A device that facilitates the placement of one or more needles and their attached sutures in the body of a surgical patient is disclosed. The device contains one or more needle guide channels in which one or more needles may be backloaded. The device also contains one or more lumens extending though the body of the device. One or more sutures may be coupled to the one or more needles, and threaded through the lumen. The one or more needles may then be advanced out of their respective needle guide channels by pulling on one end of one or more sutures. When one end of a suture is pulled, the attached needle is advanced out of the device and will pierce and be positioned in the tissue that is located adjacent to the device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of medical devices. More particularly, it relates to an instrument used in the field of suture placement during surgery. Even more particularly, it relates to an instrument that may be used to position one or more needles in locations that are difficult to suture using conventional methods.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of medical surgery, suture placement is an integral part of the vast majority of operations. Many surgical procedures entail the placement of a difficult stitch or stitches. Traditional needle advancement and positioning instruments almost exclusively use a hemostat-like tool that allows a needle to be gripped by the tool and then advanced into the tissue being sutured. For instance, in either open or traditional laparoscopic suturing procedures, a needle is often grasped by one of these traditional instruments, and the needle, along with the suture coupled to the needle, is placed in the desired position and driven through tissue. The needle is then exchanged or adjusted with a second instrument.
Such tools are disadvantageous because it is often difficult for a doctor to grasp and position the needle. Additionally, many of these devices only allow for the placement of a single needle at a time. Furthermore, using traditional devices to position multiple needles in the tissue of a patient is also time consuming, and is therefore detrimental to the patient as the length of the surgical procedure is increased. A need therefore exists for an instrument that would allow for the precise and rapid positioning of needles during surgical procedures.

Devices and methods for positioning sutures


A liquid chromatography system includes a solvent delivery system, a sample manager including a sample delivery system in fluidic communication with the solvent delivery system, the sample delivery system configured to inject a sample from a sample-vial into a chromatographic flow stream, a liquid chromatography column located downstream from the sample delivery system, and a detector located downstream from the liquid chromatography column. The sample delivery system further includes a first needle drive including a first sample needle configured to extract the sample from the sample-vial and deliver the sample to the liquid chromatography column, and a first syringe in communication with the first sample needle configured to meter extraction of the sample from the sample-vial. The sample manager further includes a sample automation system that includes a second needle drive including a second sample needle configured to add a volume of reagent to the sample-vial.

Chromatography is a set of techniques for separating a mixture into its constituents. For instance, in a liquid chromatography system, a pump takes in and delivers a mixture of liquid solvents to a sample manager, where an injected sample awaits its arrival. In an isocratic chromatography system, the composition of the liquid solvents remains unchanged, whereas in a gradient chromatography system, the solvent composition varies over time. The mobile phase, comprised of a sample dissolved in a mixture of solvents, passes to a column, referred to as the stationary phase. By passing the mixture through the column, the various components in the sample separate from each other at different rates and thus elute from the column at different times. A detector receives the elution from the column and produces an output from which the identity and quantity of the analysis may be determined.
Prior to being provided into the liquid chromatography system, the sample may be provided to a sample manager. The sample manager may be configured to prevent the sample from degrading or becoming otherwise damaged while providing the sample into the liquid chromatography system. Sample managers are regularly interacted with by technicians and as such must be user friendly, dependable, accurate, reliable, serviceable, and cost effective. Typical sample managers can accept a vial or tray of vials, draw a sample from a selected position, and inject the sample into a liquid chromatography system.
Improved sample managers, systems and methods, capable of new and improved functionalities would be well received in the art.


A recipient verification system including a band and a label strip. The band includes a base, a trailing shield segment, and a strap. The band defines a band identification portion displaying a band identifier, as well as opposing passages. The trailing shield segment is disposed over the identification portion. The strap extends from the base and terminates at a tail end. The label strip extends from the base and includes at least one removable label displaying the predetermined band identifier. In an initial state, the strap is free of the band identification portion. In the worn state, the strap is wrapped about a wearer's appendage, with the tail end passing through at least one of the passages and a section of the strap maintained along the identification portion. The predetermined band identifier displayed on the identification portion is visible through the trailing shield segment in the worn state.

The present disclosure relates to recipient verification bands and related systems, for example patient identification systems. More particularly, it relates to wearable verification bands for use in various environments, such as caregiver environments, that provide users with various labels and labeling methods, which can be linked to the wearer of the band, such systems being amenable for various end applications, and methods for making the same.
The need to assign a unique code or other identifier to a person or thing (collectively referred to as a "recipient") and subsequently employ the identifier in correlating other articles or activities to the recipient arises in a number of contexts.
For example, positive patient identification is a critical step in providing medical treatment to patients in a caregiver environment (e.g., hospital). Commonly, an identification band is issued to the patient at the time of admission to the caregiver institution, and is worn by the patient at all times (e.g., a flexible plastic wristband or ankle band). The so-issued identification/admission band typically displays (e.g., printed or labeled) patient-related information, such as name, date of birth, etc. In some instances, a unique patient identifier or other code is assigned to the patient and is displayed on the band, including, for example, bar code or numeric/alphanumeric code. The patient identifier can alternatively be supplied on a separate band (apart from the admission band), and is used to cross-reference other caregiver-related items with the patient via, for example, an electronic data base. The unique patient identifier provides an independent, physical link to the patient. For example, paperwork or other caregiver documents/medical charts relating to the patient may include the patient identifier. In addition, the patient identifier can be applied to specimen samples (e.g., test tubes for blood specimens) taken from the patient, or applied to therapeutic material(s) to be given to the patient, to better ensure that these and other items are accurately associated with the correct patient at all stages of the patient's visit with the caregiver institution. Along these same lines, similar recipient verification needs arise apart from hospital admission, for example blood banks, pharmacy, trauma centers, etc.
As a point of reference, there are multiple situations where lack of immediate patient identification (or other recipient verification) can pose significant safety risks, including trauma situations and blood transfusion to name but two. To facilitate accurate transposition of the patient identifier (and possibly other patient-related information) to items apart from the band(s) worn by the patient, it is known to provide one or more labels or tags that display the same patient identifier, or permit a caregiver to enter the patient identifier on to the label/tag. While viable, the process of transferring the patient identifier from the patient to their specimens, test requests, and other items and then back to the patient is prone to error. First, if the unique patient identifier or patient information must be transcribed by hand, the potential for human error will arise. Second, the patient identifier and/or patient information must be correctly transferred to the specimen/item in question. Hospital admission bands are commonly supplied with a plurality of patient identifying labels. In addition, laboratory test requests often can generate multiple patient identifying labels. In order to avoid transcription errors, it is desirable to use these patient identification labels in combination with the unique patient identifier.
While systems do exist that address multiple and general components of a hospital's procedure, available systems unfortunately may also give rise to other concerns, such as the patient removing the band (for example, due to discomfort), an insufficient supply of labels, absence of label(s) sized/formatted for one or more common applications, damaging of otherwise unprotected labels, etc.
In light of the above, a need exists for an improved recipient verification system.

Recipient verification systems and methods of use including recipient identification


A two-wire metal vapor vacuum arc (MeVVA) vacuum head includes an upper housing and a lower vacuum housing. The lower vacuum housing includes a plurality of ports, a vacuum space, and a first grid positioned in the vacuum space. A plurality of electrodes are positioned in the ports with a first end with an electrical contact area extending into the upper housing, and a second end extending into the vacuum space with an exposed electrical discharge area spaced from the first grid. An electrode of opposite polarity is positioned in one of the lower housing ports with a first end extending into the upper housing and a second end attached to the first grid. An extractor grid is positioned adjacent to the first grid, an electrode selector is operatively connected to the plurality of electrodes, and a trigger generator circuit is connected to an input of the electrode selector.

For many years, metal vapor vacuum arc (MeVVA) ion source systems have been used to produce beams of metal ions for injection into Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT), particle accelerators, and for ion implantation applications. Such systems are useful for implanting ions into surfaces of objects, or for applying metallic coatings to large substrate areas, such as the application of titanium nitride protective coatings to cutting tools, to name but a few.
Past MeVVA designs utilize a three wire system construction requiring a cathode, an anode, and a trigger wire as separate components and all in close proximity in a vacuum arc head. Some of these systems employ a low voltage (˜12 mf) capacitor chargeable to 200-500 VDC that is hard-wired to both the anode and cathode.
Triggering the discharge on the three wire systems is accomplished via the third wire, which supplied a low current pulse of high voltage (10-30 kV), placed in vacuum near the anode and cathode of the MeVVA ion source head. Limitations of this type of design are a large arc jitter, on the order of about 3-6 ms, and a relatively short operation life, where the number of shots before a rebuild is necessitated is relatively small, ˜100,000 shots. A failure mode occurs when the cathode sample material sputters sufficiently to coat the insulator of the trigger pin, causing an electrical short that renders the system to a non-triggerable state. Three wire, water cooled, multi-element (selected by moving parts within the vacuum enclosure) MeVVA systems have been previously built by other workers.
There is, therefore a need for a MeVVA ion source system having greater reliability, longer lifetime, and with less jitter on the ion source production.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


Method and apparatus for extending the horizontal distance through which wells can be drilled. A horizontal tubular is used to convey a drillstring from a drilling rig toward a target location and a mud return line and pump on the surface is used to pump drilling mud returning from the bit back to the drilling rig.

This section is intended to introduce various aspects of the art, which may be associated with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. This discussion is believed to assist in providing a framework to facilitate a better understanding of particular aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that this section should be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.
Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) often reduces field development costs for hydrocarbons because it allows remote reserves to be accessed from a surface location that allows a lower-cost drilling unit to be used than would be required to drill a vertical well to the hydrocarbon reservoir. For example, a significant portion of the Chayvo field in Russia has been developed using a land-based rig to drill more than 15 10-km-throw wells ("throw" is the horizontal distance from surface to bottom-hole location) rather than drilling from a more costly offshore Arctic drilling platform. The current reach (throw) record of a well is about 12 km, but 15-km-reach wells are reportedly being planned. There is a growing need to dramatically increase the reach capability for ERD even beyond 15 km. For example, for a deepwater prospect in the Arctic, in an area where crushing sea ice may limit seasonal drilling windows to a few weeks per year, it may take two or three years to drill a well. This significantly hurts the economics of the prospect. If the heart of the prospect is about 30 km away from shallow (<60 m) water, for example, an ERD well with a throw of 30 km drilled from a bottom-founded platform that allows year-round drilling could significantly improve the economics of appraising and developing the field. In fact, 30-km ERD capability could potentially be enabling for field development.
There are two main technical challenges in constructing long ERD wells: (1) torque and drag forces on the drill string and (2) equivalent circulating density (ECD) of the drilling fluid (mud). Torque and drag can be reduced by rotating the drill string, using lighter-weight materials for the tubulars, floating-in casing and liners, adding lubricants in the surrounding fluid and/or using mechanical devices (e.g., roller centralizers). By one or combinations of such techniques, based on results from ERD wells and predictive calculations, torque and drag can be controlled such that it does not limit ERD in many environments, even to a throw of 30 km or more.
The limiting parameter in drilling many ERD wells is "delta ECD." The pressure outside the bit required to flow the mud back to the surface is called "Equivalent Circulating Density" (ECD). As the well measured depth increases and as the casing/liner strings get smaller, the ECD increases even more above the pressure that would be exerted outside the bit if the mud were not circulating. This increase, called here "delta ECD," is caused by fluid frictional pressure. The delta ECD in some ERD wells while drilling 8½-inch hole through 9 km of 9⅝-inch casing was measured at about 4 ppg (pounds per gallon). Based on this, for a similar geometry, a 30-km well would have more than 12 ppg in delta ECD, which is unacceptably high. If the ECD is too high, the well will lose returns and cuttings will build up, eventually causing the Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA) to become stuck. This is a costly problem that typically would cause the well to be abandoned. The ECD issue can be mitigated by using liners, but typically the liners would have to be set in a full casing string (typically 13⅜-inch OD) that could withstand kick pressures. The reduced ID of the full casing string compared to the conductor means that ECD would likely still be a major problem.
Others have tried to solve the delta ECD problem in a variety of manners, for example, using well architecture to maximize the annular area, reducing the viscosity of the mud, using managed pressure drilling, using a downhole pump incorporated into the drill string, and using various forms of "dual gradient" drilling. Well architecture may maximize the size of the annular area. This will reduce the annular fluid frictional pressure losses, but drilling large diameter wells have several drawbacks. Using small diameter drill pipe also has drawbacks.
Generally, using a low viscosity mud will reduce ECDs. Several approaches have been tried, including using mud weighted with micro-sized barite rather than conventional sized barite, but lower viscosity mud reduces hole-cleaning effectiveness.
Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) is a technique whereby the return mud flows through a choke that provides a back pressure on the annulus. This allows a lighter mud weight to be used. Generally muds with lower densities have lower viscosities, and thus the delta ECD can be somewhat reduced. However, MPD is complicated and expensive to implement.
At least one service company has performed research on a downhole annular mud pump that is incorporated into the drill string, which is described in "A Downhole Tool for Reducing ECD," Amer. Association of Drilling Engineers, AADE-07-NTCE-69 (2007). In this apparatus, the pump takes suction from the mud below the pump and pumps the annular fluid above the pump to the surface. This reduces the pressure seen by the formation at total depth (TD). The idea of using a pump to reduce the pressure at TD has merit, but incorporating a pump into the drill string is fraught with problems. First, when pulling upwards, the pump may create a swab pressure that may induce wellbore instability or formation fluid influx. Second, the pump represents a potential hazard to well control because it cannot be easily stripped through the blowout preventers. Also, the current design uses the downward fluid flow as an energy source to drive the pump, and this saps horsepower from the rig pumps. In addition, the pump must be placed inside casing and has rotating seals that are a prime failure point.
There have been a number of attempts to reduce annular pressures (and therefore ECDs) in deepwater wells using the concept of dual gradient drilling (DGD). In DGD, pumping is used to help lift the mud returns from the sea floor. In some cases, pumps placed either on or near the sea floor or suspended in the water column are used to lift the mud back to the rig. For example, Smith et. al. (SPE 71357) describe a subsea mud lift system for reducing annular mud pressures. This system incorporates a mud pump that is placed on the sea floor. U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,532 discloses a suction pump coupled to the annulus. Examples of suspended pump systems include the Ocean Riser Drilling System discussed by Fossli (SPE 91633). Other DGD methods include injecting a lightweight fluid (sometimes containing hollow beads) into the drilling riser above the blowout preventer (BOP) (e.g., SPE 99135). These systems often use the riser boost line or a concentric riser string to pump into the return mud stream and inject a lightweight gas or liquid.
The DGD systems can lower the bottomhole pressure and ECD by lowering pressure at the mudline, but the bottomhole pressure will still be affected by the long interval (measured depth) below the mudline in ERD wells, i.e., by the annular frictional pressure losses from the bottom of the borehole to the mudline.
What is needed is apparatus and method for decreasing the ECD in long ERD wells. The method should be applicable in onshore or offshore wells in any water depth.
It is also desirable to provide extended horizontal reach such that the location of a drilling or other operations vessel or facility and the subsea bottom-surface location of a well each may be remotely placed from each other to permit continuous year-around or extended working seasons in the wellbore from the facility. Previously known technology may relegate vessel or facility locations to areas that are subject to sea ice, especially icebergs, that limit arctic well operations to intermittent or seasonal activities.
The foregoing discussion of need in the art is intended to be representative rather than exhaustive.

System and method for drilling a well that extends for a large horizontal distance


A video detector for detecting scene changes in a video according to embodiments includes an input for accepting the video, a difference metric calculator for computing a difference metric between two adjacent video frames, and an outlier detector to detect whether an output of the difference metric calculator contains measurements outside of a threshold level of standard deviations of a Gaussian distribution. Methods are also described.

A video sequence is made from a set of video frames having a certain temporal distance between the frames. As part of a given 'scene,' the video frames within it have a temporal coherence. Scene cuts are introduced at various points in the video sequence due to a number of factors such as video editing effects, changing camera angles, and artistic effects, etc., as well as due to scene changes themselves.
FIG. 1 illustrates a series of video frames that contains two scenes in a video in which the scene change from the first scene to the second scene is abrupt. In an abrupt scene change, the frames on either side of the scene changes are completely different. For example a first scene of a video may be a person approaching a building from the outside, then the video changes scenes to a view of the person entering the building from the inside. In this instance, the last frame of the first scene and the first frame of the second scene are radically different. Other scene changes happen gradually over a number of video frames. These gradual scene changes may include fades, wipes, dissolves, etc. Embodiments of the invention are directed to the former types of scene changes.
Several approaches exist for detecting scene changes, but they may be broadly classified into one of two categories—those that analyze compressed video streams and those that analyze uncompressed video streams. The latter type is also called analysis in the uncompressed pixel domain, and is the category to which the invention is directed.
One popular method of detecting scene changes in uncompressed video streams is to use an intensity histogram. In this method the histogram difference between two consecutive video frames is computed. This difference is then compared against a threshold to decide whether a scene cut occurred between the two frames. A potential drawback of such an approach is how to choose the threshold. Sometimes a global threshold applied to all of the frames across a video sequence would yield better results, but other times a local threshold would be better. Another possible limitation with the histogram approach is that it has difficulty detecting between two images that have different structure but similar pixel values.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other limitations of the prior art.

Heuristic method for scene cut detection in digital baseband video


A food-service kit and method includes a plurality of similar or diverse-type containers wherein the containers may be coupled together in various configurations to form toy-like assemblies. The respective containers include compatible projection and socket configurations so that they may be joined together as building blocks in order to create the toy-like devices.

The present invention relates to a food service kit and method f or using the same to serve diverse food products and facilitate entertainment of the users by the empty containers remaining after the food has been consumed. More specifically, the present relates to a food-serving kit of diverse-type containers wherein the containers may be coupled together in various configurations to form toy-like assemblies.
It is generally known that empty food containers may be used as building blocks for creating toy-like assemblies from the empty containers. Typically, these food containers are of the same type and multiple units of the same type of containers are fastened together to create the toy-like assemblies. These containers, for example, may have compatible projection and socket assemblies so that the empty containers may be used for building blocks.
Such containers have been effective in promoting multiple sales of the same products, but they have not addressed the need for promoting sales of related families of products in diverse-type containers and the promotion of multiple sales of the products for each of the diverse-type units. Accordingly, a need in the art exists for a food-service kit wherein a plurality of diverse types of food containers may be utilized to serve diverse types of foods, and each of the diverse-type containers has compatible coupling means, so that toy-like assemblies may be created from selected combinations of the diverse type containers.


According to the example embodiments of semiconductor memory devices and the methods of delaying a sample data signal of the present invention, the delay characteristics of the data sampling signal (FRT) are adjusted based on the location of the memory unit in a row direction and/or in a column direction with respect to the input/output sense amplifier.

1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention generally relate to semiconductor memory devices and methods of delaying a data sampling signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional input/output sense amplifier, which may be used in a memory device.
Generally in a semiconductor memory device, a memory array is arranged in columns and rows. To read data stored in the memory array, a row address is input to select an entire row. Then a column address selects one bit out of the selected row. In response to a column selection signal (CSL), the selected data are transferred to data input/output lines (DIO). The data transferred to the data input/output lines (DIO) are sampled in response to a predetermined data sampling signal (FRT) by an input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A) 10. The sampled data, i.e., sensed data, are output through output lines (DO). The data sampling signal FRT, may be one of various control signals of input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A) 10 that allows the input/output sense amplifier to latch the sensed data.
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram illustrating delay characteristics of input data of the conventional memory device when there is a difference in distance between a plurality of memory blocks and a sense amplifier. FIG. 3 is a timing diagram illustrating delay characteristics of input data of the conventional memory device operating at high speed when there is a difference in distance between a plurality of memory blocks and a sense amplifier.
In general, as the density of a semiconductor memory device increases, a length of the data input/output line (DIO) used for data transfer also increases. Accordingly, time required to transfer data through the data input/output lines (DIO) may differ depending on the length of the DIO. In other words, if a memory block (A) is spatially farther away from an input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A) than a memory block (B), data (DATA_LONG) read from the memory block (A) is received by the input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A) relatively later than when data (DATA_SHORT) read from the memory block (B) is received by the input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A). Thus, the time required to transfer data from the memory block (A) to the input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A) and the time required to transfer data from the memory block (B) to the input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A) may be different. In addition, the time required to transfer data from the same memory block (A or B) to the input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A) may vary depending on the location of data addresses. Also, the data input/output lines (DIO) may have an influence on the time required to transfer data to the input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A).
Referring to FIG. 2, data (DATA_SHORT) from the memory block (B) is received by the input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A) relatively faster than data (DATA_LONG) read from the memory block (A). Even if DATA_SHORT and DATA_LONG are transferred through a data input/output lines (DIO) connected to the same column selection signal (CSL), the arrival time for each data at an input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A) varies depending on the row address of the memory cell data.
When the column selection signal (CSL) is enabled, the data sampling signal (FRT) is enabled after data from the corresponding memory block arrives at the input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A).
Generally, the data sampling signal (FRT) starts data sampling in synchronization with the last arrived data at the input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A), and terminates the data sampling in synchronization with the first arrived data at the input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A). Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, the sampling signal (FRT) has a sampling period WINDOW corresponding to an overlap between effective periods of the DATA_SHORT and the DATA_LONG.
However, the sampling period WINDOW grows shorter as the difference in the time interval of the memory blocks' (A and B) respective arrival at the input/output sense amplifier (IO S/A) becomes longer. As shown in FIG. 3, in some cases, there is a risk that the sampling period WINDOW of the data sampling signal (FRT) may not exist for a high-speed semiconductor memory device.

Semiconductor memory devices and methods of delaying data sampling signal


A method and apparatus for generating a scanning light beam for scanning a target using a light beam scanning system. In response to actuation of the scanning system by a user, only a single non-periodic pulse of current is provided to a scan element. The single pulse of current causes the scan element to move a light beam from a stationary equilibrium position to a first position at a first extreme end of a scan line that intersects the target. Immediately after the light beam reaches the first extreme end of said scan line, the scan element moves the light beam from the first extreme end of the scan line to a second extreme end of the scan line without application of external current. Thereafter, immediately after the light beam reaches the second extreme end of the scan line, the scan element brings the light beam back to the stationary equilibrium position without application of external current. Alternatively, the single pulse of current causes the scan element to move the light beam from a stationary equilibrium position at a first extreme end of the scan line to a second extreme end of the scan line, and immediately after the light beam reaches the second extreme end of the scan line, the scan element moves the light beam from the second extreme end of said scan line to the first extreme end of said scan line without application of external current.

The commercial success of bar code reading equipment utilizing portable beam scanning equipment is well known. As the field continues to advance, users of portable data collection equipment demand ever smaller scan systems with more computerized features and greater convenience of operation. Productivity in the portable data collection industry is dependent on ease of operation of light weight equipment. Acceptance of such equipment by those who operate it on a daily basis depends upon the ergonomic features of scanning devices and terminals.
In some environments where users may be required to climb ladders to capture data, "hands free" and/or wearable scanning equipment is desirable and can lend to the safety of the operator if properly designed. Therefore, the way in which scanners are turned on and off is a significant ergonomic consideration in the design of portable scanning equipment.
The present market place continues to demand scanners which are smaller, lighter, lower cost, lower power with higher functionality, and now even wearable data collection systems are coming into demand.
As will be shown, the present invention advances the state of scanning art by providing fatigue reducing, novel actuation methods, low mass systems and wearability features which greatly reduce operator fatigue produced by mechanical switch mechanisms, heavy equipment, encumbering cables and the like.
Numerous hand holdable portable data collection systems for reading bar code have been successful in the market. These generally fall into two classes: (i) those which scan and read a bar code, then send the data to external data processing systems, (ii) and those in which scanners are integrated within data processing terminals.
Among the hand holdable portable scanners, gun-shaped scanners have been popular, such as the non-contact laser scanner described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,297. This scan system utilizes a mechanical trigger mechanism on the outside of the housing and is operated by squeezing the trigger with the index finger. This technique, however, can cause user fatigue. The trigger requires numerous parts to effect spring loaded lever action of an internal electromechanical switch. An opening in the housing is also necessary to allow for mechanical linkage of the external trigger to the switch inside the housing, thus rendering the housing difficult to seal against moisture or other contamination. Making such a scanner intrinsically safe in an explosive fume environment is also difficult due to the sealing problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,553 describes a hand holdable scanner with a non-scanning light source (i.e., a light source other than the beam scanning light source) which reflects off of a target (e.g., a bar code). The non-scanning light source works in conjunction with a separate special detector to ascertain target distance or presence. If the target is within scanning range, the scanner is then signaled to turn on. This scheme, although it does away with a certain amount of user fatigue, has been known to cause some user frustration because the target's ability to reflect the non-scanned light can influence the point at which the unit goes on rather than its true distance from a target. Also, considerable light must be continuously emitted to "see" distant targets, hence, precious battery power is consumed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,606 discloses laser emission control circuitry for use in implementing hand-held bar code equipment operation. The laser is operated in a pulsed "find paper" mode until a reflected signal is obtained indicating the presence of a target in the search field, where upon scanning is automatically initiated. Since this system requires continuous use of a pulsed-laser beam to determine the presence of an object within the scan field, it consumes significant power to energize the laser. (Most commonly available solid state laser diodes require tens of milliamps and voltages in excess of 2 volts to operate.) Also, the control circuitry for solid state laser control is not simple, especially when several discrete power modes, including pulsed modes, are desired. This increases system bulk and cost.
Scanners with integrated terminals suffer from the same drawbacks as do the systems mentioned above. One prior art scan system such as the one illustrated in FIG. 7 is a wearable scan system. It works with an arm mounted terminal and has a cable attached between the scanner and the terminal. The scanner portion has a mechanical thumb operated switch lever similar to the trigger described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,297. The lever is clumsy, leads to operator fatigue and suffers from all the difficulties of gun style scanners. Removal of this finger mounted system is also inconvenient because of the cable. The finger mountable scan head is quite bulky and can lead to user discomfort due to the size and mass of the unit which carries all the internal parts of a complete scanner including light detection circuits.
In general, the portable prior art scan systems cited above suffer from size, power usage, and ergonomic difficulties.

Method and apparatus for driving a scan element using a single current pulse


Colored impurities are removed from kaolin clay by an improved flotation process in which a blend of a fatty acid compound and a hydroxamate compound is used as a collector.

Kaolin is a naturally occurring, relatively fine, white clay which may be generally described as a hydrated aluminum silicate. Kaolin clay, after purification and beneficiation, is widely used as a filler and pigment in various materials, such as rubber and resins, and in various coatings, such as paints and coatings for paper.
Crude kaolin clay, as mined, contains various forms of discoloring impurities, two major impurities being anatase (TiO.sub.2)and iron oxides. To make the clay more acceptable for use in the paper industry, these impurities must be substantially removed by appropriate techniques.
The production of high brightness clays usually includes at least two processing steps. In a first step, a significant portion of the impurities, mainly anatase, is removed by employing one or more physical separation techniques, such as high gradient magnetic separation, froth flotation and/or selective flocculation. In a subsequent step, the remaining impurities, mainly iron oxides, are removed by known techniques, such as chemical leaching.
Froth flotation is regarded as one of the most efficient methods for removing colored impurities from kaolin clay. Typically, clays to be beneficiated by froth flotation are first blunged in the presence of a dispersant and pH modifier and then conditioned with a collector. The job of the collector is to selectively adsorb to impurities and render them hydrophobic. This part of the process is referred to as conditioning. The conditioned impurities, mainly titanium dioxide in the form of iron-rich anatase, are then removed in a flotation machine via the attachment of the hydrophobic impurities to air bubbles which are injected into the feed slurry or into the flotation pulp.
Two general categories of compounds are reported in the literature as collectors for titaniferous impurities in kaolin clay. Cundy U.S. Pat. No. 3,450,257 discloses the use of fatty acid compounds as collectors, and Yoon & Hilderbrand U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,556 discloses the use of hydroxamate compounds as collectors. Each category of compounds has advantages and disadvantages.
One of the advantages of the fatty acids is that, in addition to collecting impurities, they can also act as frothers when the pulp pH is 8.5 or higher. This may obviate the need for an additional frother in the process. A major disadvantage of fatty acids is that, for them to act as collectors, they must first be activated by polyvalent cations such as Ca.sup.+2 and/or Pb.sup.+2. Unfortunately, this activation process is not a very selective one. The activated collector can adsorb not only to the impurities but also to some of the clay particles which are consequently rendered hydrobophic and, therefore, prone to float as if they were impurities. This leads to losses of clay and inefficiencies in the flotation process.
The very high selectivity towards the impurities without needing an activator has made the hydroxamates a feasible alternative as collectors for titaniferous impurities in kaolin clay. The main disadvantage of hydroxamates is their relatively poor frothability (compared to the fatty acids), which makes the hydroxamates difficult to use in a column cell where a deep froth must be sustained; see Yoon et al., Minerals Engineering, Vol. 5, Nos. 3-5, pp. 457-467 (1992). This may necessitate the use of a frother when the separation is conducted in a column cell. The use of a frother with a hydroxamate is a disadvantage for two reasons: a) the reagent addition system is more complicated and b) frothers can cause excessive foam in the flotation product, thereby making further processing difficult and potentially damaging the quality of the final product. The use of an activator and a frother tends to make the flotation process difficult and less adaptable to different types of kaolin day.
Therefore, a need exists in the kaolin clay industry for a collector system which will selectively adsorb to the titaniferous impurities in kaolin clay and avoid the necessity of additional chemicals (e.g., activators and frothers).

Process for removing impurities from kaolin clays


A method of preparing an overmolded optical fiber assembly comprising: (a) placing at least one flexible optical circuit in a bottom mold, said bottom mold defining a bottom overmold cavity having a bottom surface, said at least one flexible optical circuit having a substrate and a plurality of fibers adhered to said substrate, said substrate being disposed within said bottom overmold cavity to define a first space between said substrate and said bottom surface; (b) flowing a polymer in at least said first space; (c) placing a top mold over said substrate, said top mold defining a top overmold cavity and a top surface and a port defined in said top surface to access said top overmold cavity, said substrate defining a second space between said top surface and said substrate; (d) flowing a polymer in at least a portion of said second space; and (e) removing said bottom and top molds to release said overmolded optical circuit.

The recent surge in demand for bandwidth is creating new challenges for designers of next generation optical networks and systems. This increase in bandwidth leads to a multi-fold increase in optical transmissions, switching, and cross-connection, plus new multiplexing schemes, to transport, process and distribute information to end users efficiently. Thus, back-planes, cross-connects and distributions panels have become highly optical-connection-density intensive. This in turn results in a many-fold increase in the number of fiber optic jumpers and fan-out cables that are needed to interconnect the required optical connections in an orderly, manageable, predictable and cost-effective manner. This becomes a serious problem both in terms of space for dressing optical cables and cost for implementing and maintaining such systems. The situation is particular problematic in applications in which space and weight is at a premium, such as, for example, in aircraft applications. Therefore, new approaches must be developed to address optical fiber congestion problems.
One approach for managing optical fibers is a flexible optical circuit. Such circuits are well known. A conventional flexible optical circuit comprises a flexible substrate having an adhesive surface upon which optical fibers are routed and adhered such that the fibers are organized and held in place to maintain a minimum bend radius. A length of each fiber extends from the substrate. A conformal coating is typically applied over the substrate, and over the extending fibers to form ribbonized cables. Thus, a typical flexible optical circuit comprises a flexible substrate from which ribbon cables extend. Based upon the application, these ribbon cables are either terminated with a multi-fiber termini, or they are broken down into individual fibers in fiber breakouts and then terminated with single or multi-fiber termini. These are well-known configurations.
Although flexible optical circuits are versatile and compact, Applicant recognizes the need to ruggedize these circuits. Specifically, often these optical circuits are used in applications, such as instrument modules in aircraft, in which the instrument components are liquid cooled. The liquid used for cooling in these applications, tends to be caustic. In the event of a breach of the instrument components, the cooling liquid may be dispersed throughout the module, likely contacting the optical circuit. Furthermore, more recently, these modules need to be resistant to cleaning agents such as MEK, TCE, and Alkaline Cleaners.
Additionally, even in applications not involving caustic cooling or cleaning liquids, the optical circuits tend to be subject to high vibration, and thus, any contact with adjacent equipment or other circuits poses an abrasion risk.
Therefore, Applicant has identified a need for an optical circuit having both abrasion and chemical resistance.
One configuration offered by Applicant is an optical circuit overmolded with an abrasion/chemical resistant material such as a fluoropolymer. Applicant has successfully produced such overmolded optical circuits for use in instrument modules and other applications experiencing high vibration and/or potential caustic environments
Applicant discovered that overmolding not only protects the optical circuit as described above, but also provides for complex configurations. More specifically, Applicant has produced optical circuits in which two or more relatively—simple optical circuits are combined and then overmolded to form a single relatively—complex assembly. Thus, by using relatively simple optical circuits as building blocks, complex arrangements can be produced and held in place through overmolding.
Although the overmolded optical circuit offered by Applicant provided the abrasion and chemical resistance desired, while also facilitating more complex fiber assemblies, Applicant nevertheless recognize significant shortcomings in the prior configuration. For example, from a manufacturability standpoint, these overmolded optical circuits were problematic as the fluoropolymer was highly viscous and had to be applied by hand and essentially buttered into the molds. Such a manufacturing technique was not only prohibitively expensive and essentially impossible to scale up, but also lack consistency in the final product. Specifically, because the fluoropolymer had to be buttered into the molds, often air pockets or inconsistent thicknesses resulted. Moreover, the optical circuit was often distorted/warped as the buttered molds were sandwiched around it because of the high viscosity of the fluoropolymer, often resulting in inadequate/inconsistent overmolding of certain areas of the optical circuit.
Although Applicant considered injection molding to enhance manufacturability and to avoid the aforementioned voids, the high viscosity of the fluoropolymer is too great and would distort/damage the optical circuit if it were injected into the molds. More specifically, in typical injection molding, the polymer is injected into the mold until it exits through vents in the mold. However, in the present case, the fluoropolymer would have to be injected under very high pressure due to its viscosity. This high pressure would likely distort and/or damage the optical circuit within the mold. Therefore, injection molding is not a practical solution.
Applicant also considered spraying on the overmolding material. However, this approach produced unacceptable variance in the thickness of the overmolding material.
Applicant also considered using fluoropolymer preforms. Specifically, sheets of fluoropolymer preforms would sandwich the optical circuit, and then the assembly would be subjected to heat and pressure to essentially melt the preforms together to form the overmolded optical circuit. However, this approach was deemed unacceptable as well because, as the complexity of the fiber assembly increases—i.e. as more than two optical circuits were combined—the overlap of the preforms made the fiber assembly prohibitively thick in certain areas.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved approach for producing overmolded optical circuits, which facilitates manufacturability, yet produces consistent results and is flexible to allow for the production of complex assemblies. The present invention fulfills these needs among others.


A torque sensing device includes a rotating component configured to rotate about an axis of rotation and a first sensor positioned adjacent to the rotating component to sense instantaneous angular position of the rotating component at a first location. A second sensor is positioned adjacent to the rotating component radially inboard of the first sensor to sense instantaneous angular position of the rotating component at a second location. A controller is operably coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor. The controller determines a relative phase shift between a first signal generated by the first sensor and a second signal generated by the second sensor to calculate an output proportional to a torque applied to the rotating component.

This disclosure relates generally to automotive applications and, more particularly, to applications requiring high-resolution non-contact torque sensing.
Current engine sensing technology has no reliable, cost-effective, or direct means for measuring the torque output of an engine. The vehicle driver inputs a torque demand via the throttle pedal, and based upon this, fuel quantity and injection timing are looked up in a table that has been conservatively calibrated. The oxygen sensor provides an average feedback to the engine controller based on the multiple cylinders connected to the exhaust pipe. Based upon the fuel injection rate, injection timing, and the air/fuel ratio, the expected engine torque output may be calculated. The actual torque, however, may be different due to mixture preparation variation, unbalanced cylinders, or incomplete combustion.
High-resolution torque sensing will allow feedback of each cylinder's torque output, allowing the next cycle of combustion to be optimized on the fly leading to the maximum torque output of an engine. In addition, this direct feedback will improve fuel efficiency by allowing on-the-fly spark timing and fuel injection timing changes, as well as allow the engine controller to take advantage of the combustion properties of alternative and higher-octane fuels. Misfire detection, cylinder to cylinder balancing, drivability improvements, and individual cylinder tuning can be done with a direct feedback torque sensor to improve efficiency over the life of the engine.


The adaptive brake application and initial skid detection system allows rapid brake application and prevents deep initial skids. Brake pressure is compared with a predetermined threshold brake pressure. Wheel velocity error signals are also generated to mediated/indicate the difference between the wheel velocity and a reference velocity signal. A pressure bias modulator integrator responsive to brake pressure signals adjusts the wheel velocity error signals to provide an anti-skid control signal. The pressure bias modulator integrator can also be initialized to the value of the measured brake pressure when the wheel velocity error signals indicate the beginning of a skid. Brake pressure difference signals are generated to indicate the difference between brake pressure and a commanded brake pressure, and an adjusted brake pressure error signal is generated in response to the brake pressure difference signals.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to deceleration control systems for vehicles, and more particularly concerns an adaptive brake application and initial skid detection system for braking of one or more wheels of an aircraft during landing that prevents deep initial skids, and to thus allow rapid brake application in a controlled-manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Anti-skid and automatic braking systems commonly have been provided on commercial and large turbine aircraft to aid the deceleration of the aircraft upon landing. Modern anti-skid systems typically optimize braking efficiency by adapting to runway conditions and other factors affecting braking to maximize deceleration, corresponding to the level of brake pressure selected by the pilot. In conventional antiskid systems, brakes are typically applied mechanically via a metering valve by the pilot, and as soon as the wheel brake pressure approaches the skid level, such as when an initial skid is detected, a brake pressure value is used to initialize the antiskid control system. However, it has been found that the success of this method can be affected by such factors as the mode of aircraft operation, aircraft weight, tire/runway interfaces, and the like. It would therefore be desirable to provide an adaptive brake application system that can adjust brake pressure or torque application to account for such factors.
Furthermore, rapid pedal application by an aircraft pilot also can often create deep initial skids before an effective antiskidding brake pressure or brake torque is determined and skidding is effectively controlled by conventional antiskid and brake control systems. Eliminating or reducing initial skids would result in shorter aircraft stopping distances, which allow the aircraft to land on shorter runways, and can result in reduced tire wear. It would thus be desirable to provide an initial skid detection system to automatically anticipate initial skid conditions and adjust to prevent deep initial skids, to allow the pilot to depress the brake pedals at any rate, while still providing for rapid brake application in a controlled manner. The present invention provides an adaptive brake application and initial skid detection system that meets these needs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for adaptive brake application and initial skid detection


A water temperature and flow rate control device, including a casing, a rotary cap mounted on the casing to control the horizontal turning angle and vertical tilting angle of a control lever in regulating the temperature of output volume of mixed hot and cold water, and a wedge block adjustably fastened to the control lever and adapted for adjusting the tilting angle of the control lever.

The present invention relates to a water temperature and flow rate control device, and more particularly to such a water temperature and flow rate control device uses a rotary cap and a wedge block to limit the horizontal turning angle and vertical tilting angle of a control lever, so as to limit the maximum output volume of water and highest water temperature.
FIG. 7 shows a water temperature and flow rate control device according to the prior art. This structure of water temperature and flow rate control device comprises a casing 10, two ceramic disks 11; 12 arranged in a stack inside the casing 10, a control lever 13 turned about an axis inside the casing 10, an actuating member 14 driven by the control lever 13 to move the one ceramic disk namely the movable ceramic disk 12 relative to the other ceramic disk namely the fixed ceramic disk 11. The fixed ceramic disk 11 has a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet (not shown), and a water outlet 11a. The movable ceramic disk 12 defines a mixing chamber 12a. When the movable ceramic disk 12 is moved relative to the fixed ceramic disk 11, the mixing chamber 12a imparts a water passage between the water outlet 11a and the hot water inlet/cold water inlet, and therefore the temperature and flow rate of water is controlled. According to the aforesaid structure, the control lever 13 is tilted vertically in a tilting angle .alpha. to control the communication area between the mixing chamber 12a and the water outlet 11a, so as to control the output volume of water, and turned horizontally in a horizontal turning angle .beta. to control the mixing rate between hot water and cold water, so as to control the temperature of output water. This structure of water temperature and flow rate control device is still not satisfactory in function because the volume and temperature of output water are separately controlled. Because water is allowed to pass out of the device when the control lever 13 is tilted, hot water may flow out of the device to scald the hand when a child play with the device. Further, because the flow rate of a water tap is closely related to the size of the water input and output ports and the pressure of water from the water source, a jet of water may suddenly be driven out of the water temperature and flow rate control device when the cap is control lever is turned horizontally in a rush.

Water temperature and flow rate control device


A digital contents superdistribution and transmittance method through the digital contents download services including accessing a server providing digital contents download services via a communication network to make payment for digital contents on the server, and receiving a download of the digital contents on which a security code is set; distributing the downloaded digital contents for which payment has been made to another user; executing the digital contents on the another user's computer, and accessing the server automatically via a communication network; and if the server is accessed and payment is made for the digital contents by the another user, offering a predetermined compensation to the user that has received the download. Accordingly, those who properly receive a download of digital contents can re-distribute the digital contents, and digital contents distribution can be promoted by offering a predetermined portion of profits resulting from the distribution. Furthermore, compatibility with the conventional distribution mechanism for encrypted digital contents can be achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to digital contents download services, and more particularly, to a method of superdistribution of digital contents through download services.
2. Description of the Related Art
Unlike tangible products or goods (hereinafter referred to as "tangible goods"), digital contents, which are intangible electronic goods, can be replicated easily. In order to produce digital contents, as much capital, labor, and knowledge are required as required to produce tangible goods. However, digital contents are quite different from tangible goods in terms of distribution. For example, digital contents are composed of bits, which means they can be easily copied and distributed through computer systems and computer networks. Tangible goods have been distributed based on a traditional pay-per-copy mechanism. However, in the case of digital contents, it is very easy to copy and distribute digital contents without authority and without paying for the product. For this reason, various types of security measures (hereinafter referred to as "solutions") for preventing unauthorized copying and distribution of digital contents have been developed.
In particular, as the Internet, which is a global network connecting computers, has grown substantially in popularity following the development of a world wide web (WWW) system, distribution methods (download services, for example) of digital contents (i.e., software, music, video, images, documents, or any other item that can be distributed digitally) through the Internet are growing rapidly. Furthermore, since the WWW provides for an environment that enables users to easily access and navigate or explore the Internet, contents themselves have become increasingly important. Along with this, for protection of digital contents in an Internet environment, a movement for distribution of only contents to which security techniques are applied (encrypted by a predetermined method, for example) is expanding.
However, according to conventional encrypted contents distribution methods, such as those used in download services, those who legally receive a download of digital contents (i.e, those who pay for corresponding contents by a predetermined payment method hereinafter called "payers") are only allowed to use the downloaded contents, and they are prevented from distributing the copies to other persons. This is because a security solution is set on the corresponding contents so that only the payer can use it.
A conventional security paradigm prevents the unauthorized copying and distribution of digital contents. However, an Internet environment provides for a digital contents superdistribution scheme, which allows free copying and distribution of digital contents on the condition that a fee is paid for the use of the digital contents.
A currently proposed superdistribution (hereinafter referred to as "typical superdistribution") paradigm which requires payment for "use" of digital contents results in the building of a unique payment and security system which monitors the use of digital contents to require payment for the same. Thus, this superdistribution paradigm may reduce existing Internet sites, which are equipped with a security solution and a payment system and serve to distribute digital contents through download services, to a mere dummy distribution agent that distributes the digital contents without performing the security and payment functions. Furthermore, the typical superdistribution paradigm may reduce the digital contents distribution market since there is little distinction between Internet sites for distribution of digital contents under this paradigm. This may hinder distribution of digital contents.

Digital contents superdistribution system and method of distributing digital contents


A receiver of an ultrasonic sensor includes reception elements, each of which has a shape of a flat rectangular plate. The reception elements are arranged one-dimensionally on a plane so that the reception surfaces face the same direction and that the reception elements are aligned with small intervals in the width direction thereof while longitudinal ends of the reception elements at a certain side are aligned in a straight line. The widths and the thicknesses of the reception elements are even, while the longitudes of the reception elements are uneven. The both longitudinal ends of the reception elements are fixed to prohibit the vibration of the ends. The longitudes are designed so that the primary resonance frequencies of the reception elements are uneven.

Conventionally, an ultrasonic sensor is widely used in various fields. For example, it is used as a vertical sonar in an echo sounding machine and a fish detector, as a horizontal sonar for a vessel detecting a direction or a distance to an object, and as an ultrasonic diagnostic equipment for making a diagnosis of an internal organ by imaging the organ.
In addition, developments have been made for using the ultrasonic sensor in an art for monitoring a vehicle periphery and thus contributing to driving safety by detecting a distance to or a two-dimensional or three-dimensional position of an object around the vehicle. To detect the distance or the position, the ultrasonic sensor incorporated in the vehicle transmits an ultrasonic signal which is harmless to humans and receives the ultrasonic signal reflected by the object. For example, a parking assistance system is in practical use for assisting a driver in backing the vehicle in a parking space while avoiding objects such as a human or an obstacle located at the rearward of the vehicle. In the parking assistance system, a device generally referred to as a rear sonar is used which has the ultrasonic sensor at a rear portion of the vehicle and detects the object by means of the ultrasonic sensor.
For example, in the 2nd to 4th pages and FIGS. 1–3 of JP-H5-347797-A, such an ultrasonic sensor (specifically ultrasound probe) used for detecting a position and a distance of a target object is disclosed. Specifically, the ultrasonic sensor in the publication includes a piezoelectric complex and an electrode array. The piezoelectric complex is made of multiple piezoelectric substances which are connected with each other through organic polymers, and the electrode array is made of multiple electrodes which are aligned with intervals among them on a surface of the piezoelectric complex. In addition, portions of the piezoelectric complex overlapping the intervals of the electrode array are filled with filling materials, the dumping factors of which are higher than those of the organic polymers.
In the conventional ultrasonic sensors including the ultrasonic sensor in the publication, a receiver for converting a received ultrasonic signal to an electric signal has a one-dimensional structure or a two-dimensional structure. The one-dimensional structure is constructed by aligning, orderly in a single direction on a plane, multiple vibration plates (which correspond to the electrode array in the publication) with the same size and shape. The two-dimensional structure is constructed by aligning, orderly in lengthwise and crosswise directions on a plane, multiple vibration plates with the same size and shape. In addition, a transmitter of the conventional ultrasonic sensor converts an externally received electric signal to an ultrasonic signal and transmits the ultrasonic signal. The receiver receives at the vibration plates the ultrasonic signal reflected by the target object.
Then, the receiver detects gaps among timings at each of which one of the vibration plates receives the reflected ultrasonic signal. By comparing the detected gaps with the transmitted ultrasonic signal, the ultrasonic sensor can determine the two-dimensional or three-dimensional position of the target object, the distance between the target object and the ultrasonic sensor, etc.
The transmitter of the conventional ultrasonic sensor ordinarily transmits the ultrasonic signal by using a single vibration plate (or sound generation plate). However, a transmitter has been proposed which transmits the ultrasonic signal by using multiple vibration plates, which has the one-dimensional structure or the two-dimensional structure. It is a purpose of the transmitter having the multiple vibration plates to increase transmission power of the ultrasonic signal.
Since the conventional receiver has the structure constructed by aligning the multiple vibration plates with the same size and shape, all vibration plates have the same resonance frequency which causes an acoustic crosstalk among the vibration plates to be larger. Therefore the conventional receiver has a problem in terms of accuracy in determining the position and the distance of the target object.
The ultrasonic sensor in JP-H5-347797-A reduces the acoustic crosstalk among the electrodes (or vibration plates) and improves its azimuth resolution, because the portions of the piezoelectric complex overlapping the intervals of the electrode array are filled with the filling materials having higher dumping factors than those of the organic polymers constituting the piezoelectric complex.
However, the ultrasonic sensor in the publication still has a problem that it requires a manufacturing process for injecting the filling materials, which causes a growth in its manufacturing cost. In addition, the ultrasonic sensor in the publication still has a problem that the volume and the weight of the filling materials cause a growth in the total physical size and the total weight of the ultrasonic sensor. Moreover, the ultrasonic sensor is required recently to transmit an ultrasonic chord in order to improve the accuracy in determining the position and the distance regarding the target object.


An object of the invention is to improve uniformity of a standard sample used for evaluating a gas flow type analysis system. The invention includes weighing a background into a container; adding a sample solution to the background; drying the sample solution; adding a solvent that can dissolve the sample into the container; and drying the solvent added to the container. The invention is also characterized in that the solvent is an organic solvent, in particular, acetone.

It has become important to detect substances such as an explosive at an entrance of an airport, an amusement park, and other facilities. It is known on handling such a dangerous substance as an explosive that particulates derived from the dangerous substance scatter to the periphery. Accordingly, when particulates from a dangerous substance such as an explosive are attached to a test subject (for example, a hand, a cloth, a bag, or the like), a person relating to the test subject has highly possibly handled the dangerous substance. Thus, an analysis system for rapidly analyzing particulates attached to a test subject is becoming increasingly important.
PTL 1 discloses an analysis device and an analysis method "characterized by including: a gas feeding unit for peeling off a sample attached to a subject; a gas sucking unit for sucking the sample peeled off from the subject; a particulate capturing unit that includes a conical particulate concentrating unit, and concentrates and captures the sucked sample; a large capacity sucking unit provided above the particulates concentrating unit; a particulate capturing filter provided in a small radius part of the particulate concentrating unit; a heating unit for heating the particulate capturing filter provided in the small radius part of the particulate concentrating unit; a small capacity sucking unit for continuously sucking a sample, which has been captured by the particulate capturing filter and vaporized by the heating, from the back surface of the particulate capturing filter; an ion source unit in which the sucked sample is introduced and ionized; a mass analysis unit for analyzing the masses of ions produced in the ion source unit; a controlling unit that controls the ion source unit and the mass analyzing unit; a database unit that stores mass spectrum data derived from a substance to be detected; and a determining unit that collates the result of the mass analysis of the sample by the mass analyzing unit with the mass spectrum data stored in the database unit to determine the presence or absence of the substance to be detected" (see, claim 1).
In order to correctly evaluate the performance for an attached substance in such an analysis system (analysis device), it is necessary to establish a preparation method of a standard sample to be used in a test of the analysis system and an evaluation procedure of the analysis system. PTL 2 discloses a method for preparing a standard sample used for evaluating an analysis system, in which a sample solution is added dropwise on a Teflon sheet and dried, and a precipitated sample is rubbed against a test subject, thereby attaching a desired sample on the test subject.
In addition, NPL 1 establishes a specification of a preparation method of a standard sample used for evaluating an analysis system and an evaluation procedure thereof. Specifically, a procedure is described in which a background suspension is added dropwise on a commercially available paper waste, followed by drying, then a sample solution is added dropwise on the same paper waste, followed by drying, and the paper waste containing desire amounts of the background and the sample is tested by the analysis system.

Method for preparing standard sample for gas flow type analysis system


A method for controlling a heat pump system is provided with air conditioning means connected to a controller and including a plurality of valves and expansion valves connected to each other through a refrigerant line and a bypass line, a compressor, an accumulator, an evaporator, an exterior condenser, an interior condenser, and an HVAC module having a PTC heater and a door at a warming mode, a cooling mode, a dehumidification mode, a dehumidification/defrosting mode, or an extremely low temperature dehumidification/defrosting mode according to selection of a driver.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a heat pump system for a vehicle and a control method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a heat pump system for a vehicle and a control method thereof that improve heating performance and dehumidification performance of the vehicle and prevent frost of an exterior condenser by controlling flow of a refrigerant and increase mileage by minimizing power consumption of a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, an air conditioning system for a vehicle includes an air conditioning module warming or cooling a cabin of the vehicle.
Such an air conditioning module circulates a heat-exchanging medium through a condenser, a receiver drier, an expansion valve, and an evaporator by operation of a compressor. After that, the heat-exchanging medium flows back to the compressor. At this process, the air conditioning module warms up the cabin of the vehicle through heat exchange at the evaporator or cools the cabin of the vehicle through heat exchange with a coolant at a heater.
Meanwhile, energy efficiency and environmental pollution are of increasing concern, and environmentally-friendly vehicles substituting vehicles having an internal combustion engine have been researched. Such environmentally-friendly vehicles include electric vehicles using fuel cell or electricity as power source, or hybrid vehicles driven by an engine and an electric battery.
An air conditioning system of an electric vehicle among the environmentally-friendly vehicle, different from that of a typical vehicle, does not use a separate heater. An air conditioning system applied to an electric vehicle is typically called a heat pump system.
According to the heat pump system, a high temperature/pressure gaseous refrigerant compressed at a compressor is condensed at a condenser and then is supplied to an evaporator passing through a receiver drier and an expansion valve at a cooling mode in the summer. The gaseous refrigerant is evaporated at the evaporator and lowers temperature and humidity of the cabin. However, the heat pump system has characteristics that the high temperature/pressure gaseous refrigerant is used as a heater medium at a warming mode in the winter.
That is, the high temperature/pressure gaseous refrigerant is supplied not to an exterior condenser but to an interior condenser through a valve and is heat-exchanged with an air at the warming mode in the electric vehicle. The heat-exchanged air passes through a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater. After that, the air flows into the cabin of the vehicle and raises a cabin temperature of the vehicle.
The high temperature/pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing into the interior condenser is condensed through heat exchange with the air and is flowed out in a state of liquid refrigerant.
According to a conventional heat pump system, the air of a very low temperature or a low temperature is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant at the interior condenser and the refrigerant of a very low temperature is flowed from the interior condenser to the exterior condenser in the winter. Since a surface of the exterior condenser is frozen, heat-exchanging efficiency and heating performance and efficiency of the heat-exchanging medium may be deteriorated. In addition, since humidity becomes high due to a condensed water remaining at an exterior of the evaporator in a case that a conversion from the cooling mode to the warming mode occurs, moisture condenses on a vehicle window and dehumidification performance may be deteriorated.
To solve such problems, the compressor stops operating and warming is performed only by the PTC heater at a defrosting mode where a surface of the exterior condenser is defrosted. Therefore, heating performance may be seriously deteriorated, heating load may be increased due to increase of power consumption, and mileage may be shortened at a driving with warming.
In addition, since heat for converting a liquid refrigerant into the gaseous refrigerant is insufficient when the liquid refrigerant flows into the from the interior condenser, compress efficiency may be deteriorated, heating performance may be seriously deteriorated when an air temperature is low, the system may be unstable, and durability of the compressor may be deteriorated when the liquid refrigerant flows into the compressor.
In addition, noise and vibration may occur due to frequent open/close operation of a 2-way valve at a dehumidification mode where moisture is removed from the cabin of the vehicle.
The information disclosed in this Background section 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.

Heat pump system for vehicle and control method thereof


An intake manifold with a single and dual plane adapter is provided. The intake manifold includes a plenum chamber. The plenum chamber may include a first side, a second side, a bottom portion, and a top portion. The adapter may include a guide rail attached to the plenum chamber and forming a channel in between. A divider is formed to fit within the channel. An actuator is operatively connected to extend and retract the divider within the channel. Therefore, the divider includes an extended position forming a dual chamber within the plenum chamber, and a retracted position forming a single chamber within the plenum chamber.

The present invention relates to an intake manifold and, more particularly, to an intake manifold with a single and dual plenum adapter.
An intake manifold is the part of an engine that supplies the fuel/air mixture to the cylinders. The primary function of the intake manifold is to evenly distribute the combustion mixture (or just air in a direct injection engine) to each intake port in the cylinder head(s). Even distribution is important to optimize the efficiency and performance of the engine. Currently, intake manifolds either have a single plane or dual plane plenum.
As can be seen, there is a need for a device that may alternate an intake manifold between a single and dual plane plenum.


A composition for potentiating glutathione, which contains at least one member selected from the group consisting of 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethanol or a glycoside thereof, a plant containing 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethanol or a glycoside thereof, an extract of said plant, a hydrolysate of said plant, and a hydrolysate of the extract of said plant (excluding Olea europaea and an extract thereof), and which further contains at least one member selected from among an S-containing compound that is a supply source of cysteine, a protein that contains cysteine and/or cystine, a yeast that contains cysteine and/or cystine, and a vitamin.

Glutathione is an antioxidant substance that is widely distributed in the living body, and is a tripeptide that consists of cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine. As the main reducing agent in the living body, glutathione plays an important role in cell protection by various types of oxidation-reduction metabolism, as well as in xenobiotic metabolism, repair processes, and the like by means of the SH groups that are the active sites of glutathione. As the substrate of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione detoxifies peroxides such as hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxides that are generated in the living body. Furthermore, by being oxidized itself, glutathione also acts to protect the living body from oxidative damages (e.g., by the above-mentioned peroxides, free radicals, and the like).
In cases where the equilibrium between oxidation promoting substances and the mechanism of the antioxidation ability is such that the former substances take precedence, oxidative stress occurs. Furthermore, if the living body is subjected to excessive oxidative stress, xenobiotic and the like, the glutathione in the living body is consumed to the point of exhaustion, so that normal cell function cannot be maintained. Pathological conditions that are caused by a decrease in the intracellular concentration of glutathione include cell damage, inflammation, darkening, production of spots or freckles caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, acute or chronic alcoholic liver damage, liver disease, chronic renal insufficiency, pulmonary disorders caused by tobacco smoking or the like, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cataracts, ischemic heart disease, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, gastric ulcers, adult respiratory organ impairment syndrome, immune deficiency, marrow formation insufficiency, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, latent viral infections, aging phenomena and cancerous changes accompanying physiological aging, and the like.
Glutathione formulations have been used to treat the above-mentioned pathological conditions caused by a decrease in the intracellular concentration of glutathione. However, depending on the organ, the oral administration of glutathione may not have the expected effect. Treatment by means of injection promises a greater effect than treatment by oral administration. However, such treatment involves a number of problems: namely, the administration involves pain, a visit to the hospital or clinic is required, and the like. Since the quantity of glutathione in cells depends on the quantity of cysteine that is present in the cells, S-containing compounds that are used to increase this quantity of cysteine in cells have been disclosed in recent years (JP 01-26516 A, JP 02-45420 A, JP 05-301811 A, and JP 08-319242 A).
For example, such compounds include N-acetylcysteine, L-2-oxothiazolidine-2-carboxylic acid, glutathione esters, and the like. However, depending on the organ, even such compounds have not been satisfactory in terms of the effect obtained.
The quantity of expression and the activity of enzymes that condense glutamic acid and cysteine and enzymes that synthesize γ-glutamylcysteine are known as another factor that determines the quantity of glutathione in cells. The activity and amount of expression of such enzymes are regulated by various factors such as thermal shock, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) cytokines such as interleukin 1, hormones such as insulin and glucocorticoid, heavy metals, factors relating to cell proliferation and cell cycle, and the like. Furthermore, antioxidant response elements are present in the 5′ terminal regions of genes of these enzymes, so that the enzymes have a sequence that responds to antioxidant substances. The detailed mechanism is still not considered to be completely clear, but it has been reported that pulmonary edema induced by phosgene in mice can be prevented in advance by administering butylhydroxyanisole (which is used as an antioxidant in food products) and thus raising the glutathione concentration (Inhal. Toxical. 1999, 11 (9), pp. 855-871). However, it has not been reported that conventionally known antioxidants such as vitamin C, mannitol, amino acids (such as histidine) or antioxidants such as Olea europaea extracts (JP. 2000-128765 A, JP 2001-181632 A, and JP 2001-26518 A) and a hydrolysate of an Olea europaea extract (JP 09-78061 A) have a glutathione potentiating effect, and there is still no specific description of use in the prevention and treatment of the diseases cited above on the basis of such a mechanism of action.

Compositions for potentiating glutathione


Apparatuses, methods and storage medium associated with automatic SATA receiver equalization margin determination and setting, are disclosed. In embodiments, an apparatus may comprise a BIOS configured to determine, during POST, whether a device is attached to one of the SATA ports, and on determination that a device is attached to one of the SATA ports, further determine whether a receiver equalization margin has been set for the device. Additionally, the BIOS may be configured to perform a DTLE training to dynamically determine and set the receiver equalization margin for the device, on determination that a receiver equalization margin has not been set for the device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Serial ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment), also referred to as SATA, adapters and interfaces are very popular adapters/interfaces for attaching devices, e.g., storage devices, to computing platforms. Currently, SATA receiver equalization margin settings for the various SATA devices are manually tuned and statically set. The manual process typically involves performance of margin analysis, sweeping across the entire receiver equalization range from 0x0 to 0xF, using an electrical margin tool. On identifying the optimal receiver equalization margins for the various SATA devices, the settings are then statically coded into the basic input-output system (BIOS) of the various computing platform designs. With the plethora of SATA devices in various form factors, and various computing platform designs, this is inefficient, and burdensome to the computing platform designer.

SATA receiver equalization margin determination/setting method and apparatus


A stone bed includes: a stone mat having a wood frame which a sheet is covered around, the wood frame wherein a copper plate, a protective insulating material, a plane carbon heating element, a first protection film, a second protection film, an electromagnetic wave shielding, a third protection film, a far infrared ray nonwoven fabric, and a natural stone are sequentially laid from a bottom, the wood frame having controllers and anion emitters on its both top ends, the controller comprising a power display unit, a selection switch, a temperature control switch, and a temperature display lamp, and a power input cord which is shielding processed; and a bed body having a top surface which the stone mat is mounted on.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stone bed. Specifically, this invention is a stone bed which emits a great volume of far infrared rays and anion which do a human body good, thereby helping a user to recover from his/her fatigue, accelerating metabolism, and allowing the user to have a clear mind and keep his/her health.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As health becomes great concerns these days, a bed, which is greatly related to sleep which is necessary for relieving one's fatigue, is becoming an important object of the concern. Therefore, various types of beds have been developed.
A most general bed is structured in such a manner that a mat formed by covering around a group of elastic springs with fabric material is mounted on a bed body of a specified shape. Such the bed is very efficient in absorbing a shock due to the springs in the mat. However, as the bed is used for a long time, the buffer effect is deteriorated. There is a problem that a user gets an abnormal symptom, such as a ruptured disk or a curved spine. Additionally, since this bed is not equipped with a special heating device, it cannot satisfy old people who were accustomed to the Korean under-floor heating system.
To prevent the ruptured disk or the curved spine, a bed having supports between the springs in the mat has been developed. However, this bed is not practical because it is not easy to install the supports in the existing mat. Moreover, the supports can be broken.
To solve the heating problem in the bed, a special heating apparatus, such as an electric heating pad, can be used. This heating apparatus is effective in heating the bed, but it generates noxious electromagnetic waves. According to an investigation made in certain areas in America electromagnetic waves can make a person get cancer. This fact makes people avoid using such a heating apparatus.
To solve the above problems, a stone bed has been developed. With reference to FIG. 3, this conventional stone bed is described below in detail.
First, insulating material 112 is put on bed body 110 in stone bed 100. Electric heat line 114 formed with coils is installed on insulating material. Stone plate 116 of a specified size is then mounted. Electric heat line 114 is connected to an electric cord, thus it is used by being plugged in.
This conventional stone bed 100 operates in such a manner that once the electric cord connected electric heat line 114 is plugged in, electric heat line 114 is charged with electricity, thus generating heat, which heats stone plate 116. Bedclothes is used by being spread on stone plate 116 which was heated.
Such the stone bed 100 can prevent a ruptured disk or a curved spine since a part which a human body is in contact with is hard stone plate 116 in this bed. It also has the same heating effect as the Korean under-floor heating system. However, since this bed 100 employs electric heat line 114 using electricity to heat stone plate 116, a great amount of electromagnetic waves which do harm to a human body are directly emitted. Consequently, this bed does not solve the problem of causing cancer. Additionally, a user can be burnt because the bed does not have an over-heat preventer, i.e. an element for controlling a temperature of stone plate 116. There is also a possibility that electric heat line 114 is disconnected after it was used for a long time, causing a troublesome of repairs.

Electrically heated stone bed with electromagnetic shielding layer

301 Kongkan Vila, 468-146, Suyu l-Dong, Kangbug-Ku

302-2309 Jayang Hyundai 3rd Apt., 670, Jayang 2-Dong, Kwangjin-Ku


The present application provides a system for creating content for a first entity. In one aspect of the application, content creation and management system defines a virtual content channel, wherein the virtual content channel comprises content sources in the combined set of content sources that are above a similarity threshold based on the similarity score. The virtual content channel is defined by (1) determine categories for a plurality of content sources, wherein each content source is related to the category; (2) determine a first set of content reference categories, the first set of content reference categories relate to a first entity content source; (3) determine a second set of content reference categories, the second set of content reference categories relate to a brand theme; (4) determine a combined set of content sources, the combined set of content sources relate to the first content reference set of categories and the second content reference set of categories; (5) determine a similarity score between each of the content sources in the combined set of content sources; and (6) compile content sources that exceed a similarity threshold based on the similarity score.

In the Internet domain, merchants of goods and services have relied primarily to date on so-called banner advertising to promote their name and increase awareness. This form of advertising is rapidly falling out of favor both because it is relatively ineffective and is not available in many social forums where advertisers may wish to establish a presence. Social networking sites help foster brand awareness through increased communications and serve as a relatively inexpensive platform for organizations to implement marketing campaigns. However, many of these social networking sites, such as Facebook, allow only a small percentage of an interface to present advertising to a user. The situation is even more restricted in mobile applications, as device displays are smaller, and users are not keen to share limited viewing space with undesirable advertising.
Thus, in the next phase of digital marketing, brands may no longer have special boxes (ad units). For example, Facebook recently announced that it is allowing advertisers to post in a mobile news feed, where they have been identified to have the greatest engagement rate.
Merchants, therefore, must create or utilize other means for engaging with users which permit them to present relevant and interesting content. However, to do so on a massive scale is challenging given that advertisers, historically, have not focused on creating large amounts of content, and did not have effective tools for doing so. Moreover many merchants/brands have been reluctant to engage with their customers except with carefully controlled and vetted messages that are inherently created in a slow, deliberate fashion.
In addition, another limitation of traditional banner advertising is frequently the lack of flexibility or adaptability to new information, such as news, events, changing interests of their audience, etc. Advertisements rapidly become stale and do not adapt well to context changes associated with a brand audience.
These and other limitations of current brand advertising are addressed in the present disclosure.


An external airbag includes an airbag body and an urging portion. The airbag body is deployed to extend in front of a front pillar and upward along the front pillar from a lower end of the front pillar. The front pillar is disposed along a lateral edge of a windshield of an automobile. The urging portion urges downward a vicinity of a leading end of the airbag body deployed upward along the front pillar such that the leading end is moved back downward along the front pillar, and that forms a space between an intermediate portion of the airbag body and the front pillar.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an external airbag and particularly to an external airbag that is deployed so as to extend upward along a front pillar.
2. Related Art
In related art, external airbags have been used that protect a subject to be protected such as a pedestrian against the impact of a collision in case the subject to be protected collides with an automobile. In general, an external airbag is folded and housed in an automobile and is deployed by injection of deployment gas into the airbag. The deployed external airbag, when receiving a subject to be protected, is deformed depending on the pressure from the subject, and thus the collision energy of the subject is absorbable by the external airbag. External airbags are in practical use which are each deployed along, for instance, front pillars which are formed solidly in an automobile. Here, the front pillars are formed so as to extend along the sides of the windshield, and there are calls for an external airbag that is deployed so as to reliably cover the front pillars without being displaced from the front pillars.
Thus, as a technique for reliably covering the front pillars, for instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2005-153851 proposes a protection device for pedestrians including a first airbag that inflates so as to cover the vicinity of the center of the cowl top, and a second airbag that inflates so as to cover the front pillars on both sides of the first airbag. The protection device for pedestrians is such that the first airbag first starts to inflate and the second airbag inflates upward along the front pillars while being in contact with the inflated first airbag, and thus the second airbag may be inflated along the front pillars by being guided by the first airbag.


The present invention relates to a counterbalance mechanism for a reciprocating power tool in which a rocker cradle operatively connects or is coupled to a rocker arm driven by a rotary transmission mechanism to drive a counterweight in the opposite direction to that of the movement of the reciprocating rod so as to counteract the vibration produced by the reciprocating rod.

In the prior art, a power tool capable of performing a reciprocative cutting action often incorporates a counterweight to reduce vibrations caused by the reciprocating movement. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,217, a counterweight is driven by a pivot arm to perform reciprocating movement to reduce the vibration of the reciprocating rod. This increases the length of the housing in an axial direction. Moreover this involves a number of moving parts and is difficult to manufacture.


A method and apparatus has been developed for the work hardening of tungsten alloy rods while achieving a high degree of diametrical control. The method employs multiple extrusions through extrusion dies designed to prevent cracking and delamination of the rods.

Work hardening of tungsten alloy rods is typically conducted using a swaging process. In the swaging process, the rod is work hardened, i.e., reduced in diameter, in one or more steps to achieve the desired material properties for a given application. However, for certain applications where tight tolerances are mandated, the swaging process is inefficient because it cannot consistently produce the desired material properties nor can it produce rods having strict dimensional tolerances without additional finishing steps. For example, ultimate tensile strength and yield strength may vary by 15 Ksi and total diameter by .+-.0.003 inch. Variations in the material properties and in the dies used in the swager during the metal working operation are the principal causes of these inefficiencies. To achieve the necessary diametrical control when swaging is used, the rods have to be left oversized so that they can be ground to the required diameter, a step which yields about 5% scrap. This finishing work adds to the cost of manufacturing by increasing both labor and materials costs.
Thus, it would be an advantage to have a process whereby tungsten alloy rods could be more efficiently and consistently work hardened while achieving a greater degree of diametrical control.