 describes a method in which the system alerts the driver via a loudspeaker. The system alerts the driver by means of an audible signal from the side toward which the deviation occurs. For example, a warning sound is emitted from the right loudspeaker if the vehicle is too far toward the right. The intensity of the sound increases as the deviation increases. In addition, an image of a vehicle is shown on a display, with the color of the vehicle changing depending upon the size of the deviation.
EP 1235052 and JP 2001341599 describe systems that alert the driver by means of vibration at the driver's seat when the vehicle unintentionally changes lane.
These methods can work in most cases, but they have certain disadvantages.
One disadvantage is that lamps and audible signals must be modified to suit the surroundings. For example, a quiet audible warning system is not noticed if the driver is playing loud music or if the traffic noise is loud, while at the same time an audible warning signal must not be so loud that the driver is disturbed if it is quiet in the cab. The same applies for lamps that must be easily visible even if the driver views them against the light, while at the same time the lamps must not disturb the driver, for example when he is driving at night.
When the warning signals are given by means of lamps, it is also necessary to have an extra installation with lamps and cabling which is unnecessarily expensive.
Another disadvantage is that it is difficult to provide information about the size of the deviation, by means of lamps, audible signals or vibrations, that is easy to understand. As flashing frequency, light brightness, sound level, sound frequency and the like are relative concepts, it is difficult for a driver to interpret the size of the deviation. In many cases, the driver only perceives that the deviation is small or large.
Another disadvantage with certain known systems is that the warning signal is not simple and clear, and as a result, there can be a danger that the driver will miss the warning.

Apparatus and method for altering a driver when a vehicle departs from a predefined driving area in a lane


A liquid crystal display apparatus including a glass substrate having a liquid display part formed thereon and a plurality of flexible boards connected to a periphery of the glass substrate. The apparatus also includes a liquid crystal drive IC mounted on each of the flexible boards so as to generate liquid crystal drive signals based on input signals. Additionally, the glass substrate has first internal lines and second internal lines. The first internal lines supply the input signals supplied from a first one of the flexible boards to a second one of the flexible boards, and the second internal lines return the input signals supplied from the first one of the flexible boards back to the first one of the flexible boards without any change.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a liquid crystal display device and, more particularly, to a technique to connect a circuit board to a liquid crystal panel of a liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional liquid crystal display device comprises a liquid crystal panel and a plurality of drive integrated-circuits (drive ICs) for driving the liquid crystal panel. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional liquid crystal display device.
The liquid crystal display device shown in FIG. 1 comprises a liquid crystal panel 2, a plurality of source-side drive ICs 4-1 and a plurality of gate-side drive ICs 4-2. Liquid crystal display signals are supplied from an external circuit (not shown in the figure) to the source-side drive ICs 4-1 and the gate-side drive ICs 4-2 via an input board, circuit boards 8 and 10, a connection board 11 and flexible boards 12 and 14. The liquid crystal display signals are converted into drive signals by the source-side drive ICs 4-1 and the gate-side drive ICs 4-2, and the drive signals are supplied to the liquid crystal panel 2 via the source-side flexible boards 12 and the gate-side flexible boards 14.
Generally, a TCP is used for each of the source-side flexible boards 12 and the gate-side flexible boards 14. FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of the source-side flexible boards 12 and the gate-side flexible boards 14, viewed from a side of a circuit pattern formation surface. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one of the source-side flexible boards 12 and the gate-side flexible boards 14. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the flexible boards 12 and 14 has a copper foil 20 attached to a base film 16 via an adhesive 18. The copper foil 20 is formed in a predetermined pattern. The base film 16 has an opening 16a at a position to mount the source-side drive IC 4-1 or the gate-side drive IC 4-2. A seal resin 22 is filled in the opening 16a.
As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible boards 12 and 14 are provided with input signal lines 12a and 14a and output signal lines 12b and 14b, respectively. The input signal lines 12a and 14a supply input signals to the drive ICs 4-1 and 4-2, respectively, and the output signal lines 12b and 14b supply output signals of the drive ICs 4-1 and 4-2 to the liquid crystal panel 2.
In the connection method of the signal lines shown in FIG. 1, signal-line connection is required at two positions, one of which is the connection between the liquid crystal panel 2 and each of the flexible boards 12 and 14 and the other is the connection between the flexible boards 12 and 14 and the respective circuit boards 8 and 10. The circuit boards 8 and 10 are provided for merely supplying the input signals to each drive IC. Thus, if the circuit boards 8 and 10 are eliminated from the liquid crystal display device, a manufacturing cost of the circuit boards 8 and 10 is eliminated and also a process for connecting the circuit boards 8 and 10 is eliminated.
Thus, there is suggested a method of eliminating the gate-side circuit board 10 by providing input wiring terminals (or through terminals) on the gate-side drive IC 4-2 as shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, the gate-side drive IC 4-2 shown in FIG. 4 is provided with the input wiring terminals from which the input signals are output without any change. In FIG. 4, terminals A, B, C, D and E are input terminals, and terminals A′, B′, C′ and D′ are the input wiring terminals from which the input signals supplied to the input terminals are output without any change. By preparing a drive IC having the above-mentioned structure, the input signals (liquid crystal display signals) can be supplied to each drive IC 4-2 via the flexible board 14 and the liquid crystal panel 2. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the input signals can be supplied to the gate-side drive ICs 4-2 sequentially one after another by forming input signal lines 2a on the liquid crystal panel 2. Thereby, the gate-side circuit board 10 can be eliminated.
If the source side has a structure that is the same as that of the above-mentioned structure of the gate side, the source-side circuit board 8 can also be eliminated. However, the signal lines of the source side must be smaller than that of the signal lines of the gate side. Generally, when forming the input signal lines 2a on the liquid crystal panel 2, a conductive layer is formed on the liquid crystal panel 2 by a film deposition process or the like, and the conductive pattern is patterned so as to form signal lines. Accordingly, the thickness of the wiring pattern formed on the liquid crystal panel 2 cannot be as large as a thickness of signal lines formed on a flexible board which is formed by patterning a copper foil attached to a flexible base board. Thus, there is a problem in that it is difficult to form a signal line having a low wiring resistance. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5, the source-side circuit boards 8 remain unchanged, and only the gate-side circuit boards 10 are eliminated.
Additionally, since a generally used drive IC does not have the input wiring terminals shown in FIG. 4, the drive IC shown in FIG. 4 must be newly designed and manufactured. Thus, the development of such a new drive IC having input wiring terminals requires extensive time and cost.

Liquid crystal display device having a drive IC mounted on a flexible board directly connected to a liquid crystal panel


A memory system having heat spreaders with different arrangements of projections are provided. In some embodiments, the memory system comprises a substrate, a first semiconductor device attached to a first side of the substrate, a second semiconductor device attached to a second side of the substrate, a first heat spreader attached to the first semiconductor device, and a second heat spreader attached to the second semiconductor device. The first heat spreader has a plurality of first projections facing a first direction and positioned in a first arrangement, and the second heat spreader has a plurality of second projections facing a second direction and positioned in a second arrangement different than the first arrangement. In some embodiments, the first projections are aligned with a majority of the second projections in a first direction and are offset with a majority of the second projections in a second direction.

Memory packages or modules typically include multiple memory devices mounted on a substrate. Memory devices are widely used to store information related to various electronic devices such as computers, wireless communication devices, cameras, digital displays, and the like. Information is stored by programing different states of a memory cell. Various types of memory devices exist, including magnetic hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), and others.
Improving memory packages, generally, may include increasing memory cell density, increasing read/write speeds or otherwise reducing operational latency, increasing reliability, increasing data retention, reducing power consumption, reducing manufacturing costs, and reducing the size or footprint of the memory packages and/or components of the memory devices, among other metrics. A challenge associated with improving memory packages is that improvements often result in increased heat generation—e.g., as a result of increasing memory device density, increasing the speed or processing ability of the memory devices, etc. Without sufficient cooling, the additional heating can cause the memory devices to reach temperatures above their maximum operating temperatures (Tmax).

Heat spreaders for semiconductor devices, and associated systems and methods


An improved process is disclosed for the selective disproportionation and transalkylation of toluene. The process uses a zeolitic catalyst, preferably comprising a binder, containing a weak metal in a defined reduced state which is believed to provide Lewis acidity in the catalyst. The catalyst and process provide improved selectivity for the production of paraxylene.

This invention relates to an improved process for the conversion of aromatic hydrocarbons. More specifically, the invention concerns disproportionation and transalkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons to obtain xylenes.
The xylene isomers are produced in large volumes from petroleum as feedstocks for a variety of important industrial chemicals. The most important of the xylene isomers is paraxylene, the principal feedstock for polyester which continues to enjoy a high growth rate from large base demand. Orthoxylene is used to produce phthalic anhydride, which has high-volume but mature markets. Metaxylene is used in lesser but growing volumes for such products as plasticizers, azo dyes and wood preservers. Ethylbenzene generally is present in xylene mixtures and is occasionally recovered for styrene production, but usually is considered a less-desirable component of C.sub.8 aromatics.
Among the aromatic hydrocarbons, the overall importance of the xylenes rivals that of benzene as a feedstock for industrial chemicals. Neither the xylenes nor benzene are produced from petroleum by the reforming of naphtha in sufficient volume to meet demand, and conversion of other hydrocarbons is necessary to increase the yield of xylenes and benzene. Most commonly, toluene is dealkylated to produce benzene or disproportionated to yield benzene and C.sub.8 aromatics from which the individual xylene isomers are recovered. More recently, processes have been introduced to disproportionate toluene selectively to obtain higher-than-equilibrium yields of paraxylene.
A current objective of many aromatics complexes is to increase the yield of xylenes and to de-emphasize benzene production. Demand is growing faster for xylene derivatives than for benzene derivatives. Refinery modifications are being effected to reduce the benzene content of gasoline in industrialized countries, which will increase the supply of benzene available to meet demand. Benzene produced from disproportionation processes often is not sufficiently pure to be competitive in the market. A higher yield of xylenes at the expense of benzene thus is a favorable objective, and processes to transalkylate C.sub.9 aromatics along with toluene have been commercialized to obtain high xylene yields.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,543 (Haag et al.) teaches toluene disproportionation for the selective production of paraxylene using a zeolite having a silica/alumina ratio of at least 12 and a constraint index of 1 to 12, which zeolite has undergone controlled precoking. The zeolite may be ion-exchanged with a variety of elements from Group IB to VIII, and composited with a variety of clays and other porous matrix materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,437 (Chu) teaches transalkylation and disproportionation of alkylaromatics to yield predominantly the 1,4-alkylaromatic isomer using a zeolite which has been modified by treatment with a compound of a Group IIIB element. The catalyst optionally contains phosphorus, and it is contemplated that the Group IIIB metal is present in the oxidized state.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,055 (Chu) teaches toluene disproportionation using a zeolite, preferably ZSM-5, containing framework gallium, shown to be superior to non-framework gallium. Selective production of paraxylene is not disclosed in this reference.
The accepted mechanism for transalkylation and disproportionation is believed to be effected via a strong Bronsted acid such as is provided by a zeolitic aluminosilicate. A lower-energy path, however, would provide potential for greater selectivity and improved economics.


Arterial blood pressure of a subject is determined by detecting the EKG for the subject and selecting a fiducial point on the EKG during a pulse. Apparatus is provided for monitoring blood volume versus time at a selected location on the subject's body such as a fingertip. A time difference between the occurrence of the selected fiducial point on the EKG and a selected change in blood in volume at the selected body location is determined. This time difference depends on the arrival time of the pulse at the distal location in addition to the shape of the blood volume versus time curve. Heart rate is determined from the EKG. The arterial pressure is computed from pulse arrival time, volumetric wave shape and instantaneous heart rate for each pulse. It is preferred that the fiducial point on the EKG be an R-wave. A suitable method for determining change in blood volume utilizes photoplethysmography. Methods are disclosed for determining diastolic pressure, systolic and mean arterial pressure. In another aspect, artifact detection and rejection enabled. The invention provides for a continuous measure of blood pressure in a non-invasive, cuffless manner.

Several distinct arterial blood-pressure parameters yield medically useful information, among them pressure at systole, pressure at diastole, mean arterial pressure, pulse pressure, and continuous arterial pressure. The traditional ways of measuring these may be categorized as follows: sphygmomanometry (cuff measurement), automated sphygmomanometry, and indwelling arterial-line transduction (A-line).
The importance of continuous arterial blood pressure as a medical indicator has spurred the development of new methods of measuring it. These include external pressure transduction, photoplethysmography, and pulse-wave transit timing. To date these latter methods have been used mainly experimentally.
Sphygmomanometry, the most widely used traditional method, gives pressure at systole and pressure at diastole. The automated cuff uses a machine-actuated pump for cuff inflation, and algorithms and sensors to listen for initial and unrestricted arterial flow. However the cuff methods restrict blood flow during each measurement so they are unsuited to continuous use, and the determinations of blood pressure made by many automatic cuff systems fail to meet accuracy standards. The cuff also produces discomfort to the patient, which can influence blood pressure readings.
A-lines, which are used when continuous measurement is necessary, are reasonably accurate during periods free from signal artifact, from sources such as line-crimping, blood-clotting, and contact between the indwelling transducer and the arterial wall. However the transducer needs to be inserted surgically, and can cause thrombosis and infection. Because the method necessitates a surgical procedure, it is used sparingly, and frequently not recommended for use even when continuous pressure measurement would otherwise be desirable.
The experimental methods noted all attempt to circumvent the drawbacks of the A-line by measuring continuous blood pressure externally. Both direct external pressure sensing and indirect calculation methods have been devised.
The direct non-invasive methods use external pressure transduction. A pressure transducer is placed against an artery that lies just beneath the skin, such as the radial artery, and by pushing against the arterial wall senses pressure mechanically. However, because the transducer is sensing force, it is extremely subject to mechanical noise and motion artifact. Continuous measurement is problematical in that the transducer impedes blood flow. Difficulty also arises in keeping the transducer positioned properly over the artery. Thus, indirect-measurement methods have been considered.
Pulse-wave transit-time measurement is an indirect way of inferring arterial blood pressure from the velocity of the pulse wave produced at each heart cycle. however, though the velocity is related to blood pressure, the methods devised to date assume that the relationship is linear, and even if that were the case, it is probable that transit time by itself provides too little information about the pulse wave to permit the determination of blood pressure accurately. Another shortcoming of the method is that it is incapable of giving pressures at both systole and diastole, which many medical practitioners find useful.
Photoplethysmography, a technique of tracking arterial blood-volume and blood oxygen content, gives rise to the other indirect way of inferring blood pressure continuously. However, the methods based on it derive information from the volumetric data as though it were the same as blood pressure; that is, they assume that blood-pressure and blood-volume curves are similar--which is true sometimes but not in general. Furthermore, photoplethysmographic measurements are made at bodily extremities such as the earlobe or finger, and blood pressure observed at the body's periphery is not generally the same as from more central measurements.
Because the insertion of an A-line is frequently judged to be too invasive a procedure to undertake in order to determine blood pressure, and no practical non-surgical method of continuous measurement has yet supplanted it, the need for one remains.

Method and apparatus for non-invasive, cuffless continuous blood pressure determination


An inkjet recording device is provided with a first ejecting system that operates to eject at least one ink whose color has a maximum L* value among the plurality of inks onto one or a predetermined number of lines on the substrate at a time, a second ejecting system that operates to eject at least an ink whose color has a minimum L* value among the plurality of inks, the second ejecting system ejecting inks which are not ejected by the first ejecting system onto the same lines, onto which the first ejecting system has ejected the at least one ink whose color has the maximum L* value, at a time, and a controlling system that controls the first ejecting system and the second ejecting system such that the first ejecting system operates a predetermined period after the first ejecting system has operated.

The present invention relates to an inkjet recording system, and more particularly to an inkjet recording system in which scatter of ink at an image formation by an inkjet recording device is prevented.
The inkjet recording device is generally configured such that ink is introduced from an ink supplier to ink ejection channels of an inkjet head, and by selectively driving actuators such as heat generating elements or piezoelectric elements, ink is ejected from ejection nozzles provided at tips of the ejection channels. When a color image is formed, the image is divided into primary color components, for example, Cyan (C), Magenta (M) and Yellow (Y) components, and each color image is formed to overlap. By adjusting the thickness of the color components, a desired color is created. When a black image is formed, or when the color image includes a black component, black (K) ink is also used.
The ink ejected from the ejection nozzles may scatter when it reached a target medium, on which an image is formed. Then, the scattered ink drops on or between ink drops of other colors and pervades among the ink drops of other colors, which results in a blot of the ink. In this specification, such a condition (i.e., the blot of the ink on the target medium) is also referred to as a scatter. In order to prevent the scatter, various method has been suggested. For example, Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. HEI 09-58022 discloses a method for suppressing the scatter of the ink drops by controlling the speed of the ejected ink drops. Another example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 06-24009. According to the disclosure of this publication, the order of the color components is determined such that a color component image of a higher pixel density is formed prior to color component images having lower pixel densities. Further, Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. HEI 09-296380 discloses a method of printing, with ink containing a scatter preventing agent, outlines of each image and boundaries at areas having different colors.
According to the method described in the first and second publications above, ejection of the ink should be controlled precisely. According to the third method, it is necessary to prepare the ink containing the scatter preventing agent, which requires a pre-operation work and extra cost therefor.


Methods of making saxagliptin, pharmaceutically acceptable salts and hydrates thereof and intermediates thereof.

Saxagliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP) IV inhibitor useful in the treatment of diabetes. Saxagliptin is understood to slow the breakdown of incretin hormones, thereby increasing the levels of these hormones in the body, which in turn increases the production of insulin in response to meals and decreases the amount of glucose produced by the liver.

Process for preparing saxagliptin and its novel intermediates useful in the synthesis thereof


A new cultivar of Hibiscus, Hibiscus syriacus ‘Jodi,’ characterized by three color irregular variegation (Dark green, light green, and golden yellow); a large, pure white flower; a longer blooming duration; two additional seasons of ornamental qualities because of variegated leaves; and triploid (sterile) genetic character.

Hibiscus syriacus 'Jodi' is a new cultivar of the common Rose-of-Sharon. The plant will be useful as an improved ornamental Hibiscus. The plant has irregular variegation of yellow and green which provides enhanced spring and summer ornamental characteristics. The plant also has sterile, single, white flowers which in late summer provide a longer duration of flowering than other Hibiscus known to the inventor. Hibiscus syriacus 'Jodi' is hardy from Zone 5 to Zone 8. The plant can be used as a specimen, in borders, as a hedge, or as a small tree.
The origin of Hibiscus syriacus 'Jodi' is a spontaneous, naturally occurring genetic branch mutation from Hibiscus syriacus 'Diana'. The discovery was made at Smiths Gardens; a wholesale nursery located in Worthington, Ohio. The mutation has been propagated asexually by softwood cuttings and observed in numerous controlled environments to test for stability, hardiness, vigor, and disease and insect resistance. Clones or propagules of the claimed plant are identical to the original plant in all distinguishing characters, demonstrating that the claimed plant is stable.


In a video encoding control method of the present invention, each picture is encoded in units of encoding-order picture groups such as GOPs, and when CPB underflow has occurred, an encoding parameter such as a quantization parameter and filter strength of a pre-filter is changed in such a manner that a generated bit rate is reduced, and an encoding-order picture group that is being encoded is re-encoded from its first picture using the changed encoding parameter.

In encoding of a video signal, it is necessary to perform the encoding in such a manner that a decoder does not collapse. In an H.264 encoding scheme, a hypothetical decoder, HRD (Hypothetical Reference Decoder), obtained by modeling a decoder is defined. An H.264 encoder should perform encoding in such a manner that the hypothetical decoder does not collapse. The present invention is technology for suppressing collapse of a CPB of a hypothetical decoder, specifically, underflow of the CPB.
In FIG. 1, a conceptual diagram of the CPB underflow is illustrated. In the case of a constant bit rate, an encoded stream is input to the CPB at the bit rate, as indicated by an arrow A1. A data amount of the encoded stream in the CPB each time is referred to as a "residual bit rate." The hypothetical decoder pulls out the encoded stream corresponding to each picture from the CPB. In this case, the CPB residual bit rate is instantly reduced by a bit rate corresponding to the picture. An illustrative case of the constant bit rate is illustrated, but the same applies to a case of a variable bit rate.
The CPB underflow refers to a situation in which the encoded streams of the pictures are insufficient in the CPB when the hypothetical decoder attempts to pull out the encoded streams of the pictures in each time indicated by an arrow A2, as illustrated in FIG. 1. In H.264-based encoding, a state of the CPB should be verified while encoding is being performed to produce a stream not causing the CPB underflow. As described above, the CPB of the hypothetical decoder is standardized in H.264 and further details are described, for example, in the following Non-Patent Document 1.
Further, the same concept as the CPB is also defined in other encoding standards. For example, in MPEG-2, there is a VBV (video buffering verifier), and a buffer model of such a decoder is herein referred to as "a hypothetical buffer." In the following description, a "CPB" may be substituted with the term "hypothetical buffer" for interpretation in a broader sense.
Methods of encoding of a video signal include 1-pass encoding technology and multi-pass encoding technology. In the 1-pass encoding, generally, pictures of an input video are sequentially encoded. On the other hand, in the multi-pass encoding, an input video is encoded multiple times. In 2-pass encoding, second encoding is performed using a result of first encoding. Hereinafter, related art of the 1-pass encoding is referred to as "related art a" and related art of 2-pass encoding is referred to as "related art b."
<Related Art a>
In 1-pass encoding, since input pictures are sequentially encoded, the nature of a future picture after an encoding target picture is unknown. Accordingly, while there is an attempt to suppress the CPB underflow using 1-pass encoding, a generated bit rate is suppressed more than necessary and video quality is greatly degraded more than necessary. For example, in the technology of Patent Document 1, degree of complexity of a video obtained from a result of encoding in the past is used as an estimate of degree of complexity of other videos of a GOP before each picture is encoded. Under the premise of the estimate of the degree of complexity, a quantization parameter causing a maximum bit rate that can be used to encode the other videos of the GOP is estimated and used as a lower limit value of a quantization parameter during encoding of the encoding target picture. There is a problem in that the bit rate is suppressed more than necessary, causing degradation of video quality, when the other videos of the GOP are not complex in comparison with the estimated degree of complexity.
<Related Art b>
In 2-pass encoding, all pictures of an input video are encoded, and a bit rate of each picture generated at this time is used for second encoding. In this method, degree of complexity of each portion of the video can be recognized at the time of second encoding, unlike the case of the 1-pass encoding. Accordingly, the CPB underflow can be expected to be suppressed with degradation of video quality being suppressed. For example, in the technology of Patent Document 2, in first encoding, degree of complexity of each frame is obtained and an allocated bit rate of each frame is obtained. Also, it is verified if the CPB underflow occurs with the allocated bit rate. When the CPB underflow occurs, the allocated bit rate is modified. In other words, since the degree of complexity of each frame is recognized, the allocated bit rate can be modified only when the CPB underflow occurs. As a result, the CPB underflow can be suppressed while keeping video quality degradation smaller, as compared to related art a. However, in this method, there is a problem in that a calculation amount increases since all frames of an input video need be encoded twice.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Video encoding control method, video encoding apparatus and video encoding program

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


A low cost efficient method and system for treating animal waste and in particular pig and swine solid and liquid manure to allow removable of undesirable odors and return of sludge and liquid safely to the environment to eliminate or reduce pollution. The method and system include collecting the manure into a central tank and using a continuous process to compress the manure to separate liquid from the solid sludge and transferring the separated liquid to a separate holding tank. The dried out sludge is collected as a residual and can be safely returned to the environment. Calcium carbonate may be added to the residual sludge to reduce odor. A polymer may be added to the pressing stage of the sludge to enhance liquid sludge separation. The separated liquid is then treated with a pressure filter membrane to remove undesirable elements from the liquid after which is filtered and is returned safely to the environment either to a natural stream to a sewage system or for agricultural uses.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a process and system to treat domestic animal manure, such as pigs and swine, both liquid and solid, to enhance the environment so that the residual treated solid and liquid waste are free from odors, can be returned back to the environment, and can be used as productive elements of the environment and, specifically, to a process and system that treats pig and swine liquid and solid manure to eliminate odors, water contamination, and soil contamination, with the safe return of these byproducts back into the environment at low cost.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The creation of large farms for raising domestic animals at the commercial level in large numbers, such as cows, chickens, pigs, and swine, has created an increased concern environmentally over the animal waste products, typically liquid and solids, created by such large domestic production of animals. Typical environmental concerns which are each related but different in result include air contamination caused by the odors produced from the waste, ground water and stream contamination from runoffs at the waste site, and soil contamination, particularly for agricultural purposes, resulting from the large volume of waste. Therefore, organic animal waste sludges have become a tremendous environmental problem throughout the United States and throughout the world.
The prior art discloses processes for trying to solve the problem of sludge and the environment. U.S. Pat. No.: 4,193,206 issued Mar. 18, 1980 to Maffet discloses processes for drying sewage sludge and filtering water. As shown, wet sewage sludge is dried in either a thermal drying zone or a mechanical dewatering zone comprising a cylindrical chamber with a porous wall. A plasticizer is added to the dry sludge. Overall, the system is rather complicated and has several additional processes when compared with applicant's invention. U.S. Pat. No.: 4,270,279 issued Jun. 2, 1981 to Roediger discloses a method for drying, and sterilizing sewage sludge. Basically the sludge is dried and broken into small pieces and covered with quicklime. U.S. Pat. No.: 4,295,972 issued Oct. 20, 1981 to Kamei discloses a method for treating water containing waste. The method includes adding calcium oxide for preliminary drying and granulating the mixture. U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,458 issued May 7, 1991 to Christy, Sr. et al. discloses a process and apparatus for pathogene reduction and waste. The method includes using hydration reaction by elevating the pH of the sludge for releasing heat. None of the methods disclosed in these patents shows the simple and efficient treatment of sludge as disclosed by applicant's method which includes economical steps of dewatering the sludge and water filtration using membranes.
Thus, when looking at agricultural waste, the increasing production of the waste, such as pig and swine production and their waste products, presents a large problem for both farming soils and the natural environment, which includes streams, water tables, and soils.
Although this specific invention is directed toward pig and swine liquid and solid manure waste products for the treatment of odor, and liquid and solid waste contamination, the invention may have other applications for the treatment of agricultural, industrial, and municipal sludges also.
The overall invention, both the method and system, deals with two major phases. Phase one involves the separation of liquids from the sludge or animal waste product, be it pig manure or swine manure, to get the driest sludge available, while separating the water for further treatment. This greatly reduces the volume of the sludge from the first phase once a good portion of the liquid has been removed.
The second phase involves the treatment of water and liquid removed from the pig and swine waste sludge. This water is treated by a pressure-driven membrane separation technology so that it is clean enough environmentally to return to the natural water supply. One of the important features of the invention is that it limits the use of additional chemicals that have been traditionally used to treat sludge to further prevent environmental harm. Thus, the invention does not use chemicals, such as chlorine, to accomplish the results.

Process and system for treatment of pig and swine manure for environmental enhancement


A scanning exposure apparatus for illuminating an area on a mask has a power supply system for supplying an exposure light source with an electric power regulated to a predetermined state; an illumination intensity varying system provided between the exposure light source and the substrate and adapted to regulate the attenuation rate of the illuminating light; an exposure amount measuring sensor for measuring the exposure energy of the illuminating light emitted from the exposure light source; and a control system for switching a constant power mode for supplying the exposure light source with a predetermined constant electric power through the power supply system, and a constant illumination intensity mode for controlling the function of the power supply system and the illumination intensity varying system in such a manner that the exposure energy measured by the exposure amount measuring sensor is maintained at a predetermined target value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus adapted for use in photolithographic manufacture of semiconductor devices or liquid crystal display devices, and more particularly to a scanning exposure apparatus of so-called slit scan method or step-and-scan method in which a mask and a photosensitive substrate are scanned in synchronization with respect to a rectangular or arc-shaped illumination area, whereby patterns on the mask are exposed in succession onto said substrate.
2. Related Background Art
The exposure apparatus conventionally used in the manufacture of the semiconductor devices or the like is principally a projection exposure apparatus of collective exposure method (called stepper) in which the patterns of a reticle (or a photomask) are exposed, by the step-and-repeat method, through a projection optical system to each shot area on a wafer (or a glass plate) coated with photoresist. In such projection exposure apparatus, there is provided an illumination intensity control mechanism for maintaining the exposure amount to each shot area on the wafer within an appropriate range.
FIG. 12 shows a stepper or a projection exposure apparatus provided with a conventional illumination intensity control mechanism. Illuminating light from a mercury lamp 1 is condensed by an elliptical mirror 2, then transmitted by a condensing optical system 3a and a condensing filter system 3 consisting of an optical filter 3b for selecting a desired wavelength region (for example i-line) and reaches a shutter 4, which is opened and closed by a shutter control mechanism 5 based on instructions from a timer control system 6. When the shutter 4 is open, the illuminating light is converted into a substantially parallel light by an input lens 7 and enters a fly's eye lens 8.
On the exit plane of the fly's eye lens 8 there are formed a plurality of images of the light source, whereby the illumination intensity distribution of the illuminating light is made uniform on a reticle 19. Close to said exit plane there is provided a turret plate 22 having plural illuminating diaphragm apertures, and the illuminating light passing one of said illuminating diaphragm apertures enters a mirror 9 of a reflectance of ca. 98%. The illuminating light reflected by the mirror 9 is transmitted by a first relay lens 13 and is limited to a predetermined illumination area on an illuminating blind (variable field diaphragm) 14 controlled by a blind drive system 15, and the illuminating light passing said illuminating blind 14 is relayed by a second relay lens 16, a mirror 17 and a condenser lens 18 and illuminates the illumination area on the reticle 19 with a uniform illumination intensity distribution. Based on said illuminating light, the pattern of the reticle 19 is projected, through a projection optical system 20, with a size reduction for example to 1/5, onto each shot area on a wafer 21.
Leaking light transmitted by the mirror 9 of the reflectance of ca. 98% is transmitted by a condenser lens 10 and enters an integrating sensor 11 consisting of a photoelectric detector, of which output signal is supplied to an illumination intensity calculating system 12. The integrating sensor 11 is so positioned as to be conjugate with the pattern bearing face of the reticle 19, and there is memorized, in advance, a conversion coefficient between the exposure energy at the wafer 21 and the illumination intensity on the integrating sensor 11. Thus the exposure energy per unit time on the wafer 21 can be obtained by multiplying said conversion coefficient in the illumination intensity calculating system 12. The information of said exposure energy per unit time is supplied to a main control system 25, which provides the timer control system 6 with an exposure time obtained by dividing the appropriate exposure amount on the wafer 21 with said exposure energy per unit time. In response the timer control system 6 opens the shutter 4 for said exposure time, whereby the integrated exposure amount on the wafer 21 is controlled to an appropriate amount.
Also for improving the resolution and the depth of focus for periodic pattern of a small pitch, there have recently been proposed a modified light source method of constructing the illuminating diaphragm with plural apertures deviated from the optical axis (cf. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 4-225358) and an annular illuminating method of employing an annular illuminating diaphragm aperture. Therefore, in the configuration shown in FIG. 12, the turret plate 22 includes apertures for such modified light source method and for the annular illumination method. The main control system 25 sends the information on the pattern to be exposed to an illuminating diaphragm aperture control system 24, which in response rotates the turret plate 22 by a motor 23, thereby setting a required diaphragm aperture at the exit plane of the fly's eye lens 8.
However, such change in the shape of the illuminating diaphragm aperture results in a variation in the illumination intensity on the wafer 21, because of the change in the number and distribution of the light source images in the illuminating diaphragm aperture. In spite of such variation in the illumination intensity, an appropriate exposure amount is obtained in each shot area on the wafer, by monitoring the output signal of the integrating sensor 11, having the light-receiving face conjugate with the exposed surface of the wafer 21, and regulating the open time of the shutter 4 according to said output signal.
In such collective exposure method, the unevenness in the illumination intensity in the irradiated plane is suppressed for example by an optical integrator (fly's eye lens 8). Also as the shutter 4 is controlled indirectly by monitoring the integrated exposure amount on the wafer 21, the stability of the illumination intensity in time in each shot area on the wafer 21 has not been a problem. Furthermore, even if the illuminating condition is varied, for example by the modified light source method, between the integrating sensor 11 and the illuminating light source (mercury lamp 1), there merely appears a variation in the time required for the integrated exposure amount to reach the target value, and there has not been encountered any drawback.
Such conventional technology is based on the use of an illumination intensity control mechanism in an exposure apparatus of the collective exposure system in which the exposure of each shot area on the wafer is achieved by a single open/closing operation of the shutter while the reticle and the wafer remain still with respect to the projection optical system. Such collective exposure system has not been associated with any particular drawback as regards the illumination intensity control.
On the other hand, each chip pattern of the semiconductor devices has recently become larger, and the projection exposure apparatus is required to efficiently project the pattern of a larger area onto the wafer. For attaining such larger area, it is particularly necessary to maintain the distortion within a predetermined amount over the entire area. For reducing the distortion and expanding the projection area, attention is being attracted to the scanning exposure apparatus of so-called step-and-scan system or slit scan system, in which, after each shot area on the wafer is stepped to a scan start position, the reticle and the photosensitive substrate are moved in a synchronized scanning motion with respect to a rectangular, arc-shaped or plural-trapezoidal illumination area (hereinafter called "slit-shaped illumination area") whereby the pattern of the reticle is transferred in succession to the shot areas.
The conventional technology, if applied to such scanning exposure apparatus, will result in various drawbacks. Firstly, in the scanning exposure, as each shot area of the wafer is moved in a scanning motion with respect to a slit-shaped exposure field shorter than the length of said shot area, the control of the integrated exposure amount in each shot area is achieved by maintaining the integrated exposure amount, within said slit-shaped exposure field, constant on all the points on the wafer. If the integrated exposure amount varies from point to point on the wafer, the integrated exposure amount will become uneven within each shot area, resulting in an error similar to the unevenness in the illumination intensity in the irradiated plane in the exposure apparatus of the collective exposure system.
In the collective exposure system, the control of the integrated exposure amount is achieved by the shutter 4, but, in the scanning exposure system said control is achieved by moving the reticle and the wafer in a scanning motion with a predetermined constant speed, instead of the open/closing operation of the shutter. For this reason, it is difficult to attain fine adjustment of the integrated exposure amount by time. Consequently in the scanning exposure system, it is necessary to control the illumination intensity so as to continuously maintain the stability of the illumination intensity in time, during the exposure of each shot area. In the collective exposure system, there is already known a constant illumination intensity control method for constantly monitoring the illumination intensity of the illuminating light and effecting feedback of the obtained result to the power source of the illuminating light source thereby controlling the electric power supplied from said power source to the illuminating light source, but such method is not applicable directly to the scanning exposure apparatus.


An improved sole contour for a wedge golf club head is provided comprised of one or more V-shaped cuts (16) into the sole of said club head creating multiple bounce sole contours (26) for sand play, while eliminating the dangerously raised leading edge (28) that limits the utility for play of conventional sand wedge golf clubs. Said V-shaped cuts (16) are made substantially parallel to the grooves of the club face (12), and the more forward surface (24) created by any V-shaped cut (16) is substantially parallel to the impact surface (12) of the club head, while the rearward surface (26) is employed to provide whatever bounce surfaces (14), shapes, and angles (b) that are desired for play.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to golf clubs, specifically an improved sole contour for wedge golf clubs providing improved utility for all short game play in the game of golf.
2. Prior Art
Gene Sarazen invented the bounce sole contour for the modern sand wedge club in the early 1930's—specifically for sand play (See FIG. 1). That same sole contour remains the standard for wedge clubs 70 years later following the turn of the millennium. The great problem with the Sarazen bounce sole contour is that it was designed exclusively for sand play—whereas, the modern game of golf has evolved into a far more demanding game with regard to short game shot-making situations. Golf equipment in general has changed greatly, and the golf courses where the modern game is played are more difficult—wedge clubs now need greater versatility.
The singular purpose for Sarazen's widely copied bounce sole contour for sand wedges is for playing sand bunker explosion shots—certainly less than 20% of all short game play. For ALL other short game situations (the great majority the modern golf player encounters) this bounce sole contour is problematic.
This same Sarazen-inspired bounce sole that is so helpful for sand shots creates a dangerously raised leading edge for the bottom of the club face (approximately 6 mm.) above the playing surface. This raised leading edge increases the difficulty associated with playing all other short game shots (besides bunker explosion shots), increases the skill and precision required for executing these shots, and greatly increases the risk of a poor outcome with a less than perfect shot attempt. This also creates limitations with regard to weight distribution in a sand wedge club head design.
This raised leading edge problem for sand wedges has not been ignored by the better golf equipment designers over the years. Attempts at lowering the leading edge for improved short game play have been many and varied. Some designers have tried adding a convex or cambered shape modification (extending face to back) to a basic Sarazen bounce sole. This had the effect of lowering the leading edge, but this also reduced the effective bounce angle for the rearward portion of the bounce sole. Other designers have simply reduced the width of the bounce sole to lower the leading edge—also compromising the sand play effectiveness of that golf club. Many of these designs are present in the current state of the art.
There have also been several reduced bounce angle cambered wide sole club head designs to appear in golf during the last 20 years—specifically intended to help the golfer that lacks the skill or knowledge of technique required to play bunker explosion shots. Reduced bounce angle cambered wide sole designs (FIG. 3) play acceptably from bunkers for explosion shots and play square-faced shots well enough, but they lack the essential versatility of opening the club face to add loft when needed to increase trajectory or ball spin rates. Opening the club face on these wide sole club designs will raise the leading edge to heights completely unplayable, thereby limiting these designs greatly in their versatility—the versatility needed by players of all skill levels for the broader range of shot-making situations encountered in the modern game of golf.
Koehler's dual bounce sole (U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,944 issued April 1994) lowered the leading edge with his two distinctly different bounce surfaces, but the bounce angle for his larger rearward surface was at the same time significantly decreased (see FIG. 4)—thereby reducing the playing effectiveness of this design for bunker explosion shots—Koehler just compromised the golf club's playing effectiveness for bunker explosions to obtain the needed utility of a lowered leading edge.
Braly's concave sole design (U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,631 issued May 1974) was another lowered leading edge improvement for a sand wedge. In this design, the inventor introduced an area of concavity to the sole of the golf club for providing bounce when needed for bunker play (see FIG. 5). The great problem with the Braly sole was two-fold. First, this sole design produced an excessively wide sole and thick club head, which was completely unplayable for open-faced playing situations. Secondly, with the effective bounce contour being derived from the concavity extending from the forward part of the sole toward the rear, the effective bounce angle was constantly changing. This design concavity provided an ineffective negative bounce angle in its most forward areas and gradually transitioned through a point of zero bounce to an area of maximum bounce angle at the most rearward edge—but it still provided only a minimal bounce angle even at that most rearward point. The effectiveness of this design for sand play was found in the increased surface area of the bounce surface provided instead of the steepness (or correctness) of the bounce angles.
Both Koehler and Braly offered the lowered leading edge improvement that was needed, but they compromised either bounce effectiveness for utility (Koehler), or they compromised utility for bounce effectiveness (Braly)—neither provided both.
Still other bounce sole designs from the prior art lacked the essential understanding that bunker explosion shots only comprised a small portion of the total demands of the short game, and they did little to lower the leading edge—unless they too reduced the bounce angles.

Corrugated sole for a utility wedge golf club


This invention relates to galactosylceramide compounds.

Peptide antigen presentation via major histacompatability complexes has long been recognized as a central element in adaptive immune responses. Recently, a parallel pathway that can elicit potent immune responses has begun to be elucidated. This pathway involves the presentation of glycolipids by CD1 proteins and is believed to be responsible for a portion of the innate immunity of mammals to bacteria The CD1 locus of mammals includes five distinct isotypes, CD1a, CD1b, CD1c, CD1d, and CD1e. These nonpolymorphic, membrane-bound proteins are characterized by their ability to present classes of glycolipids to T cells. The CD1d member of the gene family has been characterized by its ability to bind and present α-galactosylceramides to natural killer T cells (NKT cells).
Complex formation between glycolipid-loaded CD1d proteins and T cell receptors can subsequently lead to the stimulation of T cells. T cell stimulation initiates, inter alia, the cellular production of certain key immunoresponsive biochemicals.


In an image reading apparatus, in a case where the processor determines that the original image to be obtained represents a book document, the processor determines whether a value satisfies a prescribed condition. The value is based on a difference between a first density distribution of an image in a first partial region of the entire image and a second density distribution of an image in a second partial region of the entire image. The first partial region includes a part of a dark region. The dark region extends in an extending direction. The first partial region extends in a crossing direction crossing the extending direction. The second partial region includes another part of the dark region and extends in the crossing direction. In a case where the value satisfies the prescribed condition, the processor controls the reading device to interrupt reading the entire image.

Conventionally, images have been read from originals using a reading apparatus called a scanner. A book or other bound document can be opened and placed on the original platen of the scanner to read two pages worth of the original at once. Here, if the force with which the two pages of the original are pressed against the original platen is too weak, the center region of the two pages floats off the platen, producing a dark part in the scanned image along the center region. If the dark part overlaps text in the original image, the text may be illegible. Known technologies determine that a suitable amount of pressure is being applied to the original to press the original against the platen when the width of the dark part is less than a threshold value.

Image reading apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable medium for image reading apparatus, and method for controlling image reading apparatus


An image forming apparatus includes photoconductors. Electrifiers uniformly electrify surfaces of the photoconductors. A power source applies an electrifying voltage to the electrifiers. A current measurer measures alternating current caused to flow by application of AC voltage by the power source. A controller calculates discharge starting voltage. Environment detectors detect an environment inside of the apparatus. The controller operates the current measurer at each predetermined timing to acquire the discharge starting voltage. When acquiring the discharge starting voltage, the controller changes peak-to-peak voltage at pre-discharge voltage and at post-discharge voltage. The current measurer measures alternating current at measurement points of each of the pre-discharge and post-discharge voltages. The controller calculates a voltage value at an intersection of a first line and a second line. After acquiring the discharge starting voltage, the controller calculates environment-correction discharge starting voltage, and sets electrification voltage based on the calculated voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
2. Discussion of the Background
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus of electrophotography has included an electrifier to electrify the surface of each photoconductor. As this electrifier, there have been known contact electrifiers of, for example, a roller type and a blade type. Moreover, among such contact electrifiers, there have been known electrifiers to which an electrifying voltage having an alternating-current (AC) voltage superposed on a direct-current (DC) voltage is applied. It should be noted that in the following description, not only an electrifier in direct contact with a photoconductor but also an electrifier not in contact but closely adjacent will be referred to as a contact electrifier.
When the AC voltage is applied, a contact electrifier causes discharge between the electrifier and a photoconductor to appropriately electrify the surface of the photoconductor. Excessive discharge caused by the electrifier may damage the photoconductor. In view of this, the magnitude of AC component of the electrifying voltage applied to the electrifier is controlled to maintain an amount of discharge within a suitable range (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-201920 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-199094). Furthermore, image forming apparatuses recited in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-201920 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-199094 include environment sensors to detect environmental changes inside of the apparatuses such as temperature and humidity. In accordance with the environmental changes inside of the apparatuses detected by such environment sensors, AC component of the electrifying voltage applied to the electrifier is controlled.
The contents of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-201920 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-199094 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Recently, there has been a demand for increasing the thickness of a photosensitive layer to prolong the service life of a photoconductor. Therefore, as the frequency of use of the photoconductor increases, the photosensitive layer becomes thinner than an initial state. Consequently, application of the electrifying voltage having AC component set in the initial state may unfortunately cause excessive discharge with respect to the photoconductor.
In this respect, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-201920, the AC component of the electrifying voltage is set based on a plurality of measurement points in the initial stage. However, the AC component of the electrifying voltage is then set based on a value measured in the printing step and a setting log. This decreases setting accuracy. Also, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-199094, there is only one measurement point to cause discharge with respect to the photoconductor. Similarly to the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-201920, setting accuracy of the AC component of the electrifying voltage is not high. Therefore, when the image forming apparatuses disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-201920 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-199094 include the photoconductor having a thick photosensitive layer in the initial state, it is difficult to set the optimum electrifying voltage depending on states of use.
In view of the above-described problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus to set the optimum electrifying voltage even though a photoconductor having a thick photosensitive layer is used.

Image forming apparatus for setting an electrification voltage


An electrically actuated material dispensing gun is disclosed having a body including a handle section and an elongate cartridge support section extending outwardly from the handle section. The cartridge support section includes a cartridge support space and an apertured end wall for receiving a cartridge dispensing nozzle and for dispensing force resisting engagement with a dispensing end of a cartridge positioned in the space. A reciprocatable push rod is carried by the handle section and axially aligned with the space for force transmitting engagement with a piston which in one embodiment is of unique construction. An electric motor is mounted in the handle section. A drive element is rotatively mounted in the handle section and in positive drive, mechanically interconnected, relationship with the rod. The drive element is normally freely rotatable in response to axial motion of the rod. A power train including a multi-stage planetary axially aligned with and connected to the output shaft of the motor. In one embodiment a drive transmission clutch is provided for automatically interconnecting the drive element and the power train and for transmission of driving forces when so interconnected and when the output shaft is rotated in response to motor energization. In another embodiment a manually actuated plunger selectively completes the drive train. A trigger is carried by the handle section and is operably connected to an on/off switch selectively to complete a motor energization circuit.

The use of disposable cartridges of caulking material is not only now well established but has become the near universal system for the dispensing of caulking compounds, various sealants and other viscous materials. While hand actuated caulking guns are well known and well established, for a variety of reasons there is a growing demand for powered caulking guns.
Professionals, such as those employed in the construction trade, can suffer excessive fatigue from performing tasks such as applying adhesives to joists and studs when sheet flooring or wall boards are being installed. The fatigue problem is exacerbated when material is being dispensed in a cold environment because the viscosity of the material increases and higher dispensing forces are required. Indeed, the use of hand actuated caulking guns for such tasks can result in injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Automobile windshields represent another reason there is a demand for power assisted caulking guns. With many current automotive designs, the windshields have become structural parts of automobiles. In order for a windshield to function as a structural part, a windshield is securely bonded to a surrounding metal frame. The adhesive materials used for this windshield bonding, especially for replacement windshields, have high viscosity, and dispensing such an adhesive material from a cartridge requires extremely high dispensing forces. As a consequence, the installation of such windshields requires a material dispensing gun with which significant force is applied to the material to cause its dispensing.
Air actuated caulking guns which utilize compressed air are known. One commercially successful air actuated gun is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,636 issued Jan. 26, 1993 under the title Incremental Dispensing Device and assigned to the assignee of this patent. Most notably the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 through 7 of that patent has enjoyed good success in such applications as the dispensing of adhesives on joists for securement of subflooring. While this air actuated gun has enjoyed success, attempts to provide truly portable battery powered caulking guns have enjoyed only limited success.
With most caulking guns, a rod or equivalent dispensing mechanism engages a piston of a caulking tube cartridge and drives the piston toward the outlet to expel viscous material from the cartridge. Once the material in a cartridge has been expended, it is desirable for the operator to very quickly retract the dispensing mechanism to enable a spent cartridge to be removed from the gun and a new cartridge to be inserted in it. Another shortcoming of prior proposals for battery operated guns is that most, if not all, prior proposals and commercially available guns have not included a construction which provided truly simple and quick retraction of a dispensing mechanism.
Applications in which prior battery operated caulking guns could be utilized have been limited by the dispensing forces that could be generated. As an example, prior battery operated guns were not capable of generating sufficient force to dispense the sealants used to fix a replacement automotive windshield to its surrounding metal frame. Neither were they capable of dispensing construction adhesives in colder climates because even if capable of dispensing such adhesives under cold conditions, flow rates were unacceptably slow. Another disadvantage of prior battery operated dispensers has been that the power requirements were excessively high. The result has been that the number of tubes of material that could be dispensed in a battery discharge cycle was unacceptably low.
A number of proposals have utilized a threaded rod as the mechanism to transmit expelling force to a viscous material cartridge piston. With a number of these it has been proposed that the threaded rod be engaged by a split nut or claw. With these proposals a manually actuated member would be provided to shift the nut components between a rod engaged position for dispensing and a rod release position for rod retraction.
With another proposal a cam would drive an elongate washer which would frictionally engage a dispensing rod when dispensing force is applied to the washer by the cam. This proposal suggests provision of a manually operated release screw for selective release of the washer, referred to by a patentee as a "holding plate", to allow manually retraction of the rod.
In another proposal, a toothed rod is provided which has a smooth surface over a large portion of its circumference. Drive and hold detents engage the rod teeth when the rod is being advanced. For retraction the rod is rotated until a smooth surface engages the detents to allow retraction.
With other proposals it has been necessary to have a reversible motor and to drive the motor in a reverse direction for drive mechanism retraction. Still another proposal would use a plug to expand an expansible threaded element into engagement with the drive gear when the tube is advanced and to release the tube from the gear for manual retraction. A further proposal utilized a rack release button which had to be depressed simultaneously with applying retractive force to the rack to achieve manual rack retraction.
A commercially available battery operated caulking gun utilizes collapsing racks to provide a relatively short gun. Retraction of the collapsing racks for replacing a spent cartridge with a fresh cartridge requires the application of a substantial manually applied pressure after a spent cartridge has been manually removed from the gun. To enable such removal, the cartridge holding portion of the gun includes a pivotal end cover. The cover is selectively positionable in an overlapping relationship with the end of a caulking tube in a use position and pivotal to a retract position to allow extraction of a spent tube from the gun. Thus, there is no provision for collapsing the racks relatively in preparation of the gun for receiving a new cartridge unless the spent cartridge is first removed. Accordingly, there is, as compared with other modern caulking guns, undue complexity for the cartridge retention function.

Electrically operated material dispensing gun and method