A storage system and a path management method, which can facilitate node replacement are proposed. In the storage system, the host sets plural paths between the host and the volume and holds path information composed of management information on each of the paths. The management apparatus includes an integrated path management unit that collects the path information on each of the paths defined between the host and the volume from the corresponding host to manage all the collected information as integrated path information; retrieves an alternate path going through a node other than a specified node but has the same function as the specified node, for the path going through the specified node, based on the integrated path information; and displays results of the retrieval.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a storage system and a path management method, and is suitable for use in, for example, a storage system in which plural hosts connected to the same storage apparatus are provided in a SAN (Storage Area Network) (hereinafter referred to as "multi-host environment"); and the hosts share channel adapters in the storage apparatus, where the channel adapters are interfaces with the hosts.
2. Description of Related Art
In a storage system, when a channel adapter in a storage apparatus, or a controller for controlling the operation of the entire storage apparatus or a micro program that is a control program on the operation control of the storage apparatus is to be replaced, the replacement target has to be stopped temporarily.
Therefore, when no data input/output path for alternation not going through a replacement-target channel adapter or the like and in an online state (hereinafter referred to as "path") exist between a host and a storage apparatus, the access to a logical volume from the host via a currently-used path is interrupted. This leads to the problem of suspension of operation.
In light of this, the replacement of a channel adapter or similar in a storage apparatus has conventionally needed the following. Before replacing the channel adapter or similar, all the hosts that will be affected by the replacement are identified; the latest management information for each path connected to the hosts (the information on the path's state or route, and hereinafter referred to as "path information") is acquired; and the path connecting the relevant host to the relevant storage apparatus is changed to an alternate path (one available at this time, i.e., that is in an online state) based on the acquired path information.
JP2005-010956 A discloses a method in which the logical path loads are acquired; and the logical paths to be assigned with data input/output requests are decided according to the loads. US2006-0026346 discloses a method of deciding paths according to resource loads.
However, in a large-scale and complicated multi-path environment, there has been a problem that the above-described identification of the alternate path for the path that goes through the replacement-target channel adapter or similar, requires considerable amounts of labor and time. In addition, after completion of the replacement of the channel adapter or similar, confirmation that all paths affected by the replacement have returned to normal is required. Therefore, there has also been a problem that the confirmation requires considerable amounts of labor and time.
Moreover, there has been a problem that the replacement of the channel adapter or similar requires considerable amounts of labor and time for the reason that the replacement needs to normally take place for each replacement-target, which leads to repetition of the work involved.
Furthermore, when the channel adapter or similar is suspended, software for monitoring the path state erroneously recognizes that a failure has occurred in a path going through the channel adapter or similar. As a result, a warning is displayed on a management server. Therefore, this has been a problem that it is difficult for a storage system administrator to make a judgment as to whether the path is intentionally and temporarily in an error state because the replacement of the channel adapter or similar, or a failure has occurred during actual business operation.

Storage system and path management method for multi-host environment


An assembly for supporting a sign and adapted to engage a pole includes a pair of mounting plates disposed contiguously with a pole. Each mounting plate comprises a second aperture through which a band is inserted to connect each mounting plate to the pole. A crossmember is fed through a first aperture to support a sign or banner. The crossmember is receptive to an alignment device to prevent unwanted lateral movement. Additionally, the crossmember is receptive to two stops on either of its two ends. Each end stop prevents the sign or banner from sliding off the crossmember under adverse conditions.

The present disclosure is directed to a pole assembly for supporting a sign and, more particularly, to an assembly adaptable to engage various pole configurations utilizing at least one pair of mounting plates, at least one band and a crossmember to support a sign.
Conventional pole assemblies for supporting a sign adapt to poles and other vertical posts to support a placard or other type of banner.
However, pole assemblies have suffered from various drawbacks. One drawback of conventional assemblies is that they are unable to adapt to various pole sizes and configurations due to the type of mounting mechanisms employed. For instance, some mounting mechanisms are well adapted for use on a square pole, but are ill-suited for circular or diamond pole configurations. Other conventional assemblies use complex parts that increase costs and the required skills necessary to assemble and operate.
As a result, there exists a need in the art for a pole assembly for supporting a sign that is easily adaptable to any second pole shapes and sizes. Moreover, a need exists for a pole assembly that is inexpensive and simple to manufacture and assemble.


One embodiment of the system of this invention can include software programming stored in a computer readable memory. The software programming can comprise a public API layer further comprising an object model containing generic software objects representing underlying workflow processes and functionality and an adapter layer comprising one or more adapters operable to map the generic software objects of the public API layer with the vendor-specific APIs of underlying workflow engines. The generic object model maintained by the public API layer can, in one embodiment of the present invention, comprise generic software objects corresponding to the reference model developed by the Workflow Management Coalition. In this manner, the public API layer can present an interface based on industry standards.

Organizations employ a variety of processes to achieve organizational and/or business goals. Oftentimes, these processes can involve both manual and automated activities. In other words, the processes require both human action and machine-based (e.g., software or computer driven) action. To better achieve overall business and/or organizational goals, organizations are increasingly relying on workflow management to streamline their processes and activities. Workflow management typically focuses on how a product (i.e., a "workflow") flows through a particular process. In the context of a manufacturing line, for example, workflow management can be used to streamline how "work in process" matriculates through the manufacturing line. As another example, in the context of web design, workflow management can focus on how content is manipulated for deployment on the worldwide web.
To implement workflow management techniques, many organizations utilize software packages or "workflow engines" provided by software vendors. Depending on the functionality provided by a particular workflow engine, the organization can initiate actions based on the occurrence of certain events defined by the organization. Based on the process definition (i.e., a computer prosecutable representation of a real-world process), the workflow engine can initiate various actions to aid an actual implementation of a process. For example, if a content provider defined a process to include the activities of authoring and editing content, the workflow engine can be configured to notify an editor (e.g., via email, paging or other media) when the author has finished working on a particular content item. In this manner, the editor will know almost immediately when he or she can edit the content item.
As workflow management has evolved, software vendors have deployed a wide range of workflow engines. Each software vendor typically developed a specific workflow engine based on the needs of a customer. Thus, while many workflow engines are available, each engine often possesses particular functional capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. In order to utilize a particular workflow engine, an organization must generally develop applications that interface with the workflow engine through the workflow engine's application program interface (API). As would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, an API is a set of routines, protocols and/or tools that can be used to develop applications that function with a particular workflow engine. Unfortunately, prior art workflow engines utilize proprietary APIs. This can present significant shortcomings for the deployment of workflow management tools across an enterprise or among cooperating, but disparate, enterprises.
As noted earlier, each workflow engine tends to have particular strengths and weaknesses, and a workflow engine that was previously adequate for an organization may now be unsatisfactory because the organization has changed size, processes, or so on. Because each workflow engine typically uses a vendor-specific API, the organization may be required to develop an entirely new set of workflow applications in order to utilize a new workflow engine. Thus, the organization is either left with an inadequate workflow management solution or must incur the additional expense of developing new applications. As an additional shortcoming, process definitions that were valid for one workflow engine may be invalid for another workflow engine. When an organization implements a new tier (i.e., deploys a new workflow engine), it may have to redevelop its entire process definitions.
To illustrate disparate means for implementing workflow engines and the shortcomings thereof, consider the following examples. IBM® has deployed a workflow engine using functional definition language (FDL). FDL is a text-based language that is essentially compiled, but it is not a programming language such as Java or C++. In order to use the IBM® workflow engine, an organization must develop applications that are compatible with FDL. On the other hand, BEA® Systems uses an XML-based language for process definition representation. Therefore, an organization's applications would have to be compatible with BEA's® process definition representation in order to utilize the BEA® Systems workflow engine. Additionally, both the IBM® workflow engine and the BEA® Systems workflow engine have completely different APIs. Thus, in order to implement both the BEA® Systems workflow engine and the IBM® workflow engine in the same workflow management system, the organization may have to develop two entirely different sets of process definitions and two entirely different sets of applications in order to interface with the respective APIs.
FIG. 1 further illustrates the shortcomings of prior art workflow management systems. Prior art workflow management systems can include multiple workflow engines (e.g., workflow engine 102 and workflow engine 104). Each workflow engine can include a proprietary API. For example, workflow engine 102 can include API 112 and workflow engine 104 can include API 114. For an application to run with each workflow engine, the application must be tailored to the proprietary APIs. Thus, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, a particular application 120 can be divided between sub-application 122 and sub-application 124. These applications can have the same functionality, but require customized programming to interface with API 112 and 114 respectively. If the organization implementing the workflow management system of FIG. 1 wants to interface application 120 with additional workflow engines, the organization must typically develop new sub-applications of application 120 to interface with the proprietary APIs of the new workflow engines. Because each workflow engine can employ a proprietary API, the organization can incur significant programming expenses adapting application 120 to each new workflow engine.
Several standards have been developed for the representation and implementation of workflow products interface. However, vendor-specific workflow engines have either not adopted these standards or have only partially adopted them. Thus, organizations are left to implement heterogeneous workflow management products, each of which may be individually unsatisfactory for a particular organization's processes.

System and method for providing a public application program interface


An optical waveguide type photodetector includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductive type, a multiplication layer of a first conductive type on the first semiconductor layer, an optical waveguide structure, and a photodiode structure. The photodiode structure has a third semiconductor layer of a second conductive type, an optical absorption layer of an intrinsic conductive type or of a second conductive type, and a second semiconductor layer of a second conductive type. The optical waveguide structure includes an optical waveguiding core layer and a cladding layer. An end face of the photodiode structure located in a second region of the first semiconductor layer and an end face of the optical waveguide structure located in a first region of the first semiconductor layer are in contact.

JP2013-110207A discloses a technology related to a semiconductor optical integrated element and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor optical integrated element disclosed in this literature includes a photodiode region formed on a semiconductor substrate, and an optical waveguide region subjected to butt joint coupling to an end face of the photodiode region. The photodiode region includes an optical absorption layer and a p-type cladding layer laminated in this order on an n-type cladding layer. The optical waveguide region includes an optical waveguide layer and an upper cladding layer laminated in this order on the n-type cladding layer. The optical waveguide layer has an ascending portion with respect to the inclined butt joint end face.

SUMITOMO ELECTRIC DEVICE INNOVATIONS, INC.


An image formation device in which an image according to image data received from an image data output device is selectively written by light beam in an optical image memory and the image is printed out on a recording medium, includes a light source for emitting light beam, a scanning device for scanning a surface of the optical image memory with the light beam, a switch for turning on or off the light beam, a sensing device for sensing from the image data a beam irradiating period T per a single pixel corresponding to a density of the pixel, and a controller for controlling the switch so that the light beam intermittently performs T/n period irradiation n times during a scanning period per a single pixel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation device in which beam light is employed to store an image data in an optical image memory, and the image stored therein is read and printed out.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,999 discloses a display in which laser light selectively irradiates a liquid crystal cell to display an image on liquid crystal array. According to the invention disclosed therein, head of the laser light is utilized to partially change a phase of the liquid crystal, and an image can be formed depending upon an irradiation pattern of the laser light. The liquid crystal cell employed is, for example, a smectic liquid crystal.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication SHO/64-20773 discloses a device in which a thermal writing liquid crystal cell device is employed to form an image. According to the invention disclosed therein, transmitting light through a liquid crystal cell layer or reflecting light therefrom irradiates photosensitive material to make a latent image on the photosensitive material, and an image can be formed based upon the latent image. There are provided three kinds of liquid crystal cells where respective images of primary colors, red (R), green (G) and blue (B), are to be written, and a full color image is composed of the three types of images.
In such a conventional image formation device, formation of a variable density image on a liquid crystal cell can be implemented by varying energy of laser beam used for writing in accordance with density information of image data. A method of varying an irradiation energy of laser beam includes a amplitude modulating method in which an intensity of emission of laser beam is varied and a pulse width modulating method in which a period for which light is emitted is varied while the intensity of emission of laser beam is fixed, and because of simplicity and accuracy of control, usually the pulse width modulating method is employed. In this method, a gradation control of each pixel is implemented by varying on-time of laser within a range of a period of a pixel cycle in accordance with the density information of image data.
However, the on-time of the laser within the range of a period of a pixel cycle is continuous, and hence, there arises an unevenness in a distribution of applied energy within a single pixel, and a good reproduction of gradation cannot be obtained.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image formation device in which a gradation reproducibility is enhanced by leveling the dispersion of the laser energy directed to a single pixel.

Image formation device for scanning an optical memory by intermittently irradiating a night beam in accordance with density of a pixel


A storage system includes a storage controller and storage media for reading data from or writing data to the storage media in response to block-level and file-level I10 requests. The storage controller includes suitable interfaces for receiving the read/write requests and effecting the reading of data to or the writing of data to the storage media.

The present invention relates generally to data processing systems, and particularly to a direct access storage system with a combined block interface and file interface access.
Interconnecting the various elements of a processing system (e.g., processor units and peripheral equipment such as direct access storage devices) permits the resources of the system to be distributed so that they are available to all elements of the system. For example, multiple processor units may be connected to a storage system for sharing not only the afforded storage space, but the files that are stored there. Typically, a network architecture of one type or another will be used to implement the interconnection, which may dictate the particular of interface structure between the elements of a system, e.g., a processor unit and a data storage system. For example, it has been popular to connect stand-alone processor units to a direct access storage devices using a small computer standard interface (SCSI). SCSI connections use block transfer protocols in which a logical unit number (LUN) identifies the logical volume for access.
Network protocols, on the other hand, are different. Protocols of choice for networked and distributed processing systems included Network File System ("NFS;" an open operating system developed by Sun Microsystems), a Common Internet File System protocol ("CIFS;" a remote file access protocol), or a HyperText Transport Protocol, more popularly known as "HTTP." These protocols use what is known as a "file system interface," and while the file interface structures used to implement the different file system interface protocols, they use a common file system structure. Thus, data stored on a storage system using a file system interface of two or more types are available to all host systems. For example, a storage system capable of handling input/output requests of both NFS and CIFS protocols, i.e., an NFS protocol interface and a CIFS protocol interface, can store data files that are accessible to host processors having either of the NFS interfaces. That is, a host system with only an NFS interface can access and open files stored by a host system with a CIFS interface, and the host system with a CIFS interface can access and open files stored by the system via the NFS interface—provided the storage system has both interfaces.
Storage systems having one or more of the file system interfaces of the types described above provide access through an I/O read or write request that includes a file name, and an lock request that seeks a right to access the particular file of the I/O request.
Most direct access storage systems have either a block interface or a file interface, and host systems using a block interface protocol cannot access storage systems employing file interface protocols. Further, because of the differences between block and file interface structures and the way data is stored and accessed, a storage system is structured for a block system or a file system, but not both.
Remote replication is a backup technique that is used for data recovery scenarios such as disaster recovery. As a typical example, considers a RAID based storage configuration. A primary data side will have a first RAID controller for data access in a first RAID storage component. A second RAID controller at a secondary data site is provided for data backup in a second RAID storage component. The two RAID controllers are typically connected to each other via a communication network. Data in a primary volume in the first RAID storage component presented by the RAID controller at primary site can be replicated to a secondary volume in the second RAID storage component presented by the RAID controller at secondary site. When a write request to the primary volume is received by the first RAID controller, it sends the data update directly to the second RAID controller with no server involvement. This replication functionality is also referred to as "remote copy." e.g., Hitachi TrueCopy™. Conventional RAID controllers have block system interfaces such as Fibre Channel and so are connectable to a storage area network (SAN). However, such controllers cannot connect to a network attached storage (NAS) device since they do not support file system I/O. Hereinafter, a storage system that is attachable to a SAN and which does not have a file system is referred to a SAN device.
Some NAS devices also provide replication capability for disaster recovery or other purpose. For instance, Network Appliance™ SnapMirror® software replicates data on one or more network filers over a LAN or WAN and continuously updates the replicated data.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Direct access storage system with combined block interface and file interface access


A method of authentication via a secure wireless communication system; the method comprising sensing that a mobile device has come within range of a secure network; initiating a program within the mobile device offering the user a plurality of authentication options; processing the chosen authentication option and providing requested user data to a service provider for the secure network, only if the chosen authentication option within the mobile device permits provision of the requested user data.

This invention relates to a method of authentication via a secure wireless communication system.
In wireless local area network (WLAN) and cellular standards, there are two ways of authenticating a user terminal for use on a network. These are commonly known as open and closed security types. Conventional WLAN hotspot authentication, commonly using a user name and password, allows users to access the hotspot infrastructure before authentication occurs, i.e. the access points (APs) do not implement any access control measures on user data entering the network. This is the 'open security' model. Typically, in the open system a user device detects the presence of a network in an area by its radio signal and then automatically connects to the system by opening up a web browser or otherwise starting an application and all further actions are at application level. The WLAN hotspot authentication utilises a web browser portal page on which the user typically types in their username and password, but this is inherently insecure since it is possible for someone to tap into the radio signal, without the service provider being aware of this. This web browsing transaction, initially has very little security, leaving both the user's equipment and that of the hotspot vulnerable to external attack.
This model is slowly being rejected in favour of a 'closed security' model where APs themselves implement access control, restricting user access to the network infrastructure until a successful authentication exchange has been carried out. This alternative 'closed' system operates in the radio layer and requires the mobile device to provide security information before opening an application, such as a web browser. This authentication is arranged to occur automatically, as soon as the mobile device comes into range of the network using a security framework protocol standardised by IEEE 802.11i. A problem of this 'closed' solution is that the user may not wish to share this security information via a network which is not known to him, such as at a foreign airport, or where he might incur costs when he does not need to use his mobile device.
As more and more of the closed-type secure systems appear, there is a requirement for the user to be able to prevent his authentication credentials being exchanged automatically. Under the current arrangement, if the mobile device is switched on, then the wireless card detects a network on entry to the area of operation and automatically tries to log in.
In accordance with the present invention, a method of authentication via a secure wireless communication system comprises sensing that a mobile device has come within range of a secure network; initiating a program within the mobile device offering the user a plurality of authentication options; processing the chosen authentication option and providing requested user data to a service provider for the secure network, only if the chosen authentication option within the mobile device permits provision of the requested user data.
The invention ensures that the user's data is transferred via a secure route, but prevents automatic connection before the user has given permission and allows the user to control the time of data exchanged.
The user data may be any soft data, such as a user ID and PIN number, but preferably, the user data comprises a user name and password.
This maintains the 'open security' look and feel without the risk of open systems.
Optionally, the method further comprises exchanging authentication credentials via link layer specific protocols.
Specific protocols such as EAP can be used to exchange authentication credentials, such as SIM card data or credit card number, in accordance with the closed security aspects of the network, but if the user is concerned about releasing such data, then authentication can take place with only the soft data are exchanged.
The mobile device may be any electronic communication device, but preferably, the mobile device is one of a laptop, personal digital assistant or mobile phone.
The method is suitable for various types of networks, but preferably, the network is a wireless local area network.
Preferably, the offer of authentication options to the user is carried out by a local proxy on the user's mobile device.
Preferably, the local proxy encapsulates or decapsulates user data.

Method of authentication via a secure wireless communication system


Light distribution systems include a light emitting portion, a light source for supplying light to the light emitting portion and a power source for the light source. A sealed holder or pocket may be provided for the light emitting portion. The light emitting portion may be located on an upper portion of a shoe and include a raised or relieved area from which light is emitted. The light distribution systems may include an additional light source which is directional so it can be seen at a greater distance than the light emitting portion. An information display system may also be provided, including a liquid crystal display located on an upper portion of a shoe, and a motion sensor for controlling operation of the display.

Light distribution systems for distributing light to one or more areas of an object are generally known. Such lighting may be used, for example, to increase the visibility of one or more areas of an object for decorative and/or safety reasons. Also, it is generally known to provide different types of switching arrangements for such lighting systems, to cause the lighting systems to turn on and off or intermittently flash on and off as desired. However, there is a continuing need for new and improved light distribution systems to meet the needs of different lighting applications. Also, it is generally known to provide information display systems for displaying different types of information. However, there is a continuing need for providing different types of interactive information display systems at one or more locations on an object.

Light distribution/information display systems


A floor covering installation tool for raising and lowering furniture, partitions or the like has a frame, a raising and lowering mechanism and a lifting assembly. The frame or the lifting assembly has a portion which is positioned underneath the object to be lifted. The raising and lowering mechanism is actuated to raise or lower the object to be lifted. Upon raising the lifted object to a desired height, flooring or the like is positioned underneath the lifted object. After the flooring is positioned underneath the lifted object, the raising and lowering mechanism is activated to release the lifting mechanism and return it to its original position. Thus, the tool is ready to be reused to lift another desired object.

The present invention relates to installation of floor coverings and, more particularly, to a tool for raising and lifting furniture, partitions or like during the installation of the flooring.
During the installation of carpet, ceramic tile or the like in existing buildings where furniture, especially modular partitions, needs to be moved, the installer is faced with a recurring furniture moving dilemma. The installer may either move the furniture, partitions or the like by hand to one side of the room, install the carpet on that side of the room and move the furniture back onto the new flooring, install the remainder of the flooring and reposition the furniture. Another way is to raise the furniture, partitions or the like at its original position so that flooring may be positioned underneath the furniture, partition or the like.
A useful device for raising and lowering furniture, partitions or the like is illustrated in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,443, the specification and drawings of which are herein expressly incorporated by reference. This patent illustrates a lifting device for raising and lowering furniture, partitions or the like. While this invention provides the art with a satisfactory device for raising and lowering furniture, partitions or the like, designers continue to strive to improve the art.
Also, the following U.S. patents illustrate various types of lifting devices. The U.S. Pat. Nos. are:66,170; 829,344; 2,469,670; 2,536,550; 2,786,649; 2,786,650; 2,910,270; 3,081,066; 3,426,752; 3,662,994; 4,194,726.
The present invention provides the art with an improved floor covering installation tool which lifts partitions, furniture or the like. The present invention enables installers to position flooring underneath furniture, partitions or the like without necessitating removal of the furniture from its original position within the room receiving the floor covering.
The present invention also provides a removable abutment member which enables the device to lift partitions or the like with a single planar surface or with two or more planar surfaces, such as a corner of a partition. The invention is also provided with movable lifting brackets to enable multi-positioning of the brackets with respect to the object to be lifted and also to move from one abutment member to the next. The present invention also includes a live current indicator to test for live current in the object to be lifted.
From the subsequent description and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.


A method and device for representing the passage of time, in which a day is divided into long time periods and short time periods; the large time periods are indicated using a graphic representation and the small time periods are represented by coloring at least a portion of the graphic representation.

The present invention relates to languages and devices for visual representation of the passage of time, and specifically to a clock that is especially suited to children.
Devices for the visual portrayal of the passage of time range from concrete instantiations of slow-moving physical phenomena such as sundials and hourglasses, to more arbitrary paradigms developed along with specific motion or display technologies, i.e. dial clocks and digital clocks. These arbitrary representations have long survived the original mechanism that generated them and moved into the realm of language, retaining their meaning in relation to the time of day regardless of how the visual image is generated. Thus we may prefer a "digital" or "dial" clock interface on the screen of our computer or on our wrist, as a matter of taste and legibility. The mechanism that generates the changes in the visual portrayal can be based on atomic decay, piezoelectric pulses, mechanical action or any other phenomenon without affecting the resulting language of representation. The two dominant languages of dial and digital clocks, though arbitrary, are well enough accepted to perform the role of semiotic sign or marker throughout most of the world.
There have been many suggestions for variations on and alternatives to the two dominant languages, to improve legibility, aesthetics, or other factors. The prior art includes novel ways of representing hours, minutes, and other accepted divisions of time. Conceivably, displays could be based on other divisions of time or represent the flow of time without representing divisions per se.
The standard systems of representing time are dependent on familiarity with visual representations of numbers and comprehension of the clock hands as indicators within an otherwise static interface. Such interfaces are a priori unsuitable for children. Understanding the standard time representations requires a stage in child development more advanced than the stage at which a child can grasp the concept of the passage of time. Due to this misalignment, there is typically a protracted stage during which a child can grasp some of the concepts of time, but is prevented from doing this due to the difficulties of parsing written numerals and understanding the meaning of the position of the hands.
In the prior art are known devices and methods that attempt to make time telling easier for children. A review of earlier art will serve to illustrate their respective and collective lacunae.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,493,138 to Hathaway describes a time teaching device in the form of a standard clock with an attached verse-inscribed panel. The numeral indicia are augmented with pictures of animals and familiar objects and the hands of the clock are fashioned in the form of the storybook characters Jack and Jill. Hathaway teaches a working version with clockwork driven hands as well as a demonstration version in which the hands are only turned manually. The verses inscribed on the device refer to the pictures and the characters on the hands of the clock, relating them in storybook fashion to the hours of a child's day. Hathaway does not teach a new method of representing time, but merely attaches additional recognizable shapes to the sectors of the clock and to its hands. The cognitive steps necessary to differentiate between the two hands of the clock and to associate the location of the hand with a particular sector of the clock face are retained.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,327 to Cordova, Jr. describes a display and method for depicting the passage of time by selectively and progressively "filling" predetermined areas representing hours, minutes, seconds, and tenths of seconds. A user tells time by noting how much of a given area is filled. The display is configured in a variety of shapes with the possibility of assigning different parts of the shapes to the various time divisions. While Cordova teaches a new method of representing the passage of time, no improvement in legibility or comprehensibility is achieved.
A further disadvantage of Cordova is the inherent inaccuracy of depiction. The user is expected to calculate the relation of part to whole in determining hours on a 12 or 24 hour scale. This is cognitively difficult and can easily result in reading inaccuracies of one or two hours. A further disadvantage is in the depiction of small time divisions such as proposed for seconds or tenths of seconds. A device according to Cordova represents the passage of time over short intervals by rapidly flashing lights, detracting from the legibility and clarity of the entire display.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,961 to Bruskewitz describes a portable child activity timer designed to be comprehensible by children. A device according to Bruskewitz indicates pictorially what activity is being timed or what the child is waiting for, in addition to showing numerically how much time is left and indicating by means of a sound when a timed period is over. A device according to Bruskewitz is useful only for timing specific intervals and does not propose a new method of representing the time divisions of a day. The pictures on the timer relate to specific situations or events and are not associated with the time of day in a general sense.
Other devices configured to teach children time telling skills are found in Swiss Patent 540 542 to Ingold, U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,214 to Rancati, U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,389 to Brooks, U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,945 to Totten, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,943 to Grimes, all of which describe variations on the concept of time telling teaching devices or teaching clocks. These devices are not actual clocks, but rather teaching aids consisting of various discs, rings, and hands with printing, pictures and colors on them which are rotated manually around a central pivot in order to display a simulacrum of a clock face. Although colors are used to represent the various hours in a day, the devices teach no new time-telling language.
Thus, there is a need for, and it would be greatly advantageous to have a clock designed for children that familiarized them with the concepts of the passage of time, telling time, and associating given visual images with times of the day, using familiar images and colors to represent time. In addition, there is a need for, and it would be greatly advantageous to have a method of representing and telling time that is comprehensible and accessible to any person that is developmentally able to recognize images and colors.


A system and method for removing a bone from a primal or sub primal meat cut that includes a conveyance system having a continuous conveyor extending along a path of conveyance from an upstream point at the loading end to a downstream point at the discharge. The system includes a pair of opposing support surfaces projecting vertically upward from a first position of the continuous conveyor along the path of conveyance whereby each of the opposing support surfaces of the pair inwardly extend one toward the other, from an upper level downward vertically to a lower level. Each opposing support surface of the pair has a downward slope and each opposing surface of the pair converges at a recessed valley at the lower level.

FIELD: This technology as disclosed herein relates generally to removing bone from primal and sub-primal cuts of meat and, more particularly, to removing the spinal bone structure or other bone structures from a primal or sub-primal cut.
BACKGROUND: Meat processing operations involve separating a slaughtered animal carcass into its separate primal and sub primal cuts. Typically, animal carcasses are cut in half along the back-bone—the animal's vertebral column. The half carcasses are then separated into primal and sub primal cuts. Some sub primal cuts are processed with the bone in and others are processed with the bone out. Several types of bones are removed from primal and sub primal cuts, one of which is the vertebral column. For example, cuts of meat removed from the rib and loin of a slaughtered animal, including beef, pork and lamb, may be fabricated into various bone-in and boneless meat products such as the rib and the loin sub primal cuts. By way of illustration, an important step in the process of producing such a boneless sub primal cut is the separation of the animals' vertebral column (or "chine") from these cuts of meat.
Processing of an animal carcass to produce resulting primal or sub primal meat products suitable for consumption is relatively complex, and can be very labor intensive and time consuming. For example, the process of manually cutting a loin sub primal cut, using a band saw, to remove the vertebral column can require a fair degree of knowledge and experience. Even large scale processing plants often rely on human operators to handle and process individual carcasses. Many aides have been provided to assist these operators and to make the manual process more efficient. For example, power assisted cutting tools may be utilized. Further, some processes, may be automated.
However, for the most part, human operators possess a degree of skill, knowledge and an ability to evaluate each carcass separately and provide correct and consistent cuts in a manner that is difficult to be readily replicated by automated machinery. For example, the chine bones have been separated from the meat product using a manually operated band-saw or similar device. The chining process is difficult, time consuming, labor intensive and can potentially pose some safety challenges. The chining process is highly variable due to variations in the type, size, shape and anatomy of the meat cuts (referred to herein as meat cut "characteristics"). These variations present a challenge to preparing consistent meat cuts with the lowest possible yield loss.
Further, where human operators are utilized, the production line is typically limited by the speed at which its human operators can safely process the carcass. Therefore, automated systems have also been developed to remove bones from primal and sub primal cuts of meat. However, many of the automated systems provide cuts of inconsistent quality because even within a category primal and sub primal cuts, automated systems have provided cuts of inconsistent quality because even within a given category of cut, the geometry from meat cut to meat cut can vary significantly.
One meat cutting process that provides an illustration of the inconsistencies that can result from using an automated system is the removal of the vertebral column (spine or backbone) from a rib sub primal. For example, removing the vertebral column from the rib sub primal from a bovine carcass can result in inconsistent cuts when utilizing an automated system due to the significant variations in size and shape from one cut to the next. Thus, there exists a need in the art area to provide for an automated system and method for cutting meat, particularly deboning a meat product, such as for the rib sub primal deboning example provided.


A first film having a low adhesion to a base material (substrate) is deposited on a base material. Pores reaching at least the surface of the base material are then formed through the first film at a high pore density (porosity), for example, according to photolithographic etching technology. Thereafter, a second film having a high adhesion to the base material is formed over the porous first film to fix, or secure, the porous first film to the base material. Recesses may be formed in a surface portion of the base material to further improve the fixation of the porous first film to the base material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a film forming process, and more particularly to a novel film forming process wherein a film having a low adhesion to a base material, or substrate, is fixed, or secured, so firmly to the base material as not to be peelable therefrom.
2. Prior Art
It is sometimes desired to apply pattern-wise surface decorations of a precious metal such as gold or platinum to ceramic ware, tile, plastics, jewelry such as a diamond, etc., by metal coating, or precious metal foil adhesion with, for example, glue.
Conventional processes for forming a film on the surface of a base material, or substrate, include electroplating, printing, coating, vacuum evaporation and deposition, sputtering, metallic foil adhesion, underglaze application for ceramic ware, and other various processes.
These processes are, however, employed selectively in accordance with a combination of the kinds of base material and film material and hence cannot be applied to every combination of the kinds of base material and film material. Further, in a particular combination of the kinds of base material and film material, it sometimes happens that no film having a satisfactory adhesion to the base material can be formed according to any of the above-mentioned processes. For example, the adhesions of films formed of precious metals such as gold and platinum to such base material's as ceramics including glass, china and porcelain, plastics, and jewels including a diamond are so low that the films are liable to be peeled off the base materials by mere mechanical contact or the like.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing problems of the prior art. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a film forming process according to which satisfactory fixation can be secured between a base material and a film, the material of which may even be inherently poor in adhesion to the base material.


The valve according to the invention in intended, in particular, for high-pressure gas containers containing up to 300 bar. It comprises a shut-off element which is hold on its valve seat under the action of a compression spring and of the gas pressure. In order that the high closing pressure can be overcome with relatively little force, a piston whose top surface has a larger diameter than the diameter of the valve seat is provided on the actuating side. This top surface is situated in a pressure space which can be connected to the interior of the gas container via a pressure-balance passage by means of an electromagnetically actuable closing element.

The present invention relates to an electromagnetically actuable valve for a gaseous or liquid medium under pressure with a valve housing that can be attached to a gas container, an axial inlet passage, an outlet passage running through a lateral connection stub, an axial hole adjoining the inlet passage, the connection in the form of a shoulder between the inlet passage and the hole being designed as an annular valve seat, with a shut-off element held on the valve seat under the action of a compression spring and of the gas pressure, and a spindle which is guided in leak tight fashion in the hole, can be moved axially and acts on the shut-off element.
The invention relates, in particular, to a valve for high-pressure gas containers, i.e. containers containing up to 300 bar, such as, for example, in fixed fire-extinguishing systems or for carbon-dioxide containers in automatic drinks machines.
To ensure reliable and leak-free sealing with valves of this kind for high-pressure gas, the shut-off element is arranged in such a way that it closes under the gas pressure. On the other hand, however, this means that the high gas pressure has to be overcome with a relatively large amount of force to open the valve.


When memory cells enter an operation mode which performs only data holding, a control circuit controls the memory cells and an ECC circuit as follows. A plurality of data are read out to generate and store a check bit for error detection and correction. Refreshing is performed in a period within the error occurrence allowable range of an error correcting operation performed by the ECC circuit by using the check bit. Before a normal operation mode is restored from the operation mode which performs only data holding, an error bit of the data is corrected by using the check bit. In an entry/exit period, read/write and an ECC operation are sequentially performed for all the memory cells by a page mode operation. Memory cells connected to a word line which is not accessed by the page mode operation are sequentially activated and refreshed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, e.g., a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), having a data holding mode using an ECC function.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventionally known example of a semiconductor memory device of this type is "a data holding method of a dynamic RAM and a semiconductor integrated circuit device" disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-56671. This patent reference has proposed a method of correcting error bits as follows at the start of an operation mode in which a DRAM performs only a data holding operation. That is, when this operation mode starts, parity bits (or check bits) for detecting and correcting errors are generated and stored for a plurality of data, and refreshing is performed by extending the refresh period within the error occurrence allowable range of an error correcting operation using the parity bits. Before the data holding operation returns to a normal operation, error bits are corrected by using the data and parity bits.
FIG. 23 of the patent reference described above is a timing chart showing timings from the end of an entry operation to the start of the data holding mode, and timings from the data holding mode to the start of an exit operation. In this method, reading of data from all memory cells and write of generated parity bits is performed in an entry period during which the normal operation changes to the data holding mode. Also, in an exit period during which the data holding mode changes to the normal operation, codes, i.e., information bits and the parity bits are read out from all the memory cells, errors are detected and corrected, and the corrected data is rewritten.
In the semiconductor memory device having the above arrangement, however, the transition time from the normal operation to the data holding mode or the transition time from the data holding mode to the normal operation is longer than the refresh time, so a row which is not accessed within the refresh time may exist. In addition, when the ECC function is to be used by a column-address-priority page operation, refreshing must be performed by interrupting the page operation which is accessing all cells, in order to satisfy the limitation of the refresh time. This makes control difficult.

Semiconductor memory device having data holding mode using ECC function


In a multi-bit adder, the circuit for calculating each bit of sum output is composed of switch circuits arranged regularly, input signals of corresponding bits are entered in the individual switch circuits, and a carry input signal C.sub.i is inputted instead of carry signal C.sub.k of each bit, so that the propagation of the carry signal between the bits is eliminated. As a result, the sum output is delivered in a short time after change of carry input signal C.sub.i.

The present invention generally relates to a digital adder. In particular, the present invention relates to an adder of plural bits operated at a high speed and suitable for a microprocessor, a digital signal processor and the like.
Many systems have been conventionally devised with respect to a high speed adding circuit. This is because, as the number of bits of two numbers to be added is increased, it takes time to add these two numbers since a carry signal is propagated from a least significant bit (LSB) to a most significant bit (MSB) in an adder of a carry ripple type constructed by a simple full adder. There are two methods for solving such a problem. One of these methods is a method for increasing an operating speed of the full adder itself. The other method is a method for generating a carry signal of each bit provided to the full adder by another circuit at a high speed. However, since the circuit construction of the full adder is relatively simple, there is a limit in high speed with respect to only an improvement relative to the circuit. A circuit for generating the carry signal of each bit from an input signal is irregularly constructed in many cases, and has a defect of making the circuit construction complicated as the number of bits is increased. In this method, added results of each bit are also obtained by adding the carry signal of each of the bits to the input signal of each of the bits. Accordingly, there is a delay until a sum output is obtained even when the carry signal is generated by a high speed carry signal generating circuit although this delay is slight.
FIG. 6 shows a logic circuit of a 4-bit carry look ahead (CLA) adder as one example of the conventional high speed adder.
This adder is constructed by plural Exclusive-OR gates 3 and plural NAND gates 4 and plural inverters 5. This adder uses the above-mentioned second method. Namely, carry signals C.sub.0, C.sub.1, C.sub.2 from zeroth to second bits are respectively generated by using a CLA circuit from input signals A.sub.0, A.sub.1, A.sub.2, B.sub.0, B.sub.1, B.sub.2 and a carry input signal C.sub.i so that an increase in adding time caused by propagation of the carry signals is prevented. These carry signals are finally added to respective sums of bits A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3 and bits B.sub.1, B.sub.2, B.sub.3 of the input signals so that sum outputs S.sub.1, S.sub.2, S.sub.3 are obtained. In this adder, a portion of the circuit is communized by the CLA circuit and the adding circuit of each bit. The carry input signal C.sub.i is used to generate a sum S.sub.0 of the least significant bit.
The carry signals C.sub.0, C.sub.1, C.sub.2 of the respective bits in the 4-bit CLA adder are represented by the following formula. EQU C.sub.0 =G.sub.0 +P.sub.0 C.sub.i EQU C.sub.1 =G.sub.1 +P.sub.1 G.sub.0 +P.sub.1 P.sub.0 C.sub.i EQU C.sub.2 =G.sub.2 +P.sub.2 G.sub.1 +P.sub.2 P.sub.1 G.sub.0 +P.sub.2 P.sub.1 P.sub.0 C.sub.i ( 1)
Here, EQU P.sub.k =A.sub.k B.sub.k (k=0,1,2, . . . ) EQU G.sub.k =A.sub.k .sym.+B.sub.k (k=0,1,2, . . . ) (2)
However, there are the following problems in the above-mentioned conventional adder.
Firstly, there is no regularity in the circuit. A structured design method is generally used in the design of a large scale integrated circuit (LSI). This method is a designing method utilizing regularity of the circuit and the layout of a large circuit is easily made by repeatedly arranging the same circuit block in this method. If a certain large circuit can be realized by a repetitious arrangement of the same relatively small circuit block, it is possible to efficiently reduce a time required to carry out a circuit pattern layout work on a semiconductor wafer, and reliability of the design is improved. However, there is no regularity in the circuit construction of the conventional adder so that it is difficult to apply such a method to the conventional adder.
Secondly, a constant delay time is required from generation of the carry signals of the respective bits until added results are outputted. The carry signals generated by the CLA circuit are finally added to respective sums of the respective bits of input signals so that a sum output is obtained. The Exclusive-OR gate 3 is used in this final addition in the example of FIG. 6. Therefore, a propagating delay time of the Exclusive-OR gate is further required after the generation of the carry signals of the respective bits until the sum output is obtained.


This application provides methods and systems for automated condition-based maintenance of mechanical systems. Example systems may at least one memory coupled to one or more computer processors that are configured to receive first data from the mechanical system indicative of performance of a first component of the mechanical system, determine, using the first data, a first performance metric for the first component, determine, using the first performance metric, a probability value that a fault has occurred at the first component, and determine, using the probability value, a predicted length of time until failure of the first component.

A power plant may include interconnected components that can be affected by multiple operating processes. Generally described, a combined cycle power generation system uses a combination of a gas turbine and a steam turbine to produce electrical power or otherwise to drive a load. Specifically, a gas turbine cycle may be operatively combined with a steam turbine cycle by way of a heat recovery steam generator and the like. The heat recovery steam generator may be a multi-section heat exchanger that allows feedwater for the steam generation process to be heated by the hot combustion gases of the gas turbine exhaust. The primary efficiency of the combined cycle power plant arrangement is the utilization of the otherwise "wasted" heat of the gas turbine exhaust. Power plant operators thus aim to generate the maximum possible useful work from the heat in the gas turbine exhaust.
Some power plants may have more than one feedwater system for a heat recovery steam generator. For example, a primary feedwater system may be used for the heat recovery steam generator, while a secondary feedwater system may be used as a backup system. The secondary feedwater system, however, may be costly and may not affect performance of the heat recovery steam generator. In addition, the secondary feedwater system may be needed primarily in instances where the primary feedwater system is unavailable. Unavailability may be due to component failure, service, and so forth. Expected unavailability, such as planned service, may be acceptable as the power plant may plan accordingly. However, unexpected unavailability may be unacceptable, and, in some cases, may result in reliance on the secondary feedwater system.

Methods and systems for automated condition-based maintenance of mechanical systems


A method for manufacturing a brightness enhancement film of a liquid crystal display and a structure thereof are provided. The method includes: (a) providing a first substrate, (b) forming a first macromolecule liquid crystal on said first substrate, (c) curing a part of said first macromolecule liquid crystal on said first substrate for forming a first light transmitting layer, (d) providing a second substrate, (e) forming a second macromolecule liquid crystal on said second substrate, (f) curing a part of said second macromolecule liquid crystal on said second substrate for forming a second light transmitting layer, (g) combining a non-curing part of said first macromolecule liquid crystal and said second macromolecule liquid crystal for forming a third macromolecule liquid crystal between said first light transmitting layer and said second light transmitting layer, and (h) curing said third macromolecule liquid crystal for forming a third light transmitting layer.

A backlight module, also known as a backlight unit, is generally an optical assembly providing a backlight source for products and applied to digital camera, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), GPS (Global Positioning System), medical apparatus, notebook, LCD Monitor, and etc. Owing to the TFT LCD panel itself does not have a light-emitting function, it must have a light source mounted in the LCD panel. A backlight module is an important optical assembly of a light source. Therefore, a backlight module is a key component for the TFT LCD, a popular product in the present days.
The inner structure of a backlight module basically includes a light source, a reflective sheet, a light guide plate, a diffuser, a prism sheet and a frame base. Technically, a backlight module is firstly made by the method of injection molding that the propylene (acrylic sheet) is pressed to form a sheet with a smooth surface (i.e. a light guide plate). Subsequently, the diffusion spots are printed at the bottom of the light guide plate with high reflective, light-unabsorbable materials by screen printing method. And the light from the cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) which is situated at the lateral side of the thick end of the light guide plate transmits to the thin end of the light guide plate through reflection. When the light meets the diffusion spots, the reflex scatters by different angles and then transmits from the front side of the light guide plate on account of breaking the total reflection rule. The various sizes of diffusion spots and different spacings between thereof enable the light guide plate to be luminant uniformly. The reflective sheet then reflects the light leaking out from the bottom of the light guide plate back to the light guide plate for increasing the efficiency of light usage.
However, the choke point of developing TFT LCD technology is the brightness. Generally, only 5%˜8% of the light source from the LCD lamp remains after transmitted through substrates to the user's eyes. According to the standard of CRT monitors, the brightness for TFT LCD is not enough. Although plenty of researches are conducted on the solution to improving brightness, such as increasing luminance of backlight source or LCD, i.e. increasing the aperture ratio of TFT LCD or luminance of all components, most of these solutions can not solve the problem without heat dissipating problem and over-consumption of electricity. For the purpose of improving brightness, 3M Company provides a solution by using the brightness enhancement films (BEF) and dual brightness enhancement films (DBEF). A brightness enhancement film is to centralize the scattered light through refracting the lateral light by V-type thin stripes. Using 3M brightness enhancement films may efficiently centralize the light scattered everywhere to the main axis of sight of the display for improving brightness without modifying the structures and over-consumption of electricity. It is a better solution nowadays but the costs are more expensive.
Another solution widely used by industry is to utilize cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) brightness enhancement film, which is based on the optical rotation property of the cholesteric macromolecules. Please refer to FIG. 1, which is the diagram illustrating the merchandise of CLC brightness enhancement film of Nitto Denko Company. The CLC brightness enhancement film includes the substrate 11, the alignment film 12, and the plurality of CLC layers 13. Each CLC layer 13 has different ranges of transparent wavelength respectively. Through the reflective sheet 151, the light guide plate 152, the ¼ wavelength plate 16, and the polarizer 17 shown in FIG. 1, the light is efficiently transmitted from the light source 14 to the main axis of sight of a display. Since the CLC layers 13 have different optical properties when the cholesteric molecules are cured under different operating conditions, the plurality of CLC layers 13 are made by multiple coating and curing processes. Those processes are very intricate, for example, the CLC layers including red (R), green (G), and blue (B) cholesteric liquid crystal layers, which are three different polarized wavelengths shown in FIG. 1, have to be coated with a cholesteric molecules layer in sequence and subsequently cured under different operating conditions. A further method for manufacturing a plurality of CLC layers is to add dyes into them and manipulate the curing conditions. And the relative processes are more complicated. It is therefore desirous to develop a fast and simple method for manufacturing a plurality of CLC films, i.e. brightness enhancement films.

Method for manufacturing brightness enhancement film of liquid crystal display and structure thereof


In a cleaning treatment of a substrate using an aqueous solution of ammonium fluoride or a mixture of an aqueous solution of ammonium fluoride and hydrofluoric acid as a cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid is replenished by at least one liquid selected from the group consisting of water, ammonia, aqueous ammonia, and an aqueous solution of ammonium fluoride with the lapse of time during the use of the cleaning liquid, in which the required amount of the liquid to be added according to the time lapse is calculated based on the measurement date and controlled, or the component concentration of the cleaning liquid is detected and the liquid is added according to the obtained result, so that not only can the substrate be cleaned uniformly and stably, but also a resource saving and a reduction in waste can be achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate cleaning method and a substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate, which use, as a cleaning liquid, an aqueous solution of ammonium fluoride or a mixture of an aqueous solution of ammonium fluoride and hydrofluoric acid. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a novel substrate cleaning method and a novel substrate cleaning apparatus, which are developed for achieving both uniform and stable cleaning treatment and reduction in the amount of the cleaning liquid used.
2. Description of the Related Art
An aqueous solution of ammonium fluoride (including arbitrary mixtures of hydrofluoric acid and ammonia, and ones containing a surfactant) is widely used in the form of a mixture thereof with hydrofluoric acid and the like for cleaning or etching a semiconductor (mainly a silicon oxide film) substrate or a glass substrate in the production process for semiconductor or liquid crystal display (LCD).
In addition to the above example of substrate cleaning, in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Specification No. 2000-150447, a mixture of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide is used for cleaning silicon wafers. This prior art document discloses that the ammonia concentration and hydrogen peroxide concentration of the mixture are individually monitored during the cleaning, and the change with time of the chemical liquid concentration is accurately estimated based on the results of measurements to calculate and adjust the amount of the chemical liquid to be added, so that the chemical liquid concentration is kept constant.
In these fields, for achieving reduction in weight and downsizing of products and the lowering of consumed electric power, development of a microfabrication technology for a higher integration degree is desired.
In any case of cleaning substrates using, as a cleaning liquid, for example, an aqueous solution of ammonium fluoride, a mixture of an aqueous solution of ammonium fluoride and hydrofluoric acid as mentioned above, or other chemical liquids, a higher accuracy treatment is desired.
By the way, in the above-mentioned cleaning or etching, the chemical component content, such as ammonium fluoride (NH4F), and hydrogen fluoride (HF), and moisture content of the cleaning liquid change (evaporate) with the lapse of time. Therefore, such cleaning or etching has a problem in that the etching rate for a silicon oxide film or a glass substrate changes (increases).
This is caused by the gradual increase in the hydrofluoric acid component concentration of the cleaning liquid with the lapse of time during the use of the cleaning liquid, and the problem of the change in the concentrations of the components in the cleaning liquid has been conventionally solved by frequently replacing the cleaning liquid.
However, in this method, a great amount of the cleaning liquid is required. Especially a cleaning liquid containing ammonium fluoride is used in an ammonium fluoride concentration as high as several tens % (for example, about 40% by weight), and hence, the amount of the chemical consumed per liquid replacement in this cleaning liquid is large, as compared to those in other cleaning liquids generally used in a chemical concentration of about several %. Accordingly, the amounts of the ammonium fluoride and hydrofluoric acid used (cost for chemicals) are to increase.
Further, after the cleaning liquid is used, a waste water treatment shown in FIG. 1 is needed, and, in this treatment, a large amount of resource (waste water treatment agent) is consumed, resulting in a large amount of waste products (waste water and sludge)(see FIG. 2).
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view illustrating a process for treating the effluent of a cleaning liquid. Effluent produced in a cleaning bath 11 is transferred to a pH-adjusting bath 12, and neutralized in this bath by, for example, a 20% aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide. Next, the effluent is transferred to a coagulo-sedimentation bath 13 and subjected to coagulation and sedimentation by a chemical, such as aluminum sulfate, and then, in a flocculation bath 14, is flocculated by a polymeric flocculent, such as a polyacrylamide flocculent, and subjected to sedimentation, followed by discharge in the form of sewage and sludge.
In the above treatment process, as shown in FIG. 2, for treating 1 kg of a 40% aqueous solution of ammonium fluoride, 2.0 kg of 20% calcium hydroxide, 0.3 kg of 8% aluminum sulfate, and 1.6 kg of a polymeric flocculant are required, so that 2.6 kg of sludge having a solids content of 70% and 2.3 kg of sewage waste water are produced.
In recent years, concern about the environmental problems is growing worldwide, and a demand for removing the environmental burden caused by the production of substrates for semiconductor and LCD is being increasing. Therefore, with respect to the cleaning liquid for the substrates, not only for reducing the cost, but also for achieving preservation of the environment, i.e., a saving of resource, a reduction in waste, and environmental cleaning, a solution of the problem about the reduction in the amount of the cleaning liquid used is socially desired strongly.

Substrate cleaning method and substrate cleaning apparatus


With the conventional optical deflection elements using polarization gratings (PGs), it has been difficult to independently switch multiple optical beams at one time in a variety of angular ranges and angular steps at high speed on the μ-second time scale, and it has been impossible to achieve a highly reliable optical deflection element module capable of operating at different ambient temperatures. Provided is an optical deflection element including: a polarization grating plate having a rectangular or circular segment structure, in which the cycles Λ of PGs are not uniform within the plate plane and the cycle and/or the rotational direction of a birefringence axis varies; and a phase panel having a segment structure that is accordingly segmented within the same plane are bonded together, wherein their corresponding segments overlap with each other, and optical switches of the polarization gratings are controlled by a voltage change in the phase panel.

FIG. 1 illustrates Birefringent prism steering, which has long been realized using pixelated liquid crystal switching elements including liquid crystals, and a birefringent wedge such as calcite or rutile (NPL 1).
However, crystals of calcite separate an ordinary ray from an extraordinary ray only by an angle of approximately 5° and thus pose problems in terms of thickness and manufacturing costs, having failed to be put to wide practical use.
As an element having a deflection and separation function similar to that of the crystals, polarization gratings (PGs) as illustrated in FIG. 2 have been devised.
The polarization grating (PG) is a device in which a birefringence axis spatially rotates with a constant period, and was reported in 1955 (NPL 2). The polarization grating (PG) was also reported in Soviet Journal in 1970 as a polarization hologram.
These articles are merely theoretical, and the theories were later specifically realized as devices using a method in which exposure is performed by making two optical beams overlap at a certain angle, the optical beams corresponding to orthogonal polarized beams of coherent laser light, and using photochromic AgCl as a material.
Later, as a method for realizing higher-performance PGs, a structure and a manufacturing method using a liquid crystal polymer as a material were applied for a patent by Michael J. Escuti (Stichting Dutch Polymer Institutes) et al. (PTL 1).
Furthermore, as an optical beam deflection element using the PGs, an optical beam deflection element illustrated in FIG. 2 has been proposed that is capable of defecting light through a wide angle (PTL 2).
The light deflection element includes a stack of LC half-waveplates and passive PGs.
Basically, the crystals used for the conventional birefringent prism steering illustrated in FIG. 1 are replaced with PGs, and sets of an isotropic medium and a liquid crystal half-wave plate capable of switching the state of a half-wave plate are stacked; the set of the isotropic crystal and the liquid crystal half-wave plate is a type of polarization switch.
Thus, an element has been provided that is capable of steering optical beams through an angle of ±15°.
In recent years, much effort has been made to put to practical use a car capable of avoiding collisions and autonomous driving.
In places such as intersections that have many blind spots, it is necessary to accurately and immediately recognize human beings, obstacles, traffic lights, lanes, motorable areas, and the like and, after determination, appropriately operate the car (FIG. 14).
Thus, very quickly detecting and processing the distance to or the shape, color, or speed of a human being or an object is important.
Thus, a laser radar is desirably capable of simultaneously and independently scanning many optical beams with different wavelengths and adjusting a divergence angle of each optical beam.
However, a steering element including the conventional PGs fails to satisfy the above-described requirements and is very difficult to apply to autonomous driving.

Optical beam deflection element and module

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology


A spreader apparatus is disclosed for spreading manure. The apparatus includes a container which defines an opening for the reception therein of the manure. The container has a first and a second end zone with the first end zone defining an outlet for the discharge therethrough of the manure. A rotatable feed device is disposed within and co-operates with the container for feeding the manure through the container. The feed device has an axis of rotation which extends through the end zones of the container. A rotatable discharge device is disposed within the container and co-operates with the container and the feed device for moving the manure towards the outlet. The discharge device has a further axis of rotation which is disposed spaced and parallel to and laterally below the axis of rotation of the feed device. The arrangement is such that when the feed and discharge devices are rotating, all of the manure within the container is fed at a substantially constant rate towards the outlet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spreader apparatus for spreading manure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a spreader apparatus for spreading manure over a field to be used for agricultural purposes.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Many farms include provisions for both the cultivation of arable farm land and the housing of livestock such as cows, beef cattle, chickens etc.
Typically, the manure from the livestock is collected as a useful source of natural fertilizer. Such manure is subsequently distributed on the land, thereby increasing the yield of the crops cultivated thereon.
Many mechanical arrangements have been devised for spreading such manure onto the surface of a field to be cultivated. Usually, such apparatus includes a cart having a container thereon with a conveyer for conveying the manure towards a spreader paddle which distributes the manure from the cart as the cart is drawn by a tractor.
More recently, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,608 to Martin, a wheeled container includes a rotatable auger disposed adjacent to the base of a V-shaped container. The arrangement is such that the manure within the container is moved by the auger towards the end of the container where a paddle extending from the shaft of the auger projects the manure laterally through a discharge outlet defined by the container. The arrangement is such that the manure is distributed over the field by the tractor drawn container.
The aforementioned spreader apparatus also typically includes an auxiliary shaft disposed adjacent to the discharge outlet. Such auxiliary shaft has a plurality of radially extending hammer elements which rotate at a relatively high rotational speed for shredding and disintegrating the manure as the manure is discharged through the outlet.
In the aforementioned arrangement, there exist a tendency for the manure, particularly when in a semi-solid and/or fibrous state, to become bridged over the discharge auger. Such bridging is caused primarily because the side walls of the container must of necessity converge in a downward direction towards the discharge auger so that the manure is fed by gravity to the auger. If the side walls were disposed substantially parallel to each other, the capacity of the container would be severely limited. A typical container of the aforementioned type has a capacity of approximately ten cubic yards. Consequently, the angle defined between each side wall and the vertical is approximately 35 degrees. Accordingly, the angle defined between the side walls of a single auger spreader is in the region of seventy degrees so that bridging of the auger by the manure becomes a substantial problem.
In practice, in the design of spreaders, such spreaders have been made as large as possible so that frequent refilling of the spreader is avoided. However, in order to provide such increased capacity, the angle between the side walls must be increased and this leads to the aforementioned problem of bridging.
When the manure bridges over the auger within the container, no manure is fed by the auger towards the discharge outlet. Therefore, it is necessary for the operator to manually break the bridge before continuing the distribution cycle. Not only is the aforementioned problem inconvenient and time consuming, but also such delays caused by bridging generate an uneven distribution of the manure over the field which subsequently results in uneven crop growth.
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned problem by the provision of two augers disposed adjacent to the base of a container so that the side walls of the container provide a much steeper slope so that the manure under the influence of gravity is freely fed towards the augers thereby inhibiting the aforementioned manure bridging problem.
Also, even without the provision of the aforementioned much steeper slope, the provision of two augers according to the present invention inhibits the problem of bridging as the walls are further apart.
Additionally, the present invention provides a spreader apparatus having a feed auger and a discharge auger, with the axis of rotation of the discharge auger being disposed spaced and parallel to and laterally below the rotational axis of the feed auger. The arrangement is such that when the majority of the manure has been discharged from the container, the remaining manure within the container is fed directly and radially relative to the feed auger into mesh with the lower discharge auger so that the rate of discharge of the manure through the outlet remains relatively constant throughout the discharge of the entire load from the container.
Such constant discharge results in an even manure spread pattern. Also, the operator spends less time spreading a load of manure because the speed at which unloading is accomplished is increased due to the absence of bridging and no slowing down of the discharge rate towards the end of the spreading cycle.
Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a spreader apparatus which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and which makes a considerable contribution to the art of spreading manure.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a spreader apparatus for spreading manure which includes a feed auger and a discharge auger. The axis of rotation of the discharge auger is spaced and parallel to and disposed laterally below the rotational axis of the feed auger so that discharge of manure from the outlet remains substantially constant during discharge of an entire load from the spreader apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a spreader apparatus for spreading manure in which the problem of bridging over the auger within the container is overcome by the provision of a feed and a discharge auger.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art by a consideration of the detailed description contained hereinafter taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings.


A single-phase oral care composition is described. The composition comprises both calcium and phosphate sources and is substantially free of water and is substantially free of generated calcium phosphate comprising compounds. The single-phase oral care composition is stable, maintains good viscosity characteristics and avoids the need for compartmentalized packaging.

Many products we consume have a negative impact on our teeth. Acidic drinks and sweets, for example, can result in tooth erosion by attacking enamel that coats and protects the teeth. Moreover, foods and beverages we consume, like tomato sauce, berries, beets, soda or pop, coffee and tea can stain teeth and thereby result in a smile that is not bright and white. Tobacco based products and certain medications can also lead to teeth that look yellow or even brown.
Products that address tooth decay and/or whitening have been developed. Such products often comprise peroxides, abrasives or both in order to clean and whiten teeth. These types of products are often not desired since they do not contribute to the remineralisation of teeth and can cause damage to our teeth and gums if overused.
Aqueous-based products for whitening teeth have been described (e.g., commonly owned application WO 2008/068248) with water insoluble calcium salt and a source of phosphate ions. These products require the calcium source to be stored in a compartmentalized first composition and the phosphate source to be stored in a compartmentalized second composition that is separate and distinct from the first. The separation of such components or compositions prevents interaction between calcium and phosphate (and the formation of calcium and phosphate comprising compounds within the product) thereby maintaining the remineralisation and whitening efficacy of the products. Unfortunately, however, such dual compartmentalized products may not always be easy for the consumer to use and may require packaging that can be costly to the consumer, complex and environmentally unfriendly.
It is of increasing interest to develop an oral care product suitable to deliver calcium and phosphate sources to teeth (i.e., in-situ) whereby the product comprises both a calcium and phosphate source that may be delivered to teeth in a single-phase, free of compartmentalized packaging. This invention, therefore, is directed to a single-phase composition comprising calcium and phosphate sources. The composition is, unexpectedly, stable and has good taste, texture and viscosity characteristics even in the absence of water. The composition, unexpectedly, is substantially free of generated calcium and phosphate comprising compounds until the composition is applied to teeth and/or utilized in the oral cavity. Moreover, the single-phase composition of this invention surprisingly results in excellent remineralisation and whitening of teeth notwithstanding the fact that a calcium and phosphate source are present together in one phase prior to use.


The invention relates to novel organic semiconducting compounds containing a polycyclic unit, to methods for their preparation and educts or intermediates used therein, to compositions, polymer blends and formulations containing them, to the use of the compounds, compositions and polymer blends as organic semiconductors in, or for the preparation of, organic electronic (OE) devices, especially organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, perovskite-based solar cell (PSC) devices, organic photodetectors (OPD), organic field effect transistors (OFET) and organic light emitting diodes (OLED), and to OE, OPV, PSC, OPD, OFET and OLED devices comprising these compounds, compositions or polymer blends.

In recent years, there has been development of organic semiconducting (OSC) materials in order to produce more versatile, lower cost electronic devices. Such materials find application in a wide range of devices or apparatus, including organic field effect transistors (OFETs), organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic photodetectors (OPDs), organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells, perovskite-based solar cell (PSC) devices, sensors, memory elements and logic circuits to name just a few. The organic semiconducting materials are typically present in the electronic device in the form of a thin layer, for example of between 50 and 300 nm thickness.
One particular area of importance is organic photovoltaics (OPV). Conjugated polymers have found use in OPVs as they allow devices to be manufactured by solution-processing techniques such as spin casting, dip coating or ink jet printing. Solution processing can be carried out cheaper and on a larger scale compared to the evaporative techniques used to make inorganic thin film devices. Currently, polymer based photovoltaic devices are achieving efficiencies above 10%.
Another particular area of importance are OFETs. The performance of OFET devices is principally based upon the charge carrier mobility of the semiconducting material and the current on/off ratio, so the ideal semiconductor should have a low conductivity in the off state, combined with high charge carrier mobility (>1×10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1). In addition, it is important that the semiconducting material is stable to oxidation i.e. it has a high ionisation potential, as oxidation leads to reduced device performance. Further requirements for the semiconducting material are good processability, especially for large-scale production of thin layers and desired patterns, and high stability, film uniformity and integrity of the organic semiconductor layer.
Organic photodetectors (OPDs) are a further particular area of importance, for which conjugated light-absorbing polymers offer the hope of allowing efficient devices to be produced by solution-processing technologies, such as spin casting, dip coating or ink jet printing, to name a few only.
The photosensitive layer in an OPV or OPD device is usually composed of at least two materials, a p-type semiconductor, which is typically a conjugated polymer, an oligomer or a defined molecular unit, and an n-type semiconductor, which is typically a fullerene or substituted fullerene, graphene, a metal oxide, or quantum dots.
However, the OSC materials disclosed in prior art for use in OE devices have several drawbacks. They are often difficult to synthesize or purify (fullerenes), and/or do not absorb light strongly in the near IR spectrum >700 nm. In addition, other OSC materials do not often form a favourable morphology and/or donor phase miscibility for use in organic photovoltaics or organic photodetectors.
Therefore there is still a need for OSC materials for use in OE devices like OPVs, PSCs, OPDs and OFETs, which have advantageous properties, in particular good processability, high solubility in organic solvents, good structural organization and film-forming properties. In addition, the OSC materials should be easy to synthesize, especially by methods suitable for mass production. For use in OPV cells, the OSC materials should especially have a low bandgap, which enables improved light harvesting by the photoactive layer and can lead to higher cell efficiencies, high stability and long lifetime. For use in OFETs the OSC materials should especially have high charge-carrier mobility, high on/off ratio in transistor devices, high oxidative stability and long lifetime.
It was an aim of the present invention to provide new OSC compounds, especially n-type OSCs, which can overcome the drawbacks of the OSCs from prior art, and which provide one or more of the above-mentioned advantageous properties, especially easy synthesis by methods suitable for mass production, good processability, high stability, long lifetime in OE devices, good solubility in organic solvents, high charge carrier mobility, and a low bandgap. Another aim of the invention was to extend the pool of OSC materials and n-type OSCs available to the expert. Other aims of the present invention are immediately evident to the expert from the following detailed description.
The inventors of the present invention have found that one or more of the above aims can be achieved by providing compounds as disclosed and claimed hereinafter. These compounds comprise an indaceno-type polycyclic central unit as shown in formula I.
It has been found that compounds comprising such a central polycyclic unit, and further comprising two terminal electron withdrawing groups, can be used as n-type OSCs which show advantageous properties as described above.
Conjugated polymers based on linearly fused polycyclic aromatic units have been disclosed in prior art for use as p-type OSCs, such as indacenodithiophene (IDT) as disclosed for example in WO 2010/020329 A1 and EP 2075274 A1, or indacenodithienothiophene (IDTT) as disclosed for example in WO 2015/154845 A1.
OSC small molecules with an IDT core have been proposed for use as chromophores in OLEDs by K-T. Wong, T-C. Chao, L-C. Chi, Y-Y. Chu, A. Balaiah, S-F. Chiu, Y-H. Liu, and Y. Wang, Org. Lett., 2006, 8, 5033.
More recently, OSC small molecules comprising an IDT or IDTT core that is end capped with 2-(3-oxo-2,3-dihydroinden-1-ylidene)malononitrile have been reported for use as non-fullerene n-type OSCs in OPV devices, for example by Y. Lin, J. Wang, Z.-G. Zhang, H. Bai, Y. Li, D. Zhu and X. Zhan, Adv. Mater., 2015, 27, 1170, and by H. Lin, S. Chen, Z. Li, J. Y. L. Lai, G. Yang, T. McAfee, K. Jiang, Y. Li, Y. Liu, H. Hu, J. Zhao, W. Ma, H. Ade and H. Yan, Zhan, Adv. Mater., 2015, 27, 7299, in CN104557968A and CN105315298 A.
However, the compounds as disclosed and claimed hereinafter have hitherto not been disclosed in prior art.


A communication connector includes a housing having a panel flange configured to abut against a rear of a panel and a mating end configured to be positioned forward of the panel. The housing has panel nut threads and a panel nut is threadably coupled thereto. The panel nut has a tether extending therefrom with a first tether loop secured to the panel nut and a second tether loop at a second end. A protective cap is removably coupled to the mating end of the housing. The protective cap has a lanyard extending therefrom having a first lanyard loop removably coupled to the second tether loop. When the protective cap is coupled to the mating end, access to the at least one conductor is restricted, and when the protective cap is removed from the mating end, access to the at least one conductor is allowed.

The subject matter herein relates generally to communication connectors having tethered protective caps.
Some known communication connectors provide a protective cap for the mating end of the connector. The protective cap is used when the communication connector is not in use. However, when a mating connector is ready for connection, the protective cap may be removed to provide access to the communication connector. The protective caps can be easily misplaced or lost when not attached to the communication connector. Also, having loose pieces around the equipment having the communication connectors may be undesirable.
Accordingly, at least some known systems use tethers to secure the protective cap to the communication connector or the equipment so the protective cap remains in position for use after the mating connector is unmated. However, known tethers are not without disadvantages. For instance, the tethers provide a fixed connection between the protective cap and the communication connector. At times, there is a need to remove the protective cap entirely, such as when the protective cap is damaged and needs to be replaced. Removal of such protective caps requires special tools and loose pieces may result when the tether is removed.

Communication connectors having tethered protective caps