A mini disc (MD) player has the capability of displaying data without problems during playback. When plural mini discs should be played back consecutively, TOC (table of contents) data are read from all of these discs. Then, the discs are played back in succession. When compressed audio data derived from these discs are stored in a DRAM, a disc identification flag is added to every disc.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for judging which one of a plurality of mini discs is the currently played disc (i.e., the disc from which data read from a memory is derived) when these discs are played back normally or in succession.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, mini discs (64 mm in diameter) which are smaller than the compact disc (CD) but permit writing and reading of substantially the same amount of data as the CD by the use of an information compression technology known as adaptive transform acoustic coding (ATRAC) have began to come into wide use. The MD (mini disc) uses a shockproof DRAM (dynamic random access memory) to prevent skipping of the reproduced sound due to vibration.
For example, compressed audio data recorded onto the disc is read at a data transfer rate of 1.4 Mbits/s by an optical pickup and written into the DRAM. The data is then read from the DRAM a data transfer rate of 0.3 Mbits/s and decoded by a decoder, expanded, and sent out. In this case, it is assumed that the DRAM has a capacity of 1 Mbits. The compressed audio data is read in in about 0.9 second and decoded in about 3 seconds while being read from the DRAM. If a large vibration is applied from outside at this time, and if the digital information on the disc cannot be read, reading of the compressed audio data from the DRAM is enabled for about 3 seconds. Therefore, if the optical pickup can go back to its original position on the disc within 3 seconds and restart the reading of the compressed audio data, then sound skipping can be prevented. For example, if the DRAM has a capacity of 4 Mbits, it follows that information corresponding to about 12 seconds is stored in the DRAM.
Because of the use of the DRAM described above, a slight time gap is present between the instant when data is read from the disc and the instant when the data actually arrives as sound to the user.
FIG. 7 is a detail block diagram of a mini disc (MD) player. Compressed audio data is recorded on an MD 20, which has a magnetooptical disc 21 rotatably held in cartridge 22. This cartridge 22 has a shutter 23. When MD 20 is placed in the record/playback position inside an MD player 100, a shutter-driving mechanism (not shown) opens the shutter 23 to permit a light beam from an optical pickup 4 to impinge on the recording surface of the magnetooptical disc 21. This also enables application of a magnetic field modulated by a recording signal fed from the magnetic head during playback. During reading, when the magnetooptical disc 21 is being rotated at a given rotational speed by a spindle motor 1, if the beam sharply focused by an objective lens 3 hits the recording surface of the magnetooptical disc 21, a reflected beam occurs which has a plane of polarization rotating according to the direction of magnetization of the recording signal. This reflected beam is read as an RF signal by the optical pickup 4 and sent to an RF amplifier 7, where the RF signal is amplified to a certain amplitude level. An address decoder 6 detects the frequency of wobbling (slight serpentine movement of the tracking grooves) of the RF signal. Even when no information is detected, positions in time on the magnetooptical disc 21 are detected.
On the other hand, during recording of data, the data is converted into digital form by an A/D converter 15 and then compressed to about one fifth of its original size by a data compression encoder/decoder 13. The signal is subsequently encoded into an EFM (eight-to-fourteen modulation) signal by an EFM encoder/decoder 9 and sent to a head driver circuit 5 and to a system controller 10.
The head driver circuit 5 drives a magnetic head 2 according to the entered EFM signal to magnetically modulate the magnetic film on the magnetooptical disc 21. The optical pickup 4 directs a light beam at the recording position on the magnetooptical disc 21. The beam heats the position above the Curie point, thus magnetizing this portion in the direction of the magnetic field given by the magnetic head 2. This direction of magnetization is a bit of information recorded.
The optical pickup 4 receives instructions from the system controller 10 to control the focus, tracking, and so forth via a servo controller 8. Also, the pickup 4 causes a carriage 14 to move the magnetooptical disc 21 into a desired radial position.
If alphanumerical keys 18 are operated to select a desired mode of operation or other information, the system controller 10 controls the operation of each component in response to the instructions and displays the mode of operation or the like on a display portion 17.
The data hierarchy of recorded data created on the MD is next described. FIG. 8 represents the data format of the MD. One cluster is composed of 36 sectors. One sector is 588.times.4 bytes=2,352 bytes. Compressed audio data is recorded in 32 sectors of these 36 sectors. The remaining sectors are used as link (discarded) sectors and sub-data recording sectors.
Two sectors are divided into 11, which are collectively known as a sound group. One sound group represents information about 512 samples (11.61 ms) of the left and right channels when the information is decoded.
The contents of one sector (2,352 bytes) are shown in FIG. 9. That is, one sector comprises a header of 8 bytes, an audio block of 2332 bytes, and a sync field of 12 bytes. Cluster/sector information is stored in the header. Compressed audio data is stored in the audio block. Information about synchronization is stored in the sync field. In this data format, the MD player reads data from the disc sector by sector and writes the data into the DRAM 12.
FIG. 10 shows one example of the allotment of data within DRAM 12. Main data, C2PO flag, and TOC (table of contents) data are separated and stored in their respective areas. Compressed audio data is stored in the main data area. Information about corrections to data is stored in the C2PO flag area. TOC data is stored in the TOC area.
For example, where the main data area in DRAM 12 has regions capable of accommodating 44 sectors of information, the main data (compressed audio) is written to and read from DRAM 12, using a ring buffer (44-nary counter) as shown in FIG. 11. When writing is started, data items contained in 1 sector are successively stored in DRAM 12 (e.g., data contained in 1 sector are in regions 00-01 shown in FIG. 11). Data contained in each sector are successively stored in regions 01-02, 02-03 up to regions 43-00, whereupon writing into DRAM 12 is inhibited. When reading is started, sectors stored in regions 00-01 are first read. Then, the sectors stored in the regions 01-02 and 02-03 are successively read. When the regions 00-01 become depleted, writing is restarted. In the state shown in FIG. 11, the next writing positions (the positions indicated by a write sector WR SCT that is a write sector number pointer regarding writing into DRAM 12 during playback) are locations 42 and 43. The next read positions (the positions indicated by a read sector RD.sub.13 SCT that is a sector read sector number pointer regarding reading from the DRAM during playback) are locations 01-02.
The TOC data is also stored in DRAM 12. This TOC data is stored at the header of the recording region of the magnetooptical disc 21 and contains information corresponding to the table of contents (TOC) of a book. Tune numbers, time information, and other kinds of displayed information are all controlled by the TOC data.
The general operation of the MD player constructed as described thus far, (e.g., two discs are played black consecutively). Will now be described by reference to the flowchart of FIG. 12. First, the TOC (table of contents) of one MD 20 held in MD player 100 is read (step 1201). Then, the information is played back from the MD 20 (step 1202). After completion of the playback, the currently played disc is changed to the next MD 20 (step 1203). Then, TOC is read from the next MD 20 (step 1201), followed by playback of the information (step 1202). A decision is made as to whether the disc has been changed (step 1203). If no disc change is made, given ending processing is performed, thus stopping the playback (step 1204).
In this way, the plural mini discs are exchanged successively and played back consecutively. If the currently played mini disc 20 is changed within the maximum information storage time of DRAM 12 (e.g., where the DRAM has a capacity of 4 Mbits, the time is about 12 seconds), information can be played back from the plural mini discs 20 without cessation.
When the first and second mini discs are played back continuously by the prior art MD player, information contained in the first MD and the information contained in the second MD may be stored together in the DPAM. In this case, it is impossible to judge whether the information read from the DRAM is derived from the first MD or from the second MD. Therefore, it is impossible to judge the origin of the information. Consequently, the MD player cannot inform the user as to whether the presently played disc has been changed. The instant of change may be displayed by detecting the timing at which the disc is changed by the disc changer. In this case, however, a slight time gap exists between the when the data is read from the disc and the instant when the sound actually arrives to the user as mentioned previously. Hence, the display presented to the user is not accurate.
If discs are to be discriminated, using the information read from the DRAM, it is impossible to gain access to the TOC data corresponding to the information read from the DRAM unless plural sets of TOC data are stored in the DRAM. Once again, the displayed data is not accurate.

Disc player for playing multiple discs consecutively


An actuator consists of a pair of compact cam plates with compound straight and semicircular toothed racks that engage a single circular gear turned by a single motor. As the gear turns in one direction, the cam plates are pulled toward one another in a guided straight line until they engage and lock around the gear. Continued turning of the gear rotates the locked cam plates with the gear. The motion is reversed as the gear reverses.

Automotive air conditioning housings typically contain at least two flapper type air flow control doors, each rotated between open and closed limit positions by a crank pivoted to and through a wall of the housing. While each can be rotated and controlled by a dedicated, individual motor, it would be potentially a cost and space saving measure to operate and control both doors with a single motor. Prior proposals to do so have involved very complex and bulky systems of multiple levers or multiple gear reduction systems, which involve numerous degrees of freedom and consequent play and rattle in the system, as well as expense and occupied volume that detract from the advantage of using a single motor.


A method for pre-treating a wafer surface before applying a material thereon. The method includes positioning the wafer on a rotating apparatus. The wafer is rotated at a first rotational speed between about 50 revolutions per minute (rpm) and about 300 rpm and for a period of about 1 second to about 10 seconds while dispensing a cleaning solvent on the wafer surface. The wafer is rotated at a second rotational speed between about 500 rpm and about 1,500 rpm for a period of about 1 second to about 10 seconds. The wafer is then rotated at a third rotational speed between about 50 rpm and about 300 rpm for a period of about 1 second to about 5 seconds. With the wafer rotating at the third rotational speed, a solvent-containing material is thereafter deposited on the surface of the wafer.

Since the beginning of semiconductor manufacturing, photolithography has been recognized as the driving force behind the integrated circuit fabrication process. This trend continues today as the industry strives to pack more devices and the associated circuitry on a chip. As one of the first steps in a lithography process or between deposition processes, a wafer undergoes a preparation process to clean and prepare the wafer surface for a material layer, such as a tri-layer photoresist layer to be coated onto the semiconductor substrate. Wafer surface preparation is critical to achieve a high-yield photolithography process, since many types of defects can be traced back to improperly prepared or contaminated wafers.
A wafer surface is typically prepared by applying a cleaning solvent onto the wafer surface. The manner of dispensing the cleaning solvent varies depending on the application desired. The solvent can be dispensed on the wafer while the wafer is not rotating, known by a process as "static reducing resist consumption (RRC) dispense." After the static RRC dispense, the wafer is first spun at a low revolutions per minute (rpm) to uniformly spread the solvent. Once the solvent reaches the wafer edge, the rpm are accelerated to a final spin speed. Another approach is to dispense the cleaning solvent on the wafer that is spinning slowly in order to uniformly coat the wafer, followed by acceleration to the final spin speed. This is referred to as a "dynamic RRC dispense."
Once the solvent has been dispensed onto the wafer surface, a photoresist layer can thereafter be spin coated onto the surface. In both the static RRC and the dynamic RRC dispense approaches, however, the photoresist layer applied onto the wafer surface may exhibit poor coverage, poor coating, or pinholes (very small holes) in the resist. Poor coating or uneven resist coating are undesirable because these wafers can exhibit low yields or fatal defects. Pinholes are microscopically small voids that pass completely through the resist to the substrate material. They are undesirable for subsequent etch processing because the etch chemicals can pass through the small voids and damage the underlying substrate material. These problems are more evident in wafers produced at advanced processing nodes, such as 28 nm and beyond where more device features are packed on the chip.

Method of pre-treating a wafer surface before applying a solvent-containing material thereon

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.


A JNK inhibitor containing a compound having an isoquinolinone skeleton or a salt thereof, such as a compound represented by the formula

Mammalian cells respond to extracellular stimulation as a result of the activation of a signal cascade via a mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) family member. There are three kinds of MAPK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) (alternative name: stress activated protein kinase (SAPK)), p38MAP kinase and extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK), and they are activated by various signals such as growth factors, cytokines, ultraviolet radiation, stress inducers and the like. Since MAPK is a serine/threonine kinase, it is activated by phosphorylation of both threonine and tyrosine of the Thr-X-Tyr sequence in the activation loop. MAPK controls expression of a particular gene by phosphorylation-activation of various transcription factors, and mediates a specific response to an extracellular stimulation.
There have been identified three genes of JNK: jnk1, jnk2 and jnk3, and at least 10 kinds of isoforms are present in mammals (EMBO Journal, vol. 15, pp. 2760-2770 (1996)). While Jnk1 and jnk2 express in many tissues, jnk3 specifically expresses in the brain. Thus, JNK3 has a potential to be particularly involved in nervous function. The JNK signal transduction system of stress response MAP kinase family system is activated by changes in osmotic pressure, DNA damage, anisomycine, heat shock, ultraviolet radiation, ischemia, inflammatory cytokines and the like and various stress stimulations relating to apoptosis induction, it is considered to constitute a major intracellular information transduction path responsible for stress response (Biochemica et Biophysica Acta, vol. 1333, pp. F85-F104 (1997)). The activated JNK activates various transcription factors such as c-Jun, ATF-2, Elk1, p53, cell death domain protein (DENN) and the like and cell death (apoptosis) signal, thereby suppressing transcription activity of particular gene, or induces apoptosis to respond to environmental changes such as various stresses and the like (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 95, pp. 2586-2591 (1998)). Chronic activation of JNK is seen in various clinical conditions and diseases such as cancer, cell death, allergy, asthma, heart disease, autoimmune disease, ischemic disease, inflammation, neurodegenerative disease and the like, which suggests close involvement of activation of JNK in the onset and aggravation of these diseases. [In the present specification, these clinical conditions or diseases, in which such activation of JNK is involved, are referred to as a "JNK-related clinical condition or disease".]
As for the relationship between JNK and various JNK-related clinical conditions or diseases, for example, it is known that JNK is activated by dilation stimulation or ischemia and transduces stress signals in cardiac myocytes. JNK is also activated by catecholamine, angiotensin II or endothelin and controls expression of factors (BNP/ANP, TNF-α, TGF-β, MMPs and the like) involved in cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis (Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 270, pp. 29710-29717, FASEB Journal, vol. 10, pp. 631-636 (1996), Circulation Research, vol. 80, pp. 139-146 (1997)). Recently, it has been reported that JNK activity in the hearts of cardiac failure patients increases after the onset of myocardial infarction and an MKK7 (JNK selective kinase) heart excessive expression mouse develops cardiac failure, which suggests involvement of JNK in the progression process of cardiac failure (Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, vol. 31, pp. 1429-1434 (1999)). In addition, it has been reported that JNK inhibition by dominant negative MKK7 suppresses cardiac hypertrophy without affecting the blood pressure in a pressure burden cardiac hypertrophy model (Journal of Clinical Investigation, vol. 104, pp. 391-398 (1999)). Furthermore, it has been reported that dominant negative MKK7 lowers JNK activity and suppress cardiac myocyte death in an ischemia-reperfusion model. Therefore, JNK inhibitors are possibly effective for the treatment of ischemic heart disease, cardiac failure, post-myocardial infarction and cardiac hypertrophy.
By activating the IL-2 promoter, JNK plays a key role in the T-Cell activation. From a recent experiment using knock out mouse, JNK is reported to also play a key role in the differentiation of the Th1 and Th2 cells. Therefore, JNK inhibitors are possibly effective for the treatment of pathologic immunity disease (Journal of Immunology, vol. 162, pp. 3176-3187, 1999, European Journal of Immunology, vol. 28, pp. 3867-3877, 1998, Journal of Experimental Medicine, vol. 186, pp. 941-953, 1997, European Journal of Immunology, vol. 26, pp. 989-994, 1996, Current Biology, vol. 9, pp. 116-125, 1999).
It is reported that since JNK is activated in synovial cell in rheumatics and JNK controls the expression of MMP gene in IL-1-stimulated synovial cell, JNK is deeply involved in the articular destruction of rheumatics (Journal of Clinical Investigation, vol. 108, pp. 73-81, 2001). This suggests the possibility of JNK inhibitor to be effective for the treatment of rheumatic diseases.
In view of resistance to apoptosis of nerve cells due to the administration of a large amount of kainic acid in JNK3 knock out mouse, JNK3 plays an important role in the expression of glutamate type neurotoxicity (Nature, vol. 389, pp. 865-870, 1997). In addition, JNK3 is activated in nerve cells in the state of low oxygen or ischemia to cause apoptosis. From these, a JNK inhibitor is possibly effective for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's syndrome and Huntington's chorea or ischemia or hemorrhagic cerebral apoplexy.
Furthermore, from an experiment using a JNK1 deletion mouse, JNK is reported to be an important mediator involved in obesity and insulin resistance (Nature, vol. 420, pp. 333-336 (2002)).
As a compound having a JNK inhibitory action, for example, indolinone derivatives are disclosed in WO99/35906, WO99/35909 and WO99/35921, uracil derivatives are disclosed in WO00/75118, isoxazole derivatives are disclosed in WO01/12621, thiophenesulfonamide derivatives are disclosed in WO01/23378, WO01/23379 and WO01/23382, pyrazoloanthrone derivatives are disclosed in WO01/12609 and pyrimidylimidazole derivatives are disclosed in WO01/91749. However, an isoquinolinone derivative having a JNK inhibitory action has not been reported.
On the other hand, isoquinolinone derivatives are disclosed in JP-A-10-298164, JP-A-2000-72675, JP-A-2000-72751, JP-A-5-132463, JP-A-6-321906, JP-A-7-010844, JP-A-7-076573, WO02/062764 and the like.

Abstract: wherein ring A and ring B are each an optionally substituted benzene ring, X is —O—, —N═, —NR3— or —CHR3—, R2 is an acyl group, an optionally esterified or thioesterified carboxyl group, an optionally substituted carbamoyl group or an optionally substituted amino group and the like, a broken line shows a single bond or a double bond, and R1 is a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted heterocyclic group and the like, and the like.


A vehicle rear wheel steering apparatus includes: a housing supported by the rear wheels via first and second connection members; an electric motor supported by the housing; a speed reduction mechanism connected to an output shaft of the electric motor, and reducing the speed of an output of the electric motor; and a linear motion mechanism including a nut member connected to the speed reduction mechanism, and a rod screwed to the nut member and connected to at least one of the first and second connection members, and converting rotational motion of the nut member into linear motion of the rod, wherein the speed reduction mechanism includes a planetary gear mechanism, and the speed of an output of the electric motor is reduced and the reduced output is transmitted to the linear motion mechanism.

In recent years, various types of rear wheel steering apparatuses forming a portion of a four wheel steering (4WS) system of a vehicle have been known. Typically, as disclosed in JP 7-215226A (Reference 1), a rear wheel steering actuator is "configured to include an electric motor; a speed reduction mechanism that is connected to an output of the electric motor; and a conversion mechanism that converts output rotational motion of the speed reduction mechanism into linear motion, and transmits the linear motion to an axle (refers to Paragraph [0003] of Reference 1)". The size of the actuator is reduced by inserting and coaxially disposing an actuator shaft into a circular tube-shaped rotator member, and a planetary gear mechanism is used as a speed reduction mechanism for a motor output.
JP 2008-164014A (Reference 2) discloses "an expandable and contractible actuator for the purpose of improving its adaptability for various usages at a low cost (refer to Paragraph [0004] of Reference 2)". In Reference 2, "a first housing is attachably and detachably provided to accommodate a motor of the expandable and contractible actuator, and a second housing is attachably and detachably provided to accommodate a speed reducer and a feed screw mechanism. In a case where specifications of the motor are desired to be changed, or in a case where operational characteristics of the speed reducer or the feed screw mechanism are desired to be changed, it is possible to cope with this case by only replacing a first housing side sub-assembly or a second housing side sub-assembly without changing the entire design of the expandable and contractible actuator, and it is possible to improve the adaptability of various models and to reduce cost (refer to Paragraph [0011] of Reference 2)". Also, in the expandable and contractible actuator disclosed in Reference 2, a planetary gear mechanism is used as a speed reduction mechanism for a motor output. In addition, in a wheel steering apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5098242 (Reference 3), a speed reduction mechanism is provided which converts rotational motion of a motor into linear motion and transmits the linear motion to a rod. A planetary gear mechanism is used as an example of the speed reduction mechanism.
In each of the apparatuses disclosed in References 1 and 2, a planetary gear mechanism is used as the speed reduction mechanism for a motor output, and typically, there is a limitation to combinations of the number of teeth of a planetary gear, which allows meshing of gears. In a case where the actuator axis is coaxially disposed as disclosed in Reference 1, the number of teeth of the planetary gear is limited by the diameter of an output rod (the actuator shaft disclosed in Reference 1) and the outer diameter of the actuator, and thus, it is difficult to change a reduction gear ratio. In contrast, in a case where output characteristics of the actuator disclosed in Reference 2 are changed, the scale of a change is smaller compared to the actuator disclosed in Reference 1; however, it is necessary to change a sub-assembly including a housing. As described in Reference 1, the actuator disclosed in Reference 2 cannot adopt a configuration in which an output rod extends out from both sides of the housing.
In contrast, in the planetary gear mechanism disclosed in Reference 3, a metal flat head pin is used as a member that rotatably supports a planetary gear (illustrated in FIG. 2 of Reference 3). The flat head pin, whose head portion serves as a retainer which prevents axial movement of the planetary gear in an axial direction, is commercially available. However, there is no general-purpose pin available which can be used in a rear wheel steering apparatus, and it is necessary to prepare a dedicated design component, thereby causing an increase in cost.


A spark plug derives an extended lifetime because a large plurality of sharp edges are provided on the center electrode, the ground electrode, or both to enhance spark propagation. In a first embodiment, the ground electrode has a conventional cantilever shape, but the center electrode extends into coplanar relation to a distal surface of the electrode so that sparks propagate from the cylindrical side walls of the center electrode. In variations of the first embodiment, the number of cantilevered ground electrodes is increased, with the ground electrodes being circumferentially and equidistantly spaced about the center electrode. In another embodiment, the ground electrode has an annular configuration and includes a cylindrical annular wall spaced radially outwardly of the cylindrical sidewall of the center electrode, in concentric relation to the center electrode. Variations of the second embodiment include screw threads, knurls, and various projections formed on the ground electrode, the center electrode, or both.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to spark plugs having enhanced spark propagation and extended life. More particularly, it relates to a top and side firing plug having a center and a ground electrode with multiple edge surfaces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The sole purpose of a spark plug is to produce a spark when needed to ignite a combustive fuel and air mixture within an internal combustion engine. A high voltage is applied to a center electrode, and a spark is created when the voltage discharges to ground by jumping across a narrow gap between the center electrode and a ground electrode.
Each discharge at least slightly fouls the spot on the ground electrode where the spark strikes it. A fouled spot has more resistance to a discharge than an unfouled spot so subsequent sparks will follow a path of least resistance to the ground electrode and thus avoid the fouled spots. Over an extended period of time, however, the entire ground electrode will become fouled and the discharges of sparks will be impeded; eventually the plug will fail and require replacement.
Spark discharge also wears down the center electrode as well; it becomes physically shorter with the passage of time. Conventional ground electrodes thus become less and less effective as the center electrode wears down because the distance the spark must jump increases as the center electrode shortens.
One way to extend the useful lifetime of a spark plug is to increase the surface area of the ground electrode. One example of a ground electrode having an increased surface area is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,214 to Johnson. The ground electrode takes the form of an annular ring disposed in surrounding relation to the center electrode. The surface area of the inner face of the annular ring is substantially greater than the surface area of a conventional ground electrode; accordingly, fouling of the plug takes longer and the effective lifetime of the plug is thereby extended. No means are provided, however, that take into consideration the shortening of the center electrode over time, and no means are suggested as to how the surface area of the ground electrode could be increased even further.


A system for controlling the pressure output of an engine-driven centrifugal fire pump includes a discharge pressure sensor mounted in the discharge line of the pump. A governor varies the RPM of the engine in response to pressure changes detected by the discharge pressure sensor. An electronically controlled hydraulic relief valve responsive to the discharge pressure sensor operates simultaneously with the governor to provide improved pressure control in overpressure situations.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of firefighting equipment.
More particularly, the invention relates to a system for controlling the pressure output of a fire pump.
In a further and more specific aspect, the instant invention concerns an electronically operated system for controlling the pressure output of an engine-driven fire pump.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Controlling the discharge pressure of an engine-driven fire pump mounted on a fire truck is vital. The pump must supply water at a continuous rate and steady pressure so that firemen operating hand nozzles at a fire scene can control the reaction force generated by their nozzles. This is no simple matter, however, since even slight variations in pressure in the supply line leading to the intake of the pump are amplified by the pump on the discharge side, causing surges or oscillations in the water flow discharge at the nozzle and corresponding changes in the reaction forces. Such changes are extremely dangerous, as they can pull a nozzle out of a fireman's grip, or even throw him off a ladder or a ledge.
The simplest prior art device for controlling the pressure output of a fire pump is a mechanical relief valve which opens to discharge excess water when the incoming pressure is higher than the desired output pressure. A shortcoming of such a valve, however, is that, because the relief point must be manually set, it requires the use of a human operator, and can not be used with robotically controlled equipment of the type which is increasingly being used at high-intensity, high-risk fires. Furthermore, the relief valve only functions to dissipate excess incoming pressure, and has no utility in situations where the incoming pressure is too low, such as when the water source is being depleted or another hose is connected to the system. In addition, if the pump engine continues to operate at full speed after the relief valve is opened, water will be continuously dumped from the system, resulting in needless waste, as well as flooding of the area where the fire truck is located.
More recently, electronically operated pressure control systems have been introduced. Two such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,786,869 and 4,189,005 to McLoughlin, the subject matter of which is herein incorporated by reference. In these systems, the desired output pressure is dialed in or otherwise transmitted to a control box on board the fire truck, where it is compared to the actual output pressure as measured by a transducer. Any difference between the desired and actual output pressures is converted to an electrical signal which is fed to a DC motor which increases or decreases the RPM of the centrifugal pump as needed until the desired output pressure is reached. A shortcoming of this type of system is that, because the response time of the servo-mechanism controlling the engine is slow, much time can pass before the appropriate RPM and correct discharge pressure are reached. This is especially troublesome during transient events, such as overpressure spikes, where the system's response time is greater than the length of the event. Furthermore, no allowance is made for situations such as when the engine is already at idle and the incoming pressure suddenly increases, or is higher than desired, such as can happen when the pump is connected to a hydrant.
Another pressure control system of interest is disclosed in German Patent No. 1,274,402 to Muller & Co., which discloses an engine-driven pump which responds to an overpressure in the supply line by simultaneously opening a pressure relief valve and mechanically reducing the engine speed. The shortcomings of this purely mechanical system are that by its nature, in cases of overpressure, the relief valve will always be open to some extent, allowing some fluid to always bypass the relief valve, and the engine RPM will always be above its ideal setting to a certain extent.
Accordingly, a need exists for a new and improved electronically operated fire pump discharge pressure control system for quickly and safely responding to drops or increases in the incoming pressure of a fire pump, which change the discharge pressure required, as well as changes in discharge pressure due to the opening or shutting of various valves downstream of the pump.


The present invention relates to a platelet subpopulation with high binding capacity to recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa), and its use for the treatment of bleeding disorders and for determining whether a subject is a candidate for treatment with rFVIIa.

The body can engage in blood clotting through the "extrinsic pathway" and the "intrinsic pathway." Clotting factors mediate the clotting response in both pathways. Both pathways are activated by different stimuli and ultimately feed into a common machinery. In the extrinsic pathway, when vascular injury occurs, a subendothelial cell-surface glycoprotein called "Tissue Factor" (TF) (also known as Factor III) is released at the site of injury triggering blood coagulation in healthy individuals. Tissue factor is found on the outside of blood vessels—normally not exposed to the bloodstream.
Coagulation is mainly triggered by FVIIa activating FX after exposure of TF at the broken vessel wall. Approximately one percent of FVII is circulating in its activated enzyme form (FVIIa). FVIIa forms the so-called "extrinsic tenase" complex with TF leading to activation of factor X to FXa, which leads to activation of initial levels of thrombin, and to activation of FIX to FIXa. Thrombin is required to activate FVIII, FV, and platelets. Formation of the "intrinsic tenase" complex consisting of FIXa and FVIIIa leads to activation of FX at a rate which is several orders of magnitude higher than by the FVIIa/TF complex. These amounts of FXa are required to cause the "thrombin burst" leading to formation of enough fibrin to form a stable blood clot. All these processes occur on the membrane surfaces of activated platelets.
Platelets are anucleic cells that circulate in the blood of mammals. In the absence of trauma, the inner surface of blood vessels is lined with a thin layer of endothelial cells that acts to inhibit platelet activation. When blood vessels are damaged, fibrils of collagen in the extracellular matrix (ECM) are exposed. Platelets then begin to adhere to the collagen through the action of specific receptors for collagen present on their plasma membrane. These adhesions activate the platelets in addition to the earlier described mechanisms. Platelets are also activated by thrombin after initiation of coagulation.
Hemophilia refers to a group of bleeding disorders in which it takes a long time for the blood to clot. Hemophilia A is the most common form of the disorder and is caused by a deficiency in Factor VIII. Hemophilia B is less frequent and is caused by a deficiency in Factor IX. Both forms of hemophilia can be effectively treated by administration of either recombinant or plasma derived FVIII or FIX concentrates. Treatment of hemophilia is complicated by the development of inhibitory antibodies to factors VIII or IX. In the case of Factor VIII (FVIII), inhibitors develop in ˜30% of the patients. Currently approved therapies in these cases include the infusion of plasma-derived prothrombin complex concentrates, like FEIBA, or recombinant Factor VIIa (rFVIIa), as the therapies for acute bleeds.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods for treating bleeding disorders using a platelet subpopulation


A conductive paste composition contains a source of an electrically conductive metal, a Ti—Te—Li oxide, and an organic vehicle. An article such as a high-efficiency photovoltaic cell is formed by a process of deposition of the paste composition on a semiconductor substrate (e.g., by screen printing) and firing the paste to remove the organic vehicle and sinter the metal and establish electrical contact between it and the device.

A conventional photovoltaic cell incorporates a semiconductor structure with a junction, such as a p-n junction formed with an n-type semiconductor and a p-type semiconductor. For the typical p-base configuration, a negative electrode is located on the side of the cell that is to be exposed to a light source (the "front" side, which in the case of a solar cell is the side exposed to sunlight), and a positive electrode is located on the other side of the cell (the "back" side). Radiation of an appropriate wavelength, such as sunlight, falling on the p-n junction serves as a source of external energy that generates electron-hole pair charge carriers. These electron-hole pair charge carriers migrate in the electric field generated by the p-n junction and are collected by electrodes on respective surfaces of the semiconductor. The cell is thus adapted to supply electric current to an electrical load connected to the electrodes, thereby providing electrical energy converted from the incoming solar energy that can do useful work. Solar-powered photovoltaic systems are considered to be environmentally beneficial in that they reduce the need for fossil fuels used in conventional electric power plants.
Industrial photovoltaic cells are commonly provided in the form of a structure, such as one based on a doped crystalline silicon wafer, that has been metalized, i.e., provided with electrodes in the form of electrically conductive metal contacts through which the generated current can flow to an external electrical circuit load. Most commonly, these electrodes are provided on opposite sides of a generally planar cell structure. Conventionally, they are produced by applying suitable conductive metal pastes to the respective surfaces of the semiconductor body and thereafter firing the pastes.
Photovoltaic cells are commonly fabricated with an insulating layer on their front side to afford an anti-reflective property that maximizes the utilization of incident light. However, in this configuration, the insulating layer normally must be removed to allow an overlaid front-side electrode to make contact with the underlying semiconductor surface. The front-side conductive metal paste typically includes a glass frit and a conductive species (e.g., silver particles) carried in an organic medium that functions as a vehicle for printing. The electrode may be formed by depositing the paste composition in a suitable pattern (for instance, by screen printing) and thereafter firing the paste composition and substrate to dissolve or otherwise penetrate the insulating anti-reflective layer and sinter the metal powder, such that an electrical connection with the semiconductor structure is formed.
The ability of the paste composition to penetrate or etch through the anti-reflective layer and form a strong adhesive bond with the substrate upon firing is highly dependent on the composition of the conductive paste and the firing conditions. Key measures of photovoltaic cell electrical performance, such as efficiency, are also influenced by the quality of the electrical contact made between the fired conductive paste and the substrate.
Although various methods and compositions useful in forming devices such as photovoltaic cells are known, there nevertheless remains a need for compositions that permit fabrication of patterned conductive structures that provide improved overall device electrical performance and that facilitate the efficient manufacture of such devices.

Conductive paste composition and semiconductor devices made therewith


An enhanced digital signal processing random access memory device utilizing a highly density DRAM core memory array integrated with an SRAM cache and internal refresh control functionality which may be provided in an integrated circuit package which is pin-compatible with industry standard SRAM memory devices. The memory device provides a high speed memory access device of particular utility in conjunction with DSP processors with performance equivalent to that of SRAM memory devices but requiring a significantly small die size which allows for the provision of greater effective memory capacity per die area. The internal refresh functionality of the device provides for all refresh operations to the DRAM memory array to occur transparently to the device user and provides control signals alerting the associated controller when refresh operations are being performed.

The present invention relates, in general, to the field of integrated circuit ("IC") memory devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a highly integrated enhanced signal processing random access memory IC device which utilizes a dynamic random access memory ("DRAM") primary memory in conjunction with a static random access memory ("SRAM") cache and on-chip refresh control function which may be conveniently supplied in an industry standard SRAM IC pin-out.
Digital signal processing ("DSP") is a term applied variously to analog signal processing performed digitally or real-time signal processing as opposed to processing performed off-line. In either case, DSP is a highly computationally intensive form of signal processing in which many arithmetic operations must be performed very rapidly. As a consequence, the choice and configuration of DSP memory components for such high throughput processing gives rise to numerous unique considerations. Among these are that the individual memory devices, or "chips" which must be addressed by the DSP components must match the overall system speed or constitute a data processing "bottleneck".
This requirement has, in part, driven the demand for and development of high speed SRAM devices. However, because the memory cell configuration of an SRAM device requires a layout of either four or six transistors per cell, as opposed to the single transistor/single capacitor cell of most DRAMs, they are inherently more costly in terms of on-chip die area requirements and cannot provide the relatively greater integration densities of conventional DRAM devices. In an attempt to provide a trade-off between cost and speed, DSP system designers will often use a combination of SRAM and DRAM devices wherein the former is primarily utilized for program memory wherein device access time is among the throughput constraints and the latter may be used for data memory in those applications wherein data can be pipelined.

Enhanced signal processing random access memory device utilizing a DRAM memory array integrated with an associated SRAM cache and internal refresh control


A radiation computed tomography apparatus that includes a radiation detector having a plurality of radiation detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional manner for detecting radiation passing through a subject, and a reconstructing device for arithmetically reconstructing tomographic image data for a tomographic image of the subject based on projection data for the subject from each of the plurality of radiation detector elements, the projection data obtained from values detected by the plurality of radiation detector elements, wherein the reconstructing device corrects the projection data for each of the radiation detector elements using a corrective value that is correlated with a path length of the radiation through the subject calculated from the projection data, and generates the tomographic image data based on the corrected projection data.

The present invention relates to a radiation computed tomography apparatus capable of acquiring volume data, such as a VCT (volume CT (computed tomography)) apparatus or a multi-row CT apparatus, and a tomographic image data generating method in the radiation computed tomography apparatus.
Particularly, the present invention relates to a radiation computed tomography apparatus and tomographic image data generating method for reducing the influence by scatter rays through correction.
Known X-ray CT apparatuses include, for example, one that acquires projection data for a subject by an X-ray detector having a plurality of X-ray detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional manner. The plurality of X-ray detector elements are positioned to have their width in a direction along a predefined axis with respect to the subject. Since X-ray detector element rows are formed over a certain width in the axis direction, the X-ray detector having X-ray detector elements arranged in a two-dimensional manner is generally referred to as a multi-row detector.
In the multi-row detector, a direction along the axis is sometimes referred to as a column direction, and a direction orthogonal to the column direction as a channel direction, for example.
In the X-ray CT apparatus comprising the multi-row detector, projection data of a cross section of the subject is acquired by emitting an X-ray fan beam, which has an extent in both the column and channel directions, from a predefined focal spot at a plurality of positions around the axis to the multi-row detector.
A tomographic image of the subject is produced by a reconstruction calculation based on the projection data.
Such an X-ray detector having a two-dimensional extent increases the probability that the detecting surface is struck also by X-rays other than those directly impinging upon a detecting surface from a focal spot, i.e., for example, by scatter X-rays (scatter rays) caused by X-rays having their direction of travel deflected due to collision with an object, such as bone, in the subject.
Especially, as an increase of the number of rows in the multi-row detector enlarges the width of the X-ray fan beam in the column direction, the fan beam is directed onto a wider area in the subject, resulting in generation of more scatter rays. As a result, the probability that scatter rays impinge upon the X-ray detector elements is increased accordingly.
The scatter rays contain projection information on the subject that the X-ray detector elements receiving the scatter rays should not detect. Therefore, the scatter rays cause generation of artifacts, and image quality of the tomographic image may be degraded.
To reduce such an influence by scatter rays, various techniques have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a CT apparatus for calculating a deconvolution function for reconstruction of a tomographic image from an arithmetically obtained elastic (coherent) scatter function of scatter rays, and reconstructing a tomographic image using the deconvolution function that corrects the influence by coherent scatter rays.                [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. H7-184886.
In the CT apparatus described in Patent Document 1, however, the width of opening (aperture) for an X-ray beam in the column direction is not particularly taken into account. Thus, it cannot fully deal with the multi-row detector.
As explained above, conventional techniques do not fully correct and reduce the influence by scatter rays, which increases with increasing number of X-ray detector rows, so that there is a need to further improve image quality of tomographic images.

Radiation computed tomography apparatus and tomographic image data generating method

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC


A probe or sheath for use on a probe for detecting and removing radioactively tagged tissue, e.g., a sentinel lymph node, within the body of a living being. The probe or sheath and probe is arranged to be inserted through a small percutaneous portal into the patient""s body and is movable to various positions adjacent the tagged tissue to detect the presence of radiation therefrom so that it can be positioned immediately adjacent that tissue to ensnare or trap that tissue. The probe or sheath and probe can then be removed from the being""s body, carrying the tagged tissue with it. The probe may be constructed to make use of a scintillation crystal, a collimator, adjustable or fixed, and a backshielding lightpipe. A blunt dissecting device is provided as part of the sheath or as part of the probe itself to aid in separating the tagged tissue from adjacent tissue without injury to the adjacent tissue. The probe may be a fully integrated, self-powered unit.

This invention relates generally to medical devices and methods of detection and treatment of cancer, and more particularly to minimally invasive medical systems including a radiation detecting probe for locating radioactively tagged tissue, e.g., a xe2x80x9csentinelxe2x80x9d lymph node, within the body of the patient and for retrieving or removing that tissue.
The use of radioactive materials to tag tissue within a patient for effecting its localization and demarcation by radiation detecting devices has been disclosed in the medical literature for at least forty years. Significant developments in the localization and demarcation of tissue bearing radioactive isotope tags for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes have occurred since that time. In fact, it is now becoming an established modality in the diagnosis and/or treatment of certain diseases, e.g., cancer, to introduce monoclonal antibodies or other tumor or lymph node localizing agents tagged with a radioactive isotope (e.g., Technetium 99 m, Indium 111, Iodine 123, and Iodine 125) into the body of the patient. Such radiopharmaceuticals tend to localize in particular tissue, such as the cancerous tissue, so that the gamma radiation emitted by the isotope agent can be detected by a radiation detector, e.g., a probe. In particular, the radiation detector or probe is disposed or positioned adjacent portion of the patient""s body where the cancerous tissue is suspected to be in order to detect if any radiation is emanating from that site. If it is this indicates that cancerous tissue is likely to be found at that site.
Prior art, hand-held, radiation detecting probes particularly suitable for such cancer-finding applications are commercially available from the assignee of this invention, Care Wise Medical Products, Inc., under the trademark C-TRAK. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,959,547 and 5,036,201 assigned to the same assignee as this invention there are disclosed hand-held radiation detecting probes having collimating means to establish the field of view or xe2x80x9csolid angle of acceptancexe2x80x9d of the probe. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,119,818 and 5,170,055, also assigned to the same assignee as this invention, there are disclosed hand-held radiation detecting probes and accessories optimized to biopsy radio-labeled tissues. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,803 (Donnan et al.) there is also disclosed a hand-held radiation detecting probe.
In the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and prostate cancer a radiopharmaceutical can be injected adjacent a detected tumor site, e.g., within the breast, to migrate to the closest draining lymph node (the xe2x80x9csentinelxe2x80x9d node) so that localization of that node and its examination can be readily effected in order to evaluate the extent, if any, of metastasis of the cancer. Heretofore, no minimally invasive instrument, e.g., radioactivity detection probe, has existed to not only detect or localize the radioactively tagged tissue, e.g., the sentinel node, but also to safely dislodge it from adjacent tissue and to ensnare or trap it so that it can be removed for analysis.
It is a general object of this invention to provide a minimally invasive surgical instrument and method of use which addresses that need and which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
These and other objects of the subject invention are achieved by providing a probe for minimally invasive introduction within the body of a living being. The probe is arranged to detect radiation emanating from radioactively tagged tissue, e.g., a sentinel lymph node, within the being""s body to determine the location of that tissue. The probe is arranged to be readily manipulated and moved adjacent to the radioactively tagged tissue, and includes means (e.g., plural extendable members) for engaging (e.g., piercing or otherwise ensnaring) the radioactively tagged tissue to remove it from the being""s body.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention the probe also preferably comprises a blunt tissue dissector. The tissue dissector is arranged to bluntly separate the radioactively tagged tissue from adjacent tissue so that the radioactively tagged tissue may be readily removed from the being""s body.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention an attachment, e.g., a disposable sheath, for a radioactivity detecting probe is provided. The probe is a small device for minimally invasive introduction within the body of a living being to detect radiation emanating from radioactively tagged tissue, e.g., a sentinel lymph node, within the being""s body to thereby determine the location of that tissue. The probe is arranged to be readily manipulated and moved adjacent to the radioactively tagged tissue. The attachment is arranged to be initially mounted on the probe prior to use and basically comprises means (e.g., plural extendable members) for engaging (e.g., piercing or otherwise ensnaring) the radioactively tagged tissue to remove it from the being""s body.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention the attachment, e.g., sheath, also preferably comprises a blunt tissue dissecting device. The tissue dissecting device is arranged to bluntly separate the radioactively tagged tissue from adjacent tissue so that the radioactively tagged tissue may be readily removed from the being""s body.
In accordance with another preferred aspect of this invention, the instrument may be fully integrated and self-powered, or may be partially integrated and self-powered.
In any case the instrument, probe and/or attachment for a probe may include means for illuminating the situs of the radioactively tagged tissue and may also include means for visualizing that situs.

Minimally invasive surgical instrument for tissue identification, dislodgment and retrieval and methods of use


This invention concerns treating apparently normal tissue surrounding sites of cancerous tumors so as to reduce both the probability of a recurrence of cancer at and near the site of a cancerous tissue, and to reduce the amount of apparently healthy tissue that is usually excised along with the tumor, thereby providing a substantial benefit to the cancer patient by eliminating or delaying tumor recurrence and sparing normal tissue for its functionality and for avoiding unnecessary disfigurement.

The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any such information is prior art, or relevant, to the presently claimed inventions, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Except for vascular disease, cancer is the most frequent cause of death in industrialized countries. The traditionally accepted paradigm for treating cancers and tumors that comprise a single relatively well defined tissue mass has included the use of radiation and chemotherapy typically in association with surgical removal. In cases where surgical resection is an option, surgery is usually the most effective form of treatment. However, the effectiveness of surgical treatment depends on the complete removal of malignant tissue, encompassing the main tumor mass as well as branches and micrometastases which are frequently present in the vicinity of the main tumor.
When removing the main tumor, the surgeon also attempts to eliminate such local or regional micrometastases by resecting apparently normal tissue surroundings the tumor. That tissue is referred to as "margin tissue" or simply as "margin." To what extent margin tissue is removed is subject to the surgeon's judgment. Typically, a margin of 0.5-2 cm around the entire tumor is acceptable. However, more extensive resections are not uncommon for invasive tumors. Even after careful resection of the tumor and margin, most types of tumors recur with a frequency of 10-40%. The recurrence rate depends on multiple factors including tumor size, type and location of the tumor, condition of the patient, etc. In order to reduce the rate of recurrence, surgery is usually followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy. Despite such secondary treatments recurrence rates are still uncomfortably high.
In addition to surgery and radiation, other methods of local tumor control are in use. These include Radiofrequency (RF) Ablation, Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), Cryotherapy (CRYO), Chemo-Radiation (CR), Brachytherapy (BT), Galvanotherapy (GT), and others. Surgery, RF, PDT, CRYO and CR rely on the complete removal or destruction of the tumor and margin tissues, whereas radiation, BT, and GT leave treated normal tissue more or less intact, although radiation and BT may cause severe scarring, fibrosis and vascular and neural damage. In any event, removal, scarring, and physical damage of healthy tissue can result in substantial disfigurement and substantial loss of physical use of body parts and/or functionality thereof. For example, most of the above listed current adjuvants to surgery for destroying or removing tumor masses cause nonspecific damage to normal tissues surrounding the tumor. Excision of a tumor mass can be completely debilitating to function where tumors must be removed from organs including the tongue, vocal chords, rectum, labia, penis, or to fine muscle and visual structures of the face tissue.
To avoid such disfigurement and preservation of function and to ensure that tissues surrounding the tumor are cleared of such cancerous cells, the present invention is provided as an adjuvant or neo-adjuvant to surgery as there is still a need in the oncology arts for a device and method of sparing apparently healthy tissues that lie adjacent to tumors and to reduce tumor mass, growth of the tumor, and recurrence rates.

Method and device for treating microscopic residual tumors remaining in tissues following surgical resection


A stator of the present invention includes a conductor wire. A portion of the conductor wire disposed adjacent to a coil winding center is connected to a power supply. A portion of the conductor wire disposed outwardly away from the coil winding center is connected to a neutral point.

The present disclosure relates to stators and rotating electric machines.
A stator and a rotating electric machine that include a coil formed by winding a conductor wire are known in the related art. Such stator and rotating electric machine are disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2941164, for example.
Japanese Patent No. 2941164 discloses a stator including three-phase windings (coils) disposed in slots of a stator core. The windings of the stator are provided by winding conductor wires more than once. Insulating paper is provided between coil end portions of the windings of the respective phases (i.e., portions of the windings protruded from an end face of the stator core facing in the direction of a rotation axis). The insulating paper is configured such that insulation is provided between the coil end portions of the windings of the respective phases.


A thermal storage system for cooling and/or heating the passenger compartment of a vehicle has a heat exchanger arranged for fluid communication with a vehicle engine. The thermal storage system also has thermal energy storage means for storing thermal cooling and/or heating and being in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger on the vehicle. The thermal storage system further has fluid control means for controlling the flow of fluid from the heat exchanger selectively between the thermal storage means and the vehicle engine.

Cooling and heating systems for vehicles are generally known. Most of these systems have an air conditioning system for cooling the passenger compartment of the vehicle and a separate heating system for heating the passenger compartment. The air conditioning system typically has air blown across an evaporator wherein a liquified refrigerant is expanded to a gas. The expansion of the liquified refrigerant provides cooling for the air as it blows across the evaporator. Examples of these air conditioning systems may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,884,768 to Gould entitled "Automobile Refrigerating Apparatus", U.S. Pat. No. 2,193,838 to Murphy et al. entitled "Air Conditioning System For Vehicles", and U.S. Pat. No. 2,193,835 to Murphy et al. entitled "Air Conditioning System."
The heating system typically interacts with the engine coolant fluid in the radiator of the vehicle. The coolant fluid is usually heated by the operation of the vehicle engine. The heated fluid is then transported to a heat exchanger located within an air duct of the vehicle. Similar to the air conditioning system, air is blown across the heat exchanger through which the heated fluid is flowing and then into the passenger compartment during operation of the vehicle. This heated blown air provides the heat for the passenger compartment.
These heating and cooling systems also typically have an air control flap within the air duct for controlling the direction of the flow of air across these heat exchangers. A control mechanism typically allows for the manual adjustment of temperature by the vehicle passenger. More sophisticated systems were also developed for automatically adjusting the temperature of the passenger compartment to maintain the compartment at a passenger selected predetermined temperature (i.e., 72.degree. Fahrenheit). An example of such a system may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,967 by Sumikawa et al. entitled "Car Air Conditioner With Heat Storage Tank For Cooling Energy." These systems sense the change in temperature within the compartment and automatically control the flow of air to the compartment to adjust to the selected predetermined temperature.
Also, thermal storage systems have been developed for some air conditioning systems, such as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,271 by Honigsbaum entitled "Air Conditioning System Having Controllably Coupled Thermal Storage Capability," U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,998 by Carr entitled "Thermal Energy Storage Apparatus," and U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,540 entitled "Thermal Energy Storage Apparatus." These storage systems store cooled air for bursts of cooling needed during various periods of vehicle operation such as when climbing hills or for cooling and/or heating when the vehicle engine is not in operation.
Although numerous thermal storage systems have been proposed which are capable of improving cooling and/or heating efficiency for motor vehicles, such systems typically require substantial modification of the heating and/or cooling systems presently in use. The retrofit of such systems into existing vehicles can be difficult and/or cost prohibitive and adaptation of new vehicles to incorporate such systems can require substantial changes in the vehicle manufacturing process and/or design.


A mounting bracket and a display device are provided. The display screen is provided with a mounting portion protruding from a back surface of the display screen, and the mounting bracket is used for mounting a display screen, which includes a bracket body which is provided with an opening for mounting the mounting portion; the opening has a first side and a second side, the first side is provided with a first buckle, and the second side is provided with a second buckle; wherein the first side is adjacent to the second side.

In the related art, fasteners such as screws and bolts are usually used to mount the display device in the wall. However, when a display device is mounted in a wall by using a fastener, a mounting hole of the fastener can be directly seen from the display device, which makes the appearance of the display device poor. When the display device needs to be detected, debugged or maintained, special tools are needed to remove the display device from the wall, which is inconvenient.

Mounting bracket, display screen and display device


A row crop header for an agricultural machine harvesting a crop having stalks, such as corn. The row crop header includes a frame, a first crop row divider mounted to the frame, and a second crop row divider mounted to the frame and spaced from the first crop row divider to define a space therebetween. A row unit is disposed at the space, wherein the row unit includes a deck assembly defining a gap, the deck assembly including a compliant deck configured to adjust the gap based on contact with the stalks of the crop. The compliant deck includes a plurality of overlapping plates having edges defining the gap where the edges are configured to move responsively to varying diameters of stalks. Crops are separated from the stalks upon contact with the overlapping plates. A gathering chain moves the separated crops toward a collector.

Agricultural machines, such as a combine harvester, include different portions or sections for cutting crop and moving the crop therethrough. A header for an agricultural combine harvester is arranged to be moved in a forward direction over a field. The header comprises a laterally extending frame supporting a separating mechanism to separate a crop, such as wheat or corn, from a stalk. The separating mechanism, in different embodiments, is configured to either cut the crop or to break the crop from the stalk to collect the crop. The separated crop is collected and delivered to a collector, such as a wagon, for delivery of the crop to a consumer.
A corn header includes a number of crop dividers defining a gaps to direct stalks of corn to a row unit. The row unit includes a gathering chain, a fixed deck plate, and stock rolls configured to separate corn ears from the stalk. The separated corn ears are supported by deck plates, which are separated by an adjustable gap. The corn ears are moved by the gathering chain to a floor of the header. An auger is located above the floor moves the corn ears to a collection location for collection.
When the corn ear is separated from the stalk, kernels of corn can be separated from the cob due to impact with the deck plate. Corn yield per acre is consequently reduced. Because the gap of the deck plate is adjusted prior to separating the corn ear from the stalk, the gap can be too large or too small. If too large, small ears of corn can fall through the gap and are lost. If the gap is somewhat large, but not small enough, butt shelling occurs, where the stalk rolls contact the butt end of the ear before it is separated from the stalk. If the gap is too narrow, excessive material such as leaves from the stock, and other debris, such as weeds, are collected by the corn header, which when accumulated, wraps on the auger and prevents the corn ears from being effectively moved by the auger to the collection location.
What is needed therefore is a corn head that reduces loss of kernels resulting from the gap being set too wide or too narrow for a field of corn.


An image forming apparatus provided with a dust collecting part includes an ink cartridge having a wide array type ink jet head that is capable of ejecting ink over an entire lateral line that is perpendicular to a conveying direction of a recording medium at a time, and a main body case that supports the ink cartridge, a duct located under the wide array type ink jet head to extend in a longitudinal direction of the wide array type ink jet head; and a dust collecting part including a charging part disposed in the duct to charge impurities and electrodes disposed in the duct to adsorb the charged impurities The image forming apparatus includes a dust-collecting part that adsorbs the impurities over an entire region of the wide array type ink jet head, thereby effectively removing the impurities generated in large quantities and increasing a life span and a reliability of image forming apparatuses, since the dust collecting part is securely maintained during operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus having a dust collecting part, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus having an ink cartridge with a wide array type ink jet head that is capable of printing an entire lateral line of a recording medium at a time, and a device that removes impurities, such as ink mists, dust, or particles, from the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ink jet printer is a device for printing a desired image or text by ejecting ink stored in a cartridge onto a recording medium through an ejecting part, typically a nozzle of an ink jet head. Ink jet printers have been widely used due to their low cost and the ease with which color printing is implemented.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional type of ink jet printer is partially illustrated. In FIG. 1, a main body frame 10 is installed in a printer main body to support devices and install various parts. The main body frame 10 is provided with a guide bar 12 at its lower portion and an upper guide 14 at its upper portion. A carriage 20 is installed at the guide bar 12 and the upper guide 14. A slider 24 is formed at a top surface 22 of the carriage 20, and the slider 24 is mounted onto the upper guide 14. In addition, ink cartridges 26 and 28 are mounted in the carriage 20.
The carriage 20 laterally slides along the guide bar 12 and is driven by a driving part (not shown) above a surface of a recording medium P to perform a printing operation. In this process, ink ejected from an ink jet head of the ink cartridges 26 and 28 partially remains on a surface of the ink jet head and agglomerates there. The surface of the ink jet head becomes contaminated due to dust, particles, and ink mists introduced from the recording medium P or an exterior. As a result, a nozzle of the ink jet head may become blocked and printing quality may deteriorate. In addition, since the ink remaining on the ink jet head agglomerates and blocks the nozzle when the printing operation is not performed for an extended period of time, it becomes necessary to store the ink jet head in an enclosed state when the ink jet head is not in use. Therefore, a service station 30 is installed at one end of the main body frame 10 to perform these functions.
Recently, a printing speed of ink jet printers has been improved with the development of a wide array type ink jet head, because the wide array type ink jet head extends along an entire width of the recording medium and is capable of printing on a recording medium one entire lateral line at a time. Since one entire lateral line of the recording medium may be printed at a time without a reciprocating movement of the ink jet head, the printing speed may be improved. A structure of the printer may be simplified, because it is unnecessary to move an ink cartridge laterally to reach the entire width of the recording medium. In other words, by increasing the length of the ink jet head to correspond to the width of the recording medium, rather than laterally moving the conventional ink jet head along a lateral direction of the recording medium, the printing speed is improved.
However, in the wide array type ink jet head, since a region from which ink is ejected is significantly widened in comparison with the conventional type ink jet head, more impurities, such as ink mists, dust, particles, etc., are generated. In addition, although the impurities should be more thoroughly removed from the wide array type ink jet head due to an increased probability of contamination of the wide array type ink jet head, a wiping part is insufficient to remove the impurities, because wiping the wide array type ink jet head becomes more difficult than the conventional ink jet head.

Image forming apparatus with dust collector


A system and associated methodology determine navigation parameters of a vehicle under varying center of gravity position and varying unknown gravitational forces. The system uses high precision accelerometers arranged in a plurality of configurations.

Dynamic equations of an aircraft vehicle are derived under the assumption of a known and stationary Center of Gravity (CoG). Variations in loads result in a change in both of the aircraft vehicle's mass and the CoG position. The change in the CoG introduces undesirable couplings in flights dynamics. The variations in loads may be due to fuel consumption or change in payload of the aircraft vehicle. Knowledge of the CoG position is important for determination of the aircraft vehicle attitude, calculation of the various aerodynamics forces and torques, selection of the proper control strategy, and ensuring the aircraft vehicle stability.
An apparatus for tracking the center of gravity of an air vehicle was described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,260,477B2 entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRACKING CENTER OF GRAVITY OF AIR VEHICLE", the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The apparatus estimates the angular velocity of the air vehicle from accelerometers measurements. The estimated vehicle angular velocity is then used to calculate both a center of gravity position and an inertial acceleration with respect to the vehicle's body frame using a suitable identification technique for a linear-in-parameters system. The estimation of the angular velocity may suffer from instability due to unstable nonlinear equations used. The accelerometers were arranged on rings. The rings are fitted into fore and aft positions of the air vehicles which impose some constraints on the airframe design.
A passive navigation system (PNS) was described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,103 entitled "PASSIVE NAVIGATION SYSTEM", the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The PNS comprises an IMU that contains gyroscopes and accelerometers to provide the needed inertial information.
An autonomous covert Inertial Navigation System (INS) uniquely suited for underwater applications is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,684 entitled "GRAVITY AIDED INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM", the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The autonomous covert INS deals with errors correction where it ensures the Schuler and Sidereal errors are bounded. The autonomous covert INS utilizes a gradiometer, a gravimeter, and an inertial navigation system (INS) to facilitate its functionality. It can be used while navigating in varying gravity fields. However, the autonomous covert INS does not handle the Center of Gravity (CoG) shift.
A fault tolerant inertial reference system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,719,764 entitled "FAULT TOLERANT INERTIAL REFERENCE SYSTEM", the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The fault tolerant inertial reference system employs two independent inertial reference units. Each unit utilizes global positioning system (GPS) information such as velocity and position. It also provides maximum level of fault tolerance with a minimum set of redundant inertial sensors where the faulty sensors can be isolated. It also provides means to correct the errors arising from the inertial sensors. However, it does not deal with the varying position of the CoG and varying gravity.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and system for determining the center of gravity position and the position rate of change under the influence of varying unknown gravitational force.
The foregoing "background" description is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the inventor, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention. The foregoing paragraphs have been provided by way of general introduction, and are not intended to limit the scope of the following claims. The described embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method and apparatus for estimation of center of gravity using accelerometers

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals


An optical recording medium and a method of writing, reading and erasing information in an optical recording medium are provided in which the optical recording medium comprises a carrier and a recording layer which contains at least one optically active organic compound, wherein said optically active organic compound is an inherently chiral dissymmetric olefinic chromophore.

The optical recording media in question are suitable for writing and reading audio information, video images and data. Said recording media are mostly disc-shaped and the writing and reading of information takes place during rotation of the medium by a light beam emanating from a laser. The projection of the modulated laser beam on the recording medium brings about a change of the optical properties of said medium during the writing operation, which change can be optically detected later on during reading. Known media are those which are based on the magneto-optical or Kerr-effect and the "phase-change" mechanism. Further known media include those which contain photochromic compounds, in which the color of the compounds changes upon exposure to light of a specific wavelength. Detection of the change in color takes place by using light of a different wavelength.
An optical recording medium of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph is described in European Patent Application EP-A 312339. The medium described therein contains optically active compounds comprising an asymmetric carbon atom and hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups. Exposure to light of a wavelength of 360 nm causes the aggregation structure of said compounds to change, as a result of which a change takes place in the optical rotation. Said change in optical rotation is detected with linearly polarized light having a wavelength of 700 nm. The recorded information is erased with light having a wavelength of 560 nm, as a result of which the optical rotation returns to the original state. Erasing can also be carried out by a combined operation of irradiating the medium with light having a wavelength of 360 nm and heating it to 100.degree. C. Of essential importance is the use of three wavelengths or two wavelengths in combination with a heating step for the write, read and erase processes, because the information must not be erased during reading. As a result of this requirement, use of the known medium is rendered complicated.


An apparatus comprising a substrate having a surface configured to accommodate a fluid thereover. A plurality of fluid-support-structures are on the surface. Each of the fluid-support-structures has at least one dimension of less than one millimeter. A well in the substrate has an opening on the surface. A medium is locatable between the plurality of fluid-support-structures and in the well. The medium located between the fluid-support-structures is in communication with the medium in the well.

There is great interest in engineering surfaces to reduce the flow resistance of a liquid on the surface. Some structured surfaces having nanometer- or micron-sized raised features have promise in applications ranging from the transport of a liquid through a microfluidic channel, to reducing the drag of a vessel traveling through a liquid. However, a number of problems must be overcome before the full benefit of these surfaces can realized.
One problem is that the flow resistance of a liquid on a structured surface can vary dramatically with the pressure of the liquid. If the pressure of the liquid increases, then the liquid will penetrate to a greater extent into the structured surface, thereby increasing the flow resistance of the liquid on that surface. Alternatively, if the pressure of the liquid decreases, then the liquid will penetrate to a lesser extent into the structured surface, thereby decreasing the flow resistance. Flow resistance can also increase when the diffusion of air out of the liquid is sufficient to form air bubbles on the structured surface. For instance, the formation of air bubbles on the interior walls of a microfluidic channel can significantly impede the flow of liquid through the channel.
Embodiments of the present invention overcome these deficiencies by providing an apparatus having a structured surface with improved pressure stability, which thereby provides better control over flow resistance, as well as methods of using and manufacturing such an apparatus.

Structured surfaces with controlled flow resistance


The present invention provides engine-cooling module assemblies. One engine-cooling assembly includes an engine block and a cooling module including a coolant channel integrated into the engine block. Parallel to the coolant channel is a bypass channel integrated in the engine block and through which a portion of a coolant stream is conducted to an oil/coolant heat exchanger. The present invention also provides a method for cooling oil circulating in an oil circuit of an engine by means of a coolant. The coolant runs through a coolant channel that is formed of both a portion of the engine block and a portion of the cooling module.

Presently, known cooling devices and processes for cooling an internal-combustion engine of a motor vehicle employ oil cooled by means of a coolant. There are various kinds of cooling devices which are differentiated in regard to the coolant. One cooling device in accordance with the prior art is the air-oil cooler. This is arranged at the front of the motor vehicle in the air flow produced by the movement of the vehicle.
The disadvantage of this solution is that the coolant being used—the air—has a relatively low heat transmission coefficient. In order to implement an adequate oil-cooling system, an air-oil cooler of relatively large construction is therefore necessary. In addition, the cooling process is dependent on the air flow and thus on the speed at which the motor vehicle is travelling. At low speeds of travel, the air-oil cooler does not provide sufficient cooling power. The oil must be fed to the air-oil cooler. To this end, flexible lines from the engine to the air-oil cooler have to be employed due to the distances that have to be bridged and the flexible path required for the conveyance of the oil. These flexible lines, which are usually in the form of hoses, are inclined to leak after a long period of use.
Another cooling device in accordance with the prior art is the oil-water heat exchanger. This uses water or cooling water as the cooling medium. Due to the higher heat transmission coefficient of water, this heat exchanger has greater cooling power while occupying lesser space. The coolant, more precisely, the water, and the oil are fed through a line system consisting of hoses or pipes. The use of pipes and hoses is disadvantageous in regard to the interconnections of the pipes and hoses or the connections thereof to the engine or the oil-water heat exchanger since the connections tend to leak relatively quickly, particularly at the junction points. Furthermore, the mechanical flow properties of the connections are disadvantageous since the connections lead in part to large resistances in the line system.
A third cooling device in accordance with the prior art is the oil-water heat exchanger module with an oil filter. This solution overcomes some of the disadvantages of the previously-specified cooling devices. The advantage of the modular construction is that the oil-water heat exchanger module is of compact construction. The oil filter is in the form of a filter cartridge which is flanged on the heat exchanger. The oil line system is in the form of a channel integrated into the module housing, whereby the risk of leakage from the oil line is significantly reduced.
The disadvantage of this solution is that, here too, the coolant in the form of water is fed and guided through hoses. Consequently, leakage from the water pipeline may continue to occur. In addition, vibratory problems may occur during the operation of the motor vehicle due to the heavy concentration of components within a small constructional space, and these can lead to the failure of the cooling device in some circumstances.
In all of the solutions specified above, the current-flow of the media—coolants/oil—flowing in the channels is effected in succession, i.e. in a kind of series circuit. The channels are thereby of greater length; this thus leads to a larger constructional volume. In addition, the line system is of greater total resistance due to the length of the channels, so that this too has to be compensated for by a larger dimensioning of the flow-path cross-sections of the line system if there is to be no loss of performance. However, apart from the cooling function thereof, a goal of such cooling systems is to maintain the pressure difference in the cooling module as low as possible since this itself adds to the overall drop in pressure through the entire engine system and a decrease in pressure represents a loss of effectiveness. The greater the decrease in pressure, the higher the loss of effectiveness. In order to ensure this in the conventional systems, the cooling medium flows through the cooling module at high speed, i.e. it spends a lesser period of time in the cooler module or cooler package, whereby the cooling medium can absorb and remove only a little of the heat energy and this thus results in a less effective cooling process. In addition, due to the serial arrangement, the water circulation systems in the cylinder block and in the cylinder head must be adjusted separately, i.e. it is necessary for the circulation of the water in the cylinder block and the cylinder head to be readjusted. Additional expenditure on the adjustment process thereby arises.

Optimized cooling system for a motorized vehicle


A method of making synthetic color pigments comprises synthesizing monodispersed colloidal core particles by precipitation from a solution and applying dye material to the core particles either by adsorption directly into the core particles or by adsorption or incorporation into alumina fixation shells at the surfaces of the core particles. Additional functional shells may be applied to the dyed core particles for various reasons. The pigments are useful for the coloration of various media such as printing inks and paint compositions.

In patent application Ser. No. 07/804,220, of even date herewith, entitled Electrothermal Printing Ink with Monodispersed Synthetic Pigment Particles and Method and Apparatus For Electronic Printing Therewith, a correlated novel printing ink is disclosed which offers superior image reproduction characteristics. The printing ink described in that application, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, consists of a solid block of thermoplastic polymeric carrier material within which myriads of synthetic, monodispersed color pigments are embedded. These pigments of varied colors share essentially identical surface, bulk, and morphological properties, particularly their colorimetric and electrokinetic properties, in order to attain superior reproducible color representation in the printing materials obtained by that printing process.
The present invention concerns novel methods of controllably producing superior color pigments for that printing ink as well as for other coloration media through a series of manufacturing steps which lead to entirely predictable color values and surface charges for each and every pigment particle so as to achieve unprecedented manufacturing yield and quality of product. A variety of approaches to manufacturing these superior pigments is described by way of examples for the purpose of showing the broad basis of this invention.

Synthetic, monodispersed color pigments for the coloration of media such as printing inks, and method and apparatus for making same


An information management method includes invoking a client environment hosted on a client machine. The client environment is registered with a discovery machine coupled to the client machine by a network. A server machine coupled to the network registers with the discovery machine. A host environment of the client environment on the server machine registers with the discovery machine upon an indication that the server machine has a communication for the client environment. A direct link is established between the client machine and the server machine and the communication is delivered from the server machine to the client machine.

The present invention relates to information management systems and more particularly to complex information management systems over a network.
Methods to control and track information via the Internet have long been a subject of great interest and controversy to consumers, corporations and government. At the consumer level, spam (unsolicited email), keeping personal information (social security numbers, credit card numbers, etc) from hackers and controlling who has their information are all important issues. Corporations are interested in preventing the spread of viruses that can adversely damage costly computer systems, having access to consumer information which can help promote their ability to market/sell products and optimizing sales/supplier networks. Government also has an interest in preventing viruses. It also has a role in protecting consumers yet balancing the needs of corporations to grow which can directly impact the economy.
Another issue that also garners attention is the replication of information on the Internet. For example, it is likely that any user of the Internet has multiple login ID's and passwords for the various websites they frequent. On these websites, the same information is typically repeated, such as name, address and telephone numbers. If a piece of information needs to be updated such as a telephone number, it needs to be updated at each site. Similarly the use of "mirror" sites or copies of existing websites in different geographic areas on different servers are often used to decrease the load on any one specific server and provides backup if one server goes down. This practice however is costly due to the increased number of servers.
Passport® by the Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. provides a single login service for multiple websites. Instead of having to memorize and keep track of unique login names and passwords for each website requiring a login, users utilizing websites that employ Passport® only need to keep track of one login name and password. While this may possibly solve the problem of multiple login names, passwords and replication of personal information, it has been slow to be accepted by large numbers of websites. Also, in exchange for using Passport®, a user potentially surrenders his or her personal information to all website operators that utilize Passport®. Additionally, a Passport® user can potentially be subject to spam since the user's email address is now located in the Passport® database that can possibly be accessible by various third parties.
HailStorm, also by the Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. provides the same functions as Passport® but can also deliver distributed services. For example, if a user utilizes a travel website, HailStorm can potentially secure airline tickets, car reservation, hotel reservations and theater tickets all based on one set of criteria through multiple providers of each unique service. What is lacking, though, is that now a person's information is being passed on to an even larger pool and the user still lacks control of who that information is subsequently transmitted to.
In the area of email, digital signatures have started to become popular as a means to verify the integrity of an email address. Digital signatures do not tell a person who owns the address, however.
Digital certificates are often employed to verify identification of a person, for example—establishing the right of a user to use a piece of software. While this mechanism provides a positive identification mechanism, it is only a one-way communication. This aspect disadvantageously does not foster two-way communication.
Encryption techniques, such as public/private key infrastructure (PKI), allow for the secure transfer of information that is inaccessible when it is encrypted, except by the person who sent it and the person who receives it. While a step in the right direction of controlling unauthorized access to information, the recipient is free to disseminate the information at will and the sender has no control.
Similar to PKI is PGP (Pretty Good Privacy). PGP verifies the identification of a sender of information only. PGP also has the same drawbacks as PKI since control of how information is propagated is lost once it has been transmitted.
Accordingly, what is needed is a method to manage the flow of information that allows individual users and entities to control who has their information, who it can be sent to and the ability to recall that information if the need arises. Also what is needed is a way to update information once and have it propagated to all valid holders of that data.

Information management system and method