Methods and structure for automated insurance workflow processing. Methods include receipt of a document to be entered into the workflow processing system. The document is either received initially in digital form or is digitized into a digital form for further processing in the workflow system. Subsequent flow of the document through various review processes of the insurance entity is in electronic form. Interaction with third parties including individual agents, agencies and underwriters may also be conducted in digitized, electronic form. The workflow processes and systems automatically may generate a sequence of tasks to be performed associated with a new document entered in the system and may track progress of the tasks. A central may database maintain information regarding all such tasks and documents.

In the insurance industry individual agents or agencies interact with customers to service customer needs and to serve as the interface between the customer and an insurance underwriter. Insurance agents and agencies are legal representatives ("agents" in the legal sense) of one or more insurance underwriters. Insurance underwriters often, in turn, seek reinsurance services of a reinsurance company to help share the costs and risks of catastrophic losses. Insurance underwriting companies are therefore customers (in a sense) of the reinsurance vendors.
As used herein, the term "agent" shall mean individual agents or agencies comprising a number of agents. Further as used herein, "agent" includes brokers and producers associated with insurance agents or agencies. As used herein, "insurance company", "insurer", "insurance organization", "insurance enterprise", "underwriter", and "underwriting company" shall all be used interchangeably as synonyms.
An insurance company may serve a large number of customers through associated agents. Large insurers typically insure customers in a number of states. Each state may impose its own unique regulatory requirements on underwriters doing business in its jurisdiction and/or on agents representing underwriters in that state. These state regulators may have unique regulatory documentation requirements and unique reporting and contact information. In determining whether to accept particular insurance requests from particular customers in particular states through particular agents, (i.e., to make an "appointment"), an insurance company must evaluate a large number of factors including, for example, information regarding the agent and information regarding licensing and regulatory matters within the state in which the underwriter proposes to do business. Often this information must be gathered from a number of diverse sources. Further, this collection of information must be reviewed by a number of different functions within the insurance organization.
Present industry practice typically has the requisite information distributed over a large number sources. Often materials are available only in paper (hard copy) form from a particular source. In other cases, where agents utilize data processing systems for storing such information, a wide variety of data formats and application programs are used by various agents and underwriters. It is common that the data processing systems used by various underwriters and agents are incompatible for the automated exchange of information.
The processes employed by insurance companies at present are therefore principally manual processes that gather data from numerous sources and exchange such information among reviewing entities in paper form—the lowest common denominator of the various formats employed by sources of needed information.
Still further, it is common that various stages of review within an insurance organization will require additional information missing or not supplied from an agent. The manual procedures therefore frequently are stalled awaiting receipt of such additional or missing information. Further, the manual processes presently used by insurance organizations rely on manual forwarding of information from one stage of the process to a next. Such manual processes are slow and error prone. Documents are frequently misplaced or lost in transmission from one stage of the process to a next. Incomplete or missing information imposes delays in the process. Some time later when information is received, the task to enter the data in required documents and resume processing may be missed.
These problems are particularly acute where an insurance organization is requested by a regulatory agency to produce documentation regarding an appointment and the associated licenses and review processes. In present systems, the information may be scattered among a variety of incompatible data processing systems or may only exist in paper form. Documentation of the review processes associated with the appointment may similarly be distributed over a variety of systems and/or paper records. Gather such information at the request of a regulator is therefore a particular problem faced by insurance companies.
It is evident from the above discussion that a need exists for improved workflow tracking and processing in the insurance industry.

Methods and structure for insurance industry workflow processing


A paper detection device for a printer, includes: a support member; a main lever pivotably mounted on the support member, wherein the main lever has a self-resetability to an upright position and is pivotable only in a sheet-feed-direction; an auxiliary lever pivotably mounted on the main lever, including a free end protruding into a sheet passage, wherein the auxiliary lever has a self-resetability and moves the main lever in the sheet-feed direction when the free end thereof is urged in the sheet-feed direction, but does not move the main lever in a reverse-sheet-feed direction when the free end of the auxiliary lever is urged in a reverse-sheet-feed direction.

The present invention relates to a paper detection device for a printer.
For instance, a printer where printing on both cut sheets and continuous form are available needs to draw back a loaded continuous form from a printing area before printing on a cut sheet or to draw out a cut sheet at a paper jam treatment.
A detection sensor published on Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 3-43015 has a sheet end detection lever formed by an angled bar that may withdraw from a sheet feed passage when a print sheet is fed in either direction.
The angled detection lever of Hei. No. 3-43015, however, inaccurately detects paper because the timing of the paper detection depends upon the movement of the angled lever, which in turn depends upon the thickness of the paper and the rigidity of the lever. Thus, decreasing the thickness of the paper and increasing the rigidity of the lever decreases the likelihood of accurate paper detection, as the lever is less likely to move when paper is fed past the lever.
The present invention concerns such a problem as described above and thus the object of the invention is to provide a new paper detection device which performs accurate paper detection without impeding paper when it is fed in the sheet-feed direction or in the reverse-sheet-feed direction.
According to an aspect to the present invention, there is provided a paper detection device for a printer including: a support member; a main lever pivotably mounted on the support member, wherein the main lever has a self-resetability to an upright position and is pivotable only in a sheet-feed direction; an auxiliary lever pivotably mounted on the main lever that includes a free end that protrudes into a sheet passage, wherein the auxiliary lever has a self-resetability to an upright position, is pivotable with respect to the main lever only in a reverse-sheet-feed direction, and moves the main lever in the sheet-feed direction when the free end thereof is urged to the sheet-feed direction, but does not move the main lever in a reverse sheet feed direction when the free end of the auxiliary lever is urged in a reverse sheet feed direction.


A housing encapsulating first and second terminals of a surge arrester disconnector becomes structurally weakened before activation of a disconnect device in the disconnector when the disconnector is exposed to heat, thereby preventing the disconnector from producing a projectile with a force sufficient to classify the disconnector as a hazardous material under Department of Transportation regulations.

Electrical power transmission and distribution equipment is subject to voltages within a fairly narrow range under normal operating conditions, and the equipment may operate at high voltages of, for example, 1000V or greater. However, system disturbances, such as lightning strikes and switching surges, may produce momentary or extended voltage levels that greatly exceed the levels experienced by the equipment during normal operating conditions. These voltage variations often are referred to as over-voltage conditions. If not protected from over-voltage conditions, critical and expensive equipment, such as transformers, switching devices, computer equipment, and electrical machinery, may be damaged or destroyed by such over-voltage conditions and associated current surges. Accordingly, it is routine practice for system designers to use surge arresters to protect system components from dangerous over-voltage conditions.
A surge arrester is a protective device that is commonly connected in parallel with a comparatively expensive piece of electrical equipment to divert over-voltage-induced current safely around the equipment, thereby protecting the equipment and its internal circuitry from damage. The surge arrester normally operates in a high impedance mode that provides a low current path to ground having a relatively high impedance. In this mode, normal current at the system frequency is directed to the electrical equipment and is prevented from following the surge current to ground along the current path through the surge arrester. When exposed to an over-voltage condition, the surge arrester operates in a low impedance mode that provides a high current path to electrical ground having relatively low impedance. When the surge arrester is operating in the low-impedance mode, the impedance of the current path is substantially lower than the impedance of the equipment being protected by the surge arrester. In this mode, current from the over-voltage condition is directed to ground and not to the electrical equipment. Upon completion of the over-voltage condition, the surge arrester returns to operation in the high impedance mode. The surge arrester also includes a disconnector that disconnects the surge arrester from ground if the over-voltage condition is too extreme or continues too long.
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional high voltage surge arrester 90. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the high voltage surge arrester 90 typically includes an elongated outer enclosure or housing 100 made of an electrically insulating material, a pair of electrical terminals 102, 104 at opposite ends of the enclosure 100 for connecting the arrester between a line-potential conductor (not shown) and electrical ground (not shown), respectively, and a stack or array of other electrical components 106 that form a series electrical path between the terminals 102 and 104. Terminal studs 108, 110 connect to the line and ground terminals 102 and 104, respectively. An insulated mounting bracket or hanger 114 also may be provided for mounting of the arrester 90 to, for example, another piece of equipment or to a utility pole.
To prevent short circuiting of line potential conductors connected to the surge arrester 90, a disconnector 112 is provided on the ground terminal stud 110. The disconnector 112 may include an internal resistor or other electrical element connected in parallel with a spark gap assembly and a charged black powder in an unprimed .22 caliber cartridge that is heat activated. Thus, in the event of a sustained over-voltage current flow through the terminal stud 110, a spark is generated by the spark gap assembly of the disconnector 112. Heat from the spark detonates the charged powder cartridge to mechanically sever electrical connection between the terminal stud 110 and the lower terminal 104 in the housing 100, thereby isolating the terminal stud 110 from the line connection. The force created by the activation of the charged powder cartridge typically causes the terminal stud 110 to separate from the surge arrester 90, thereby effectively isolating the failed arrester from the power system.
Undesirably, portions of the heat sensitive disconnector 112, including the terminal stud 110, can become a projectile when the cartridge is inadvertently exposed to heat during shipping, transit, or storage. During transport and storage, if an accident or other occurrence results in a fire near one or more arresters, activation of the charged powder cartridges of the disconnectors in the arresters can be hazardous to first responders at the scene of the fire. Projectiles attributable to detonation of the charged powder cartridges of the disconnectors in such circumstances are of particular concern, particularly when a large number of arresters with such disconnectors are shipped and stored. A variety of different types of conventional surge arresters with disconnectors are vulnerable to the hazards noted above. Additionally, similar problems may be experienced by all disconnector devices. The problems noted above are therefore not considered unique to any particular disconnector or to any particular surge arrester.
In light of the hazards posed by arresters when subjected to a fire during shipping, transit, or storage, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has classified conventional surge arresters as hazardous materials that must be transported in accordance with DOT hazardous material transportation regulations. Transporting arresters under those guidelines increases the cost of such transportation. Alternatively, the DOT safety regulations can be met by fitting arresters with restraints that prevent the terminal stud and portions of the disconnectors from becoming projectiles when the disconnector cartridge is inadvertently exposed to heat during shipping, transit, or storage. However, adding such restraints increases the cost of arresters. Another option is to package the arresters in sturdy metallic cases during shipping, transit, or storage to meet the DOT requirements, though such packaging may be prohibitively expensive.
Accordingly, a need in the art exists for a surge arrester disconnector that is not classified as a hazardous material under DOT regulations.


An ultrapure water treatment system is provided by the present invention. e system comprises a housing, a water supply means including a water inlet and a water outlet communicating with the housing and defining a path of travel of the water from said inlet to said outlet, irradiation means for irradiating water with 185 nm UV light positioned within the housing, and a catalytic filter positioned in the path of travel of the water. The catalytic filter comprises a non-polymeric porous material having a photoactive catalyst thereon. Exemplary photoactive catalysts include TiO.sub.2, ZnO, WO.sub.3, SnO.sub.2, CU.sub.2 O, and CdSe.

In order to manufacture advanced materials such as semiconductor devices, water which is substantially free of impurities and particularly organic impurities is often required. For example, in the process of manufacturing integrated circuit chips, one of the key steps therein is the cleaning process following chemical etching of the semiconductor wafer. The cleaning process includes rinsing the wafers in deionized water and drying the wafers by passing an inert gas over the wafers. The rinse process can require 9-12 rinses and over 2,000 gallons of water when etching multiple wafers. The cleanliness of the rinse water is critical to the performance characteristics of the semiconductor device. Even trace amounts on the parts per billion (ppb) level of contaminants, although often undetectable, can adversely effect the performance characteristics of the semiconductor device. Typically, the water must be purified "ultrapure" water. The purity is closely monitored by measuring resistivity, total organic carbon (TOC) and/or particulate count. For example, less than 50 ppb TOC level is desirable for use in manufacturing semiconductor devices.
Conventional treatment systems for ultrapurifying water use 185 nm ultraviolet (UV) light, ozone or reverse osmosis and combinations thereof (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,374 to Lewis). For example, UV treatment is often conducted by passing the water to be purified by a UV source which irradiates the water with 185 nm UV light. The problem with such systems is that the UV radiation tends to leak due to reflections out of the UV treatment unit. The leakage adversely affects the various polymeric materials used as piping and components connected to the UV treatment unit. The degradation and breakage of the polymeric parts is an additional source of organic contamination, particularly over prolonged exposure to the UV radiation. To minimize these problems, elbows and valves are sometimes placed at the inlet and outlet of the UV treatment unit to reduce direct exposure of the polymeric parts to the UV radiation. These techniques are typically ineffective and can also become additional sources of contamination.

Arizona Board of Reagents Acting on Behalf of University of Arizona


An apparatus for separating solids and liquid mixtures such as to form concentrated sludge including a solid bowl worm centrifuge which has a slurry admission inlet and outlets for a liquid fraction and for concentrated sludge. A detector for detecting the consistency of the sludge leaving the centrifuge, a conduit for bypassing slurry being supplied from a source to the centrifuge and a control valve for controlling the amount bypassed as a function of the consistency of the sludge fraction and in some instances also a conduit for feeding a dilution liquid to the sludge leaving the centrifuge.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus and methods for separating solids and liquid mixtures, particularly for thickening thin slurries to form a concentrated sludge.
The invention improvement includes a solid bowl worm centrifuge separator which has a slurry admission, an outlet for a liquid fraction and an outlet for discharge of the concentrated sludge. In such a mechanism, thin slurries having a solid content or dry matter content of approximately 0.5% through 1.5% by weight, are generally received commercially from the floor of settling basins. For example, such slurries are produced in the biological treatment stage of sewage treatment plants. The major part of these thin slurries, which are laced with microorganisms, are pumped back into the settling basins as returned slurry. The remaining thin slurry, which is the excess slurry, must be withdrawn and must be concentrated before being introduced into a sludge digestion container. This slurry thickening often occurs in static slurry thickeners in which the slurry solids slowly settle as sediment and has a consistency which permits it to be subsequently pumped into a sludge digestion container.
It has been proposed to thicken thin slurries such as the excess slurries in a solid bowl worm centrifuge for the purpose of enhancing the separating power or in other words increasing throughput performance. It has been shown, however, that in a high performance worm centrifuge, the thin slurries are thickened through a sludge discharge having a dry matter content on the order of magnitude of approximately 8% through 10%. This thickened sludge can no longer be pumped. It must be conveyed to the sludge digesting container by involved equipment or an involved way. The operators of clarification plants require a thickened excess slurry that can be pumped into the digestion container. Further, the throughput power of even slurry thickening centrifuges is limited.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus which can use centrifugal separating apparatus for the thickening of thin slurries where the throughput capability is substantially enhanced.
A further object is to provide a centrifugal thickening apparatus and process wherein the operation is assured and guaranteed that the concentrated sludge is always pumpable even with the use of a high performance worm centrifuge.

Apparatus for separating solids/liquids mixtures with a slurry bypass


A facility for providing an IM mixed mode operation by utilizing both page mode IM and session based IM jointly in the same IM conversation is provided. The facility initiates an IM conversation between an originating user registered at an originating device and a remote user registered at a plurality of devices initially in page mode. Subsequent to discovering the identity of a remote device used by the remote user to initially reply to the IM conversation, the facility converts the IM conversation from page mode IM to session based IM.

Two instant messaging (IM) models currently exist—session based and page mode. Session based IM requires that a dialogue be established between two endpoints prior to the transmission of messages. If an IM service permits a user to be logged into only a single client—e.g., endpoint—at any one time, a session can be established "under the covers" without any required interaction with or involvement of the user. A major drawback to pure session based IM is that, while suitable for endpoint-to-endpoint IM, it does not work when a user is logged into multiple client endpoints. Stated another way, any IM service that allows users to log into multiple client endpoints at once cannot be based on pure session based IM.
For example, if a session based IM service permits a user to log into multiple endpoints at once, then a target endpoint for that user must be selected when the session is initiated. The target endpoint can either be selected by the network or the user. If the network selects the endpoint, there is no way to guarantee that the selected endpoint is the appropriate endpoint—e.g., the endpoint at which the user is located. If the user selects the endpoint, then either the user is required to set complex rules for IM routing that reside in the network, or the session invitation must be sent to all endpoints, and the user must actively "Accept" the IM session. This is similar to the experience of phone users who must accept a call before a voice session can begin.
The active acceptance requirement of an IM session is counterintuitive and results in a loss of several highly desired user experiences. One desired user experience is that IM users expect to receive messages without having to acknowledge the received messages. Additionally, IM users expect to be able to receive multiple messages without having to actively participate in the session. For example, the user could be away or just choose to not reply at that moment and still expect that the other party be able to send IMs at will. A drawback with requiring the active acceptance of an IM session is that, if a user is away or is not able to acknowledge, the free flow of IM that users typically expect, and have become accustomed to, is not possible.
An alternative to session based IM is IM page mode where all messages are delivered to all registered endpoints. Therefore, with IM page mode, a user is allowed to be logged into multiple endpoints. But, support of multiple registered endpoints has several drawbacks. First, as discussed above, the desirable properties provided by session based messaging are not available because of the support of multiple endpoints. Second, the user experience is poor as one endpoint will be engaged in a 2-way IM session and all other endpoints will simply reflect the list of incoming messages because all the messages that the user receives are always delivered to all of the user's endpoints.
Accordingly, an IM model that supports multiple user endpoints while providing the user experience associated with session based IM will have significant utility.

Mixed massaging mode for multiple points of presence


A gas lift module is designed for deployment within a tubing string in a well that has an annular space surrounding the gas lift module and tubing string. A gas lift valve within the gas lift module includes a valve seat, a valve stem configured to abut the valve seat when the gas lift valve is closed, and a variable orifice valve assembly. The variable orifice valve assembly has an orifice chamber, a variable orifice within the orifice chamber, and a retaining sleeve within the orifice chamber. The variable orifice includes a plurality of interconnected plates that are configured to expand or contract together to form a central aperture of varying size and an orifice spring. The retaining sleeve captures the variable orifice in a contracted state when the retaining sleeve is in contact with the variable orifice.

Gas lift is a technique in which gaseous fluids are injected into the tubing string from the surrounding annulus to reduce the density of the produced fluids to allow the formation pressure to push the less dense mixture to the surface. The gaseous fluids can be injected into the annulus from the surface. A series of gas lift valves allow access from the annulus into the production tubing. The gas lift valves can be configured to automatically open when the pressure gradient between the annulus and the production tubing exceeds the closing force holding each gas lift valve in a closed position. In most installations, each of the gas lift mandrels within the gas lift system is deployed above a packer or other zone isolation device to ensure that liquids and wellbore fluids do not interfere with the operation of the gas lift valve. Increasing the pressure in the annular space above the packer will force the gas lift valves to open at a threshold pressure, thereby injecting pressured gases into the production tubing.
To permit the unimpeded production of wellbore fluids through the production tubing, the gas lift valves are housed within "side pocket mandrels" that include a valve pocket that is laterally offset from the production tubing. Because the gas lift valves are contained in these laterally offset valve pockets, tools can be deployed and retrieved through the open primary passage of the side pocket mandrel. The predetermined position of the gas lift valves within the production tubing string controls the entry points for gas into the production string.
A common problem in gas lift completions is the management of interventions required to accommodate unforeseen well operations or changes in the volume or rate of injection gas needed to improve production with the gas lift system. For example, while setting packers and testing tubing by increasing the pressure within the annulus, "dummy" valves are typically installed within the side pocket mandrels to prevent flow of completion fluids from the annulus into the production tubing. Once the packers have been set, the dummy valves are replaced with conventional gas lift valves that permit flow into the production string from the annulus.
As production declines or the well experiences significant liquid loading problems, a higher volume of injection gas may be needed to meet production goals. In the past, new higher-volume gas lift valves would need to be installed to accommodate the larger volumes of injection gas. The removal and installation of gas lift valves is expensive and time consuming, which can result in costly production delays. There is, therefore, a need for an improved gas lift system that overcomes these and other deficiencies in the prior art.

Variable orifice valve for gas lift mandrel


A servowriter employs a method of unlatching an actuator arm from a latch restraining the actuator arm in a head disk assembly connected to the servowriter. The servowriter includes a first node and a second node. The head disk assembly includes a voice coil motor (VCM) coupled to the actuator arm. The VCM includes a coil connected between the first node and the second node. The method includes applying a voltage between the first node and the second node to cause current to flow through the coil in order to move the actuator arm away from the latch at an actuator arm velocity. The method further includes temporarily activating a VCM velocity control signal to enable a VCM voltage limiting circuit connected in parallel with the coil between the first node and the second node. The method includes limiting the voltage applied across the coil to a predetermined VCM voltage level with the enabled VCM voltage limiting circuit in order to limit the actuator arm velocity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to servowriters. More particularly, the present invention relates to a servowriter employing a method of unlatching an actuator arm, in a head disk assembly, using a voice coil motor (VCM) voltage limiting circuit to limit actuator arm velocity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A huge market exists for hard disk drives for mass-market host computer systems such as servers, desktop computers, and laptop computers. To be competitive in this market, a hard disk drive must be relatively inexpensive, and must accordingly embody a design that is adapted for low-cost mass production. In addition, it must provide substantial capacity, rapid access to data, and reliable performance. Numerous manufacturers compete in this huge market and collectively conduct substantial research and development, at great annual cost, to design and develop innovative hard disk drives to meet increasingly demanding customer requirements.
In hard disk drives, data is stored on magnetic media disks in concentric data tracks, which are divided into groups of data sectors. Servo information is recorded in radially continuous narrow wedges between the groups of data sectors. A head disk assembly of a disk drive includes an actuator assembly having a voice coil motor (VCM), an actuator arm extending from the VCM, and a transducer head disposed at the end of the actuator arm. The VCM includes a coil moving in proximity to a permanent magnet. The VCM swings the actuator arm and the transducer heads back and forth over the disk to access target data tracks on the disk surface.
During a latch mode, the transducer head is parked away from the data tracks to protect the transducer head and the disk surface, and a latch, such as a magnetic latch, typically restrains the actuator arm in place in the head disk assembly. During an unlatch mode, the VCM is controlled to overcome the force of the magnetic latch to move the actuator arm away from the latch, in what is referred to as unlatching the actuator arm, to position the transducer head over the data area of the disk surface. The actuator arm must be unlatched so that the transducer head can move radially across the disk surface while the head disk assembly is connected in either the disk drive or a servowriter. A problem exits because the amount of current supplied to the VCM to break free of the magnetic latch causes the actuator arm to move away from the latch at a variable actuator arm velocity toward an outer diameter crash stop in the head disk assembly or a push pin in the servo writer. The actuator arm must be slowed to an actuator arm velocity which will not cause damage to the transducer head or disk surface during impact of the actuator arm against the outer diameter crash stop or the push pin.
There exits substantial competitive pressure to develop mass-market hard disk drives with more robust designs that are less sensitive to operator handling and external vibrations. In particular, if the actuator arm unlatches from the latch and the transducer head lands into the data area of the disk, the transducer head and/or the disk surface can be severely damaged. It is known to provide stronger latches to resist the actuator arm coming off the latch when the disk drive is in the latch mode, such as during the manufacturing process or user handling of the disk drive. However, the increasing strength of magnetic latches and other latches makes it more difficult to unlatch the actuator arm, and higher unlatching currents need to be applied to the VCM in order to unlatch the actuator arm The increased unlatching currents result in a larger variability of possible actuator arm velocities after the actuator arm moves away from the latch, which increases the probability of the actuator arm hitting the outer diameter crash stop or push pin at too fast of an actuator arm velocity.
When the head disk assembly is placed in the servowriter for writing servo information on the disks during the manufacturing process, a first series of current pulses are applied to the VCM in order to move the actuator arm away from the magnetic latch. A second series of current pulses are then applied in the reverse direction to reduce the actuator arm velocity. The amplitude and widths of the second series of current pulses can be ascertained by empirical analysis on a disk drive product. An example current pulse sequence comprises an unlatch pulse period, a coast period, and a brake pulse period. The unlatch pulse period typically applies positive current to the VCM for a predetermined period of time. The coast period is a predetermined period of time where zero current is applied to the VCM. The brake pulse period typically applies negative current to the VCM for a predetermined period of time. For such a current pulse sequence, the predetermined time periods and the amount of current applied to the VCM during the unlatch pulse period and during the brake pulse period must have sufficient margins to allow for variations in the VCM and latch assembly of the particular disk drive. Moreover, if the negative current applied to the VCM to slow the actuator arm during the brake pulse period is too high or if the negative current is applied for too long of time period, the actuator arm may return to an inner diameter crash stop and become re-latched in the latch.
When the head disk assembly is connected in the disk drive, a similar current pulse sequence is used to unlatch the actuator arm from the magnetic latch. However, the brake pulse period is typically employed to slow down the actuator arm velocity to a sufficiently slow velocity to permit a servo system in the disk drive to detect the servo information on the disk surface. Once the servo system of the disk drive is able to detect the servo information, the servo system employs conventional closed loop servo control to control the actuator arm velocity and the position of the actuator arm over the disk. If the servo system, however, does not detect the servo information, the actuator arm velocity can not be controlled by the closed loop servo system. If the actuator arm velocity is not controlled by the closed loop servo system, the actuator arm velocity when the actuator arm hits the outer diameter crash stop can be at a level which causes damage to the transducer head and/or the disk.
A disk drive that employs a ramp load design may include a velocity feedback circuit to control the actuator arm velocity. The velocity feedback circuit employs the back electromotive force (BEMF) of the VCM to monitor and control the actuator arm velocity to thereby control the speed at which the transducer head moves away from the ramp and over the disk surface. The velocity feedback circuit includes complex closed loop circuitry to measure the BEMF and compute actuator arm velocity that is used for controlling the amount of current applied to the VCM.
For reasons stated above, there is a need for a circuit or method to control the actuator arm velocity in a cost effective manner in a head disk assembly of a hard disk drive after the actuator arm is released and moves away from the latch.
The invention can be regarded as a method of unlatching an actuator arm from a latch restraining the actuator arm in a head disk assembly connected to a servowriter. The servowriter includes a first node and a second node. The head disk assembly includes a voice coil motor (VCM) coupled to the actuator arm. The VCM includes a coil connected between the first node and the second node. The method includes applying a voltage between the first node and the second node to cause current to flow through the coil in order to move the actuator arm away from the latch at an actuator arm velocity. The method further includes temporarily activating a VCM velocity control signal to enable a VCM voltage limiting circuit connected in parallel with the coil between the first node and the second node. The method includes limiting the voltage applied across the coil to a predetermined VCM voltage level with the enabled VCM voltage limiting circuit in order to limit the actuator arm velocity.
The invention can also be regarded as a servowriter connectable to a head disk assembly that includes an actuator arm, a latch for restraining the actuator arm and a voice coil motor (VCM) coupled to the actuator arm The VCM has a coil. The servowriter includes a first node and a second node. The coil is connected between the first node and the second node. The servowriter includes a VCM driver for applying a voltage between the first node and the second node to cause current to flow through the coil in order to move the actuator arm away from the latch at a variable actuator arm velocity. The servowriter further includes control means for temporarily activating a VCM velocity control signal. The servowriter includes a VCM voltage limiting circuit connected in parallel with the coil between the first node and the second node. The VCM voltage limiting circuit is responsive to the VCM velocity control signal being temporarily activated for limiting the voltage applied across the coil to a predetermined VCM voltage level in order to limit the actuator arm velocity.

Servowriter employing method of unlatching actuator arm using VCM voltage limiting circuit to limit actuator arm velocity


An oil-based cosmetic preparation contains (a) an oily gelling agent, (b) an oil-based ingredient, and (c) at least one selected from the group consisting of ester compounds represented by formula (I) which are reaction products of ditrimethylolpropane with fatty acid, polycondensates of ditrimethylolpropane with polycarboxylic acid, polycondensates of the ester compound of formula (I) with polycarboxylic acid, polycondensates of fatty acid with the polycondensate of ditrimethylolpropane with polycarboxylic acid, and polycondensates of ditrimethylolpropane, fatty acid and polycarboxylic acid, with the component (c) having a hydroxyl value (OHV) in the range of 10 to 150. The oil-based cosmetic preparation has excellent feeling realized by the use, provides a make-up coverage with satisfactory luster and moisturizing feel, and exhibits excellent shape retention properties.

The present invention relates to an oil-based cosmetic preparation, and more particularly to an oil-based cosmetic preparation with feeling realized by the use of it and satisfactory shape retention properties, capable of providing an excellent make-up coverage with luster and moisturizing feel.
Conventionally, consideration has been given to selection of the ingredients such as an oily gelling agent, solid oil, semi-solid oil, liquid oil and the like, and alternation of the contents of those ingredients in the preparation of oil-based cosmetics in order to obtain various sensory satisfactions and make-up effects. In the solid type oil-based cosmetic products, such as lipstick and stick foundation, the feeling realized by the use of them, long-lasting make-up, luster of the coverage, and the like are controlled by blending solid oil components including ceresin wax, candelilla wax and the like, with the shape retention properties being taken into consideration. In the paste type oil-based cosmetic products such as liquid rouge, liquid eye-shadow and the like, the feeling realized by the use of them, long-lasting make-up results, luster of the coverage and the like are controlled by using a gelling agent including dextrin fatty acid esters, silicic acid anhydride and the like.
With respect to the lipstick, the combination of a polyethylene wax and a liquid oil component having in its structure one hydroxyl group is employed to effectively revive the color (for example, see Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (JP Kokai) 2001-158718). However, the glycerin fatty acid esters and the like given as examples cannot sufficiently meet the requirements of the shape retention properties and the feeling realized by the use at the same time. When the shape retention properties are improved, the feeling realized by the use may be impaired; while the improvement of the feeling realized by the use may degrade the shape retention properties.
In the solid cosmetic products, there is known the technique that a dextrin fatty acid ester, a liquid oil component having a hydroxyl value of 20 or less, and a particular silica are blended into the cosmetic formulation for the purpose of improving the feeling realized by the use while ensuring a sheer transparent coverage (see, for example, JP Kokai No. Hei 11-255616). However, since the silica is contained as the essential ingredient, a sufficient degree of luster cannot always be obtained if desired, although non-sticky feeling to the skin and excellent preservation stability can be ensured.
Further, a dextrin fatty acid ester and heavy liquid isoparaffin are blended into the cosmetic formulation to obtain a high degree of luster (see, for example, JP Kokai No. Hei 9-235210 and No. 2000-229816). However, the obtained cosmetics cannot easily spread and may become sticky when applied to the skin due to the presence of the heavy liquid paraffin, although sufficient luster can be obtained.
Furthermore, polyol condensate esters, neopentyl alcohol esters or the like, each having the characteristics similar to those of the skin surface lipids of human are known as oil-based vehicles (see, for example, Japanese Patent Examined Publication (JP Kokoku) No. Sho 53-46890 and No. Sho 59-29055). Those oil-based vehicles are of a full-ester type without hydroxyl group, so that there are the problems that the oil-based vehicles cannot set efficiently by use of the gelling agent, and the poor hydrous tendency cannot offer sufficient moisturizing feel.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An intelligent storage device and an intelligent storage method are provided. The intelligent storage device includes a storage space, an infrared sensor, a weight sensor, a transceiver, and a processor. The storage space is suitable for storing an object. The infrared sensor senses the storage space to generate infrared sensing data. The weight sensor senses the object in the storage space to generate weight sensing data. The processor is coupled to the infrared sensor, the weight sensor, and the transceiver, determines whether the object is placed in or removed from the storage space according to the infrared sensing data and the weight sensing data to generate an event record, and transmits the event record via the transceiver.

In order to save the labor cost, technologies relating to intelligent shop systems are under progressive development. An existing intelligent storage device usually uses an image of a storage space to determine whether an object is taken from or placed in the storage space. However, misjudgment may easily occur if only images are used. For example, when an object is moved from one position in the storage space to another position in the storage space, a conventional intelligent storage device relying on image recognition technology may misjudge the moved object as having been removed from the storage space. Therefore, further efforts are required in the development of intelligent storage device.

Intelligent storage device and intelligent storage method

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A weight-based occupant characterization method reliably distinguishes between large and small adult occupants by dynamically adjusting a threshold used to distinguish between large and small adult occupants. The threshold adjustments effectively increase the separation between the detected weight and the threshold, minimizing oscillation of the determined characterization following an initial occupant characterization. A learning routine gradually adjusts the threshold up to a predefined maximum adjustment so long as the detected weight is within a tolerance or hysteresis band, or a locking routine produces a step change adjustment of the threshold when the detected weight is outside the tolerance or hysteresis band for at least a predefined time.

Vehicle occupant seated weight detection systems are useful in connection with air bags and other pyrotechnically deployed restraints as a means of characterizing the occupant. For example, the seated weight of the occupant may be used to distinguish between large and small adults; full deployment force is usually enabled in the case of a large adult, while reduced deployment force is usually enabled in the case of a small adult. In a typical implementation, the detected seated weight is filtered or averaged and compared to a calibrated threshold, where occupant seated weight above the threshold indicates the presence of a large adult, and occupant seated weight below the threshold (but above a minimum adult threshold) indicates the presence of a small adult. A limited degree of threshold hysteresis can be employed to prevent repeated changes in the determined characterization due to minor occupant weight or position shifting. For example, if the occupant is characterized as a large adult, the detected weight would have to fall below the large adult threshold by at least a hysteresis amount (and possibly for at least a calibrated time period) before characterizing the occupant as a small adult. However, such an approach can only account for minor re-positioning of the occupant, and fails to prevent undesired oscillation of the occupant characterization. Accordingly, what is needed is a more robust method of distinguishing between large and small adult seat occupants.

Method of characterizing an adult occupant of a vehicle seat based on a measure of seated weight


The present invention relates to derivatives of 2-aminothiazoles and 2-aminooxazoles in all its stereoisomeric forms, enantiomeric forms and mixtures in any ratio, and its physiologically acceptable salts and tautomeric forms showing peroxisome proliferators activator receptor (PPAR) delta agonist activity. These compounds are compounds of the formula I,

The present invention is directed to pharmaceutical compounds and compositions comprised of oxadiazolones and their physiologically acceptable salts and physiologically functional derivatives showing that are shown to provide peroxisome proliferator activator receptor (PPAR) delta agonist activity. PPARdelta agonists have been described in the prior art (e.g. WO 01/00603 and WO 02/092590 to Keil et. al., WO2003/074495, WO2004/093879, WO2004/080943, WO2005/054213 and WO2005/097786). Compounds comprising an oxadiazolone feature as inhibitors of factor Xa were disclosed in DE 101 12 768 A1, oral hypoglycemic agents in WO 96/13264. From WO 97/40017 compounds having a phenyl group linked to heterocycles are known as modulators of molecules with phosphotyrosine recognition units. Phenyl derivatives as agents for the therapy of thromboembolic disorders are known from WO 02/057236. Benzene derivatives as inhibitors of squalene synthase and protein farnesyltransferase are described in WO96/34851. See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,995 to De La Brouse-Elwood et. al. as well as WO 03/043997 and WO 02/092590 to Johnston et. al.).
The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) are transducer proteins belonging to the steroid/thyroid/retinoid receptor superfamily. The PPAR receptors were originally identified as orphan receptors without known ligands, but were known for their ability to mediate the pleiotropic effects of fatty acid peroxisome proliferators. These receptors function as ligand-regulated transcription factors that control the expression of target genes by binding to their responsive DNA sequences as heterodimers with RXR. The target genes encode enzymes involved in a number of metabolic and cell growth/cell proliferation/cell differentiation inductions. These then provide targets for the development of therapeutic agents for the treatment of metabolic and central nervous system disorders, among others.

Derivatives of 2-aminothiazoles and 2-amino-oxazoles, processes for their preparation and their use as pharmaceutical compositions

Abstract: in which the radicals are as defined, and their physiologically acceptable salts and processes for their preparations. The compounds are suitable for the treatment and/or prevention of disorders of fatty acid metabolism and glucose utilization disorders as well as of disorders in which insulin resistance is involved and demyelinating and other neurodegenerative disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system.


A towelette product is provided which includes a first water-insoluble substrate having dorsal and ventral surfaces, a second water-insoluble substrate having dorsal and ventral surfaces, the dorsal surfaces of the first and second substrates being joined to one another. A personal care composition is deposited onto an area of the second ventral surface, the first ventral surface having a dry-to-the-touch feel, the second ventral surface on the deposit area having a non-dry-to-the-touch feel, the first ventral surface having a FTV of not higher than 0.1 grams.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns personal care disposable towelette articles delivering on one side thereof a personal care composition.
2. The Related Art
A variety of personal care products are now commercially available in towelette applied form. Hair grooming compositions, antiperspirant/deodorant formulas and facial cleansers are delivered through transfer from disposable cloths.
A series of patent documents have described disposable personal cleansing products in the form of substantially dry woven or non-woven cloths onto which are deposited cleansing compositions that include surfactant, structurant, skin conditioning agents and other performance ingredients. The technology is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,991 (Wagner et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,931 (Fowler et al.) and WO 99/55303 (Albacarys et al.).
More complicated substrate cloths are described in a second wave of documents including: WO 01/08542 A1 (Cen et al.), WO 01/08655 A1 (Phipps et al.), WO 01/08656 A1 (Smith et al.), WO 01/08657 A1 (Lorenzi et at.) and WO 01/08658 A1 (Cawkwell et al.), all to Procter and Gamble. These documents extend the wipe technology to bonded double layer substrates of contrasting textural properties. A rougher of the two sides may act as a gripping surface while the smoother side may be used for delivering cleansing aids. The articles are described as being substantially dry defined as a Moisture Retention ratio of less than 0.95 gms.
A feature of most of the aforementioned technology is that these articles are not ready to use. They require the addition of external water to initiate foaming of surfactants on the cloths. Moreover, the impregnated compositions often are deposited at least to some extent on both sides of the substrate cloth. Even if deposited only on one surface, the cloths are desirably engineered to include apertures that assist with generating foam. These apertures readily allow migration of impregnated personal care composition from one side to the other of the substrate cloth. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,757 B1 (McAtee et al.) which specifies a non-woven substrate of particular aperture sizes and distribution.
Not all personal care wiping articles need be activated with external water. U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,644 (Sheridan) describes an impregnated matrix which can be used without addition of external water. Various emollients, lubricants, surface protectants and medicaments are formulated into the impregnated compositions.
Besides the "dry" wipe technology as represented by the above disclosures, there is an even more extensive body of technology related to wet wipe articles. Representative of this technology is U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,582 B1 (Gott et at.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,182 B1 (Znaiden et at.) which describe disposable towelettes impregnated with solutions having greater than 80% water. The towelettes on all sides are wetted with the cosmetic solutions and seated within plastic packets to avoid solvent evaporation.
Both the fully dry and the wet towelette technology has advantages and disadvantages. Dry articles require external water. Wet articles cause all of a user's fingers to be soiled with impregnated composition. For many types of formulations, a user may wish to avoid finger contact with the compositions. This is especially so where relatively oily materials are to be transferred. A user may seek to deliver the personal care composition directly to a skin or hair surface but still desire to keep the hands clean. This problem is not addressed by the known technology.

Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.


Disclosed are an optical information recording medium for recording, reproducing and erasing information by emitting laser light with a wavelength in vacuum of .lambda., which has: a transparent substrate through which the laser light can be transmitted; a high refractive-index layer which is formed on the transparent substrate; a guide groove for tracking which is formed on the high refractive-index layer; and a recording layer which is formed on the guide groove for tracking; wherein a width W of the guide groove for tracking and a refractive index n.sub.a of the high refractive-index layer are so set that the following relation: W>.lambda./(2xn.sub.a) is obtained, and an optical information recording medium for reproducing information by emitting laser light with a wavelength in vacuum of .lambda., which has: a transparent substrate through which the laser light can be transmitted; a high refractive-index layer which is formed on the transparent substrate; a concave-convex pit which is formed on the high refractive-index layer; and a reflection layer which is formed on the concave-convex pit; wherein a width W.sub.p of the concave-convex pit and a refractive index n.sub.a of the high refractive-index layer are so set that the following relation: W.sub.p >.lambda./(2xn.sub.a) is obtained.

Optical disk recording systems, where a large capacity of recording can be achieved and contactless and high-speed access can be performed, have been developed to use as a large capacity memory. Such optical disks are classified into a read-only type such as a compact disk and a laser disk, a recordable-type whose user can record information and a rewritable type whose user can repeatedly record and erase information. The recordable-type and rewritable-type optical disks are used as an external memory of computers or a document and image file. The read-only type, which is rapidly popularized as a data file such as CD-ROM, is used as a high-density recording medium for personal use. Also, due to its large capacity, CD-ROM has been researched to use as a multimedia file including image data by using an image compressing technology such as MPEG2. For this use, a capacity of 650 MB/disk in present CD-ROMs is not sufficient, and a capacity four to eight times this capacity is desired. On the other hand, read-only type image files such as a laser disk have been standardized to contain high-quality high vision images in a CD size so as to provide DVD products. However, its recording time is not sufficient when considering a picture quality. Thus, also in this type, a higher-density medium is desired.
The recordable optical disk has got a certain market in the application field where its merit that recorded information can be safely stored is utilized maximumly. Also in this type, a higher-capacity and higher-density medium is desired.
In the rewritable-type optical disks, there are included a phase-change type optical disk where a phase change of recording film is used and a magneto-optical disk where a change of magnetization direction in perpendicular magnetization film is used. The phase-change type optical disk does not need an external magnetizing device and can be easily overwritten. Therefore, it is expected that this type will be predominant in the rewritable-type optical disks as well as the magneto-optical type. In magneto-optical disks, a product with a capacity four times that of first generation magneto-optical disks has been researched, while it is reported that a capacity eight or more times that is technically possible (for example, Honma et al., SPIE, Vol.2338, p.314). Also in phase-change type optical disks, a product standard corresponding to the four-times capacity of magneto-optical disks and a test product development where an application to small-size large-capacity video disk recorder is considered( for example, Okubo et al., 7th Phase Change Optical Recording Symposium, preliminary papers, p.48, and Matsui et al., 7th Phase Change Optical Recording Symposium, preliminary papers, p.54) are suggested. Also in this type, large capacity and high density are important keywords.
In the read-only type, metal reflection film made of Al alloy system is formed on concave-convex pits formed previously on a substrate by injection molding and is used for reproducing. In the recordable type, used is a medium where an alloy composed of low melting point metal such as Te, Bi, Se and Sn or a dye material with an absorption characteristic at a laser wavelength used is thin coated on a substrate. In the rewritable type, magneto-optical disks have a medium composition where alloy thin film composed of rare earth metal such as Tb, Gd, Dy and Ho and transition metal such as Fe, Co and Ni is sandwiched by transparent protective coating film made of, e.g., SiN, and phase-change optical disks have recording film made of chalcogenide such as GeSbTe and InSbTe. Also, for the recording film of the phase-change optical disks, InSe system, InTe system, AsTeGe system, TeOx-GeSn system, TeSeSn system, SbSeBi system and BiSeGe system materials are used. Meanwhile, the above thin films are formed by resistance heating evaporation, electron beam evaporation, sputtering or spin coating.
In the above read-only type, recordable-type and rewritable-type optical disks, concave-convex pits, recordable-type recording film, magneto-optical recording film or phase-change recording film is formed on a rigid substrate. In the read-only type, a signal is continuously reproduced by tracking the concave-convex pits themselves. In the recordable type and rewritable type, recording and reproducing are conducted by using a guide groove for tracking which is previously formed on the rigid substrate. Thus, the conventional optical disks use the substrate on which the guide groove for tracking convergent laser beams are previously formed to record, reproduce and erase information. A most effective way for conducting high-density recording in such optical disks is to increase the track density. Therefore, to narrow the width of the guide groove as well as to shorten the wavelength of laser light to be used has been researched. For example, it is considered to use a substrate with a track pitch of 0.9 to 1.2 .mu.m for laser light with a wavelength of 685 nm, while a substrate with a track pitch of 1.3 to 1.6 .mu.m has been used for laser light with a wavelength of 830 nm.
In such optical disks, narrower tracks are desired for higher-density recording. However, when the track width is so narrowed that the tracking groove width is less than 1/2 of laser wavelength to be used, it becomes very difficult for laser light to enter inside the groove since the oscillation mode of light to be allowed between both ends of the groove wall is limited. Therefore, the tracking characteristic is highly deteriorated, and it becomes very difficult to record a signal into the groove and to reproduce a signal therefrom. Thus, there is a big problem that it is substantially impossible to use such a narrowed track substrate.

High density optical information recording medium using high refractive index layer


A mechanism for rewinding flexible members onto a spool is described. The inventive rewind mechanism permits a flexible member to be pulled outside its housing and remain outside the housing without a rewind force on the flexible member simply by pulling on the flexible member and releasing it. The flexible member is rewound into the housing simply by pulling and releasing it again.

The present invention improves upon currently available rewind mechanisms by reliably permitting tension on a flexible member to be relieved, and reintroduced, simply by pulling on the flexible member.
Many applications where a flexible member is pulled from its housing require the flexible member to remain outside the housing for a period of time. These applications also require the flexible member to be retracted into the housing at a later time. Examples include retractable cords on items such as a computer mouse or a vacuum cleaner; earphones connected to an MP3 player or other audio/video device; air hoses; garden hoses; tether lines such as a writing implement retained on a string; display screens; window blinds; electrical power cords and tape measures.
A common need among the above examples is a user's desire to pull a length of the flexible member from the housing. Users also want the pulled length to remain outside the housing without any tension on the flexible member while the user uses either the flexible member itself or something attached to the flexible member. However, the flexible member is most neatly stored within its housing and users desire the flexible member to return to the housing when they are finished using the flexible member or item attached to the flexible member. Ideally, the flexible member automatically rewinds into its housing when a user is finished with the flexible member.
Currently available rewind mechanisms typically operate in one of three manners. The first manner is a rewind mechanism requiring manual rewinding. For example, many chalk lines used in construction to mark a straight line require a user to turn a small crank in order to rewind the chalk line into its housing. Extraordinarily long tape measures, garden hose reels and some air hose reels also require manual cranking in order to return the flexible member to its housing. The disadvantage of such a manner is two-fold. First, it requires a user to be proximate the housing in order to rewind the flexible member, and second it often requires two hands and is slow.
The second manner constantly exerts a rewind, or retraction, force on a flexible member—typically by increasingly tensioning a torsion spring as a flexible member is pulled out of the rewind mechanism's housing. Clothesline retraction mechanisms often operate in such a manner as well as some air hose mechanisms and tether lines. The obvious drawback is that a user is constantly fighting the rewind force while using the flexible member.
Tape measures also fall into this category. Most tape measures overcome the constant exertion of the retraction force through a mechanical slide which is operated as a brake on the flexible member to prevent its rewind. The main disadvantages with such a mechanical brake on the flexible member are that it tends to wear, becoming less effective over time, and it requires dexterity to operate with one hand, or if hands are too small, two hands (one to hold the housing and the other to operate the brake).
The third manner of operation for rewind mechanisms is to automatically interrupt the retraction force when a user stops pulling on the flexible member. The retraction force is typically created similarly to the retraction force used in the second manner of rewind mechanisms, namely by increasingly tensioning a torsion spring as the flexible member is pulled from its housing. These devices also reintroduce the retraction force when the user pulls on the flexible member a second time, thus providing one-handed retraction.
The drawback with current devices falling into the third manner is that they are not reliable. Current devices are delicate and may work for a limited number of iterations before breaking down, resulting in a constant retraction force exerted on the flexible member. Or, they do not work reliably at all because they require a specific orientation to function while a user requires the device to be in a different orientation.
An exemplary device for the third manner is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,346 ("'346 patent") to Park. The device disclosed in the '346 patent contains a torsion spring 400 which exerts a retraction force on flexible member 500 when it is pulled from housing 130, 140. A ball 300 acts in combination with track 170 to interrupt the retraction force from acting on flexible member 500 and to reintroduce the retraction force to rewind flexible member 500 in response to a user pulling on flexible member 500.
As described in the '346 patent the ball 300 is free-floating, that is not guided by a spring force or otherwise. Operation of the '346 patent's device thus relies upon the unguided ball 300 correctly moving through track 170, making the device susceptible to unreliability. For example, any wear in the track 170 (generally a low density material such as plastic) affects how ball 300 (generally made of metal or other dense material) moves and may prevent ball 300 from being in the correct portion of track 170 at any given time. Or, if stop area 174 wears, ball 300 will not be able to prevent the rewinding of flexible member 500.
Another example of unreliability is if the device disclosed in the '346 patent is tilted or upside down. The '346 patent's device is designed to operate optimally when track 170 is orthogonal to gravitational forces. Orienting the device other than orthogonally to gravitational forces may cause the ball 300 to rest in one portion of track 170, or if upside down may decrease the frictional forces acting on the ball 300 to the point where it does not move through track 170 at all. The frictional forces on ball 300 are also a function of how tightly housing halves 130, 140 are compressed together—not enough compression leaves ball 300 too free and prevents its proper movement through track 170, whereas too much compression keeps ball 300 stopped in one place and may cause the device to "seize."
Other devices displaying the third manner of operation, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,318,665 to King, 5,481,607 to Hsiao, 2,521,178 to Meleth and U.S. Published App. No. 2005/0011982 to Salentine et al. have a fairly complex arrangement of levers, stops and springs which are prone to breaking or wearing to the point where they no longer function properly.
The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,697 to ("'697 patent") provides a mechanism that prevents a flexible member from being rewound until a user desires. However, the '697 patent's device does not operate simply by pulling on the flexible member. It requires a user to tilt engaging member 60 into a lock position and out of the lock position. Additionally, engaging member 60 contacts ratchet wheel 50 while the flexible member is being pulled, thus causing excessive wear to engaging member 60 and ratchet wheel 50.


An airborne exploration system used with an aircraft for exploration of oil and gas, mineral deposits and aquifers. The survey system uses natural electromagnetic EM fields as an energy source. The exploration system includes at least one non-directional, wideband, total electric field, water sensor. The water sensor includes a water container filled with water and adapted for mounting on an aircraft. The water container has a pair of conductive metal bands mounted around opposite ends thereof. The metal bands provide a capacitive electrical coupling with the water in the container. The water container has a diameter substantial the size as a length of the container. Therefore, the sensor responds to an electric field substantially independent of the relative orientation of the electric field. The bands are electrically connected to a computer data processing unit mounted on the aircraft. The data processing unit is used for receiving and processing valuable and anomalous electric field data from the water sensor when flying over a potential oil, gas or mineral prospect.

(a) Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to an airborne survey aircraft for recording electric fields generated in the ground by a flow of telluric currents and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a non-contact, airborne, remote sensing electric field exploration system for exploration of oil and gas and mineral deposits using the telluric currents as an energy source.
(b) Discussion of the Prior Art
The subject invention is based on the presences within the earth's crust of high amplitude, low frequency, telluric currents. These currents are induced into the earth by similar high amplitude, low frequency, magnetelluric fields. The telluric currents originate from an interaction between charged particles in the solar wind with the earth's magnetic fields. These effects are described in more detail in various geophysical literature and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,002,349 and 6,765,383. Also, telluric currents produce charge polarization effects that occur at all contrasting conductivity boundaries. Such contrasting boundaries are found to be very strong across economic deposits such as oil and gas fields and sulfide mineralization. For this reason, large and anomalous electric field responses are generated in the secondary electric fields over these deposits. The subject invention is used to measure these electric field responses.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,002,349 to the subject inventor, a remote sensing electric field exploration survey system is disclosed and used with aircraft for shallow and deep exploration for oil and gas, mineral deposits and aquifers. The survey system uses natural electromagnetic EM fields as an energy source and includes housing pods with electric dipoles oriented in an X, Y and Z axis. The housing pods can be mounted on wing tips, a tail boom and other aircraft housing locations. The electric dipoles are connected to an angular motion detector and a total field magnetometer. An airborne data processing unit is connected to the dipoles, the motion detector and the magnetometer for storing angular motion measurements, storing low frequency magnetic measurements and measuring electric fields in a frequency range of 0.1 Hz to 3.0 Hz.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,765,383 to the subject inventor, a magnetotelluric geophysical survey system is described using an aircraft survey bird. The survey system uses natural electromagnetic EM fields as an energy source. The system includes the survey bird with electric dipoles, an angular motion detector and an airborne data recording system.
The subject exploration survey system described herein provides a unique airborne, exploration survey system using a water sensor for wideband electric field detection for oil, gas and mineral deposit exploration along with aquifer detection not disclosed in the above mentioned patents.

Airborne remote sensing electric field exploration system


A constructible playhouse may include interchangeable floors, ceilings, posts, and walls. The floors and ceilings may be a plurality of identical plates that may be connected together or stacked in a variety of ways using the posts. The plates may further include channel grooves in which additional accessories and add-ons may connect. The present invention may be easily assembled and disassembled for easy storage and portability.

The present invention relates to a constructible playhouse and, more particularly, to a playhouse that may be easily constructed and accessorized.
A dollhouse or doll's house is a toy home, made in miniature. For the last century, dollhouses have primarily been the domain of children but their collection and crafting is also a hobby for many adults. Currently, dollhouses have a preset layout, limiting the creativity of the user. Further, the dollhouses cannot be disassembled and are therefore difficult to store. Dollhouses are primarily for girls and are normally disposed of or not used once the girl matures.
As can be seen, there is a need for a gender neutral playhouse that may be easily constructed and accessorized.


In a data processing system, a document transmission apparatus capable of transmitting acquired data, a computer system including a data management unit for storing and managing data and a data storage unit for performing a process of causing to store the data transmitted from the document transmission apparatus in the data management unit, and an information processing terminal to be used by a user are connected through a network. In this system, the data storage unit comprises a storage destination acquisition unit adapted to acquire storage destination information of the data stored by the data management unit, from the data management unit, and a notification unit adapted to transmit, to the information processing terminal, a notification to which the storage destination information acquired by the storage destination acquisition unit has been added. Thus, it is possible to reduce a load on the network and improve security.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing system and a data processing method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a data processing system which includes a data transmission apparatus capable of transmitting acquired data, a data storage apparatus for storing received data, an a client apparatus for acquiring the data stored in the data storage apparatus, a data storage method which is applicable to the data storage apparatus in the data processing system, a recording medium which stores a program to achieve the data storage method, and the program itself.
2. Related Background Art
In a conventional data storage system which stores data of documents and images, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of a document stored in a box (memory) of an apparatus such as a multifunction device or the like having a scan function and a facsimile reception function is directly notified to a user by an electronic mail, or a URL of a document temporarily stored based on a document storage application up and running in a computer is notified to a user. Besides, for example, a URL of an image stored from a device such as a digital camera into a web server is notified to a user by the web server through an electronic mail (e.g., International Publication No. WO 97/38510).
However, in the conventional data storage system described as above, in the case where the document is stored in the box of the apparatus or the document is stored based on the document storage application, because the capacity of the box of the apparatus or the capacity of the document storage area for the document storage application is limited, it is necessary for the user to extract the document stored in the box or to transfer the document to a document management application up and running in another computer, whereby traffic of a communication network increases.
Further, in the case where the image is stored in the web server, when it is constructed that a web server option is added to the document storage application, it cannot cope with a case where there is no web server. That is, when there is no web server, a useless mail having no URL is delivered to the user.
Furthermore, in the case where the image is stored in the web server, the mail is transmitted to the user stored in the web server or to the partner designated by the stored user. That is, access authority of the destination to which the image is stored is not considered.
Thus, the load on the communication network concerning transmission/reception of the stored documents, the stored images and the like is large, and security is weak, whereby there is still room for improvement in the above related background art.

Data processing system including data transmission apparatus, data storage apparatus and client apparatus


Provided are a semiconductor memory device having a source synchronous interface capable of reducing jitter while minimizing overhead and a clocking method thereof. The semiconductor memory device comprises a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit receiving a first external clock signal for a command and address signal and generating a first internal clock signal, a first delay locked loop (DLL) circuit receiving a second external clock signal for predetermined bits of data and the first internal clock signal and generating a second internal clock signal locked to the second external clock signal, and a second DLL circuit receiving a third external clock signal for the remaining bits of the data and the first internal clock signal and generating a third internal clock signal locked to the third external clock signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device having a source synchronous interface, and more particularly, to a semiconductor memory device having a low jitter source synchronous interface and a clocking method for reducing jitter.
2. Description of the Related Art
When data is transmitted between semiconductor devices, jitter restrains the transmission speed. To solve this problem, a source synchronous interface is used, which is generally referred to as forwarded clocking. A synchronous interface technique is disclosed in US 2002/0075980 A1.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional source synchronous interface method. Referring to FIG. 1, a transmitter TX 100 transmits a clock signal CLK along with data DATA to a receiver RX 110. In the transmitter 110, a circuit 11 transmitting the data DATA and a circuit 13 transmitting the clock signal CLK have the same configuration. A line transferring the data DATA and a line transferring the clock signal CLK are constructed in the same manner on a PCB.
The receiver 110 uses a phase locked loop (PLL) or a delay locked loop (DLL) 17 in order to perform a locking operation, generate a multi-phase clock signal and generate a high-frequency clock signal when receiving the clock signal CLK and generating an internal clock signal ICLK. A data receiving circuit 15 included in the receiver 100 receives the data DATA in response to the internal clock signal ICLK.
When the circuit illustrated in FIG. 1 is a memory system, the transmitter 100 corresponds to a memory controller and the receiver 110 corresponds to a memory device.
In the aforementioned source synchronous interface method, when jitter is applied to the line transferring the data DATA, similar jitter is applied to the line transferring the clock signal CLK. The influence of jitter is eliminated when the receiver 100 samples the data DATA using the received clock signal CLK. Accordingly, a data transfer rate may be increased.
When a PLL is used for a source synchronous interface, common mode jitter between data and a clock signal is removed only at frequencies lower than the bandwidth of the PLL although jitter of a clock signal having a high-frequency higher than the bandwidth of the PLL is eliminated. When a DLL is used for the source synchronous interface, the common mode jitter between the data and the clock signal is removed even at frequencies higher than the bandwidth of the DLL. However, a phase difference between the data and the clock signal may be generated due to a delay time of the DLL. This may cause jitter larger than the jitter generated when the PLL is used.
In other words, when a PLL is used at frequencies higher than a predetermined high frequency and a DLL is used at frequencies lower than the predetermined high frequency in the source synchronous interface, jitter between the data and the clock signal can be reduced at the receiver side.

Semiconductor memory device having low jitter source synchronous interface and clocking method thereof


An abrasive grain for use as a grinding material comprising alpha-alumina crystal particles substantially smaller than 0.5 microns, solidly dissolved with at least one of Ti, Mn, V, Ga, Zn and Rh, and with an a-axis length of the hexagonal unit cell of the alpha-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 from 4.75892 to 4.76340 angstroms when measured by a powder X-ray diffraction method, and a density of more than 90% of the theoretical value, and an abrasive grain for a grinding material, comprising alpha-alumina crystal particles substantially less than 0.5 microns, solidly dissolved with at least one of Mg, Ni and Co, and with an a-axis length of the hexagonal unit cell of the alpha-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 from 4.75930 to 4.76340 .ANG. when measured by a powder X-ray diffraction method, and a density of more than 90% of the theoretical value, and further, a grinding wheel and coated cloth manufactured from these abrasive grains.

A manufacturing method of an abrasive polycrystalline sintered ceramic grain for grinding, using high-density alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3) as a base material and a sol/gel manufacturing process, is well-known. Patent application JPA 56-32369 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,397 and EP-A-24099) describes that an alumina hydrate may be gelled together with a precursor comprising at least one kind of reforming component, then dried and sintered. The reforming component used in this case includes oxides of Co, Hf, Mg, Ni, Zn and Zr. Patent application JP-A-60-231462 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,364 and EP- A-152768) describes a sol/gel method for accelerating the manufacture of high-density alumina by adding alpha-alumina seed crystals, which may be added to the sol as a crystal growth control agent comprising oxides of Si, Cr, Mg and Zr.
Patent application JP-A-61-254685 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,802 and EP-A-200487) states a method for adding alpha-alumina, alpha-ferric oxide, or their precursors into a sol as a nucleating agent, and includes a statement that the gel contains precursors of oxides of Mg, Zn, Co, Ni, Zr, Hf, Cr and Ti.
Although producing a sintered alumina abrasive grain by a sol/gel process yields strong fine abrasive polycrystal grains, the crystal size of the grain is coarse and does not have uniform size without addition. Therefore, the grain is improved by adding reforming components, such as MgO and ZrO.sub.2, into the alumina sol material, as described above. However, because low-hardness substances like spinel, are formed in the grain boundary of the polycrystalline abrasive grain, the average hardness and strength of the abrasive grain could be improved even further. Although the hardness of the grain has been addressed to some extent by these methods, further improvements are both possible and desirable.

Abrasive grain and manufacture for the same


An authentication method and system, includes a display to present interactive three-dimensional (3D) virtual environments. The manner or sequence in which a user interacts with objects in the interactive 3D environment is used to form their passcode. The entered passcode is then compared with a previously stored or “set” passcode to determine whether the user is authenticated and permitted to access content controlled by the authentication process.

Current authentication methods have largely relied on passwords, which are based on a user's knowledge of facts, information or secrets. In the case of alphanumeric passwords, they are susceptible to being easily forgotten or lost by a user, especially after a long period of time. In addition, traditional alphanumeric passwords can become so unwieldy in their length and complexity that it is impossible to memorize them, in addition to being frustrating to input. Furthermore, the sheer number of passwords that are needed to access various computing devices, such as smartphones, and various content/data, such as video content and banking data, makes the use of alphanumeric passwords cumbersome and tedious. Alphanumeric passwords also suffer from security issues, such as being susceptible to shoulder-surfing attacks in which third-party observers seek to identify the password by looking over the shoulder of the individual entering the password.
In order to overcome the drawbacks of alphanumeric passwords, graphical passwords have also been developed, as it was thought that visual data is easier to remember and recognize than alphanumeric characters or words formed therefrom. However, graphical passwords still suffer from many of the drawbacks of alphanumeric passwords, including that posed by shoulder-surfing attacks for example.
Thus, given the difficulty users have in remembering and using alphanumeric/graphical passwords, as well as the susceptibility such passwords have to security attacks, it would be desirable to have an authentication method that overcomes these deficiencies.
Therefore, there is a need for authentication methods and systems using interactive three-dimensional (3D) environments in which a passcode is based on a user's navigation and/or interaction within a 3D environment, which allows the resulting passcode to be: input with minimal time and effort, so as to have enhanced usability; readily remembered by the user, even after a long period of time, so as to have enhanced memorability; and difficult to guess or predict by third parties, so as to have enhanced security.

Authentication methods and systems using interactive three-dimensional environments


An image forming apparatus having an image bearing member on which an electrostatic image is formed, a first developer carrying member carrying a developer thereon, and a second developer carrying member disposed downstream of the first developer carrying member with respect to the direction of movement of the image bearing member, and designed such that one and the same electrostatic image on the image bearing member is developed with the developer carried on these developer carrying members, has a developer consumption mode in which during the other time than ordinary image formation, the developer borne on the first and second developer carrying members is shifted to the image bearing member, and during this developer consumption mode, control is effected so that the amount of developer consumed from the second developer carrying member to the image bearing member may be greater than the amount of developer consumed from the first developer carrying member to the image bearing member.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of being used in a printer, a copying machine or a facsimile apparatus of an electrophotographic type.
2. Related Background Art
In Japanese Patent Publication No. S62-45552, Japanese Patent No. 2878322 and Japanese Patent No. 2978556, there is disclosed a developing apparatus having a plurality of developing sleeves provided in opposed relationship with an electrophotographic photosensitive member. When a plurality of developing sleeves are used, development by the respective developing sleeves becomes possible at a plurality of developing positions and therefore, the amount of toner which contributes to the development of an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member can be increased. When the amount of toner contributes to development is great, it becomes easy to increase the density of a toner image.
Such a developing apparatus can secure a sufficient developing property even if the developing sleeves are not rotated at a high speed and therefore, is suited for a high-speed image forming apparatus. As the plurality of developing sleeves, two developing sleeves are popular by the reason that the complication of the construction of the developing apparatus is avoided. The two developing sleeves are disposed on the upstream side and downstream side, respectively, along the direction of rotation of the photosensitive member.
On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-172027, there is proposed a consumption mode in which a toner near a developing sleeve is discharged to an electrophotographic photosensitive member except during image formation (during non-image formation). As the purposes of executing the consumption mode, mention may be made of realizing a longer life of the developing apparatus within a long-period range, and improving a cleaning property by the supply of the toner to other portions, such as a transferring portion and a cleaner portion in the image forming apparatus, than the developing apparatus.
Now, in the developing apparatus having two developing sleeves opposed to the photosensitive member, the consumption rate of a developer per sheet of image individually differs depending on the developing condition of the developing sleeve on the upstream side and the developing condition of the developing sleeve on the downstream side. Also, the consumption rate of the developer per sheet of image, even when the developing conditions of the developing sleeves on the upstream side and the downstream side are the same, may differ depending on the coverage rate of an image outputted. In the case of the output of a solid image, however, the consumption rate of the developer becomes a substantially constant rate.
Generally, the consumption rate of the developer tends to be higher on the upstream side than on the downstream side. This is because although on the upstream side, the toner does not adhere to an electrostatic latent image carried to a developing position, the toner has already adhered to the electrostatic latent image when carried to a developing position on the downstream side on the upstream side and therefore, the intensity of an electric field for making the toner adhere is correspondingly low. Also, another reason is that the time required for the electrostatic latent image to arrive at the developing position is longer on the downstream side than on the upstream side and therefore, a minute reduction in the potential of the latent image with the lapse of time which is called the dark attenuation of the photosensitive member becomes great. If the toner is made to fly on the upstream side and a small amount of toner is added on the downstream side and at the same time, the action of putting the toner on the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member in order is given, the consumption rate on the upstream side tends to become greater than that on the downstream side, when viewed also from the characteristic that an image of a high quality is obtained.
However, when the consumption rate of the developer is greater by the developing sleeve on the upstream side than by the developing sleeve on the downstream side, the following problem arises.
When images are confirmed within a long-period range, there occurs the inconvenience that the output density is lowered or the fog phenomenon increases. The reason for this is that on the downstream side, the photosensitive member to which the toner has adhered is rotated from the upstream side and therefore, including the fact that part of the toner having adhered on the upstream side is stripped off, the toner consumption rate on the downstream side is lower than the toner consumption rate on the upstream side. Therefore, the toner consumption rate near the developing sleeve on the downstream side is small as compared with the upstream side, and only the appropriately charged toner becomes liable to be consumed, and the relatively inappropriate toner comes to be gradually accumulated near the developing sleeve on the downstream side. Here, the relatively inappropriate toner (faulty toner) means a toner of a composition ratio which is not in the initial toner, and for example, in the case of a one-component magnetic toner, it is the phenomenon that the ratio of an abrasive material or a charge controlling agent as an extraneous additive becomes great or small as compared with the initial toner, or the phenomenon that the mean particle diameter of the toner becomes great or bipolar as compared with the initial stage. Also, when the toner consumption amount decreases, the amount of toner stagnating near the developing sleeve becomes great, and this sometimes leads to a case where the toner receives the heat in the interior of the image forming apparatus or stress such as the frictional contact by the rotation of the developing sleeve, and becomes different in developing characteristic from the initial toner. As the overall result of these, there arises the problem in a long-period range that the output density is lowered or the fog phenomenon increases.

Image forming apparatus with a developer consumption control feature


The present invention relates to a method for synthesizing a semiconducting nanosized material.

Quantum dots have large potential for use in display technologies due to their high quantum yields and narrow emission line-widths, which allow a large colour gamut to be attained. Cadmium based quantum dots have traditionally given the highest quantum yields and the lowest emission line-widths. However, recent health and safety regulations have limited the use of cadmium and so cadmium free alternatives are preferred.
Unfortunately, the leading cadmium free alternative, InP, shows significantly larger line widths than cadmium based materials. Spectroscopic evidence of single InP quantum dot line widths show that they are comparable to cadmium based materials. This fact suggests that the cause of the large line-widths exhibited by InP based quantum dots ensembles is the inhomogeneous broadening stemming from the large size distribution of the InP quantum dots. The inhomogeneous broadening in InP has two contributing factors one is the use of the highly reactive tris(trimethylsilyl)phoshine (PTMS) as the phosphorous precursor in most syntheses. The reactivity of the PTMS makes it hard to separate the nucleation and growth stages which is necessary to produce quantum dots with tight size distributions like those achieved with cadmium based materials.
Due to this most syntheses of InP core/shell dots give an FWHM for the final photoluminescence peak of >40 nm. One paper by X. Yang et al. gives an FWHM of 38 nm1. In these syntheses the FWHM of the final core/shell is largely determined by the size distribution of the InP cores and this ultimately limits the FWHM breadth.
Similarly, a document published by P. Ramasamy et al. discloses core/shell quantum dots having an InZnP core2.
On top of this the quantum yield of the final InP/ZnS or InP/ZnSe quantum dots is partially determined by the lattice mismatch between the InP core and the ZnS or ZnSe shell. This mismatch can be tuned by controlling the amount of zinc in the InP core3.
Recently a method for synthesizing InP quantum dots is reported4. This method uses InP magic sized clusters (MSCs) as single source precursors (SSP) instead of the PTMS and indium-carboxylate.

Method for synthesizing a semiconducting nanosized material


A method is provided for writing a scalar value to a vector V1 without reading the vector from a storage device. A scalar value to be written into the vector at a specified position and a scalar value (index) representing such position are read from a storage device into an Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) of a vector processor. The ALU then generates another vector V2 having multiple copies of the scalar value to be written into V1. ALU also generates a mask representing the index. The vector V2 is then delivered to the storage storing V1, but the mask is applied so that only one or more, but not all, copies of the scalar value are written from V2 to the storage. The rest of the vector V1 remains unchanged. The invention reduces register file read contention. Furthermore, if the updated V1 (i.e. V1 having the scalar value) is to be used in the next instruction, a copy of V1 is read from the storage and is updated from V2 and the mask, simultaneously with V1 being updated in the storage. Thus, the updated V1 need not be read from the storage.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates generally to computer methods for vector processing and specifically to methods for writing a scalar value to a vector stored in a computer system.
2. Description of Related Art
Several applications such as 3-D graphics, medical imaging and scientific modelling require modern computers to be able to operate on vectors.
In some computer systems, the process of substituting a single element of a vector is carried out by first reading a vector from storage, modifying the vector and then writing the entire vector back to the storage. FIG. 1 shows a typical prior art microprocessor 100 having an ALU 110 whose output is connected to a register bank 130 via an on-chip bus 120. The register bank 130 is, in turn, connected to the inputs of ALU 110 via buses 140 and 150.
To replace an element of a vector 160 stored in register 170, the contents of register 170 are first read onto bus 140 to be fed to input 180 of ALU 110. Similarly, scalar element 165 stored in register 175 is read onto bus 150 to be fed to input 190 of ALU 110. A second scalar value 167, stored in register 172 and representing the position at which scalar element 165 is to be inserted into vector 160, must also be read from register bank 130 onto ALU 110. ALU 110 then copies scalar element 165 into a specified position of vector 160 and the modified vector is written out to on-chip bus 120 to be written back to register 170.
As vector processing becomes more and more common in modern computers for such applications as 3D-graphics, medical imaging and scientific modelling, it becomes increasingly desirable to replace vector elements fast.
In FIG. 1, three operands are read from the register bank 130 to the ALU 110. Register bank 130 has only two output ports and, therefore, two clock cycles are required to read all three operands from the register bank 130, in addition to a third cycle to replace the element in the vector in the ALU 110 and a fourth cycle to write the vector back into the register 170.

Computer methods for writing a scalar value to a vector