A driving head for telescopic drill rods has a frame, a cylindrical collar rotatably coupled with said frame, and provided at least with one internal surface comprising at least one driving rack adapted to be coupled with corresponding driven racks of telescopic drill rods, and actuation means to drive said cylindrical collar into rotation, said driving rack being coupled with said cylindrical collar by means of removable connection means. A machine provided with said driving head is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present patent application for industrial invention relates to a driving head for telescopic drill rods and to a machine comprising said head.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
Several drilling techniques are known in the state of the art; one of them provides for using a rotary drilling tool mounted at the end of a set of telescopic rods and is usually defined as rotary technique.
Rods are driven into rotation by a driving head operatively connected with a machine; by means of suitable driving means the driving head drives said rods into rotation around their axis, in such manner to transmit motion to the tool mounted at the end of the head rod.
According to such technique, an axial thrust must be sometimes transmitted to the tool or rods, in addition to a rotary momentum.
In order to guarantee a suitable axial thrust for a series of different operations, some telescopic rods are provided with a special internal and external rack distinguished by the particular shape of the teeth.
Such a solution is disclosed in the European patent application EP 0 335 059 in the name of the same applicant.
In brief, said telescopic rods comprise automatic coupling racks, wherein the teeth comprise at least one intermediate section extending in orthogonal direction to the axis of rotation and coinciding with the direction of the vector of the force applied in case of axial thrust or traction.
The driving head of the machine adapted to transmit the momentum and axial force to said telescopic rods comprises a frame to which a cylindrical collar is revolvingly associated, being internally provided with driving racks adapted to engage with the driven racks preach rod to transmit both the angular momentum and the axial force (either thrust or traction).
For this reason, the driving racks and the driven racks are complementary and are provided with complementary teeth for mutual engagement.
The Applicant has noted that, in spite of being an excellent solution, such a solution is impaired by some drawbacks.
The driving racks, which are obtained, in one piece with the cylindrical collar in such manner to protrude from its internal surface, are subject to high wear, both for the considerable loads involved, and for the fact that their use is higher than the driven racks.
In spite of being an excellent solution in terms of resistance, such a solution is impaired by the fact that the replacement of the driving racks is a rather long and difficult operation.
As a matter of fact, some material must be provided, for example by means of welding with a suitable template, to restore the correct shape of the teeth. Such an operation is a long and difficult operation.
Moreover, it was noted that teeth repaired in this way are subject to higher wear compared to new teeth, thus causing the early wear of the driven racks of the rods.
After some studies the Applicant has discovered that the latter drawback is caused by the natural welding shrinkage that may alter, in some cases, the profile of the tooth, when the material has deposited.
Because of the level of the existing forces, if the profiles of the driven teeth and the driving teeth do not have a high level of conjugation, high wear is generated between the parts, thus causing not only the dissipation of mechanical energy and the general heating of the driving head, but also the early wear of the driving and/or driven teeth, according to the specific case.
In other words, the technique that is currently used to repair the teeth of racks originates three types of drawbacks:                difficulty to obtain the best profile in terms of engagement;        difficulty in the repair operation;        excessive overheating attributable not so much to the dissipation of mechanical energy, but to the fact that in the repair operation of the tooth by means of welding, some material is melt, with consequent change of the mechanical properties of the cylindrical collar and potential damage of seals and bearings connecting the collar to the frame of the driving head.
DE 40 38 424 discloses a Kelly borehole drilling arrangement provided with a rotating drill head coupled with telescopic pipes. The outermost Kelly pipe extends below the drill head and remains in rotary connection with the transmission piece.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a driving head for telescopic rods able to solve the problems of the prior art.
These purposes are achieved by the present invention according to the first attached claim.

Driving head for telescopic drill rods and machine comprising said head


The invention relates to an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: obtain information concerning signal quality, obtain information on location of a cell in relation to a multimedia service area, wherein the information concerning signal quality is created, and control utilizing the information concerning signal quality in a network based on the information on the location of a the cell in relation to the multimedia service area.

The following description of background art may include in-sights, discoveries, understandings or disclosures, or associations together with disclosures not known to the relevant art prior to the present invention but provided by the invention. Some such contributions of the invention may be specifically pointed out below, whereas other such contributions of the invention will be apparent from their context.
Multimedia broadcast multicast services (MBMS) is designed to provide support for broadcast and multicast services by using a point-to-multipoint interface. The MBMS is feasible when a large number of users are interested in same content. It is designed for a plurality of applications, such as mobile TV and radio broadcasting, as well as file delivery and emergency alerts.


A miter saw including a base, a turntable, a cutting unit rotatably supporting a circular saw blade, and a support unit movably supporting the cutting unit at a position above the turntable. The support unit has a hinge formed with a recess in which a laser oscillator is accommodated. The laser oscillator emits a projected beam line on a surface of a workpiece W. The line indicates the position of a circular saw blade tip and its extension in a diametrical direction of the circular saw blade. The opening of the recess is closed with a cover that has an opening for allowing the laser beam to pass therethrough. The cover is positioned in confrontation with a fence on which the workpiece abuts for positioning. One surface of the cover is finished into a mirror surface which reflects a cutting line marker already marked on the workpiece and reflects a projected beam line.

The present invention relates to a miter saw, and more particularly to a miter saw provided with a light-projecting device such as a laser oscillator for projecting a projection line indicative of a cutting position of a saw blade on a workpiece.
FIG. 17 illustrates a conventional miter saw. As shown in FIG. 17, the miter saw includes a base 702, a fence 703, a turntable 710, a cutting unit 720, a support unit 730, and a laser oscillator 751. The turntable 710 is rotatably mounted on the base 702 for supporting thereon a workpiece W in cooperation with the base 702. The fence 703 is secured to the base 702 and extends across the turntable 710. The fence 703 has a positioning surface to which the workpiece W is abutted for positioning the workpiece W. The cutting unit 720 has a circular saw blade 721. The support unit 730 movably supports the cutting unit 720 at a position above the turntable 710. The laser oscillator 751 is mounted on the support unit 730. The laser oscillator 751 emits a laser beam onto the workpiece W in order to indicate the position of the tip of the blade 721 and its extension position as a line on the surface of the workpiece W. The laser oscillator 751 is fixed to a given position so that a part of or entire laser beam can travel below the circular saw blade 721 and illuminate the surface of the workpiece W without being interrupted by the blade 721 when the blade 721 is at its uppermost position. The turntable 710 may be rotated to bring the laser beam into alignment with a marker (indicating a cutting line) already drawn on the workpiece W. Thus, the miter saw can cut the workpiece W precisely along the marker. A miter saw of this type is disclosed in for example laid open Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-225603.
If the workpiece W has a rectangular cross-section as shown in FIG. 17, a user who stands in front of the miter saw can easily see whether or not the laser beam irradiated on an upper surface of the workpiece W is aligned with the cutting line marker delineated on the upper surface of the workpiece W. On the other hand, if the workpiece W has such an irregular cross-section as illustrated in FIG. 18, the user cannot provisionally draw a cutting line marker on the upper surface of the workpiece W. In the latter case, the user draws a cutting line marker M2 or M3 (see FIG. 7) on a vertical side of the workpiece W in contact with the fence 703. Then, the user rotates the turntable 720 and brings the blade 721 into alignment with the line marker M2 or M3 before the user starts cutting the workpiece W. To align the blade 721 with the line marker M2 or M3, the user needs to walk around to the back of the miter saw and bow or stoop his head to see both the line marker M2 or M3 and the laser beam at the rear vertical side of the workpiece W. This would be troublesome, lowering the efficiency of sawing the workpiece W.

Miter saw having light beam projection device


Methods of measuring a mean-to-target (MTT) based on pattern area measurements are provided including providing a design pattern. A plurality of design pattern measurements are measured for calculating an area of the design pattern based on a shape of the design pattern. A series of calculation measurements are calculated by continuously substituting a same variation into the design pattern measurements, and calculating a series of calculation areas corresponding respectively to the calculation measurements to generate a database including the calculation measurements and the calculation areas. An actual pattern is formed using the design pattern and an area of the actual pattern is measured. A calculation area corresponding to the area of the actual pattern is selected from the database and calculation measurements corresponding to the calculation area are selected. A difference between the design pattern measurements and the calculation measurements is calculated and the difference is set as an MTT. Related methods of correcting a photomask are also provided herein.

As the integration density of semiconductor devices has increased, the width of patterns formed on a semiconductor substrate and an interval between the patterns have been decreased. Formation of photomasks is indispensable when manufacturing semiconductor devices. The photomask includes a mask pattern defining a variety of elements. The size of the mask patterns continue to get smaller to provide smaller, highly integrated devices. Since a high-quality photomask is difficult to obtain and manufacturing costs of the photomask continue to increase, it may be important to obtain the high-quality photomask early in view of the photomask manufacturing cost and a turn-around time (TAT) reduction.
When the size of the mask pattern gets so small as to reach resolution limit of the exposure tool, it is difficult to transfer on the electronic device substrate a pattern of the same shape and CD that correspond to the mask pattern formed on the photomask due to an optical proximity effect. In order to form a high-resolution pattern with a linewidth smaller than the wavelength of light, an optical proximity correction (OPC) technique for correcting the shape of the photomask beforehand is used in consideration of deformation of a pattern formed on a wafer due to the optical proximity effect.
Recently, a design rule has continuously decreased in order to improve the performance of transistors and produce more chips with respect to net die standard. With the shrinkage of the linewidth of gate patterns, the dependence of the linewidth of the gate patterns on the dimension of a space between adjacent gate patterns becomes strongly marked, so that it becomes difficult to control the linewidth of the gate patterns. Accordingly, it mat be very important to elevate the accuracy of a photomask in order to satisfy a strict target value of an after development inspection (ADI) critical dimension (CD). Also, it becomes stricter to control a mask mean-to-target (MTT) and CD uniformity.
Furthermore, the so-called "peanuts" effect occurs due to the optical proximity effect so that an outer portion of a pattern is curved, and patterns having shapes that cannot ensure an MTT using conventional one-dimensional measurement methods are increasing. To address these problems, a method of measuring the area of a pattern has been proposed. However, it may be necessary to develop a method of converting the measured area of the pattern into conventional one-dimensional MTT.

Methods for measuring mean-to-target (MTT) based on pattern area measurements and methods of correcting photomasks using the same


Particles and monoliths are used for providing an ionized analyte for mass analysis by photon desorption having a size in the range of 0.5-100 μm, wherein the particles or monoliths are modified with a chemical compound capable of absorbing photons having a wave-length of at least 300 nm. The particles and monoliths allow the use of MALDI-MS for the high throughput screening of molecules having a molecular weight lower than 700 μ without interfering signals or with only a limited number of background signals.

Use of MALDI-MS for the analysis of small molecules, such as pharmacologically active constituents and also metabolites, is only partially possible since these molecules fall into a mass range, which usually cannot be concerned with this analysis technique. This fact is caused by the used matrix, which is normally necessary to analyse intact molecules (usually peptides, proteins). Minimum size of the analytes should therefore be 500 to 700μ, in the ideal case greater than 1000μ.
Standard systems for the screening of small molecules are gas chromatography and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS, LC-MS). An essential disadvantage of these systems lies in long and time consuming sample preparation steps and GC/LC-MS runs of 20 min or longer, which restricts daily throughput of samples. In contrast, MALDI-MS can reach a high automated throughput.
In the literature several examples of systems which allow a direct analysis of small molecules by MALDI-MS can be found. Within these examples a stainless steel target is used and modified so far that laser energy of 337 nm can be absorbed. This is the case for porous silicon layers (Zhang et al. Rap. Commun. Mass Spect. 2001 15 217-223; Shen et al. Anal. Chem. 2001 73 612-619; Jing Wei et al. Nature 1999 399 243-246; Kraj et al. Acta Biochimica Polonica 2003 50 (3) 783-787), but can be reached also by use of polymers (Peterson et al. Rap. Commun. Mass Spect. 2004 18 1504-1512; Frechet et al. U.S. 20050023456 A1) or by use of special modified surfaces, such as silica modified with triphenylmethane or silica modified with matrix systems like α-cyano-hydroxy cinnamomic acid (HCCA) or 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) (Zhang et al. Rap. Commun. Mass Spect. 2001 15 217-223).
Immobilised carbon nanotubes are a further possibility (Shi-fang Ren et al. JASMS 2005 16 (3) 333-339) next to graphite (Hie-Joon Kim et al. Anal. Chemical 2000 72 5673-5678) or a combination of sample with inorganic particles, such as Mn, Mo, Si, Sn, TiO2, W, WO3, Zn, ZnO (Kinumi et al. J. Mass Spectr. 2000 35 417-422). Fonash et al. disclose in their patent application the use of amorphous silicon-layers and porous SiO2-layers for the matrix free MALDI-MS (Fonash et al. WO 02/093170 A1, US20020144456). Hutchens describes the use of azodianiline for the immobilisation of biomolecules by means of photolabile attachment (Ching et al. J. Org. Chem. 1996 61 3582-3583; Hutchens et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,124,137).
Within this last cited patent a clear division between photo-labile attachment and matrix free MALDI-MS is given: For matrix free MALDI-MS immobilized matrices such as HCCA or DHB were used, whereas for photo-labile attachment azodianiline is described.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a system which allows to use MALDI-MS for the high throughput screening of molecules having a molecular weight lower than 700μ (lowest measured mass is sodium with m/z=23, FIG. 15), e.g. for pharmacologically active compounds as well as for drug metabolites and for secondary plant metabolites. Additionally, the system should be suitable also for target compounds in the range up to several 1000μ. As most of described and published systems show dominant background signals, a further object is the establishment of a system without interfering signals or with a limited number of background signals.


An injector arrangement for use where particulates are to be entrained in a gas transport medium. The apparatus has a nozzle discharging conveying gas and a secondary, dosing, gas flow provided from an annular passage. This secondary flow envelopes the conveying gas. Particulates are drawn into the combined gas streams by a venturi effect.

The invention relates to a method and injector arrangement for conveying pulverulent material which is drawn in by a conveying gas flow to an intake zone and at least one adjustable second gas flow is introduced in addition to the conveying gas flow. The invention also relates to an application of the injector arrangement with a source of compressed air and an adjustable flow regulator.
It is known to convey pulverulent materials by means of an injector, or an injector arrangement comprising an injector and a compressed air source. In particular, for conveying of pulverulent coating powder, it is known to use an injector in which, after the introduction of the coating powder, dosing air is fed into the conveying air.
FIG. 1 shows such an injector 1 according to the state of the art. In this, air is blown through a nozzle 4 into the injector chamber 5, which has a powder intake 6 for introducing the powder into the conveying jet from a feed container which is not shown. The powder transported in the air jet passes into the chamber 10, where dosing air is fed to the powder stream via a connection 8 and a duct 9. The powder/air mixture is directed to the coating point through a hose connected to the hose connection 11, and conduits. The conveying air and dosing air, which are drawn from a conventional compressed air source, have hitherto been controlled either by separate control valves or by two valves mounted on a common shaft so that both valves could be adjusted by operating a single control knob.
Especially in applications where the powder/air mixture has to travel along a relatively long conduit to the coating point (eg. a distance of 1 meter or more) or where a highly homogeneous powder/air mixture is required, controlling the conveying air and dosing air has hitherto proved very difficult. Where material is carried over long distances and/or a high degree of homogeneity is required, the proportioning between conveying air (which determines the quantity of powder removed from the feed container) and dosing air (which affects the velocity of the powder/air mixture in the conduit and the homogeneity of the mixture) is very difficult to set correctly, and even using two coupled control valves it has been found that a satisfactory setting is possible only within a narrow operating range.
Conditions are particularly awkward in the known process for coating weld seams of can bodies at the end of a can body welding machine. For one thing, the supply of powder by means of the injector has to pass through an extended conduit, as the conduit has to be routed through the welding machine along the body forming and welding path. For another thing, in order to obtain a weld seam coating of good quality, the powder must be delivered onto the can body at a constant rate and with a uniform distribution as the body is conveyed past the coating nozzle. Can bodies are conveyed at a rate of eg. 18 cans per second (or, for a standard size can, at approximately 100 m/min), so that any fluctuation, even momentary, in the homogeneity of the powder/air mixture or in the absolute quantity of powder delivered may result in a large number of cans receiving an insufficient coating.
It has therefore already been proposed that the conveying air and dosing air should be drawn from a source with a constant conveying rate of flow. This solution, however, displays an unsatisfactory reaction if there is disturbance in the conduit. Pulsation may occur in the conduit and the resulting fluctuations may lead to accumulations of powder in the conduit.
Therefore the problem which lies at the basis of the invention is to provide a way of coating by means of an injector which avoids these drawbacks and in which, even under very difficult circumstances, and particularly in the coating of the weld seam of can bodies, excellent coating quality can be obtained.

Method and injector arrangement for conveying pulverulent material


A container for medications, written instructions and other materials is provided for an individual whose cognitive powers may be diminished and who must take several medications or doses at different times of a day. The container takes the annular array form of a clock face with hourly positions having either or both visual and/or Braille indicia. Each hourly position has a separate lid-covered compartment for placement therein of medications or instructions to be taken within designated hours. The containers are provided in pairs, one being designated for ante meridiem hours and the other for post meridiem hours. They may be alternately arranged coaxially with a clock having either an hour hand or a blocking shutter, the latter of which insures that only the lid of a given compartment is accessible at the designated time for taking a specific medication. Pairs of containers sufficient for a week's medications can be organized, filled and stacked for successive use. The system enables monitoring by a care giver to assure that medications have been taken.

A variety of devices are available for personal use by individuals for taking prescribed medications. Most common are those which have one compartment for each day of the week, commencing with a Sunday and going through the following Saturday. Other units are available for supplying different pills or a quantity of the same pills for a single day. One such unit has a resettable count-down timer and battery-operated alarm for indicating that a predetermined time has passed since taking the last medication, and that it is time to take another dose. Some systems have a way of distinguishing ante meridiem (AM) from post meridiem (PM) times of the day and some use Braille identifying means for the sightless. These systems are quite acceptable in instances where an individual is capable of discerning which medication or the proper dose of a specific medicine to take. But in some instances, such as in the case of a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease, e.g., such a system can be confusing for the person to self-administer the medication. It can even be somewhat confusing for a care giver of that person, particularly where many different medications are required at various times of day. In other instances such as in a hospital where medications are under control of multiple nurses who administer to the same patient, care must be taken to assure that proper medication is timely taken and in the proper dosage. Safeguards have been developed to provide patient protection in the latter such instance, but even these safeguards can stand improvement.
Time-related dispensers are known for other uses, as well. For example, an indexable 96 hour clock can be set to expose five different bowls of cat food on a daily basis when a cat is left alone in a house for a prolonged period during which no one is around to feed it. Similarly, timed dispensers are known for feeding fish at preselected times.

Medication container and method of using


When an intention is decided by a computer, the conclusion part of a rule is expressed by using an intention level such as an auxiliary verb of intention and an intention is decided on the basis of the expression. A rule for a certain action is described in a format of "IF (status of A), THEN (action B on the basis of the status A)+(intention level)" beforehand. A fitness degree indicating the fitness state of the status A to the status to be processed is calculated. When the fitness degree at the strongest intention level is highest, the corresponding rule is assumed as an intention in the status to be processed. When the fitness degree at the strongest intention level is not highest, it is converted to a fitness degree equivalent to the intention level of the next strength and a rule which is an intention to an action is decided.

The present invention relates to a decision making method for deciding an action. More particularly, it relates to autonomous control for motion of an object (vehicle) such as a robot, an automobile, a space craft, or others. It also relates to decision of an action to be conducted from analysis and analytical results of information obtained from a public opinion survey and others. Furthermore, it relates to support of decision making of an action of a human.


AC/DC transformer for tapping power from an electric current loop (1) for current supply to a functional unit (2), whereby the current loop (1) conducts an alternating current preferrably having a constant frequency and amplitude for the current supply. The converter has an inductive coupling (4) to the current loop (1) and the latter constitutes a primary winding in the inductive coupling (4). At the secondary side there are provided rectifier means (LR) for DC supply to the functional unit (2), a voltage regulator (SR) for controlling an electronic switch (S), a power coil (L1) and at least one capacitor. The power coil (L1) is located at the AC side of the rectifier means (LR) and a capacitor (C1) is provided in series with the power coil (L1) and together with the latter is adapted to have resonance at a frequency coinciding substantially with the frequency of the current supply. When there is no load on the converter, the switch (S) is substantially closed and in this condition short-circuits the alternating voltage at the secondary side of the inductive coupling.

This invention relates to a converter circuit arrangement for transferring power from an electrical two-conductor current loop to a functional unit. The circuit comprises an inductive coupling (transformer) and an AC/DC converter based on the switch mode. More specifically this is here derived from a DC/DC converter of the "Boost Mode" type. The current loop conducts an alternating current of a fixed frequency and amplitude for the power transfer, and signals to and from the functional unit are superimposed on the power transfer current in the current loop.
In the inductive coupling the current loop constitutes a primary winding and a rectifier device is located at the secondary side for DC supply to the functional unit. Moreover there is included a voltage regulator for controlling an electronic switch for operation in switch mode as mentioned, a power coil and at least one capacitor.
The invention has been primarily developed in connection with a so-called fieldbus for interconnecting several functional units, as for example measuring instruments or control units in process control installations, and the like. For example, a current loop bus of the type Current Bus Mode according to IEC 1158-2, can be of interest here. This fieldbus or current loop constitutes a two-conductor line, where functional units connected to it communicate, by means of signals, through this line, at the same time as they are supplied with required power in the form of current supply through the same pair of conductors. In such a current loop bus the functional units are connected in series in the bus. Power for current supply from the bus is tapped over the equivalent impedance introduced by the functional unit concerned, into the two-conductor line. This is fed with a constant alternating current from a central unit. Each of the functional units appears as a series load in the current loop bus, and draws power being proportional to the real part of the series load. In practice the connection of functional units to the current loop is effected inductively by the bus' forming one or more windings at the primary side of a transformer. With such an inductive connection the secondary side of this transformer can be an integrated part of the functional unit concerned.
In addition to the above mentioned power or current supply for the operation of associated functional units, the inductive coupling can also be adapted to provide for signal transfer or communication between the fieldbus and the respective functional units. Such signals are superimposed on the power feed, and in practice will normally have a signal strength lying several decades lower than the current amplitude for power transfer. Accordingly it is very important that the power signal has a sinusoidal shape as closely as possible, so that required filtering at the individual functional units will be simplified. Moreover the load represented by each unit with respect to the current loop bus, should be as linear as possible in order to prevent the functional units from introducing harmonic noise into the fieldbus network. Such noise will be disturbing and detrimental for said signal communication. Harmonic noise components from the power supply part or from non-linearities in the individual functional unit, will be spread into the signal band for communication and thereby reduce the signal-to-noise ratio.
These considerations also apply in the alternative of providing for signal transfer to/from the fieldbus by a separate inductive coupling or transformer.
In fieldbus systems or installations of actual interest to this invention, the feed frequency of the AC supply is substantially higher than the common mains frequency, namely 16 kHz in a specific fieldbus embodiment. The frequencies employed for the above discussed communication or signal transfer, usually are significantly higher than this current supply frequency. As will further appear from the description below, the converter circuits for the functional units comprise an electronic switch, such as a transistor switch, adapted to be controlled at a fixed rate or repetition frequency, which typically can be about 350 kHz. The examples of typical frequencies given here form a part of the background for the particular solutions to be described in the following description.
It is desirable that the voltage drop over each connected functional unit for its current supply, is as low as possible and preferrably an ohmic (resistive) load. Possible imaginary voltage drops occurring, will mean that the feed voltage for the AC supply of the current loop will be unnecessarily high, and the total efficiency of the power or the current supply to the complete fieldbus network will be lower.
With respect to voltage regulators there are various types of known and described configurations, including such which are based on switch mode, with an active breaking of applied current and subsequent transfer of the electric energy from an inductive component (power coil) to the load. In the circuit solution being described in the following, there is employed a particular power circuit configuration for the regulator, being known as a "Boost Mode" configuration (booster). This particular form and related forms of voltage regulator configurations are more closely described for example in the publication "High power factor preregulators for off-line power supplies" by Lloyd H. Dixon, Jr. Unitrode Corporation, published in Unitrode Power Supply Design Seminar 1990. This regulator configuration is intended for use in so-called DC/DC converters where a rectified voltage is converted to another rectified voltage. In the circuit solution concerned, a rectifier function is combined with a regulator function and a "Boost Mode" power circuit is employed in order to implement a conversion from AC to DC.
Other examples of rectifier arrangements which, at least superficially, can be considered to have features resembling parts of the rectifier circuits of interest to this invention, are to be found in Swedish patent publication 452.226 and European patent publication 0387.735. These two examples, however, do not relate to current-fed networks of fieldbus type as referred to above; nor are these known rectifiers designed in consideration of other particular conditions and environments that are associated with the fieldbus or current loop networks, being of interest here. SE 452.226 shows a resonant circuit as a filter at the input of a rectifier circuit, the purpose of this filtering being to apply a specific wave shape to the rectifier bridge. The European patent publication referred to also describes use of a series resonant circuit as a filter, for the purpose of delimiting a reverse current (reverse recovery) from the rectifier circuit.
Moreover, short mention shall here be made of three US patents having a certain, albeit peripheral interest here, in so far as none of them describe booster configurations of the kind discussed above:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,766 relates to an AC/DC converter having a tuned circuit at the input. At the beginning of the patent specification it is stated that switch mode represents an uninteresting solution in that connection. The solution described comprises thyristor control whereby a larger or smaller portion of the alternating voltage half period is utilized. The starting point is also different from that of the present invention, since signal transfer is not included, nor does any feeding at a constant current take place. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,740 describes an AC/DC converter which is not based on a supply at a constant current either. However, there is described a solution with switch mode, so that this point in the patent specification has a certain similarity to the present invention. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,337 relates to a DC/DC converter with a conventional rectifier bridge, i.e. rather remote from the basis of the present invention, as discussed above.


The invention provides a method of diagnosing a system, a method of operating an aggregating system for system diagnosis and an aggregating system for system diagnosis, which are effective for achieving comprehensive and effective system cost reduction. For a target system, at least two or more kinds of diagnoses selected from a trap operation diagnosis, a fluid leakage diagnosis, a system improvement diagnosis and maintenance improvement diagnosis are effected in a batch and in reporting the results of these diagnoses in a batch, there are reported an economic advantage MQt″ obtained by reduction in a trap-passed seam loss Qt″, an economic advantage MQs, MQp, MQn obtained by reduction in fluid leakage loss Qs, Qp, Qn, an economic advantage Ma obtained by system improvement and an economic advantage Mb obtained by method improvement in a maintenance method.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of diagnosing a system, a method of operating an aggregating system for system diagnosis and an aggregating system for system diagnosis.
The present invention may be used in comprehensive diagnoses of systems of various fields including piping for various types of fluid such as steam, compressed air, nitrogen gas or a plurality of steam traps.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, there is known a method of diagnosing a system using steam as follows. First, operational conditions of a plurality of steam traps in a client's evaluation target system to be diagnosed are diagnosed by a trap diagnotor. Next, based on the result of this diagnosis, the method calculates a trap-passed steam loss for all the steam traps in the diagnosis evaluation target system (i.e. the aggregated loss of the trap passed steam losses of all of the steam traps in the evaluation target system). Then, the method presents before the client an economic advantage obtained through reduction in the trap-passed steam loss by replacing all the steam traps by new steam traps (see Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application "Kokai" No. 2002-140745
According to the above-described conventional diagnosing method, it is possible to make a clear and effective presentation, before the client, of the economic advantage through reduction in trap-passed steam loss (in other words, the system cost reduction through steam loss reduction). However, even in the limited case of steam using system, in addition to the steam loss resulting from passage of steam through the steam traps, there exist a plurality of other cost-wasting factors such as leakage of various fluids from respective portions of piping, obsolescence or inappropriateness of respective system constructions, as well as obsolescence or inappropriateness of maintenance method. For this reason, with respect to the comprehensive cost saving of the system, the above-described conventional diagnosing method is still insufficient for the client.
In view of the above-described state of the art, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a method of diagnosing a system, a method of operating an aggregating system for system diagnosis and an aggregating system for system diagnosis, which are effective for achieving comprehensive and effective system cost reduction.

Method of diagnosing system, method of operating aggregating system for system diagnosis, and aggregating system for system diagnosis


The invention concerns a reactive sound attenuator for air-conditioning ducts, in particular for air ducts in paper mills. The sound attenuator includes at least two chambers separated from another by means of a partition wall. The partition wall is provided with an opening or with a tube placed in the direction of flow of the air flowing through the sound attenuator, the air flowing through said opening or tube out of one chamber into the other. The main plane of the partition wall is at an acute angle in relation to the direction of air flow through the sound attenuator. Preferably, the partition wall is at an angle .alpha. from about 40.degree. to about 70.degree. in relation to the direction of air flow through the sound attention.

The present invention concerns a reactive sound attenuator for air-conditioning ducts, in particular, for air ducts in paper mills. The sound attenuator comprises at least two chambers separated from one another by means of a partition wall, which partition wall is provided with an opening or with a tube placed in the direction of flow of the air flowing through the sound attenuator, the air flowing through the opening or tube out of one chamber into the other.
Ever stricter requirements are imposed on suppression of noise in the environment. One important source of noise consists of the intake and exhaust air pipes for ventilation in connection with various industrial plants and other large buildings, through which pipes especially the noise of flowers is spread into the environment. The blowers are usually chosen on the basis of the quantity of air produced by them, and attention is frequently not paid to the noise produced by them. The noise produced by the blowers has quite a wide spectrum, which also imposes particular requirements on the noise suppression.
Regarding noise suppression, paper mills are particularly demanding, because the ventilation of the paper machine hall and in particular the elimination of moisture from the drying section of the paper machine require large quantities of air.
Since the noise produced by blowers has quite a wide spectrum in the intake and exhaust air ducts connected to the blowers, it is frequently necessary to use both absorptive and reactive sound attenuators. Absorptive sound attenuators operate primarily at higher frequencies; and maximum of their attenuation is at a frequency of about 1000 Hz, whereas reactive sound attenuators operate most efficiently at low frequencies, and their maximum attenuation, is, as a rule, tuned in a range of about 100-200 Hz.
For sound attenuation at low frequencies, there are various principles, whose application have been used and are used in sound attenuators, as is well known.
As is well known, reactive attenuators are attenuators for low frequencies, whose operation is based on their geometric forms. A reactive attenuator is composed of one or several chambers or tubes, and such an attenuator causes reflection of the sound energy back towards the source of sound, or reflection of the sound energy back and forth between the chambers, whereby part of the sound energy does not pass through the attenuator.
The prior art reactive sound attenuator consisting of one or several chambers is called chamber resonator. The extent of attenuation in a chamber resonator is determined by the ratio of the cross sectional area of the chamber to the cross sectional area of the related duct, and the frequencies that are attenuated are determined by the length of the chamber. The attenuation of transmission give by Equation I (below) is true when the largest transverse dimension of the chamber is smaller than 0.8.times.wavelength (L. Baranek, Noise and Vibration Control, McGraw-Hill, 1971). EQU L.sub.TL= 10 log {1+1/4(M-1/m).sup.2 sin.sup.2 k1}db (I)
wherein
L.sub.TL =attenuation of transmission (dB) PA1 m =S.sub.2 /S.sub.1 (-) PA1 k=wave number (m+1)=2.pi./.lambda. PA1 1=length of chamber (m) PA1 n=1,2,3, ... (chamber resonator) PA1 n=2,4,6, ... (tube resonator) PA1 .lambda.=wavelength (m) PA1 1.sub.chamber =chamber length (m)
S.sub.1 =cross-sectional area of duct (m.sup.2) PA2 S.sub.2 =cross-sectional area of chamber (m.sup.2) PA2 .lambda.=wavelength (m)
From the above Equation I, it is seen that the attenuation of the chamber resonator is a periodic function of k1 and receives the value 0dB when the length of the chamber is .lambda./2, .lambda., 3.lambda./2, etc. In a corresponding way, the maximum attenuation is obtained when the length 1 of the chamber is .lambda./4, 3.lambda./4, 5.lambda./4, etc.
As is well known, such a chamber resonator is called tube resonator in which a tube is installed in the partition wall that separates, for example, two chambers from one another. If the tube is installed so that its ends are placed in the middle of the chambers maximal attenuation is achieved, besides with the normal frequency of the maximum attenuation of a chamber resonator, also when the length 1 of the chamber is .lambda./2, 3.lambda./2, 5.lambda./2, etc., i.e. L.sub.TL =0 dB when 1=.lambda., 2.lambda., 3.lambda., etc.
As can be ascertained from the above, in the prior-art ordinary reactive sound attenuators, in which the partition wall between the chambers is perpendicular, i.e. at a right angle, to the flow direction, it is a problem that therein there is always a frequency of zero attenuation, i.e., a frequency at which the attenuator does not attenuate the noise at all. The frequency of zero attenuation occurs with the wavelengths as per the Equation II. EQU n.multidot..lambda./2=1.sub.chamber (II)
wherein

Reactive sound attenuator, in particular for air ducts in paper mills


A method of forming a flexible thermal regulation device having multiple functional layers. The layers of the device are formed using various manufacturing techniques and are then integrated to form a sheet having multiple devices disposed thereon. The individual devices are then formed from the sheet.

Humans are acutely attuned to changes in their surrounding temperature and often seek means to make themselves more thermally comfortable. This modification may be accomplished by modifying the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere, like HVAC systems, or by applying a thermal regulation device, such as an icepack, to the user themselves. The use of personal thermoregulation devices allows a user to hopefully achieve a desired level of thermal comfort without interfering with those around them. Additionally, it may be more economical and desirable to allow a user to adjust their own thermal comfort, as each person's thermal tolerance varies.
Currently, many of the device used in personal active thermoregulation, such as "cool vests" and "cool gloves" are bulky and cumbersome. Often they impede the movement and abilities of the user while the devices are in-use. Additionally, these device contain moving parts such as pumps, combined with the typically intricate design of these devices, the manufacturing process is necessarily complex. The intricacy of the manufacturing process and the multi-component nature of these devices increase their cost.
Another method used for personal passive thermoregulation are gel-packs and other devices which can be pre-chilled and then placed against a user's skin to lower their body temperature. There is a compromise with these devices, as they are used they eventually thermally equalize with the user's or environmental temperature. As the temperature differential between the user and device lessens, the efficacy declines.
There is a need for a more compact personal thermoregulation device having simplified and scalable manufacturing.

Method for roll-to-roll production of flexible, stretchy objects with integrated thermoelectric modules, electronics and heat dissipation


A method is provided for controlling an internal combustion engine operating in a homogenous mode. The internal combustion engine exhibits a control unit for setting the air supply, the fuel supply and the ignition angle. The method reduces the fuel consumption and increases a torque reserve that is to be made available for use. Starting from a specific distribution of air and fuel in the mixture, the air mass to be supplied is increased, which leans the air-fuel mixture such that a first torque reserve is generated. In the event of a positive torque request, the fuel mass to be supplied is increased in order to enrich the air-fuel mixture.

The invention relates to a method for controlling an internal combustion engine—especially for controlling an Otto engine in the event of torque interventions or in idling speed mode.
There already exist a plurality of different methods for controlling an internal combustion engine. Within the scope of an idling speed control of an Otto engine, the output engine torque for holding constant the rotational speed may be changed in both the negative (to reduce the speed) and the positive direction (to raise the speed). Therefore, any torque request that may arise is usually set by adjusting the ignition angle and changing the mass of air and fuel that is to be delivered. To be able to adjust the engine torque with high dynamics also in the positive direction, a so-called torque reserve is used. In so doing, the ignition angle is subsequently shifted in the retard direction in accordance with the torque-optimized ignition angle; and both the air mass to be supplied and also the fuel mass to be supplied are simultaneously increased (e.g., this method is used for controlling the torque with the torque reserve in the internal combustion engine of the BMW 520i model year 2004). Inside this torque reserve, the torque to be generated may be shifted very rapidly by shifting the ignition angle in the direction of the torque-optimized ignition angle. Short-term torque requests may be quickly balanced in this way, and result in only a slight decrease in the idling speed.
However, a torque reserve that is set accordingly results in an increase in the fuel consumption—especially when the internal combustion engine is in an idling mode.
The present invention is based on the problem of providing a method of the above described class that improves upon the amount of the torque reserve and the fuel consumption characteristics.
The invention solves this problem by providing a method for controlling an internal combustion engine operating homogeneously and having a control unit for setting an air mass supply, a fuel mass supply, and the ignition angle, wherein starting from a specific air-fuel ratio (λ) in the mixture, the air mass to be supplied is increased, and the mixture of air and fuel is leaned to generate a first torque reserve. In the event of a positive torque request, the fuel mass that is to be supplied for enriching the air-fuel mixture is increased.
Owing to the increase in the air mass and the thereby resulting leaning of the air-fuel mixture, a first torque reserve is generated; and then in the event of a positive torque request, the reserved torque is retrieved through the targeted increase in the fuel mass. In particular, a leaning of the mixture is achieved in that if the fuel mass that is made available for use and/or supplied is held constant (e.g., by holding constant the injection period), the air mass is increased. The result is that the output torque of the engine is not changed, but the air-fuel mixture is leaner; and at the same time a significant savings in fuel is achieved in the idle speed mode. Only on the basis of a torque request is the requested torque actually made available within a very short time by enriching the lean mixture of air and fuel to a value in the range of lambda=1. However, it is also contemplated to increase merely the air mass at a disproportionate rate to the fuel mass; then the result would be a simultaneous increase in the current engine torque.
A torque request arises, for example, on a routine basis in the idling mode, when in this case the servo-supported steering is actuated; or the consumers, like the air conditioning system, are switched on. The method, according to the invention, is especially suitable for adjusting an idling speed that is to be held constant. Other torque requests arise in the normal driving mode, when, for example, the gear is to be shifted in an automated manner. Even in the overrun mode a torque reserve is preferably always generated in order to be able to react, if possible without any delay, to the driver's corresponding wishes (load request). So that the torque reserve may be made available for use in all situations, in which a corresponding torque reserve is desired, the operation of the internal combustion engine is monitored by use of a number of different operating parameters, so that when the appropriate operating parameters that signal a pending retrieval of the torque are present, a torque reserve is generated. In all cases the method, according to the invention, guarantees an instantaneous response of the internal combustion engine, and a distinct savings in fuel is achieved, as compared to the prior art methods.
In an especially preferred embodiment of the invention, another torque reserve is achieved in that, if at the same time that the ignition angle is shifted in the retard direction, the fuel mass that is to be made available for use is increased as the air mass increases in an analogous manner. Therefore, if at a constant fuel mass a higher torque reserve is requested than is possible by increasing the air mass owing to the burning limit, the fuel mass is increased in a manner analogous to the air mass that also continues to increase; and at the same time the ignition angle is shifted in the retard direction.
In the event of a fast torque request (or rather in the event that a torque request is to be implemented quickly), the ignition angle is shifted then—viewed temporally—preferably in the early direction at constant lean lambda (lambda>1) until the respective torque-optimized ignition angle (corresponding to the lambda that is set) is set. Not until then is additional fuel supplied until a lambda in the range of lambda=1 is set.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method for controlling an internal combustion engine

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


The image retrieving method causes image processing information concerning image processing performed on an image to be output as a processed image and data for retrieval for the image to correspond to each other and registers them in the database in advance for each of images in an order corresponding to that of arrangement of frames of a film, and further registers the data for retrieval even for unprocessed images in the database in the order. The method, upon reprocessing, reads from the film a plurality of images including an image to be reprocessed, calculates data for retrieval for the plurality of images thus input, and retrieves the image processing information for the image to be reprocessed from the database using the data for retrieval for the image to be reprocessed and for an image in at least one of frames adjacent to the image to be reprocessed on the film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technical field of a print system for outputting a print (photograph) on which an image photographed on a film is reproduced, and in particular, to an image retrieval method allowing an image on a print made on the occasion of film processing and that on a reprint to suitably match each other in such a print system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up to now, so-called direct exposure for projecting an image on a film onto a photosensitive material (photographic paper) and then performing exposure on the photosensitive material has been a main technique in printing of an image photographed on a photographic film (hereinafter, referred to simply as a film) such as a negative film or a reversal film onto a photosensitive material.
On the other hand, a printer utilizing digital exposure, that is, a digital photographic printer has recently been put into practical use. In the digital photographic printer, an image recorded on a film is photoelectrically read. The read image is converted to a digital signal, which is then subjected to various image processing operations so as to obtain image data for recording. A photosensitive material is subjected to scanning exposure with recording light which has been modulated in accordance with the obtained image data so as to record an image (latent image), thereby obtaining a (finished) print.
The digital photographic printer basically includes: a scanner (image reader) for making reading light incident on a film and reading its projected light so as to photoelectrically read an image recorded on the film; an image processor for performing predetermined processing on image data read by the scanner or image data supplied from a digital camera or the like so as to obtain image data for image recording, that is, an exposure condition; a printer (image recorder) for performing scanning exposure on a photosensitive material, for example, by light beam scanning in accordance with the image data output from the image processor so as to record a latent image; and a processor (developing unit) for performing development processing on the photosensitive material exposed by the printer so as to obtain a (finished) print on which the image is reproduced.
In such a digital photographic printer, images can be processed as digital image data to adjust images, so various operations including the correction of washed-out highlights and flat (dull) shadows due to the taking of pictures with rear light or an electronic flash, sharpening, and the like can be performed in an effective manner to produce prints of the high quality that has been unattainable by the conventional direct exposure.
Moreover, according to the digital photographic printer, even an image photographed by a digital camera or the like can be output as a print.
Not only in such a digital photographic printer but also an analog photographic printer utilizing direct exposure, for a print output from an image photographed on a film, so-called reprinting for reoutputting an image (frame) which has already been printed once as a print is often performed in accordance with the request of a reprint and the like.
In this case, unless a modification is otherwise indicated, it is required that the image reproduced on a previously output print (normally, a print made on the occasion of film processing for reproducing and outputting an image photographed on a photographic film) and the image on a reprint match each other.
However, due to differences in decisions or operations by operators, the previous print and the reprint have often different image colors and densities, leading to many customer complaints.
In order to cope with this problem, for example, a print system allowing a reorder to be placed without dealing with a film has been proposed in JP 09-55834 A or JP 09-179211 A.
In addition, a printing system for efficiently performing the retrieval of image processing information is disclosed in, for example, JP 2000-222437 A and JP 2001-7965 A. Furthermore, an image retrieval device is disclosed in JP 2001-52175 in which a plurality of characteristic amounts are extracted to produce a characteristic vector which is used to retrieve an image similar to the target image from the reference image database where data of plural reference images is stored.
In these prior art documents, image processing is performed during reprinting under the same image processing conditions as those of the printing with film processing so as to obtain the identical image in the reprint and the print made on the occasion of film processing. For this purpose, the image processing conditions of the printing with film processing are recorded in a database along with its image data, so that the database is retrieved during the reprinting so as to fetch out the image processing conditions of the printing with film processing.
However, the conventional image retrieval method has disadvantages in low retrieval performance, retrieval errors due to frame detection errors (positional shift of a frame), and degradation of retrieval efficiency due to a difference in retrieval conditions between printing with film processing and reprinting.


The present invention relates to a process for preparing antimicrobial plastics compositions comprising a thermoplastic, particularly of thermoplastic elastomer, and at least one pulverulent antimicrobial active ingredient, specifically from the group of the bis(4-amino-1-pyridinium)alkanes, and to the use of this plastics composition for catheters and other medical-technology products.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a process for preparation of antimicrobial plastics compositions comprising a thermoplastic, particularly of thermoplastic elastomer, and of at least one pulverulent antimicrobial active ingredient, specifically from the group of the bis(4-amino-1-pyridinium) alkanes, and to the use of this plastics composition for catheters and other medical-technology products.
2. Description of Related Art
Numerous studies have shown that coagulase-negative staphylococci, the transient microbe Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermis and various Candida species have heretofore been the main causes of catheter-associated infections. During application of the catheter, these microorganisms, which are ubiquitously present on the skin, penetrate the physiological barrier of the skin and thus reach the subcutaneous region and eventually the bloodstream. Adhesion of the bacteria to the plastics surface is regarded as an essential step in the pathenogenesis of foreign-body infections. Adhesion of the cutaneous organisms to the polymer surface is followed by the start of metabolically active proliferation of the bacteria with colonization of the polymer. This is associated with production of a biofilm through bacterial excretion of extracellular glycocalix.
Pre-, peri- or post-operative measures (e.g. hygiene measures, etc.) are only a partial solution to these problems. A rational strategy for prevention of polymer-associated infections involves a modification of the polymeric materials used. The aim of such a modification generally involves inhibition of the adhesion of bacteria and, respectively, of proliferation of existing adherent bacteria, for causal prevention of foreign-body infections. By way of example, this can be achieved by incorporating a suitable chemotherapeutic agent into the polymer matrix (e.g. antibiotics and antiseptics), provided that the incorporated active ingredient can also diffuse out of the polymer matrix. In this case, it is possible to extend the release of the antimicrobial active ingredient over a prolonged period, and thus the processes of adhesion of microbes or, more precisely, adhesion of bacteria and, respectively, their proliferation on the polymer can correspondingly be inhibited for a prolonged period.
There are previously known methods for preparing antimicrobially modified polymers. The microbicides in such processes are applied onto the surface or onto a surface layer or introduced into the polymeric material. The following techniques have been described for thermoplastic polyurethanes, which are particularly used for medical applications:    a) adsorption on the polymer surface (passively or via surfactants)    b) introduction into a polymer coating which is applied on the surface of a molding    c) incorporation into the bulk phase of the polymeric substrate material    d) covalent bonding to the polymer surface    e) mixing with a polyurethane-forming component prior to the reaction to give the finished polymer.
The prior art examined below concerns incorporation of active ingredients into the bulk phase of the polymeric substrate material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,677 describes blends composed of TPU which are preferably used for production of multiple-lumen vascular catheters. It is said that the moldings can also comprise an antimicrobial active ingredient, which can have been bulk-distributed in one of the polyurethanes prior to processing in the melt.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,790 describes thermoplastic resins which comprise antimicrobial or fungistatic active ingredients, where the polymer contains a polyether chain as unit. Active ingredients that could be used would include pyridines, among organic compounds, but these are not specified as examples.
EP 927 222 B1 describes the introduction of antithrombically or antibiotically active substances into the reaction mixture for preparation of a TPU.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,825 describes polymers, among which are polyurethanes, in which biocides and, respectively, antimicrobial agents (specific description being exclusively of plant ingredients) have been dispersed, the amount being sufficient to suppress the growth of microorganisms coming into contact with the polymer. This can be optimized via addition of an agent which regulates the migration and/or release of the biocide. Naturally occurring substances such as vitamin E are mentioned. Food packaging is the main application.
JP 08-157641 describes a process for preparation of antimicrobial materials via kneading, in the melt, of a polymer, among which is polyurethane, the specific surface area of the polymer being greater than or equal to 17 cm2/g, with a pulverulent active ingredient, preferably chlorhexidine.
CN 1528470 A describes a process for production of a medical anti-infection insertion guide tube for catheters composed of polyurethane, where a masterbatch termed a mother material, which comprises the antimicrobial agent, is mixed with the PU raw material and is extruded to give the molding.
A feature common to all of the processes mentioned supra is that at least one antimicrobial active ingredient is incorporated into the melt of the polymeric substrate material, and the time-limited long-term action of the antimicrobial modification of the moldings made of polymeric material, (in particular of medical products during use on or in a patient) is optimized. However, there is no satisfactorily secure and simultaneous provision in the prior art of such features together with an ability to minimize the risk of initial microbial infection of the molding itself or microbial infection of humans and animals via the molding.
The medical products discussed above are mainly used intracorporally. By way of example and as described supra, catheters penetrate the surface of the body for the entire period of their use and therefore pose particularly high risk of microbial infection. The risk of initial infection via introduction of medical products into the body due to microbial contamination has not yet been sufficiently reduced via the known methods of antimicrobial modification.
Conventional active ingredients generally are in the form of fine powders. Only very small amounts of the active ingredients are typically needed in the plastic for the desired action on the plastics surface. A requirement has therefore been precise metering of small amounts of the antimicrobially active substances coupled with the presence of these substances in fine dispersion at identical concentration in every region of the medical product.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Process for preparation of antimicrobial plastics compositions


A friction control device includes a slotted shield through which an active material layer selectively expands. A system includes a second component movable with respect to a first component; a friction control device between the first component and the second component, the friction control device including: an active material layer; and a slotted shield through which the active material layer selectively expands through. A method for controlling a frictional interface between a first component and a second component, includes selectively expanding an active material through a multiple of slots.

The present disclosure relates generally to methods and devices for controlling and varying frictional force levels at an interface.
Various systems utilize actuators to control friction at an interface such as within a clutch, brakes, bearings, suspension, steering and others. Such actuators may be complicated and relatively heavy in weight. Further, other operational or functional requirements such as limited packaging space may prevent effective control of frictional force levels.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A canine gait analyzer is used in connection with a treadmill. A sensor assembly includes a plurality of overlapping sensor panels, each having a pressure transducer array connected to a circuit board with conductive traces. An elastomer sheet with carbon-graphite dampens the dog's pawsteps, and is electrically grounded for static electric charge. The sensor assembly is held fast between the belt inner surface and the treadmill bed with a J bracket. The sensor panel edge extends downward on the side of the frame. A C-shaped side cover is attached to the frame and covers the sensor panel edge having the circuit boards. A motor speed controller is connected to the motor, the circuit boards, and to a computer.

It is well known that dogs have an uncanny ability to compensate for an injured limb. A dog with a missing limb can maintain sufficient capability to keep up with a pack of healthy dogs. A dog with lameness in one leg can compensate so well that it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to tell which leg is lame.
Current techniques used to identify lameness in a clinical setting are through visual observation, manual manipulation, x-ray and MRI test. The problem with these methods is the need to first determine which specific limb is the one that is manifesting either primary or secondary lameness. Experienced veterinary clinicians often fail to correctly identify the proper limb. It is reported that 1 in 5 dogs that enter a veterinary clinic have undetected lameness, and are therefore not treated. Until recently there were only three objective methods for identifying lameness. One was with expensive and time consuming 3D video. The other was by walking the dog in multiple passes over a force plate, and analyzing the data. Both of these methods are difficult to use and are highly inaccurate.
The third method is an over ground system using a long pressure sensor matrix laid under a carpeted walkway, which in recent years has proven to be highly accurate and easier to use in both research and clinical practice. While this method works well with humans in a clinical setting, it is less practical for use with dogs in clinical settings. In particular, the dog must walk at a constant, specified rate, and not stop, slow, or stray off the walkway.
Apparatus and methods for analyzing the gait of humans are known in the art. An example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,585, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. While this system particularly relates to an over ground system for human patients, it has been adapted for use by four-legged animals, and specifically for use by dogs.
One way to overcome the problem of walking at a constant, specified rate is to utilize a treadmill. The treadmill can be adjusted to a specific rate of speed. The dog can be guided and controlled so as to walk centered on the treadmill. What is needed is to adapt the pressure sensor matrix apparatus, method, and software for use on a treadmill.
Accordingly there is a need to provide a canine gait analyzer that is user-friendly and that accurately identifies lameness without trained clinician expertise.
There is a further need to provide a canine gait analyzer of the type described and that works reliably for use with dogs in clinical settings.
There is a yet further need to provide a canine gait analyzer of the type described and which can be adapted for use on any commercially available treadmill, thereby avoiding the problems associated with the prior art.
There is a still further need to provide a canine gait analyzer of the type described and which can be manufactured at high quality in a cost-effective manner.


A probe comprises a resistive element configured to be brought into thermal contact with an entity to be sensed. A measurement system applies a plurality of heating pulses to the resistive element by driving an electrical current through the resistive in element and measures an electrical response of the resistive element to the heating pulses in order to determine information about either or both of the composition and state of the entity. The measurement system generates an output signal using the measured electrical response, wherein the output signal is generated by progressively offsetting the measured electrical response such that, in the event of an average temperature of the resistive element changing between different heating pulses due to a drift in the average temperature of a portion of the entity being sensed, a variance over the plurality of heating pulses of a value of the output signal at a predetermined common reference point within each heating pulse is reduced.

Liquids such as lubricating and cooling oils, hydraulic fluid and fuel are regularly required to be replaced/filtered as they degrade or become contaminated, in order to avoid unnecessary damage to machines that rely on the liquids. Degradation can occur via oxidation due to exposure to high temperature, the addition of debris (metallic or non-metallic) or another fluid and/or aging of the fluid.
Continuous oil condition monitoring of machinery and lubricant testing is fast becoming the established method of predicting and avoiding impending machinery breakdown. Real time sensors that operate based on monitoring the dielectric constant of a liquid are known. The dielectric constant is a measure of the ability of a fluid to resist an electrical field. These sensors work well in detecting water contamination as oil and water have very different dielectric values. A major drawback is that they are temperature dependant. Other known sensors operate based on various optical techniques, such as infrared spectrometry or particle sizing. Inductive coil magnetometry systems have also been deployed where ferrous and non-ferrous particles are identified and quantified. This approach is advantageous in that it makes it possible to track the progress of debris contamination. In-line X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is being developed for use in sensors. Capacitive sensors have also been developed where water saturation can be detected.
Detection of the composition of samples which are not liquids can require expensive, time-consuming and/or destructive analysis techniques. For example, X-rays can be used to analyse the internal structure of objects. However, X-ray equipment can be expensive and bulky. Objects can be broken up to see the internal structure but this may involve irreversible damage to the object. Objects having a complex chemical structure may be broken up and chemical analysis techniques may be used to determine the chemical composition. The chemical analyses may take considerable time and are expensive to perform.
WO 2016/097723 A1 discloses apparatus and methods for detecting compositional information based on thermal measurements. The disclosed approach provides a low cost alternative to the methods discussed above that is less sensitive to temperature variations. It would be desirable however to improve accuracy, measurement speed and/or hardware requirements.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a sensing apparatus, comprising: a probe comprising a resistive element configured to be brought into thermal contact with an entity to be sensed; a measurement system configured to apply a plurality of heating pulses to the resistive element by driving an electrical current through the resistive element and to measure an electrical response of the resistive element to the heating pulses in order to determine information about either or both of the composition and state of the entity, wherein the measurement system is configured to generate an output signal using the measured electrical response, wherein the output signal is generated by progressively offsetting the measured electrical response such that, in the event of an average temperature of the resistive element changing between different heating pulses due to a drift in the average temperature of a portion of the entity being sensed, a variance over the plurality of heating pulses of a value of the output signal at a predetermined common reference point within each heating pulse is reduced.


A nonvolatile analog memory uses pairs of ferroelectric field effect transistors (FFETs). Each pair is defined by a first FFET and a second FFET. When an analog value is to be stored in one of the pairs, the first FFET has a saturation voltage applied thereto, and the second FFET has a storage voltage applied thereto that is indicative of the analog value. The saturation and storage voltages decay over time in accordance with a known decay function that is used to recover the original analog value when the pair of FFETs is read.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to nonvolatile memory devices. More specifically, the invention is a nonvolatile analog memory and method of using same to store and retrieve analog data.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a continuing need to increase the density of memory storage devices. The number of bytes per square centimeter is of great importance to digital device manufacturers as is the ability to retain the stored data without power being applied thereto. Currently, data is stored in a digital fashion with digital data typically being stored in CMOS circuits, RAM circuits, FLASH memory circuits, or ferroelectric memory circuits.
Standard CMOS digital memory is static and utilizes six transistors to store 1-bit of data. Dynamic RAM can store 1-bit using only three transistors, but these transistors must be refreshed every few milliseconds. Further, both static and dynamic RAM are volatile and cannot store data without power being applied thereto. For nonvolatile memory applications, FLASH memory is the most widely used technology as it can store 1-bit of data using a single transistor. However, FLASH memory is limited to use as an offline data storage device because the time it takes to write data thereto is considerably longer than the time required to write to other conventional memory devices. Furthermore, FLASH memory has a finite number of "write" cycles associated therewith thereby making FLASH memory an impractical choice for the dynamic storage of computer data. Ferroelectric memory is developing technology that currently is used to store 1-bit per cell.
While analog storage circuits are known, storing data in analog fashion has not been generally accepted as a viable alternative to digital data storage since analog signals usually disappear whenever power is removed from an analog storage circuit. Although ferroelectric transistors have shown promise as a means to store an analog signal for a relatively long period of time, the voltage stored on current ferroelectric transistors (i.e., indicative of the analog signal) experiences some voltage decay over time thereby negating the value of ferroelectric transistors as a building block for nonvolatile memory.

United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


An exemplary illuminator assembly includes light emitting diode (LED) chips and reflective pyramids. The LED chips are arranged in an array and capable of emitting light. The reflective pyramids are arranged in an array complementary to the array of LED chips. Each LED chip is arranged among a plurality of the plurality of reflective pyramids, and each reflective pyramid is arranged among a plurality of the plurality of LED chips. The reflective pyramids include a plurality of reflective surfaces, and the reflective surfaces are inclined to the LED chips and thereby capable of reflecting at least some of the light beams emitted from the LED chips such that the reflected light beams propagate in directions that are closer to a direction normal to the arrays than the directions of said some of the light beams prior to their reflection.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an illuminator assembly and a liquid crystal display (LCD) employing the illuminator assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Liquid crystal displays are commonly used as display devices for compact electronic apparatuses, not only because they provide good quality images but also because they are very thin.
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are commonly used in liquid crystal displays for providing light. A typical LED has a limited range of angles of divergence of light emitted therefrom, due to structural limitations inherent in the LED. In general, a number of LEDs are needed to achieve sufficient brightness for the entire image that is viewed on the screen at the front of the liquid crystal display. As a result, the LEDs may collectively generate an unduly large amount of heat in the liquid crystal display.
What is needed, therefore, is an illuminator assembly that can overcome the described limitation. What is also needed is a liquid crystal display employing the illuminator assembly.

Illuminator assembly with reflective pyramids and liquid crystal display with same


The present invention discloses a transmitter, a receiver, and a method for receiving and transmitting a radio frequency signal, and relates to the field of radio communications technologies, which can perform carrier recovery and generation at a front end of a radio frequency circuit, thereby reducing a running cost of a baseband chip. The method includes: generating, by an amplitude discriminator/phase detector according to an intermediate-frequency analog signal, a signal amplitude pulse signal/signal phase pulse signal that is not corrected; generating, by a bit error matrix corrector, an amplitude/phase correction control signal; correcting, by the amplitude discriminator/phase detector, the signal amplitude pulse signal/signal phase pulse signal according to the amplitude/phase correction control signal; and converting, by an amplitude code generator/phase code generator, a corrected pulse signal into a corresponding digital code. The present invention is applicable to receiving/transmitting a radio frequency signal.

In an existing communications system, a baseband chip and a radio frequency circuit typically need to work in collaboration, where the radio frequency circuit is generally responsible for transmitting or receiving a radio frequency signal, and the baseband chip is generally responsible for performing a series of processing on the radio frequency signal; for example, on a transmitter, the baseband chip may encode an audio signal into a radio frequency signal to be transmitted, and on a receiver, the baseband chip may decode a received radio frequency signal into an audio signal. Moreover, the baseband chip also has a signal processing function, such as encoding/decoding address information, text information, and picture information.
The baseband chip further has an important function, which is performing, by using a series of complex algorithms, processing such as carrier recovery or carrier generation on a signal that passes through a radio frequency circuit, so as to correct an error of a signal, thereby ensuring accuracy of a radio frequency signal that is transmitted/received by the radio frequency circuit. An example is described as follows:
As shown in FIG. 1a, which is a radio frequency circuit architecture in the prior art, a receiver and a transmitter are integrated together and are connected to a same baseband chip, so that the baseband chip performs processing such as carrier recovery or carrier generation on a signal that passes through the receiver and the transmitter. For example, as shown in FIG. 1b, which is a general processing procedure for performing carrier recovery on a signal by a baseband chip, where the baseband chip obtains a phase error according to an error that is obtained by a phase detector by performing detection, and after performing processing according to corresponding algorithms by using a loop filter and a digital oscillator, outputs an error-corrected phase signal.

Transmitter, receiver, and method for receiving and transmitting a radio frequency signal


An enteral feeding catheter (5) that provides access to both the stomach and the jejunum for feeding, aspiration and decompression. The catheter includes a dual lumen “D” tube (30) that joins to an external “Y” connector (25) at the proximal end of the tube. The connector serves both lumens as a source for fluid or aspiration. The gastric lumen (37) and the jejunal lumen (38) of the “D” tube both connect to a transitional connector bolus in the stomach. The gastric lumen of the “D” tube joins with a lumen in the transitional bolus that communicates with a gastric port (27). The gastric port is recessed to the level of its full internal lumen, thereby providing maximum protection against occlusion and maximum area for outflow. The “D” jejunal lumen connects in the bolus with a lumen that transitions from a “D” shape to a full circle shape. The latter provides for the attachment of a smaller, round, single lumen tube that extends into the jejunum. At the distal end of the jejunal tube is a bolus (11) containing an improved port that is also recessed to the level of the floor of the internal tube lumen to provide maximum protection against occlusion and maximum area for outflow. Both the gastric port in the transitional bolus and the jejunal port in the tip bolus may include a structural arch protruding radially outwardly therefrom. An arch is effective to prevent the body segment of either bolus from bending and restricting the ports. The invention also provides for the insertion of the tube over a guidewire (21) rather than with an internal stylet, as is normally the case with nasally inserted tubes.

Prior art catheter and bolus inventions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,594,074, 5,451,216, 5,599,322 and 5,810,787. U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,074, for example, addresses catheter bolus construction as it relates to both aspiration and outflow. The side walls of the bolus at the bolus port are recessed to a height of no more than one half of the internal diameter (ID) of the bolus passage. Lowering the walls below this minimum level would result in bending of the tube. Practically speaking, in the preferred embodiment of this particular catheter bolus, the height of the side the walls bracketing the bolus port must actually be at the full height of the bolus passage.
The three other patents referred to describe a catheter which allows the side walls of the bolus to have a height which is less than one half of the outside diameter of the body. This is accomplished by using side walls that have a continuously curving slope and by providing a body segment that includes a structural arch component protruding radially outward therefrom. This design provides a recessed, protected port that is larger than the port in the catheter bolus of Pat. No. 4,594,074 while still preventing the bolus from kinking and restricting the port.
The tip boluses disclosed in all of these patents are what are referred to as "smooth" boluses. They are glued over the tube. Usually, the socket of the bolus has walls that are 0.015 inches thick. The tip bolus is slightly larger than the tube, but only as large as is necessary to form the gluing socket. For an example, a 12FR feeding tube has an outside diameter of 0.158 inches. The OD of the 12FR smooth tip bolus is 0.188, or 0.030 larger than the tube so as to incorporate the socket walls. Thus, the bolus thickness OD is increased to slightly more than that of a 14FR tube (0.184 inches). This increase in thickness from tube to bolus is not important in a nasogastric feeding tube because the tube can easily be passed through the nose, and the size of the tube remaining in the nares is the major factor in patient comfort.
Some nasogastric feeding tube designs have tip boluses that are purposefully made much larger than the tubing for operational purposes. These designs are referred to as "large" boluses or "fat" boluses and are designed provide a shape which is ideal for gripping by peristalsis. Fat boluses are commonly attached to 8FR, 10FR and 12FR tubes and have outside diameters of 0.230 inches, which is considerably larger than even the OD of a 12FR tube, for example.
Difficulty of insertion and clogging of the catheter have heretofore restricted the use of gastric/jejunal feeding tubes or catheters. However, it is generally recognized that jejunal placement is preferred over gastric or duodenally placed catheters. Duodenal placement solves some of the problems of pulmonary aspiration, but the incidence of such aspiration is still 20%. Tubes pull out of the duodenum easily and feeding material leaks back into the stomach. In contrast, the jejunum has strong peristalsis resisting pull-out, and the curves leading to it from the stomach also help resist inadvertent removal.

Radius International Limited Partnership


An internal combustion engine includes an injection system that is configured as a high-pressure accumulator system in which the number of parts is small and the injection system can be easily assembled. The connecting fittings for the connection of the high-pressure lines are laterally offset with respect to the appertaining injection valves and in that the absolute magnitude of said offset is identical for all injection valves of a row of cylinders of the internal combustion engine.

Such an internal combustion engine is known from German patent application DE 199 365 34 A1. This internal combustion engine has a tubular high-pressure accumulator that is attached to the internal combustion engine. The special feature of this tubular high-pressure accumulator is that a continuous connection strip is shaped onto the high-pressure accumulator or else there are connection fittings shaped on that are configured with such a width that the bores for connecting the high-pressure lines can be positioned at different places of the connection fittings. As a result, it should be possible to use a high-pressure accumulator part for similar internal combustion engines.

Internal combustion engine provided with an accumulator injection system


An etalon-based mid-infrared probe can be configured for spectroscopic tissue discrimination, such as between non-normal (e.g., cancerous) and normal (e.g., healthy) tissue. A broadband light source can be applied to the etalon to generate fringes at spectroscopic wavelengths of interest, which can be delivered to a tissue specimen via a fiber loop probe. A response signal can be spectral dispersed across a parallel array of detector pixels, such as using a diffraction grating, and signal processed for performing the tissue classification. A learning model can be trained, using full IR spectral data, for applying a reduced set of wavelengths for performing the spectroscopic tissue analysis and classification.

Coe et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2019/0110687 A1 entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE DISCRIMINATION OF TISSUES USING A FAST INFRARED CANCER PROBE, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, and which published on Apr. 18, 2019, relates to using an infrared (IR) probe and discriminating software to rapidly discriminate normal non-cancerous tissue from abnormal cancerous tissue.

Etalon mid-infrared probe for spectroscopic tissue discrimination


Television system video conferencing is described. In an embodiment, a television-based client device receives program content from a content provider via an IP-based network to display a program for viewing. The client device generates video conference data to participate in a video conference session with one or more additional television-based client devices over the IP-based network. The client device communicates the video conference data to the content provider for association and distribution to the additional client devices, and receives incoming video conference data over a virtual channel designated for the video conference session. The incoming video conference data is hosted by the one or more additional client devices and is received from the content provider via the IP-based network. The client device then renders the incoming video conference data for television system video conferencing.

Video conferencing is utilized for the communication of video images and audio between two or more participants of a video conference, and is increasingly used for such events as long-distance education courses, telemedicine, global business needs, and similar video conferencing applications. Video conferencing can be conducted via a PC to PC connection with video conferencing devices, such as a microphone and a Webcam, connected to input the audio and video data to the computing device and/or directly through a broadband connection.
Video conferencing systems that are commercially available today are typically for education and business applications, but are not economical for home or individual use. Individual subscribers to television-based services that are implemented via two-way networks, such as an IP-based network, can utilize interactive applications such as chat or instant messaging applications. However, such two-way interaction is limited to text and/or audio data, and there is currently not a provision for video image communication via a television-based service.


A device includes first and second standard cells in a layout of an integrated circuit, and first and second active regions. The first standard cell includes an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection unit, and the second standard cell includes first and second transistors that connect to the ESD protection unit. The first active region includes first, second, and third source/drain regions. The first standard cell includes a first gate arranged across the first active region; and a second gate that is separated from the first gate and is arranged across the first active region and the second active region. The first gate, the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region together correspond to a third transistor of the ESD protection unit. The second gate, the second source/drain region and the third source/drain region together correspond to the first transistor.

At input and output nodes of an integrated circuit, a sudden flow of electricity could occur due to a discharge of accumulated static charges, which is the so-called electrostatic discharge (ESD). Because high currents and voltages resulting from electrostatic discharge can easily cause permanent damage to the integrated circuit, adequate protection mechanisms are necessary.

Device including integrated electrostatic discharge protection component

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


A color filter forming method, includes: forming a bank on a substrate; making the substrate and part or all of the bank lyophilic; and coating a liquid repellent on part or all of an upper surface of the bank.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a manufacturing method of a color filter using an inkjet method.
2. Related Art
In color filter formation according to the inkjet method, pattern microminiaturization is carried on through a concave partition member (hereinafter referred to as the "bank") disposed on a substrate. To store a filter material (hereinafter referred to as the "ink") ejected by the inkjet method in a concavity (hereinafter referred to as the "bank groove") which is formed by the bank and the substrate, the bank is liquid repellent and the substrate is lyophilic so as to prevent the ink from flowing over the bank (for example, as disclosed in JP-A-2001-272527).
JP-A-11-272527 is an example of related art.
However, when the bank is made liquid repellent, the ink ejected from an inkjet head shrinks due to the liquid repellency of the bank and becomes round, whereby a color in a vicinity of a center of the bank presents heavy density while a color in the vicinity of the bank presents light density, thus vitiating performance as a color filter.