A method for processing a source digital image wherein the source digital image is comprised of a plurality of pixels. A spatial filter is applied to the source digital image to produce an enhanced digital image. An inverse spatial filter is applied to the enhanced digital image to produce an estimated digital image. A difference digital image is then produced from the estimated digital image and the source digital image, wherein the difference digital image is representative of a difference between the source digital image and the estimated digital image. The difference digital image and the enhanced digital image can be transmitted from a first device to a second device remote. At the second device, a reconstructed digital image can be generated from the difference digital image and the enhanced digital image, wherein the reconstructed digital image is substantially equivalent to the source digital image.

Information technology is having an important influence on medical imaging. Picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) allow for digital acquisition, image processing and display for a variety of medical imaging modalities in a digital, filmless environment. The advantages promised by digital medical imaging include increased productivity for health care professionals who utilize images and increased flexibility in how medical images are used to improve patient care.
One source of medical images is the detection of x-rays projected through a region of interest in a patient so as to measure the x-ray transmittance with an imaging detector of finite area. Such images are generally referred to as projection radiographic images. After acquisition, the images can be enhanced using digital image processing techniques to maximize the display of diagnostic information in the image. Successful automatic application of the processing, on the capture modality, provides images that are ready for display and serves to increase the productivity of health care professionals as images can be viewed on computer displays or printed for viewing on a light box.
In conventional film-screen radiographs, the visual presentation of radiographs is locked at the time of capture and chemically processed. Unlike conventional film-screen radiographs, digital radiographs may be selectively enhanced after acquisition to provide different appearances. Particular attributes of the image (such as the brightness, latitude, detail contrast, sharpness and the appearance of the noise) can be modified/enhanced. Additionally, computer aided analysis of the image may be performed, such as the computer aided detection (CAD) of lesions in digital mammograms. With multiple uses for medical images, there exists a need to store, retrieve and transmit both enhanced and un-enhanced images. Preferably, such storage, retrieval and transmittal can occur within a PACS system to meet the requirements of all devices in the PACS.
In an open systems environment, such as DICOM (Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine), there are provisions for support of both enhanced and original, or un-enhanced medical images. In particular, the DICOM standard (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine PS 3.3-1999, National Electrical Manufacturers Association, 1999) addresses the management of image data which is either enhanced or un-enhanced. The concept is presented in the DX Series Module by the introduction of Presentation Intent Type. This tag may have the value of FOR PRESENTATION or FOR PROCESSING. If the value of the tag is FOR PRESENTATION, the image has been enhanced such that the image may be displayed without additional processing required. If the value of the tag is FOR PROCESSING, the image must undergo additional enhancement processing prior to display and interpretation. The intent of FOR PROCESSING image data is to allow computer-aided-detection processing and to allow more capable systems, which can perform the required enhancement processing, to do so while still using a DICOM image object while also preserving the capability to provide image data that is display-ready by the use of FOR PRESENTATION.
While the DICOM standard provides representations for both enhanced and un-enhanced versions of an image, it does not provide an efficient means to archive and/or transmit images in both un-enhanced and enhanced states. Handling both enhanced and un-enhanced images using the DX series module in DICOM thus adds both complexity and additional image archive storage requirements to a PACS system to manage requests for different versions of the same image.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,393 (Spaulding), issued Oct. 9, 2001, relates to representing an image in more than one image processing state using the concept of a delta image to represent the difference between two images. The method disclosed by Spaulding allows a remote user to reconstruct an original un-enhanced image from the combination of an enhanced image and delta image. However, the method of reconstruction disclosed does not account for the delta image file size dependence on spatial filtering operations that may have been applied to generate the enhanced image. As such, the method disclosed by Spaulding is not particularly suited for imaging applications that rely on spatial filtering operations for image enhancement, for example, medical imaging applications.
Accordingly, there exits a need for a method that allows a user to selectively display an enhanced digital image or reprocess an original digital image so that any lost information can be viewed without having to retrieve the large original digital image.

Digital image reconstruction using inverse spatial filtering


When user gives instruction to perform front photographing correction (keystone distortion correction) while a digital camera displays an image photographed and stored by itself on a monitor in play mode, the digital camera identifies quadrangular contours to be used as correction reference, from the displayed image. The digital camera moves a quadrangular frame to be overlaid upon the identified contours in accordance with user's switching operation, thereby allowing the user to select a desired contour. The digital camera writes coordinate information of four vertexes of the contour selected by deciding operation, in the header of the image file of the displayed image. Thereafter, when front photographing correction is performed on the image by an image processing apparatus, the coordinate information is read from the image file, so that correction is performed based on a quadrangle represented by the coordinate information and having the four vertexes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system and image processing method for applying a predetermined process to an image which is photographed and recorded, and an electronic camera and image processing apparatus used therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a case where a document script or the like is photographed by a camera, a so-called keystone distortion occurs in the document script or the like within the image obtained by photographing unless the document script or the like is photographed from a position right in front of it. To deal with this, Patent Document 1 identified below discloses a method for allowing an electronic camera having an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or the like, to perform by itself correction (front photographing correction) of a keystone distortion present in a photographed image of a document script or the like, by providing an image processing circuit in the electronic camera.
In a case where an ordinary electronic camera performs such front photographing correction on a photographed image, it requires an enormous time for image processing for the front photographing correction because of limitation of its capacity for image processing. Therefore, front photographing correction on an image photographed by an electronic camera is generally performed with the use of other image processing apparatuses such as a personal computer prepared separately.
[Patent Document 1]
Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2002-354331 (see paragraphs [0015] and [0016])
However, in a case where front photographing correction on a photographed image is electronically performed not by an electronic camera but by a personal computer or the like prepared separately, a reference region for front photographing correction, i.e., a correction reference (generally, a quadrangular region) for determining direction and degree of correction has to be placed within the photographed image. Further, such a correction reference has to be set according to the kinds of photographed images (photo object).
Therefore, there is a problem that in a case where a photographed image after being front-photographing-corrected is required, all the tasks required for the front photographing correction has to be performed with the use of a personal computer or the like, causing some sense of inconveniency. This problem becomes significant when many photographed images after being front-photographing-corrected have to be prepared.

Image processing system, image processing method, electronic camera, and image processing apparatus camera system which obtain information for performing distortion correction processing


Cutting elements and bits incorporating such cutting elements. The cutting elements include a substrate having an interface surface over which is formed an ultra hard material layer. A plurality of lands are formed on the interface surface including a land surrounded by spaced-apart lands extending to a periphery of the substrate.

This invention relates to cutting elements and bits incorporating the same and more specifically to cutting elements having a non-uniform interface between their substrate and cutting layer of ultra hard material.
Typically, cutting elements are cylindrical in shape. They have a cemented tungsten carbide substrate having an upper surface. On the upper face is sintered an ultra hard material such as diamond or cubic boron nitride forming a polycrystalline ultra hard material cutting layer.
Common problems that plague cutting elements and specifically cutting elements having an ultra hard material layer bonded on a cemented carbide substrate, are chipping, spalling, partial fracturing, cracking or delamination of the ultra hard material layer. These problems result in the early failure of the cutting layer (i.e., the ultra hard material layer) and thus, in a shorter operating life for the cutting element. Typically, these problems may be the result of peak (high magnitude) stresses generated on the ultra hard material cutting layer at the region in which the ultra hard material layer makes contact with the earth formations during drilling.
One way to attempt to overcome these problems is to increase the thickness of the ultra hard material. Theoretically, an increase in the ultra hard material layer results in increased cutting element impact and wear resistance. However, an increase in the thickness of the ultra hard material layer may result in delamination of the ultra hard material layer from the substrate. Moreover, as the ultra hard material layer thickness increases, the edges and surfaces of the ultra hard material furthest away from the substrate (e.g., the ultra hard material layer upper surface circumferential edge) are starved for cobalt during the sintering process. Consequently, the strength and ductility of these edges are decreased. Thus, the ultra hard material edges subjected to the highest impact loads will be brittle and have lower impact and wear resistance resulting in the early failure of the cutting layer.
Another problem associated with increasing the thickness of the ultra hard material layer is that, as the ultra hard material volume increases, there is an increase in the residual stresses formed on the ultra hard material due to the thermal coefficient mismatch between the ultra hard material layer and the substrate. The cemented carbide substrate has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the ultra hard material. During sintering, both the cemented carbide body and ultra hard material layer are heated to elevated temperatures expanding and forming a bond between the ultra hard material layer and the cemented carbide substrate. The heating causes the substrate to expand more than the ultra hard material. As the ultra hard material layer and substrate cool down, the substrate shrinks more than the ultra hard material because of its higher coefficient of thermal expansion. Consequently, thermally induced compressive stresses are formed on the ultra hard material layer and tensile stresses are formed on the substrate. These stresses may reduce the operating life of a cutting element.
Furthermore, an increase in the volume of the ultra hard material also results in the build-up of residual stresses on the ultra hard material layer/substrate interface due to the difference in shrinkage between the ultra hard material and the substrate caused by the consolidation of the ultra hard material and the consolidation of the substrate after sintering. These residual stresses may also reduce the operating life of a cutting element.
Accordingly, there is a need for a cutting element having an ultra hard material table with improved impact and wear resistance, as well as improved cracking, chipping, fracturing, and exfoliating characteristics and thereby an enhanced operating life.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Cutting elements and bits incorporating the same


An adsorbent for organic compounds consisting of filler granules, which contain 20 to 99.9 wt. % of fillers and a binder. The adsorbent is produced by mixing at least one binder with at least one filler and performing granulation in a mixing or granulation apparatus. The adsorbent may be used for adsorbing and/or absorbing organic and/or inorganic substances from a liquid or gaseous phase.

This invention relates to adsorbents, to a process for the production thereof and to the use thereof.
Adsorptive processes are today widely used for working up process solutions, for recovering valuable materials from production solutions and for treating exhaust air and waste water. Since the requirements for the purity of production solutions, for the recovery of valuable materials and for admissible exhaust air emissions and waste water loadings are becoming ever more stringent, there is a permanent requirement for further and new development of existing adsorption technologies.
The suitability of the adsorptive process is determined by adsorber properties such as selectivity, adsorption capacity, limitation of mass transport and the service life of the adsorber.
Adsorbers based on activated carbon or polymers as well as inorganic adsorbents are today primarily used for performing adsorption from the aqueous phase or from the air. Activated carbon is a highly porous, active carbon framework which consists primarily of carbon and small quantities of chemically bound oxygen and hydrogen. Activated carbon is distinguished by very large specific surface areas in the range from 500 to 1500 m2/g. The pore structure primarily consists of micro- and macropores, for which reason activated carbon is particularly effective at adsorbing molecules of a molecular weight of less than 200 Da. The specific total pore volume of activated carbon is generally 1-1.5 ml/g.
The strongly hydrophilic behaviour of the surface of activated carbon has a negative impact on its adsorption ability.
Wetting of the surface with water (molecules) reduces adsorption capacity for organic, non-polar molecules. Moreover, the maximum possible size of molecule which can be adsorbed on activated carbon is limited due to the micro- and submicropores. The macro- and microporous polymer adsorbers which are now available and consist, for example, of styrene/divinyl copolymers and have specific surface areas of between 400 and 1400 m2/g are one alternative to activated carbon. Depending upon the polymer and the surface modification, these polymer adsorbers exhibit hydrophobic or hydrophilic behaviour. Optimally adsorbed molecular masses are, however, frequently below 1000 Da.
Rubber powders (for example powdered rubber) containing fillers are also known (DE 199 24 367.0). These are obtained by acid-catalysed coagulation of a polymer emulsion in the presence of a filler suspension.
Granulation processes are known, in which carbon black powders were granulated by means of a granulation auxiliary in a pelletising machine (DE 196 23 198 A1, DE 197 56 501 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,727, U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,321, U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,161).
Production of these products is associated with disadvantages. Since the powders are produced from an aqueous phase comprising filler particles and polymer droplets, the surface of the filler is partially covered with the polymer. As a consequence, this surface area is no longer available for adsorbing pollutants.
An object of the present invention is to provide a readily applicable and effective adsorbent which makes the majority of the surface available for adsorbing pollutants.

Absorbents, process for the production thereof and use thereof


A snow shover including a scraper blade with a pair of spaced-apart push handles extending rearwardly therefrom. The push handles are pivotally secured to the blade about generally vertical axes. The push handles are length adjustable.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a snow shover or pusher having a pair of elongated handles pivotally secured to the rearward side of a blade. More particularly this invention relates to a snow shover wherein each of the handles thereof is length adjustable. Even more particularly, this invention relates to a snow shover which is designed to laterally move large volumes of snow.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many types of snow shovels and snow blades have been previously provided. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,746,859 illustrates a scraper which is V-shaped and which pushes the snow in both directions from the center. This design makes it very difficult to scrape driveways or sidewalks next to a building or fence. U.S. Pat. No. 2,826,835 discloses a snow shovel wherein the pushing force is directed to the center of the scraper blade and is designed to push the snow directly forwardly. U.S. Pat. No. 7,681,933 discloses a shovel with a crossbar handle. It appears that this shovel is very heavy with many moving parts.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2005/001232448 A1 discloses a snow shoveling device which is apparently designed to move snow only directly forwardly. The movement of snow directly forwardly, as in this device, is only possible for short distances before it become impossible to proceed due to the weight of the snow.


A communication node of a multi-node communication network includes a communication interface and a controller. In embodiments, the controller is configured to: receive a data packet from a first additional communication node; determine if the data packet comprises a time-sensitive data packet; determine if a length of the data packet is less than a length threshold; transmit the data packet via a conventional routing procedure to at least one second additional communication node of the multi-node communication network if the data packet comprises a non-time-sensitive data packet or if the length of the data packet is greater than the data packet length threshold; and transmit the data packet via a packet flooding procedure to the at least one second additional communication node if the data packet comprises a time-sensitive data packet and if the length of the data packet is less than the length threshold.

Data delivery time is often a primary concern in multi-node communication networks, such as mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). Data packets within a multi-node communication system often must be routed to a particular destination without knowing the route or network topology. In order to route these packets, a multi-node communication network may utilize a number of communication protocols and procedures including, but not limited to, mobile ad hoc network (MANET) routing procedures or flooding procedures. However, MANET routing procedures typically require route discovery cycles, which take time and increase network delay. Additionally, flooding procedures may result in unnecessary broadcasting, thereby consuming available network bandwidth. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method that cure one or more of the shortfalls of the previous approaches identified above.


A microphone module has a substrate with an aperture to allow sound waves to pass through the substrate, a lid mounted to the substrate to define a first interior volume, a microphone mounted to the substrate within the first interior volume, and a housing coupled to the substrate and covering the aperture. The housing forms a second interior volume and includes an acoustic port configured to allow sound to enter the second interior volume. The module further includes a pipe extending from the acoustic port in the housing, and at least one exterior interface pad outside of the second interior volume. The pipe has an open end to receive sound waves and direct them toward the acoustic port in the housing. Moreover, the at least one exterior interface pad electrically couples to the microphone.

Small microphone systems have a broad range of applications, including use in hearing aids, Bluetooth headsets, and mobile phones. Typical microphone systems include a microphone element, such as a microelectromechanical system microphone (also known as a "micromachined microphone," "silicon microphone," or "MEMS microphone"). The microphone may include on-board circuitry to process the microphone element's electrical output signals, or may be packaged with another circuit in the same package.
Many microphone packages have a base and a lid, and are configured to be mounted onto a larger substrate, such as a printed circuit board or other surface of a larger system. For example, a packaged microphone may be mounted to an interior surface of a host system, such as cellular phone. Placement of the microphone system/packaged microphone within the host system is important, however, to ensure that acoustic signals can reach their internal microphone element. If spaced too far from a host port that receives those signals (e.g., the mouthpiece of a mobile telephone), the microphone element may not adequately receive and convert the input acoustic signal.


The present invention relates to a ring voltage generation circuit for generating a ring voltage (VTR) between a TIP lead (9) and a RING lead (10) with minimized power loss for electronic subscriber circuits, comprising:

Within the technical field of the present invention, a sinusoidal alternating voltage with a frequency between 20 and 50 Hz and with a relatively high amplitude up to 250 V (peak to peak) is used as a ring signal.
Generally, there are two different solutions known in the art to generate such a ring signal. Within the first solution, a central generator is connected with one lead, normally the RING lead, by means of a relay. The other lead, normally the TIP lead, is connected to ground. The electronic subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) has to be disconnected from the line because of the high voltage of 250 V. This solution is known as unbalanced solution, because only one lead is used.
Within the second solution, it is utilized that the driver circuit of the subscriber line interface circuit has the ability to supply a signal with sufficient amplitude to the TIP and RING lead. In this case, the TIP and RING leads are driven differentially, and balanced respectively. Advantageously, the balanced solution comprises the half voltage swing compared to the unbalanced solution. However, there is also a problem remaining. Due to the high power consumption of the driver circuit, there is a high power loss.
A way to reduce the power loss is described in the patent application EP 0903926 A1. The aim of this patent application is that the power loss of the power amplifier which amplifies a low amplitude ring voltage is reduced in that the operating voltage respectively supply voltage of the power amplifier is not constant, but that it is controlled. This takes place through a switching controller so that in time segments the operating voltage respectively supply voltage is only insignificantly greater than the ring voltage. A disadvantage here is that two different supply voltages are needed for providing an alternating ring signal. Two different supply voltages mean a higher effort in place and a higher complexity in the circuitry. For example, FIG. 1 shows a V-t-diagram illustrating the balanced generation of the ring signal by means of two different supply voltages. The ring signal VTR is defined by the difference between the TIP potential VT and the RING potential VR. FIG. 1 shows that for the generation of the TIP potential VT, a negative supply voltage V− is needed, whereas for the generation of the RING potential VR, the positive supply voltage V+ is needed. The TIP potential VT and the RING potential VR are phase-delayed at 180°.

Ring voltage generation circuit and method for generating a ring voltage

Abstract: a) an amplifier circuit (2) which receives an input voltage (VI) for amplifying the input voltage (VI) to provide the ring voltage (VTR);

Abstract: b) an absolute value generator (3) which receives the input voltage (VI), measures an absolute value (|VI|) of the input voltage (VI) and outputs the measured absolute value (|VI|) of the input voltage (VI);    c) a DC/DC converter (4) which receives the measured absolute value (|VI|) of the input voltage (VI) and converts the measured absolute value (|VI|) of the input voltage (VI) into a supply voltage (VSUPPLY) for the amplifier circuit (2); and    d) a common mode feedback device (5) which receives the supply voltage (VSUPPLY), a TIP potential (VT) of the TIP lead (9) and a RING potential (VR) of the RING lead (10) and which generates thereof a control voltage (VC), whereas the common mode feedback device (5) controls the amplifier circuit (2) by means of the control voltage (VC)


An inorganic composition that is useful as an active ingredient for pharmaceuticals and has excellent stability comprises hydrozincite-containing zinc carbonate hydroxide hydrate produced by drying a precipitate. The precipitate is obtained by adding aqueous zinc nitrate solution, aqueous zinc sulfate solution or aqueous zinc chloride solution and aqueous sodium hydroxide solution dropwise to aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution, a pH of the aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution being maintained within a range of 6.5 to 9 by means of a pH controller. The hydrozincite-containing zinc carbonate hydroxide hydrate has an amount of dissolved Zn2+ ions of not less than 0.1 μg/m2 but not more than 7.33 μg/m2 and pH of not less than 7.2 and less than 8.3 after a dissolution test using stirring method.

In JP 2004-161684 A, claim 1 describes "a wound healing film formulation in which a physiological active substance having a wound healing promoting activity is blended into a substrate of a water-soluble polymer selected from gelatin, pectin, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, and sodium polyacrylate". In one aspect, the adhesive used in the film formulation is a mixture of aluminum salts, poorly soluble metal salts and/or poorly soluble metal oxides, and examples of metal salts and/or metal oxides include zinc carbonate, zinc oxide, and the like (paragraph [0026]).
In JP 2005-6995 A, claim 1 describes "a material for skin contact comprising an acid-modified conjugated diene-based polymer containing 0.01 to 5 mmol/g of at least one type of acidic functional group selected from the group of carboxylic acid (salt) group, sulfonic acid (salt) group, and phosphoric acid (salt) group". The acid-modified conjugated diene polymer may include a crosslinking agent for covalent bonding and a crosslinking agent for ionic bonding as a crosslinking agent, and as the ionic crosslinking agent, zinc carbonate and zinc oxide are described (paragraph [0022]).
Zinc is believed to be a substance that provides Zn2+ ions to a wound site when used as a therapeutic agent for a skin wound or skin roughness. A technique with which Zn2+ ions can be appropriately supplied to a wound site and the substance can be supplied as an inorganic composition having excellent stability from the perspective as an active ingredient for pharmaceuticals, and in addition, which allows the supply by a simple and convenient manufacturing method, is desired.

Hydrozincite containing zinc carbonate hydroxide hydrate and method of making


The present invention relates to a kit for use in a shower enclosure with a shower curtain. The kit contains a wall component, a connecting component and a retaining component. The wall component has a back wall and at least one front wall, and is removably attachable to a wall surface of the shower enclosure. The connecting component has both a front portion and back portion. The back portion is detachably connectable to one of said at least one front wall of the wall component by means of magnets attached thereto. Once the wall component and connecting component are connected together, they form a watertight barrier. The front portion of the connecting component contains a protrusion in the form of two spaced apart, elongated arms that are each provided with an abutting edge against which part of the shower curtain may be positioned. The retaining component is detachably connectable to the protrusion of the connecting component with the part of the shower curtain snapped in between. The retaining component has a pair of arms with end edges that face toward each other and are sized to snap onto the abutting edges of the elongated arms of the protrusion of the connecting component with the part of the shower curtain pinched in between.

Shower enclosures typically comprise a back wall and two opposing side walls. One side of the walls typically includes a shower fixture having a water spraying shower head, while a shower curtain or shower door is used to close off the front of the shower enclosure and is typically positioned between the two opposing side walls.
Shower curtains are often preferable to the more permanent shower door constructions. Shower curtains are usually manufactured from flexible water proof plastic sheet materials and other fabrics, which are less expensive than door assemblies made of expensive rigid plastic or glass. Additionally, shower curtains require only a simple support rod for the curtain to be hung in place between the opposing side walls of the enclosure.
A disadvantage associated with free falling shower curtains, when used in specially designed shower enclosures, is the fact that water spray from the shower head has a tendency to escape through a gap which separates the side edges of the shower curtain from the side walls of the shower enclosure. The so escaped water usually winds up on the exterior wall and floor surfaces, thus making them slippery and dangerous, as well as possibly causing serious damage to aforementioned surfaces. In using shower curtains in humid and wet environments, another major disadvantage is that soap scum and mildew will easily build-up. Such build-up may be hazardous to ones health and is most definitely unaesthetic in a bathroom.
Numerous attempts have been made at retaining the edges of shower curtains at the side walls of the shower enclosure to effectively seal the shower enclosure from escaping water spray. These attempts typically use a shower curtain closure assembly which is attached to the side wall.
Previous shower curtain closures of this type are known to the Applicant, and are illustrated in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,049,061 (Hoegger); U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,547 (Riekse); U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,610 (Mortensen); U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,806 (Armstrong); U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,072 (Dezura); U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,741 (Payne); U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,087 (Zeilinger); U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,324 (Cairns); U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,580 (Dyckow); U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,149 (Phinn, Jr.); U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,672 (Klotz); U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,755 (Matta); U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,225 B1 (Colvin); U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,566 B2 (Bryce) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,279 B2 (Yarid) as well as Canadian patent no. 2,020,320 (Dyckow) and Canadian patent application no. 2,198,154 (Dyckow).
Briefly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,049,061 discloses a system in which an edge of a shower curtain, fitted with beads, is snapped into a corresponding rectangular elongated channel member, which has been previously installed along a wall of the shower bath alcove.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,205,547 and 4,759,087 disclose the use of rubberized mating arrangements for sealingly joining the edges of the curtains to the walls of the shower enclosure. A problem associated with using such arrangements is that the rubber material tends to loosen in the hot, wet and humid environment of the shower. This problem is serious in that the lifecycle of the arrangement in the '547 patent is significantly reduced. In addition, the arrangements described hereinabove are difficult to operate because of the need to manipulate the insertion piece to seal and unseal the edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,610 uses Velcro™ strips for joining the curtain edge to the wall. Additionally, it requires a rail-type arrangement to be mounted on each wall which is difficult to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,072 also uses Velcro™ strips along the walls and Velcro dots for matingly joining with the Velcro strips. Because the Velcro strips and dots are not continuous, water can seep through between the edges of the curtains and the walls. Thus, this arrangement does not provide a seal.
Relatively based on the same principle disclosed in the U.S. '072 patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,149 uses curtain mounted pads which are matedly joined to a series of wall mounted pads. The pads are positioned in such a way so as to produce a shower curtain tensioning effect. Nevertheless, water still manages to seep out of the shower enclosure, as a space exists between the shower wall and top of mounted pads.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, entitled "PRIOR ART", of the present application, U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,741 discloses an elongated strip magnet assembly mounted on each side of a shower curtain to secure in a closed position the shower curtain across the access opening of a bathing enclosure. Such is done by make use of a series of rigid strips in which a shower curtain is placed thereon. One of the disadvantages associated with this particular assembly is that the deflectable clip does not properly mount over the deflectable strip and such especially when the shower curtain is of variable thicknesses. In fact, the deflectable clip can too easily be removed from the solid strip as its protruding portions (closely positioned to the recesses) are too rounded. Additionally, the proturbence of this assembly would also be more likely to facilitate the disengagement of the curtain from the strip, and such when portions of exceeding shower curtain of different widths and/or thicknesses are present.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,324 discloses a one-piece molding that grips a curtain by locking a small portion of the curtain between a rib on one arm and a groove on a second arm. The arms of this molding are swingable about a third arm through living hinges, and the first arm is adapted to be affixed against a wall of a shower enclosure. The shower curtain is pressed against the wall by one of the arms. A drawback associated with this type of system is that due to its construction, the living hinges can easily snap off. Moreover, it is difficult to install this type of molding as only a small portion of the curtain is to be inserted in the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,580, in the name of the Applicant, discloses a kit for use to fasten the outer surface of a shower curtain to an adjacent wall in the shower closure. A sealing protrusion extends from the wall adjacent the fasteners so that, when the outer surface of the curtain is fastened to the wall, the edge of the curtain abuts the protrusion. This U.S. patent does not suggest or disclose a means of retaining a shower curtain onto a corresponding connecting component as described in the present application.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,672 uses a threaded fastener, containing threaded nuts and shafts, to semi-permanently hold in place an adjustable clamp which receives a shower curtain. This system is not only difficult to install, but for a person to use especially when he or she would like to rapidly exit the shower enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,755 discloses a device, comprised of two magnetic strips, that eliminates a space between a wall of a partial enclosure of a shower enclosure and a shower curtain by maintaining an edge of the shower curtain close to the wall. In operation, a user places the shower curtain between the two magnetic strips of the device, and because of their magnetic properties, the second strip superposes itself onto first strip is adhered onto a wall of the shower enclosure. When the curtain is pulled, the strips self-release from one another, thus allowing the user to exit the shower enclosure. The use of this kind of device is clearly contrary the present invention as disclosed herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,225 B1 discloses a curtain arrangement for attaching a shower curtain to one of the shower enclosure's wall with Velcro™.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,566 B2 discloses a shower curtain closure for closing off a vertical side edge of the curtain against a wall of the shower stall containing a length of extruded plastic tubing, a tube support ring for suspending the tube on the curtain rod, and an elongate vertically oriented wall receptacle into which the tube matingly fits. Basically, the tube is passed through a sleeve along the side of the curtain and is suspended from the curtain support rod by a ring connected to the upper end of the tubing and passing over the shower curtain rod. The device disclosed in this U.S. patent is difficult to use, as a user is expected to successfully wrap a portion of a shower curtain around a rod while inserting it simultaneously into a corresponding channel. This system is also contrary to the invention as disclosed in the present application.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,279 B2 discloses a long rod that has a hanging hook at one end is attached to the leading vertical edge of the inner shower curtain or shower curtain liner and is hung on a hook located at shower curtain rod height inside the shower or bath/shower enclosure or attached to a wall mounted upper rod clip.
Although similar in construction to the present invention, Canadian patent application no. 2,198,154 makes use of groove and spline system to pinch and hold the shower curtain in place. Upon using the aforementioned design, mildew, bacterial and soap scum buildup became apparent to the naked eye, as these undesired products built-up on the components of the kit. Another drawback associated to this particular system is that the spline frequently pops out of the groove and the shower curtain enclosure kit is therefore rendered ineffective.
Additionally, it is timely to pinch the spline in a continuous manner into the corresponding groove.
Using a similar type of channel type system as described in Canadian patent application no. 2,198,154, for example, a groove and spline type system, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,806. This U.S. patent proposes to solve the problem of water spraying by engaging the curtain with a loose connecting bar that is placed into and supported by a wall attachment component having the form of a channel. This U.S. patent exhibits the same problems as described in the above Canadian patent application no. 2,198,154.
While the prior art offers proposed solutions for containing water within a shower stall or enclosure, none teach a simple and cost-effective kit that accomplishes the goal of preventing splashing water from leaving the shower enclosure. The manner by which this goal is achieved in the present invention will become more apparent from the following description.


A building structure in an outrigger configuration having a building core, at least one perimeter column, and at least one outrigger beam having a main body portion connected to the building core, an end portion distal from the building core in a direction of the at least one perimeter column and a vane portion extending from the end portion. At least one damper having a high-viscosity fluid container connected is connected to the at least one perimeter column and the vane portion extends into the high-viscosity fluid container to couple the building core to the at least one perimeter column, such that when the building structure is subjected to lateral loads and the building core is displaced with respect to the at least perimeter column, high-viscosity fluid within the high-viscosity fluid container is sheared by the vane to damp vibrations and provide coupling in the building structure.

Outrigger style building constructions are well known and commonly used in the construction of tall buildings. Outrigger systems operate by creating a functional link between two structural systems, namely the internal core system and a perimeter system, such as external gravity columns. This arrangement is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1A. A building core 10 forms the internal support structure of a building, with perimeter columns 20 forming the external support structure of the building. The core 10 and perimeter columns 20 are physically connected by a stiff outrigger beam 30. While only a single outrigger beam 30 is illustrated, there could be a plurality of these up the height of the structure, depending on the height of the building. Combining these two systems leads to a positive interaction between the combined systems, particularly in resisting lateral loads applied to the building structure. The outrigger beams 30 are used to substantially increase the stiffness of the lateral load resisting system. When the building is subjected to lateral wind or earthquake loads the internal core wants to bend as a cantilever, but is resisted by the stiff outrigger beam which engages the external gravity columns vertically, as shown in FIG. 1B. In this configuration, significant care must be taken to ensure the structural members can resist the large forces introduced in the outrigger beam under lateral loads, as well as differential vertical movement between the columns and structural core due to different long-term settlement of the gravity columns and internal building core, particularly in reinforced concrete structural systems. These effects are widely known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,987,639 describes a damping system which has been adapted for use with an outrigger configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 2A. In this application, a stiff horizontal outrigger member 70 is connected to the building core 50 on one end and to a damper 40 on the other end. The damper 40 in turn connects the outrigger member 70 to the external perimeter columns 60. The damper as described in the aforementioned patent consists of a viscoelastic material bonded between interdigitated structural steel plates which are then anchored directly into the horizontal outrigger beam as well as the external gravity columns. When a building is deformed due to lateral wind or earthquake vibrations, large relative vertical displacements are introduced in-between the steel plates deforming the viscoelastic material in shear, as shown in more detail in FIGS. 2B and 2C. This shearing of the viscoelastic material adds damping to the coupled core-outrigger-perimeter building structure.
One problem of this prior art approach to damping in an outrigger arrangement is the differential vertical movement between the perimeter columns and the structural core due to different long-term relative movement of the perimeter columns and the internal building core. This movement and settling of the building can lead to complex design requirements, and the viscoelastic material layers in the damper run the risk of tearing or not operating as originally designed once the core and perimeter columns have moved relative to one another without adjusting the connection to compensate for the movement. That is, the relative position of the core with respect to the perimeter columns may differ slightly from the position when the building is constructed and parameters under which the damper is designed.
One other example of damping in an outrigger structure is shown in PCT publication number WO2007045900 to Ove Amp and Partners International Limited, however this system also fails to sufficiently remedy at least some of the problems mentioned above, and also has the problem of requiring regular or semi-regular maintenance to the dampers in this system. In addition, this prior art system does not exhibit a viscoelastic response which allows for coupling and damping and does not exhibit effective damping over the entire wide range of displacements that is expected for wind and earthquake loading.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for providing improved damping in outrigger building configurations.

The Governing Council Of The University Of Toronto


An electrically alterable nonvolatile semiconductor memory device has a first memory array including a plurality of first memory cells and a second memory array including at least one second memory cell, wherein contents of the first memory array and contents of the second memory array are capable of being altered independently of each other and variation of a specific quality of each second memory cell due to altering of the contents of the second memory cell is examined, in order to estimate the life of the first memory array.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrically alterable nonvolatile semiconductor memories, and particularly to a semiconductor memory having means for examining a specific quality of memory cells which constitute the semiconductor memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
The published technical documents relating to this invention are:
Document 1; Reliability Aspect of a Floating Gate EEPROM, 1981, IEEE/Proc. IRPS P11-P16
Document 2; A 90 ns One-Million Erase/Program Cycle 1-Mbit Flash Memory, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuit, October, 1989, vol. 24, No. 5
Document 3; Technical Trend of EEPROM, May 10, 1990, Denpa Shimbun, Special Edition, Japan
Document 4; JP-A-63-291475
Many documents on the electrically alterable and nonvolatile, semiconductor memory (hereinafter, referred to as EEPROM) whose stored information is not lost when the power to the memory is turned off, have recently been published. In a method of holding the stored information even when the power to the memory is turned off, as described in the above-documents, a polysilicon layer (hereinafter, referred to as floating gate), which is electrically insulated when reading, is formed on a thin oxide film that is formed on a silicon substrate, and electrons or holes are injected into this floating gate when writing, thereby accumulating charges thereon.
To read information, a voltage is applied to a polysilicon electrode formed on the floating gate with an insulating film interposed therebetween. At this time, the information is judged depending on whether a current flows or not between the source electrode and the drain electrode which are formed adjacent to the thin oxide film. When many electrons are accumulated on the floating gate, no current flows, but otherwise, a current flows between the drain and source electrodes.
To write information, as shown, for example, in Document 1, a positive high voltage (for example, 15 through 20 V (volts)) is applied to the polysilicon electrode, and the drain electrode is grounded. Thus, a high electric field is produced at both ends of the thin oxide film so that electrons are injected into the floating gate by the principle of indirect tunneling. In addition, to extract electrons from the floating gate, a high voltage is applied to, for example, the drain terminal with the polysilicon electrode grounded, thus causing electrons to be discharged to the drain terminal.
In another method for writing information, as described in Document 2, a positive high voltage (for example, about 10 V (volts)) is applied to the polysilicon electrode, and also a positive voltage (for example, 5 V through 10 V) is applied to the drain electrode. Thus, electrons are injected into the floating gate by the mechanism of channel hot electron injection. In this method, the extraction of electrons is performed by the principle of indirect tunneling as in Document 1, in such a manner that a high voltage is applied to the source terminal thereby extracting electrons from the floating gate to the source terminal.
The contents of the memory are electrically altered by any method as mentioned above. In this case, since electrons and holes are passed through the thin oxide film during injection of electrons, the quality of the oxide film is deteriorated so that the electric charges accumulated on the floating gate may escape after writing as described in the above documents. The deterioration of the memory is caused by electrically altering its contents, and thus limits the number of times by which the memory elements (hereinafter, referred to as the memory cells) of EEPROM can be electrically altered without deterioration. The possible number of altering times is generally between ten thousand times and one million times per cell. The time necessary to electrically alter is about from one to 10 msec (milliseconds) for tunnel injection or about from one to 100 .mu.s (microseconds) for hot electron injection.
The degree of the deterioration depends most greatly on the quality of the thin oxide film, and relatively largely on the deviation in the manufacturing process. Since the deterioration of a memory cell is caused by the electrical altering of its contents, the degree of the deterioration of a memory cell cannot be precisely predicted before using the memory cell, and thus the possible number of times of altering of its contents cannot be estimated.
In the conventional EEPROM, to assure the possible number of times by which the memory cells can be electrically altered, the altering test is performed for each product before the actual shipping. On the basis of the test results, the degree of the deterioration is examined and the defective products are removed. This is described in, for example, Document 3. The test is applied to the memory cell which is actually to be used by the user. The altering test for each cell is made, for example, several hundred times through several thousand times.
As the memory capacity of the EEPROM increases, the time required for applying the altering test to all the memory cells which are to be used by the user before shipping becomes longer, resulting in increasing the product cost. As described in, for example, Document 2, it takes about 900 seconds to erase a one-megabit EEPROM 1000 times. The altering test for each memory cell before shipping decreases the remaining possible number of times of altering since each memory cell has a limited number of altering times.
In a semiconductor memory as disclosed in Document 4, an array of monitoring memory cells is added to the main memory cell array which is actually used for storing data, in order that a user can know the degree of deterioration of the main memory cell array before it is completely deteriorated. The possible number of times by which the monitoring cells can be altered, or its life is artificially made shorter than that of the main memory cells, for example, 80%, so that it is expected that when the life of monitoring cells have expired, the remaining life of the main memory cells is about 20%. However, although the user can be informed that the remaining life of the memory is short, it is not concerned with the prediction of the quality of the memory relating to the possible number of times of altering before it is actually used by a user.

Electrically alterable nonvolatile semiconductor memory


A method and system for generating and managing a knowledgebase for use in identifying anomalies on a manufactured object, such as a semiconductor wafer, includes measures for adding, deleting, and organizing data from the knowledgebase.

This invention relates to defect classification and diagnosis of manufacturing defects.
In most manufacturing processes, management of through-put and yield are of concern. The ability to locate potential problems, identify problems, and take corrective action to obviate the source of the defect, and if possible, to repair the defect, can make a significant difference in the performance of manufacturing process. Therefore, it is desirable to have the best systems possible for identifying possible problems or anomalies, identifying an anomaly as a particular type of defect, identifying the source of the defect, and repairing the manufactured object to correct the defect if possible. This is particularly true in the semiconductor industry.
In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, a challenge remains to improve yields as the designs get smaller and smaller. Particles and process defects can limit yields in manufacturing semiconductor devices. Therefore, systems that perform the general functions described above can become extremely important. Conventional techniques have shortcomings including less than desirable speed and accuracy. With respect to identifying defects in the manufacturing process, manual classification has been required of anomalies and manual diagnosing of the cause of defects. Such manual inputs may have resulted in inconsistent results and consumption of considerable operator time.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for generating a knowledgebase for use in labeling anomalies on a manufactured object includes capturing an image of the object having an anomaly; preparing a pixel-based representation of the image; decomposing the pixel-based representation of the image into a primitives-based representation of the image; isolating the anomaly on the primitives-based representation of the image; comparing the primitive-based representation of the image with primitive sets of known anomalies in a knowledge base to locate the primitive set having a maximum similarity; presenting to an operator a label associated with the set of primitives having a maximum similarity to an operator; entering a label to be associated with the primitive-based representation of the image.
According to another aspect of the present invention a method for indexing information about defects includes using operating system subdirectories names as defect attributes and producing compact indexes of the contents of defect files by use of operating-system commands to produce an index of the subdirectory names in an object-oriented format in order to provide fast and flexible retrieval of defect information without having to generate database tables and queries.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for augmenting a knowledgebase for use in labeling anomalies on a manufactured object includes capturing an image of the object having an anomaly; preparing a pixel-based representation of the image; decomposing the pixel-based representation of the image into a primitives-based representation of the image; isolating the anomaly on the primitives-based representation of the image; comparing the primitives-based representation with primitive sets in a knowledgebase to find the primitive set with a maximum similarity; obtaining a first label associated with the primitive set having a maximum similarity; associating the first label with the primitives-based representation of the image if the similarity is greater than a predetermined similarity threshold; and adding the primitive-based representation and associated first label to the knowledgebase.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a system for generating a knowledgebase for use in labeling anomalies on a manufactured object includes an image-capturing device for capturing an image of the object having an anomaly; a pixel-generating device for preparing a pixel-based representation of the image; and a computer having a processor and memory coupled to the means for preparing a pixel-based representation, the computer programmed to be operable to: decompose the pixel-based representation of the image into a primitives-based representation of the image, isolate the anomaly on the primitives-based representation of the image; store the primitive-based representation of the image, and associate an assigned label with the stored primitive based representation of the image.
According to another aspect of the present invention, rules to a knowledgebase are changed based on their ability to achieve acceptable results. According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of accumulation and assimilation of rules into a knowledgebase includes adding new rules, eliminating duplicate rules, deleting improper rules, dynamically assigning weights to descriptors based on their role in achieving acceptable results and deleting rules that do not produce acceptable results at any time with recompilation of the knowledgebase. According to another aspect of the present invention, a knowledgebase is enhanced to promote efficiency.

System and method for classifying an anomaly


A method of canceling an offset of display device includes coinciding offset directions of amplifiers with one another and canceling offsets of the amplifiers through a chopping operation.

The present inventive concept herein relates to display devices and methods of canceling an offset value of an output signal used to drive data lines in the display devices.
A display device has advantages of miniaturization and low power consumption and is used in a notebook computer and a LCD TV. A liquid crystal display device of active matrix type using a thin film transistor as a switch device is suitable for displaying video.
A liquid crystal display device may include a liquid crystal panel, a source driver generating a drive voltage driving many data lines and a gate driver driving many gate lines. As a size of liquid crystal display device becomes large, a size of liquid crystal panel increases. An increase of size of liquid crystal panel causes an increase of the number of data lines to be driven and this leads to an increase of output buffers included in the source driver. To display undistorted video on a liquid crystal panel, it is necessary to cancel an offset value of output signal generated from output buffers.

Display device and method of canceling offset thereof


Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems, methods, and apparatus for detecting shifts in redundant sensor signals. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for detecting and indicating a shift in redundant sensor signals. The method can include receiving a sensor channel closeness signal for two or more redundant sensors, receiving a spike confidence signal for at least one of the two or more redundant sensors, receiving a spike duration signal for the at least one of the two or more redundant sensors, determining a shift confidence based at least in part on the received sensor channel closeness signal, the received spike confidence signal, and the received spike duration signal, and outputting the shift confidence.

Power plants utilize complex machinery and systems having components that often wear out over time and require replacement. One way to mitigate catastrophic or expensive failures is to establish regular maintenance and repair schedules for critical components that are known to wear out. Sensors and instrumentation are often overlooked in the maintenance process and they are often used until failure.
Closed-loop control systems rely on accurate feedback from instrumentation to properly regulate aspects of the system being controlled. Inaccurate or non-functional instrumentation can cause undesired effects in the system, potentially leading to hardware damage and a reduction in the lifetime of parts comprising the system. Furthermore, unnecessary downtime in normally functional equipment may result from faulty instrumentation signals that trigger a protective shutdown.
The standard approach to increasing robustness to instrumentation failures has been through sensor redundancy, whereby the number of redundant sensors is increased depending on whether the measured parameter is required for monitoring, control, or safety. Such redundant systems are generally able to continue functioning when a sensor fails, but they often require human intervention to investigate the sensor and/or the failure data to determine the failure mode. In some cases, the instrumentation failure must be corrected to restore accurate feedback and optimum operation of the machinery.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for detecting shifts in redundant sensor signals


The present application relates to a strain expressing the FrsA protein, and a method for producing ethanol using the same. The FrsA of the present application has a high PDC enzyme activity for a pyruvate, which is a substrate, and thus can be used in a process for producing ethanol. In addition, an FrsA mutant having improved stability in a host cell can be more effective in producing ethanol due to the increase in stability when the FrsA mutant is overexpressed together with IIAGlc, compared with when using conventional Zymomonas mobilis-derived PDC.

Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to a microorganism expressing FrsA protein or mutant form thereof and methods of producing ethanol using the same.
Description of the Related Art
Efforts to reduce heavy reliance on foreign oil as well as environmental damages have led to efforts to find alternative energy sources. One of them is to produce bioethanol from biomass.
However, the progression of bioethanol production has been hampered due to its low efficiency and high cost of production. Thus there are needs to improve the process to increase the economics and to lower investment risk. The efforts are generally focused on the development of a conversion process to change the biomass into materials so that it can be utilized by microorganisms as a glucose source; and on the development and improvement of enzymes involved in the glucose metabolism in cells.
In the process for producing bioethanol using microorganisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zymomonas mobilis or Escherichia coli and the like, sugars such as hexose or pentose are fermented to produce bioethanol.
Theses microorganisms are often genetically modified to express exogenous enzymes to improve the efficiency of ethanol production. Such exogenous enzymes are represented by pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). When E. coli are used as a host cell, PDC and ADH derived from Zymomonas mobilis have been utilized to convert pyruvates to ethanol.
These enzymes have capabilities to increase the efficiency of the ethanol production thus reducing the amount of biomass used in the process. Therefore modification of the enzymes to improve their activity plays a major role in reducing the total cost of the process.
US Patent Publication No. 2009/0155871 discloses a construct having a photo responsive promoter and genes encoding PDC and ADH from Zymomonas mobilis and methods to produce ethanol using cyanobacteria transformed with the same.
KR Patent Publication No. 2011-0007981 discloses a novel ADH and methods for producing ethanol using a microorganism transformed with the same.
KR Patent Publication No. 2012-0082141 discloses a method to produce ethanol using the strain which has been modified to reduce its glycerol production and transformed with ADH and PDC from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
However, there are no reports using FrsA from Vibrio vulnificus as PDC to improve the ethanol production in cells and there are needs to develop new strains which are able to produce ethanol.

Strain expressing FRSA and method for producing ethanol using same


An oven for baking food products includes a spiral conveyor having a wire mesh conveyor belt for transporting food products from a loading bin to a storage bin. The spiral conveyor is surrounded by a threaded cylindrical housing having apertures which communicate with the loading bin, heat source, plenum, and recirculation fan. Heated air is blown into the threaded housing such that a downward spiral or vortex of air is created which envelops the food products upon the spiral conveyor belt for efficient baking. The housing is partially removable for cleaning or maintenance of the conveyor. Heated air within the housing is drawn about the food products as it is suctioned into a recirculation tube for distribution to the storage bin and to the plenum for recirculation through the housing. In addition, the loading bin is mounted upon a vibration device such that food products are evenly distributed upon entry to the spiral conveyor.

This invention relates generally to bake ovens and, more particularly, to a bake oven having a spiral conveyor system surrounded by a threaded housing for baking food products by forcing a vortex of hot air through the conveyor system.
Many people desire an alternative to fast food products which are typically immersed in a heated vat and thus are saturated with cooking oils. Products prepared in this manner are typically high in cholesterol and fat. Accordingly, several devices for baking food products have been proposed in the prior art.
Although assumably effective in operation, such known devices are relatively inefficient for use in baking the typically fried fast food products such as french fries, potato wedges, tater tots, and other products which must be prepared quickly. More particularly, existing conveyor-type ovens either have an open ended construction which allows significant heat loss or utilize air impingement technology. Air impingement systems cook food by forcing jets of hot air toward the top and bottom of the food product, causing the air to rebound and create turbulence which slows cooking. These constructions and methodologies increase the time and energy required to cook food products.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have an oven which can bake food products quickly and efficiently without the use of cooking oils or other undesirable ingredients. It is further desirable to have an oven which utilizes recirculated heated air both for baking and maintaining the warmth of already prepared food products.


A method of reading a pixel value from an image sensor housed with a set of components includes determining a current state of the set of components; adjusting, at least partly responsive to the current state of the set of components, a correlated double sampling (CDS) time; and performing, in accordance with the adjusted CDS time, a CDS readout of at least one pixel in a pixel array of the image sensor.

Devices such as smartphones, tablet computers, digital cameras, and robotic and vehicle navigation systems often include image sensors. In some image sensors, each pixel of the image sensor may include a photodetector and a set of transistors. The set of transistors may be used, for example, to reset the pixel, transfer a photo-generated charge within the pixel, and read out a value corresponding to the photo-generated charge. In some cases, the set of transistors may couple the pixel to a CDS readout circuit. The CDS readout circuit enables both a reference value (corresponding to noise) and a data value (corresponding to a photo-generated charge plus noise) to be read out of a pixel. The reference value may be subtracted from the data value to cancel noise from the data value.

Dynamic correlated double sampling for noise rejection in image sensors


A mobile station includes a handover controller. When the mobile station simultaneously communicates with a plurality of radio base stations by using first channels and communicates only with a certain one of the plurality of radio base stations by using a second communication channel, and even when the radio quality of the certain radio base station communicating by using the second communication channel becomes deteriorated, the handover controller maintains communications with the certain radio base station communicating by using the second communication channel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile station and a handover control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a mobile communication system using a CDMA scheme, a mobile station generally performs soft handover (SHO) to improve reception quality in a peripheral area of a cell. In SHO, the mobile station communicates with multiple radio base stations (or cells/sectors) with radio links connected therebetween. In general, the radio link between the mobile station and each of the radio base stations is called a branch, and a set of the multiple radio base stations having communications made through the radio links in SHO is called an active set. In addition, branch addition indicates an event where a radio base station, which is to communicate through a radio link, is newly added to the active set, and branch exclusion indicates an event in which a radio base station already communicating through a radio link is excluded from the active set. Moreover, branch replacement indicates an event in which the radio base station having the poorest radio quality in the active set is replaced with a radio base station not included in the active set but having better radio quality when the number of radio base stations in the active set exceeds a predetermined value.
For example, in the WCDMA of 3GPP, a mobile station monitors radio quality (for example, CPICH RSCP, CPICH Ec/N0 and pathloss) between the mobile station and each of the radio base station, makes a determination on branch addition, branch exclusion and branch replacement by using the radio quality, and then reports the determination result to a radio control station. Then, the radio control station makes a control for SHO according to the content reported from the mobile station.
In the 3GPP TS25.331, V6.10.0, the aforementioned operations of the mobile station for reporting the branch addition, branch exclusion and branch replacement are denoted by reporting event 1A, reporting event 1B and reporting event 1C, respectively.
Hereinafter, the operation of the mobile station for the branch replacement will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
In FIG. 1, assume that the maximum number of radio base stations in an active set is 3, and that a foregoing predetermined value for performing the branch replacement is 3. Incidentally, the foregoing predetermined value is defined as a replacement activation threshold in 3GPP TS25.331, v6.10.0.
FIG. 1 shows an example of transitions of common pilot channels' received signal code powers CPICH RSCPs in the mobile station from radio base stations 1 to 4. At a time period of T1 to T2, the mobile station communicates with the radio base stations 1 to 3 by using SHO. In other words, the radio base stations in the active set are the radio base stations 1 to 3. Then, at the time point T2, a value obtained by subtracting the CPICH RSCP of the radio base station 2 having the weakest CPICH RSCP in the active set from the CPICH RSCP of the radio base station 4 exceeds a predetermined threshold Th. Accordingly, the mobile station determines that the radio base station 2 in the active set should be replaced with the radio base station 4, and reports the determination result to the radio control station. In short, the mobile station carries out the reporting event 1C. Here, the threshold Th is defined as H1c/2 (H1c: the hysteresis parameter for the event 1c) in the 3GPP TS25.331, V6.10.0.
Note that a time-to-trigger and the cell individual offsets described in the 3GPP TS25.331, V6.10.0 are set to 0 in the foregoing operation of the branch replacement in order to simplify the description. In addition, the description that "a value obtained by subtracting the CPICH RSCP of the radio base station 2 having the weakest CPICH RSCP in the active set from the CPICH RSCP of the radio base station 4 exceeds a predetermined threshold Th" has the same meaning as that the following formula is true.CPICH—RSCP4≧CPICH—RSCP2+Th
Here, CPICH_RSCP4 is the CPICH RSCP of the radio base station 4, and CPICH_RSCP2 is the CPICH RSCP of the radio base station 2. Moreover, although only one radio base station is reported for each of two categories of radio base stations, that is, one having a strong CPICH RSCP not in the active set and the other one having a weak CPICH RSCP in the active set, in the foregoing example, multiple radio base stations may be reported for each of the two categories.
Even when a propagation environment is changed, the mobile station can make communications using SHO with appropriate radio base stations by performing the foregoing determinations for the branch addition, the branch exclusion and the branch replacement.
Meanwhile, the standardization of high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) that is a high speed packet transmission scheme in downlink is in progress in 3GPP, on the basis of the prediction that, along with recent rapid spread of the Internet, the traffic of high speed and large capacity transmission increases especially in downlink because of downloads and the like from databases and websites (see 3GPP TS25.308, v5.7.0, for example).
In downlink of HSDPA, used are a high speed-physical downlink shared channel (HS-PDSCH), a high speed-shared control channel (HS-SCCH) and an associated-dedicated physical channel (A-DPCH). To be more precise, the HS-PDSCH and HS-SCCH are used and shared by multiple mobile stations, while the A-DPCH is allocated to each mobile station individually and is associated with the HS-PDSCH.

Mobile station and handover control method


A towel roll holder and towel dispenser includes a housing for retaining a roll of toweling. The housing is affixed to a support surface, and easily opened or removed for replacement of the roll. In one embodiment, Velcro strips mounted on the support surface releasably engage oppositely configured Velcro strips mounted on an outwardly extending flange on the base of the housing. In another embodiment, magnetic strips or ferromagnetic material mounted on the support surface releasably attach to complementary strips on the housing flanges. In another embodiment, one side or end of the housing base flange is hinged to the support surface, and the opposite side or end of the housing base flange is releasably attached to the support surface with Velcro or magnetic (or ferromagnetic) strips as referred to above, or a rotatable latch. Towels may be dispensed from a narrow end of a cone-shaped nozzle on the end of the housing, or through a slot in a housing wall.

The present invention relates generally to towel roll holders and towel dispensers, and more particularly to a plastic housing for retaining a roll of toweling made, for example, of paper, cloth, fabric, or the like, so that the individual towels of the roll can be easily dispensed therefrom, and so that a new roll can be quickly and easily inserted into the housing when the old roll is exhausted. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to such a housing that is easily affixed to a wall, cabinet, appliance, or other surface, and easily opened or removed for replacement of the roll.
Plastic towel roll holders with cone-shaped dispenser nozzles are known in the art. Such holders have typically been affixed to a wall or other surface in grocery stores, restaurants, or other commercial establishments so that a towel or towels can be dispensed from the roll as needed for wiping up spills, cleaning, and the like. A drawback with the prior art towel roll holders is that they have been affixed to their support surfaces by screws, thus requiring the screws to be removed and reinserted each time a new roll is placed within the housing. This is not only time consuming, but also annoying in that sometimes the screws are fumbled with, dropped or lost, or there is no screwdriver handy of the correct size or profile.
The present invention overcomes these drawbacks by providing a screwless, easily opened or removed, easily closed or replaced mounting for the housing that enables the operator to quickly and easily replace the exhausted roll of toweling with a new roll. With the present invention, there are no lost or dropped screws, no screwdriver to hunt down, no fumbling, and no wasted time laboriously removing and reinserting the screws.


A containment and intravenous delivery bag device for supplying a patient with mixed chemical component nutrients includes a first pouch and a second pouch that are separated by a tube passageway. Using standard intravenous delivery bag sizes and manufacturing techniques, the tube passageway is blocked by either a clamp or a frangible valve fitted within the tube. The clamp or valve is opened, allowing fluids with the pouches to mix. The mixed liquid may then be delivered to the patient.

1. Field of the Invention
A two-chambered receptacle for intravenous use is disclosed. Specifically, the subject receptacle comprises two pre-connected pouches linked by a connection tube that can be controlled to prevent mixing of the pouch components. More specifically, the two-chambered receptacle usually contains the components of a Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) solution. Usually, one pouch contains readily inactivated compounds such as lipids and the other pouch contains the remainder of the TPN solution.
2. Description of the Background Art
Complex solutions are often needed by patients undergoing varied types of medical treatments. Unfortunately, the components within the complex solutions often interact with one another when mixed. Thus, for reasons of chemical reactivity, neutralization, inactivation, precipitation, unwanted side-reactions, and the like, compartmented chemical, drug, and nutrient delivery containers need to exist and have existed for years. With these compartmented delivery systems, the components of the complex mixture are held in separate compartments, and the components are mixed immediately before usage by a patient.
Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) is one area in which complex mixtures of components are required. Typical components for a TPN solution are: fluids; carbohydrates; electrolytes; proteins; lipids; vitamins; and trace minerals. For diverse reasons, some patients can not be fed orally and require intravenous (IV) feeding. TPN supplies the nutrients needed by a particular patient. Usually, the nutrients are mixed by a pharmacy in a sterile IV container. Generally, the lipids should be separated from the bulk of the TPN solution until just prior to patient use. The subject invention permits such separation in an efficient, cost-effective, reliable, and easily-utilized form.
Various type of complex and costly medical solution bags have been presented in the previous literature. Most have numerous components that increase the expense of the product and augment the possibility of improper operation or wasted time in verifying that proper connections have been fashioned. One specific example of an existing two-chamber bag is one supplied by Baxter Laboratories (the All-In-One(trademark)). This bag is very similar to the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,811 referenced below, in that it contains two immediately adjacent chambers that are mixed by pulling away a xe2x80x9cpull-tabxe2x80x9d that separates the two chambers. Basically, a single bag is used with a rubber separator. Unfortunately, the type of arrangement with two immediately-related chambers has been found to leak during mixing and shipping (the rubber separator fails), a difficulty not found with the subject invention.
More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,374 relates to a parenteral solution bag. Openings protrude from the perimeter of the bag for entering and exiting parenteral solution. A fused tearing tab is included with a protective closure for hermetically enclosing the protruding portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,972 discloses a blood and blood component storage bag having at least two hermetically-enclosed inlets at the top. Included is a burstable seal below at least one of the inlets.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,019 is an accommodative foot bed that has a resin storage bag that comprises two separated chambers with a jointly breakable connection. Upon breaking the connection, the resin components mix and enter a mixing chamber, thereby activating the resin for setting.
A platelet freezing bag is related in U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,629. Pull-apart seals protect as least two needle ports mounted in a flexible bag. An exit port is located near a push-apart seal formed in the body of the bag.
Described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,811 is a compartmented flexible solution container that has an elongated frangible member that separates the compartments. Breaking the elongated frangible member permits a user to mix the components kept within the compartments.
Presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,114 is a multiple chamber container having a leak detection compartment. A leak detection pathway normally has no liquid within it, but upon leakage at the connection point between two compartments liquid appears in this leak detection pathway and a visual or similar detection system activated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,043 describes an IV fluid storage and mixing system that has a two-compartment construction in which the two compartments are connected upon the application of force via a weakened section in a common wall. Once the weakened section ruptures, the solutions in each compartment encounter one another and mix when the bag is manipulated in a user""s hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,100 discloses a urinary receptacle having a central bag for holding urine with least one internal container within the central bag that may be opened and the contents of the internal container mixed with the contents of the central bag.
Lastly, revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,907 is a device and method for dosing a liquid product. An enclosed bag has means for pinching off one or more compartments and means for introducing differing solutions into these pinched-off compartments. Upon removal of the pinching means, the solutions mix.
Each of the prior art inventions attempt to solve the problem of producing multi-chambered receptacles in ways that are not entirely satisfactory for IV use. For example, the prior art inventions often experience sealing problems that may cause or result in leaking between compartments. Other methods that incorporate mechanical separation do so in ways that are not entirely compatible with the size of IV equipment. In summary, there is a need in the art for improved multi-chambered IV receptacles.
The foregoing patents reflect the state of the art of which the applicant is aware, and are tendered with the view toward discharging applicant""s acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information which may be pertinent in the examination of this application. It is respectfully submitted, however, that none of these patents teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, applicant""s claimed invention.
An advantage of the present invention is to provide a liquid nutrient storage and delivery system that is leak-resistant and not subject to premature mixing of liquids contained within the system.
A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a method of utilizing a liquid nutrient storage and delivery system in a manner that minimizes leakage or inadvertent mixing of contained liquids.
Another advantage of the present invention is to disclose a liquid nutrient storage and delivery system that comprises relatively thin pouches that are approximately the same width as standard intravenous bags.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to disclose a liquid nutrient storage and delivery system that contains two liquids that are stored separately from one another in the system prior to patient use, and allows for combining and mixing of the liquids prior to use.
An advantage of one embodiment of the present invention is to supply a liquid nutrient storage and delivery system that is leak-resistant and contains a connection tube that has a valve that permits mixing of two liquids only upon an irreversible breaking of a frangible member of the valve. As a further advantage, a liquid nutrient storage and delivery system is furnished that has two separate pouches connected by a valve-containing tube, thereby preventing leakage or mixing of liquids held within the pouches.
An advantage of a second embodiment of the present invention is to supply a liquid nutrient storage and delivery system that is leak-resistant and contains a connection tube with a clamp that permits mixing of the two liquids upon release of the clamp.
Yet a further advantage of the present invention is to provide a method of utilizing a liquid nutrient storage and delivery system in a manner that minimizes leakage or inadvertent mixing of contained liquids.
Disclosed is a containment and intravenous delivery system for supplying a patient with mixed chemical component nutrients. Comprising the subject invention is a first pouch usually having top, bottom, and two opposing side borders. More specifically, the first pouch additionally comprises a first port mounted in the first pouch bottom border and a second port mounted in the first pouch bottom border. The second port is for filling the first pouch with a first liquid.
Further included in the subject invention is a second pouch with about a standard intravenous single bag width. Like the first pouch, the second pouch has top, bottom, and two opposing side borders. The second pouch has a third port mounted proximate the second pouch top border, a fourth port mounted proximate the second pouch bottom border, a fifth port mounted proximate the second pouch bottom border, and a sixth port mounted proximate the second pouch bottom border.
In a first embodiment, a tube connects the first port and the third port and has a valve mounted in the tube. The valve comprises a body, a frangible element associated with the body, and a stop member. When the frangible element is broken, a first liquid within the first pouch may enter the second pouch through the tube and mix with a second liquid. The stop member prevents the frangible element from exiting the tube yet allows the first liquid to enter the second pouch through the tube.
Generally, the first embodiment incorporates additional means for releasably blocking the passageway at a position between the valve and the second pouch. Usually, the releasable blocking means comprises a ratchet, slide, on-off or some other type of clamp that fits about the tube and may be positioned between open and closed to allow liquid passage or to block liquid passage, respectively.
In a second embodiment, a tube connects the first port and the third port and has a blocking or clamping mechanism surrounding the tube. The clamping mechanism comprises a ratchet, slide, on-off or some other type of clamp to control the flow of material between pouches. Mixing of the first pouch contents in the second pouch occurs after the release of the clamping mechanism. Subsequent to clamp opening, the contents are mixed in the first pouch, and the clamp may be re-closed to keep the contents from flowing back into the second pouch.
One advantage of the subject TPN system over existing technologies is a much more effective separation of the two fluid components from one another, which minimizes leakage possibilities. Another advantage of the subject system is that the receptacle or pouches is much thinner than the existing bags (like the one found in the All-In-One(trademark) system and equivalent structures). Thinness is important for the patient who must fit the bag into a backpack which is not designed for the wider-type bags. The wider design (like the one found in the All-In-One(trademark) system) is to accommodate an adequate volume for the lipid chamber. The subject receptacle has a standard transfusion single bag width which patients, patient-producers, and patient-products have been using for several decades. Thus, the width of the subject system receptacle permits usage of standard-sized associated items. Additionally, some patients have been found to xe2x80x9cfoldxe2x80x9d their wider bag systems (not the subject receptacle) to fit into their carrying cases. This can lead to a portion of the solution leaking into folds and crevices not readily accessible for delivery to the patient, and compromise the TPN therapy.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description that follows, when considered in conjunction with the associated drawings.

System for infusing intravenous nutrition solutions


An organic light-emitting display apparatus including: a substrate; at least one thin-film transistor disposed on the substrate; at least one capacitor disposed on the substrate and including a first electrode and a second electrode; a pixel electrode connected to the at least one thin-film transistor; a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode and including a reflective material; an organic emission layer disposed between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode; a first optical characteristic adjusting layer disposed between the substrate and the pixel electrode and formed on a same layer as the second electrode of the at least one capacitor; and a second optical characteristic adjusting layer disposed between the first optical characteristic adjusting layer and the pixel electrode.

1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to an organic light-emitting display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An organic light-emitting display apparatus is a self-emission display apparatus that includes a hole injection electrode, an electron injection electrode, and an organic emission layer disposed between the hole injection electrode and the electron injection electrode, and emits light as holes injected from the hole injection electrode and electrons injected from the electron injection electrode are combined and excited in the organic emission layer. Since the organic light-emitting display apparatus has high quality characteristics, such as low power consumption, high luminance, and high response speed, the organic light-emitting display apparatus has received much attention as a next-generation display apparatus.

Organic light-emitting display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same


A fuel composition comprising a major amount of hydrocarbons boiling in the gasoline or diesel range and (a) about 50 to 70 parts per million by weight of a fuel-soluble aliphatic hydrocarbyl-substituted amine having at least one basic nitrogen atom wherein the hydrocarbyl group has a number average molecular weight of about 700 to 3,000; and (b) about 35 to below about 75 parts per million by weight of a hydrocarbyl-terminated poly(oxyalkylene) monool having an average molecular weight of about 500 to about 5,000, wherein the oxyalkylene group is a C.sub.2 to C.sub.5 oxyalkylene group and the hydrocarbyl group is a C.sub.1 to C.sub.30 hydrocarbyl group.

This invention relates to a novel fuel additive composition. More particularly, this invention relates to a fuel composition containing an aliphatic amine and a poly(oxyalkylene) monool.
It is well known that automobile engines tend to form deposits on the surface of engine components, such as carburetor ports, throttle bodies, fuel injectors, intake ports and intake valves, due to the oxidation and polymerization of hydrocarbon fuel. These deposits, even when present in relatively minor amounts, often cause noticeable driveability problems, such as stalling and poor acceleration. Moreover, engine deposits can significantly increase an automobile's fuel consumption and production of exhaust pollutants. Therefore, the development of effective fuel detergents or "deposit control" additives to prevent or control such deposits is of considerable importance and numerous such materials are known in the art.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,438,757 to Honnen et al. discloses branched chain aliphatic hydrocarbon N-substituted amines and alkylene polyamines having a molecular weight in the range of about 425 to 10,000, preferably about 450 to 5,000, which are useful as detergents and dispersants in hydrocarbon liquid fuels for internal combustion engines.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,793 to Robinson discloses a fuel composition containing minor amounts of (a) a polyamine which is the reaction product of a halohydrocarbon having an average molecular weight between 600 to 2500 and an alkylene polyamine, and (b) an organic substance having a viscosity between 20 and 2500 cs. at 200C. This patent further discloses that a wide variety of compounds are suitable as the organic substance, including polyamines, amides, and esters or mixtures of esters, such as aliphatic diesters of dibasic aliphatic carboxylic acids. Preferred materials for use as the organic substance are described in this patent as polymers or copolymers having an average molecular weight of 300 to 5,000 which are selected from hydrocarbons, substituted hydrocarbons containing oxygen and substituted hydrocarbons containing oxygen and nitrogen. Most preferred polymeric compounds are described in this patent as polyalkylene oxides and polyether glycols.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,478 to Vogel et al. discloses a motor fuel for internal combustion engines which contains an additive comprising (a) an amino- or amino-containing detergent and (b) a base oil which is a mixture of (1) a polyether based on propylene oxide or butylene oxide and having a molecular weight not less than 500, and (2) an ester of a monocarboxylic or polycarboxylic acid and an alkanol or polyol.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,028 to Abramo et al. discloses a fuel composition containing an additive which comprises the combination of (1) a polyalkenyl succinimide, (2) a polyalkylene polymer, such as polyisobutylene or polypropylene, (3) an ester of an aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic acid, and (4) a polyether, such as polybutylene oxide, polypropylene or a polybutylene/polypropylene copolymer. The additive may also contain an optional amount of a mineral oil or a synthetic oil.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,469 to Sakakibara et al. discloses a gasoline additive composition comprising (a) a monoester, diester or polyolester, and (b) a dispersant selected from (1) a monosuccinimide, (2) a bis-succinimide, (3) an alkylamine having a polyolefin polymer as an alkyl group and an average molecular weight of 500-5,000, and (4) a benzylamine derivative having an average molecular weight of 500-5,000. The additive composition may additionally contain a polyoxyalkylene glycol or its derivative and/or a lubricant oil fraction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,416 to Campbell discloses a fuel composition which contains (a) from about 0.001 to 1.0 percent by weight of a hydrocarbyl-substituted amine or polyamine having an average molecular weight of about 750 to 10,000 and at least one basic nitrogen atom, and (b) a hydrocarbyl-terminated poly(oxyalkylene) monool having an average molecular weight of about 500 to 5,000, wherein the weight percent of the hydrocarbyl-terminated poly(oxyalkylene) monool in the fuel composition ranges from about 0.01 to 100 times the amount of hydrocarbyl-substituted amine or polyamine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,130 to Aiello et al. discloses an unleaded gasoline composition containing a mixture of (a) about 2.5 parts per million by weight or higher of basic nitrogen in the form of an oil-soluble aliphatic alkylene polyamine containing at least one olefinic polymer chain, said polyamine having a molecular weight of about 600 to 10,000, and (b) from about 75 to about 125 parts per million by weight based on the fuel composition of certain oil-soluble olefinic polymers, a poly(oxyalkylene) alcohol, glycol or polyol or a mono or di-ether thereof, non-aromatic naphthenic or paraffinic oils or polyalphaolefins. This patent further teaches that, as a matter of practicality, the basic nitrogen content of the aliphatic polyamine component is usually about 4.0 or below and that this generally corresponds to a concentration of about 100 to 160 ppm when the aliphatic polyamine is a 1050 molecular weight aliphatic diamine, such as N-polyisobutenyl N'-N'-dimethyl-1,3-diaminopropane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,419 to Ansari et al. discloses a fuel additive composition comprising (a) a fuel-soluble aliphatic hydrocarbyl-substituted amine having at least one basic nitrogen atom wherein the hydrocarbyl group has a number average molecular weight of about 700 to 3,000; (b) a polyolefin polymer of a C.sub.2 to C.sub.6 monolefin, wherein the polymer has a number avsrage molecular weight of about 350 to 3,000; and (c) a hydrocarbyl-terminated poly(oxyalkylene) monool having an average molecular weight of about 500 to 5,000. This patent further teaches that fuel compositions containing these additives will generally contain about 50 to 500 ppm by weight of the aliphatic amine, about 50 to 1,000 ppm by weight of the polyolefin and about 50 to 1,000 ppm by weight of the poly(oxyalkylene) monool. This patent also discloses that fuel compositions containing 125 ppm each of aliphatic amine, polyolefin and poly(oxyalkylene) monool provide better deposit control performance than compositions containing 125 ppm of aliphatic amine plus 125 ppm of poly(oxyalkylene) monool.

Fuel composition containing an aliphatic amine and a poly (oxyalkylene) monool