The present invention relates to control of and data collection from sensors associated with tools. In particular, it relates to using a controller to mediate communications among a tool, sensors associated with the tool and data users, such as a host system or distributed processors. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings.

The present invention relates to failsafe operation of controller components introduced between a controller host or first device and a tool or second device. In particular, it relates to establishing a direct connection between the first and second device upon failure of a controller that mediates data transfers between the first and second device. One environment in which this invention is useful is a semiconductor manufacturing fab having a host and tools/sensors, into which an intelligent controller is added between using a controller to mediate communications among a tool, sensors associated with the tool and data users, such as a host system or distributed processors.
Moore's law promises exponential growth in computer power at diminishing prices. This dynamic growth of processing power might lead one to think that semiconductor device manufacturing would be an adventuresome business, like wild-catting for oil. Just the opposite is true. Because manufacturing batches are very valuable and manufacturing processes are sensitive to even small mistakes, semiconductor device manufacturing is a conservative business. Qualification cycles and standards for new equipment and modifications of old equipment are lengthy and demanding. Even a small change is vetted extensively, before being released to production.
Key components used by a fab in semiconductor manufacturing include tools (e.g., deposition chambers, reactors), sensors that monitor the tools (e.g., FTIR sensors, mass spectrographs, thermocouples) and hosts or distributed processors that store and analyze data from the sensors regarding tool operation.
A prior application described a transparent method of listening to data from the sensors and providing it to the hosts or distributed processors using high speed and error-resistant technologies such as TCP/IP over Ethernet. The prior application was by inventors Uzi Lev-Ami and Yossef Ilan Reich, "Method and Apparatus for Monitoring Host to Tool Communications," application Ser. No. 09/935,213, filed on 22 Aug. 2001, which is incorporated by reference. The prior application describes a listening post that could eavesdrop on serial communications from a tool or sensor using an optically isolated connector. Using the eavesdropping approach, one could prove that the fab communications and data collection infrastructure could be upgraded without requiring modification of tools or sensors, at a low risk. The upgrade feasibility could be demonstrated without dismantling the incumbent communications infrastructure.
The next revolution in fab instrumentation and backend analysis capabilities will involve adding intelligent controllers to mediate communications between the tools and sensors, on one side of the controllers, and tool hosts or distributed processors, on the other side, without needing to replace or change the analytical characteristics of the sensors. Increased processor power and decreased storage cost create opportunities for configurations that would not previously have been practical in a fab environment. A second prior application by inventors Uzi Lev-Ami, Guenter Sifnatsch and Mark Attwood, entitled "Controller and Method to Mediate Data Collection from Smart Sensors for Fab Applications", U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/819,903 filed on 7 Apr. 2004, describes an intelligent controller with various capabilities.
An opportunity arises to complement the analytical features of an intelligent controller, or any other network attached device that mediates communications between two other devices which are capable of communicating directly, with a failsafe switch that directly links the other devices, if the intermediate device fails or hangs. Better, more reliable and confidence inspiring installations of intermediate devices may result.

Failsafe switching of intelligent controller method and device


A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor region of p-type; a buried region of n-type, configured to serve as a photodiode together with the semiconductor region; a extraction region of n-type, configured to extract charges generated by the photodiode from the buried region, having higher impurity concentration than the buried region; a read-out region of n-type, configured to accumulate charges, which are transferred from the buried region having higher impurity concentration than the buried region; and a potential gradient changing mechanism, configured to control a potential of the channel, and to change a potential gradient of a potential profile from the buried region to the read-out region and a potential gradient of a potential profile from the buried region to the extraction region, so as to control the transferring/extraction of charges.

A sensor element disclosed in "DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE DETECTION AND DEMODULATION OF AN INTENSITY-MODULATED RADIATION FIELD (see patent literature (PTL) 1)" published in 1994, or in other documents, which has a function for modulating, in a time domain, the detection of electrons generated by light in a pixel, is referred to as a "lock-in pixel". By applying the sensor element encompassing the lock-in pixels to a buried photodiode structure used in recent CMOS image sensors, if a lock-in image sensor can be established, because the sensor element is superior in mass productivity, a realization of a high performance image sensor being manufactured at low price is expected.
For example, a three-dimensional imaging system including a two-dimensional array implemented by pixel-photo detectors, dedicated electronic circuits and corresponding processors, which are merged in a common IC, by using a CMOS manufacturing technique, is proposed (see PTL 2). In one embodiment of PTL 1, each detector has a corresponding high-speed counter for accumulating the number of clock pulses that is proportional to a time of flight (TOF) about pulses, which are radiated by the system, reflected from a point of a physical body, and focused, and then detected by the pixel-photo detector. A TOF data gives a direct digital scale with regard to a distance between the particular pixel and the point on the physical body for reflecting the radiated optical pulse. In a second embodiment of PTL 2, the counter and a high-speed clock circuit are not provided. Instead of them, a charge accumulator and an electronic shutter (S1) are provided in each pixel detector. Each pixel detector accumulates charges, and its total amount gives the direct scale of the round-trip TOF.
However, in the conventional image sensors that use the lock-in pixels, each of the lock-in pixels detects transferring-operations of charges to one or more accumulation regions, through a gate structure of a MOS transistor, in synchronization with the modulated light. Consequently, the conventional image sensor that uses the lock-in pixels is intricate in structure. Also, in the case of the transfer through the gate structure of the MOS transistor, electrons are captured in traps at a boundary between silicon (Si) and silicon oxide film (SiO2), and a problem of transfer delay is also generated.
Consequently, one of the inventors proposed a structure in which a semiconductor element serving as each of the pixels in a solid-state imaging device encompassing a light-receiving surface-buried region of n-type to which light is entered; a charge accumulation region of n-type, being buried at a position partially overlapping with the light-receiving surface-buried region, in a planar pattern, and is deeper in potential well (electron well) than the light-receiving surface-buried region, configured to accumulate charges generated by the light-receiving surface-buried region; a charge-read-out region of n-type, configured to receive charges accumulated in the charge accumulation region; and first and second extracting-drain regions of n-type, which are arranged on both sides of the light-receiving surface-buried region, respectively, on the planar pattern, so as to extract electrons generated by the light-receiving surface-buried region (see PTL 3). Here, the light-receiving surface-buried region and the first and second extracting-drain regions are buried in a part of a surface of a semiconductor region of p-type. On the light-receiving surface-buried region, a p+-type pining layer is arranged. On the p+-type pining layer, on the semiconductor region between the p+-type pining layer and the first extracting-drain region, and on the semiconductor region between the p+-type pining layer and the second extracting-drain region, gate insulation films are formed. Then, on the gate insulation films, in order to extract electrons generated by the light-receiving surface-buried region to the first and second extracting-drain regions, respectively, first and second extraction-gate electrodes are arranged, on both sides of the light-receiving surface-buried region, so as to sandwich the light-receiving surface-buried region, on the planar pattern.
In the structure disclosed in PTL 3, between the charge accumulation region and the charge-read-out region, a read-out gate electrode for transferring charges to the charge-read-out region from the charge accumulation region is arranged, and the read-out gate electrode controls a potential of a transfer channel formed between the charge accumulation region and the charge-read-out region through a gate insulation film so as to transfer charges from the charge accumulation region to the charge-read-out regions. The combination of the gate insulation film and the first and second extraction-gate electrodes on the gate insulation film controls the potential of a channel formed in the upper portion of the semiconductor region between the light-receiving surface-buried region and the first extracting-drain region, and the potential of a channel formed in the upper portion of the semiconductor region between the light-receiving surface-buried region and the second extracting-drain region, respectively, so as to extract charges from the light-receiving surface-buried region to the first and second extracting-drain regions, respectively.
According to the structure disclosed in PTL 3, even if a gate structure is not provided between the light-receiving surface-buried region and the charge accumulation region, it is possible to control the transferring of charges from the light-receiving surface-buried region to the charge accumulation region, by changing potential profiles on the basis of voltages applied to the first and second extraction-gate electrodes.

Semiconductor element and solid-state imaging device

National University Corporation Shizuoka University


Provided is a heterocyclic compound represented by Formula I:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heterocyclic compound and an organic light emitting device including the same, and more particularly, to a heterocyclic compound having two pyrrole rings fused with a benzene ring.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electroluminescent emitting devices, which are self-emitting devices, have the advantages of having wide viewing angles, excellent contrast and quick response time, and thus have received a lot of public attention. An electroluminescent emitting device can be classified into two types, an inorganic light emitting device which includes an inorganic compound in an emission layer, and an organic light emitting device (OLED) which includes an organic compound in an emission layer. An OLED has higher brightness, lower operating voltage, quicker response time, and can realize more colors compared to an inorganic light emitting device, and thus much research thereon has been carried out.
Typically, an OLED has an anode/organic emission layer/cathode structure. An OLED can also have various other structures such as an anode/hole transport layer/organic emission layer/cathode structure and an anode/hole transport layer/organic emission layer/electron transport layer/cathode structure by interposing a hole injection layer and/or a hole transport layer and electron injection layer between the anode and the emission layer or between the emission layer and the cathode.
A polyphenyl compound or an anthracene derivative is known as a material used to form a hole transport layer (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,596,415 and 6,465,115). However, characteristics of organic light emitting devices formed of materials that are conventionally used to form a hole injection and/or transport layer such as lifetime, efficiency and power consumption are not satisfactory. Thus, there is a need to improve those characteristics of organic light emitting devices.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Heterocyclic compound and organic light emitting device comprising the same

Abstract: wherein Ar1 is a linking group and a C6-C16 arylene or heteroarylene group; Ar2 and Ar3 are each independently a C6-C20 aryl group, a C4-C20 heteroaryl group or a C6-C20 fused polycyclic group; Ar4 is a C6-C20 aryl group, a C6-C20 aryloxy group, a C4-C20 heteroaryl group or a C6-C20 fused polycyclic group; and Ar1 and Ar3, or Ar2 and Ar3 may be connected to each other to form a ring. The heterocyclic compound has high electrical stability and excellent charge transporting capability, and thus can be efficiently used as a material for forming at least one of a hole injecting layer, a hole transporting layer and an emitting layer suitable for fluorescent and phosphorescent devices realizing all colors including red, green, blue and white.


An apparatus for controlling a disk player used for a computer system and a method therefor. The apparatus includes a disk information storing unit for storing disk position information, a disk information reading unit for reading information on the position of the disk in which the playing of the disk is stopped in the disk player, a controller for controlling the disk player such that the information of a disk stop position read from the disk information reading unit is stored in the disk information storing unit when the playing of the disk is stopped in the player, and the information stored in the disk information storing unit is read to begin playing of the disk from the stopped position when playing of the disk is resumed. When a reproduction operation of the disk is stopped, the disk ID number and stop position information is stored, and the playing of the disk is controlled to resume playing of the disk, with reference to the information. Accordingly, even if playing of the disk is stopped, the playing of the disk can be resumed from the position where the playing has been stopped.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a disk player used for a computer system, and more particularly, to an apparatus for resuming play of a disk from the position at which the disk was stopped.
2. Related Art
A typical computer system comprises a display unit (e.g., a monitor), a main body containing a central processing unit (CPU) and data storage devices (e.g., disk drive) in a separate enclosure, and input devices such as a keyboard. This architecture is commonly used in "desk-top" personal computer systems, work stations, terminals and the like. The display unit, the keyboard and the main body containing all the essential circuitry of the computer may be integrated in a single, deployable portable housing structure, typically referred to as "lap-top" computers. Keyboard is connected to the main body through a connector cable to control operation of the computer. The disk drive is configured to record/playback a disk such as a digital video disk (DVD), an audio compact disk (CD), and a video compact disk (CD) on which audio data as well as moving picture data compressed in accordance with MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) standard is recorded. Many computer systems have a suspend/resume function which permits the entire operational status of the system to be saved when the power is turned off, and to be restored when the power is turned back on. However, the suspend/resume function does not extend to disk players. When the playing of an audio or video disk is stopped or turned off, the disk must be replayed from the beginning of the disk. Thus, if the user wishes to play from the position at which the audio or video disk was stopped or interrupted, the position must be found before resumption.
Recent efforts to resume the playback from the position at which the audio or video disk was stopped or interrupted can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,502 for Optical Disc Player Having A Resume Function issued to Misono, U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,527 for Method And Apparatus Facilitating Use Of A Hard Disk Drive In A Computer System Having Suspend/Resume Capability issued to Fakhuruddin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,601 for CD-ROM Disc Reproducing Apparatus With Means For Storing Progression Data Of A Control Means issued to Yanagisawa, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,519 for Portable Computer Having A Removable Medium Drive And A Resume Setting Function issued to Wada et al. However, I have observed that none is singularly adapted to accommodate multiple disks with different type of identification data structure.

Apparatus for controlling disk player of a computer system


A method is provided for identifying a cost-minimizing bid set in a reverse combinatorial auction subject to various business rules for all-or-nothing bundled bids. The method includes introducing a decision variable for each bid, introducing a counting variable to indicate whether bids from a supplier are chosen in an optimal bid set, modeling demand constraints for each item using the bid variables, modeling minimum and maximum numbers of suppliers based on the counting variables, introducing dummy variables to ensure existence of feasible solutions, for a given cost formulating an objective of choosing bids that arrive early based on an additional timestamped objective with the given cost level as a constraint, and introducing price modifications to handle the formulated objective of choosing bids that arrive early.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to reverse auctions, and more particularly to a system and method for selecting a bid in a multi-bid reverse combinatorial auction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Strategic sourcing relates to the procurement of direct inputs used in the manufacture of a firm's primary outputs. These procurements are usually very large, both in quantity and dollar value. For example, the primary inputs for manufacturing computers include processors, RAM (random access memory), hard drives, monitors, etc. In the computer industry especially, it has been determined that up to 90% of a company's expenditures relate to procuring direct inputs, and therefore it is clear that in order to optimize efficiency and productivity a company's strategic sourcing initiatives must be executed with business acumen.
Practically speaking, the total quantity of direct inputs that needs to be procured is based on a forecasted demand for a planning horizon, which typically corresponds to a fiscal quarter. Since there is considerable uncertainty in the forecast, strategic decisions are usually made regarding the fraction of the forecast demand that must be procured up front. The demand fluctuation over the base level (which is obtained using a long-term contract) is procured on a weekly basis in most cases. However, short-term demand is usually much smaller and there is therefore less room for price negotiations.
A fundamental concern in making sourcing decisions is related to the reliability of suppliers, because defaulting suppliers might have considerable impact on the firm's ability to satisfy demand obligations. As a result, conventional forms of price negotiation have generally been confined to a small number of pre-certified suppliers that have established relationships with the company.
In effort to improve strategic sourcing in the business community, special price negotiation schemes that incorporate appropriate business practices have been employed. A reverse auction is an example of such a price negotiation scheme. Reverse auctions aggregate short-term (e.g., weekly) demand over direct inputs across multiple manufacturing plants in an effort to increase the total transaction size. As such, they have proven beneficial to both parties.
On the one hand, reverse auctions allow suppliers to provide all-or-nothing bids for bundles of direct inputs. As a result, suppliers may exploit cost complementarities for different commodities or locations, e.g., complementarities. This, in turn, allows suppliers to provide lower prices on commodity bundles, which inures to the benefit of the buyer. All-or-nothing bids also provide a way for buyers to procure a variety of commodities simultaneously, thereby saving time and money. Auctions of this type are known as "reverse combinatorial auctions."
A fundamental consideration that arises in the price negotiation schemes is the incorporation of business rules in the process of selecting winning bids. Conventionally, the price quotes offered in reverse combinatorial auctions are for the entire bundle and thus the entire bundle must be chosen, no part thereof. This makes the problem of identifying the cost-minimizing set a difficult optimization problem. (The "cost-minimizing set" corresponds to, for a given set of bids, a subset of bids such that the demand for all the items is satisfied and cost is minimized.)
In view of the foregoing considerations, it is apparent that there is need for an improved system and method for selecting bids in a reverse combinatorial auction, and more particularly one which selects the optimal bid when commodities are offered in bundles.

Automatic method for generating a mathematical program to identify an optimal all-or-nothing bid set for procurement-related reverse auctions

International Business Machines Corporation


Mutations are induced in a microorganism selected from the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae or from the species Candida flareri. The resulting mutants are cultured in the presence of a fermentation inhibitor, such as acetaldehyde, ephedrine or PAC-dione, to form colonies having resistance to the inhibitor. Cells from the colonies are isolated and tested for yield of phenyl acetyl carbinol (PAC) in a fermentation with benzaldehyde and pyruvate. Yeast cells from the colonies that produce elevated levels of PAC are selected for use in subsequent fermentations.. is useful as an intermediate in the preparation of l-ephedrine and d-pseudoephedrine, two well-known medicinal chemicals.

This invention relates to a method of making phenyl acetyl carbinol (PAC), which is useful as an intermediate in the manufacture of l-ephedrine and d-pseudoephedrine. This invention also relates to microorganisms especially adapted for use in the manufacture of phenyl acetyl carbinol and to a method for providing the microorganisms.
Pseudoephedrine and ephedrine are two major medicinal chemicals. Pseudoephedrine is useful as a nasal decongestant and is found as an ingredient in cough and cold capsules, sinus medications, nose sprays, nose drops and allergy and hay fever medications. Ephedrine is useful as a topical nasal decongestant, a treatment for mild forms of shock (CNS stimulant) and as a bronchodilator.
L-ephedrine is a natural product found in various species of plants. L-ephedrine is obtained from dried plant material by an initial treatment with alkali followed by extraction with organic solvent. While d-pseudoephedrine is also found in nature, it is more easily obtained in high yield from l-ephedrine by Welsh rearrangement.
L-phenyl acetyl carbinol (PAC) is the key intermediate in the synthesis of l-ephedrine. The transformation of benzaldehyde to L-(-)phenyl acetyl carbinol by Brewer's yeast was first described by Newberg and Hirsch. Biochem. Z., 115: 282-310 (1921). More particularly, benzaldehyde can be transformed by a fermenting yeast into L-(-)phenyl acetyl carbinol as follows: ##STR1##
The combination of yeast transformation of benzaldehyde to produce PAC and chemical conversion of the PAC to make l-ephedrine is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,956,950. The PAC can be converted by a chemical reductive amination with methylamine to optically pure L-ephedrine as follows: ##STR2## The l-ephedrine can then converted in high yield to d-pseudoephedrine as follows: ##STR3## It is apparent from this reaction scheme that microbial transformation of benzaldehyde by yeast to form L-(-)phenyl acetyl carbinol in high yield and purity is of prime importance for successful commercial operation of the synthetic route.
Prior processes for the production of PAC from yeast involve the addition of the yeast to a medium containing molasses, beer wort, MgSO.sub.4 and other salts at a pH of 5.5-6.0. After an initial short period of stirring and aeration, a mixture of acetaldehyde and benzaldehyde is added in portions. A final concentration of PAC of about 7.5 g/L is obtained in 5-10 hours of continued stirring and aeration. With brewer's or baker's yeast, benzyl alcohol is always observed as a co-product. The highest reported yield of PAC based on benzaldehyde is about 73%. The remaining benzaldehyde is converted to the alcohol. Acetaldehyde is not essential for PAC production, but addition of this compound is required in order to achieve the highest yields of PAC.
Most of the literature concerning the synthesis of PAC by fermenting yeast deals with yield optimization. There is a general concensus that high levels of yeast are needed to obtain relatively low levels of PAC. The available literature suggests that the current yeast transformation of benzaldehyde to PAC is inefficient and yeast productivity is low. The yeast cannot be used for multiple batches because PAC production drops with increased exposure to the substrates and to the end product.
In addition, current yeast transformation provides only low concentrations of PAC in the fermentation liquor. This requires large process volumes and consequently large volumes of extraction solvent, which adversely impact on labor and utility costs in commercial operations.
In addition, the yield of PAC from benzaldehyde is decreased as a result of the catalytic reduction of benzaldehyde by an alcohol dehydrogenase to form benzyl alcohol, which is an unwanted by-product. All of the PAC-producing strains that have been examined produce benzyl alcohol.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for an improved method of making PAC by yeast transformation of benzaldehyde. The method should provide a higher yeast productivity and higher maximum concentrations of

Process for making L-phenyl acetyl carbinol (PAC), microorganisms for use in the process, and a method of preparing the microorganisms


A resonance device includes a waveguide, a dielectric resonator disposed coaxial with the waveguide, an excitation structure thereof. One end of the waveguide is open and the other is short-circuited. The dielectric resonator has two end surfaces disposed on opposite sides to each other, is insulated from the waveguide in the vicinity of the open end of the waveguide, and is disposed within the waveguide, such that a thickness being a distance between the two end surfaces is constant, regardless of a radial position of the dielectric resonator. In a power transmission apparatus, the two resonance devices are provided. The open end of the waveguide of one resonance device and the open end of the waveguide of the other resonance device are disposed opposite each other. Power, which is input to an excitation structure of one resonance device, is output from an excitation structure of the other resonance device.

Regarding wireless power transmission technologies, various methods have been proposed according to a frequency band of an electromagnetic wave that is a transmission medium, and a transmission efficiency or a transmission distance is different according to a transmission method and a transmission apparatus used therein.
In a case where a frequency band of an electromagnetic wave is as low as several MHz at most, an electromagnetic induction type wireless power transmission is mainly used. In this method, a pair of coils is disposed adjacent to each other, and a magnetic field line generated at one coil passes through the other coil. In order to increase the transmission efficiency, it is necessary to make a pair of coils as close as possible and reduce an axis shift as much as possible, such that a magnetic field line passes through the other coil as many as possible. This method has already been put to practical use because the transmission efficiency is high and the miniaturization of the apparatus can be achieved.
In a case where a frequency band of an electromagnetic wave is about 100 KHz to several hundreds of MHz, an electromagnetic field resonance method is suitable. In NPL 1, two spiral antenna resonators, of which both ends are opened, are disposed opposite to each other, and perform power transmission mostly by magnetic coupling. Herein, experiments have been conducted by using three types of spiral antennas, of which resonance frequencies are 122 KHz, 13.56 MHz, and 1.49 GHz, and relationships between a transmission distance and a transmission efficiency at each resonance frequency have been compared. In the experiment of 122-KHz resonance frequency, perhaps because a Q value of a resonator constituting a coil is low, the transmission efficiency is 90% or less even when the transmission distance is 100 mm. The transmission efficiency is reduced up to 50% when the transmission distance is 1,000 mm. Furthermore, when the transmission distance is increased, the transmission efficiency is rapidly reduced. In the experiment of 13.56-MHz resonance frequency, the transmission efficiency of 90% or more is maintained when the transmission distance is up to 220 mm. Furthermore, when the transmission distance is increased, the transmission efficiency is rapidly reduced. The transmission distance at which the transmission efficiency is 50% is about 300 mm. Also, in the experiment of 1.49-GHz resonance frequency, perhaps because a Q value of a resonator constituting a coil is low or a radiation occurs, the transmission efficiency is 90% or less. The transmission efficiency is rapidly reduced when the transmission distance is 3 mm or more. The transmission distance at which the transmission efficiency is 50% is about 4 mm. It can be seen from these experiments that in the resonance-based power transmission using the coil, the transmission efficiency is highest at the frequency band around ten to twenty MHz. Also, since this method is relatively tolerant to the shift of two coil resonators in an axial direction, the accuracy as high as the electromagnetic induction method is not required in the arrangement of the coil resonators.
The two methods as described above transmit power to a region corresponding to a distance before a generated electromagnetic field, called a near field (short-distance field), is still formed as an electromagnetic wave that is a radio wave. Also, a far field (long-distance field) corresponding to a region farther than the near field is a region in which an electromagnetic wave is radiated as a radio wave. The near field corresponds to a region in which a distance is about λ(2π)=λ×0.16 or less, where λ is a wavelength of an electromagnetic wave. In the experiments described in NPL 1, the transmission distance at which the transmission efficiency is around 50% is λ× 1/2460 when the resonance frequency is 122 KHz, λ×0.014 when the resonance frequency is 13.56 MHz, and λ×0.02 when the resonance frequency is 1.49 GHz, and power is all transmitted within the range of the near field.
As described in NPL 2, in the wireless power transmission experiment by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which was announced in 2007, power to turn on a 60-W bulb was transmitted at the transmission distance of 2 m. However, the resonance frequency at that time was 9.90 MHz. Therefore, the transmission distance is only λ×0.066, and this is also power transmission within the near field.
Also, PTL 1 proposes a method that transmits energy by using a spherical dielectric resonator. In this method, energy transmission is performed by configuring and arranging two spherical dielectric resonators in the region of the near field such that one is coupled under a condition of a radiation caustic surface of the other.
On the other hand, as the method that transmits power to the region of the far field by using the radio wave, a method using a microwave of several hundreds of MHz or more and a rectenna antenna has been developed. As represented by a space solar power satellite (SPS), a radio wave generated by converting high power obtained by solar power generation in space into a microwave is formed in a beam shape by using an antenna array, is transmitted to the earth from a position located 3,600 Km away, and is received by a rectenna antenna. A system for carrying out this method requires a plurality of antennas and needs to control a phase of power supplied to the respective antennas. This is large-scale and expensive. Research has been conducted to apply this technology to a system for charging a battery of a parked electric vehicle, but this is also expensive as in the SPS.
Also, PTL 2 discloses a resonator device in which a dielectric resonator is disposed within a cutoff waveguide such that an axis of the dielectric resonator is matched with a propagation direction of electromagnetic energy in the cutoff waveguide.
On the other hand, in order to improve the efficiency of power transmission between two resonators, it is preferable that electromagnetic energy generated from one resonator is received to the other resonator while leaking out as little as possible. However, since an electromagnetic field generated from one resonator tends to diverge in, in particular, an outer peripheral portion, an electromagnetic field passing through the other resonator is reduced as much. Therefore, when attempting to increase the distance between the two resonators, in particular, so as to increase the transmission distance, the influence of the electromagnetic field divergence is increased as described above, which tends to be an obstacle to the improvement in the power transmission efficiency. As described in PTL 3 and PTL 4, a radio wave lens or a dielectric lens, which is made of a dielectric material, is generally disposed so as to suppress the divergence of an electromagnetic wave.

Power transmission apparatus and method, and resonance device used therein


A substrate manufacturing method capable of easily obtaining a thin magnesium oxide single crystal substrate is provided. A first step is performed which disposes a condenser for condensing a laser beam on an irradiated surface of a magnesium oxide single crystal member in a non-contact manner. A second step is performed which forms processing mark lines in parallel by irradiating the laser beam to the surface of the single crystal substrate under designated irradiation conditions to condense the laser beam into an inner portion of the single crystal substrate while moving the condenser and the single crystal substrate relative to each other in a two-dimensional manner. A third step is performed which forms new processing mark lines between the adjacent irradiation lines in the second step to allow planar separation, by irradiating the laser beam to the surface of the single crystal substrate under designated irradiation conditions to condense the laser beam into an inner portion of the single crystal substrate while moving the condenser and the single crystal substrate 20 relative to each other in a two-dimensional manner.

A magnesium oxide single crystal substrate is used in the field of semiconductor, the field of display, the field of energy, and the like. In order to manufacture this magnesium oxide single crystal substrate, epitaxially growing this magnesium oxide single crystal substrate into a thin film shape is known as well as crystal-growing the magnesium oxide single crystal substrate into a bulk form and cutting the same into a substrate form (for example, refer to JP 2001-80996 A).
Meanwhile, it is thought that diamond is a semiconductor suitable for a high-frequency/high-output electronic device, and in vapor-phase synthesis as one of synthesis methods thereof, a magnesium oxide substrate or a silicon substrate is used as a base substrate (for example, refer to JP 2015-59069 A).

Method of making a peeled magnesium oxide substrate using laser irradiation

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION SAITAMA UNIVERSITY


Push-cables and associated apparatus for pipe inspection systems are disclosed. In one embodiment a pipe inspection system includes a camera head, a push-cable including an outer covering enclosing a plurality of electrical conductors for transmitting signals and/or power between the camera head and an electronic device operatively coupled to the push-cable, and a spring assembly disposed about the push-cable near the distal end where the spring assembly comprises a spring with a tapered flex section having a varying cross-sectional area and/or a varying cross-sectional shape.

Push-cables for deploying cameras or other pipe inspection or cleaning devices into pipes or cavities are known in the art. While a largely rigid push-cable may be effective for deploying a push-cable into a pipe or other conduit having relatively direct and unobstructed cavities, the rigidity of such a push-cable can make maneuvering around turns or other obstacles within pipes or conduits having curves, bends, or obstructions difficult.
Typical existing push-cables utilize a spring assembly having a single coil spring with uniform flexibility. The spring is typically positioned between the push-cable and camera or other pipe inspection or pipe cleaning device. While these single spring assemblies may provide some aid in preventing the push-cable from snagging around turns or other obstacles within the pipe or conduit, these devices are frequently inadequate in avoiding becoming blocked or stuck within pipes that are being inspected or cleaned.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to address the above-described as well as other problems.

Spring assemblies with variable flexibility for use with push-cables and pipe inspection systems


An example method involves: (a) determining an indication of distance to an object in a scene, wherein the computing device comprises three or more image-capture devices that provide two or more baselines for stereoscopic imaging, wherein at least two pairs of image-capture devices from the three or more image-capture devices are operable for stereoscopic imaging, wherein each pair provides one of the baselines, and wherein a first of the baselines is non-parallel to a second of the baselines, (b) selecting, by the computing device, a first pair from the at least two pairs of image-capture devices, wherein the first pair is selected based on the indication of distance and the baseline provided by the first pair, and (c) operating the first pair of image-capture devices to capture stereoscopic image data.

Generally, imaging may refer to capturing and representing the color and brightness characteristics of a real-world environment in a digital format and/or a film format (e.g., in photographs and/or motion video). A large variety of image capture devices exist, thus providing consumers with numerous ways to capturing image data.
As image capture devices, such as cameras, become more popular, such devices may be employed as standalone hardware devices or integrated into various other types of devices. For instance, still and video cameras are now regularly included in wireless communication devices (e.g., mobile phones), tablet computers, laptop computers, video game interfaces, home automation devices, and even automobiles and other types of vehicles.
In stereoscopic imaging (also referred to as "3D imaging"), two cameras that are offset from one another are used to simultaneously capture two perspectives of a scene. The distance by which the two lenses are offset may be referred to as the "baseline" or the "interaxial separation." Some stereoscopic imaging systems have a baseline that is similar to the distance between a person's eyes. Configured as such, a stereo imaging system may capture a scene in a similar manner as the human eyes perceive the scene. However, for various reasons, other stereo imaging systems may utilize baselines that are larger or smaller than the typical distance between a human's eyes.
A pair of images of a scene that are captured by a pair of offset cameras may be referred to as "stereo image pair." A stereo image pair may be utilized in various ways. In particular, a stereo image pair may be combined to form a "viewable stereoscopic image" (also referred to as a "3D image"). When viewed on a stereoscopic display, and possibly with the aid of a stereoscopic viewer (e.g., 3D glasses), the human brain perceives such 3D images as having depth.
Further, stereo image pairs may provide depth information about a scene. In particular, the disparity between objects in a scene may be determined by comparing the individual images in a stereo image pair of the scene. Provided with the disparity of a particular object and the known baseline of the stereo imaging system used to capture the stereo image pair, the distance to the object may be calculated.

Selecting camera pairs for stereoscopic imaging


The present invention is directed to methods for synthesizing water soluble hydroxy-substituted texaphyrins retaining lipophilicity. The synthesis comprises condensing a diformyltripyrrole with an ortho-phenylenediamine to give a nonaromatic texaphyrin having at least one hydroxy substituent, and oxidizing the condensation product to form an aromatic texaphyrin metal complex having at least one hydroxy substituent. These expanded porphyrin-like macrocycles may be used for magnetic resonance imaging and for photodynamic therapy in the treatment of atheroma and tumors.

The porphyrins and related tetrapyrrole macrocycles are among the most versatile of tetradentate ligands.sup.1. Attempts to stabilize higher coordination geometries with larger porphyrin-like aromatic macrocycles have met with little success..sup.2-13 Only the uranyl complex of "superphthalocyanine" has been isolated and characterized structurally,.sup.2 although several other large porphyrin-like aromatic macrocycles, including the "sapphyrins",.sup.3,6 "oxosapphyrins",.sup.6,7 "platyrins",.sup.8 "pentaphyrin",.sup.9 and "[26]porphyrin",.sup.10 have been prepared in their metal free forms. Large, or "expanded" porphyrin-like systems are of interest for several reasons: They could serve as aromatic analogues of the better studied porphyrins.sup.2-10 or serve as biomimetic models for these or other naturally occurring pyrrole-containing systems..sup.36,13a In addition, large pyrrole containing systems offer possibilities as novel metal binding macrocycles..sup.2,4,5,13b,35,14 For instance, suitably designed systems could act as versatile ligands capable of binding larger metal cations and/or stabilizing higher coordination geometries.sup.2 than those routinely accommodated within the normally tetradentate ca. 2.0 .ANG. radius porphyrin core..sup.21 The resulting complexes could have important application in the area of heavy metal chelation therapy, serve as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications, act as vehicles for radioimmunological labeling work, or serve as new systems for extending the range and scope of coordination chemistry..sup.14,39 In addition, the free-base (metal-free) and/or diamagnetic metal-containing materials could serve as useful photosensitizers for photodynamic therapeutic applications. In recent years a number of pentadentate polypyrrolic aromatic systems, including the "sapphyrins",.sup.3,6 "oxosapphyrins",.sup.7 "smaragdyrins",.sup.3,6 "platyrins",.sup.8 and "pentaphyrin".sup.9 have been prepared and studied as their metal-free forms. For the most part, however, little or no information is available for the corresponding metallated forms. Prior to this invention the uranyl complex of "superphthalocyanine" was the only metal-containing pentapyrrolic system which has been prepared and characterized structurally..sup.2 The "superphthalocyanine" system is not capable of existence in either its free-base or other metal-containing forms..sup.2 Thus, prior to the present invention, no versatile, structurally characterized, pentadentate aromatic ligands were available,.sup.13b although a number of nonaromatic pyridine-derived pentadentate systems had previously been reported..sup.37,38
Gadolinium(III) complexes derived from strongly binding anionic ligands, such as diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA),.sup.40-42 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane N,N',N",N"'-tetraacetic acid (DOTA),.sup.40,43,44 and 1,10-diaza-4,7,13,16-tetraoxacyclooctadecane-N,N'-diacetic acid (dacda),.sup.40,45 are among the most promising of the paramagnetic contrast agents currently being developed for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)..sup.40 The complex, [Gd.DTPA].sup.-, is now being used clinically in the United States in certain enhanced tumor detection and other imaging protocols..sup.40 Nonetheless, the synthesis of other gadolinium(III) complexes remains of interest since such systems might have greater kinetic stability, superior relaxivity, or better biodistribution properties than this or other carboxylate-based contrast agents. The water-soluble porphyrin derivatives, such as tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TPPS) cannot accommodate completely the large gadolinium(III) cation.sup.47 within the relatively small porphyrin binding core (r.apprxeq.2.0 .ANG..sup.48), and, as a consequence, gadolinium porphyrin complexes are invariably hydrolytically unstable..sup.33,34,46,49,50 Larger porphyrin-like ligands may offer a means of circumventing this problem..sup.51-59
A promising new modality for use in the control and treatment of tumors is photodynamic therapy (PDT)..sup.60-64 This technique uses of a photosensitizing dye, which localizes at, or near, the tumor site, and when irradiated in the presence of oxygen serves to produce cytotoxic materials, such as singlet oxygen (O.sub.2 (.sup.1 .DELTA..sub.g)) from benign precursors (e.g. (O.sub.2 (.sup.3 .SIGMA..sub.g -)). Diamagnetic porphyrins and their derivatives are the dyes of choice for PDT. It has been known for decades thatporphyrins, such as hematoporphyrin, localize selectively in rapidly growing tissues including sarcomas and carcinomas..sup.65 The hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD), .sup.61-64,.sup.66-80 is an incompletely characterized mixture of monomeric and oligomeric porphyrins..sup.81-86 The oligomeric species, which are believed to have the best tumor-localizing ability,.sup.82,85 are marketed under the trade name Photofrin II.RTM. (PII) and are currently undergoing phase III clinical trials for obstructed endobronchial tumors and superficial bladder tumors. The mechanism of action is thought to be the photoproduction of singlet oxygen (O.sub.2 (.sup.1 .DELTA..sub.g)), although involvement of superoxide anion or hydroxyl and/or porphyrin-based radicals cannot be entirely ruled out..sup.87-92 Promising as HPD is, it and other available photosensitizers (e.g., the phthalocyanines and naphthalocyanines) suffer from serious disadvantages.
While porphyrin derivatives have high triplet yields and long triplet lifetimes (and consequently transfer excitation energy efficiently to triplet oxygen),.sup.101b,g their absorption in the Q-band region parallels that of heme-containing tissues. Phthalocyanines and naphthalocyanines absorb in a more convenient spectral range but have significantly lower triplet yields;.sup.102 moreover, they tend to be quite insoluble in polar protic solvents, and are difficult to functionalize. Thus the development of more effective photochemotherapeutic agents requires the synthesis of compounds which absorb in the spectral region where living tissues are relatively transparent (i.e., 700-1000 nm),.sup.99d have high triplet quantum yields, and are minimally toxic. The present inventors have recently reported.sup.103 (see Example 1) the synthesis of a new class of aromatic porphyrin-like macrocycles, the tripyrroledimethine-derived "texaphyrins", which absorb strongly in the tissue-transparent 730-770 nm range. The photophysical properties of metallotexaphyrins parallel those of the corresponding metalloporphyrins and the diamagnetic complexes sensitize the production of .sup.1 O.sub.2 in high quantum yield.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is among the most serious public health problems facing our nation today. AIDS, first reported in 1981 as occurring among male homosexuals,.sup.60 is a fatal human disease which has now reached pandemic proportions. At present,, sexual relations and needle-sharing are the dominant mechanisms for the spread of AIDS..sup.60 Since the testing of blood supplies began, the percentage of AIDS infections due to blood transfusions has dropped considerably..sup.60,104-107 However, an absolutely fail-proof means must be developed to insure that all stored blood samples are free of the AIDS virus (and ideally all other blood-borne pathogens). Serologic tests for HIV-1 are insufficient to detect all infected blood samples, in particular, those derived from donors who have contracted the disease but not yet produced detectable antibodies..sup.104-107
Any blood purification procedure used to remove AIDS virus or other blood-borne pathogens should operate without introducing undesirable toxins, damaging normal blood components, or inducing the formation of harmful metabolites. This precludes the use of common antiviral systems such as those based on heating, UV irradiation, or purely chemical means. A promising approach is the photodynamic one alluded to above. Here, preliminary studies, carried out by researchers at the Baylor Research Foundation, Dr. Matthews and his team,.sup.93-96 and others,.sup.97,98 have served to show that HPD and PII, in far lower dosages than are required for tumor treatment, act as efficient photosensitizers for the photo-deactivation of cell-free HIV-1, herpes simplex (HSV), hepatitis and other enveloped viruses. The success of this procedure derives from the fact that these dyes localize selectively at or near the morphologically characteristic, and physiologically essential, viral membrane ("envelope") and catalyze the formation of singlet oxygen upon photoirradiation. The singlet oxygen destroys the essential membrane envelope. This kills the virus and eliminates infectivity. Photodynamic blood purification procedures, therefore, rely on the use of photosensitizers which localize selectively at viral membranes, just as more classic tumor treatments require dyes that are absorbed or retained preferentially at tumor sites. Simple enveloped DNA viruses like HSV-1 are good models for testing putative photosensitizers for potential use in killing the far more hazardous HIV-1 retrovirus. This correspondence holds only as far as freely circulating (as opposed to intracellular) viruses are concerned. Complete prophylactic removal of HIV-1 from blood products will require the destructive removal of the virus from within monocytes and T lymphocytes..sup.108
This "first generation" of dyes suffers from a number of serious deficiencies which may militate against their eventual use in biomedical applications. Each of these deficiencies has important clinical consequences. Since HPD and PII do not contain a single chemically well-defined constituent, coupled with the fact that the active components have yet to be identified with certainty,.sup.82-86 means that the effective concentrations vary from preparation to preparation. Thus the dosage, and the light fluence, cannot be optimized and predetermined for any particular application. Since they are not metabolized rapidly, significant quantities of these dyes remain in stored blood units after prophylactic photoinduced HIV-1 removal and remain in patients' bodies long after photodynamic tumor treatment. The latter retention problem, in particular, is known to be serious; HPD and PII localize in the skin and induce photosensitivity in patients for weeks after administration..sup.64,109 Since the longest wavelength absorption maximum for these dyes falls at 630 nm, most of the incipient energy used in photo-treatment is dispersed or attenuated before reaching the center of a deep-seated tumor and as a result, little of the initial light is available for singlet oxygen production and therapy..sup.110-112 A study using a mouse model with a 3 mm tumor implanted beneath the skin indicated that as much as 90% of the energy is lost by the base of the tumor..sup.110 More effective treatment of deep-seated or large tumors may be possible if photosensitizers could be developed which absorb in the >700 nm region, provided, of course, they retain the desirable features of HPD and PII (e.g. selective localization in target tissues and low dark toxicity). One aspect of the present invention involves development of such improved photosensitizers for use in photodynamic tumor treatment and blood purification protocols.
The following list summarizes features which would be desirable in biomedical photosensitizers:
1. Easily available PA1 2. Low intrinsic toxicity PA1 3. Long wavelength absorption PA1 4. Efficient photosensitizer for singlet oxygen production PA1 5. Fair solubility in water PA1 6. Selective up-take in tumor tissue and/or PA1 7. Showing high affinity for enveloped viruses PA1 8. Quick degradation and/or elimination after use PA1 9. Chemically pure and stable PA1 10. Easily subject to synthetic modification PA1 1) appreciable solubility, particularly in aqueous media; PA1 2) biolocalization in desired target tissue; PA1 3) the ability to attach to solid matrices; PA1 4) the ability to be attached to biomolecules; PA1 5) efficient chelation of divalent and trivalent metal cations; PA1 6) absorption of light in the physiologically important region of 690-880 nm; PA1 7) high chemical stability; PA1 8) ability to stabilize diamagnetic complexes that form long-lived triplet states in high yield and that act as efficient photosensitizers for the formation of singlet oxygen.
In recent years, considerable effort has been devoted to the synthesis and study of new photosensitizers which might meet these desiderata. Although a few of these have consisted of classic dyes such as those of the rhodamine and cyanine classes,.sup.113-115 many have been porphyrin derivatives with extended .pi. networks..sup.116-126 Included in this latter category are the purpurins and verdins.sup.116 of Morgan and other chlorophyll-like species,.sup.171-119 the benz-fused porphyrins of Dolphin et al.,.sup.120 and the sulfonated phthalocyanines and napthophthalocyanines studied by Ben-Hur,.sup.121 Rodgers,.sup.122 and others..sup.123-127 Of these, only the napthophthalocyanines absorb efficiently in the most desirable >700 nm spectral region. These particular dyes are difficult to prepare in a chemically pure, water soluble form and are relatively inefficient photosensitizers for singlet oxygen production, perhaps even acting photodynamically via other oxygen derived toxins (e.g. superoxide). Thus a search continues for yet a "third generation" of photosensitizers which might better meet the ten critical criteria listed above.
It is an important aspect of the present invention that an improved "third generation" of photosensitizers is obtained using large, pyrrole-containing "expanded porphyrins". These systems, being completely synthetic, can be tuned so as to incorporate any desired properties. In marked contrast to the literature of the porphyrins, and related tetrapyrrolic systems (e.g. phthalocyanines, chlorins, etc.), there are only a few reports of larger pyrrole-containing systems, and only a few of these meet the criterion of aromaticity deemed essential for long-wavelength absorption and singlet oxygen photosensitization..sup.128 In addition to the present inventors' studies of texaphyrin 1.sub.B,.sup.129 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), and "sapphyrin", first produced by the groups of Woodward.sup.3 and Johnson.sup.6, there appear to be only three large porphyrin-like systems which might have utility as photosensitizers. These are the "platyrins" of LeGoff.sup.8, the stretched porphycenes of Vogel.sup.131a and the vinylogous porphyrins of Franck..sup.130 The present studies indicate that an expanded porphyrin approach to photodynamic therapy is promising. The porphycenes,.sup.131b, 131c a novel class of "contracted porphyrins" also show promise as potential photosensitizers..sup.132
The present invention involves a major breakthrough in the area of ligand design and synthesis. It involves the synthesis of the first rationally designed aromatic pentadentate macrocyclic ligand, the tripyrroledimethine-derived "expanded porphyrin" 1.sub.B..sup.129 This compound, to which the trivial name "texaphyrin" has been assigned, is capable of existing in both its free-base form and of supporting the formation of hydrolytically stable 1:1 complexes with a variety of metal cations, such as Cd.sup.2+, Hg.sup.2+, In.sup.3+, Y.sup.3+, Nd.sup.3+, Eu.sup.3+, Sm.sup.3+, La.sup.3+, Lu.sup.3+, Gd.sup.3+, and other cations of the lanthanide series that are too large to be accommodated in a stable fashion within the 20% smaller tetradentate binding core of the well-studied porphyrins. In addition, since the free-base form of 1.sub.B is a monoanionic ligand, the texaphyrin complexes formed from divalent and trivalent metal cations remain positively charged at neutral pH. As a result, many of these complexes are more water soluble than the analogous porphyrin complexes.
To date, two X-ray crystal structures of two different Cd.sup.2+ adducts have been obtained, one of the coordinatively saturated, pentagonal bipyramidal bispyridine complex;.sup.129a the other of a coordinatively unsaturated pentagonal pyramidal benzimidazole complex..sup.129b Both confirm the planar pentadentate structure of this new ligand system and support the assignment of this prototypical "expanded porphyrin" as aromatic.
Further support for the aromatic formulation comes from the optical properties of 1.sub.B and 1.sub.C. The lowest energy Q-type band of the structurally characterized bispyridine cadmium(II) adduct of complex 1.sub.C at 767 nm (.epsilon.=51,900) in CHCl.sub.3 is 10-fold more intense and red shifted by almost 200 nm as compared to that of a typical reference cadmium(II) porphyrin. Compound 1.sub.B and both its zinc(II) and cadmium(II) complexes are very effective photosensitizers for singlet oxygen, giving quantum yields for .sup.1 O.sub.2 formation of between 60 and 70% when irradiated at 354 nm in air-saturated methanol..sup.129c Related congeneric texaphyrin systems bearing substituents on the tripyrrole and/or phenyl portions and incorporating La(III) and/or LU(III) metal centers, have been found to produce .sup.1 O.sub.2 in quantum yields exceeding 70% when irradiated under similar conditions. Thus, it is this remarkable combination of light absorbing and .sup.1 O.sub.2 photo-sensitizing properties which make these systems ideal candidates for use in photodynamic therapy and blood purification protocols.

Water soluble texaphyrin metal complex preparation

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System


A coating composition and process have been developed to provide an activated coating on nickel screen for use as cathodes in electrolytic cells for the generation of hydrogen and oxygen. Compared to the earlier Classical Pack Cementation process, the disclosed process is less expensive, reduces processing time from 20 hours to a few minutes, eliminates dusts and toxic gases, and provides improved performance in cells for hydrogen and oxygen generation. The coating is characterized by the presence of two activated layers with a high surface area, a multitude of fissures and a nickel to aluminum weight ratio greater than 20/1 in the top layer and greater than 4/1 in the bottom layer adjacent to the nickel substrate.

The present invention relates to a coating composition and process that provide an activated coating on nickel screen. The coated nickel screen can be used as the cathode in an electrolytic cell that is designed for the generation of hydrogen and oxygen from an aqueous alkaline solution. A preferred coating is characterized by the presence of two activated layers with a high surface area, a multitude of fissures and a nickel to aluminum weight ratio greater than 20/1 in the top layer and greater than 4/1 in the bottom layer that is adjacent to the nickel substrate.
Activated nickel screens are currently being used for the synthesis of methane and the generation of hydrogen and oxygen in electrolytic cells containing an aqueous alkaline medium. In methane synthesis a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen are passed over the activated nickel screens to form methane and water. In the production of hydrogen and oxygen in electrolytic cells, the activated nickel screens are used as the cathode. The activated screens, when used as the cathode in an electrolytic cell, lower the overvoltage and show more than a 20% improvement in efficiency over untreated nickel screens. It is believed that the superiority of the activated nickel screens is due, at least in part, to the increased surface area that results from the activation step. The activated screens have been used in electrolytic cells for the generation of hydrogen and oxygen for about ten years.
Hydrogen is presently being used as a fuel for industrial applications as well as a fuel for automobiles. The advantage of hydrogen as an automobile fuel include a greater energy release per unit weight of fuel and the absence of polluting emissions including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxides, hydrocarbons, aldehydes, and lead compounds (i.e., the combustion products of hydrogen are primarily water with minute traces of nitrogen oxide).
The known process to produce the activated nickel screens included placing each individual nickel screen in a xe2x80x9cpackxe2x80x9d composed of a powder mixture containing aluminum, aluminum oxide and a halide salt activator followed by a heating operation (i.e., for several hours at elevated temperatures). This is known as the Classical Pack Cementation process and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,612. The chemistry of this process during the heating step includes the reaction of the halide with aluminum to yield gaseous aluminum sub halide such as aluminum sub chloride (AlCl). As this gas passes over the nickel screen, it decomposes and deposits aluminum on the nickel surface. The process is carried out for 20 to 30 hours at 800-1200xc2x0 F. in a hydrogen atmosphere. At this temperature the deposited aluminum diffuses into the nickel surface to form a coating comprising an aluminum rich nickel aluminide (Ni2Al3). The process is labor intensive, requires long processing times, gives off obnoxious dusts during loading of the screens and emits corrosive and toxic halide gases during the heating operation. In order to prevent contamination of the environment, the effluent gases must be scrubbed under alkaline conditions to neutralize and remove the toxic gases. In addition, after each processing cycle, the coating powder must be sifted and replenished for the next load of screens. The powder mixture is sensitive to water absorption and must be kept dry when not in use. Otherwise the moisture will react with the activator in the pack and curtail its function.
After the formation of the nickel aluminide coating on the nickel screens, the screens are immersed in a 20% solution of sodium hydroxide for about 40-60 minutes at 180-200xc2x0 F. to selectively leach out at least a portion of the aluminum from the nickel aluminide coating. The screens are then rinsed in water and passivated by immersion for one hour in hot water at 180 to 212xc2x0 F. followed by a one hour immersion in a water solution containing 2-5% hydrogen peroxide at 74xc2x0 F. followed by rinsing in water and finally drying in an oven at 140-160xc2x0 F. to remove all water from the screen. After the foregoing processing, the screens are ready to be used as cathodes in electrolytic cells containing an aqueous alkaline medium (for example, 25% NaOH or 25% KOH in water). In these electrolytic cells, hydrogen is produced at the cathode and oxygen is produced at the anode. The anodes of the cells are usually composed of virgin (untreated) nickel. It is preferred that the anodes contain pores or openings (e.g., nickel screen).
The present invention includes the production of activated nickel screens with even greater activity than those produced by the aforementioned Classical Pack Cementation process. Further, the present invention includes a unique coating procedure which eliminates all of the disadvantages inherent in the Classical Pack Cementation process.
In the process of the present invention, the nickel screens are coated in a simple dipping procedure with a slurry of aluminum powder dispersed in a binder/organic solvent system or binder/water system. The coating must completely cover the surfaces of the wires that form the screen. After an initial drying step to remove the organic solvent or the water, the coating weight on the screen should not exceed about 30 mg/sqcm and should not be less than 10 mg/sqcm. The coated screen is next placed directly in a furnace under a nitrogen, hydrogen or inert atmosphere at a temperature of from about 1450-1750xc2x0 F. for a time of from about one to fifteen minutes. Coatings exceeding about 30 mg/sqcm will cause embrittlement of the wire during the heating operation. Coatings that are less than about 10 mg/sqcm will give an incomplete coating of the wires in the screen. During the heating step, aluminum is diffused into the surface of the nickel wires that form the screen where the aluminum reacts with the nickel to form nickel aluminides. By the end of the heating step, a coating has formed on the nickel wires. The portion of the coating that is closest to the external environment is predominantly NiAl3 and aluminum, whereas the portion of the coating that is closest to the nickel wire is predominantly Ni2Al3 and nickel. Subsequent leaching of the aluminum from this coating in a water solution containing 20% sodium or potassium hydroxide at 180-200xc2x0 F. provides a coating with greater activity than the coating that is formed in the Classical Pack Cementation process which does not have the same structure as the coating of the present invention. In addition to its greater activity, the process of the present invention offers substantial cost savings in labor and the elimination of the release of obnoxious dusts and toxic gases during the coating and heating steps. In addition, as is shown in FIG. 1, there is a marked improvement in the performance of the electrolytic cells that used the activated nickel screens produced by the process of the present invention compared to the activated nickel screens produced by the Classical Pack Cementation process. This improvement in properties is believed to be a result of the differences in structure and composition between the coating of the present invention (i.e., the coating formed on the nickel screens) and the coating formed by the Classical Pack Cementation process. Specifically, the coating of the present invention (i.e., when viewed at 800xc3x97 magnification) appears to have two parts or sections, see FIGS. 3 and 5. The outer part or section has a serrated appearance with the points of the toothlike projections facing outward (i.e., towards the external environment). The nickel to aluminum ratio (by weight) in this outer part or section of the coating is at least 20 to 1. The inner part or section, which is contiguous with the nickel wire of the screen, has the appearance of a substantially solid or uniform layer that is interlaced with fissures or cracks. The nickel to aluminum ratio (by weight) in this inner part or section of the coating is at least 4 to 1. In contrast, the coating that is formed by the Classical Pack Cementation process has only one part or section which has the appearance of a solid or uniform layer (see FIGS. 2 and 4). Further, the coating that is formed by the Classical Pack Cementation process does not have as many fissures or cracks as the inner part or section of the coating that is formed by the process of the present invention. Finally, the coating that is formed by the Classical Pack Cementation process (before the leaching step) is composed predominantly of Ni2Al3. After the leaching step, the ratio of nickel to aluminum in the coating is about 3.3 to 1.
The two part structure of the coating of the present invention in combination with the increased number of fissures or cracks in the coating result in an increased surface area that is available for interaction with the external environment. In addition, the coating of the present invention also has a higher nickel to aluminum ratio than the coating formed by the Classical Pack Cementation process. The combination of these differences results in an activated nickel screen (i.e., the screen of the present invention) that has superior properties (e.g., superior catalytic properties) than the activated nickel screen that is produced by the Classical Pack Cementation process.
Another major advantage of the innovative coating process of the present invention over the Classical Pack Cementation process is that the process of the present invention can be run continuously whereas the Classical Pack Cementation process was a labor intensive batch process. Specifically, because the process of the present invention utilizes: (1) a simple dip-coating procedure to coat the nickel screen with aluminum powder and (2) a short heating step, it is possible to run the process in a continuous manner where a coiled screen is slowly uncoiled and first fed through a dip-coating station where the screen is coated with an aluminum containing slurry and then the slurry coated screen is passed through a heating unit where the liquid component of the slurry is removed before the screen is passed through a furnace to cause the aluminum powder to diffuse into the surface of the nickel wire that makes up the screen. The use of a powder bed in the initial coating step and the extremely long processing times required for the Classical Pack Cementation process would preclude such continuous processing.
The average particle size of the aluminum powder that is used to form the slurry of aluminum powder in the process of the present invention should be smaller than 40 microns but larger than about 5 microns. Too small a particle size will cause premature melting and run off of the aluminum from the screen during the heating operation, whereas too large a particle size will result in incomplete coating of the screen. The preferred particle size for the aluminum powder is between 5 and 20 microns.
During the leaching step, aluminum is removed from the nickel aluminides in the coating by the same process that is used in the Classical Pack Cementation process. Specifically, the coated nickel screens are immersed in a solution containing about 20% by weight sodium or potassium hydroxide in water for about one hour at a temperature of about 180-212xc2x0 F., preferably about 200-212xc2x0 F.
The major advantage in processing using the innovative process of the present invention is in the coating procedure. By using the process of the present invention, a substantial reduction in cost can be realized through a reduction in the labor costs associated with the Classical Pack Cementation process. In addition, by using the process of the present invention, it is possible to drastically reduce or even eliminate the release of obnoxious and harmful dusts and gaseous effluents into the environment that was associated with the Classical Pack Cementation process.


An illumination apparatus for an image sensor at the distal end of an endoscope includes an illumination carrier and a plurality of micro LEDs each including a main surface from which the emission is made, with a maximum lateral dilatation of less than 500 μm. The illumination carrier is associated with the distal end of the endoscope, and the plurality of micro LEDs are arranged on the illumination carrier such that with electrical excitation, the environment of the distal end of the endoscope is at least in some portions illuminated.

Endoscopy is an important, non-destructive inspection method for examining, in medicine and technology, small cavities which in general are difficult to access. In an endoscope, a distal end is distinguished from a proximal end. The distal end refers to the "remote" end of an endoscope which is introduced into an object for observing internal structures, while the proximal end basically remains outside the examined cavity. In this process, viewing the image is made through the proximal end, e.g. by means of a look into an ocular or by connecting a camera. While in the past the endoscopic inspection has been performed manually by the human examiner or doctor, is has been tried in recent time, in the course of the development of automatic visual examination systems, to increasingly deploy automated endoscopic examination systems.
Especially in the area of hydraulic or pneumatic devices (e.g. brake cylinders, control elements etc.) with functional bore surfaces, there are high quality demands often necessitating full control of the entire production. This examination offers a high rationalization potential if corresponding endoscopic examination automatics are available.
Substantially, two basic approaches for illuminating cavities during an endoscopic examination thereof are known.
On the one hand, miniature lamps attached to the distal end of the endoscope, for example, serve for illuminating the sensed scene or environment. The relatively large design, even of miniature lamps, which makes the deployment in very small, thin endoscopes impossible, is one disadvantage. The relatively high portion of thermal emission is also problematical in this technique. In lamps with a higher power, this quickly leads to an inacceptably high heat input into the object examined.
For this reason, the technique predominantly used nowadays is a fiber-optically input cold light illumination. In this context, an efficient light source (e.g. a halogen lamp or an arc lamp) is located outside the cavity. The light output is gathered by means of optics (mirrors, condensers) and transferred to the tip of the endoscope by fiber optic light guides, and there, it exits at the end of the light guide fibers. Minimizing the transferred infrared portion is achieved by suitable infrared blocking filters. The light such filtered is also referred to as "cold light". The disadvantages of this technique are the illumination arrangement constructively fixedly predetermined by the light exit at the fiber bundle, the lossy light transmission as well as the efficient, expensive cold light sources necessitated.
In recent time, the external cold light sources have also been replaced by external LED light sources with high-efficiency LEDs (LED=light-emitting diode or a light-generating semiconductor element).
In most of the endoscopes available on the market, the integrated fiber optic illumination is implemented in a dark field arrangement. Due to the avoidance of shiny and dazzling effects, this kind of illumination has proved to be especially suitable for the human viewer.
In the dark field arrangement, a light-guiding fiber bundle is attached to the shaft of the endoscope, so that the light exit is close to or coaxially around the distal objective. In this context, the light exit at the fiber bundle is fixedly predetermined by the construction of the device, so that apart from the total intensity of the illumination, no further illumination parameters may be influenced by regulation of the external light source.
In the automatic technical endoscopy, the inspection of a cavity (a bore) is made without human intervention by an image processing system motor-driving an endoscope with a video camera and an accordingly suitable illumination into and out of the cavity for an automatic image gain. The images thus gained are automatically evaluated by means of image processing algorithms. Thus, an evaluation of the cavity (or device) examined is determined, which in turn may be used for sorting out defective parts.
In many devices, the dark field illumination commonly integrated by endoscope manufacturers has proved to be not quite suitable and a part field illumination has proved to be advantageous for the automated examination by means of image processing algorithms. Using the bright field illumination, several arrangements are known in the endoscopic bore examination. For through bores with two openings, the introduction of the endoscope is made from one side of the bore, and the introduction of the illumination, e.g. in the form of a light finger, is made from the other side. A light finger is a rod or "finger"-shaped rigid or flexible apparatus at the end of which light exits by means of a fiber optic light guide, for example. The image sensing is made by a simultaneous movement of the endoscope and the illumination through the bore with a constant distance, so that a constant bright field arrangement is guaranteed during the entire image capture, considering the bore diameter, the image angle of the optics etc.
This is not possible with sack bores having only one opening. Here, the light source may be mounted to a carrier in front of the distal endoscope tip and be introduced with the endoscope into the bore. In this process, the illumination is broadly emitting and directed to the optics, so that in turn a bright field illumination is achieved, considering the geometrical frame conditions. Another approach works with an "all-round backward look". In this context, the visual field is circumferentially turned over 360 degree to the side or backwards via a suitable mirror in front of the endoscope or a so-called Greguss lens. By an illumination attached around the shaft of the endoscope in a slightly offset manner, a bright field arrangement may in turn be achieved. Both approaches have in common the disadvantage that the base, or the last portion of the bore wall of the sack bore, cannot be sensed.
With respect to the endoscope illuminations deployed up to date, it should be noted, however, that the endoscopes nowadays available on the market substantially without any exception comprise illumination apparatuses whose mode of operation is optimized for viewing the endoscopic image by humans. Since in automated, endoscopic examination systems the images gained are not anymore sensed by the eye and are not anymore evaluated by humans, but are sensed and evaluated by cameras and image-processing pattern recognition algorithms in computers, other, new endoscope illuminations are needed to gain high-quality images for machine sensing (machine viewing). Thus, there is a particular need for illumination apparatuses for endoscopes which allow an optimized image gain in visual examination automates. Thereby, it should become possible to economically solve a large number of difficult examination tasks in devices with internal surfaces by means of automatic endoscopic visual examination systems, which up to date have not been feasible or have only been feasible with high personnel expenses and the associated costs.

Illumination apparatus for an image sensing means at the distal end of an endoscope

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.


A method of stroking a curved path with a fill of pre-determined thickness, where the path has line segments defined by a number of points, the method being performed by forming a number of projection lines normal to the curved path at the points, where each of the projection lines has a length based on the fill thickness, determining an intersection between a set of the projection lines, the intersection indicating the occurrence of a void in stroking the curved path, and then constructing one or more polygons filling in the void in the stroked path.

In modern 2D computer graphics, the term "stroking" is the process of generating and painting an outline of a path to create the visual effect of dragging a pen along the path. The pen has a user-defined width, often referred to as the pre-determined stroke-width, and a colour fill.
A path can be formed by a plurality of connecting segments of two types, namely line segments and curve segments. A line segment is a straight line with a user-defined start point and a user-defined end point, and is easy to stroke, as the stroke is simply a rectangular area. On the other hand, a curve segment is a lot more complex. The curve segment defines a non-linear movement from a start point to an end point. Depending on the graphic standard, a curve segment is representable using different mathematical forms. For example, the 2D Graphic Standard OpenVG allows users to define a curve segment using a quadratic Bézier curve, a cubic Bézier curve or an elliptical arc. Several approaches have been attempted to correctly render a stroked curve segment.
One brute-force approach is to approximate the area covered by the stroke using a set of quadrilaterals. Each quadrilateral is generated based on a pair of normal lines centred on the curve segment, and added as a separate polygon. This approach produces accurate stroked output, however this is achieved at the expense of speed performance, as excessive straight-line edges are processed from all the quadrilaterals.
Another approach is to generate a left and a right offset path from the curve segment, sometimes referred to as the centreline curve. The offset path is defined by a series of points offset from the curve segment with a distance of half of the stroke-width. This is achieved by first generating a plurality of points along the curve segment, and then projecting the points out to the left and the right from the centreline curve by half of the stroke-width. Although the exact technique used for projecting the points varies from implementation to implementation, the common method is to project along the corresponding normal line of the centreline curve.
FIG. 3 depicts an example of stroking a curve segment 380 using the offset path approach (this being referred to as the "offset stroking method"), where a final stroke polygon is represented by the solid black lines. The points on the curve 380 are generated in the order from 340 to 350 and are represented by solid black dots. Each point is projected along its corresponding normal line, which is represented by the dashed line, to generate a left offset path (301 to 314) and a right offset path (321 to 334). Lines 360 and 365 are also added as butt end caps to complete the stroke polygon. When the final stroke polygon is filled with the user-defined stroke colour, the filling is performed using the "non-zero winding rule" to cover the entire stroked area. The non-zero winding rule is described hereinafter in more detail with reference to FIG. 7.
However, the offset stroking method, which has the advantage of greater speed, has a problem in that it can produce incorrect output, due to unfilled regions. This incorrect output occurs when stroking certain curves with high curvature and large stroke width.


An amplifier system comprises an amplifier, a comparator connectable to the amplifier to compare an incoming signal with a number of reference potentials. A switching stage is controlled by the output of the comparator and arranged to select a voltage level to be applied to one side of a load, such as a loudspeaker system. A subtractor is included to subtract from the incoming signal a percentage of the selected voltage level to be applied to the load. The amplifier receives the output signal of the subtractor, amplifies that signal and applies it to a second side of the load. There is also disclosed a method for amplifying a signal.

Environmental considerations are becoming an increasingly important design parameter for product developments. For amplifier designs, considerable research has been directed towards high efficiency amplifiers which have less energy loss and various topologies exist that perform at a higher efficiency than conventional Class B amplifiers. Examples of such amplifiers are Class D, Class G and Class H amplifiers. Such amplifiers require smaller heat sinks than conventional Class B amplifiers, resulting in lighter and more compact products.
For a Class B amplifier having a fixed primary power supply, the theoretical maximum efficiency is 78.5% when it is driven to saturation by a sine wave, but in actual practice the efficiency does not exceed 70%.
The basic concept of conventional Class D amplifiers is to convert the input signal into a Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) signal and to recover the analog output signal through a low pass filter before delivering the signal to the load. A theoretical efficiency of 100% may be achievable with conventional Class D amplifiers and, in practice, over 90% efficiencies have been achieved using Class D Digital Amplifiers. Disadvantages of Class D amplifiers are the EMI issues which arise from the high level switching of the PWM signal. Furthermore, the typical requirement of the output low pass filter adds costs to the implementation of Class D amplifiers. At the same time, this output low pass filter also affects the output characteristics of the amplifier as a fixed load impedance of, for example, 6 ohms has to be assumed during its design.
This is not, however, the case for typical loudspeaker loads. In typical loudspeaker systems, when connected to a load which may range from 2 ohms to some tens of ohms for typical loudspeakers, the output characteristics will deviate from the target design.
Conventional Class G amplifiers generally achieve higher efficiencies than conventional Class B amplifiers by switching the power supply level at different fixed levels to have the power supply closer to the output signal. In theory, 100% efficiency may be achieved by increasing the number of fixed power supply levels indefinitely. However, as several devices have to be used to switch among the different supply voltages, this will create losses in practice.
Conventional Class H amplifiers use the input signal to control the power supply and vary the power supply by Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to form an envelope over the output signal. Although a very high efficiency may be achieved in such amplifiers, such as theoretically up to 100%, the transient response of conventional Class H amplifiers may be poor and the bandwidth may be extremely limited due to the slow response of the power supply. Moreover, EMI issues will be a major concern in such amplifiers.


A non-transitory computer readable storage medium has instructions executed by a processor to maintain digital identities. Each digital identity has identity attributes different than identity attributes associated with a real individual utilizing the digital identity. Each digital identity has an associated attribute for compartmentalized network activity. Interactions between the digital identities and a virtual card provider are supported to secure virtual cards for the digital identities. Interactions between the digital identities and a persona management application are brokered, including delivering the virtual cards for the digital identities to the persona management application.

Credit cards have been one of the most successful innovations in finance. They allow a person to buy goods, either in person or online, without needing to manage physical cash. The merchant charges the credit card for the amount of the product and through a complex payment processing system will receive the money from the customer. Credit cards are physical, in that a bank issues a plastic card that carries the credit card identifying information.
A typical credit card has a brand, a card number, an expiry date and card verification code (CVC). It may also have other attributes, such as: billing address, geo location limits, credit limit, transaction limit, and methods for delivering transactions and notifications to the owner. A person commonly has a number of such credit cards.
Although credit cards have revolutionized the payment system, the use of credit cards has also created new risks. Two main risks include the confidential payment identifier (i.e., the credit card number) printed on the front of the card and the Card Verification Code (CVC; that protects the card number) is printed on the back. When a user presents credit card details, sensitive information is disclosed that can be easily misused. A dishonest person can steal the credit card information and then use it for unauthorized purchases. This can occur either by making a new physical card for an in-store purchase (card present transaction), or using the credit card identifying information to purchase online (card not-present transaction).
Once a person's credit card information has been stolen and used in an unauthorized way, the person owning the card has to then clean up the mess. For example, one can try to recover the stolen money from a bank, one can request a replacement card be issued by the bank, one can update any recurring billing accounts where the stolen card is registered, and so on. There is a range of financial and non-financial inconveniences to deal with.
A virtual credit card is one that has no physical embodiment, it is digital only. It still has the same identifying information associated with it such as card brand, card number, card expiry and CVC, and can therefore be used in online situations. One value of a virtual credit card over a physical plastic credit card is that it can be more easily issued and cancelled as there is no cumbersome process involved in creating a plastic card.
There are additional attributes that are commonly associated with a virtual credit card that are not normally associated with a physical credit card. A virtual card requires a funding source, which may be another credit card, debit card or direct bank deduction. The card can be locked to a merchant category or even to an individual merchant. The card can have time based restrictions, daily spending limits and so on. These additional attributes considerably reduce the risks involved for both the user and the merchant. There are a number of virtual card providers on the market that will issue such virtual cards.
Although virtual credit cards provide enhancements over physical credit cards, users find the day-to-day management of virtual credit cards too complex. With the addition of new configuration options, and the possibility of using virtual credit cards across various aspects of a person's daily life, it can become very complicated to manage the different card settings and transactions. For example, a user might want to use virtual credit cards for work and wants to limit purchasing only to office suppliers. For travel, the same user might only want to allow virtual credit card purchasing through a limited set of travel providers, such as travel consultants, specific hotels, airlines, and car rental agencies. In addition, the user might also need different daily spending limits applied in each situation. With current virtual credit cards systems these real-life situations are difficult to manage and they are error prone.
In recent years, there have been multiple efforts to improve upon the credit card system by layering various types of protections, such as cryptographic assertions and verifications. One notable example is PayPal® where a customer is redirected, during the checkout process to a personal account where a payment to a specific merchant is authorized. Upon successful identification and authorization, a customer instructs PayPal® to pay a merchant. This lets the customer keep the exposure of their actual credit card information limited to the PayPal® service, while keeping it hidden from the merchants who receive the payments. Another notable example is the use of cryptocurrencies (e.g., bitcoin). Commonly, a credit card or bank account is used to onboard funds into a crypto currency account where the user can spend them by virtue of using a series of complex cryptographic assertions and verifications. Similar to the PayPal® process, the cryptocurrency mechanisms enable customers to spend money with merchants without disclosing actual credit card information. These systems have numerous benefits. However, one main drawback is that they use different payment protocols and methods that merchants must adopt in order to receive payments.
Thus, there is a need for improved processing of virtual credit cards.

Apparatus and method for processing virtual credit cards for digital identities


A combined washing/drying station for a washroom comprising a water outlet for discharging water to wash a user's hands connected to a mains water supply and an air outlet for discharging airflow to dry a user's hands. The airflow is generated by a blower module connected to a mains electricity supply via a connector unit hard-wired to the electrical mains. The blower module comprises an electrical connector which connects to an electrical connector on the connector unit to allow modular replacement of the blower module. Connection to the mains water supply is via the same or an additional connector unit plumbed into the water mains. A flow-control valve is provided on the respective connector unit for isolating the water mains at the connector unit. An inlet port of the valve is connected to the water mains and an outlet port of the valve is connected to the water outlet.

Washrooms are often fitted with hand dryers.
Sometimes the hand dryers are provided as stand-alone hand dryers. Here, a user will typically wash his or her hands at a sink basin and then walk over to the hand dryer—which is often located in some other part of the washroom—to dry the hands.
Other times the hand dryer is integrated as part of a combined washing/drying station which discharges water for washing and then—without the user having to move to some other part of the washroom—discharges an airflow for drying the user's hands.

Developments relating to washing/drying stations in washrooms