A reactor for electroplating a workpiece includes a vessel having a ring contact arranged to support a workpiece in a horizontal orientation. In an embodiment of the invention, an electrode is arranged below the ring contact, and a pressing member is arranged above the ring contact to press a workpiece into electrical engagement with the ring contact. The vessel may be adapted to contain an electroplating fluid between a top of the ring contact and the electrode. In one embodiment, a movable intermediate workpiece support assembly is carried by the vessel, the support assembly being actuatable to lower a workpiece carried thereby to deliver the workpiece to be supported accurately and precisely on the ring contact.

In the production of semiconductor integrated circuits and other semiconductor articles from semiconductor wafers, it is often necessary to provide multiple metal layers on the wafer to serve as interconnect metallization which electrically connect the various devices on the integrated circuit to one another. Traditionally, aluminum has been used for such interconnects, however, it is now recognized that copper metallization may be preferable.
The semiconductor manufacturing industry has applied copper onto semiconductor wafers by using a "damascene" electroplating process where holes, commonly called "vias", trenches or other recesses are formed onto a substrate and into which copper is filled. In the damascene process, the wafer is first provided with a metallic seed layer which is used to conduct electrical current during a subsequent metal electroplating step. The seed layer is a very thin layer of metal which can be applied using one or more of several processes. For example, the seed layer of metal can be laid down using physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition processes to produce a layer on the order of 1,000 angstroms thick. The seed layer can advantageously be formed of copper, gold, nickel, palladium, or other metals. The seed layer is formed over a surface which is convoluted by the presence of the vias, trenches, or other recessed device features.
A copper layer is then electroplated onto the seed layer in the form of a blanket layer. The blanket layer is plated to an extent which forms an overlying layer, with the goal of providing a copper layer that fills the trenches and vias and extends a certain amount above these features. Such a blanket layer will typically be formed in thicknesses on the order of 10,000 to 15,000 angstroms (1–1.5 microns).
After the blanket layer has been electroplated onto the semiconductor wafer, excess metal material present outside of the vias, trenches, or other recesses is removed. The metal is removed to provide a resulting pattern of metal layer in the semiconductor integrated circuit being formed. The excess plated material can be removed, for example, using chemical mechanical planarization. Chemical mechanical planarization is a processing step which uses the combined action of a chemical removal agent and an abrasive which grinds and polishes the exposed metal surface to remove undesired parts of the metal layer applied in the electroplating step.
The electroplating of semiconductor wafers takes place in a reactor assembly. In such an assembly, an anode electrode is disposed in a plating bath, and the wafer with the seed layer thereon is used as a cathode. Commonly, only a lower face of the wafer contacts the surface of the plating bath. The wafer is held by a support system that also conducts the requisite cathode current to the wafer. The support system may comprise conductive fingers that secure the wafer in place and also contact the wafer in order to conduct electrical current for the plating operation.
One embodiment of a reactor assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,985,126, entitled "Semiconductor Plating System Workpiece Support Having Workpiece-Engaging Electrodes With Distal Contact Part And Dielectric Cover," which is herein incorporated by reference.
FIG. 1 illustrates such a reactor assembly 10 for electroplating a metal, such as copper, onto a semiconductor wafer. The assembly 10 includes a reactor vessel 11 and a processing or reactor head 12. The vessel includes an electroplating bowl assembly 14.
As shown in FIG. 1, the electroplating bowl assembly 14 includes a cup assembly 16 which is disposed within a reservoir chamber 18. Cup assembly 16 includes a fluid cup 20 holding the electroplating fluid for the electroplating process. The cup assembly of the illustrated embodiment also has a depending skirt 26 which extends below a cup bottom 30 and may have flutes open therethrough for fluid communication and release of any gas that might collect as the reservoir chamber fills with liquid. The cup can be made from polypropylene or other suitable material.
A bottom opening in the bottom wall 30 of the cup assembly 16 receives a polypropylene riser tube 34 which is adjustable in height relative thereto by a threaded connection between the bottom wall 30 and the tube 34. A fluid delivery tube 44 is disposed within the riser tube 34. A first end of the delivery tube 44 is secured by a threaded connection 45 to the rear portion of an anode shield 40 which carries an anode 42. The delivery tube 44 supports the anode within the cup. The fluid delivery tube 44 is secured to the riser tube 34 by a fitting 50. The fitting 50 can accommodate height adjustment of the delivery tube 44 within the riser tube. As such, the connection between the fitting 50 and the riser tube 34 facilitates vertical adjustment of the delivery tube and thus the anode vertical position. The delivery tube 44 can be made from a conductive material, such as titanium, and is used to conduct electrical current to the anode 42 as well as to supply electroplating fluid to the cup.
Electroplating fluid is provided to the cup through the delivery tube 44 and proceeds therefrom through fluid outlet openings 56. Electroplating fluid fills the cup through the openings 56, supplied from a electroplating fluid pump (not shown).
An upper edge of the cup side wall 60 forms a weir which limits the level of electroplating fluid or process fluid within the cup. This level is chosen so that only the bottom surface of the wafer W is contacted by the electroplating fluid. Excess fluid pours over this top edge into the reservoir chamber 18. The level of fluid in the chamber 18 can be maintained within a desired range for stability of operation by monitoring and controlling the fluid level with sensors and actuators. One configuration includes sensing a high level condition using an appropriate switch 63 and then draining fluid through a drain line controlled by a control valve (not shown). The out flow fluid from chamber 18 can be returned to a suitable reservoir. The fluid can then be treated with additional plating chemicals or other constituents of the plating or other process liquid, and used again.
A diffusion plate 66 is provided above the anode 42 for providing a more even distribution of the fluid plating bath across the surface of wafer W. Fluid passages in the form of perforations are provided over all, or a portion of, the diffusion plate 66 to allow fluid communication therethrough. The height of the diffusion plate within the cup assembly is adjustable using threaded diffusion plate height adjustment mechanisms 70.
The anode shield 40 is secured to the underside of the consumable anode 42 using anode shield fasteners 74. The anode shield prevents direct impingement on the anode by the plating solution as the solution passes into the processing chamber. The anode shield 40 and anode shield fasteners 74 can be made from a dielectric material, such as polyvinylidene fluoride or polypropylene. The anode shield serves to electrically isolate and physically protect the backside or the anode. It also reduces the consumption of organic plating fluid additives.
The processing head 12 holds a wafer W for rotation about a vertical axis R within the processing chamber. The processing head 12 includes a rotor assembly having a plurality of wafer-engaging fingers 89 that hold the wafer against holding features of the rotor. Fingers 89 are preferably adapted to conduct current between the wafer and a plating electrical power supply and act as current thieves. Portions of the processing head 12 may mate with the processing bowl assembly 14 to provide a substantially closed processing volume 13.
The processing head 12 can be supported by a head operator. The head operator can include an upper portion which is adjustable in elevation to allow height adjustment of the processing head. The head operator also can have a head connection shaft which is operable to pivot the head 12 about a horizontal pivot axis. Pivotal action of the processing head using the operator allows the processing head to be placed in an open or face-up position (not shown) for loading and unloading wafer W with a surface-to-be-processed in a face-up orientation.
Processing exhaust gas may be removed from the volume 13 through an exhaust system. FIG. 1 illustrates an outer vessel side wall 76 which extends upwardly from the vessel base plate 75 to a top end into which is nested an intermediate exhaust ring 77 having circumferentially spaced-apart slots 78 therethrough. The slots 78 communicate exhaust gas from inside the vessel 13 to a thin annular plenum 79 located between the intermediate exhaust ring 77 and the outer bowl side wall 76. Surrounding the outer bowl side wall 76 is a vessel ring assembly 80 which forms with the side wall 76 an external, annular collection chamber 81. Gas which is collected in the plenum 79 passes through intermittent orifices 82 and into the annular collection chamber 81. Gas collected in the collection chamber 81 is passed through an exhaust nozzle 83 to be collected and recycled.
The reactor assembly 10 of FIG. 1 can be used reliably in electroplating semiconductor wafers. However, the reactor head 12 is relatively expensive to manufacture. The reactor head 12 is adapted to move vertically, to rotate about a horizontal axis to facilitate loading and unloading wafers W, and to rotate about a vertical axis R to spin the wafer W during plating. Delivering electroplating power from an external power supply (not shown) to the fingers 89 of the reactor head 12 requires relatively complex, expensive electrical connections such as slip ring contacts. If the wafer W could be held stationary with respect to the electroplating bowl assembly 14, the reactor head 12 could be simplified by eliminating the motor used to rotate the wafer W about the axis R. The series of spaced-apart fingers 89 deliver adequate electroplating power to the wafer W. The relatively small contact area between the fingers 89 and the wafer can lead to localized variations in the electroplating power across the surface of the wafer, though, making it more difficulty to ensure good plating uniformity.


A motor which has an improved energy efficiency, is excellent in practical use and has a generator function at the same time. The motor is provided with a basic factor 15 having working surfaces 55a and 55c on both sides thereof, respectively, and movable members 57 made of a magnetic material and arranged opposite to the working surfaces, respectively. Further, the basic factor 15 is provided with an electromagnet element 17 and permanent magnets 19 arranged on both sides thereof through contact surfaces, respectively, and the working surfaces and the contact surfaces are held opposite to each other through the permanent magnets 19, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rotary type motors or stepping motors which utilize a hybrid type magnet called a basic factor and which are driven by a DC pulsating current.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. H11-214217 (214217/1999) discloses a hybrid type magnet. This hybrid type magnet is called a basic factor and forms a closed magnetic path by an electromagnet formed by winding an exciting coil about the center of a U-shaped member and an engaging member comprising magnetic members arranged on both ends of a permanent magnet. Further, a movable member made of a soft magnetic material is arranged in opposite relationship with the outer surface of the engaging member of the hybrid magnet through an air gap.
Where no electrical current is applied to the exciting coil, a magnetic path or circuit is formed in the hybrid magnet by the line of magnetic force of the permanent magnet so that no attractive force generates on the movable member. On the other hand, when an electrical current is applied through the exciting coil so as to form a magnetic path in a direction reverse to the magnetic line of force of the permanent magnet, the magnetic line of force of the permanent magnet does not form a closed magnetic path within the hybrid magnet but generates an attractive force with respect to the movable member by forming a magnetic path through the air gap.
Further, Japanese Patent Application No. H10-321044 (321044/1998) discloses a motor which uses such a hybrid magnet. This motor is provided with a couple of hybrid magnets arranged horizontally in opposite relationship with each other and a slide member disposed between the hybrid magnets. The slide member comprises a non-magnetic member through which rails pass in a direction normal to the opposing direction of the hybrid magnets and is capable of moving in the direction of the rails by attractive force effected by the hybrid magnets.
However, the motor using the conventional hybrid magnets still has had room for its improvement in practical use from the point of view of its energy efficiency.
Further, if the motor using the conventional hybrid magnet is provided with a function serving as a generator, it will be possible to make more effective use of energy.

Motor utilizing basic factor and having generator function


A method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence device whereby an encapsulating layer is formed by coating an encapsulating substrate with an encapsulating layer-forming composition and thermally processing the encapsulating substrate. A plasma treatment is performed on the encapsulating substrate having the encapsulating layer. A sealant is applied to at least one of the plasma treated encapsulating substrate and a substrate on which an organic electroluminescent unit including a first electrode, an organic layer, and a second electrode, which are sequentially stacked, is deposited. The sealing substrate and the substrate on which the organic electroluminescent unit is deposited are combined. Contaminants generated around the encapsulating layer and generated in the thermal process can be effectively removed by the cleaning process using plasma. Therefore, the interfacial adhesion between the sealant and the substrate is greatly improved, thereby preventing permeation of external air, moisture, etc., into the device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic electroluminescence device, and more particularly, to an organic electroluminescence device with improved interfacial adhesion between a substrate and a sealant.
2. Description of the Related Art
Organic electroluminescence devices are deteriorated by moisture. Thus, a passivation structure for preventing moisture permeation is required.
In a conventional sealing structure, a metal can or a glass plate is processed into a cap having grooves, and a moisture-absorbing desiccant in powder form is loaded into the grooves. Alternatively, a film type desiccant is attached using a double-sided tape.
However, the method of loading the desiccant in powder form into the grooves is complicated and raises costs. In addition, the overall thickness of a substrate becomes thick, and the substrate used for passivation is not transparent so that it cannot be used for front emission. A metal can used for passivation is structurally rigid, whereas an etched glass is structurally fragile and is easily damaged by external impacts. When passivation is achieved using the film type desiccant, the permeation of moisture cannot be completely prevented, and the structure is likely to be broken by external impacts in a manufacturing process or in use. Therefore, passivation using the desiccant film is not suitable for mass production due to poor durability and low reliability.
Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. hei 9-148066 discloses an organic electroluminescence display device including a stacked structure with an organic emissive material layer interposed between a pair of opposing electrodes, a container sealing the stacked structure, and a desiccant such as an alkali metal compound placed inside the container. However, the organic electroluminescence display device is considerably thick due to the structure of the sealing container. In addition, even though the desiccant remains in a solid state after absorbing moisture, it is opaque and unsuitable for a front emission organic electroluminescence device. In addition, as described above, expensive materials and the complicated manufacturing processes increase the overall costs.
With development of a transparent, moisture-absorbing encapsulating layer for front emission organic electroluminescence devices, processing techniques relevant to the transparent encapsulating layer are being considered to be important. Among currently available transparent, moisture-absorbing encapsulating layer manufacturing techniques, a method of filling a glass cap with a liquid transparent moisture-absorbing material and calcinating it to form a coated layer is commonly used.
However, according to the conventional method, circumferential contamination occurs when coating the transparent moisture-absorbing material, and outgassing from solvents occurs during the calcinating process. As a result, the interfacial adhesion between the sealant and the glass substrate greatly decreases, thereby fatally affecting the lifetime characteristics of the device.

Method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescent device with an encapsulating substrate


An oil supply system and a method for operating the same to provide oil to a gas turbine engine in a variety of harsh operating conditions is provided. The oil supply system includes a main oil tank and an auxiliary oil tank which share oil through a tank sharing valve that may be closed if a depressurization event occurs in the main oil tank. The oil supply system further includes an auxiliary supply conduit and an auxiliary oil pump for providing oil to the gas turbine engine in the event of main oil tank depressurization or in negative gravity conditions where the oil within the auxiliary oil tank rises to the top of the tank and uncovers the oil pump supply.

A gas turbine engine generally includes a fan and a core arranged in flow communication with one another. Additionally, the core of the gas turbine engine generally includes, in serial flow order, a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section. In operation, air is provided from the fan to an inlet of the compressor section where one or more axial compressors progressively compress the air until it reaches the combustion section. Fuel is mixed with the compressed air and burned within the combustion section to provide combustion gases. The combustion gases are routed from the combustion section to the turbine section. The flow of combustion gases through the turbine section drives the turbine section and is then routed through the exhaust section, e.g., to atmosphere.
Gas turbine engines commonly include various components or subsystems which include moving parts that require frequent or constant lubrication, e.g., via an oil supply. For example, in a particular configuration, the turbine section is mechanically coupled to the compressor section by one or more shafts extending along an axial direction of the gas turbine engine. In addition, a power gear box may be provided to mechanically couple the fan to one of the shafts, e.g., for rotating the fan at a lower speed than the shaft.
To provide such lubrication, gas turbine engines typically include a lubrication system for providing lubricant to one or more portions of the gas turbine engine, such as the compressor and turbine sections of the core and the power gear box. However, typical lubrication systems provide oil from a single tank. Notably, if operating conditions prevent oil from being supplied from the single tank to sensitive engine components, severe part degradation and even engine failure may occur. Thus, for example, when gas turbine engines are used in a military application where potential punctures or depressurizing events of the oil tank are possible, or where negative gravity conditions are relatively common, conventional lubrication systems are often inadequate.
Accordingly, a gas turbine engine with an improved oil supply system would be useful. More specifically, an oil supply system that maintains oil supply to critical portions of a gas turbine engine in even the harshest operating conditions would be particularly beneficial.

Oil supply system for a gas turbine engine


An exhaust gas purification device includes a first catalyst, a second catalyst, a bypass pipe, a hydrocarbon adsorbent, and a switching controller. The first catalyst is provided in an exhaust pipe. The second catalyst is provided downstream of the first catalyst in the exhaust pipe. The bypass pipe branches from a first portion of the exhaust pipe. The first portion is located upstream of the second catalyst. The bypass pipe is recoupled to a second portion of the exhaust pipe. The second portion is located upstream of the second catalyst. The hydrocarbon adsorbent is provided in the bypass pipe. The switching controller is configured to switch a flow path of an exhaust gas to the bypass pipe based on a deterioration degree of the first catalyst.

The disclosure relates to an exhaust gas purification device including a three-way catalyst.
A three-way catalyst is provided in an exhaust pipe of a vehicle in order to remove hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) contained in an exhaust gas (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-253447). The three-way catalyst oxidizes hydrocarbons into water and carbon dioxide (CO2), oxidizes carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide, and reduces nitrogen oxides into nitrogen (N2).


A polyester-based coating composition capable of forming a striated pattern on a metal surface at a film thickness less than half of that of PVC plastisol films is provided by a thixotropic composition having a thix index of from about 1.5 to about 3 and comprising a hydroxy-functional polyester, a thixotropy-inducing rheologic agent and curing agent. The striated coating is applied to sheet metal in a coil coating operation by introducing the composition into a paint pan of a coil coater, transferring said composition from said paint pan to an applicator roll by rotating a pick-up roll in contact with the composition and with said applicator roll; continuously withdrawing a sheet of metal from a coil thereof and coating said sheet by contacting it with the applicator roll; curing the coating on said sheet by passing the sheet through an oven at an elevated temperature; and continuously rewinding said sheet into a coil.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to textured coatings for metal articles. In particular, it relates to polyester-based coatings which offer the appearance of a striated poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) plastisol-based coating. More particularly, this invention relates to coil coating compositions which give a striated pattern simulating a wood grain on aluminum siding.
Thixotropy is the property of a liquid whereby its viscosity decreases as it is stirred at a constant shear rate but increases again to its original value some time after the shear rate is reduced to zero. In the coil coating operation, a coil of sheet metal is uncoiled as it is pulled through a series of rollers, one or more of which is a paint applicator roller, at up to 600 feet per minute. It is then passed through a curing oven and coiled again for the market. The paint is picked up by a roller rotating in the paint pan and transferred to an applicator roller. The thixotropy that is necessary for the formation and retention of the striations must be balanced against the need for recirculation of the paint from the paint pan to a drum from which it was pumped into the pan.

Decorative coating with textured pattern


A noise suppresser is provided which does not generate steady noise generated by a drop in the receiving field strength, pulse-type unsteady noise generated in a multipass environment and the like as well as musical noise due to excessive subtraction and the like.

The most often cited representative examples of conventional noise suppression methods are the spectrum subtraction method and the Wiener filter method. Other than these methods, various noise suppression methods are being researched and developed such as comb filters and adaptive filters.
FIG. 1 is a diagram which shows the structure of a noise suppresser using a conventional spectral subtraction method. FIG. 2 is a diagram which shows the structure of a noise suppresser that uses a conventional Wiener filter. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in the spectrum subtraction method or the Wiener filter method, a noise spectrum is generally estimated (measured) by a noise region, i.e. a time region in which audio is not included, and as a basic guideline, noise suppression is performed by subtracting the noise elements from the input signal. In any of these noise suppression methods, generally the noise spectrum is estimated according to the following equation and multiplied by the suppression coefficient α, which is a scaling factor for adjusting the noise suppression weight.|Y(f)|=|X(f)|−α|N(f)|
Note that X(f) expresses the input signal spectrum, N(f) the noise spectrum and Y(f) the signal spectrum after noise suppression is performed; | | stand for the absolute value of the signal. f expresses the frequency variable.
On the one hand, when the estimation accuracy of the noise spectrum decreases, musical noise particular to the spectrum subtraction method used is generated, due to causes such as excessive subtraction. Although the S/N ratio improves, there is the drawback that, after the noise is suppressed, musical noise such as a wispy digital sound remains.
One source of estimation accuracy deterioration in the noise spectrum is generated when environmental noise is not uniform. Since the noise spectrum is generally not uniform, the suppression coefficient α can be variable according to the environment, and it can be expected that a high noise suppression effect can be obtained. For example, noise suppressers have been proposed which calculate a noise suppression weight based not only on the present input signal spectrum and the average spectrum of the noise, but also on the standard deviation of the noise, and which are handled more suitably to the actual environmental noise (see for example, Patent Document 1). However, even the method in Patent Document 1 cannot process transient noise that does not correlate to the previous noise spectrum. Also, among AM (Amplitude Modulation), FM (Frequency Modulation) and other receivers, receivers are proposed which can obtain an extremely high noise suppression effect with noise estimation, by reading out and performing one-dimensional linear interpolation on the noise patterns that have been calculated and recorded beforehand (see for example, Patent Reference 2). This is because when changes in the noise relative to changes in the field strength are noted as causes of noise generation, the noise can be patterned according to the field strength since the circuits which cause noise generation differ according to the field strength.    Patent Reference 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 2003-316381 Publication    Patent Reference 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 2760240 Publication

Abstract: The noise suppresser (100) includes a field strength analysis unit (3) which analyzes change in a field strength d of a digital signal x, and a frame generation unit (1) which generates a frame made up of signal values accumulated within a range which does not exceed a predetermined threshold value when the analyzed field strength has changed and exceeds the predetermined threshold value. Further, the noise suppresser (100) includes a noise estimation unit (4) which estimates a noise pattern |N|n′ mixed in the input signal x when the field strength has changed and exceeds the predetermined threshold value, and a noise suppression unit (5) which suppresses the noise included in the generated frame using the estimated noise pattern.


A corner adapter for use with corrugated barrier sections is disclosed. The corner adapter provides great freedom of movement in the relative angles between adjacent barrier sections. Further, an inventive cross-section for the corrugated section provides a high strength barrier.

This invention relates to a corner adapter for use with corrugated sectional barriers.
In the prior art, plastic corrugated sections which are connected together with tongue and groove connections to form barriers, such as a seawall, have become increasingly popular. Examples of such plastic sectional seawalls are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,674,921 and 4,690,588, invented by the inventor of the present invention.
With such constructions, a plurality of corrugated barrier sections are connected adjacent to one another by interconnecting tongue and groove connections. The sections prove surprisingly strong, and provide an adequate seawall barrier.
It would be desirable, however, to provide such a seawall wherein adjacent corrugated barrier sections may be turned relative to each other. Further, it would be desirable to provide a very high strength section. The present invention is directed to providing such features.


Remote control system for transmitting messages whose length is adapted to the nature of the operating command and to the quantity of information to be transmitted. Each message is provided with an "anti-phase start bit" in order to prevent a long message from being interpreted as a different, equally valid, shorter message in the case of incomplete reception.

The invention relates to a remote control system comprising a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter comprising generating means for generating a message consisting of a series of bits, the first of which is a start bit having a predetermined value, an encoding circuit for converting each bit of the message into a biphase bit having a predetermined bit period which comprises a first and a second bit interval and whose logic value is represented by the presence of a pulse in the first or the second bit interval, means for transmitting a biphase signal thus obtained to the receiver, and the receiver comprising means for receiving the transmitted biphase signal, a decoding circuit for decoding the start bit, starting in response thereto a periodical reference signal whose period corresponds to the predetermined bit period, and for regaining the message. The invention also relates to a transmitter and a receiver suitable for use in such a remote control system.
A remote control system of the type described in the opening paragraph is constituted, for example, by the integrated circuits SAA3006 and SAA3028 from the Firm of Philips, which circuits are described in "Data Handbook IC02a of Philips Electronic Components and Materials, 1988". Such a remote control system is used for the wireless transmission of operating commands from a remote control unit to an apparatus to be operated by means of, for example, infrared light. In the known remote control systems each message comprises two start bits, one control bit, five address bits and six command bits. The address bits indicate for which apparatus (for example television receiver or video recorder) the message is intended. The command bits indicate the function to be operated on the apparatus mentioned. The control bit indicates whether the message comprises a command other than the foregoing or whether it forms part of a series of repeatedly transmitted identical messages.
Complicated commands frequently consist of a plurality of sub-commands. For example, the video recorder command "record the television program on channel 31 from 20.15 hours to 21.45 hours on 22 July" comprises a sub-command "timer" and a plurality of further sub-commands each comprising a number for the start and stop time, date and channel. The transmitter is often adapted in such a way that the command to be transmitted is first composed on the remote control unit, checked for consistency with a predetermined protocol and only sent after a transmission key has been energized.
In the known remote control system each sub-command is transmitted as a separate message. However, this is not economical because each message comprises the start bits and the control bit, as well as the address bits for addressing the same video recorder. Moreover, there is a risk that short interruptions of the infrared light may lead to erroneous reactions of the receiving apparatus. For example, if the message with the sub-command "timer" is not received, the sub-commands in the subsequent messages are interpreted erroneously, for example as instructions for tuning to a new channel number.

Remote control system, start bit for biphase encoding scheme


A method for network controlled optimization of hybrid access traffic management for a residential user connected via a hybrid access home gateway, which provides at least two different network links with different technology to a core network, wherein the core network has a connection to the internet, wherein in the core network a Hybrid Access Server is located, includes: extracting by the Hybrid Access Server one or more of the following information: Network link availability, Network link utilization, Quality of Service information with respect to the services requested from the home gateway; and selecting networks links, network traffic routing, and/or service routing by the Hybrid Access Server in communication with the hybrid access home gateway and/or other components in the network.

Internet-based services and applications are rapidly growing and are fundamental to fulfill people's needs in areas such as communication, banking, shopping, information, education and entertainment. High performance internet access solutions are an important prerequisite. Currently, in most cases residential customers use DSL technologies (such as ADSL or VDSL) for Internet access, whereas mobile customers use cellular technologies (such as GSM, UMTS or LTE).
The maximum data rates which can be provided via DSL depend on the length of the access line. For longer distances, e.g. in rural areas, in many cases only a few Mbit/s are feasible. To mitigate limitations in the access, a bonding of multiple access links can be applied. Solutions are available in particular for business customers, e.g. bonding of multiple DSL lines [1].
It is also possible to combine access links provided by different media, such as DSL and cellular access, as for example described in [2]. This "hybrid access" is technically much more challenging than the combination of multiple links of the same media, in particular due to the high dynamics of the mobile access link (e.g. in terms of available throughput or latency) and due to the completely different access and core network architectures of existing fixed and mobile networks.
A typical available solution for a "hybrid access" is sketched in FIG. 1. It consists of multiple "hybrid access clients" (e.g. residential gateways or other devices such as desktop or laptop computers) controlled by a common "hybrid access server". (For simplicity reasons in FIG. 1 only one client is depicted.) Each hybrid access client has at least two access interfaces, one for example for DSL access and another one for example for access to cellular networks (e.g. UMTS networks or LTE networks). The hybrid access server is located in the public Internet. It is the common anchor point which processes all data packets from/to the client when communicating with an applications host (e.g. a content server), e.g. located in the public Internet. The traffic between the hybrid access clients and the hybrid access server is controlled by distributed "hybrid access algorithms and protocols" which decide which part of the user traffic will be transmitted via which access medium. The traffic split can be done with different granularities, e.g. packet-wise splitting or distributing the different IP flows. In addition to the user traffic some control traffic generated by the hybrid access algorithms and protocols has to be transmitted via the different access channels. In many cases, tunnels between a hybrid access client and the hybrid access server are established over the different access channels (e.g. using OpenVPN), e.g. for security reasons.
More sophisticated solutions try to perform measurements of instantaneous channel parameters (see e.g. [4]) of the different access links and use these parameters as input for algorithms controlling the traffic flows. However, the measurements often show a low accuracy and produce additional traffic overhead.
The general drawback of the current hybrid access solutions, including solutions working above IP layer (e.g. "Multipath TCP" [3]) is that they work "over the top", that means the networks between the hybrid access client and the hybrid access server are used as unknown "clouds". Knowledge available in the access and core networks (e.g. network load, available capacity, requested or used services . . . ) is not utilized for the algorithms controlling the hybrid access. Moreover, if tunnels are used via the different links between hybrid access client and hybrid access server, it may not be possible to reach service control platforms located in the operator's core network, e.g. an IMS platform to control a "Voice over IP (VoIP)" service.

Method and apparatus for network and service controlled hybrid access


A process for the improved separation of a hydrophobic organic solution from an aqueous culture medium is provided. The process includes preparing an aqueous culture medium of a metabolically active cell having a decreased activity; contacting of the aqueous culture medium with a hydrophobic organic solution comprising a substrate for biotransformation; conducting a biotransformation of the substrate; and separating the hydrophobic organic solution comprising a biotransformed substrate from the aqueous culture medium. The decreased activity of the metabolically active cell is in comparison to a wild-type of the active cell and the decreased activity is of at least of one enzyme that catalyzes one reaction of β-oxidation of fatty acids. The invention further provides a metabolically active cell that has a decreased activity, compared to its wild-type, of an enzyme that catalyzes one of the reactions of the β-oxidation of fatty acids, including an enzyme selected from FadA, FadB, FadD, FadL and FadE as well as variants thereof.

The present application relates to a process for the improved separation of a hydrophobic organic solution from an aqueous culture medium comprising the steps, provision of an aqueous culture medium comprising a metabolically active cell, contacting of the aqueous culture medium with a hydrophobic organic solution, separation of the hydrophobic organic solution from the aqueous culture medium, the cell having a decreased activity, compared to its wild-type, at least of one enzyme that catalyses one of the reactions of the β-oxidation of fatty acids. The invention furthermore relates to the use of a metabolically active cell that has a decreased activity, compared to its wild-type, of an enzyme that catalyses one of the reactions of the β-oxidation of fatty acids, preferably of an enzyme selected from the group comprising FadA, FadB, FadD, FadL and FadE as well as variants thereof, more preferably FadE, for the improved separation of a hydrophobic organic solution from an aqueous culture medium comprising the metabolically active cell.
A fundamental problem in processes for the production of fine chemicals starting from renewable raw materials instead of fossil fuels consists in converting the product once obtained, which is typically initially present in a large-volume aqueous phase, to a hydrophobic organic phase. This conversion is necessary on the one hand to concentrate a finished intermediate or final product and optionally to make possible the synthetic processing in the following reaction steps in organic solution, and on the other hand to improve the yield of the reaction in the aqueous phase by the removal of the desired product or firstly to make possible the course of the reaction in a technically meaningful context at all, in particular when the presence of the product acts disadvantageously on the reaction progress on account of toxicity to the production strain or an inhibition of a relevant biocatalyst by the product. The direct thermal concentration of the product, frequently present in low concentrations, from the large-volume aqueous solution is generally not expedient.
An example of such a strongly demanded product industrially, which is conventionally produced starting from hydrocarbons contained in petroleum, is 12-aminolauric acid (ALA) or its methyl ester (ALAME). ALA is an important starting product in the production of polymers, for example for the production of piping systems based on Nylon. Conventionally, ALA is produced in low yield starting from fossil raw materials in a process via laurolactam, which is synthesized by trimerization of butadiene, subsequent hydrogenation with formation of cyclododecane, subsequent oxidation to cyclododecanone, reaction with hydroxylamine and subsequent Beckmann rearrangement. A promising new route to the biotechnological production of ALA or ALAME is described in WO 2009/077461. The biotechnological process on which this route is based may be conducted in a two-phase system using a liquid ion exchanger, as is described in EP 11154707.
The workup of a product from an aqueous phase by means of an extraction into a hydrophobic organic phase firstly requires that this product has an adequate tendency to enter into the organic phase in a two-phase system comprising an aqueous, hydrophilic phase and an organic, hydrophobic phase that do not mix, which depends significantly on the physicochemical properties of the respective compound. While compounds with a high content of or consisting exclusively of unsubstituted hydrocarbons enrich mainly in the hydrophobic phase, compounds with a high content of polar groups such as heteroatom-containing functionalities and very particularly compounds with charges are mainly or virtually exclusively present in the aqueous phase, which complicates a transfer to an organic phase.
The partition of a compound in the two-phase system mentioned after adjustment of equilibrium is frequently described with the aid of partition coefficients, for example according to Nernst's equationα=cphase 1/cphase 2.
A special partition coefficient is Kow, also described as the P value, which characterizes the partition equilibrium of a compound between an octanol and an aqueous phase:Kow=P=coctanol/cwater
A further prerequisite for the workup of the product from the hydrophobic phase consists in that the partition has reached the equilibrium state, which is described by the aforementioned equations, or at least approaches it sufficiently. The adjustment of the equilibrium is determined, inter alia, by the size of the contact area between both phases, a factor that is generally non-limiting in the case of biotechnological processes, since the contact area is already increased by measures such as aeration and the thorough stirring of the aqueous culture medium and the hydrophobic organic solution, which are necessary anyway due to maintenance of high densities of metabolically active cells.
Before such a reaction mixture, in which the hydrophobic organic solution is mainly present in micelles or other subcompartments, can be worked up efficiently, however, a separation of the two phases is necessary. The formation of two phases often takes place spontaneously and without any further action on mixing pure water with a pure organic hydrophobic solvent. However, the separation of an organic hydrophobic solution from a complex aqueous culture medium is less simple because of the many possible component interactions and without technical support, for example centrifugation, the separation may require from several hours to several days.
For the large-scale production of industrially demanded chemical compounds by of biotechnological processes, the process of phase separation may be a factor of considerable importance in the development and application of processes for resource-saving and rapid production and workup of compounds such as ALA. If the product is removed dissolved in a hydrophobic organic solution from a large-volume aqueous phase in a large reactor and subsequently processed, in addition to the parameters relevant for the actual production, such as type and amount of substrates, temperature and oxygen content of the medium, the separation of the hydrophobic solution must be optimized to save resources and to make the entire process as environmentally friendly as possible. Since numerous hydrophobic organic solvents used on a large scale may have a toxic action on organisms used biotechnologically, at least on relatively long contact, it is desirable to shorten the contact between the organism in the aqueous culture medium. By minimizing such contact with solvents, the protection biotechnologically used strains may be protected and release of undesired by-products released during the lysis of cells contaminating or even decomposing the target product may be prevented.

Process for the improved separation of a hydrophobic organic solution from an aqueous culture medium


An apparatus includes a catheter shaft assembly and an end effector. The catheter shaft assembly includes an outer sheath with a distal end. The end effector is associated with a distal end of the catheter shaft assembly. The end effector includes a plurality of leaflets. The leaflets are configured to transition between a first configuration and a second configuration. The leaflets are configured to fit within the outer sheath in the first configuration. The leaflets are configured to expand outwardly away from the longitudinal axis in the second configuration in response to being exposed distally relative to the distal end of the outer sheath. Each leaflet includes a flexible body and a plurality of electrodes. Each flexible body defines a plurality of openings. The electrodes are positioned on the flexible body.

Cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, occur when regions of cardiac tissue abnormally conduct electric signals. Procedures for treating arrhythmia include surgically disrupting the conducting pathway for such signals. By selectively ablating cardiac tissue by application of energy (e.g., radiofrequency (RF) energy), it may be possible to cease or modify the propagation of unwanted electrical signals from one portion of the heart to another. The ablation process may provide a barrier to unwanted electrical pathways by creating electrically insulative lesions or scar tissue that effectively block communication of aberrant electrical signals across the tissue.
In some procedures, a catheter with one or more RF electrodes may be used to provide ablation within the cardiovascular system. The catheter may be inserted into a major vein or artery (e.g., the femoral artery) and then advanced to position the electrodes within the heart or in a cardiovascular structure adjacent to the heart (e.g., the pulmonary vein). The electrodes may be placed in contact with cardiac tissue or other vascular tissue and then activated with RF energy to thereby ablate the contacted tissue. In some cases, the electrodes may be bipolar. In some other cases, a monopolar electrode may be used in conjunction with a ground pad or other reference electrode that is in contact with the patient.
Examples of ablation catheters are described in U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0030426, entitled "Integrated Ablation System using Catheter with Multiple Irrigation Lumens," published Jan. 31, 2013, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,743,932 on Aug. 18, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; U.S. Pub. No. 2017/0312022, entitled "Irrigated Balloon Catheter with Flexible Circuit Electrode Assembly," published Nov. 2, 2017, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,660,700 on May 26, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; U.S. Pub. No. 2018/0071017, entitled "Ablation Catheter with a Flexible Printed Circuit Board," published Mar. 15, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; U.S. Pub. No. 2018/0056038, entitled "Catheter with Bipole Electrode Spacer and Related Methods," published Mar. 1, 2018, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,702,177 on Jul. 7, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; U.S. Pat. No. 10,130,422, entitled "Catheter with Soft Distal Tip for Mapping and Ablating Tubular Region," issued Nov. 20, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; U.S. Pat. No. 8,956,353, entitled "Electrode Irrigation Using Micro-Jets," issued Feb. 17, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; and U.S. Pat. No. 9,801,585, entitled "Electrocardiogram Noise Reduction," issued Oct. 31, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Some catheter ablation procedures may be performed after using electrophysiology (EP) mapping to identify tissue regions that should be targeted for ablation. Such EP mapping may include the use of sensing electrodes on a catheter (e.g., the same catheter that is used to perform the ablation or a dedicated mapping catheter). Such sensing electrodes may monitor electrical signals emanating from conductive endocardial tissues to pinpoint the location of aberrant conductive tissue sites that are responsible for the arrhythmia. Examples of an EP mapping system are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,096, entitled "Cardiac Electromechanics," issued Apr. 14, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Examples of EP mapping catheters are described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,907,480, entitled "Catheter Spine Assembly with Closely-Spaced Bipole Microelectrodes," issued Mar. 6, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; U.S. Pat. No. 10,130,422, entitled "Catheter with Soft Distal Tip for Mapping and Ablating Tubular Region," issued Nov. 20, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; and U.S. Pub. No. 2018/0056038, entitled "Catheter with Bipole Electrode Spacer and Related Methods," published Mar. 1, 2018, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,702,177 on Jul. 7, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
In addition to using EP mapping, some catheter ablation procedures may be performed using an image guided surgery (IGS) system. The IGS system may enable the physician to visually track the location of the catheter within the patient, in relation to images of anatomical structures within the patient, in real time. Some systems may provide a combination of EP mapping and IGS functionalities, including the CARTO 3® system by Biosense Webster, Inc. of Irvine, Calif. Examples of catheters that are configured for use with an IGS system are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,480,416, entitled "Signal Transmission Using Catheter Braid Wires," issued Nov. 1, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety; and various other references that are cited herein.
While several catheter systems and methods have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used the invention described in the appended claims.

Blooming leaflet catheter with high density electrode array


A tape drawing-out mechanism for positioning a magnetic tape 91 as tensioned in a specified path of travel has a drive lever 6 having a cam follower 62 projecting therefrom, a tape drawing-out lever 5 having a tape drawing-out pin 51 for receiving the force of the drive lever 6 in a first step of a tape drawing-out movement, and an auxiliary lever 7 for receiving the force of the drive lever 6 in a second step of the tape drawing-out movement. The auxiliary lever 7 has a pin 71 projecting therefrom for pressing a face 54 provided on the tape drawing-out lever 5 to pivotally move the lever 5 to a tape drawing-out end position. The mechanism described precludes a great reaction from acting on the cam follower 62 and a cam groove 41 for giving a tape drawing-out drive force.

As shown in FIG. 9, VCRs have mounted on a chassis 1 a rotary head cylinder 11 incorporating a rotary magnetic head (not shown) and a pair of reel supports 12, 13 for rotatingly driving the reels of a tape cassette 9. The chassis 1 is formed at opposite sides of the cylinder 11 with a pair of guide slits 14, 15 having slidably fitted therein a pair of leading guides 16, 17 for winding the magnetic tape 91 of the cassette 9 around the rotary head cylinder 11. Further disposed at the right side of the cylinder 11 is a tape drawing-out lever 10 pivotally supported so as to be movable between a tape drawing-out start position and a tape drawing-out end position and provided with a pin 10a for drawing out the magnetic tape 91 from the cassette 9.
An unillustrated drive control mechanism drivingly advances the leading guides 16, 17 and pivotally moves the lever 10 from the drawing-out start position indicated in solid lines to the drawing-out end position indicated in chain lines, whereby the magnetic tape 91 is positioned along a specified path of travel under tension. The tape as held between a capstan 18 and a pinch roller 19 is driven longitudinally thereof by the rotation of the capstan 18.
FIG. 8 shows a tape drawing-out mechanism previously developed by the present applicant.
Disposed on the rear side of the chassis is a drive control plate 4 to be reciprocatingly driven by a motor (not shown). A tape drawing-out lever 2 is supported at its base end by a first pivot 20 on the chassis. A drive lever 3 is supported at its base end by a second pivot 30. The lever 2 has an outer end carrying a pin 21 for drawing out the tape and a driven gear portion 22 formed at its base end. The drive lever 3 has a forward end formed with a drive gear portion 31 always in mesh with the driven gear portion 22 of the lever 2. The drive lever 3 has a cam follower 32 projecting downward from an intermediate portion thereof and extending through the chassis to engage in a cam groove 41 formed in the drive control plate 4.
With the tape drawing-out mechanism described, the control plate 4 rotates counterclockwise, thereby causing the cam groove 41 to drive the cam follower 32 of the drive lever 3 and rotate the drive lever 3 clockwise. With this rotation, the drive gear portion 31 of the drive lever 3 drivingly rotates the driven gear portion 22 of the tape drawing-out lever 2 clockwise, moving the lever 2 from the tape drawing-out start position to the illustrated tape drawing-out end position. As a result, the magnetic tape is drawn out of the tape cassette and positioned along the specified path under tension.
In the tape drawing-out mechanism shown in FIG. 8, the force F exerted by the tension of the magnetic tape on the tape drawing-out pin 21 on the lever 2 is first amplified to a reaction P shown in accordance with the ratio between the radius L of gyration of the pin 21 and the radius K of pitch circle of the driven gear portion 22. The force Q exerted by this reaction P on the drive gear portion 31 is amplified to a reaction R shown and acting on the cam follower 32, at a ratio determined by the radius C of pitch circle of the drive gear portion 31 and the radius D of gyration of the cam follower 32. The reaction R is about 10 to about 20 times the original force F, and the cam face defining the cam groove 41 is pressed by this amplified reaction R.
Consequently, the cam face defining the cam groove 41 wears away early, presenting the problem that the pin 21 fails to draw out the tape to an accurate position.


An integrated process comprising to convert crude oil, comprising: converting crude oil (10) in a feed preparation facility (800) by separating the crude oil to a gas fraction (101), liquid fraction (102), and first residuum fraction in an atmospheric distillation unit (100); separating the 1st residuum to a vacuum gas oil fraction (202) and a second residuum (201) in a vacuum distillation unit (200); converting the vacuum gas oil fraction to a CU gas fraction (301,401), a CU liquid fraction (302), and an CU higher boiling fraction (303,402) in a cracking unit (300,400); and processing the second residuum fraction to DCU gas oil/lighter fraction (501) in a coking unit (500); and steam cracking at least one of the gas fraction (101), liquid fraction (102), CU gas fraction (301,401), and DCU gas oil/lighter fraction (501) to the hydrocarbon products (920).

Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a process and system for converting crude oil into improved feedstock for steam cracking to produce chemical hydrocarbons and for a process and system for integrating a steam cracking feedstock preparation process with a steam cracking facility. More specifically this process can include process subsequences including an atmospheric distillation unit(s), vacuum distillation unit(s), cracking unit(s) and coking unit(s), all operated at conditions to produce feed materials for steam cracking superior to those generated in typical refinery operations.
Background
Conventional petroleum refinery configurations, selection and arrangement of processing units, are designed to provide optimum transportation fuels, not chemical feedstocks. Light products tend to be minimized as of lower economic value. Naphtha, for example, is usually converted by catalytic reformer to highly aromatic and branched paraffins useful as high octane transportation fuel. However, naphtha is also a valued source of chemical feedstock as it can be easily converted to olefins and aromatic by steam cracking. In general, therefore, petroleum refineries have not been configured to maximize chemical feedstocks. The present invention is a process configuration that minimizes conventional transportation fuel production and maximizes chemical feedstock and chemical-grade light olefins and aromatics (for example, ethylene, propylene, C4 mono-olefins, butadiene, benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene and styrene).
Before 2005 the price of crude ranged from about $15-$40/bbl and the price and availability of naphtha such that the differential value was about $30-$50/bbl. As a result it was not generally economic to upgrade crude oil to naphtha (and other steam cracker feeds). More recently the differential value of crude and naphtha has increased to $100-$200/bbl making the purchase of naphtha as a sole source of steam cracking (chemical feedstock production) far less attractive. Thus, intentional conversion of crude oil solely to steam cracker feedstock has become desirable. Providing special configurations of refining units to produce only chemical feedstocks is unique and not previously considered. Such configurations require careful selection and operation of conventional refining processes to produce unexpected results and economies.
There continues to be a need for more efficient processes and systems to convert crude oil to chemical feedstocks.

Process for production of hydrocarbon chemicals from crude oil


Embodiments of pressure welding terminals are provided including a pair of spring portions and a slit for press-fitting and retaining a conductive body disposed between the pair of spring portions by a fixed push-in amount. An upper edge of the conductive body is retained by the slit at a fixed position from an opening of the slit, and a region is provided where an area of a cross section of at least one of the spring portions on the lower side of the upper edge of the conductive body is smaller than an area of a cross section of the at least one spring portion at a position of the upper edge of the conductive body.

The present invention relates to a pressure welding terminal for press-fitting and connecting an electric wire or the like into a U shape press-fit slit, for example, in trunk connection of a sensor and the like.
Conventionally, in order to use for a connector for connecting an electric wire, various terminals for pressure-welding a plurality of electric wires having different diameters are proposed. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-166653 describes a connector using a pressure welding terminal in which a slit is formed with a fixed width as such a terminal. However, with this pressure welding terminal, in the case where an electric wire having a small diameter is pressure-welded, there is a problem that a pressure welding force is insufficient and contact reliability is not obtained. On the other hand, in the case where an electric wire having a large diameter is pressure-welded, there is a problem that the pressure welding terminal is plastically deformed or the pressure welding force becomes too strong and the electric wire is cut.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-294307 proposes a pressure welding terminal clamp in which a blank portion is opened on the side of an electric wire press-fit groove. However, with this pressure welding terminal clamp, a pressure welding portion is provided between both left and right side walls. Thus, the pressure welding portion is not easily deformed, so that an electric wire having a larger diameter than width between the electric wire press-fit groove and the blank portion cannot be press-fitted.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-204399 describes a pressure welding terminal having a slot formed so that width is narrowed down stepwise. However, with this pressure welding terminal, when electric wires having different diameters are press-fitted into the slot, a push-in amount from an opening is different. Thus, there is a problem that the pressure welding terminal cannot be applied to a pressure welding terminal used for a connector in which a push-in amount is fixed.


A breathing mask with a fan for feeding respiration air into the interior space of the mask has a flow indicator for indicating a necessary respiration air flow at the air outlet end of the fan connection. In order for this indicator to be directly recognizable by the mask user in his field of vision, the opening of the air outlet end (4) shall be closed at least partially by a flow plate, which is movably mounted on a guide structure (11, 20) such that it emerges into the field of vision of the mask user in the presence of air flow, and guides the respiration air flow along the inner side of the window (10). If the respiration air flow is insufficient, the flap jumps back, and warning windows appear, instead, in the range of vision of the mask user.

Such a breathing mask was described in West German Offenlegungsschrift No. DE-OS 30,32,371. A protective mask with a protective helmet located on it is provided there with a fan air inlet means, which ends at the eye level of the mask user, and is provided with a flow indicator there. The air flow is maintained by the fan, and it deflects a vane located at the air outlet end more or less to varying degrees, depending on the output of the fan. The fan air flowing into the interior space of the mask from the rear side of the mask user escapes from the interior space of the mask in the downward direction along an open protective visor that can be folded up. To facilitate reading of the deflected vane, a mirror surface, via which the mask user is able to observe the vane, is arranged on the visor, on its inner side, at the eye level in the visual range.
It is disadvantageous in the known state of the art that the necessary fan output can be monitored only insufficiently or with additional reading aids. A mirror arrangement for reading the position of the vane involves, among others, the risk that due to the mirror-inverted reading, the mask user might erroneously consider an insufficient delivery output to be still sufficient.

Breathing mask with flow indicator for the respiration air


The invention relates to an improved aircraft electronics cooling system for an aircraft having a liquid cooling system (2), the aircraft electronics cooling system providing a thermal coupling between an electronic device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d, 42, 44) to be cooled and the liquid cooling system (2) of the aircraft. A coolant delivered by the liquid cooling system (2) may flow through a board of the electronic device (40a, 40b, 40c, 40d), through a heat sink on which the electronic device (42) is arranged and/or through a housing in which the electronic device (44) is arranged. The coolant may be permanently in the liquid state in a cooling circuit. The coolant may vaporize at least partially while cooling the electronic device.

Aircraft manufacturers and operators utilize a continuously increasing number of electronic assemblies in aircraft. The electronic assemblies enhance comfort in the cabin on the one hand and aircraft safety on the other. The electronic assemblies generate waste heat and must be cooled in order to function reliably. The air-conditioning apparatus of conventional aircraft are unable, or only partly able, to meet these additional cooling demands.
In conventional, aircraft the electronic devices are so designed that either they must be cooled only by free convection, that is, an air flow is established only through density differences of the air and thus cools the components of the electronic device which are heating up, or additional fans which generate forced convention are provided. Additional cooling capacity for cooling the electronic devices can be made available at present only by an air-conditioning system and with the use of corresponding, weight-increasing conduits.
As previously mentioned, cooling of electronic devices and their components may be effected by means of natural convection. For this purpose the components are designed correspondingly, or fin-like heat sinks, intended to ensure adequate cooling by means of a correspondingly large surface area, are attached thereto. Cooling of the electronic devices and their components is provided either through the already existing air-conditioning system, which is used, for example, for cooling the cabin of the aircraft, or an additional air-conditioning system is provided.
With the aforementioned methods the electronic devices and their components must be so constructed, as early as the design stage thereof, that they withstand the demanding thermal conditions in an aircraft by heat radiation or natural convection. To increase the heat transfer, fans which draw air from the surroundings may be used. With a high cabin temperature, this cooling is frequently insufficient to transport away the heat load generated by the electronic devices. A further disadvantage of these aforementioned methods is that the fan itself generates heat and the mete circulation of the air heats the installation space for the electronic devices, too. The aforementioned methods are unable to cope with larger heat loads of the kind which can be produced by future electronic devices with increased performance.
Cooling of the electronic devices with the aircraft air-conditioning system requires a large amount of space and is insufficiently flexible. The aircraft air-conditioning system has to cool the air provided for cooling the electronic devices. Air supply ducts must be installed in the aircraft from the aircraft air-conditioning system to the electronic devices to be cooled, together with air discharge duds from the electronic devices to be cooled to the aircraft air-conditioning system. Depending on the installation position of the electronics, for example, below the cockpit, if the electronic devices of the aircraft are arranged in that location, the installation of such air supply and discharge ducts can be complex and costly and, furthermore, can require installation space which consequently is not available for other functions. With such long air supply ducts, high thermal and pneumatic losses occur which must be compensated by correspondingly higher performance of the air-conditioning system. This results, inter alia, in the lack of flexibility of these methods. Furthermore, the space conditions prevailing in the aircraft fuselage oppose the use of the aircraft air-conditioning system for cooling the electronic device. In addition, the performance of an aircraft air-conditioning system will be unable to meet the future demands for cooling electronic devices.
DE 103 33 353 A1 discloses a system in which a plurality of electronic devices are cooled with air.

Aircraft electronics cooling apparatus for an aircraft having a liquid cooling system


One or more sensors located on or surrounding a dangerous condition anticipate when an individual is approaching a hazard zone associated with the dangerous condition and then arms an alarm and activates an interactive protective system which protects an individual from exposure to the dangerous condition. The interactive system comprises a protective garment adapted to be worn by the individual. The protective garment includes a sensor for sensing when the protective garment is being worn and a signalling device responsive to the sensor for generating a signal indicating when the protective garment is being worn. A detector and control device responsive to the signal from the signalling device triggers an alarm sensible to the individual when it is activated by the motion sensor and does not sense the signal from the signalling device.

Many injuries occur or are made more severe because an operator of equipment is not wearing appropriate protective garments. Consequently, a means of insuring that an equipment operator wears appropriate protective garments would dramatically decrease both the number and severity of injuries. For example, there are over one million industrial eye injuries every year in the United States alone, and millions more in the rest of the world. Most of these injuries occur because workers do not wear eye protection such as safety glasses, goggles and face shields. This causes a great deal of unnecessary morbidity and psychological trauma to the injured and their families, and, in financial terms, is estimated to cost U.S. industry billions of dollars every year.
In addition to eye injuries, injuries to the extremities, especially the hands and fingers, occur with unnecessary frequency every year and add to the overall human and economic costs associated with industrial injuries.
Federal and local statutes have been enacted in an attempt to prevent industrial injuries from occurring. Protective eyewear and clothing is now required to be worn before operating machinery or exposing oneself to dangerous materials. Machines are designed with "intrusion detectors" to prevent injuries to hands and fingers. However, existing attempts to prevent industrial accidents do not offer a perfect solution to the problem. Machines with intrusion detectors may prevent injuries to the hand, but are still capable of ejecting flying debris that can injure the eye if the operator is not wearing proper eye protection. Even worse, devices like intrusion detectors can give an operator a false sense of security by lulling him into thinking that the intrusion detector alone is adequate protection when it is only a partial. Thus, other protective devices such as protective eyewear may be ignored, with potentially disastrous results. Moreover, existing Federal and local statutes and regulations are primarily aimed at requiring employers to provide safety equipment such as protective eyewear and protective clothing. However, even when given protective equipment, many workers simply forget or refuse to use it.
Garden equipment such as power edgers, weed cutters, and chain saws also contribute to the incidence of preventable accidents. Such accidents could be reduced or eliminated by appropriate protective garments.
Head injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents occur more frequently and more severely to motorcyclists who are not wearing protective helmets compared to motorcyclists who do wear helmets. Many states have enacted laws requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets, but such laws are difficult to enforce and are frequently ignored. Similar head injuries occur with bicycles, all-terrain-vehicles (ATVs), snow mobiles and like vehicles. Wearing helmets would prevent or reduce the severity of many such injuries.
The failure of operators of boats, jet skis, and other powered water-vehicles to wear life jackets or other floatation devices to prevent their drowning if incapacitated is another source of preventable injury.
Opening containers of, and using, toxic or caustic chemicals creates a potential for serious eye injuries, burns, and respiratory problems that could be virtually eliminated by wearing appropriate protective garments, such as goggles, face shields or hoods, protective suits, or respirators.
Similar paradigms exist for exposure to other dangerous environments, such as extreme (high and low) temperatures, exposed electrical conductors, radiation, oxygen-depleted atmosphere, excessive noise areas, high and low pressure areas and the like, all of which may be made less hazardous by wearing appropriate protective garments or devices. Further, even when protective garments or devices are used, their effectiveness is dependent upon their being worn or used in the proper manner.
Other dangerous conditions exist. For example, falls from scaffolding and other elevated structures and areas account for thousands of injuries and many needless death every year. Such accidents could be prevented or reduced by wearing safety harnesses, and by preventing access to elevated areas unless a workman is properly wearing the harness.
Handling and transportation of toxic chemicals is another circumstance which requires proper protection. Handling and transportation of toxic chemicals are dangerous activities, require much paperwork to insure that the chemicals are handled properly, and are not failsafe. Thus, workers can, at present, approach and handle toxic chemical containers and devices containing toxic chemicals without the appropriate protective equipment. This puts those workers at risk.
Additionally, the vast complexity of modern factories, such as chemical plants or nuclear plants, has made the task of evaluating the safety of performing new operations extraordinarily difficult. The problem is often compounded when, as is frequently done, subcontractors are employed. Because of their transient nature, subcontractors are often unfamiliar with the plant in which they find themselves working. A subcontract worker could inadvertently have access to and use of equipment in areas where use of that particular equipment should be prohibited. Such a dangerous condition is more likely to occur in a complex factory in which many unrelated systems exist in close proximity. While a worker may be safely working with one system, he might be creating, or exposed to, a hazard from an adjacent system. For example, repair operations using a torch may be approved for a warehouse with rapidly changing inventory. Between the time the repair procedure is approved and the time the repair work is actually performed, the warehouse may have received and be storing containers of flammable chemicals in the vicinity of the repair operations. Another possibility is that, as the repair job progresses, the repair job extends beyond the boundaries originally contemplated into an area where the use of a torch is dangerous. It is therefore desirable that certain tools, which may normally not be unreasonably dangerous to use but could be hazardous when used in certain areas or in certain environments, be equipped with a means of signalling their presence to one or more detectors in such areas or environments, so that an appropriate alarm may be sounded to alert workmen and others of a potential hazard situation.
There is thus a need for a protective system to protect an individual from exposure to dangerous conditions associated with machinery or other hazards which makes it impossible for the individual to operate the machinery or be exposed to the hazard without wearing the necessary protective equipment, or without wearing such equipment in the proper manner. The present invention fulfills that need.

Anticipatory interactive protective system


A fishing stringer is structured with multiple fishing related tools integrated into a tether and an elongated member of the stringer. Specifically, the elongated member acts as a standard retention bar, while also providing a hook disgorger tool at a first end, and a fishing line cutting tool at a second end. Similarly, the tether acts as a normal stringer' tether, while also incorporating a measuring capability along a substantial length of the tether. Once the tether and stringer are deployed, each of the integrated tools, including the line cutter, the disgorger, and the measuring tape, are also thereby fully available for convenient and immediate use—without any risk of being dropped and lost. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope and meaning of the claims.

Fishermen typically employ a variety of tools while engaging in fishing activities. In addition to a fishing pole, a variety of commonly utilized fishing tools include a fishing line cutter, a fish hook disgorging device, a measuring means such as a measuring tape, and a fish stringer means for holding caught fish. As such, it is common for individuals that are fishing to have a plurality of tools available, sometimes even wearing clothing with numerous pockets and pouches to hold the tools/devices. However, constantly having to reach into ones pockets, is at best inconvenient. In addition, it is easy to drop and loose a number of commonly employed fishing tools, especially when trying to hold on to a fishing pole while endeavoring to accomplish other fishing related tasks.
Accordingly, it would be most desirable to have a multi-function fishing tool that is always within easy reach, and which can be employed to replace a number of commonly employed fishing tools and devices. A number of other characteristics, advantages, and or associated novel features of the present invention, will become clear from the description and figures provided herein. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. In particular, the embodiments included and described, have been chosen in order to best explain the principles, features, and characteristics of the invention, and its practical application, to thereby enable skilled persons to best utilize the invention and a wide variety of embodiments providable that are based on these principles, features, and characteristics. Accordingly, all equivalent variations possible are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Fishing stringer with multiple integral fishing tools


Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques to distribute encrypted packets among multiple cores in a load-balanced manner for further processing. An apparatus may include a processor component; a decryption component to decrypt an encrypted packet to generate a decrypted packet from the encrypted packet, the encrypted packet comprising a header that comprises at least one field of information; a hash component to generate a header hash from the at least one field of information during decryption of at least a portion of the encrypted packet by the decryption component, the header hash comprising a smaller quantity of bits than the at least one field of information; and a distribution component to select a first core of multiple cores coupled to the processor component based on the header hash and to transmit the decrypted packet to the first core from the processor component. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

As telecommunications using packet-based networks continues to supplant older digitized and/or analog forms of telecommunications, volume on newer packet-based telecommunications networks continues to increase such that ever more bottlenecks that hamper efforts to scale up components of such networks are arising. Among such bottlenecks are components that analyze packets as part of routing them between endpoints in such networks.
Such analysis often entails accessing and using one or more pieces of information in a header of each packet, such as an identifier of a destination of the packet, such as an identifier of a user, a location or a specific device. However, such an approach suffers from the need for many devices along the path of a packet through such a network to each perform the same type of access and use of the header of the packet. As the volume of packets through such a network continues to scale up, the processing effort and delays of performing such accesses and making such use of headers can become significant.

Techniques for load balancing in a packet distribution system


Disclosed herein is a device, system and method for determining error in robotic manipulator-to-camera calibration. The method includes detecting a test object by a camera coupled to a robotic manipulator. One or more test points are identified on the test object based on a CAD model and pre-defined contact points corresponding to the test object. Arm poses are determined for the robotic manipulator to reach the test points on the 3D test object by using current robotic manipulator-to-camera calibration. While driving an end effector of the robotic manipulator based on the arm poses, any contact of the end effector on the 3D test object is recorded upon receiving a feedback from the 3D test object. An error is determined in the current robotic manipulator-to-camera calibration based on current position of the end effector relative to the one or more test points on the 3D test object.

Robotic manipulators are known as support system for industrial operations as they are configured to perform various operations in place of human operator. In advanced systems, the robotic manipulator is coupled with a camera to provide vision to the device to control the movement of robotic arm during operations. The arrangement of robotic arm and camera requires defining configuration settings for robotic manipulator for accurate task execution, more specifically, defining spatial transformations between camera coordinate system and robotic coordinate system. Such relative transformations are computed by calibrating the movement of robotic arm with respect to camera vision for any point identified in real world.
While these industrial robots are operational over time, there will be operation-induced errors associated with the robotic manipulator which effects the defined configuration between the robotic manipulator and camera resulting in inaccurate task execution. Additionally, the positions of the camera and robotic arm can get disturbed due to manual intervention or various other reasons during daily operations. Even slight changes in position of camera and robotic arm can lead to the mapping becoming incorrect and can lead to accidents if the activity is carried out by the robotic manipulator. For example, in medical field, even a minute deviation in movement of the robotic hand can lead to irreversible damages.
Therefore, it becomes necessary to determine error in the calibration so that a task can be executed correctly. Further, with advancing use of robotic manipulator, calculating limited error does not completely address the issue of deviation in movement due to incorrect mapping between robotic arm and the camera. Further, such computation has to be accurate enough to estimate accurate arm poses of the robotic arm in three-dimensional space.
Hence there is need for complete and accurate determination of error in robotic-manipulator-to-camera calibration for task execution.
The information disclosed in the background section of the disclosure is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

System, device and method for determining error in robotic manipulator-to-camera calibration


A solar recharge station is described having a contact area, a battery bank charge area and a solar panel array for maintaining the battery bank charged. The contact area includes electric contacts formed for engagement automatically by contacts on an electric powered vehicle as the vehicle enters the contact area. The battery bank is connected so that its energy is available for either recharging the vehicle or other use, and in case the vehicle needs a recharge but the battery banks lacks sufficient charge, ordinary house voltage is used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, generally, relates to electric vehicles and, more particularly, to a new and improved station for restoring the electric power for such vehicles.
Solar energy has become increasingly popular as a source of electric power. One reason for this is the increased attention and concern that has been given recently to the highly polluting characteristics of the internal combustion engine, particularly as it affects the environment, and much experimentation has lead to the development of an effective electric powered automobile.
Electric powered vehicles are non-polluting, but the energy that they require, generally, comes from an environment polluting source. For example, if the electric energy source is a local electric utility grid, 80% of these use polluting fuels in order to generate their electrical energy.
Furthermore, only a small percentage of all generated electrical energy is actually available for use by the consumer, all the rest is lost in generation, transmission and distribution. Therefore, if any environmental gains are to be realized in converting to an electric vehicle, a low cost, convenient, easily accessible, readily available pollution free source for electricity is a convenience; it is a necessity and a requirement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An early U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,577 that issued on May 23, 1978, to Moore describes the use of solar energy but not separate from an automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,960 was granted Jan. 8, 1980, to Reuyl and describes the use of solar energy for charging batteries to heat a house and to propel a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,879 to Langenbahn, granted Jul. 25, 1989, describes a drive-up electrical connection for attaching house current to a vehicle providing heat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,995 issued on Dec. 12, 1989, to Antosh describes a monorail system operating from solar energy with means to charge ground support vehicles.
While the structural arrangements of these prior art devices at first appearance have similarities with the arrangement of the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences will become more apparent as the present description proceeds.

Solar recharge station for electric vehicles


A sensorless motor drive apparatus and a method for protecting and controlling the same. The sensorless motor drive apparatus includes a unit for determining the presence or absence of a position estimation error of a rotor contained in a motor using a current value applied to the motor and a position estimation angle of the rotor. Therefore, the sensorless motor drive apparatus determines the presence or absence of the position estimation error of the rotor without using a sensor, so that it reduces production costs, prevents the motor from generating a faulty operation, and prevents a compressor including the motor from being damaged.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensorless motor drive apparatus and a method for protecting and controlling the same, and more particularly to a sensorless motor drive apparatus including a position estimation error detector so that it can determine whether an unexpected error occurs in estimating a position of a rotor of a motor with the sensorless method using a software method, and a method for protecting and controlling the sensorless motor drive apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional sensorless motor drive apparatus will hereinafter be described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the conventional sensorless motor drive apparatus. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional sensorless motor drive apparatus includes a rectifier 2 for rectifying an AC voltage generated from an AC power source 1 to a DC voltage; a DC link 3 including a plurality of capacitors, for smoothing the DC voltage, and outputting the smoothed DC voltage to an external part; an inverter 4 for receiving the rectified voltage, and converting the received rectified voltage into a three-phase AC voltage; a current detector 5 for detecting a current transmitted from the inverter 4 from a motor 7; and a controller 6 for estimating a rotation speed and a rotor position of the motor 7 on the basis of voltage and current signals applied to the motor 7, and transmitting a control signal to the inverter 4 to control the motor 7.
The above-mentioned sensorless motor drive apparatus mounts the motor to a specific structure such as a compressor incapable of mounting a sensor therein, and detects the rotation speed and the rotor position of the motor, etc.
If the sensor is mounted to the motor drive apapratus, there arise a variety of problems, for example, the increase of production costs and the reliability deterioration caused by a damaged sensor, etc. The sensorless motor drive apparatus is able to improve the above-mentioned problems.
Operations of the above-mentioned conventional sensorless motor drive apparatus will hereinafter be described with reference to FIG. 1.
The AC voltage generated from the AC power source 1 is applied to the sensorless motor drive apparatus to operate the motor 7. The rectifier 2 rectifies the AC voltage to a DC voltage, and transmits the DC voltage to the DC link 3.
The DC link 3 smoothes the DC voltage received from the rectifier 2, outputs the smoothed DC voltage to an external part. The inverter 4 receives the smoothed DC voltage from the DC link 3, converts the received DC voltage into a three-phase voltage, and outputs the three-phase voltage to the motor 7, so that it properly controls the motor 7.
The sensorless motor drive apparatus further includes the current detector 5, so that the current detector 5 detects the magnitude of a current applied from the inverter 4 to the motor 7. In order to normally operate the motor 7, the controller 6 estimates a rotation speed and a rotor position of the motor 7 using the voltage measured by the DC link 3 and the magnitude of the current detected by the current detector 5, and transmits a control signal capable of controlling the motor 7 in response to the estimated rotation speed and the estimated rotor position of the motor 7 to the inverter 4.
A sensorless control method for the motor 7 is of importance to a guarantee of stability. Typically, if an overvoltage occurs in the DC link 3 contained in the sensorless motor drive apparatus, or if the overcurrent is applied to the motor 7, the motor 7 may be erroneously operated or be damaged, and a compressor to which the motor 7 is mounted may also be damaged, so that the sensorless motor drive apparatus further includes a protective device for guaranteeing the stability to prevent the above-mentioned problems from being generated, for example, an overvoltage detector (not shown), a low-voltage detector (not shown), or an overcurrent detector (not shown).
Each of the overvoltage detector and the low-voltage detector acting as the above-mentioned protective devices receives a voltage signal applied to the DC link 3, and outputs an error signal to the controller 6 when an unexpected error occurs in the received voltage signal. The overcurrent detector receives a current signal from the current detector 5, and outputs an error signal to the controller 6 when an unexpected error occurs in the received current signal.
The controller 6 having received the error signal stops generation of a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signal transmitted to the inverter 4 capable of controlling the motor 7, so that the inverter 4 stops operations of the motor 7.
However, in the conventional sensorless motor drive apparatus capable of implementing a sensorless control process by estimating the rotation speed and the rotor position of the motor, if an unexpected error occurs in the sensorless control process, the conventional sensorless motor drive apparatus has no device for detecting the error and coping with the detected error, with the exception of the above-mentioned protective devices, so that there is difficulty in guaranteeing the stability of the sensorless motor drive apparatus.
In more detail, an unexpected error may occur in estimating a rotor position of the motor, and this error is called a position estimation error. However, the position estimation error is not detected by the overvoltage detector, the low-voltage detector, or the overcurrent detector.
Therefore, provided that the motor is continuously operated on the condition that the position estimation error is excessively generated, a normal sensorless control process is not performed, so that the motor drive apparatus and the compressor including the motor are damaged.

Sensorless motor drive apparatus and method for protecting and controlling the same