A connector assembly for housing a coaxial connection and a terminal connection is provided. The connector assembly includes a male housing, a female housing and a lever configured to seat the male housing into the female housing at an angle. The male housing includes a first support configured to fixedly hold a first coaxial cable end. The female housing includes a second support configured to fixedly hold a second coaxial cable end. A shroud is disposed on a distal end of a second support. The inner surface of the shroud is configured to slidably engage an outer surface of the first support so as to guide the first coaxial cable end along an axis towards the second coaxial cable end, wherein the sliding engagement between the shroud and the first support overcome the angled approach as the male housing is seated into the female housing by actuation of the lever.

Connector assemblies are currently known and used. Connector assemblies connect terminal ends of a cable or an electrical wire together so as to supply an electric signal from a source to a component. Connector assemblies include a male housing configured to be seated within a female housing.
Some connector assemblies include a lever configured to guide the male housing into the female housing and lock the male housing to the female housing. However, the actuation of the lever causes the male housing to approach the female housing at an angle. Thus, the connection between terminal ends of a cable may be compromised by the misalignment of one terminal end of a cable with respect to another terminal end of a cable.
Accordingly, it remains desirable to have a connector assembly, wherein the male housing unit is seated within the female housing unit at an angle, configured to guide the approach of one terminal end of a cable to the other terminal end of a cable along a common axis so as to help prevent the terminal ends of the cables from being misaligned.

Connector assembly with lever and shroud


A device and method for measuring multiphase flow in a pipeline with an electric measurement system which includes a plurality of capacitors, which capacitors are formed of at least two plates of non-conducting material, each plate being provided with an array of electrodes. The plates are arranged in the interior of the pipeline and extend substantially parallel in the longitudinal direction thereof.. The liquid and gas flowrates are gauged by continuously measuring both the velocity and cross-sectional area of the pipeline occupied by each phase.

In conventional multiphase flow-metering, gas and liquid phases in a pipeline are separated in test separators. However, test separators are too expensive to install on a one per well basis. One test separator is usually installed at each production station and each well is produced over the separator when it is felt that a measurement of the well flowrate is essential. In practice this means that the flow from each well is only measured once per month and then only for a period of just one day. Test separators also suffer from a range of problems: they can be difficult to control, turndown is limited, they are bulky and can be non-representative because they only sample the flowrate for part of the production time of a well. For marginal fields, the cost of such separators can even make the development uneconomical so they are left out and the actual well flowrates are not measured.

Measurment of gas and liquid flowrates and watercut of multiphase mixtures of oil, water and gas


A nuclear reactor includes a nuclear core comprising a fissile material, and a pressure vessel containing the nuclear core immersed in primary coolant water. Turbo pumps disposed in the pressure vessel provide active circulation of primary coolant water in the pressure vessel. Each turbo pump includes a turbine driving an impeller. A manifold plenum chamber is disposed in the pressure vessel, and is in fluid communication with inlets of the turbines of the turbo pumps. An electrically driven pump operatively connected with the manifold plenum chamber to pressurize the manifold plenum chamber with primary coolant water. The turbo pumps may be disposed in openings passing through the manifold plenum chamber. The pressure vessel may be vertically oriented and cylindrical, with a cylindrical riser oriented coaxially inside, and the manifold plenum chamber may be annular and disposed in a downcomer annulus defined between the cylindrical riser and the cylindrical pressure vessel.

The following relates to the nuclear reactor arts, nuclear power generation arts, nuclear reactor hydrodynamic design arts, and related arts.
In nuclear reactor designs of the pressurized water reactor (PWR) type, a radioactive nuclear reactor core is immersed in primary coolant water at or near the bottom of a pressure vessel. The primary coolant is maintained in a compressed or subcooled liquid phase. In applications in which steam generation is desired, the primary coolant water is flowed out of the pressure vessel, into an external steam generator where it heats secondary coolant water flowing in a separate secondary coolant path, and back into the pressure vessel. Alternatively an internal steam generator is located inside the pressure vessel (sometimes called an "integral PWR" design), and the secondary coolant is flowed into the pressure vessel within a separate secondary coolant path in the internal steam generator. In either design, heated primary coolant water heats secondary coolant water in the steam generator to convert the secondary coolant water into steam. An advantage of the PWR design is that the steam comprises secondary coolant water that is not exposed to the radioactive reactor core.
In a typical PWR design configuration, the primary coolant flow circuit is defined by a cylindrical pressure vessel that is mounted generally upright (that is, with its cylinder axis oriented vertically). A hollow cylindrical central riser is disposed concentrically inside the pressure vessel. Primary coolant flows upward through the reactor core where it is heated and rises through the central riser, discharges from the top of the central riser and reverses direction to flow downward back toward the reactor core through a downcomer annulus defined between the pressure vessel and the central riser. This is a natural convection flow circuit that can, in principle, be driven by heat injection from the reactor core and cooling of the primary coolant as it flows upward and away from the reactor core. However, for higher power reactors it is advantageous or even necessary to supplement or supplant the natural convection with motive force provided by electromechanical reactor coolant pumps.
Most commercial PWR systems employ external steam generators. In such systems, the primary coolant water is pumped by an external pump connected with external piping running between the PWR pressure vessel and the external steam generator. This also provides motive force for circulating the primary coolant water within the pressure vessel, since the pumps drive the entire primary coolant flow circuit including the portion within the pressure vessel.
Fewer commercial "integral" PWR systems employing an internal steam generator have been produced. One contemplated approach is to adapt a reactor coolant pump of the type used in a boiling water reactor (BWR) for use in the integral PWR. Such arrangements have the advantages of good heat management (because the pump motor is located externally) and maintenance convenience (because the externally located pump is readily removed for repair or replacement).
However, the coupling of the external reactor coolant pump with the interior of the pressure vessel introduces vessel penetrations that, at least potentially, can be the location of a loss of coolant accident (LOCA).
Another disadvantage of existing reactor coolant pumps is that the pump operates in an inefficient fashion. Effective primary coolant circulation in a PWR calls for a pump providing high flow volume with a relatively low pressure head (i.e., pressure difference between pump inlet and outlet). In contrast, most reactor coolant pumps operate most efficiently at a substantially higher pressure head than that existing in the primary coolant flow circuit, and provide an undesirably low pumped flow volume.
Yet another disadvantage of existing reactor coolant pumps is that natural primary coolant circulation is disrupted as the primary coolant path is diverted to the external reactor coolant pumps. This can be problematic for emergency core cooling systems (ECCS) that rely upon natural circulation of the primary coolant to provide passive core cooling in the event of a failure of the reactor coolant pumps.
Another contemplated approach is to employ self-contained internal reactor coolant pumps in which the pump motor is located with the impeller inside the pressure vessel. However, in this arrangement the pump motors must be designed to operate inside the pressure vessel, which is a difficult high temperature and possibly caustic environment (e.g., the primary coolant may include dissolved boric acid). Electrical penetrations into the pressure vessel are introduced in order to operate the internal pumps. Pump maintenance is complicated by the internal placement of the pumps, and maintenance concerns are amplified by an anticipated increase in pump motor failure rates due to the difficult environment inside the pressure vessel. Still further, the internal pumps occupy valuable space inside the pressure vessel.
Disclosed herein are improvements that provide various benefits that will become apparent to the skilled artisan upon reading the following.

Reactor coolant pump system including turbo pumps supplied by a manifold plenum chamber


When a plurality of sheets of images are laid out and outputted in one page and characteristic amounts of multivalued image data are obtained to perform preferable image correction, the characteristic amounts of all the images to be recorded in the corresponding page have been beforehand obtained to calculate preferable image correction parameters. Therefore, a waiting time until the start of actual printing has been long. To resolve such an inconvenience, an image processing apparatus of the present invention includes a correction amount deciding unit for deciding or determining an individual correction amount with respect to each of the plurality of image data, and a correcting unit for correcting the image data based on the individual correction amount, whereby the correcting unit respectively corrects the images in accordance with the correction amounts which have already been decided, in a state where the correction amount deciding unit has not completed the decision of the correction amounts for all of the image data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for correcting a plurality of image data, an image processing method, and a storage medium.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, in order to obtain a characteristic amount of each multivalued image data to carry out suitable image correction when a plurality of images are laid out on one page and outputted, the characteristic amount of all the images to be recorded on a relevant page is obtained beforehand to calculate a suitable image correction parameter.
According to the conventional method, for example, in order to lay out eight images on one page and output the images, it is necessary to calculate a parameter by analyzing all the eight images before a start of actual printing. Thus, there are problems of a long waiting time until the start of actual printing, and a longer waiting time as the number of images laid out on one page is larger.

Apparatus and method for image processing, and storage medium


A plasma-curable ink composition for offset printing having high reactivity with plasma and capable of being hardened into a sufficiently dried state even in the use of plasma generated by a remote-type plasma generator, and a method for producing printed matter and a method for printing information using the same. The plasma-curable ink composition for offset printing comprises a pigment, a binder resin, and at least one specific ingredient selected from the group consisting of castor oil, polymerized oil, and alkyd resins having an acid value of 10 mg KOH/g or more.

Offset printing is a printing process that utilizes water repellency of an oil-based ink composition for offset printing (hereinafter, simply also referred to as "ink composition"). The offset printing process is characterized in that an even printing plate is used unlike a relief printing process with an uneven printing plate. The even printing plate is provided with lipophilic image portions and hydrophilic non-image portions in place of the irregularities of the uneven printing plate, and the non-image portions are moistened with a dampening solution supplied to the printing plate at the beginning of printing. When the oil-based ink composition is then supplied to the printing plate, the ink composition does not adhere to the non-image portions due to repellency of water films of the dampening solution, and adheres only to the lipophilic image portions. In this process flow, an image is formed on the surface of the printing plate with the ink composition, and the image is transferred to a blanket and then a substrate (in many cases, a paper sheet is selected as the substrate) to complete printing.
Besides the offset printing using the dampening solution as described above, a dry offset printing process has also been put into practical use with a printing plate having non-image portions composed of silicone resin. In this printing process, non-image portions are formed not by repellency of the ink composition to the dampening solution, but by repellency of the ink composition to the silicone resin. Apart from these differences, the dry offset printing is also a printing process common to the offset printing with the dampening solution. Accordingly, the term "offset printing" is used in this specification as a concept common to a wet printing process with a dampening solution and a dry printing process.
If the ink composition adhering to the surfaces of the printed sheets yielded by the offset printing is insufficiently dried, set-off occurs when the printed sheets are stacked, or the ink composition adheres to a person's fingers when the printed sheets are touched, thereby the printed sheets cannot be transferred to a subsequent step or commercially distributed as products. Accordingly, a step of drying the ink composition adhering to the surfaces of the printed sheets to fix the ink composition on the sheets is required after the printing step. Well-known drying steps of the ink composition in the offset printing process are four types, such as oxidative polymerization, vaporization, permeation, and photopolymerization, which have been selected depending on the type of the ink composition.
In a step of drying the ink composition by permeation, an oil ingredient contained in the ink composition adhering to the surfaces of printed sheets permeates the inside of the minted sheets to achieve the dried surface of the ink composition in a relatively rapid manner. Unfortunately, the ink composition spreads on the surfaces of printed sheets in this drying step to lead to expansion of halftone dots in some cases. A step of drying the ink composition by vaporization comes with a concern about an increase in environmental load due to the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere.
From such a viewpoint, a step of drying the ink composition by oxidative polymerization has been frequently employed to achieve printed matter with high aesthetics. In the ink composition used in this drying step, an unsaturated oil having a high iodine value, such as linseed oil, is used as an oil ingredient, and oxygen in the air can form a tack-free or dried film through oxidative polymerization of the unsaturated oil. The step of drying the ink composition by the oxidative polymerization has no stage of permeation of the oil ingredient into the inside of printed matter or no stage of release of the VOCs into the atmosphere, thereby printed matter having high aesthetics can be produced with low environmental load. Unfortunately, the chemical reaction in the oxidative polymerization of the unsaturated oil requires relatively long times, and thereby some problems may occur due to poor drying of the printed matter.
In view of the above background, printing by photopolymerization involving a drying step of irradiation of the printed matter with ultraviolet rays after printing has been extensively used in recent years. The ink composition used in the drying step contains monomers or oligomers having ethylenically unsaturated bonds and a photopolymerization initiator that generates radicals by irradiation with active energy rays, such as ultraviolet rays. Upon irradiation with active energy rays after printing, the ink composition instantaneously polymerizes to form a tack-free or dried film. In recent years, various ink compositions involving such a drying step have been proposed (see, for example, PTLs 1 and 2). A method of printing with an ink composition containing specific ingredients and then curing the resulting printed matter through irradiation with plasma to fix the ink composition present on the surface of the printed matter has also been proposed (See, for example, PTL 3).

Plasma-curable offset printing ink composition, method for producing printed matter using same, and printing method


This disclosure is directed to processes and systems that generate enhanced-resolution seismic images by interpolating sparsely recorded seismic data. Structured dictionary learning is employed to train a set of basis vectors, called “atoms,” and corresponding sparse coefficients on patches of the recorded seismic data. The atoms are constrained to represent the geometric structure of reflection events in the recorded seismic data gather. Linear combinations of the atoms are used to compute interpolated patches over a finer receiver-coordinate grid. The interpolated patches replace the original patches in the recorded seismic data to obtain interpolated seismic data that can be used to generate an image of the subterranean formation.

Marine seismology companies invest heavily in the development of marine seismic surveying equipment and seismic data processing techniques in order to obtain accurate, high-resolution seismic images of subterranean formations located beneath a body of water. High-resolution seismic images of a subterranean formation are used to determine the structure of subterranean formations, discover petroleum reservoirs, and monitor petroleum reservoirs during production. A typical marine seismic survey is carried out with one or more survey vessels that tow one or more seismic sources and a number of streamers through the body of water. The survey vessel contains seismic acquisition equipment, such as navigation control, seismic source control, seismic receiver control, and recording equipment. The seismic source control controls activation of the one or more seismic sources at selected times or locations. A seismic source typically comprises an array of source elements, such as air guns, that are activated to produce an acoustic impulse. The acoustic impulse is a sound wave that spreads out in all directions. A portion of the impulse that travels down through the water and into a subterranean formation propagates as a sound wave within the subterranean formation. At each interface between different types of rock and sediment, a portion of the sound wave is refracted, a portion is transmitted, and another portion is reflected back into the body of water to propagate toward the water surface. The streamers are elongated spaced apart cable-like structures towed behind a survey vessel in the direction the survey vessel is traveling (i.e., in-line direction) and are arranged substantially parallel to one another in the direction perpendicular to the in-line direction (i.e., cross-line direction). Each streamer contains a number of seismic receivers or sensors that detect pressure and/or particle motion wavefields of the sound waves reflected back into the water from the subterranean formation. The streamers collectively form a seismic data acquisition surface. The recorded pressure and/or particle motion wavefields are processed to produce seismic images of the subterranean formation.
In a typical marine seismic survey, traces of seismic data are generated by coarsely spaced receivers. Each trace has an associated receiver coordinate in a receiver-coordinate grid, each receiver coordinate corresponding to a location in the in-line and cross-line directions. This large spacing of receivers can create spatial aliasing when adjacent receivers are separated by more than half the wavelengths of the wavefields reflected into the water from a subterranean formation. For example, traces of seismic data may be spatially aliased in the cross-line direction because distances between receivers in adjacent streamers are typically greater than half the wavelengths of the reflected wavefields. Spatial aliasing may also occur in the in-line direction when one or more receivers fail to function or sporadically record seismic data. As a result, images of a subterranean formation generated from spatial aliased seismic data contain image artifacts that do not accurately represent structural features of the subterranean formation.
In an effort to correct spatial aliasing, numerous interpolation techniques have been created to interpolate missing traces of seismic data over a denser receiver-coordinate grid. However, many of these techniques are applicable only in limited cases, require a priori information, seismic data is not spatially aliased, rely on assumptions regarding the shape of reflection events, or rely on seismic signal morphology of pre-defined transforms. For example, interpolation beyond aliasing is used to interpolate traces of seismic data from spatially aliased traces of seismic data. However, interpolation beyond aliasing is an underdetermined problem because true frequency content of the seismic data is unknown. This technique requires a priori frequency information. Other methods of interpolation beyond aliasing assume local linearity of the reflection events and interpolate in the frequency-space domain using error prediction filters (See e.g., "Seismic trace interpolation in the f-x domain," by S. Spitz, Geophysics, 56, 785-794, 1991 and "Seismic interpolation with nonstationary prediction-error filters," S. Crawley, PhD thesis, Stanford University, 2001). Other interpolation methods integrate a priori information about the seismic signal morphology via sparsity in a transformation domain. These methods rely on assumptions that a densely sampled seismic wavefield follows the morphology described by the transform. Therefore, the wavefields are expected to lie in a small sub-part of the transform domain and can be recovered using a sparse optimization process. For interpolation of spatially aliased but regularly sampled seismic data, several transforms have been developed for interpolating seismic data over a finer receiver-coordinate grid with different kinds of transforms (See e.g., (Fourier transform) "Antialiase antileakage Fourier transform," M. Schonewille and A. Klaedtke, SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts, 3249-3253, 2009 and "Convergence improvement and noise attenuation considerations for beyond alias projection onto convex sets reconstruction," Geophysical Processing, 61, 138-151, 2013; (Radon transform) "Wavefield reconstruction using a Stolt-based asymptote and apex shifted hyperbolic Radon transform," A. Ibrahim et al., SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts, 3836-3841, 2015; (curvelet transform) "Hierarchical scale curvelet interpolation of aliased seismic data," M. Naghizadeh and M. Sacchi, SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts, 3656-3661, 2010; (seislet transform) "Dealiased seismic data interpolation using seislet transform with low-frequency constraint," S. Gan et al., SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts, 3900-3904, 2015; and (focal transform) "High resolution double focal transformation and its application to data reconstruction, H. Kuscha et al., SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts, 3589-3593, 2010). Researchers, developers, and practitioners of exploration-seismology-related analytical techniques seek computationally efficient approaches to interpolate seismic data that do not depend on a priori information, the seismic data may be spatially aliased, do not rely on assumptions regarding linear or non-linear properties of the reflection events, and do not rely on seismic signal morphology of pre-defined transforms to generate accurate high-resolution images of subterranean formations.

Methods and systems to interpolate seismic data


An apparatus is configured to position a workpiece. The apparatus includes a planar base, and a movable stage configured to support the workpiece. The stage is configured to be moved over the planar base. The apparatus also includes an actuator configured to move the stage, a contactless position measurer configured to measure a position of the stage, and a first pump configured to generate a conditioned gas flow in a volume between the measurer and the stage. The base includes a plurality of gas channels provided in the base that provide a path of the conditioned gas flow through the base.

A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a target portion of a substrate. Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that circumstance, a patterning device, such as a mask, may be used to generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. including part of, one or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer) that has a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively exposed. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion in one go, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through the projection beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. The light source can be UV, DUV, EUV-light or an electron beam.
In the lithographic apparatus as hereabove described, a common problem is how to create a stable and conditioned environment for the position measuring devices that are used to locate and position the stage relative to the base. Such a contact-less measurement device is typically an interferometer, however, other devices such as optical or capacitive rulers (encoders) can also be applied. Here, the stage is used, for example, for holding a target substrate thereon; in order to illuminate the target substrate in synchronicity with a movable patterning device, the substrate is moved in a scan direction, and the precise positioning and alignment relative to the patterning device usually takes place in a closed loop control in which the position of the stage is measured by interferometric measurement and adapted in response to the measurement. Oftentimes, position measurement devices are used that are very sensitive for variations of the media through which a position measurement is performed. For example, for an interferometer, a variation of the refractive index in the media is directly translated in a deviation of a measured position of the stage. Therefore, the media, and in particular the media in the volume that is present between the measuring device and the movable stage, should be kept stable. For an interferometer, the media should be kept at a stable and predictable variation of the refractive index, which is known to be sensitive to gas composition, pressure and temperature fluctuation. In general, the variation is preferably kept at a near-zero level.
In order to provide a stable media environment for letting a measurement beam pass through, a known concept is the so-called "air shower." This is a gas stream of a conditioned, in particular, thermo-conditioned, pressure regulated and/or purified gas mixture that is ejected in the path that a measurement beam travels in the measurement setup. In the remainder, the term "air" will be used to indicate gas media that are used in the environment of the base and stage. This gas media may be ambient air, possibly conditioned and purified. However, also other gas media, such as pure nitrogen, may be included by this term and the invention is not restricted to air showers with ambient air.
It has been found that the conventional setup of a moving stage disturbs these air showers and more particularly, that there is a need to further improve the media environment conditions in the volume between the measuring device and the stage, in order to comply with the ever increasing demand for higher accuracy.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus configured to position a workpiece


An apparatus, system, and method for controlling a virtual object. The virtual object is controlled by detecting a hand motion of a user and generating an event corresponding to the hand motion. Accordingly, the user may control the virtual object displayed on a 3-dimensional graphic user interface (3D GUI) more intuitively and efficiently.

1. Field
Example embodiments of the following description relate to an apparatus and method for controlling a virtual object, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling a virtual object corresponding to motions of a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent times, the number of intuitive interfaces improved in natural interaction between a human and a computer is increasing. Research is being actively performed with respect to recognition of user intention and motion for the interaction between the human and the computer. Additionally, interactive display fields, and the like, are developing rapidly, providing a more natural computing environment replacing typical user interfaces, such as, a keyboard and a mouse.
In the following description, a 3-dimensional (3D) user interface (UI) capable of providing improved immersion and unity and a new apparatus and method for controlling the 3D UI will be suggested.

Apparatus, system, and method for controlling virtual object


An amplifier system receives an input signal and generating therefrom an amplified output signal. The amplifier system is recited as comprising an input stage and an amplifier stage. The input stage is configured to receive the input signal and provide a level-shifted signal that has an average signal level that is shifted in regards a level shift value. The amplifier stage is configured to receive the level-shifted input signal from the input stage and generate therefrom the amplified output signal. The level shift value being selected to minimize a DC offset in the amplified output signal at least when the amplifier system is initially powered on. Since the amplified output signal has a minimal or zero DC offset, the amplifier system avoids generation of undesirable noises when it is initially powered on.

A number of types of audio power amplifier designs have been developed, which have been grouped into various classes. Amplifiers in several classes, namely, class-A, class-B, class-AB and class-C, are referred to as linear power amplifiers, since the output signals generated by the amplifiers bear a generally linear relation to the input signal. Amplifiers in these classes generally make use of bipolar junction output transistors, which have fairly high power dissipation and relatively low efficiency. The relatively low efficiency generally means that relatively high power input is necessary from the power supply to enable the amplifiers to provide desired volume levels. In addition, the relatively high power dissipation generally means that relatively large and heavy heat sinks to dissipate the heat that is generated by the output transistors.
Recently, non-linear power amplifiers have been developed that have higher efficiency and lower power dissipation, thereby reducing the amount of power required from the power supply, as well as enabling the size and weight of the heat sinks that are required to dissipate the heat that is generated to be reduced. As a result, these so-called class-D power amplifiers are being used in low-power devices, such as battery-operated hand-held radio receivers and the like. In class-D amplifiers, the output transistors are typically field effect transistors ("FETs") that are operated as switches. When an FET transistor is off, the current through it is zero, and when the transistor is on, the voltage across it is relatively low. In both cases, the transistor's power dissipation is very low, thus requiring less power from the power supply, and allowing for smaller heat sinks.
One problem that can arise in connection with class-D power amplifiers is that it is desirable to operate them at a zero-DC offset voltage level, that is, if the input signal to the power amplifier has a zero-DC voltage level with respect to ground, the output of the amplifier will also have a zero-DC offset voltage level, and if the input signal has a non-zero-DC waveform, the output waveform will also have a non-zero-DC waveform, but it will have zero-DC time average voltage level. Circuits are known that can enable a class-D power amplifier to operate at a zero-DC offset level after the amplifier has been powered on. These circuits typically determine a weighted average of the voltage level of the output signal over a period of time. The weighting is typically such as to provide higher weights for voltage levels for the times close to the point in time at which the weighted average is determined, with the weights decreasing for times further in the past. In any case, since the circuits make use of weighted time averages, they will not be effective when the power amplifier is initially powered on. As a result, when the amplifier is initially powered on, it may have a non-zero-DC output signal, which can result in a pop or thump being generated by the speaker to which the amplifier is connected. The pop or thump can be quite annoying, and can, in addition, damage components, such as speakers, to which the amplifier is attached, particularly if the amplifier has a relatively high gain.

System and method for minimizing DC offset in outputs of audio power amplifiers


A portable terminal reading text, such as predetermined information sent as an electronic mail message, and/or viewable by using a browser in a convenient or user-friendly manner for a visually-impaired user. The portable terminal executes operations including, reading out a first information; reading out a second information; and selectively switching between reading out the first and second information based on information to be read out. Specifically, the DSP is configured to read out a text sentence using a downloaded read-out in voice program. The sound source LSI which possesses a built-in ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation) function is configured to vocally output a depressed numeric key by using a registered vocabulary. The DSP functions as a voice codec during a telephone conversation using a downloaded voice codec program. Thus, the DSP of the portable terminal is a dual-function type having a read-out in voice function and a voice codec function.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal such as a mobile telephone capable of reading out a text sent as an electronic mail message and/or viewable by using a browser.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a portable terminal such as a mobile telephone and the like has rapidly been developed. Consequently, there are prevailed portable terminals of various types equipped not only with a telephone function but also with a mail-communication function and/or the Internet-connecting function become widespread.
However, a conventional portable terminal such as the mobile telephone is not equipped with a function to read out in voice a text sent as an electronic mail message and/or viewable by using browser. Therefore, they are inconvenient or not user-friendly for a visually-impaired user and/or senior user, e.g., who has weak in eyesight or cannot watch a screen of the portable terminal.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal which is capable of reading out a text such as a predetermined information sent as an electronic mail message and/or viewable by using a browser and which is convenient or user-friendly for a visually-impaired user and/or senior user.


A method and composition for treating, preventing or ameliorating heart failure, cardiac hypertrophy, and/or myocardial dysfunction includes administering a therapeutically effective amount of a HDAC inhibitor, such as phenylbutyrate, in combination with an ACE inhibitor, such as captopril.

The present invention is generally directed to cardiac therapy, and more particularly to treating, preventing, or ameliorating heart failure and/or cardiac hypertrophy, and/or dysfunction by reactivating silenced adult cardiac gene expression.
Heart failure is a leading case of death and disability. Hospitalization and long-term care for this condition represent major health care costs items. Among other entities, hypertension is a major factor underlying the development of heart failure.
Neither the cause of hypertension or mechanisms underlying heart failure are fully understood. It is clear, however, that increased neurohormonal activity accompanies heart failure and ameliorating this activity by beta adrenergic antagonists and inhibitors of the rennin-angiotensin aldosterone system improves clinical state. These treatments represent cornerstones in the management of heart failure today.
Although symptomatic improvement in heart failure patients is found with neurohumoral blockade, reversal of the underlying pathophysiology does not take place. Pathological events include adverse remodeling of the myocardium, associated with a modification of gene expression, an increase in left ventricular mass, depression of intrinsic myocardial function.
Conventional treatments for heart failure are designed to stabilize disease progression and are primarily limited to the administration of an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, angiotensin receptor blocker, beta adrenergic blocker, or diuretic. For example, a ACE inhibitor, such as captopril, is frequently administered to patients with hypertension and acutely decompensated heart failure. The efficacy of ACE inhibitors, such as captopril, is based on their ability to reduce circulation levels of angiotensin 11, to thereby reduce mean arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance. This results in decreased workload on the heart in patients with heart failure. This treatment may temporarily reduce clinical symptoms of heart failure, however, does not effectively treat the underlying disease and the long-term outlook for heart failure patients remains poor.
Much of the pathophysiology associated with heart failure may be due, in large part, to abnormal gene transcription that results from aberrant silencing of adult cardiac gene expression and recapitulation of the fetal gene program. Histone acetylase and deacetylaces can play a role in the control of gene expression. A prior patent document (US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0025333) entitled "Inhibition of histone deacetylases as a treatment for cardiac hypertrophy" provides methods for treatment and prevention of cardiac hypertrophy in patients at risk of developing heart failure by administration of class II histone deacetylases (HDAC) inhibitors, consisting of tricoststin A, trapoxin B, MS 275-27, m-carboxycinnamic acid bis-hydroxamide, depudecin, oxamflatin, apicidin, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, Scriptaid, pyroxamide, 2-amino-8oxo-9,10-epoxy-decanoyl, 3-(4-aroyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-N-hydroxy-2- -propenamide and FR901228. However, it is noted that this patent document does not include phenylbutyrate. Aside from the actions of HDACs, when DNA is methylated in the promotor region of genes, where transcription is initiated, normal adult genes are inactivated and silenced (Reference 1), which can lead to recapitulation of the fetal gene profile that characterizes the failing heart.
As noted above, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, the primary standard treatment for hypertension and heart failure, are designed to stabilize disease progression. However, myocardial dysfunction involving depressed myocardial contractility and cardiac enlargement due, in large part, to pathologic gene expression remains unresolved. An approach to selectively target cardiac gene transcription to alter gene expression, and thereby restore the adult cardiac profile, reduce ventricular mass and increase contractile function is needed to effectively treat heart failure.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors are substances causing inhibition of the activity of histone deacetylase, resulting in hyperacetylation and leading to chromatin relaxation and wide scale changes of gene expression. Current compounds shown to inhibit the activity of histone deacetylases fall into six structurally diverse classes. Phenylbutyrate (MW 164.21), comprises the short chain fatty acid class and is well-tolerated clinically at drug concentrations, which effect acetylation of histones in vitro. Phenylbutyrate has been used for the treatment of urea cycle disorders in children, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, cancer and more recently for the treatment of cystic fibrosis and ALS disease. However, thus far, phenylbutyrate has not been used for the treatment of heart failure.

Method and composition for treating heart failure


To prevent information required for reproducing of a 3D/multi-viewpoint image being lost even in a case in which editing or the like of the 3D/multi-viewpoint image is performed using a device or application software that does not support 3D/multi-viewpoint images, a compound-eye digital camera can switch between a multi-viewpoint image taking mode that images a subject image viewed from a plurality of viewpoints and a single viewpoint image taking mode that takes a subject image viewed from a single viewpoint. When taking an image in the multi-viewpoint image taking mode, the compound-eye digital camera sets a protect flag for multi-viewpoint images acquired with an image pickup device and records the multi-viewpoint images. As a result, the taken multi-viewpoint images are protected, and erasure or editing of the images cannot be performed without permission.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image taking apparatus, an image reproducing device, an image taking method, and a program, and more particularly to an image taking apparatus, an image reproducing device, an image taking method, and a program that prevent erroneous erasure or the like of recorded images.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following technologies have been proposed as technologies for preventing erroneous erasure or editing of images that are recorded with an image taking apparatus such as a digital camera.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-41699 discloses technology that, when performing image taking, automatically protects against erasure of captured images by protecting against erasure of a previously captured image before recording.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-115685 discloses technology that prevents a captured moving image being erased by an erroneous operation that deletes the base data or the like after edited data is written.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-209535 discloses technology that, in a standard mode, prevent loss of important images by inhibiting overwriting of the same file inside the same folder and inhibiting an operation to delete image data.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-308563 discloses technology that prevents erasure of or a decrease in the image quality of a required image by executing protection that inhibits a change in a compression ratio with respect to compressed image data for which the user does not want to change the compression ratio.

Image taking apparatus, image reproducing apparatus, image taking method and program


A suspension control system and a suspension control method for a vehicle control the suspension based on the condition of the road surface traveled by the vehicle in addition to information pertaining to a corner obtained from a navigation device when the vehicle approaches the corner. A microprocessor controls damping forces of suspension devices on the basis of a degree of irregularity of the road surface detected immediately preceding entry of the automobile into a turn around the corner, and corner information from the navigation device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suspension control system and to a suspension control method for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
JP-A-9-114367 discloses a suspension control system in which the suspension is adjusted in advance, for example, just before the vehicle starts to turn a corner in traveling a predetermined route, on the basis of the speed of the vehicle and corner information obtained from a navigation device within the vehicle.
However in the suspension control system of JP-A-9-114367, the corner information obtained from the navigation device includes no information relative to the state of the road surface at the corner. Accordingly, for example, when the road surface at the corner is irregular and/or slippery, steering during travel of the vehicle around the corner may become unstable and the driver may feel riding discomfort (an unpleasant sensation).

Suspension control system and suspension control method for vehicle


A conversion enclosure allows a first group of hard disk drives of a first size to be received by a hard disk drive enclosure having a second group of hard disk drives of a second size. The conversion enclosure includes a chassis having first and second side panels, each of the side panels having a front edge and a rear edge, a plurality of pairs of chassis rails having a first rail of each of the pairs of chassis rails connected to the first side panel, and the second rails connected to the second side panel. Pairs of slots are included therein, each slot bounded on one side by a first plane passing through a first pair of chassis rails, and on the other side, by a second plane passing through the second pair of chassis rails adjacent to the first pair. The conversion enclosure includes a pair of engaging panels, each having a vented area respectively connected to the rear edge of the first side panel and to the rear edge of the second side panel. The engaging panels respectively engage the hard disk drive enclosure in response to the conversion enclosure being inserted and located into the hard disk drive enclosure.

Computer systems, such as servers, usually employ a disk drive group consisting of a plurality of disk drives. In consideration of cost and effectiveness, it is advantageous for manufacturing purposes that servers formed by a plurality of disk drives have a specific size (such as a group of 3.5 inch disk drives, a group of 2.5 inch disk drives, or a group of other size disk drives) selected to achieve the best effect.
Computer systems manufacturers generally find it difficult to fulfill orders requiring disk drives of different sizes for a specific computer system model. Firstly, enclosures for different groups of disk drives of different sizes are first manufactured, causing a waste of human resources and material resources. Secondly, if enclosures for groups of disk drives of different sizes are first manufactured when large orders for computer systems using disk drives of a specific size, the enclosures of the specific size may be ready for use, but the enclosures of other sizes remain lying idle in a warehouse.
Alternatively, for server systems, even for rack or tower type servers, groups of disk drives are used. When a tower type server is arranged from a vertical position to a horizontal position, it is usually served as a rack type server. Referring to FIG. 6A, the panel of a hard disk drive includes two LEDs in a vertical position and the panel of a hard disk drive includes two LEDs in a horizontal position, wherein G (green) stands for a normal operation, and A (amber) stands for a malfunction operation. In consideration for individuals having poor color vision, present rules for arranging the servers containing a group of disk drives are such that a green LED is always located on the left and an amber LED on the right when it is in a horizontal position; and the green LED is located on the top, and the amber LED on the bottom when it is in a vertical position. For a tower type server having a group of disk drives, the LED status is shown in FIG. 6B. When the tower type server is brought down to serve as a rack type server, different directions for bringing down the server result in different LED status. FIG. 6C shows when the tower type server is brought down to the right, and FIG. 6D illustrates when the tower server is brought down to the left. In other words, different directions of bringing down the tower type server result in different LED status. To individuals having poor color vision this may be confusing by being unable to determine what is the correct LED status.
Accordingly, there is a need in the computer system technology for a disk drive conversion having a low cost, high efficiency, and convenient use. There is also a need for disk drive conversion suitable for individuals with poor color vision.

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention provides integration of the automatic semiautomatic and manual modes on a single man-machine interface device (200,400), with the master control of a system parameter such as pressurizer level, which is responsive to at least two system components (charging pumps, letdown valves), each of which can adjust a different system variable. The setpoint for automatic master control, is selected and displayed (216) on the device, along with the current value (212) of the setpoint parameter (pressurizer level). In the semiautomatic master mode selectable by the operator on the device, either a setpoint (272) or an output demand (282) can be specified for one of the components (206), and the master controller will then adjust the other component (204) accordingly. When all subgroup controls are in the manual mode, the master controller is completely overridden by operator control of each component or subgroup.

The control of a complex industrial process, such as a chemical refinery or central electric power generating station, is a complex endeavor which places high demands for information processing on equipment and operators. Particularly with respect to nuclear power plants, the control of the plant and its processes must not only satisfy objectives arising from economic optimization, but also must satisfy safety objectives more stringent than those faced by virtually any other industry.
In the nuclear power industry, recent developments in instrumentation and control engineering have been directed toward the integration and presentation of information to the operator in the plant central control room, in a manner that gives the operator a higher level of understanding of the condition of the plant or of particular systems and processes. Particularly under the stress of an abnormal plant occurrence, it is not an easy task for the operator to infer the nature of the problem and decide upon the most appropriate mitigating action, in response to stimulus overload from alarms and other displays concerning individual parameters and individual components.
Considerable progress has been made with respect to integrating parameter and component signals into more useful indicator and monitor displays for the operator, as described, for example, in International Pat. application Ser. No. PCT/US89/04899 filed Nov. 2, 1989 for "Advanced Nuclear Plant Control Complex", the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Despite improvements in monitoring and display, the development of an easy-to-use, integrated controller interface has not kept pace. In particular, although the operator has available to him improved indicators, alarms, and other monitoring interfaces, the manner in which the operator must divide his attention between the control panel, at which action is taken to actuate components and the indicator panel, where the results of control action are observed, has not improved commensurately.
One example of a process controller representing the recent state of the art, is shown in FIG. 1, which depicts a man-machine interface for the process control associated with the operation of the pressurizer system in a pressurized water nuclear power plant. The interface is premised on the understanding that the behavior of the pressurizer system can be influenced by controlling either on pressure in the pressurizer, or by the liquid level in the pressurizer. Thus, pressure control, level control, and the signal inputs for the system are controlled from the common man-machine interface device shown in FIG. 1.
The pressure and level control functionality associated with the device of FIG. 1, are each a master controller that sends signals to subgroup controls. For example, the pressurizer level controller controls level by sending signals to one or both of the charging pumps and letdown valves. Such action also affects the pressure in the pressurizer. If, however, the operator wants to control the charging pumps or letdown valves individually, the necessary controls are located on a different man-machine interface device. Looked at more generally, the prior art as represented by FIG. 1, provides a process controller device by which the operator can establish a setpoint or specify a demand for one or more process parameters in a given system. If the parameter is responsive to the operation of only one component, then control of such parameter is tantamount to the control of the component. Where, however, a plurality of components are available to adjust the parameter, the process controller acts as a master controller over this subgroup of components, but the operator cannot adjust the subgroup components individually, without going to a separate control device.

Operator interface for plant component control system


A method and apparatus for switching, merging, and demerging data between data communication locations have been disclosed.

Communications is involved with the transfer of data. Data that is in a digital format often needs to be manipulated to achieve effective communication. The manipulation of data is often performed via operations. Some such operations are switching of data, merging of data, and demerging data. These operations may be performed at different physical and/or logical locations. For example, these locations may be, but are not limited to, a physical media interface, a media access controller (MAC), a datalink controller, network search engine, traffic manager. These are but examples of locations for digital format manipulation operations.
Three of the existing approaches for the switching and multiplexing of data between a Physical Media Interface and a Media Access Controller (MAC) are:
1. Direct connection between a Media Interface and a MAC;
2. Direct connection between a Media interface and a packet switch with integrated MAC function; and
3. Serialization and deserialization (bit interleaving) or byte interleaving of data between a Media Interface and a backplane.
These three are illustrated in FIG. 3, denoted 301, 302, and 303 respectively.
FIG. 3, at 301 illustrates a direct connection between a Media Interface and a MAC. This is described in the IEEE 802.3 standard. A Media interface is connected to a MAC via an interface known as the Media Independent interface (MII). The MAC is responsible for performing checking and filtering functions of received data frames and for transmitting data frames in accordance with the standard. A problem with this approach is that for multiple physical connections, a MAC function is required for each physical interface before the data can be multiplexed over a backplane via a system interface. Existing solutions adopt a system interface that is sufficient only for the aggregate bandwidth of the physical interfaces. The MAC and multiplexing function may add latency and complexity to the transfer of data to a backplane including additional flow control and data buffering. In addition, flow control or other MAC functions must be performed in the MAC devices. This adds complexity to the system configuration, control, and management functions. It may be appropriate for small systems with few physical ports and where the entire system can be implemented on a single circuit board; however, it does not "scale" well to larger systems having more ports and many different data processing and forwarding functions which must be carried out by special processors.
FIG. 3, at 302 illustrates a direct connection between a Media interface and an Ethernet or packet switch having an integrated MAC function, such as a Gigabit Ethernet MAC (GE MAC). This approach is described in manufacturers' (such as Broadcom's and Marvel's) literature. A physical layer device connects to a switch device through a local interface. A separate backplane interface is often provided, usually a high speed serial interface of a proprietary nature which may be regarded as a physical layer interface. A problem with this approach is that such switch devices are physically large due to the large number of Inputs/Outputs (I/Os), consume high power, and consequently create thermal problems. For systems having a high number of physical I/Os or functional circuit boards, their use will increase system configuration control and management complexity. In addition, a separate switch device is required to terminate all the high speed data streams, demultplex the data, and provide a further level of switching. This combination of switch devices that have local interfaces and switch devices that have high speed interfaces is also referred to as a switch fabric. Prior attempts to increase the efficiency of switch fabrics have resulted in data loss or large increases in latency. Prior attempts to decrease the number of signals and thereby increase the number of physical media interfaces that can be connected to a switch device has resulted in proprietary interfaces being substituted for interfaces defined in prior standards.
FIG. 3, at 303 illustrates a serialization and deserialization (bit interleaving) or byte interleaving of data between a media interface and a backplane wherein a parallel interface of a physical layer interface, such as a Gigabit Media Independent Interface (GMII) from a Network Processor Unit (NPU), is converted to a serial backplane interface in order to reduce the number of signals, clocking and wiring complexity of the backplane. In this case a MAC function is not required unless a combination or multiplexing of multiple physical interfaces is required according to the alternative prior approaches. A problem with serialization and deserialization and alternative variations of the prior approaches is that for multiple physical interfaces a technique will be required to synchronize multiple parallel interfaces with the serial backplane interface. This adds latency, increases the physical size of the circuit, complexity, and power.

Method and apparatus for switching, merging, and demerging data between data communication locations


A metering valve presenting a shutter for a discharge conduit, and an eleomagnet in turn presenting a fixed core and a disk-shaped armature detached from and sliding on the stem by means of a sleeve. The stem is guided by a bush, presents a flange movable inside a swirl chamber with a velocity damping effect, and is fitted, prior to assembling the armature and the electromagnet, by means of a ring nut, which presses a flange, forming one piece with the bush, against the body of the valve via the interposition of calibrated washers so selected as to define the travel of the stem.

The present invention relates to an improved electromagnetic metering valve for a fuel injector, in particular for internal combustion engines.
The metering valves of fuel injectors normally comprise a control chamber with a discharge conduit, which is normally kept closed by a shutter. In known metering valves, the shutter is normally kept closed by the armature of an electromagnet, with the aid of a spring, and is released to open the conduit by energizing the electromagnet to move the armature towards the core of the electromagnet.
The armature of known valves is normally connected rigidly to a stem sliding in a guide, and, when closing the discharge conduit, the kinetic energy of the armature and stem is dissipated in the impact of the shutter against the valve. More specifically, in the case of a ball shutter, the kinetic energy is dissipated, via a guide plate and the ball, in the impact against the seat in the valve body. Conversely, when opening the discharge conduit, the kinetic energy due to the return movement of the armature and stem is dissipated in the impact of the stem against a stop.
Such impact generates considerable force, which is proportional to the mass and velocity of the armature and stem, and is inversely proportional to impact time, which is very short. Owing to the hardness of the ball and valve body, the impact when closing the valve results in considerable rebound, which is also generated, when opening the valve, by the impact of the stem against the stop. As such, the movement of the armature, and hence the opening and closing movement of the valve, fails to provide for steady operation of the injector.
Moreover, the armature moves inside a fuel discharge chamber in which the pressure and density of the fuel vary considerably. An increase in the pressure, and hence in the density, of the fuel inside the discharge chamber reduces the velocity of the armature both when opening and closing the valve. Finally, the movement of the armature itself produces, and is seriously affected by, pressure waves in the fuel inside the discharge chamber, thus further impairing steady operation of the injector.
A metering valve has been proposed wherein the armature is made of magnetic material; the stem is made of nonmagnetic material to reduce cost, and is detached from the armature to simplify assembly; and the stem is guided by a sleeve forming one piece with a bell fixed to the injector body, so that the stem is arrested by a very small surface and subject to rebound.
Moreover, the armature, stem and guide are assembled together with the electromagnet, so that the travel of the stem cannot be determined without also assembling the armature and the electromagnet, and cannot be measured easily for test purposes.

Electromagnetic metering valve for a fuel injector

Elasis Sistema Ricerca Fiat Nel Mezzogiorno Societa Consortile Per Azioni


The invention relates to a process for producing a fatty alcohol and glycerin by hydrogenation reaction of fats and oils in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the reaction is carried out in the coexistence of an organic solvent.

Conventionally, a process for producing fatty alcohols by catalytically hydrogenating lower alcohol fatty esters obtained by transesterification of fats and oils with a lower monoalcohol, preferably methanol, is used for industrial production of fatty alcohols. Alternatively, a method of catalytically hydrogenating wax esters obtained by esterifying hydrolyzed fatty acids and fatty alcohols is also used. These two-stage processes are economically excellent because valuable glycerin can be obtained with high yield and high purity.
On one hand, the direct catalytic hydrogenation of fats and oils enables an industrially important product fatty alcohol to be directly obtained from naturally occurring fats and oils, but is not so used in industrial production. This is because a side reaction wherein initially formed glycerin is hydrogenated on the surface of a catalyst occurs in the direct catalytic hydrogenation of fats and oils, and thus glycerin cannot be obtained in high yield, so the direct catalytic hydrogenation process cannot compete economically with the 2-stage process. This is one reason that the process of directly hydrogenating fats and oils is not used in industrial scale.
Methods of obtaining a fatty alcohol by directly hydrogenating fats and oils are described in for example U.S. Pat. No. 2,094,127, U.S. Pat. No. 2,109,844 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,241,417. DE-A 1668219 describes a method of hydrogenating fats and oils obtained from fats and oils. U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,986 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,160 also describe methods of directly hydrogenating fats and oils, and in these methods, the direct hydrogenation of fats and oils into fatty alcohols is conducted by using a copper-based catalyst under relatively mild reaction conditions.

Process for producing glycerin and fatty alcohol via hydrogenation


A system can comprise a memory to store machine readable instructions and a processing unit to access the memory and execute the machine readable instructions. The machine readable instructions can comprise a press color state (PCS) estimator to calculate an optical density for each of four single separation solid colors based on a color measurement provided by a scanner. The color measurement can characterize material printed on a substrate and scanned by a scanner. The PCS estimator can also provide an updated LUT for each of the four single separation colors based on the color measurement provided by the scanner. The machine readable instructions can comprise a print controller to provide the optical density for each of the four single separation solid colors and the updated LUT to a printer to facilitate color calibration of the printer.

In computing, an image scanner—often abbreviated to just scanner—is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image. Scanners can use a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a Contact Image Sensor (CIS) as an image sensor. A rotary scanner can be employed for high-speed document scanning and can employ a CCD array. Scanners read red-green-blue color (RGB) data from the CCD array. This data is then processed to correct for different exposure conditions, and sent to a computer via an input/output interface.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A liquid crystal display panel and a fabricating method thereof for reducing the number of data lines and the capacitance of a parasitic capacitor between pixel electrodes are disclosed. A first switching part has at least two thin film transistors for applying a first pixel signal that is supplied to a first data line to a first pixel electrode under control of the second control line and the gate line. A second switching part has at least two thin film transistors for applying a second pixel signal supplied to the second data line to the second pixel electrode under control of the first control line and the gate line. A turn-on current value of wither of the two thin film transistors, in each of the first and second switching parts, is more than that of the other thin film transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display panel and a fabricating method thereof that are adaptive for reducing the number of data lines as well as a capacitance value of a parasitic capacitor between pixel electrodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display (LCD) controls a light transmittance of a liquid crystal using an electric field to thereby display a picture. To this end, the LCD includes a liquid crystal display panel having a pixel matrix, and a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal display panel. The driving circuit drives the pixel matrix such that picture information can be displayed on the display panel.
FIG. 1 illustrates a related art liquid crystal display device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the related art LCD includes a liquid crystal display panel 2, a data driver 4 for driving data lines DL1 to DLm of the liquid crystal display panel 2, and a gate driver 6 for driving gate lines GL1 to GLn of the liquid crystal display panel 2.
The liquid crystal display panel 2 is comprised of thin film transistors TFT each of which is provided at each intersection between the gate lines GL1 to GLn and the data lines DL1 to DLm, and liquid crystal cells connected to the thin film transistors TFT and arranged in a matrix type.
The gate driver 6 sequentially applies a gate signal to each gate line GL1 to GLn in response to a control signal from a timing controller (not illustrated). The data driver 4 converts data R, G and B from the timing controller into analog video signals to thereby apply video signals for one horizontal line to the data lines DL1 to DLm every one horizontal period when a gate signal is applied to each gate line GL1 to GLn.
The thin film transistor TFT applies a data from the data lines DL1 to DLm to the liquid crystal cell in response to a control signal from the gate lines GL1 to GLn. The liquid crystal cell can be equivalently expressed as a liquid crystal capacitor Clc because it is comprised of a common electrode opposed to each other with having a liquid crystal therebetween and a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor TFT. Such a liquid crystal cell includes a storage capacitor (not illustrated) connected to a pre-stage gate line in order to keep a data voltage charged in the liquid crystal capacitor Clc until the next data voltage is charged therein.
The liquid crystal cells of such a related art LCD forms vertical lines equal to the number (i.e., m) of the data lines DL1 to DLm because they are provided at intersections between the gate lines DL1 to DLn and the data lines DL1 to DLm. In other words, the liquid crystal cells are arranged in a matrix type in such a manner to make m vertical lines and n horizontal lines.
The related art LCD requires m data lines DL1 to DLm so as to drive the liquid crystal cells having m vertical lines. Thus, the related art LCD requires m/i data driver integrated circuits (wherein i is the number of data output lines provided by one data integrated circuit) in order to drive m data lines. Therefore, as a resolution of the LCD goes higher, the number of expensive data driver integrated circuits is not only more increased, but also a process time for attaching the driver integrated circuit and a manufacturing cost of the LCD is more increased. As a result, this raises a problem causing a cost rise factor of the LCD.

Liquid crystal display panel and fabricating method thereof


In one aspect, a water conservation apparatus is provided that includes a diverter having an inlet for being connected to a water supply, a primary outlet, and a secondary outlet. The apparatus includes an elongate water storage tank and a supply conduit configured to connect the secondary outlet of the diverter to the water storage tank. The elongate water storage tank has a height and a width perpendicular to the height that is less than the height so that the water from the secondary outlet of the diverter forms a column within the tank. The apparatus further includes a tap having an outlet and a valve, the valve having a closed position that inhibits water flow from the water tank to the outlet and an open position that permits water to be driven out of the outlet by the column of water in the tank.

To get hot water from a faucet or a shower in a residence, a common approach is to turn the hot water on and let the water run until the water gets to the desired temperature. The delay in getting hot water at the faucet or showerhead is due to the standing water in the supply pipes that must be discharged before hot water from a hot water tank or other heater arrives at the faucet or showerhead. The water discharged while waiting for the water to heat up constitutes a significant volume of wasted water. For example, the wasted water produced by a shower may be in the range of 1.5 to 3 gallons of water each time a person takes a shower. This volume of wasted water is significant, considering that millions of people in the United States take showers or run hot water at a faucet everyday.


An improved device and method for plumbing a recirculating water pump into a hot water heating system, the water pump having a pair of connecting flanges on the inflow and outflow sides of the pump. The present invention includes a section of copper tubing which has one end flared, the flare preferably being at approximately right angles to the longitudinal axis of the tubing. Further, an installation flange is provided having a central hole and an inside face to be positioned against a corresponding face of a connecting flange of the recirculating water pump, the copper tubing being inserted through the central hole of the installation flange with the flared end positioned against the inside face of the installation flange. A flexible gasket, having a central opening, being positioned between the installation flange and the connecting flange of the recirculating pump. The installation flange and flexible gasket being connected to the connecting flange of the recirculating pump with bolts.

This invention relates to an improved device and method for plumbing a recirculating water pump into a hot water heating system.
A recirculating water pump is installed in a hot water line of a home heating system to aid in forcing hot water through the heating system. A conventional recirculating water pump has connecting flanges on both the inflow side and also the outflow side. To install a recirculating water pump, a plumber conventionally uses a threaded cast iron flange to mate with each flange on the recirculating water pump so as to connect the pump into the hot water line. The following description relates to the conventional installation of one side of the recirculating water pump. The other side of the recirculating pump is plumbed similarly.
A conventional system for plumbing a hot water recirculating pump into a hot water system is shown in FIG. 1. In this figure, a conventional hot water recirculating pump A is shown having connecting flange B. An installation flange C is shown, which is conventionally constructed of cast iron. Flange C is mounted to flange B with bolts D. The installation flange C has an internal axial bore (not shown) through which water flows, which bore has internal threads (not shown) for receiving the male threads of a conventional threaded coupler E. Opposite the threaded end of coupler E is an enlarged inside diameter portion for receiving a hot water pipe F. When installing a recirculating water pump A into a hot water system F, coupler E is threaded into installation flange C. Pipe joint compound or Teflon tape is used to fill any spaces and stop leaks along the threads. Installation flange C is then bolted to recirculating pump flange B. Hot water pipe F is then soldered to coupler E in a conventional manner.
Leaks at the threaded joint between coupler E and installation flange C have been a continuous problem in the past using this method of installation. The leaks may be caused because heat from the soldering operation may melt the pipe joint compound or Teflon tape at the male end of the copper coupler, causing a leak to occur at this threaded connection. Further, the leak may be caused because the copper coupler E is of dissimilar metal than the cast iron flange C. When coupler E is soldered into the hot water pipe, the dissimilar metals expand at different rates perhaps causing these leaks to occur.
Finally, the conventional method of installing recirculating pumps is time consuming, because of the time needed to replumb the system to correct the leaks.
What is needed, is a leak-proof joint at the flange C connecting the hot water line with the recirculating pump flange A, which joint will remain leak-proof even when copper coupler E is soldered into the hot water line F.


Methods (400, 500) and corresponding systems (100, 200, 300) for managing a packet (318) for transmission include obtaining a quality of service (QoS) parameter value for a data stream (404), and determining one or more QoS statistics for previously transmitted data (406). Thereafter, a packet is selected from the data stream (408), and scheduling information is estimated for the packet (410) based upon the QoS statistics and the QoS parameter value. The scheduling information is assigned (414) to the packet. A transmission time window of a transmission buffer is determined (506). If the scheduling information assigned to the packet falls within the transmission time window (508), the packet is queued for transmission in the transmission buffer. The labeled packet can be arranged among one or more queued packets in response to comparing scheduling information of the labeled packet and the queued packets.

A user of a communication system may subscribe to communication services offered by a communication network provider under an agreement that guarantees performance. Examples of performance guarantees include data throughput, or latency bounds, or other similar metrics based on mutually agreed measures of a network protocol. This agreement, which may be known as a Service Level Agreement (SLA), typically contains a defined quality of service.
Different types of network traffic may require a specific quality of service. For example, streaming multimedia, internet protocol (IP), and safety-critical applications, such as remote surgery, each require a specific quality of service or a guaranteed data transfer service. These types of services are called "inelastic," meaning that they require a certain level of bandwidth to function—if they get more than the required bandwidth they can't use it, and if they get less, they can't function at all. By contrast, "elastic" applications can take advantage of however much or little bandwidth is available.
In order to comply with the SLA, and in order to efficiently distribute required bandwidth among the one or more subscriber stations in a communication network, it is advantageous to monitor, control, and limit bandwidth granted to subscriber stations, both individually and collectively.

Managing packets for transmission in a communication system


A machine 80 for polishing a surface of a glass plate 20, comprising a polishing belt 1 provided with a polishing layer in an outside surface thereof, a traveling unit 2for traveling the polishing belt 1, a flatly supporting unit 21 for flatly supporting the polishing belt 1 in a polishing area for the glass plate 20, and a holding and pressing unit 31 for holding the glass plate 20 to be polished and for pressing the held glass plate against the outside surface of the polishing belt 1 flatly supported by the flatly supporting unit 21, and further comprising a swinging unit 61 for relatively swinging the glass plate 20 relative to the polishing belt 1 in a direction parallel to a plane in which the polishing belt 1 is supported by the flatly supporting unit 21, and in a direction traversing to a traveling direction of the polishing belt 1, the glass plate being held by the holding and pressing unite 31.

In a conventional surface polishing machine for a glass plate, as is typified by those manufactured in the Speedfirm Company, the glass plate is polished in a state in which abrasive material is supplied onto a rotating polishing base plate on which the glass plate is pressed by means of a holding pad unit which holds and rotates the glass plate.
In a further conventional surface polishing machine for polishing the surface of the glass plate, a holding pad member which holds a glass plate is also moved in an arc in addition to the above described means to flatly polish the surface of the plate glass.
In each of these conventional surface polishing machines, however, the polishing base plate is required to keep with extremely high flatness a plane in which the base plate is rotated. Due to this requirement, the polishing base plate is substantially limited in size, so that the glass plate to be polished is limited in the size thereof. In addition, since the polishing base plate is rotated, the abrasive material having supplied is immediately flowed radially outward by centrifugal force, so that it is difficult to constantly keep the abrasive material between the glass plate and the polishing base plate. In addition, since the rotating polishing base plate has an outer peripheral portion differ from inner peripheral portion in peripheral speed, it is hard to uniformly polish the surface of the glass plate. Further, in any of the conventional machines, it is necessary to stop rotation of the base plate each time the surface polishing operation of the glass plate is finished and the thus finished glass plate is replaced with a new one to be polished. Therefore, any of the conventional surface polishing machines is extremely poor in work rate.
In view of the above disadvantages, an object of the present invention is to provide a surface polishing machine for polishing a surface of glass plate with high flatness without any limitation of the size of glass plate to be polished.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a machine for polishing a surface of glass plate in a state in which abrasive material is kept in a suitable condition between the glass plate and a polishing base plate so as to further facilitate surface polishing operation.
It is further another object of the present invention to provide a surface polishing machine for polishing a surface of glass plate with extremely high uniformity.
It is still further object of the present invention to provide a machine for polishing a surface of glass plate with remarkably improved work rate in a surface polishing operation.

Machine for polishing surface of glass plate


A gas spring accumulator comprising:—a housing (2, 3) provided with an inlet (20); and—a flexible diaphragm (4) dividing the interior of the housing into a working chamber (7) which is exposed to system pressure via the inlet, and a gas chamber (6); characterised in that the housing includes a diaphragm element (4) having one side exposed to system pressure via the inlet (20) and an opposite side exposed to a further chamber (13), a first non-return valve (17) arranged to admit atmospheric gas into the further chamber (13), and a second non-return valve (29) arranged to admit gas from the further chamber (13) into the gas chamber (6).

Accumulators may be used to store a volume of fluid under pressure or absorb pressure shocks caused by a sudden pulse of fluid entering an hydraulic system. Examples are disclosed in GB 892 019 and GB 2 083 556-A. Such accumulators may contain a sealed moveable member such as a flexible diaphragm or piston with a compressible gas or mechanical spring on one side acting in opposition to the system fluid pressure on the other. Whilst the characteristics of a mechanical spring must be pre-selected at the outset to be compatible with the range of pressures likely to be encountered in the system, a gas spring has the advantage that its characteristics can be changed at any time by charging or releasing the gas pressure, as required.
EP 1 079 170 A2 discloses a gas spring accumulator comprising:
a housing provided with an inlet; and
a flexible diaphragm dividing the interior of the housing into a working chamber which is exposed to system pressure via the inlet, and a gas chamber;
wherein the housing is provided with a port which communicates with the gas chamber and to which an external pressure vessel is releasably attached.
One disadvantage of gas spring accumulators is that a large gas chamber may be required to store the charge. Such devices are often difficult to accommodate, and may also be subject to vigorous pressure testing requirements. Furthermore, there is usually no easy way of determining when the accumulator is charged to a pressure which is compatible with the system pressure, which may necessitate taking readings of the system pressure and the gas charge.
The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of accumulator which is capable of operating at its maximum efficiency without having to manually charge the system to the required gas pressure.
A second aim is to provide an accumulator which is relatively compact and lightweight yet is capable of accommodating a large pressure charge when required.
A third aim is to provide an indication of the charge pressure without using additional pressure gauges.


Methods of treating metal-containing thin films, such as films comprising titanium carbide, with a silane or a borane agent are provided. In some embodiments a film comprising titanium carbide is deposited on a substrate by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The process may include a plurality of deposition cycles involving alternating and sequential pulses of a first source chemical that comprises titanium and at least one halide ligand, a second source chemical comprising metal and carbon, wherein the metal and the carbon from the second source chemical are incorporated into the thin film, and a third source chemical, wherein the third source chemical is a silane or borane that at least partially reduces oxidized portions of the titanium carbide layer formed by the first and second source chemicals. In some embodiments treatment forms a capping layer on the metal carbide film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to processes for producing metal carbide thin films on a substrate by atomic layer deposition. In some embodiments, titanium carbide films produced by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes disclosed herein can be used in metal gate and metal electrode applications in metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), such as n-channel MOSFETs (NMOS).
2. Description of the Related Art
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a generally self-limiting process, whereby alternated pulses of reaction precursors saturate a substrate surface and leave no more than about one monolayer of material per pulse. The deposition conditions and precursors are selected to provide self-saturating reactions, such that an adsorbed layer in one pulse leaves a surface termination that is non-reactive with the gas phase reactants of the same pulse. A subsequent pulse of different reactants reacts with the previous termination to enable continued deposition. Thus, each cycle of alternated pulses leaves no more than about one molecular layer of the desired material. The principles of ALD type processes have been presented by T. Suntola, e.g. in the Handbook of Crystal Growth 3, Thin Films and Epitaxy, Part B: Growth Mechanisms and Dynamics, Chapter 14, Atomic Layer Epitaxy, pp. 601-663, Elsevier Science B.V. 1994, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In a typical ALD process for depositing thin films, one deposition cycle comprises exposing the substrate to a first precursor, removing unreacted first reactant and reaction byproducts from the reaction chamber, exposing the substrate to a second precursor, followed by a second removal step. Typically, halide precursors, such as TiCl4 and HfCl4, are used as precursors in ALD deposition because those precursors are inexpensive and relatively stable, but at the same time reactive towards different types of surface groups. H2O and NH3 are widely used for oxide and nitride deposition, respectively, as second precursors.
ALD processes typically produce thin films that have lower impurity content at the same deposition temperature than chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes. Despite the lower impurity levels in ALD films, the impurity content in ALD films can still be a problem. There are several possible reasons for the presence of impurities in thin films deposited by ALD. In some cases, the semiconductor process flow necessarily limits the maximum deposition temperature such that that some residues are left in the film. ALD films deposited from chloride or other halide-containing precursors (e.g., WF6) at relatively low temperatures can comprise relatively high levels of halide residues. Halide impurities are present mainly at the interfaces, which can also lead to problems. In some cases, like low temperature deposition of transition metal nitrides and transition metal carbides from halide containing precursors, the impurity contents can be above the acceptable limit for some integrated circuit (IC) applications. In another example, in some applications amorphous films are needed, which limits the growth temperature.
In some ALD processes a deposited layer comprising Ti, Al, and C can be undesirably oxidized by contaminants such as water and air. In NMOS applications, oxidation of such a layer or thin film may lead to a shift in the workfunction, for example, from N-type to P-type.

Silane and borane treatments for titanium carbide films


A gate driver on array (GOA) circuit and a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate are provided. The GOA circuit includes a pull-up control module, a pull-up module, a pull-down module, a pull-down maintaining module, and a switch module. The switch module is configured to be turned off after a preset time delay when the pull-up module outputs a current-level scan signal at a high potential. The bootstrap module is configured to maintain a pull-up control signal at a high potential within the preset time delay of the switch module, and when the switch module is turned off, the bootstrap module cuts off a connection with the current-level scan signal.

Gate driver on array, referred to as GOA, is to use the existing thin film transistor liquid crystal display array manufacturing process to make a gate row scan drive signal circuit on an array substrate to realize a driving method of scanning gates row by row.
A GOA circuit in the prior art, a capacitor thereof is mounted between a pull-up control signal output by a pull-up control module and a scan signal output by a pull-up module. When the scan signal is at a high potential, the potential of the pull-up control signal is raised by capacitor bootstrapping, so that the potential output by the pull-up module during the output of the scan signal is sufficiently high. However, using the capacitor bootstrapping does not provide flexibility in controlling a bootstrap condition. This results in a large capacitive load at the output and reduces load carrying capacity of the GOA circuit.

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Semiconductor Display Technology Co., Ltd.


A method of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) a diamond containing surface includes providing a slurry including a plurality of particles, at least one oxidizer, and at least one acid, wherein the slurry has a pH≦3 or pH greater than 11. At least an outer surface of the plurality of particles is softer than the diamond surface or the particles are diamond particles averaging less than (<) 2 μm in size. The diamond surface is pressed with respect to a polishing pad providing a Shore D Hardness less than 99 having the slurry in between while rotating the polishing pad relative to the diamond surface to form a smooth diamond surface having a root mean square (rms) surface roughness less than 15 nm.

Diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Crystalline diamond can be classified based on grain size into super nano-crystalline (grain size less than 10 nm), nano-crystalline (grain size between 10 nm and 250 nm), micro-crystalline (grain size from 250 nm to 250 microns) and single crystalline diamond (grain size greater than 250 microns). The diamond can exist in thin films (film thickness less than 20 microns), thick films (film thickness greater than 20 microns to 200 microns), or bulk materials (thickness greater than 200 microns). Diamond films and bulk materials can coexist with graphitic sp2 phases. Single crystal diamond films can have (100), (110), (111), or other crystal orientations.
Diamonds are adapted for many uses because of exceptional physical characteristics. Notable are its extreme hardness and high thermal conductivity (900 to 2,320 W·m−1·K−1), as well as a wide bandgap and high optical dispersion. The thermal conductivity of diamond is significantly higher than any other known material, which makes diamond thin film substrates an ideal choice for thermal challenges posed by applications including (1) miniaturization of electronic devices, (2) high brightness light emitting diodes (LEDs), (3) laser diodes and (4) high power (e.g., 500 W/mm2)/high frequency devices, (5) high frequency devices, and (6) acoustic devices. Applications well-suited for diamond layers include MEMS (micro electro mechanical structures), NEMS (nano electro mechanical structures) and diamond-based power electronic devices. Diamond can also be used for conditioning the pads in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processing, or as a cutting tool material.
To harness the unique properties of diamond, in applications such as for electronics, it is desirable to have ultra-smooth diamond surfaces since ultra-smooth surfaces decrease friction, increase thermal conductivity, and improve integration compatibility. The applications will generally depend on a combination of properties. For example, application of diamond as a substrate for electronic packaging takes advantage of its very high thermal conductivity for efficient heat dissipation, very high electrical resistivity for excellent electrical insulation and low permeability for environmental protection of the devices.
However, despite its desirability, ultra-smooth diamond surfaces have remained an unmet need. As known in the art, as-deposited low pressure vapor phase diamond films are very rough, with a typical average surface roughness of at least 4 nm up to several hundred microns, depending on the thickness of the film and the grain size of the film.
Traditional CMP methods have not generally been suitable for polishing of diamond films. This is primarily because of the extreme hardness and chemical inertness of diamond, which results in standard chemistries and particle-based CMP achieving very low or essentially no removal rate for diamond. Non-CMP methods have also been disclosed for planarization of diamond, including (1) laser polishing (2) ion beam polishing, (3) polishing using molten salts, and (4) diamond-diamond abrading. Such methods are neither cost-effective, nor viable for manufacturability at an industrial level. Further, such processes do not reduce the average surface roughness to a level suitable for use in semiconductor device manufacturing, such as <20 nm root mean square (rms). Moreover, the use of diamond particles without chemical additives can create sub-surface damage which can result in poor quality epitaxial growth thereon and reduced thermal conductivity.

CMP method for forming smooth diamond surfaces

University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


A harvesting device for nuts and similar small objects having a handle which receives a manually reciprocable push rod having a spreader on its lower end. Tubular collection chambers are secured to the handle. A continuous coil spring extends between the lower, open ends of the collection chambers. The spreader engages the coil spring within the interior area at the end of the handle. In use, downward pressure applied to the handle at the grip will cause the openings between the coils of the coil spring to separate sufficiently to allow objects on the ground to pass into the interior of the spring and into one of the collection chambers. The collection chambers are emptied by holding the device over a receptacle such as a bin with one hand and operating the push rod in a reciprocating or pumping motion causing the openings between the coils to open and close, facilitating rapid emptying of the collection chambers.

Nuts, such as pecans, are conventionally harvested by collecting those that have fallen to the ground. Those that are ripe and have not fallen are caused to fall to the ground by shaking or vibrating the tree. There are various types of equipment for shaking the trees. A tarpaulin, ground cover or, in some cases, a collection device, may be placed around the tree to catch the nuts as they fall from the tree.
In some cases, the fallen nuts are simply picked up by hand which is very labor intensive. Even if a ground cover or some type of collection equipment is used, it is still necessary to manually retrieve and collect some or all of the fallen nuts.
Accordingly, there exists the need for a reliable and efficient device which may be used to retrieve and collect nuts from the ground. Further, there exists the need for an improved device which is easy to use to collect nuts and which may be easily emptied. The device may be used by both commercial nut farmers as well as individuals who have only a small number of trees.