In a system including electronic mail facilities made available to attached users, means are provided to enable user using any terminal connected to the system network to select a form among prestored document forms, fill said form in and then have said form mailed for approval by system users selected based on predefined and stored rules. The approval path is being permanently updated by the system. The system is made to filter access to the filled-in forms using prestored tables, and monitor the mailing and processing said filled-in forms for approval.

Electronic mailing systems are now currently used within an increasing number of companies. Such a system enables users to exchange very quickly a lot of information using simple notes or more elaborate documents.
But documents which must be signed or approved are in most cases handled the archaic way. So every step in the process involves human intervention. The originator of the document must have a copy of the form. He gets copies of form from central stores which have to be administrated. Often he keeps copies for later use and risks using an outdated version of the form. When filling-in the form very little help is available and of course no error checking can be done. The form can often be confusing and difficult to complete, because cost considerations lead to the creation of multipurpose forms which can be used in all instances. A more elaborate form filling system has been disclosed in European application No. 0,269,875 wherein shell forms are processed.
Once the form is completed, the originator has to get it approved. The approval process can be simple (for instance approval by the originator s manager), in that case, a simple electronic mail forwarding operation would do the job.
But in most instances the requirements are more complex and several levels of management or functional approvals may be required, e.g. by a Financial Analyst, a Budget Controller, etc. . . . Often the approval process depends on data filled into the form: e.g. for a purchase order if the amount of a purchase requested doesn't exceed a given value, one level of management is sufficient, otherwise two levels of management are necessary, for instance. Also because of management decisions, approval rules for a given form can be changed without the form itself being changed.
With a conventional system, when the originator passes the document to the first approver (e.g. his manager) to get his signature (i.e. approval), he has lost control of it. He cannot be sure where the document is or who has it or if the document is hand carried or forwarded through internal mail. This prevails for any step in the approval process: first approver looses control upon transferring the document to the second approver and so on. Often approvers have to keep a paper copy of the document before passing it to the next approver.
In some instances approval has to be given by a delegate, but people may not know who the delegate is.
The approver list may also need to be modified during the approval process: an approver can be replaced by his manager, the order of approval can be changed or more information may be requested by an approver from another approver who has already signed.
Finally, all documents issued from forms and approved reach the person or the department who has to process and execute the request. First, checking must be done: data checking and approval process checking.
Then, if all is correct, action is taken such as keying the data into an operational system.
Generally, no information is returned to the originator. He has to wait until his request is satisfied, or he has to get information by phone or mail.
The documents are to be kept not only during all the time the involved approval process is running, but also after that, during a retention period fixed for each form.
All known systems, however, lack efficient means for monitoring filled-in forms (herein referred to as documents), dynamically and electronically computing any approval path to be followed by a specific form based on its contents when filled-in, and controlling said path as well as filtering any request for access to filled-in documents based on the requestor's function within the user's organization.

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention uses a hologram superimposed on a traditional picture such as a photograph or printed picture. The hologram is more viewable at certain angle ranges than at others. This allows the hologram image, the picture or a combination of both to be seen at different angles, thus allowing different visual effects. In a preferred embodiment a pre-made multi-channel hologram is superimposed over a user's portrait photograph taken in a photo booth. The multi-channel hologram is aligned with the photograph so that by varying the viewing angle of the combined picture and hologram an interesting, entertaining or educational effect, such as transforming, or "morphing," the user's face into another face or image, is seen. For example, a portrait photograph of the user can morph into an animal's face, a skeleton, a scary beast, etc. The morphing, or transformation, effect is easily achieved by insuring that the hologram image is substantially aligned with the portrait photograph. For example, the eyes of the user's face in the portrait photograph must match up with the eyes in the multi-channel hologram. The multi-channel hologram is affixed to the photograph to produce the device. In one embodiment, a "frame" in the multi-channel hologram is blank (i.e., fully transparent) so that the photograph can be seen without obstruction at some angle. Other frames show successive phases of the morph. To view the morphing effect, the viewer merely moves the combined photo and hologram device from side to side, or up and down, so that the morphing effect is observed as the facial image is progressively obscured by images of the multi-channel hologram. This creates a visual effect of having the photograph morph, or change, into the holographic image and vice versa.

A typical use for a hologram is to convey three dimensional image information. The image can be an object, collection of objects, scene, person or any visual image. Holograms can be created from optical or computer effects so that the image need not be derived from a physical object. Early holograms were intended to be viewed as a singular visual effect.
Holograms are useful as security measures. In some cases a small hologram is affixed to an object, such as a credit card. Additionally, a hologram may be embossed upon, or otherwise made integral with, a picture as in a driver's license. In both of these cases the purpose of the hologram is to ensure security. That is, the hologram is used to prevent someone from easily duplicating the credit card or driver's license. It is important in each of these cases that the hologram remain unobtrusive so as not to obscure information in the picture or on the card. In the case of the credit card, the hologram is made very small and located toward the edge of the credit card. This is desirable because it allows more of the surface of the credit card to be used for account and identification information. Where a hologram is embossed onto, or into, a driver's license the hologram is highly transparent such that its appearance is very subtle and the driver's license information and photograph can be seen through the hologram with very little distortion or obstruction.
Holograms are also important for their entertainment value. Since holograms are still relatively uncommon they provide entertainment as a curiosity or in providing the viewer with an unusual visual effect. However, a drawback with holograms is that they require much time, special equipment and expense to create. After mastering, a hologram can be more readily replicated although special equipment is still required. For this reason, holograms provided for entertainment and amusement are created from a factory and sold as ready-made curios. Because of the appeal of holograms it is desirable to create point-of-sale customized holograms or other devices exhibiting the holographic effect in a novel way.
Recently, the ability to place multiple holographic images into a multi-channel hologram and the ability to present the images one-at-a-time during the viewing of a multi-channel hologram, allows the multi-channel hologram to provide a limited degree of animation in a single object or device. For example, a multi-channel hologram of a television set can be created so that the image on the television set within the hologram can be made to animate or change as the multi-channel hologram is moved from side to side with respect to the viewer's line of sight. Such an animated three-dimensional visual effect has a high entertainment value. However, while multi-channel holograms can produce interesting animations, they are even more difficult to master than simple single-image holograms because, in addition to the mastering and replication problems of single-image holograms, animated multi-channel holograms require a great deal of care in setting up and capturing the different sequential images as separate holographic views, and in aligning the captured holographic views, or frames, as a well-coordinated animation.
Thus, it is desirable to produce a three-dimensional animated effect in a device that can be prepared in a short amount of time, such as would be popular at an entertainment venue attended by a large audience.

Image transformation of a picture by using a superimmposed hologram


A method and apparatus for characterizing light from an optical source using simplified chronocyclic tomography by modulating the phase of light from an optical source using alternating positive and negative quadratic temporal phase modulation at a desired alternating frequency Ω; generating an electric signal proportional to the optical power of the modulated light after propagation through an optical frequency resolving device, for a desired optical frequency ω; determining a time-invariant and time-varying components of the electric signal; repeating the generating and determining steps for a plurality of optical frequencies; and determining the spectral phase and spectral intensity of the light from the optical source using the time-invariant and time-varying components determined for the plurality of optical frequencies.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to the field of optical pulse characterization and, more particularly, to characterizing ultrashort optical pulses using simplified chronocyclic tomography.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traffic growth and the consequent demand for larger capacity optical data transmission systems have historically driven the increase of the per channel data rate of such systems to reduce the transmission cost per bit. Currently, 40 Gb/s transmission systems are commercially available and the feasibility of transmitting at much higher bit rates has been demonstrated.
Measuring and controlling the electric field of optical pulses is essential for ultra high bit rate transmission (e.g. 40 Gb/s+) due to the increased sensitivity to chromatic dispersion and optical nonlinearities. Measuring and controlling the electric field of optical pulses also facilitates the optimization of functions such as all-optical signal processing and nonlinear optical pulse compression.
Conventional optoelectronic photodetection and sampling are currently not capable of providing the time resolution and the phase sensitivity required to properly characterize pulses in an ultra high bit rate telecommunication environment. An effective diagnostic for optical sources in these environments requires time resolution better than 1-ps, and sub-mW sensitivity due to the low peak optical power of pulses used in telecommunication systems. Various characterization techniques have been proposed that rely on a nonlinear interaction, for example sum-frequency generation in a nonlinear crystal. These techniques however, lack the sensitivity required to operate in the telecommunication environment. Further, these techniques usually require an optical delay line, which strongly limits the measurement time of the experimental trace, therefore limiting the update rate of the measured electric field. Finally, some of these techniques are based on an iterative inversion of their experimental trace, and are therefore prone to errors or stagnation of the retrieval algorithm. There is therefore a need for techniques and experimental implementations providing reliable high sensitivity real-time measurement of the electric field of pulses in the telecommunication environment.
A simplified chronocyclic tomography technique has been proposed which allows the direct reconstruction of the electric field of a pulse from only two projections of its Wigner-Ville function. This technique is based on an analytic relation between the spectral intensity of a pulse I(ω), its spectral phase φ(ω), and the angular derivative of the frequency marginal of its rotated Wigner-Ville function. A rotation in the chronocyclic space generally requires quadratic spectral and temporal phase modulations, however, only temporal phase modulations are needed for simplified chronocyclic tomography. Specifically, the quadratic temporal phase modulations −ψt2/2 and ψt2/2 lead to a spectral intensity of the field after modulation I−ψ(ω) and Iψ(ω). The spectral intensity I(ω) and spectral phase φ(ω) can be reconstructed directly from I−ψ(ω) and Iψ(ω) according to:
                              I                                (            ω            )                          =                                            I              ave                                                  (              ω              )                                =                                                                      I                  ψ                                                                  (                  ω                  )                                            +                                                I                                      -                    ψ                                                                                (                  ω                  )                                                      2                                              (        1        )                                                      ∂                          ∂              ω                                                      [                                          I                                                  (                  ω                  )                                                                          ∂                                  ∂                  ω                                                                          {                                                      φ                                                              (                      ω                      )                                                        +                                                                                ω                                                  (                          2                          )                                                                                ω                        2                                                              4                                                  }                                      ]                          =                                            Δ                                                                                I                                                  (                  ω                  )                                                                    2                            ψ                                =                                                                      I                  ψ                                                                  (                  ω                  )                                            -                                                I                                      -                    ψ                                                                                (                  ω                  )                                                                    2                            ψ                                                          (        2        )            In Eq. 2, where φ(2) is the second order dispersion of the modulating device. It is noted that the right hand sides of the Eqs. 1 and 2 are an approximation for small modulation (ψ<<1). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that for pulses with an electric field that would not be significantly modified by the dispersion of the modulating device, Eq. 2 can be simplified by using φ(2)=0.
In practice, negative and positive quadratic temporal phase modulations can be sufficiently approximated using a phase modulator driven by a sinusoidal drive signal synchronized with light pulses from an optical source, with an adjustable timing between the pulses and the modulation. FIGS. 1a and 1b respectively represent such timing adjustment for negative and positive quadratic temporal phase modulation.
Using an implementation of simplified chronocyclic tomography based on an optical spectrum analyzer that sequentially measures the optical spectra I−ψ(ω) and Iψ(ω) (FIG. 1c), 2.4-ps pulses from a mode-locked fiber laser were accurately characterized. However, the sensitivity was limited to 1 mW. The slow measurement speed of the scanning optical spectrum analyzer also limited the overall measurement speed. Additionally, since the differential quantity ΔI(ω)=Iψ(ω)−I−ψ(ω) (FIG. 1d) in Eq. 2, is obtained by sequential measurements of the two optical spectra Iψ and I−ψ, the sensitivity of the spectral phase retrieval is limited due to the laser amplitude noise, and thermal and mechanical drifts of the laser and measurement equipment. This is, however, only a particular problem of such sequential implementation of simplified chronocyclic tomography, and the sensitivity would be greatly improved if the differential quantity ΔI(ω) could be measured directly.

Method and apparatus for optical pulse characterization using simplified chronocyclic tomography


An antenna element for signals with three polarizations and the method for operating such an antenna element are disclosed. In an embodiment the antenna element includes a first dipole element configured to emit or receive electromagnetic signals in a first polarization direction, a second dipole element configured to emit or receive electromagnetic signals in a second polarization direction, a monopole element configured to emit or receive electromagnetic signals in a third polarization direction and an antenna reflector element, wherein the first dipole element, the second dipole element and the monopole element are collocated on the antenna reflector element, and wherein the first polarization direction, the second polarization direction and the third polarization direction are all different.

Base station antennas are often mounted in high traffic metropolitan areas. As a result, compact antenna modules are favored over bulkier ones because compact modules are aesthetically pleasing (e.g., less-noticeable) as well as easier to install and service. Many base station antennas deploy arrays of antenna elements to achieve advanced antenna functionality, e.g., beamforming, etc. Accordingly, techniques and architectures for reducing the profile of an individual antenna element as well as for reducing the size (e.g., width, etc.) of the antenna element arrays are desired.

Antenna element for signals with three polarizations


When a continuous-zoom-photographing mode is selected, a through image of a subject and first and second continuous-zoom-photographing frames are produced on an image-display section. When a user operates a cross key, recorded information about a trimming position of each of the first and second continuous-zoom-photographing frames is updated according to the cross-key operation, and the first and second continuous-zoom-photographing frames are produced at the updated trimming position recorded after the update. When a shutter button is operated, still-image photographing is started and obtained image data is stored in a buffer memory. On the basis of the obtained image data, image data is generated for each of the first and second continuous-zoom-photographing frames through trimming processing and stored in the buffer memory. The obtained image data and the generated image data are stored in a flash memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup device and an image pickup method with a zoom function, where the image pickup device and the image pickup method can be used for a digital camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, an image pickup device, such as a digital camera has an optical-zooming function so that the image pickup device can zoom in on a subject and photograph the subject. Further, there have been proposed digital cameras that can bracket a focal length and photograph a subject.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. P2000-69345 discloses a camera with a zoom function. More specifically, if a release key is not pressed down by two stages and a wide-key top and/or a telescopic-key top of a zoom key is pressed down when the camera with the zoom function is in an automatic-zoom-photographing mode, photographing operations and recording operations are repetitively performed while a focal length is changed step by step. Subsequently, at least two photographed images with different viewing angles can be obtained.


A light guide (20) for illuminating keys of a keyboard or keypad of a portable electronic device, includes an array of apertures (22) and a groove (21) at one end of the light guide. The apertures are configured to illuminate the keys via a light source (10). The light source is disposed adjacent to the groove. A peripheral wall around each aperture is configured partially as a reflecting surface, and partially as a transmitting surface. The reflecting angle of the reflecting surface is larger than a critical total internal reflection angle so as to transfer the light farther. The light guide has a desired uniform light by means of a light source. This provides the portable electronic device consuming little power.

Portable electronic devices usually include keyboards or keypads so that information may be inputted to realize information exchange. When portable electronic devices are used in the dark, the keys need to be illuminated. Each individual key may be illuminated by a respective light source located directly behind the key. This arrangement is, however, very expensive since a separate light source is required for each key. Also, without carefully designed diffusers in or behind the keys, unsightly bright spots may be seen through the keys coinciding with the light source.
A more economical approach utilizes fewer light sources with the light being directed toward the keys with the aid of a light guide in the form of a transparent plate. A known light guide includes an array of apertures. A portion of each key depends or extends into the corresponding aperture so that light can be directed into the key from the light guide. Thus, some of the light is directed toward the apertures and so illuminates the keys. A drawback with this arrangement is that it does not give uniform illumination, because the lighting effect deteriorates toward the edges of the keyboard or keypad and other locations further away from the light sources.
An example of a light guide is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,083,240 and/or 5,053,928. The light guide is for a mobile phone, and defines a regular array of apertures which correspond to shaped keys. Four prismatic indentations are defined among the apertures. Each lens is disposed under each indentation in one side of the light guide, and is formed integrally with the light guide. Two square holes are provided in the middle of the light guide. Light is introduced into the light guide from distributed light sources such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) under each corresponding prismatic indentation. Each lens serves to collimate the majority of light from its associated light source into a light beam through the light guide. The indentations and the two square holes are arranged for reflecting light in a localized path substantially surrounding an area of each shaped key. Although the design of the light guide may illuminate the keys, the light guide requires more than one light source, which is an added cost and consumes more power.
Therefore, a new light guide is desired in order to overcome the above-described shortcomings.


There is disclosed a water-swellable composition that comprises a water-swellable clay, an asphalt, and at least one selected from the group consisting of temperature-sensitivity improving agents and reinforcing fillers. This water-preventing sealant can be produced relatively easily at a low cost, it is excellent in water-preventing performance, long-term stability, and self-sealing property, it has adhesiveness as well as shape-retainability and heat resistance, it is relatively low in compression impact resilience, it is excellent in ability to follow a substrate at the time of the application, and it is also excellent in applicability.

Conventionally, water-preventing sealants comprising organic materials of asphalt-series, rubber-series, and resin-series, are employed for the water leakage prevention and sealing at sections where sealing is required, for example, concrete joints, a constructed joined part between a section made of concrete and a section made of another material, or a joint part of concrete secondary products, in civil engineering and building constructions, and particularly, for water leakage prevention/sealing of subsurface constructions. Further, as other water-preventing sealants, water-preventing sealants comprising inorganic materials are known, and those that harden, such as cement-series water-preventing sealants, and those of smectite-series are used. As the smectite-series water-preventing sealants, water-preventing sealants employing a bentonite material having the property of swelling by the absorption of water, are known. The water-preventing sealant comprising a bentonite-series material is used in such a manner that, for example, a bentonite in powdery or granular form is either applied as it is, alternatively, a bentonite in powdery or granular form is loaded into a container of corrugated board, nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, or the like; a bentonite in powdery or granular form is interposed between pieces of corrugated board, nonwoven fabric, woven fabric; or a bentonite is solidified with an adhesive or a resin, to form a sealing panel, sealing sheet, or a sealing rope.
In the case of these conventional water-preventing sealants, however, because lack in amount or localization (omnipresence) of the bentonite occurred, or because the conventional water-preventing sealants neither had adhesion property or plasticity, they did not well follow structures having complicated shapes, and they could neither attain improvement in applicability nor retention of the water-preventing effect for a long period of time.
The conventional organic water-preventing sealants, that is, asphalt-series, rubber-series, and resin-series water-preventing sealants, were lowered in water-preventing performance with the passage of time, for example, owing to their deterioration by the environment where they were placed or their decomposition by bacteria in soil. Therefore, in the conventional sealants, there was a problem as a material in view of retention of the level of original water-preventing effect for a long period of time. Further, even in the case of inorganic water-preventing sealants, such as cement-series water-preventing sealants, which require curing after the application, a certain period of time are required until they are dried completely after the application, so that the influence of weather at the time of the application or after the application has to be taken into account. It put various restrictions on the execution of work. Further, none of asphalt-series, rubber-series, resin-series, and cement-series water-preventing sealants had a self-sealing property.
On the other hand, smectite-series water-preventing sealants comprising a powder or granular bentonite do not need curing, they are excellent in water-preventing performance and long-term stability, and they have a self-sealing property by absorbing water to swell and close spaces around the water-preventing sealant.
However, they had a problem that they were poor in working applicability. When the substrate surface where sealing was required was rough or had a complicated shape, such as a step, since conventional bentonite water-preventing sealants could not be brought in close contact with the substrate surface, the substrate surface was required to be made smooth prior to application of the sealants. Further, conventional bentonite water-preventing sealants did not well follow the substrate when applied, and there were spaces remained between bentonite particles in the conventional bentonite water-preventing sealants. Therefore, there existed a clearance (space) between the water-preventing sealant and the substrate, and there also existed clearances (spaces) between bentonite particles, until the bentonite absorbs water, to swell, and thus there was a problem that any water-preventing effect was not available until the water-preventing sealant swells, to close the spaces.
Accordingly in order to solve these problems of the long-term stability, the working applicability, and the water-preventing effect, water-preventing sealants formed in a bole state by kneading a bentonite and a gelled base oil are proposed (U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,568, U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,547, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,970). Since these bentonite water-preventing sealants in a bole state have plasticity and therefore can be brought in close contact with the substrate where sealing is required. The sealants in a bole state permit any space between the water-preventing sealant and the substrate, and any spaces between the bentonite particles in the water-preventing sealant, to exist minimally at the time of the application. Therefore, in the sealant in a bole state, a water-preventing effect can be expected immediately after the application, and an excellent water-preventing effect having self-sealing property owing to the swellability of bentonite, can be obtained.
These bentonite-series water-preventing sealants in a bole state have, however, the faults that the production is troublesome and that the cost is high, since a specified gelled base oil is used. Further, although their water-preventing effect is high, these sealants are still unsatisfactory on the following views. That is, the sealants in a bole state absorb water, to swell, for example, during the application, thereby making the application difficult in some cases; and, when the water-preventing sealant comes in contact with running water after they are applied, the impermeable layer of the swollen water-preventing sealant is washed away little by little, thereby lowering the water-preventing effect, in some cases.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,413 discloses sealing agents prepared by mixing well a water-swellable polymer, such as bentonite, with a viscous hydrophobic substance whose viscosity is lost upon heating, selected from among a tar-like product, bitumen, and vaseline, and a small amount of a hydrophilic substance, selected from polyhydric alcohols or water. These sealing agents adhere to a wide variety of materials, have ability to swell in water, and have plasticity. However, these sealing agents are each a soft mixture to be used by filling it in a casing or a container; for example, by packing it in a bag. Therefore, if this sealing agent is used as it is without placing it in a container or a casing, shape-retainability is poor, and further, this sealing agent becomes fluidized when heated, particularly at a high temperature.

Water-swellable compositions and sealants


A a crown molding assembly is provided. The crown molding assembly includes a wall portion and a ceiling portion meeting along a perimeter of a room or portion thereof. The crown molding assembly further includes a plurality of ceramic wall tiles secured to the wall portion proximal to the ceiling portion. A plurality of ceramic bridging tiles, each positioned adjacent one of the ceramic wall tiles, extends toward the ceiling portion. The ceramic wall tiles and the ceramic bridging tiles together form crown molding segments positioned along at least a portion of the perimeter of the room.

Crown molding is a popular architectural tool utilized to disguise the harsh juncture between ceilings and walls. Crown molding may add height to a room, create a domed-ceiling effect, and/or compliment a variety of decorating styles.
Crown molding is typically formed from a variety of wood species, from affordable, easy-to-cut softwoods like pine, poplar, and spruce, to expensive, less manageable hardwoods like oak. Long strips of such wood are conventionally used to cover the joint where the walls of a room meet the ceiling.
There continues to be a need for an alternative crown molding system that will conceal the severe transition between ceilings and walls while enhancing the architectural integrity of a space.


A method for creation of a three-dimensional image in a transparent stone comprises process steps: of curving the inside of the said transparent stone, forming space therein and providing an outer shell, making at least one designing on the surface of the said outer shell facing inside, making at least one transparent filling layer on the surface of the said outer shell facing inward, making at least one designing on the surface of the said filling layer facing inward, repeating one under the other the designing and filling layer designing as per the design on the surface of the said filling layer facing inward, connecting a at least one three-dimensional object to the inward facing surface of the filling layer at the very bottom, and closing the lower part of the stone.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for creation of images inside transparent stones.
The invention particularly relates to a method for creation of various figures in three dimensions in inner parts of precious stones and/or accessories used in jewelry.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
Processing embodiments inside and on various stones have been realized in order to create images from different designs, pictures and figures in inner parts of transparent stones. The said processing is made by means of designs and colouring coating made on the stone in the simplest way. Another embodiment relates to processes conducted inside transparent stones. Processing the inner part of the stone to give an image outside is another applied method. The said method has some problems in terms of application. Cutting the inner part of the stone brings the risk of damaging the stone. There are always risks such as breaking or weakening of the stone during removal of inner part of the stone. Processing the inner part of the stone is not easy by use of modern processing members either. One of the said applications is disclosed under patent application numbered TR200607117 entitled "process for sculpture processing in stone". The said application discloses a process containing curving the inner part of the stone and removal of it by use of special methods and filling the space by filling material after painting thereof. The steps of the process consist of three steps: obtaining a space by means of eroding the lower part of the jewelry stone by use of mechanical method as required by the desired architecture, leaving the eroded and spaced shape as it is in the simple manner or painting in colours by appropriate paint, and filling the space areas of the stone of which painting has been completed, by use of a filling material of hardness close to hardness of the stone.
The said art and applications are for forming a two dimensional image in or on the stone. The known technical applications do not allow to create three dimensional images on or in the stone. Upon development of imaging technologies, capability to create three dimensional images has become an alternative to two dimensional images not having depth. Creating three-dimensional images on or in the stone enables giving an effect much closer to the real effect of accessories and is one of the factors determining the preference of consumer. In order to create three-dimensional image and depth, gradual curving in the stone outward is conducted and thus a three-dimensional image can be created. Although it is not so close to the real appearance, the depth can be provided. Even it is likely to create this image for one single member, when images of objects independent of each other are, the gradual curving remains inadequate.
In order to eliminate the said disadvantages, it is aimed to produce jewelry accessories having three-dimensional images.

Method to create three dimensional image inside stone

SEVAN KUYUMCULUK SANAYI VE TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI


An electrical starter-generator system includes a first starter-generator and a second starter-generator. A single drive controls both the first starter-generator and the second starter-generator such that their electrical current and power inputs are minimized and balanced.

This invention relates to electric motor starter-generators and, more particularly, to an electric starter-generator system for an aircraft engine having a motor drive that controls two starter-generators coupled to the aircraft engine.
Vehicles, such as aircraft, utilize an electric starter-generator system to start a gas turbine engine. The electric starter-generator system provides torque to the engine to rotate the engine from a zero speed to a speed that is appropriate for starting the engine. Conventional starter-generator systems may include two or more starter-generators that are coupled to the engine to provide a relatively large amount of torque necessary to spool-up the engine. In a starter mode, the starter-generators rotate the jet engine. In a generate mode, the starter-generators convert mechanical energy from rotation of the jet engine into electrical energy for the aircraft.
Typically, each of the starter-generator systems includes a motor drive, such as a motor drive inverter, that powers and individually controls the respective starter-generator in the starter mode. Each motor drive controls the speed and torque output of the respective starter-generator independently from the other motor drive during operation. Disadvantageously, utilizing a motor drive for each starter-generator adds size, expense, and weight to the electric engine starter assembly.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electric starter-generator system having a single motor drive that controls multiple starter-generators to reduce the size, weight, and expense of the electric starter-generator system.

Electric engine start with two motors and single motor drive


A method of purifying the used O-18 enriched cyclotron target water contaminated by the various organic compounds, the method including: supplying gaseous oxygen into the target water to be purified; irradiating UV rays having wavelengths of 254 nm and 185 nm on the target water; and releasing the gases generated during the purification oxidation process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of purifying organic impurities contained in the used cyclotron target water and an apparatus for the same, and more particularly, to a method for removing the organic impurities in the used O-18 enriched cyclotron target water contaminated during radioisotope F-18 production by using UV radiations generated from the low pressure mercury (Hg) lamp and catalytic photo-reaction of dissolved oxygen (DO) and an apparatus employing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the present invention relates to purification of the organic impurities contained in the used cyclotron target water and its apparatus. More specifically, this invention is focused on purifying technique and its apparatus for removing the organic impurities in the used O-18 enriched cyclotron target water contaminated during radioisotope F-18 production by using UV radiations generated from the low pressure Hg lamp (L-lamp hereafter) and catalytic photo-reaction of dissolved oxygen (DO).
Oxygen isotope consists of 99.76% of O-16, 0.04% of O-17, and 0.2% of O-18 in nature. O-18 enriched water (>90%) is used as a target in a cyclotron for production of the β-emitting radioisotope F-18 (half-life=109.7 min) under O-18(p,n)F-18 reaction. F-18 is essential for PET (Positron Emission Tomography) pharmaceutical [F-18]-labeled 2-deoxyglucose (FDG) synthesis. Since O-18 is very expensive and the demand for O-18 stable isotope increases as the superior tumor diagnostic feasibility obtained from PET increases, it is important to re-use the cyclotron target again.
After the O-18 enriched target water is irradiated by protons in a cyclotron, it contains various organic substances such as acetone (CH3COCH3), ethanol (CH3CH2OH), methanol (CH3OH), and acetonitrile (CH3CN), etc. which are contaminated during the F− ion separation and target cleaning processes. These organic impurities may increase the target vapor pressure and decrease the target life-time as a result. More importantly, they inhibit the separation of the generated −F ions in the target medium after proton irradiation. The concentration of the organic impurities must be maintained below 10 ppm to be used in a cyclotron again. This is why those organic impurities in the target must be removed before it is used again.
Oxidation of organics by UV irradiation is known as the most popular processes for removing the organic substances contained in an aqueous solution. However, O-18 water purifier that uses only UV irradiation may not be applicable for purification of O-18 enriched target water since its purifying efficiency is very low.
While an advanced oxidation process which combines UV irradiation with catalysts such as H2O2, O2, O3 and TiO2 has been widely applied for removing organic materials in an aqueous solution, UV irradiation process with catalysts must be applied cautiously for the remediation of the cyclotron target water whose purity should remain as it was. It is because sometimes more difficult to remove the remaining catalysts and the newly produced products in the medium after the catalytic reaction of the purification process.
It is also important for the purification scheme to recover the purified target water as much as possible while the concentration of O-18 in the water should be maintained as high as possible.
Even though a commercial O-18 target water purifier developed by SUMITOTO from Japan is sufficient in the degrees of purification and also recovery, the price of the equipment is very high and the quantity of the sample that can be purified during a day is limited. Also the purification process is complicated since it uses UV irradiation together with cold distillation.
Hence, the technique and apparatus, which can purify the organic impurities in the sample to below 10 ppm while more than 98% of the initial samples in average can be collected after the process at the same time, are necessary.

Method of purifying the used O-18 enriched cyclotron target water and apparatus for the same


A driving support apparatus supports a driver in driving a vehicle on a road by giving instructions. The driving support apparatus includes a recognizing unit that recognizes a current driving lane that is a lane on the road in which the vehicle is currently running; a lane setting unit that sets a driving schedule lane that is a lane in which the vehicle is to be driven; and a guiding unit that determines content of lane guidance based on the driving schedule lane and the current driving lane, and guides the driver to a lane based on the lane guidance when the road is substantially straight.

Recently, driving support apparatuses, namely, navigation apparatuses have been widely used, that support a driving operation by notifying a direction to drive before an intersection, so that the driver can drive in accordance with a driving scheduled course set in advance.
Conventional navigation apparatuses indicate the direction to drive at a divergence point. However, sometimes the roads have a plurality of lanes and the driver has to change to a lane corresponding to the direction to drive. In order to support such a lane change, Patent Document 1, for example, discloses a technology for supporting smooth driving through more than two closely spaced intersections by guiding the driver to drive in a specific lane when exiting a first intersection, which is suitable for driving through a second intersection.
Also, in order to prevent guiding to an erroneous lane by giving an instruction at an inappropriate timing, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for setting, on the basis of a mergence or a divergence of lanes on a course between a current position of its own vehicle and a guidance diverging point, a recommended driving lane in which driving is appropriately possible from the current position of the vehicle to a course beyond the guidance diverging point, and for performing predetermined lane guidance at each approach of a point to be notified before a diverging point to be notified.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application-Laid-Open No. 2001-227970    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 3301386


Methods are provided for fabricating semiconductor integrated circuits including isolated trench features. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a semiconductor substrate with an overlying process layer. A trench pattern to be etched into the process layer is determined and that trench pattern is decomposed into first and second patterns, the second pattern including an isolated trench. First and second lithographic masks are formed to implement the first and second patterns, the second mask implementing the second pattern, the isolated trench, and a plurality of density balancer patterns symmetrically positioned with respect to the isolated trench. A first resist layer is patterned with the first lithographic mask and the process layer is etched with the first resist layer. A second resist layer is patterned with the second lithographic mask and the process layer is etched with the second resist layer to implement the required trench pattern in the process layer.

Semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) are fabricated with a large number of interconnected components such as transistors and the like. As ICs become larger and more complex there is a continuing trend toward reducing the feature size of the components. As the minimum feature size, that is the minimum width of a line or space, continues to decrease, it becomes more and more difficult to reliably produce the ICs with an acceptably high yield.
ICs are fabricated by sequentially patterning layers of insulators, semiconductor materials, conductors and the like. The patterning is accomplished by lithographic and etch processes that reproduce a mask image on the layer to be patterned. As the feature size has decreased with each succeeding generation of ICs, the lithography processes have implemented changes to reliably reproduce the smaller features. At a feature size of about 40 nanometers (nm) or less, however, the present techniques have reached a point at which certain features, especially isolated trenches, cannot be reliably resolved with state-of-the-art processes.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods for fabricating integrated circuits using optical lithography techniques. In addition, it is desirable to provide methods for fabricating integrated circuits using a litho-etch, litho-etch technique for etching trenches as part of the integrated circuit. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present disclosure will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit with a litho-etch, litho-etch process for etching trenches


A particle counter that operates according to the blackout and/or light blockade method for counting foreign particles in a fluid stream, in particular in a hydraulic fluid stream, has a photoelectric barrier whose beam of light penetrates through a measurement channel through which a bypass substream of the fluid stream flows and has an electronic analyzer downstream from the receiver of the photoelectric barrier. To this end, such a particle counter includes a pressure regulating device acting on the fluid stream forces a predefined pressure difference which is independent of the flow properties of the main fluid stream onto the area situated between the inlet and outlet of the measurement channel. (11), The particle counter includes a heating or cooling device for regulating the temperature of the substream flowing through the measurement channel at a predetermined temperature level.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a particle counter that operates by the blackout and/or light blockade method for counting foreign particles in a fluid stream, especially in a hydraulic fluid stream.
2. The Prior Art
Such a particle counter is known from DE 8912584 U1.

Particle counter for foreign particles in a fluid stream


A first network device is configured to receive a first message from a user device, the first message including an identifier for the user device and a type of information being requested by the user device, and determine a level of quality of service to be applied by a network, based on the type of information being requested by the user device. The first network is further configured to receive a second message from a second network device, the second message including an identifier for a third network device. The first network device is further configured to determine the policy device connected to the third network device. The first network device is further configured to connect with the policy device, and send rules and policies associated with the level of quality of service to the policy device.

A user device may connect to a network to send/receive information to/from different sources. The network may have multiple network devices that are used to set up a communication path between the user device and a source. Some of the network devices may be used to determine rules and policies associated with providing a level of quality of service. Other network devices may be used to implement the rules and policies and apply the level of quality of service to the communication path between the user device and the source.

Connecting devices to a policy charging rules function device


A multi-stage height control valve for a pneumatic control system of a vehicle includes an air reservoir port, an exhaust port, an air spring port and a pilot port operatively connected to a rotor valve which is in turn operatively connected to the vehicle. The air reservoir port fluidly communicates with an air tank. The air spring port fluidly communicates with the air springs of the vehicle. The exhaust port opens to atmosphere. The pilot port fluidly communicates with a control/warning device such that, when a secondary ride height is reached by the vehicle, the pilot port signals the control/warning device in order to maintain the vehicle at the secondary ride height. The pilot port alternatively provides an air pressure boost in order to quickly re-inflate the air springs of the vehicle to return the vehicle to the primary design ride height.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the art of air-ride axle/suspension systems for heavy-duty vehicles, such as tractor-trailers or semi-trailers, which cushion the ride and stabilize the vehicle during operation. More specifically, the invention relates to pneumatic control of the air springs of the air-ride axle/suspension systems, and in particular to a multi-stage height control valve for the air-ride axle/suspension systems which includes a position sensitive pilot signal that, for example, in one instance allows the height control valve to signal when a secondary ride height threshold has been reached to prevent further exhaustion of air from the air springs, and in another instance provides a pressure boost to relatively quickly re-inflate the air springs.
2. Description of Related Art
Heavy-duty vehicles, such as tractor-trailers or semi-trailers, typically include two or more leading or trailing arm suspension assemblies that connect the wheel bearing axles of the vehicle to the frame of the vehicle. Early suspension designs included heavy leaf-spring suspensions which resulted in a relatively rough ride to the cargo and/or passengers carried by the vehicle, and did not allow loads to equalize among the axles in all situations, thus creating the need for an axle/suspension system with softer ride characteristics and more efficient equalization characteristics. The subsequent development of air-ride axle/suspension systems provided greater load equalization among multiple axles for semi-trailers as well as improved ride quality for individual axles.
As a result, heavy-duty vehicles that transport freight often include leading or trailing arm air-ride axle/suspension systems, which use air springs to cushion the ride of the vehicle. Pneumatic control of these air springs is an important feature of air-ride axle/suspension systems. More particularly, it is important for a cushioned vehicle ride, and for optimum axle/suspension system performance and longevity to attempt to maintain a consistent predetermined distance between the vehicle frame and the travel surface. This predetermined distance is known in the art as the design ride height of the vehicle. The operating conditions of the vehicle must be considered in order to establish the design ride height of the vehicle. That is, when a heavy-duty vehicle executes certain maneuvers, such as making a hard turn or traveling over rough terrain, the forces imposed on the axle/suspension system by such maneuvers cause the axle/suspension system to articulate, or pivot and/or flex, beneath the vehicle frame which the system supports. Typically, an axle/suspension system is designed so that the anticipated range of articulation, pivoting and/or flexing occurs about a nominal predetermined position, and that nominal position is set as the design ride height of the vehicle. This articulation, pivoting and/or flexing can also be caused by the loading and unloading of the vehicle.
More specifically, after a heavy-duty vehicle is loaded with freight, or after freight is unloaded from the vehicle, the air springs of the axle/suspension system are adjusted to ensure that the vehicle is at design ride height. The adjustment of the air springs of the axle/suspension system is typically accomplished by a height control valve or leveling valve which is in fluid communication with an air source and with the air springs. When the vehicle is loaded with freight and the air springs of the axle/suspension system are compressed causing the vehicle frame to be positioned below design ride height or closer to the travel surface, compressed air is supplied to the air springs, thereby inflating/extending them and, in turn, causing the axle/suspension system to raise the vehicle frame to the design ride height. Conversely, when the vehicle is unloaded and the air springs of the axle/suspension system are extended, causing the vehicle frame to be positioned above design ride height or further away from the travel surface, air is exhausted from the air springs, thereby deflating/compressing them until the axle/suspension system lowers the vehicle frame to the design ride height. To control the flow of air into the air springs, and the exhaustion of air from the air springs, a mechanically operated valve typically is employed, and is known in the art as a height control valve or leveling valve. Adjustments to the height control valve and the linkage that controls activation of the valve enable the design ride height to be achieved before the vehicle travels over the road.
Also, as the vehicle travels over the road and the driver executes maneuvers that cause the axle/suspension system to articulate between positions that compress the air springs and positions that extend them, the height control valve acts to maintain the design ride height. That is, when the air springs are compressed, the height control valve supplies air to the air springs from a vehicle air reservoir. Conversely, when the air springs are in an extended position, the height control valve exhausts air from the springs to atmosphere. The amount of air that is supplied or exhausted is based on the duration of the articulation and the flow rate of the height control valve at a given position.
Subsequent prior art pneumatic control systems have typically included a solenoid valve which is incorporated into the pneumatic control system to allow the operator of the vehicle to dump or exhaust the air springs of the rear axle/suspension system in order to increase maneuverability of the vehicle in certain situations. Alternatively, the solenoid valve can also be incorporated in such a manner as to allow the air springs of the front and rear axle/suspension systems to be over-inflated in order to raise the height of the trailer, such as when the pneumatic control system is being used on a drop deck trailer or moving van having very low ground clearance. When configured to dump or exhaust the air springs of the rear axle/suspension system to increase maneuverability, the solenoid valve typically is in fluid communication with the conduit disposed between the height control valve and the rear air springs. In this particular configuration, the solenoid valve is utilized to exhaust the air springs of the suspension assemblies of the rear axle/suspension system when the vehicle operator encounters a situation that requires increased maneuverability of the heavy-duty vehicle, such as when the vehicle is being operated in an urban setting or when the vehicle is being maneuvered around a loading/unloading yard. More particularly, the solenoid valve is electrically connected to a control switch that is located in the cab of the heavy-duty vehicle. When the operator of the heavy-duty vehicle desires to exhaust the air springs of the rear axle/suspension system of the vehicle in order to increase maneuverability, the operator flips the control switch which sends an electrical signal or impulse to the solenoid valve. Once energized, the solenoid valve prohibits the flow of air from the height control valve to the air springs of the rear axle/suspension system and, instead, allows fluid or air in the air springs of the rear axle/suspension system to flow out through the solenoid valve to atmosphere. Typically, these prior art pneumatic control systems exhaust all of the air from the air springs of the rear axle/suspension system. By exhausting all of the air from the air springs of the rear axle/suspension system, the trailer longitudinal wheel base is effectively shortened, as the cargo loads which had previously been imparted approximately equally on both the front and rear axle/suspension systems are shifted forward toward the front axle/suspension system of the trailer.
Some problems associated with these prior art height control valves which are used in conjunction with pneumatic control systems that exhaust all of the air from the air springs of the rear axle/suspension system include difficulty on the part of the operator of the vehicle in determining when the rear axle/suspension system has become sufficiently exhausted so as to allow increased maneuverability of the vehicle. Another problem associated with such prior art valves and pneumatic control systems is relatively slow re-inflation of the air springs of the axle/suspension systems once the rear axle/suspension system dump control has been turned off. More particularly, when the operator of the vehicle desires to dump the air springs of the rear axle/suspension system to increase the maneuverability of the vehicle, the operator flips the cab switch and the solenoid valve is energized to allow air from the air springs of the rear axle/suspension system to exhaust to atmosphere. In this situation, all of the air in the air springs of the rear axle suspension system is exhausted. The prior art height control valve does not have the capability to limit or stop the exhaustion of air from the rear air springs once a sufficient lowered ride height has been reached. Moreover, when the operator of the vehicle flips the cab switch to de-energize the solenoid valve in order to once again route air from the air reservoir tank through the height control valve to the rear air springs, the pressure in the air springs of the front axle/suspension system must first drop as the pressure in the front and rear air springs reaches equilibrium. The amount of time required for the air springs of the front and rear axle/suspension systems to re-inflate can be quite lengthy because, once the solenoid valve is de-energized and the front and rear air springs reach equilibrium, the height control valve must re-inflate all of the air springs simultaneously. The result of this simultaneous re-inflation of multiple air springs is that the trailer rides on the jounce stops or bumpers or below design ride height with limited suspension travel until sufficient air pressure is built up in the air springs of the front and rear axle/suspension systems to once again allow the vehicle to achieve design ride height. As set forth above, this can take a relatively significant amount of time, the result being that the operator of the vehicle may drive for some time with the vehicle being non-air supported or below design ride height. Operating the vehicle under these conditions potentially reduces axle/suspension system performance and longevity and might also lead to undesirable wear and possible premature failure of the components of the front and rear axle/suspension systems.
For solenoid valves which are used in conjunction with pneumatic control systems for drop deck trailers or moving vans configured to over-inflate the front and rear air springs in order to raise the height of the trailer, the solenoid valve is typically in fluid communication with the conduit disposed between the height control valve and the front and rear air springs. In this configuration, the solenoid valve is utilized to over-inflate the air springs of the front and rear axle/suspension systems when the vehicle operator encounters a situation that requires higher ground clearance, such as when the vehicle encounters raised sections of the road surface at railroad tracks and/or off-road conditions. This configuration is also utilized to raise drop deck trailers equipped with a slider so that the tires mounted on the axle/suspension system(s), which in turn are mounted on the slider, are able to clear the cut-outs for the wheel wells on the trailer, so that the slider can be moved longitudinally beneath the trailer. More particularly, the solenoid valve is electrically connected to a control switch that is located in the cab of the heavy-duty vehicle. When the operator of the heavy-duty vehicle desires to over-inflate the air springs of the front and rear axle/suspension systems of the vehicle in order to increase vehicle ground clearance and raise the height of the trailer, the operator flips the control switch which sends an electrical signal or impulse to the solenoid valve. Once energized, the solenoid valve prohibits the flow of air from the height control valve to the air springs of the front and rear axle suspension systems and, instead, allows air from the vehicle air reservoir to flow directly to the air springs of the front and rear axle suspension systems, bypassing the height control valve. Typically, these prior art pneumatic control systems over-inflate the air springs of the front and rear axle/suspension systems until the shock absorbers physically stop the vehicle from being raised any further. By over-inflating the air springs of the front and rear axle/suspension systems, the trailer is raised allowing the vehicle to negotiate high sections of the road surface, such as railroad tracks and/or off road conditions, and/or also providing clearance between the tires mounted on a slider axle/suspension system and the wheel well cut-outs on the trailer so that the slider can be moved longitudinally beneath the trailer.
Some problems associated with these prior art height control valves which are used in conjunction with pneumatic control systems that over-inflate the air springs of the front and rear axle/suspension systems include potential damage to the shocks and shock mounts as they are not designed to react the full force exerted on them by the front and rear air springs during over-inflation. Moreover, the air springs themselves can also be potentially damaged during the over-inflation because the air springs are not designed to be at high inflation pressures when fully extended. A regulator could be utilized by the operator of the vehicle to control how much pressure is introduced into the air springs during over-inflation, but this operation is dependent upon the operator of the vehicle and can still lead to over-stressing the shocks, shock brackets and/or air springs.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a height control valve for the air springs of an air-ride axle/suspension system of a heavy-duty vehicle, which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art height control valves which are used in conjunction with pneumatic control systems and which is capable of signaling, via a pilot port, when a secondary ride height has been reached by the vehicle in order to stop additional exhaustion of air from the air springs of the rear axle/suspension system during a rear axle dump, or alternatively, to stop excessive over-inflation of the front and rear air springs during an over-inflation event, and which is also capable of providing a pressure boost to re-inflate the air springs of the air-ride axle/suspension system configured for rear axle dump in order to quickly raise the vehicle back to the design ride height.

Multi-stage height control valve including position sensitive pilot signal and pressure boost for vehicle air springs


An overvoltage protective device for a series capacitor (C) has a main spark gap and a first auxilary spark gap, arranged adjacent thereto, for ignition of the main spark gap. A second auxiliary spark gap is arranged in association with the first auxiliary gap for ignition thereof. The first and second auxiliary spark gaps are connected between one of the electrodes of the the main spark gap and a voltage divider which comprises resistors (R1, R2, R3 ) and a varisistor (VR1) . When the knee voltage of the varisistor is exceeded, the second auxiliary spark gap is ignited, the arc of which initiates ignition of the first auxiliary spark gap, the arc of which in turn moves towards and ignites the main spark gap. During the arcing time of the spark gap, a controlled discharge of the series capacitor through a resistor (R2) takes place.

Series capacitors are used in electric power lines, primarily for increasing the transmission capacity of a power line. Such series capacitor equipment comprises a capacitor bank, which is connected into the power line and traversed by the current of the power line. The voltage across a series capacitor becomes proportional to the current in the power line, and at an overcurrent in the power line, caused, for example, by a short circuit in the power network, an overvoltage occurs across the series capacitor. To protect the capacitor against overvoltages, it is previously known to connect the capacitor in parallel with a spark gap, which is triggered in a suitable way at an overvoltage across the capacitor. In this way the line current is shunted past the capacitor, which is thus protected. To limit the discharge current of the capacitor through the spark gap, it has so far been necessary to arrange an impedance element, usually an inductor, in series with the spark gap. However, use of the inductor means a not significant complication of the protective equipment, rendering the equipment more expensive.
Furthermore, it has proved to be difficult or impossible to produce spark gaps of the kind referred to above which, without demands for maintenance, provide a reliable function also at lower voltage levels. For this reason, the use of series capacitors has been limited at lower system voltages. However, there is a need to be able to use series capacitors also at lower mains voltages, for example in distribution networks for elecric power.

Overvoltage protection for series capacitor equipment


Model systems of Alzheimer's disease comprise a DNA sequence encoding an amyloid precursor protein (APP) isoform or fragment that has an amino acid substitution. The substituted amino acid may be other than valine at the amino acid position corresponding to amino acid residue position 717 of APP770. Methods of determining genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease are also disclosed.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease known generally as senile dementia. Broadly speaking the disease falls into two categories, namely late onset and early onset. Late onset, which occurs in old age (65+ years), may be caused by the natural atrophy of the brain occurring at a faster rate and to a more severe degree than normal. Early onset Alzheimer's disease is much more infrequent but shows a pathologically identical dementia with diffuse brain atrophy which develops well before the senile period, i.e., between the ages of 35 and 60 years. There is evidence that one form of this type of Alzheimer's disease shows a tendency to run in families and is therefore known as familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD).
In both types of Alzheimer's disease the pathology is the same but the abnormalities tend to be more severe and more widespread in cases beginning at an earlier age. The disease is characterized by two types of lesions in the brain, these are senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
Senile plaques are areas of disorganized neuropil up to 150 .mu.m across with extracellular amyloid deposits at the center. Neurofibrillary tangles are intracellular deposits of amyloid protein consisting of two filaments twisted about each other in pairs.
The major protein subunit, .beta.-amyloid protein, of the amyloid filaments of the senile plaque is a highly aggregating small polypeptide of approximate relative molecular mass 4,500. This protein is a cleavage product of a much larger precursor protein called amyloid precursor protein (APP).
At present there is no known effective therapy for the various forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, there are several other forms of dementia for which treatment is available and which give rise to progressive intellectual deterioration closely resembling the dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. A diagnostic test for AD would therefore provide a valuable tool in the diagnosis and treatment of these other conditions, by way of being able to exclude Alzheimer's disease. It will also be of value when a suitable therapy does become available.
Also important is the development of experimental models of Alzheimer's disease that can be used to define further the underlying biochemical events involved in AD pathogenesis. Such models could presumably be employed, in one application, to screen for agents that alter the degenerative course of Alzheimer's disease. For example, a model system of Alzheimer's disease could be used to screen for environmental factors that induce or accelerate the pathogenesis of AD. In contradistinction, an experimental model could be used to screen for agents that inhibit, prevent, or reverse the progression of AD. Presumably, such models could be employed to develop pharmaceuticals that are effective in preventing, arresting, or reversing AD.

Imperial College of Science, Technology of Medicine


A semiconductor integrated circuit generates second boot code by encrypting first boot code, and transmits, based on route information indicating a delivery route of the second boot code, encrypted data including the second boot code to a first destination via a network. A different semiconductor integrated circuit is the first destination, and receives the encrypted data via the network and generates third boot code by decrypting the second boot code.

Along with systems becoming increasingly complicated and growing in size, some proposed systems include a plurality of System-on-Chips (SoCs).
To consolidate the security of information equipment, there are conventionally proposed techniques where a memory unit stores therein encrypted data and instruction code and a processor decrypts the encrypted instruction code and carries out instructions.
See, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-18528 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-226481.
To ensure the reliability of a system including a plurality of SoCs, it is considered effective, for example, to provide each of the SoCs with a non-volatile memory device for storing encrypted boot code and a controller on a different chip connected thereto for decrypting the boot code. This, however, creates the problem of increased number of elements (e.g. chips) included in the system, which leads to increasing costs.

Processing apparatus, and semiconductor integrated circuit and boot method therefor


In a general aspect, a rate at which MIMO transmissions are elicited from wireless communication devices is varied. A first wireless communication device may be configured to wirelessly transmit a first set of messages at a first transmission rate to a second wireless communication device. The first wireless communication device may further be configured to receive MIMO transmissions from the second wireless communication device. The first wireless communication device may additionally be configured to generate first channel information based on respective training fields in each of the first MIMO transmissions; determine a rate at which the first channel information is generated; vary the first transmission rate to a second, different transmission rate based on the rate at which the first channel information is generated; and wirelessly transmit a second set of messages at the second transmission rate to the second wireless communication device.

The following description relates to varying a rate at which multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) transmissions are elicited from wireless communication devices, for example, for wireless motion detection.
Motion detection systems have been used to detect movement, for example, of objects in a room or an outdoor area. In some example motion detection systems, infrared or optical sensors are used to detect movement of objects in the sensor's field of view. Motion detection systems have been used in security systems, automated control systems and other types of systems.

Varying a rate of eliciting MIMO transmissions from wireless communication devices


An image forming apparatus includes: a developer collecting duct that is linear and has a plurality of coupling portions vertically spaced apart from each other; and a plurality of developer discharging sections that each have an engaging portion inserted into one of the coupling portions to thereby be disposed as being exposed to the inside of the developer collecting duct, and that discharge waste developer to the developer collecting duct through a developer outlet provided in the engaging portion. Second and subsequent ones of the developer discharging sections from the top are detachably attached to the developer collecting duct. The developer collecting duct has a flow path restricting portion that restricts the area through which the waste developer flows down to prevent the waste developer from hitting the engaging portion of lower one of the developer discharging sections.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and particularly to an image forming apparatus having a developer collecting section that collects developer containing deteriorated carrier or used developer in image formation (hereinafter referred to as waste developer).
2. Description of Related Art
In general, an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic process technology (such as a printer, a copier, or a facsimile machine) irradiates (exposes) a charged photoconductor with (to) laser light based on image data to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor. Toner is then supplied from a developing device to the photoconductor (image bearing member) bearing the electrostatic latent image, so that the electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image. The toner image is transferred to a sheet directly, or indirectly via an intermediate transfer belt, and fixed through heating and pressurization to form an image on the sheet.
Many image forming apparatuses employ a trickle development system. In the trickle development system, developer is regularly replaced by adding new developer (toner and carrier) while discharging developer (waste developer) containing deteriorated carrier. The waste developer discharged from developing devices in the trickle development system is all collected, for example in a collecting bottle through a developer collecting duct.
FIG. 1 illustrates developing devices and a developer collecting duct in a vertical tandem type image forming apparatus as viewed from the base end side (the side opposite to the side on which photoconductors are located) in the X direction. FIG. 2 illustrates the developing devices and the developer collecting duct in the vertical tandem type image forming apparatus as viewed from the base end side in the Y direction. FIG. 3 is a sectional view along a line A-A in FIG. 1. In FIGS. 1 to 3, the X axis represents the horizontal direction, the Z axis represents the vertical direction, and the Y axis represents a direction orthogonal to the X and Z axes (the direction of the axis of an agitating/conveying member).
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vertical tandem type image forming apparatus includes multiple developing devices (here, four developing devices for Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black)) 412Y, 412M, 412C, and 412K disposed in tiers in the vertical direction (Z direction). Developing devices 412Y, 412M, 412C, and 412K are treated as individual units and detachably attached to the body of the image forming apparatus. For example, developing devices 412Y, 412M, 412C, and 412K are mounted on a process carriage (not shown) and collectively attached to the body of the image forming apparatus. One end (on the base end side in the Y direction, i.e., the left side in FIG. 1) of each of developing devices 412Y, 412M, 412C, and 412K is coupled to developer collecting duct 170 linearly disposed in the vertical direction. The other end (on the tip end side in the Y direction, i.e., the right side in FIG. 1) is coupled to a power source (not shown), such as a driving motor, via a power transmission mechanism (not shown).
Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2, developer collecting duct 170 is provided with coupling portions 171Y, 171M, 171C, and 171K that accommodate and support the one end of respective developing devices 412Y, 412M, 412C, and 412K. Duct portions between adjacent upper and lower coupling portions, i.e., coupling portions 171Y and 171M, coupling portions 171M and 171C, and coupling portions 171C and 171K, are intermediate ducts 172.
As shown in FIG. 3, the one end of each of developing devices 412M and 412C is provided with pipe-like engaging portions 87M and 87C that house part of an agitating/conveying member (a developer conveying screw, not shown) and have developer outlets 89M and 89C, respectively. When engaging portions 87M and 87C are inserted into coupling portions 171M and 171C to attach developing devices 412M and 412C to developer collecting duct 170, developer outlets 89M and 89C are located inside developer collecting duct 170. Similarly, other developing devices 412Y and 412K are also coupled to developer collecting duct 170.
Unfortunately, coupling multiple developing devices 412Y, 412M, 412C, and 412K in tiers to developer collecting duct 170 as described above poses the following problem.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, engaging portions 87M and 87C of second and subsequent developing devices 412M and 412C are exposed to the inside of developer collecting duct 170. This causes waste developer T flowing from above to hit engaging portions 87M and 87C. Although engaging portions 87M and 87C of developing devices 412M and 412C are formed like a pipe in order to avoid accumulation of waste developer T, it is difficult to prevent accumulation of waste developer T over time. This also applies to fourth developing device 412K.
Waste developer T accumulated on engaging portions 87M and 87C may be scattered when developing devices 412Y, 412M, 412C, and 412K are detached during the time such as maintenance operation. The scattered waste developer may spill on, e.g., a sheet feeding path, causing poor images.
Such scattering of the waste developer may also occur in the case in which multi-tier cleaning devices for cleaning toner remaining on photoconductor drums are coupled to the developer collecting duct. That is, the above problem occurs in the case in which components that discharge waste developer (hereinafter referred to as developer discharging sections), such as developing devices or cleaning devices, are coupled in tiers to a developer collecting duct.
Techniques for preventing scattering of waste developer during maintenance operation include Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2009-103870 (PTL 1) and 2000-275975 (PTL 2), for example. PTL 1 and 2 disclose techniques for preventing scattering of waste developer using a receiver to receive the waste developer spilling from, e.g., developing devices. The techniques described in PTL 1 and 2, however, do not prevent the scattering itself of the waste developer and therefore are insufficient as preventive measures.

Image forming apparatus having a developer collecting duct


A memory controller is disclosed for use in physically mapping a VESA Unified Memory Architecture (VUMA) device, Row Address Strobe signal RAS# to a selected one of a plurality of memory banks. The RAS# signal from the VUMA device is routed to the memory controller, not the memory bank directly. The memory controller employs a network of pass gates to provide an electrically-conductive channel for routing the VUMA device RAS# signal to the appropriate memory bank. The appropriate pass gate is caused to become conductive through the use of a decoder, and a 3-bit clocked register bank. The register bank is programmable to generate a select signal on its output that is representative of the desired memory bank to receive the VUMA device RAS# signal. The select signal, which is a 3-bit signal, is provided to the decoder, which activates one of its plurality of output lines to thereby cause the selected pass gate to conduct. Through this conductive path, the RAS# signal can be routed to the desired memory bank for access to data stored therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems for supporting VUMA devices, and, more particularly, to a system for physically mapping a Row Address Strobe (RAS) signal from a VUMA device to an appropriate memory bank of a system memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has been active in promulgating various standards relating to computer architectures, and in particular, has investigated a Unified Memory Architecture. The concept of a VESA Unified Memory Architecture (VUMA) is to share physical system memory, for example one or more banks of dynamic random access memory (DRAM), between the system (e.g., a CPU), and an external device--a so-called VUMA device. Such a device could be any type of controller that has a need to share physical system memory, and in the course of such sharing, directly access it. For example, one type of VUMA device may be a graphics controller, wherein such graphics controller may incorporate its graphics frame buffer in physical system memory, thus eliminating the necessity for a separate graphics memory.
Memory sharing is achieved by physically connecting a core logic chip set (hereinafter "core logic"), and the VUMA device to the same physical system memory, either directly on a motherboard, or by way of an expansion connector. Since the core logic, and the VUMA device share a common resource, arbitration is required therebetween for controlled operation. For example, in one configuration, the core logic is the default owner of the physical system memory, such ownership being transferrable to the VUMA device upon demand according to a protocol.
The physical system memory may contain a memory block allocated primarily for the VUMA device (hereinafter referred to as "main VUMA memory"). Main VUMA memory is preferably located in an uppermost block of a memory bank. The VUMA device may be connected to the physical system memory to access main VUMA memory in one of two ways. First, the VUMA device may be connected to a single memory bank of physical system memory wherein the VUMA device generates a single VUMA row address strobe signal (VRAS#), which is hardwired to the selected memory bank. Secondly, the VUMA device may be configured to access all of physical system memory wherein the VUMA device has a sufficient number of RAS# signals to access all of the memory banks in the physical system memory. Preferably, main VUMA memory needs to be mapped at the top of existing physical system memory for any particular configuration.
For the VUMA device of the type which can access only one memory bank, a problem arises when physical system memory is expanded. In particular, for example, assume that an initial system configuration includes a single bank of memory having 8 MB of memory total, wherein one MB is allocated to main VUMA memory. In such a configuration, the VUMA device is hardwired to the single memory bank. Thus, main VUMA Memory occupies physical memory from addresses 7M to 8M-1. When physical system memory is expanded to, for example, 16 MB by adding a second memory bank of 8 MB memory, a "hole" in the physical system memory, as viewed by the operating system software, is created. That is to say, under such conditions, the operating system software has access to memory from 0M, to 7M-1, and, from 8M, to 16M-1; the operating system software is not permitted to access addresses 7M to 8M-1 since this 1 MB block has been reserved for, and is accessible by, the VUMA device. Operating system software has some difficulty in dealing with this "hole" (i.e., an address space that is non-contiguous) and this fact is the reason why main VUMA memory is preferably mapped to the top of existing physical system memory (i.e., to eliminate the "hole" seen by the operating system software, since all low memory will be contiguous).
Three solutions for this problem have been proposed. One solution suggests that main VUMA memory be mapped non-contiguously with respect to the operating system memory. In particular, core logic (e.g., typically a memory controller device) maps main VUMA memory to an address beyond core logic's possible physical system memory range. Hence, even if physical system memory is expanded to the maximum possible size, there will be no "hole" in the memory as seen by the operating system software. For example, in a system where physical system memory may be expanded only to 64 MB, core logic may map main VUMA memory from 1G to 1G+1M-1. This solution, however, requires a moderate amount of hardware modification to the memory controller, as well as moderate amount of modification to the basic input/output (BIOS). In addition, the method is not independent of SIMM density.
Another solution involves mapping main VUMA memory contiguously with operating system memory. In particular, core logic maps main VUMA memory to the top of the logical address space, although, in the physical system memory space, the main VUMA memory may occupy a middle region. For example, assume that a one-bank system of 8 MB is expanded to a 16 MB two-bank system. The main VUMA memory would be mapped to addresses 15M to 16M-1; however, physically, this memory occupies a region physically between 0.S. memory spaces. This solution, however, has several disadvantages, including a moderate amount of hardware modification to the memory controller, as well as intensive BIOS modifications.
A third solution involves swapping the memory bank which contains main VUMA memory originally with the uppermost bank then-existing after expansion. That is, core logic swaps the memory bank containing main VUMA memory to the top of the memory space. Thus, although main VUMA memory is mapped "contiguously" (e.g., it is at the top of the logical address space as seen by the operating system software, and contiguous to the operating system software memory space), the solution has several disadvantages including, requiring an intensive amount of memory controller hardware modification to perform the bank switching, as well as a moderate amount of BIOS modifications.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved system for defining a memory space for a VUMA device that minimizes or eliminates one or more of the problems as set forth above.

Programmable VESA unified memory architecture (VUMA) row address strobe (RAS)


A control system for hydraulically controlling variable engine structures is disclosed in which the control system utilizes hydraulic fluid identical to that used by the aircraft hydraulic control circuit. A high pressure hydraulic pump, driven by the aircraft engine, may be interconnected with the aircraft hydraulic control circuit, or may be associated with a separate fluid reservoir, to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to the actuators for controlling the variable engine structures. The engine control circuit also includes a hydraulic pressure modulator to modulate the pressure of the fluid supplied to the actuator and a selector connected between the high pressure pump and, the modulator and the aircraft control circuit to selectively supply the high pressure hydraulic fluid from the pump to either the engine control circuit, or to the aircraft control circuit. An electronic control system, which may comprise the aircraft computer, controls the operation of the selector as well as other parameters of the system.

The present invention relates to a hydraulically actuated aircraft engine control system, more particularly such a system interconnected with the aircraft hydraulic control system.
Present day aircraft gas turbine engines are highly sophisticated and, in order to improve their performance in regard to both thrust and fuel consumption, they include systems for controlling variable position compressor stators, variable geometry of the intake casing and devices to control and minimize the clearances between the stationary and rotating portions of their turbines and compressors.
Typically, these items are controlled by actuators in which the motive power is generated by pressurized fuel. The supply of pressurized fuel is delivered to the engine by one or more fuel pumps such that a portion of the fuel is supplied to and burned in the combustion chamber of the engine, while another portion of the pressurized fuel is directed to the control actuators and servo circuits for the variable engine structures. Unused fuel is directed by a control valve to the upstream side of a low pressure fuel pump. Any malfunction of the servo circuit of the gas turbine engine will cause engine stoppage, thereby making it impossible to drive the actuators for the variable engine structures and the rotor/stator control actuators.
Modern aircraft typically have at least one hydraulic control circuit for controlling the aircraft control surfaces, the operation of the landing gear, etc. with an independent pressurized fluid source which delivers a pressurized hydraulic fluid to the control circuit to control these structures. The hydraulic fluid used in the aircraft hydraulic control circuit typically is incompressible and non-flammable and may be subjected to a substantially higher pressure than the fuel for the gas turbine engine.

Hydraulically actuated aircraft engine control system

Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Motors d'Aviation


A method for fabricating an integrated circuit is provided. The method includes etching a first recess in a semiconductor structure; forming a first doped epitaxial feature in the first recess; and forming a second doped epitaxial feature over the first doped epitaxial feature, wherein the second doped epitaxial feature has a conductive type opposite to a conductive type of the first doped epitaxial feature.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. This scaling down process generally provides benefits by increasing production efficiency and lowering associated costs.
With scaled-down device dimensions, IC products have become more susceptible to electrostatic discharge (ESD)-caused damage. Therefore, the ESD protection circuit has been built on the chip to protect devices and circuits against ESD damage.

Integrated circuit and method for fabricating the same

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


A remote operation system for an outboard motor includes a remote control box installed at a cockpit of the boat and a lever attached to a support shaft that is rotatably accommodated in the remote control box for being manipulated by an operator, a plurality of sensors, such as a potentiometer and a rotary encoder provided to generate outputs indicative of an angle of rotation of the support shaft through the lever manipulation, respectively, and a control unit which controls operation of a throttle actuator and a shift actuator based on at least one of the outputs of the sensors, thereby improving reliability and enabling continued regulation of throttle opening and change of shift position even if a failure occurs in one of sensors.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a remote operation system for an outboard motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prior art includes outboard motor remote operation systems that enable the throttle valve of the internal combustion engine and/or the clutch of a shift mechanism incorporated in the outboard motor to be operated by manipulating the lever of an operation unit (remote control box) installed at a distance from the outboard motor. Such systems are ordinarily configured to use a potentiometer or other such analog sensor to detect the lever manipulation angle and regulate throttle opening by controlling the operation of an actuator connected to the throttle valve in accordance with the detected angle, and to change the shift position by controlling the operation of an actuator connected to the clutch in accordance with the direction of lever operation, as taught, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-137795 (e.g., paragraphs 0011 to 0015 etc.) and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Sho 57(1982)-153311.
The conventional outboard motor remote operation systems are configured to drive the shift actuator and throttle actuator based on a single sensor output. They are therefore deficient in reliability because a sensor failure simultaneously makes both regulation of throttle opening and change of shift position impossible.

Remote operation system for outboard motor


The invention relates to an assembly including a pressure medium reservoir and a manually actuable master cylinder, in particular for a hydraulic motorcycle brake system, wherein the pressure medium reservoir is connected permanently to the master cylinder by at least one pressure medium connection, wherein the master cylinder has at least one pressure chamber, which can be connected to wheel brakes. According to the invention, provision is made for a protection device to be arranged in the region of the pressure medium connection, the device preventing air from penetrating into the pressure chamber and allowing air to escape in the direction of the pressure medium reservoir.

An assembly of this kind is known from DE 103 59 851 A1, for example, which is incorporated by reference.
A particular physical effect leading to air being introduced into the hydraulic brake system and consequently to a reduced braking effect can occur in a "handbrake control" on motorcycles.
At high accelerations and excitation frequencies of above 300 Hz, the effect observed involves air bubbles being mixed into the brake fluid. The introduction of air bubbles from the air buffer above the surface of the liquid takes place in the pressure medium reservoir. At the critical accelerations and frequencies mentioned, there is then the special physical effect that these air bubbles fall to the bottom of the pressure medium reservoir, counter to their buoyancy force, and remain there while the ambient conditions concerned persist.
In the case of the known assemblies, some of the air bubbles can enter the master cylinder via the pressure medium connection. If there is then a brake actuation, some of the air is carried into the pressure chamber of the master cylinder during the brake release operation owing to the folding over of a master cylinder cup seal and leads there to an increased lever travel or a reduced braking effect during subsequent braking operations.

Assembly made of a pressure medium storage tank and a manually actuated main cylinder, in particular for a hydraulic motorcycle brake system