A urine specimen collection device includes a body adapted to support a specimen collector. The device includes a pull tab movably connected to the body, the pull tab being movable between a first position and a second position. The urine selectively flows through the body and into the specimen collector when the pull tab is generally positioned in the second position and urine flows through the body and into a diverter tube when the pull tab is generally positioned in the first position.

Urine specimen collection devices are important for the collection of urine for analysis. Midstream collection of urine can be challenging. Timing of positing a collection cup after the stream of urine has begun can require coordination and be unsanitary. Current attempts to make specimen collection devices for midstream collection have been largely unsuccessful. There remains a long-felt need for a specimen collection device for midstream urine collection.


A carriage position control circuit which locates a carriage at a center position of a printing sheet regardless of the paper size to maintain the printing sheet in contact with the platen. The carriage position control circuit includes a sensor (30) which moves, together with the carriage (2), in parallel to a center axis of the platen (1) of a serial printer and senses a printing sheet (10), a sheet position detector (43) which detects left and right edge positions of the printing sheet based on the sensor output and a center position calculating circuit (45) which calculates the center position of the printing sheet based on the left and right edge positions. The detection of the left and right edge positions and the calculation of the center position are performed before the leading edge of the printing sheet reach the anti-floating device (3). The line feed controller (46) controls a line feed and a carriage moving controller (47) controls the movement of the carriage according to the center position data calculated by the center position calculating circuit (45). Therefore, the carriage can be reliably moved to the center position of the printing sheet even if the width of the printing sheet is very narrow compared with the length of the platen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a serial printer including a platen and a carriage having a printing head secured thereto, and more particularly, to a carriage position control circuit for use in the serial printer for positioning the carriage and the printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional dot impact serial printer includes a platen and a carriage having a printing head secured thereto. Such a printer is usually provided with an anti-floating device for preventing a printing sheet from being raises from the platen. During printing, the printing sheet is fed by the platen to a first gap between the platen and the carriage and then transferred to a second gap between the platen and the anti-floating device. When printing near the leading edge of the printing sheet, the leading edge is initially positioned close to the head of the carriage. Therefore, the leading edge does not extend to the anti-floating device. As a result, when the serial printer first begins a line feed operation the sheet tends to be raised from the platen since the leading edge of the sheet has not yet reached the anti-floating device.
In order to prevent the sheet from raising in this manner, the carriage is moved to a center position of the platen regardless of the width of the sheet in an effort to maintain the sheet in contact with the platen.
In such conventional serial printer, when the width of the sheet is considerably small as compared to the length of the platen and the sheet is offset to the right or left side of the platen, the centrally positioned carriage is laterally displaced from the sheet. Therefore, the sheet floats away or raises from the platen. If a line feed operation is performed while the sheet is raised from the platen, the sheet will be fed in a skewed manner, a leading edge of the printing sheet will be obstructed by an edge of the anti-floating device or the sheet will be soiled during the printing operation.
In order to solve this problem, there has recently been introduced a serial printer including a non-volatile memory which stores positioning data indicating the proper positioning of the carriage for each size of the printing sheets prior to printing or line feeding. However, the operator must frequently change operating modes of the printer so that appropriate positioning data may be read from the memory in accordance with the paper size of the sheet. Moreover, the use of the printer is restricted to paper sizes that are stored in the memory.

Carriage position control circuit for a serial printer


There are provided an apparatus and method for transmitting data in a network system using network address translation. The method for transmitting data includes the steps of receiving a global network address corresponding to a local network address from a router using network address translation; encoding data using the global network address; and transmitting the encoded data to an external host on the global network via the router. Since the network address to be translated through the network address translation can be anticipated and substituted in real time during the transmission of the data, a variety of security services can be provided without significant modifications to the existing system, and accordingly, it is anticipated that the Internet protocol version 6 can be increasingly used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data transmission, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for transmitting data in a system using network address translation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data transmission is conventionally performed in a system for providing an end-to-end integrated security service, such as an IP security protocol (IPSEC) service or a virtual private network (VPN) service, in which a particular network environment such as a network address translation (NAT) is not considered. Meanwhile, not every function of the end-to-end integrated security service is available in a system using the NAT.
Although various methods such as IPSEC tunnel mode or realm specific IP (RSIP) have been proposed to solve the above described problems, such methods still have a problem in that the applicable environment or system is limited, or the system should be significantly modified to support a particular protocol.

Method and apparatus for transmitting data in a system using network address translation

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


Systems and methods according to embodiments of the invention enable flip chip packaging using high density routing while minimizing the thickness and layer count of the flip chip package. By using a photoresist layer to create very fine traces on a metallic base layer, embodiments of the present invention combine advantages of leadframe substrates and laminate substrates by supporting high-density routing while minimizing layer count and manufacturing cost. Additionally, the use of raised metallic pads in a routing layer enables embodiments of the present invention to include highly compact traces that pass over IC die bond pad connection sites without directly coupling to these bond IC die bond pad connection sites. Further, embodiments of the present invention can support multiple thin routing layers without the need for organic (e.g., laminate) material separating these routing layers.

Integrated circuit (IC) devices typically usually an IC die and a package that houses the IC die. The package protects the IC die (for example, during handling of the IC device) and can facilitate connections to other devices.
An IC die is typically mounted in or on a package that is attached to a printed circuit board (PCB) or a printed wire board (PWB). One such type of IC die package is a flip chip package ("flip chip"), also known as Flipchip Chip Scale Package (FCCSP). Flip chip is a technology in which electrically conductive elements, such as solder bumps, connect the IC die or the IC die package to a substrate, a PCB, or a PWB.
One type of conventional flip chip package is a flat no-leads package, which uses surface mounting to connect ICs to the surfaces of PCBs without the use of through-holes. Flat no-leads packages include Quad Flat No-Leads (QFN) packages and Dual Flat No-Leads (DFN) packages.
Conventional flip chip packages have a number of drawbacks. For example, the substrate in a conventional flip chip can increase the thickness of the IC device, and the length of the traces in the substrate can lead to interference from induced voltages. Further, as routing requirements increase, it becomes more difficult to achieve a high-density routing in a cost-effective manner.
In conventional flip chips, etching routing traces on a leadframe substrate can be a relatively inexpensive routing technique. However, leadframe substrates provide only one layer for routing and thus do not support highly complex routing. Laminate substrates provide multiple layers for routing. However, laminate substrates are more costly than leadframe substrates and require a long cycle time. Laminate substrates also have additional drawbacks, such as increasing warpage in the package, and poor thermal performance.
What is needed is a flip chip package and method of making the same that addresses one or more of the aforementioned shortcomings of conventional flip chip packages and methods.
Features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference characters identify corresponding elements throughout. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the Leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number.

Thermal enhanced high density flip chip package


A data management system for indexing reporting data of a contact center is disclosed. The data management system includes one or more reporting systems configured to store the reporting data. The data management system further includes a crawler configured to collect the reporting data from the one or more reporting systems. The data management system further includes one or more plug-in interfaces configured to enable the crawler to retrieve the reporting data from the one or more reporting systems. The data management system further includes an indexing server configured to index and store the collected contact center reporting data.

Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a system and method for managing data of a contact center and particularly to a system and method for indexing and searching the data of the contact center.
Description of Related Art
Contact centers are employed by many enterprises to service inbound and outbound contacts from customers. A typical contact center includes a switch and/or server to receive and route incoming packet-switched and/or circuit-switched contacts and one or more resources, such as human agents and automated resources (e.g., Interactive Voice Response (IVR) units), to service the incoming contacts or work items. Contact centers distribute contacts, whether inbound or outbound, for servicing to any suitable resource according to predefined criteria. In many existing systems, the criteria for servicing the contact from the moment that the contact center becomes aware of the contact until the contact is connected to an agent are client or operator-specifiable (i.e., programmable by the operator of the contact center), via a capability called vectoring. Normally in present-day Automatic Call Distributions (ACDs) when the ACD system controller detects that an agent has become available to handle a contact, the controller identifies all predefined contact-handling queues for the agent (usually in some order of priority) and delivers to the agent the highest-priority, oldest contact that matches the agent's highest-priority queue. Generally, the only condition that results in a contact not being delivered to an available agent is that there are no contacts waiting to be handled.
The primary objective of contact center management is to ultimately maximize contact center performance and profitability. An ongoing challenge in contact center administration is monitoring and optimizing contact center efficiency. The contact center efficiency is generally measured in two ways that are service level and match rate.
Service level is one measurement of the contact center efficiency. Service level is typically determined by dividing the number of contacts accepted within the specified period by the number accepted plus the number that were not accepted, but completed in some other way (e.g., abandoned, given busy, canceled, flowed out etc.). Of course, service level definitions may vary from one enterprise to another.
Match rate is another indicator used in measuring the contact center efficiency. Match rate is usually determined by dividing the number of contacts accepted by a primary skill level agent within a period of time by the number of contacts accepted by any agent for a queue over the same period. An agent with a primary skill level is one that typically can handle contacts of a certain nature most effectively and/or efficiently. There are other contact center agents that may not be as proficient as the primary skill level agent, and those agents are identified either as secondary skill level agents or backup skill level agents. As can be appreciated, contacts received by a primary skill level agent are typically handled more quickly and accurately or effectively (e.g., higher revenue attained) than a contact received by a secondary or even backup skill level agent. Thus, it is an objective of most contact centers to optimize match rate along with service level.
In addition to service level and match rate performance measures, contact centers use other Key Performance Index (KPI), such as revenue, estimated, actual, or predicted wait time, average speed of answer, throughput, agent utilization, agent performance, agent responsiveness and the like, to calculate performance relative to their Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Operational efficiency is achieved when KPI are managed near, but not above, SLA levels.
Throughput is a measure of the number of calls/contact requests or work requests that can be processed in a given amount of time. Agent utilization is a measure of how efficiently agents' time is being used. Customer service level is a measure of the time customers spend waiting for their work to be handled. Company contact center customers wish to provide service to as many requests as possible in a given amount of time, using the least number of agents to do so, and minimizing the wait time for their customers that can increase the service level agreement of the contact center.
Typically, historical data or information of customers and agents, their behavior, workforce management etc. is stored in different data repositories or databases in the contact center. Further, vendors of the contact center do not provide a technique to store all the data in a single data repository. However, an agent of the contact center may have to access multiple data repositories to retrieve the data for providing services to customers. Further, in conventional databases, the data is stored in tables that include columns with restricted character length of business names of entities such as, ACD calls, hold ACD time, and so forth and an agent is not allowed to create columns with long names in the databases as per the convenience. Also, if the agent is not an expert or is not familiar with business definitions or textual descriptions of the entities, he may have to search files or documents of probably 1000 pages to look for the definition of the entities. Further, a manager or supervisor of the contact center may have to run a full report that includes data of all the agents of the contact center to search for a best agent on a particular day. A best agent is one that typically can handle maximum number of contacts in a day. However, such techniques are time-consuming and may also increase hold time of a call that may further affect the contact center efficiency. Furthermore, the agent may not be able to access all the relevant data from the different databases to provide satisfactory services to the customers.
There is thus a need for a system and method for indexing and storing the historical data and further enables the agent of the contact center to access the data in a faster way.

Systems and methods for indexing and searching reporting data


A secure memory device for secure data storage and related method are provided. The device may include an accessible data storage area configured to store data, a start location register that points to a start of the accessible data storage area, and a size-related register that allows a size of the accessible data storage area to be determined. A secret area comprises a device secret that is a value unique to the device, and that is not accessible from external to the device, and is accessible under at least one predefined conditions internal to the device, an access control element configured to prevent external access to the secret data. A generator generates a derived secret based on the storage data and the secret data that is usable to authenticate the storage data. The device may also include a memory bus over which the derived secret is communicated.

In secure systems, it is desirable to have a memory device for which the contents may be verified as being correct. This may be particularly important when the memory device contains executable code potentially subject to damage or compromise. If the contents of the memory device cannot be verified as correct, it may be possible to compromise the security of the system by modifying the code contained in it in an unauthorized manner.

Secure memory device with unique identifier for authentication


A stage system for a lithographic apparatus includes a stage, an over-determined number of actuators arranged to act on the stage, and an electric power supply configured to provide a current to the actuators, wherein the current is supplied to a coil associated with a first actuator of the actuators and to a coil associated with a second actuator of the actuators.

A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g. including part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned. Conventional lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at once, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.
Increasing demands on throughput of the lithographic apparatus, e.g. on an amount of substrates to be processed by the lithographic apparatus in a certain time period, require increasing speeds and accelerations of stages such as a substrate table or a patterning device (e.g., mask) table. Furthermore, demands on resolution and accuracy of the pattern to be projected by the lithographic apparatus onto the substrate increase, which translates into a tendency to increase a size of the patterning device, in combination with an increased demagnification factor of the projection optics, to be able to provide the required level of detail on the substrate. On the one hand, requirements as to a high scanning speed lead to keeping a weight of a stage as low as possible, while on the other hand, the stage should be constructed such as to obtain a high stiffness, to avoid occurrence or excitation of resonance modes of the stage, such high stiffness tending to result in massive stage construction. Even further, to be able to achieve a high internal stiffness, use is made of materials having a high stiffness, which unfortunately have a small relative damping, resulting in long settling times for internal vibrations.

Stage system and lithographic apparatus comprising such a stage system


A method to form a thick layer by screen printing and a method to form a piezoelectric actuator of an inkjet head. The method to form the thick layer including forming a guide groove in a surface to a predetermined depth, and forming the thick layer by applying a material to the surface inside the guide groove through screen printing. The method to form the piezoelectric actuator including forming an insulating layer on a top surface of a vibration plate and forming a guide groove in the top surface of the vibration plate or an insulating layer to a predetermined depth at a position corresponding to each of a plurality of pressure chambers, forming a lower electrode on the top surface of the insulating layer; forming a piezoelectric layer inside the guide groove by screen printing, and forming an upper electrode on a top surface of the piezoelectric layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a method of forming a thick layer more uniformly by screen printing, and a method of forming a piezoelectric actuator of an inkjet head using the method of forming the thick layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inkjet heads are devices for printing an image on a printing medium by ejecting ink droplets onto a desired region of the printing medium. Depending on an ink ejecting method, the inkjet heads can be classified into two types: thermal inkjet heads and piezoelectric inkjet heads. A thermal inkjet head generates bubbles in an ink to be ejected by using heat and ejects the ink utilizing an expansion of the bubbles, and a piezoelectric inkjet head ejects an ink using a pressure generated by deforming a piezoelectric material.
FIG. 1A is a sectional view illustrating a conventional piezoelectric inkjet head, and FIG. 1B illustrates a sectional view taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 1A. The conventional piezoelectric inkjet head illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B is formed by a conventional screen printing method.
Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a manifold 11, a plurality of restrictors 12, and a plurality of pressure chambers 13 forming an ink flow channel are formed in a flow channel plate 10 of the conventional piezoelectric inkjet head. A vibration plate 20, which can be deformed by piezoelectric actuators 40, is bonded to a top surface of the flow channel plate 10, and a nozzle plate 30 in which a plurality of nozzles 31 are formed is bonded to a bottom surface of the flow channel plate 10. The vibration plate 20 can be formed integrally with the flow channel plate 10, and the nozzle plate 30 can also be formed integrally with the flow channel plate 10.
The manifold 11 is an ink passage for supplying ink from an ink reservoir (not illustrated) to the respective pressure chambers 13, and the restrictors 12 are ink passages allowing inflow of ink from the manifold 11 to the pressure chambers 13. The pressure chambers 13 are filled with and eject the supplied ink and are arranged at one side or both sides of the manifold 11. The nozzles 31 are formed through the nozzle plate 30 and are connected to the respective pressure chambers 13. The vibration plate 20 is bonded to the top surface of the flow channel plate 10 to cover the pressure chambers 13. The vibration plate 20 is deformed by the operation of the piezoelectric actuators 40. Thus, pressures in the respective pressure chambers 13 change and the ink is ejected from the pressure chambers 13 by the operation of the piezoelectric actuators 40. Each of the piezoelectric actuators 40 includes a lower electrode 41, a piezoelectric layer 42, and an upper electrode 43 that are sequentially stacked on the vibration plate 20. The lower electrode 41 is formed on the entire surface of the vibration plate 20 as a common electrode. The piezoelectric layer 42 is formed on the lower electrode 41 above each of the pressure chambers 13. The upper electrode 43 is formed on the piezoelectric layer 42 as a driving electrode for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric layer 42.
In the conventional piezoelectric inkjet head, the piezoelectric actuator 40 is usually formed as follows. The lower electrode 41 is formed by sputtering a metal to a predetermined thickness on a top surface of the vibration plate 20. The piezoelectric layer 42 is formed by applying a piezoelectric ceramic material paste to a predetermined thickness to a top surface of the lower electrode 41 through screen printing, and by sintering the applied piezoelectric ceramic material paste. The upper electrode 43 is formed by applying a conductive material to a top surface of the piezoelectric layer 42 by screen printing and sintering the applied conductive material.
When forming the piezoelectric layer 42, the piezoelectric ceramic material paste is applied to the lower electrode 41 to a thickness of several tens of micrometers, and then the piezoelectric ceramic material paste is dried and sintered to obtain a thick layer for the piezoelectric layer 42. However, since the piezoelectric ceramic material paste applied to the lower electrode 41 is thick, the piezoelectric ceramic material paste spreads outward with time. This makes the piezoelectric layer 42 relatively thicker at a center portion and thinner at edge portions as illustrated in FIG. 1B, such that a thickness and a width of the piezoelectric layer 42 are not uniform. Further, an outer edge of the piezoelectric layer 42 can be curved although a straight outer edge is preferable. Accordingly, the overall shape of the piezoelectric layer 42 can be irregularly curved.
Furthermore, due to the unevenness of the piezoelectric layer 42, the thickness and the width of the upper electrode 43 formed on the piezoelectric layer 42 may not be uniform. In addition, the distance between the lower electrode 41 and the upper electrode 43 is not constant because of the uneven thickness of the piezoelectric layer 42, and thus an electric field cannot be uniformly formed between the lower electrode 41 and the upper electrode 43.
Additionally, nozzle density should be high to realize high-quality printing such as high-resolution and high-speed printing. The nozzle density is usually denoted using "cpi (channel per inch)," and the resolution of an image is usually denoted using "dpi (dot per inch)." To increase the nozzle density, the distance between adjacent pressure chambers 13 should be reduced. Accordingly, the distance between adjacent piezoelectric layers 42 should be reduced. However, as described above, since the piezoelectric layer 42 formed by a conventional method has an uneven width, the piezoelectric layer 42 may easily make contact with an adjacent piezoelectric layer 42 when they are formed closer to each other, making it difficult to increase the nozzle density much more.
As mentioned above, in the conventional method of forming a thick layer by screen printing, the thickness and width of the piezoelectric layer 42 of the piezoelectric actuator 40 cannot be uniformly formed. Further, the conventional method makes it difficult to increase the nozzle density of the inkjet head.

Method of forming thick layer by screen printing and method of forming piezoelectric actuator of inkjet head


An interface circuit for actuating an electrical consumer, especially a pole-changing rotary-current induction motor, with a first contact element assigned to a signal line carrying an alternating voltage signal to generate at least two different control signals. A circuit arrangement is provided for actuating an electric motor, especially a pole-changing rotary-current induction motor, with a control switch element having an aforementioned interface circuit, which is connected via a signal line to a motor control of the electric motor. In order to achieve a reduction in the number of signal lines required as compared to a parallel transmission, while at the same time preserving the easy fault diagnosis, an encoding diode (10) is hooked up in series before or after the first contact element (6a, 7a) in the signal line (4) and a further second contact element (6b, 7b) is arranged in parallel with the encoding diode (2), so that depending on the positions of the first contact element (6a, 7a) and the second contact element (6b, 7b) three different control signals (19a, 19b, 19c) can be generated.

The invention concerns an interface circuit for actuating an electrical device, especially a pole-changing rotary-current induction motor, with a first contact element coordinated with a signal line carrying an alternating voltage signal in order to produce at least two control signals different from each other. The invention also concerns a circuit arrangement for actuating an electric motor, especially a pole-changing rotary-current induction motor, with a control-switching element having an aforesaid interface circuit, which is connected by a signal line to a control of the electric motor.
It is generally known how to transmit control signals between a control switch and an electric motor by a signal line. In this case, a control signal being transmitted is assigned to each wire of the line. The control signal is characterized by the presence of a voltage or the absence of a voltage on the signal line. One of these two signal states can then bring about functions such as "electric motor turns clockwise".
In the case of the control of pole-changing rotary-current motors, the individual control signals in combination with each other bring about, for example, the functions: "slow left-hand rotation", "slow right-hand rotation", "fast left-hand rotation" and "fast right-hand rotation". In this case, normally three control signals such as "right", "left" and "fast" are produced by a control switch. If no voltage is present on the control line for the "fast" control signal, the rotary-current motor will turn slowly in the direction imposed by the other control signal. If several axes of a device are motorized with corresponding pole-changing rotary-current motors, additional control signals must be generated by the control switch corresponding to the number of axes. For a three-axis device, such as an industrial bay traveling crane, in which the lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism trolleys, and the lifting beam are driven by pole-changing rotary-current motors, nine signals and thus also nine signal lines are required, in addition to a reference potential line. Thus, this system entails high costs and a large wiring expense on account of the large number of signal lines.
A customary method of reducing the necessary number of signal lines while maintaining the information content in the form of the different control signals is to convert the parallel signals into serial information. In the state of the art, many serial transmission types are known, from the RS232 interface familiar in PC equipment to bus systems which can very quickly and securely transmit the control signals. The converting of the parallel control signals into serial information and the converting of them back for the subsequent control process is, however, cost-intense. Also, a fault diagnosis for the serial transmission of control signals is more difficult than for parallel signal lines.

Interface circuit for actuating an electrical device and circuit arrangement for actuating an electric motor therewith


A fiber optic sensor includes a housing having first and second end plates with a sidewall extending therebetween with the sidewall having an inwardly facing groove. A flexural disk having a central passage therethrough has an outer edge portion mounted in the inwardly facing groove in the housing. The flexural disk has a stepped thickness that is thinner at the outer edge portion than at a region spaced apart from the housing. A first fiber optic coil is mounted on a first side of the flexural disk in the thicker region of the flexural disk, and a second optical fiber is mounted on a second side of the flexural disk opposite the first fiber optic coil. The first and second fiber optic coils are optically coupled together by a fiber optic coupler to form an interferometer that produces an output signal in response to axial acceleration of the flexural disk.

This invention relates generally to fiber optic sensors and particularly to fiber optic sensors for sensing acceleration. Still more particularly, this invention relates to a fiber optic sensor for measuring the particle velocity of an acoustic wave that is transmitted through water by direct measurement of the transferred acoustic energy imparted to the fiber optic sensor.
Most fiber optic acoustic sensors for underwater applications are pressure-type hydrophones that measure pressure variations in sound waves.

Low cost fiber optic velocity sensor for sonar applications

Northrop Grumman Guidance and Electronic Company, Inc.


A power-operated salt pellet mixing device includes a hand-operable power tool provided with a first elongated shank. A second elongated shank is spaced from the first shank. The device further includes a coupling threadably attachable to the first shank and the second shank respectively such that the first and second shank can be rotated in sync. An agitator head is removably secured to the second shank and is rotatable in alternating directions. Such an agitator head is engageable with a salt bridge. The agitator head includes a central portion situated orthogonal to the second shank. A plurality of oppositely spaced flange portions are integral with the central portion and extend downwardly therefrom. Such flange portions are disposed orthogonal to the central portion and parallel to the second shank.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to mixing devices and, more particularly, to a power operated salt pellet mixing device.
2. Prior Art
Domestic water softeners remove hardness from raw water by passing it through a tank containing a liquid treatment medium bed, typically formed of resin beads. A salt solution, that is brine, is passed through the resin bed to restore its softening capacity. The brine is formed in a container that is connected by a liquid flow passage to the tank containing the resin beads. The flow of liquid through the liquid flow passage is regulated by a control valve that is actuated by an electronic regeneration control circuit.
Salt, typically in the form of chunks or pellets, is placed in the container. Under the control of the electronic regeneration control circuit, the control valve allows a predetermined amount of water to enter the container. Provided enough salt is present, the water and salt form a saturated salt solution, or brine, which is the regenerant for the resin bed. Again, under the control of the electronic regeneration control circuit, the control valve is actuated to cause the brine to be withdrawn from the container and circulated through, and thereby regenerate, the resin in the tank.
The amount of salt remaining in the container is reduced each time a portion of the salt is dissolved to form a regenerant. The supply of salt will become exhausted after a number of regeneration cycles, unless additional salt is placed in the container. Such that the salt supply will not become exhausted, it is desirable to provide some type of alarm to indicate that the salt supply is close to being exhausted. Such an alarm may be formed as a part of the electronic regeneration control circuit.
When loosely compacted salt pellets or cube-style salt is used in a resin, it may form tiny crystals of evaporated salt, which are similar to table salt. These crystals may bond, creating a thick mass in the brine tank. This phenomenon, commonly known as 'mushing', may interrupt brine production. Brine production is the most important element for refreshing of the resin beads in a water softener. Without brine production, a water softener is not able produce soft water.
Accordingly, a need remains for a power-operable salt pellet mixing device to break masses of salt crystals formed in salt tanks and overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a tool for breaking up crystallized salt in water softeners. Such a tool would be small in size, convenient, efficient and simple to use and includes a drill for easy and powerful operation.

Power-operated salt pellet decrystalizing device


An LTE wireless communication system includes an LTE base station, and mobile wireless communications devices. Each mobile wireless communications device exchanges video data with another mobile wireless communications device via the LTE base station and by sending at least one of a PTV request and an RTV request to the LTE base station. The LTE base station is configured, when network traffic is below a threshold value, to allocate bandwidth for a PTV connection between a given mobile wireless communications device and a given other mobile wireless communications device, and, when the network traffic exceeds the threshold value, to allocate bandwidth for an RTV connection between the given mobile wireless communications device and the given other mobile wireless communications device.

A typical wireless communications system comprises a plurality of wireless communications devices exchanging data with each other. In some wireless communications systems, for example, infrastructure networks, the system may further comprise a wireless base station for managing communications between the wireless communications devices. In other words, each intra-system communication would be exchanged via the wireless base station. In other wireless communications systems, for example, mesh networks and ad hoc wireless networks, the wireless base station may be omitted, i.e. the wireless communications devices may communicate directly with each other.
The wireless communications devices may communicate with each other based upon a wireless communications protocol. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (3GPP LTE) wireless communications protocol is a robust technology aimed at providing metropolitan area networks, as disclosed in the 3GPP TS 22.011 V8.9.0 (2009-09) Technical Specification, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In particular, the LTE wireless protocol is commonly referred to as the fourth generation cellular protocol.
The LTE wireless communications protocol may provide for: increased bandwidth, low latency, and increased signal penetration. Moreover, the LTE wireless communications protocol provides an entirely packet switched protocol for both voice and data, and a simplified infrastructure that is easily integrated into legacy systems.
In public safety applications, a municipality may provide an LTE wireless network for use by personnel, such as law enforcement and maintenance workers. As with typical infrastructure networks, the LTE wireless network may suffer sub-par performance in network sectors experiencing high user density, for example, during large events, such as sports events at large capacity stadiums. During these situations, the LTE wireless network throughput may be reduced significantly, effectively rendering the wireless communication system inoperative. This drawback may be worsened in the typical municipal LTE wireless network since they are typically built with lower thresholds for capacity at cell edges, aggregate throughput at single sites, and extended backhaul.
One approach to this drawback is included in the LTE wireless communications protocol, this approach comprising the barring factor feature. In the LTE wireless communications protocol, each mobile wireless communications device has an access class associated with it, the access classes being assigned corresponding to numerical values of 0-15. In the typical LTE wireless communication system, access classes 11-15 are reserved for special users, i.e. Class 15—PLMN Staff; Class 14—Emergency Services; Class 13—Public Utilities (e.g. water/gas suppliers); Class 12—Security Services; and Class 11—PLMN Use.
Another approach to priority in an LTE wireless communication system is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0200146 to Wang et al. Wang et al. uses the 11-15 access classes to provide priority similar to that of the typical LTE wireless communication system with special provisioning to make emergency calls.

Long term evolution wireless communication system and related methods


A channel estimator, configured for supplying equalization coefficients to a frequency equalizer, is configured for determining equalizer coefficients for a received wireless signal based on a minimum equalization error-based estimation. The channel estimator is configured for identifying first and second long preambles from the received wireless signal, determining an equalization coefficient for a selected frequency based on a minimized cost function for the first and second long preambles relative to a prescribed preamble value for the selected frequency, and supplying the equalization coefficient for the selected frequency to a frequency equalizer for equalization of the received wireless signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to implementation of a Channel Estimator in a wireless receiver, for example a IEEE 802.11a based Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) receiver.
2. Background Art
Local area networks historically have used a network cable or other media to link stations on a network. Newer wireless technologies are being developed to utilize OFDM modulation techniques for wireless local area networking applications, including wireless LANs (i.e., wireless infrastructures having fixed access points), mobile ad hoc networks, et. In particular, the IEEE Standard 802.11a, entitled "Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) specifications: High-speed Physical Layer in the 5 GHz Band", specifies an OFDM PHY for a wireless LAN with data payload communication capabilities of up to 54 Mbps. The IEEE 802.11a Standard specifies a PHY system that uses fifty-two (52) subcarrier frequencies that are modulated using binary or quadrature phase shift keying (BPSK/QPSK), 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), or 64-QAM.
Hence, the IEEE Standard 802.11a specifies an OFDM PHY that provides high speed wireless data transmission with multiple techniques for minimizing data errors.
A particular concern in implementing an IEEE 802.11a based OFDM PHY in hardware involves providing a cost-effective, compact device that can be implemented in smaller wireless devices. Hence, implementation concerns typically involve cost, device size, and device complexity.
For example, conventional design approaches for a design equalizer would be to determine an estimate of channel effects on a transmitted signal, and implement equalizer coefficients based on the inverse function of the estimate of the channel effects. In particular, FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a frequency based receiver model 10, where a transmitter 12 outputs a frequency modulated signal X(f). The frequency modulated signal X(f) encounters frequency-selective channel distortion H(f) 14 (i.e., fading), and white Gaussian noise N(f) 16. Hence, the wireless signal Y(f) received by the receiver can be characterized by the transfer function:Y(f)=X(f)H(f)+N(f).
A conventional approach to designing a frequency equalizer 18 would involve obtaining an estimate for the channel distortion H(f), and generating an inverse of the channel distortion, such that an estimate X′(f) of the frequency modulated signal X(f) can be obtained by Y(f)/H(f), or equivalently Y(f)*[1/H(f)]. However, the noise N(f) is included in the received wireless signal Y(f), hence using the inverse of the channel distortion this approach may amplify the channel noise N(f) in the equalized signal:X′(f)=[Y(f)−N(f)]*[1/H(f)].
Hence, attempts to equalize the received signal Y(f) may greatly amplify the noise component N(f), to where the amplified noise may even exceed the originally transmitted signal X(f) if the channel distortion value H(f) is small.

Minimum equalization error based channel estimator


A snow or material pushing device for plowing a surface including a moldboard with a scraper blade, and having side plates attached at either end. The side plates further include skid or wear shoes pivotally or rotationally affixed to the side plates to remain in full contact with the surface, thereby reducing the need to adjust and replace the scraper blade and wear shoes.

Snow pushers are well known apparatus for clearing snow and other materials or debris from surfaces such as roadways, driveways, parking lots, runways and other areas, as described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,724,755 and 6,112,438 to Weagley, hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Snow pushers are typically engaged with a bucket or quick coupling mechanism on a vehicle such as a front end loader, backhoe, skid steer loader, etc., and are pushed along to remove snow. Side plates are attached on the opposite ends of a moldboard for increasing the volume of snow that can be moved by the snow pusher. More specifically, the side plates serve the function of containing the snow in front of the moldboard and between the side plates, such that the snow continues to be gathered by the snow pusher.
One aspect of the disclosed embodiments provides for a pivoting wear shoe that remains in total contact with the surface, independent of the pusher angle or downward force applied to the scraping edge. Accordingly, it is an object of the disclosed embodiments to provide a wear shoe having an axis of rotation adjacent or near the front or distal end of the wear shoe and associated side plate in combination with a limiting slot at the opposite or proximal end. In order to control the range of the pivot, the wear shoe and/or side plate may include a slot and pin, bolt or bushing passing through the slot to provide limited motion based upon the length of the slot.
A skid plate or wear shoe on a conventional material pushing machine is securely affixed to the bottom edge of the side plate and is, by design, subjected to extensive abrasion resulting from the contact between the wear shoe and the roadbed or other surface over which the pusher travels. This wearing action is exacerbated when the snow pusher wear shoes are not positioned parallel to the surface, whereby only a portion of the available wear shoe surface is in direct contact with the roadbed. As a result the friction is increased over a small area causing uneven wear, and the lower surface plate of the wear shoe prematurely wears through and must be replaced more often. This is an expensive proposition because of down time of the machine and the cost expended in manpower and materials to replace the wear shoe.
A snow pusher further includes a scraper blade that is removably attached along the entire length of the bottom portion of the moldboard. The attributes of the scraper are threefold: (i) the material is selected based upon anticipated needs (e.g., soft edge such as rubber or polymer for light snow; hard steel edge on polymer backing for hard-packed snow and ice)moldboard, and becomes a sacrificial member that wears during use, as is the wear shoe, that protects the moldboard from wear; (ii) including a compliant material allows for the scraping edge to yield when a protrusion from the surface is encountered; and (iii) given various angles and downward pressure the scraping is better able to accommodate various snow conditions, ranging from ice to slush.
Typically, the wear shoes of a pusher control the distance separating the moldboard from the surface and thereby the amount of contact force between a scraping edge mounted on the bottom of the moldboard and the surface being plowed. However, given that the wear shoe and scraping edge are not readily adjustable on most pushers, as the scraping edge wears the ability to remove the snow or other materials down to the surface becomes more difficult. Currently either the scraping edge needs to be periodically adjusted downward to account for wear or be removed and then reattached in an alternate mounting orientation to re-establish the preferred amount of contact between the edge and the surface being cleaned. As will be further described below, the disclosed embodiments reduce or eliminate the need for periodic adjustment. Hence, one aspect of the disclosed embodiments is the ability of the front-pivoting wear shoe to permit a broad range of use and force to be applied to the scraping edge without the need to continually adjust the attachment position of the scraping edge relative to the bottom of the moldboard. For example, in one embodiment, a 4-5 inch range of motion is contemplated, which provides for an extended period of use without adjustment or replacement of the scraping edge.
As can now be appreciated, a significant and reoccurring problem with pushers having fixed wear shoes is that the operator often tilts the bucket upward in order to place the scraping edge of the pusher into greater contact with the surface being plowed (e.g., to increase down-pressure as the scraping edge wears and/or to scrape compacted snow from the surface). In doing so the wear shoe is no longer held parallel to the surface and uneven wear is encountered on the rear of the wear shoe. Moreover, the fixed mounting of the wear shoes prevents the application of varying downward pressure on the scraping blade. Therefore, it is believed to be desirable to provide a wear shoe that is pivotally attached to the side plate of the pusher, to allow the downward pressure applied to the moldboard and scraping edge to be varied without having to tilt the pusher or lift the front of the wear show off the surface.
One object of the disclosed embodiments to ensure that the wear shoe is compliant when a downward force is applied to the moldboard and scraping edge for completely clearing down to the surface.
Another object of the disclosed embodiments is to maximize the useful life of the wear shoes by promoting uniform contact with the surface.
Other objects, features and advantages will be evident from a reading of the following description and by reference to the accompanying drawings.
Disclosed in embodiments herein is a material pushing apparatus, comprising: an upstanding blade including an upper longitudinal edge, a lower longitudinal edge, a first vertical edge and a second vertical edge; a first vertical side plate extending forward from the first vertical edge of the blade; a second vertical side plate extending forward from the second vertical edge of the blade; a scraping edge attached along the lower longitudinal edge of the blade; and at least one wear shoe pivotally affixed to each of the first and second vertical side plates adjacent a front edge thereof, said wear shoe having a locus for the axis of rotation at a point distal from the cutting edge.
Further disclosed in embodiments herein is a snow pusher for plowing a surface, comprising: an upstanding blade having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge including a first vertical edge and a second vertical edge; a first vertical side plate extending forwardly, at a right angle from the first vertical edge, of the blade; a second vertical side plate extending forwardly from the second vertical edge, of the blade; a scraper member attached to the first longitudinal edge of the blade, said scraper member being of a material that will be abraded by the surface; at least one wear shoe rotationally affixed to each of the first and second vertical side plates having a locus for the axis of rotation at a distal point from the cutting edge; and a vehicle, operatively attached to the snow pusher, said vehicle applying force to both drive the pusher forward and to maintain the scraping edge in contact with the surface.
The various embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to those described. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments and equivalents set forth. For a general understanding, reference is made to the drawings. In the drawings, like references have been used throughout to designate identical or similar elements. It is also noted that the drawings may not have been drawn to scale and that certain regions may have been purposely drawn disproportionately so that the features and aspects could be properly depicted.

Surface compliant front-pivoting wear shoes for snow pusher

Pro-Tech Manufacturing and Distribution, Inc.


An apparatus is disclosed for determining a gain factor of an E-DPDCH in a compressed mode. In disclosure, the E-DPDCH gain factor in the compressed mode is determined according to the number of E-DPDCHs used for initial transmission of data. With the determined E-DPDCH gain factor, the transmission power of the E-DPDCH can be accordingly determined. As the E-DPDCH gain factor in compressed mode is determined according to the number of the E-DPDCHs for initial transmission of data, the gain factor of the E-DPDCH in compressed mode can be determined accurately, and thus the transmit power of the E-DPDCH can be determined accurately according to the E-DPDCH gain factor in the compressed mode. Therefore, the waste of transmit power of the E-DPDCH is reduced, and thus the system capacity is improved.

In a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, the transmit power required by an Enhanced Dedicated Channel Dedicated Physical Data Channel (E-DPDCH) can be obtained according to an E-DPDCH gain factor. The E-DPDCH gain factor may be calculated by an extrapolation formula using one reference E-DCH Transport Format Combination (E-TFC). The extrapolation formula is as follows:
                              β                      ed            ,            i            ,            harq                          =                              β                          ed              ,              ref                                                                                L                                  e                  ,                  ref                                                            L                                  e                  ,                  i                                                                                K                                      e                    ,                    i                                                                    K                                      e                    ,                    ref                                                                        ·                          10                              (                                                      Δ                                                                                harq                                    20                                )                                                                        (        1        )
In the formula above, βed,ref denotes the E-DPDCH gain factor of the reference E-TFC; Le,ref denotes the number of E-DPDCH used for the reference E-TFC; Le,i denotes the number of E-DPDCH used for the i:th E-TFC (that is, the i:th E-TFC is corresponding to the E-DPDCH whose E-DPDCH gain factor is currently to be obtained); if a spreading factor of E-DPDCH is 2, Le,i and Le,ref denote the number of channels assuming a spreading factor of E-DPDCH is 4; Ke,ref denotes the transport block size of the reference E-TFC; Ke,i denotes the transport block size of the i:th E-TFC; and Δharq denotes an offset of a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ), and is specified by the upper layer. Table 1 lists the values of Δharq.
TABLE 1Δharq Signal ValueΔharq Power Offset (dB)66554433221100
After the uplink 16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (16QAM) mode is introduced into the WCDMA system, the uplink service rate increases to 11.52 Mbps. With the increase of the service rate, a formula is put forward for calculating the E-DPDCH gain factor under high rate services. This formula uses two reference E-TFCs, and is called an interpolation formula. The interpolation formula is as follows:
      β          ed      ,      i      ,      harq        =                              L                      e            ,            ref            ,            1                                    L                      e            ,            i                                ·                  (                                            (                                                                                L                                                  e                          ,                          ref                          ,                          2                                                                                L                                                  e                          ,                          ref                          ,                          1                                                                                β                                              ed                        ,                        ref                        ,                        2                                            2                                                        -                                      β                                          ed                      ,                      ref                      ,                      1                                        2                                                                                K                                          e                      ,                      ref                      ,                      2                                                        -                                      K                                          e                      ,                      ref                      ,                      1                                                                                )                                                  (                                                K                                      e                    ,                    i                                                  -                                  K                                      e                    ,                    ref                    ,                    1                                                              )                                +                      β                          ed              ,              ref              ,              1                        2                          )              ·          10              (                              Δ                                                                          harq                    20                )
In the formula above, βed,i,harq denotes the E-DPDCH gain factor; Le,i denotes the number of E-DPDCH in non-compressed mode; βed,ref,1 and βed,ref,2 denote the E-DPDCH gain factors of the first and second reference E-TFCs respectively; Le,ref,1 and Le,ref,2 denote the number of E-DPDCHs used for the first and second reference E-TFCs; if the spreading factor of E-DPDCH is 2, Le,ref,1 and Le,ref,2 denote the number of channels assuming the spreading factor of E-DPDCH is 4; Ke,ref,1 and Ke,ref,2 denote the transport block sizes of the first and second reference E-TFCs; Ke,i denotes the transport block size of the i:th E-TFC; and Δharq denotes the offset of the HARQ, and is specified by the upper layer.
In the prior art, if the Transmission Time Interval (TTI) is 10 ms in the compressed mode, the calculation of the E-DPDCH gain factor comes in two scenarios: the current frame is a compressed frame, and the current frame is a normal frame.
At least the following problems are found in the prior art:
in the prior art The E-DPDCH gain factor calculated out in compressed mode does not reflect the transmit power required by the E-DPDCH accurately, and the transmit power required by the E-DPDCH which is determined according to the E-DPDCH gain factor is not accurate either. Consequently, part of the transmit power of E-DPDCH is wasted and therefore the system capacity is reduced.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for determining transmit power


A process for the recovery of unreacted ammonia from the reactor effluent obtained from a reaction zone used to produce acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile comprising quenching the reactor effluent with an aqueous solution of ammonium phosphate wherein the ratio of ammonium ions to phosphate ions in the solution is between about 0.7 to about 1.3, preferably between about 0.9 to 1.2.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the recovery and regeneration of ammonia contained in the effluent obtained from a reaction zone where ammonia and oxygen are reacted with a paraffin to produce the corresponding aliphatic nitrile. In particular, the present invention relates to the recovery and regeneration of unreacted ammonia contained in the effluent passing from a reaction zone wherein ammonia and oxygen are reacted with (1) propane to produce acrylonitrile or (2) isobutane to produce methacrylonitrile.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,936,360 and 3,649,179 are each directed to a process for the manufacture of acrylonitrile utilizing propylene, oxygen and ammonia as the reactants. These gases are passed over a catalyst in a fluid bed reactor to produce acrylonitrile which passes from the reactor to a recovery and purification section. This reaction also has some unreacted ammonia which is typically removed from the process by treatment in the quench column with an acid. The '179 patent discloses that the quench acid may be either sulfuric, hydrochloric, phosphoric or nitric acid. The '360 patent teaches the use of sulfuric acid in the quench to remove the unreacted ammonia. In the manufacture of acrylonitrile using propylene as the hydrocarbon source, the preferred embodiments clearly utilize sulfuric acid with the resulting formation of ammonium sulfate. Typically,the ammonium sulfate is either recovered and sold as a co-product (fertilizer) or may be combined with other heavy organics produced in the process and deep-welled for environmentally safe disposal.
Great Britain Patent 222,587 is directed to ammonium recovery from an ammonia-containing gas mixture utilizing an aqueous phosphoric acid solution, an aqueous solution of ammonium hydrogen phosphate ((NH.sub.4)H.sub.2 PO.sub.4), or mixtures thereof. The ammonia is recovered by heat decomposition and dissolving the resulting residue in water to regenerate the ammonium recovery phosphate solution. This ammonia recovery process is directed to the recovery of ammonia from coal gas or coke ovens at temperatures of 50.degree. C. to 70.degree. C.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,797,148 and 3,718,731 are directed to the recovery of ammonia from a process stream used in the production of HCN. The process of recovery uses an ammonium phosphate solution to capture the ammonia and then uses steam stripping to regenerate the ammonia from the ammonium phosphate solution. Typically, the process is operated by contacting the ammonia-containing gas with a 25% to 35% by weight ammonium phosphate solution having a pH of about 6 at a temperature of between 55.degree. C. to 90.degree. C. Ammonia regeneration is affected by contacting the resulting ammonium phosphate solution with steam. The processes in each of these patents disclose that the ammonium ion/phosphate ion ratio is at least 1.2 or greater.
The process of the present invention is advantaged over the prior art practice used in propylene ammoxidation because it avoids the formation of an ammonium salt-containing waste stream that must either be (1) treated to recover the ammonium salt or (2) disposed of in an environmentally safe manner. Rather, the process of the present invention results in the recovery of ammonia and regeneration of the ammonium phosphate quench solution by subjecting the quench solution to elevated temperatures and pressure in order to decompose the ammonium phosphate salt. The quench system of the present invention results in additional unexpected advantages in propane ammoxidation compared to propylene ammoxidation to acrylonitrile. Among these advantages are: (1) complete capture of by-product acrolein, thus enhancing product recovery efficiency by minimizing loss of product through, for example, reaction of acrolein with HCN in the product separation and recovery train of the process, (2) lower TOC (Total Organic Carbon) in the quench bottoms, (3) higher percentage of organics present in the quench bottoms are present as strippable/recoverable monomers instead of unrecoverable waste polymers and (4) the ability to use a lower severity waste organic treatment (e.g., wet oxidation) because of the presence of lower TOC and polymers in the quench bottoms solution. A further significant advantageous feature of the process of the present invention is that all the waste water streams may be readily handled by conventional biotreatment processes unlike the waste streams associated with propylene ammoxidation to manufacture acrylonitrile.

Process for recovery and recycle of ammonia from an acrylonitrile reactor effluent stream using an ammonium phosphate quench system


Devices, systems, and methods are provided for remote visualization of the storage compartments in a medication dispenser device, to monitor a patient's compliance with a medication dosage schedule and for verifying the proper loading of medication into the patient's medication dispenser device. The device may include a plurality of storage compartments, each having an interior space for storing at least one medication or medication reminder marker; an image capturing device (e.g., a camera) positionable to capture an image of the interior space of each storage compartment; and a communications module for electronically transmitting the captured image to a central monitoring station.

Patient compliance with medication dosing schedules is a serious problem. Approximately 60% of prescribed medication is not taken as directed. Non-compliance leads to worsening illness, hospitalization, irreversible loss of function, and death, resulting in tremendous human and financial costs. When medicines are dispensed, especially outside hospitals, errors in selection of the correct pill and the appropriate dose add further morbidity and mortality.
For example, elderly patients and patients taking multiple medications at different dosing schedules may have difficulty remembering to take their medications at the scheduled times. Approximately 90% of elderly patients make medication errors, 35% of which are serious. Approximately 40% of all hospital admissions among elderly patients are due to medication problems.
Other medications, such as opioid analgesics and narcotics, may be prone to abuse or diversion, for instance taken in excess or diverted and sold to others who would abuse the medication. Groups of people in which non-compliance is a common problem include Americans with chronic disease, diabetes (approximately 18 million), cardiovascular diseases (approximately 58 million), depression (approximately 20 million), and asthma (approximately 17 million).
It would be desirable to enhance patient adherence to dosing schedules for prescription medications. It would be useful to provide a low-cost dispenser and monitoring system to verify that medications stored therein are not taken in excess (i.e., abused) and that vital medications doses are not skipped. It also would be useful to provide a dispenser and monitoring system to verify that medications stored therein are removed by the patient, or an authorized person, in order to prevent diversion.

Medication dispenser with integrated monitoring system


A method of forming an alignment mark in a wafer during the manufacture of shallow isolation trenches for semiconductor devices provides a nitride layer on a substrate prior to the formation of the alignment mark. Once the nitride layer has been formed, etching is performed to create the alignment mark in the substrate. Further processing steps of the shallow trench isolation technique do not require the depositing of nitride into the alignment mark. Since the alignment mark is etched only after the nitride layer has been deposited, no further nitride enters into the alignment mark and a nitride-free alignment mark is provided.

During semiconductor manufacturing processes, layers of various materials are deposited or grown on a wafer or die, one after the other. After many of the layers are deposited, lithographic processing techniques are used to transfer patterns to the surface layer or layers. In order for the finished product to operate properly, the pattern of each layer must be precisely aligned to the patterns of the other wafers on the layer, since misalignment of a layer with respect to a previous layer may be catastrophic to performance. One lithographic technique that is commonly used is a step-and-repeat pattern transfer system ("stepper") that involves imaging several exposures of portions of the wafer to cover an entire wafer surface.
To achieve perfect alignment, alignment marks are formed on the wafer and are used by the steppers, so that in each lithographic step, the mask will be properly aligned according to the marks in the previous layers before exposing the wafer. In typical systems, four marks are used, circumferentially distributed around the periphery of the wafer, although alignment can be made with fewer or greater than four marks, and can be placed on other parts of the wafer.
It is desirable for alignment marks to have sharp edges, and a depth that allows the mark to be recognized by the stepper in order to make the mark useful as an alignment tool. A typical depth of the mark required by conventional steppers manufactured by ASM Lithography is 1200 .ANG.. Marks required by steppers by other stepper manufacturers may need a different mark depth. If the mark region has edges that are too close to one another, or if the mark contains material that is discolored, the wrong edge may be selected by the stepper so that misalignment will result. Alignment is particularly critical in processes for manufacturing extremely small devices, such as sub-micron devices. However, residual matter within a mark can blur the resolution of the mark and prevent this necessary accurate alignment. For example, residual nitride or other materials employed in semiconductor fabrication can remain near the edges or in the middle of the mark, and will detrimentally affect the ability of a stepper to align subsequent exposures with these marks.
A relatively recent technique for isolating an active region in a semiconductor chip is known as shallow trench isolation. In this technique, a shallow trench is formed around an active region to isolate this active region from other regions of the chip. Although shallow trench isolation has proven to be a valuable technique, the formation of marks in conjunction with the shallow trench isolation technique leaves residual material (e.g., nitride) within the marks. As stated earlier, the residual nitride in the marks interferes with proper working of the alignment system, causing frequent alignment failures and resultant reworks and scraps.
The formation of a mark according to the prior art in conjunction with a shallow trench isolation process is depicted in FIGS. 1-8, to illustrate the above-described problems with residual nitride. The placement of marks on a substrate is commonly performed before the implementation of the semiconductor devices, so that the location of the devices relative to the marks can be accurately controlled. In FIG. 1, semiconductor substrate 10 is cleaned, and an oxide layer 12 is grown or deposited on the semiconductor substrate 10 to approximately 150 .ANG.. This oxide is needed to avoid subsequent photoresist process being directly applied on the Si substrate. Next, a photoresistive material (commonly called resist) 14 that is patterned by a lithographic process is spun on the oxide layer 12. The lithographic process transfers an alignment pattern on the resist 14, with the patterns being the openings 13 in the resist. The subsequent etching process (called zero layer etch) etches the oxide layer 12 and the substrate 10 in the open areas leaving the unopened areas untouched. The etching may be performed anisotropically, such as by a reactive ion etch (RIE) process, to form substantially orthogonal sidewalls, that is, sidewalls normal to both the plane of the substrate surface prior to the etch and normal to the bottom of the mark 16, as depicted in FIG. 2. The photoresistive mask 14 is then removed, leaving the oxide 12 and substrate 10 with a 1200 .ANG. deep trench in the substrate 102. After etching, the oxide layer 12 is removed, leaving the resulting structure with a mark 16 in the substrate 10 depicted in FIG. 3. The mark 16 will then be used in subsequent processing steps in order to align the masks.
The following described steps, depicted in FIGS. 4-8, are performed in order to create a shallow isolation trench (typically 3000 .ANG. deep). However, only the mark is depicted in FIGS. 4-8 in order to illustrate the effect of the shallow trench isolation manufacturing process on the mark 16.
From FIG. 3, an oxide layer 18 is thermally grown on the substrate 10. The oxide layer is approximately 150 .ANG. thick, and covers the die surface, including the mark 16. The resulting structure is a semiconductor substrate 10 having a mark 16 with a depth of 1200 .ANG. covered by a thin oxide layer 18 thickness of approximately 150 .ANG., as depicted in FIG. 4. This oxide is needed to avoid direct contact of the subsequent nitride deposition with Si substrate.
In FIG. 5, a nitride layer 20 (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4) is deposited on the oxide layer 108 to a thickness of approximately 1700 .ANG.. The nitride layer 20 settles into the mark 16 and a depression therefore forms in the nitride layer 20 over this mark 16.
A number of processing steps are then performed in order to create the shallow trenches, such as covering the nitride layer with a source/drain mask which is patterned by a lithographic process. The area over the mark 16 will be covered at this time. Etching is performed in the open areas of the mask to create the trenches around the active device regions as desired. Once the etches have been performed and the shallow trenches are created, the mask is removed from the nitride layer, once again leaving the structure of FIG. 5.
The next step in the shallow trench isolation process is the depositing of a TEOS layer 22 (tetraethyl orthosilane) with a depth of approximately 6200 .ANG. on the nitride layer 20. The resulting structure in the region of the mark 16 is depicted in FIG. 6. The TEOS layer 22 is then etched with a planarization mask, so that areas on top of the nitride layer 20 are exposed except in the active device regions. The area over the mark 16 is exposed as well. The TEOS layer 22 is then removed with an etch. This removes most of the TEOS layer 22, as shown in FIG. 6a. Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is employed to remove the remainder of the TEOS layer 22, with the nitride layer 20 acting as a polish stop (FIG. 7). Because of the nature of the CMP process, the remainder of the TEOS on a flat surface can be completely polished away, those in the depressed mark regions cannot be consistently polished away, resulting in residual TEOS 22 within the depression in the nitride layer 20. This residual TEOS 22 creates a problem in the next step, which is the removal of the nitride layer 20.
Hot phosphoric acid is applied to remove the nitride layer 20. Although nearly all the nitride layer 20 is removed, the TEOS 22 that remained in the depression in the nitride layer 20 serves to prevent complete removal of the nitride layer 20 within the mark 16. As depicted in FIG. 8, the residual TEOS 22 effectively shields the nitride layer 20 underneath the residual TEOS 22. This creates structures, such as the columns of nitride 20 in FIG. 8. Other irregular shapes may arise as well, depending on the thickness and the extent of the residual TEOS 22. Nitride remaining within the mark 16 presents a discoloration that confuses a stepper trying to align on the mark 16. Also, the stepper is likely to have problems with determining the location of the edges 24 of the mark 16, due to the edges present on the columns 20 of the residual nitride within the mark 16.
As demonstrated above, the shallow trench isolation technique has a deleterious effect on alignment marks by causing nitride to remain within the alignment marks. This results in misalignment by the stepper and therefore lowers product yield.

Method of forming a zero layer mark for alignment in integrated circuit manufacturing process employing shallow trench isolation


An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system comprising an inverter for converting a DC voltage into an AC voltage comprising a full-bridge circuit having four silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) switches, two pulse control circuits for generating control voltage signals to turn on alternate pairs of said switches, a time sequencing circuit, and a power switch circuit. The full bridge circuit is directly connected to a positive DC input terminal and is coupled through the power switch circuit to a negative DC input terminal. The time sequencing circuit generates a first pulse signal for controlling the first pulse control circuit and a second pulse signal for controlling the second pulse control circuit so that the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal being in phase opposition. The time sequencing circuit further generates a third pulse signal for controlling the power switch circuit. The UPS inverter does not require an iron core transformer and so is of a size and weight which are compatible for use in small type UPS systems. Without sacrificing device size or safe and reliable operation, such a UPS system can be conveniently integrated physically with any standard power supply.

Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems are commonly used for computers, fax machines, and other electronic devices. These systems provide protection against primary AC power failure and also against variations in power line frequency and voltage. There are generally three types of UPS systems: off-line or standby; line interactive; and on-line.
Off-line UPS systems do not regulate output voltage when the load is operating on utility power. As a result, off-line UPS systems are ineffective during power surges, spikes and brownouts, i.e. periods when a voltage reduction is initiated by a utility to counter excessive demand on its electric power generation and distribution system. In addition, when AC utility power is lost, an off-line UPS system requires a short transfer time before switching to battery power. These transfer times are typically several milliseconds, which makes off-line UPS devices unsuitable for use with sensitive equipment.
Line interactive UPS systems regulate voltage by adjusting the utility voltage before it passes to the load, and thus provide protection during brownouts and against power surges and spikes. However, these systems still exhibit transfer times of the order of a millisecond, and therefore are also unsuitable for use with sensitive equipment.
On-line UPS systems are connected between the power line and the load to provide for continuous voltage regulation and suppression of transients and noise. The transfer times for such systems are extremely small, and so they are suitable for very sensitive or highly critical equipment. In addition, on-line UPS systems provide for an improved and more efficient utilization of input utility power, and the improved power factor helps lower energy costs.
UPS systems, especially on-line systems, are particularly valuable with respect to computer systems since they provide users with data and equipment protection. A significant number of computer system breakdowns are caused by utility power failures and fluctuations, and this may require that expensive hardware be replaced and software reinstalled. Power problems also often lead to lockups, crashes, lost data, and faulty data transmissions. For instance, users need power protection to ensure that an electronic data transfer via the internet is properly completed, without any loss of data or sensitive information, even in the event of a power failure. A significant amount of time may be expended and business lost in attempting to recover from power disruptions. Computers also now perform multiple functions such as sending faxes and answering telephone calls, making the need for power protection even greater.
Also, although power grids used by businesses may be more reliable than power grids for residential purposes, more and more people have begun working out of their homes. In addition, utility power supply in developing nations can be very inconsistent, with disruptions often occurring several times a day.
Typically, a UPS system includes a storage battery, a battery charger, a switching circuit, and an inverter circuit which converts a DC voltage into an AC voltage. Conventional inverter circuits typically employ push-pull circuitry to alternately drive the two primary windings of a transformer and generate an alternating positive/negative or AC signal at the secondary windings of the transformer. This type of inverter is widely used in small and medium UPS systems (i.e. below 1 kVA (kilo-voltamperes)), as well as in other equipment which converts DC voltage to AC voltage. Although such inverters are simple and reliable, they typically require low frequency (10-100 Hz) iron core transformers which are large, heavy, and expensive.
As a result, UPS systems which incorporate these inverters are large, bulky, and generally unsuitable for use with personal computers, fax machines, and other equipment requiring small UPS systems. Thus, while computer network server computer systems are often protected by UPS technology, this is much more rarely the case for individually based computers, despite the significant benefits provided by UPS systems. Current UPS technology is also expensive, particularly for on-line UPS systems.
There is therefore a need for a novel inverter circuit which operates in a reliable and stable manner but does not require an iron core transformer, and which can consequently be incorporated into a UPS device which is significantly smaller in size, lighter in weight, and more cost efficient than conventional UPS devices. Such a UPS system would provide further practical benefits if it could be integrated with a conventional power supply for specific types of electronic equipment, such as a personal computer.

Inverter circuit and integrated uninterruptible power supply protection system


A presser bar mechanism for an exit door having a frame with a stile, upper and lower lock rods vertically sliding in the stile, a presser bar carried on the door frame, a plate mounted in the stile for rotation about a horizontal axis, upper and lower connectors each having a first end attached to the plate and each having a second end attached to said upper and lower lock rods, respectively, a drive pin carried in one of the connectors and projecting outward from the stile, a slide housing carried on the stile and including a slide channel, a slide member carried in the slide housing for translation along the slide channel, and a crank carried in the slide housing and having first and second crank arms, with the first crank arm engageable by the presser bar and with the second crank arm engagable with the slide member so that pressing on the presser bar rotates the crank to move the slide member in the slide housing, with the slide member engaging the drive pin in driving relation to translate the drive pin and rotate the plate and translate the lock rods in the stile when the presser bar is pressed.

This invention relates to exit doors with presser bars and in particular to a new and improved operating mechanism for the door. A typical exit door has a horizontal bar mounted on the door by lever arms, and one such design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,786.
In another type of exit door, a horizontal presser bar is utilized rather than a horizontal lever, and one such product is shown in U.K. publication GB 2,284,445 A.
A disadvantage of the prior art flat presser bar designs is the relatively large number of parts in the prior flat bar constructions which increases the possibility of defects and/or malfunction and difficulty in installation, and when not correctly aligned, cause functional problems.


A fuser module for a compact printer or copier includes therein a decurler which shares a common drive means with the fuser rolls. The decurler comprises a set of deformable rollers disposed on a decurling roll, the total length of deformable rollers being less than 25% of the effective length of the decurling roll. The module pivots open for jam clearance from either the fuser rolls or decurler.

In xerographic or electrostatographic printing, such as occurs in a copier or "laser printer," an image is created with marking material on a sheet, such as a sheet of paper or a transparency slide. At one point in the electrostatographic printing process, the sheet is typically heated, in a final fusing step, to permanently affix the marking material thereto.
As the sheet passes through the various processing stations in the printing apparatus, a curl or bend is frequently induced therein. This curl or bend may be inherent to the sheet material due to the method of manufacture thereof, or the curl can be induced by the interaction of a sheet with the processing stations within the printer. The curling of the sheet causes problems of handling as the sheet is processed within the printer, frequently producing jams or misfeeds within the printer. Even if the curl is only induced toward the end of the printing process, having curled output sheets is well known as a customer dissatisfier. The problem of sheet curling is particularly evident with relatively small printers or copiers, in which paper passing through the printer or copier must pass through a paper path having relatively tight changes in direction.
The present invention is directed to a decurling apparatus which is, in a preferred embodiment thereof, substantially integral with the fusing apparatus of an electrostatographic printer or copier. The decurling apparatus can be disposed within a replaceable fuser module.

Xerographic fuser module with integral sheet decurler


Disclosed herein are electrochromic devices using a very low band-gap conjugated polymer having a band gap (Eg) of less than or equal to about 1.5 eV, and having little or no electrochromism in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Electrochromic devices take advantage of materials that are able to change their optical properties in a reversible and repeatable way under the application of an electrical current or potential. These materials include inorganic semiconductors and certain conjugated polymers.
These devices have the advantage of being able to tune through various redox states by the application of a small voltage to the devices as opposed to the dependence of external lighting conditions by photochromic materials. Known configurations of electrochromic devices include solution phase electrochromics where the diffusion of the electrochromic species from the solution to the electrode is followed by a redox reaction on the electrode surface accompanied by a color transition. Liquid crystals take advantage of alignment induced by an electric field, which induces a change in optical density of the material. A drawback of liquid crystals is that most require a constant supply of power to generate the effect. Another configuration includes Suspended Particle Devices (SPDs) where millions of suspended particulates are sandwiched between two transparent electrodes. Application of a potential leads to alignment of the particulates resulting in the transmission of light. The intensity of transmitted light can be controlled by varying the applied potential. Still yet another configuration includes electrochromic films where thin films of organic or inorganic materials, which exhibit reversible electrochromism by undergoing electrochemical reactions, are coated onto an electrode.
Solution phase electrochromics and liquid crystal configurations are limited by the diffusion speed of the electrochromic materials and supporting electrolytes towards the electrode. Thin film electrochromics, however, need only one species to diffuse towards the electrode resulting in higher switching speeds for thin film electrochromics as compared to the first two described configurations.
There remains a continuing need in the art, however, for electrochromic devices exhibiting faster switching capabilities, long-term repeatability of switching between states, reduced power consumption, and little or no color distortion.

Electrochromic devices utilizing very low band gap conjugated counter electrodes: preparation and use