A tool holder assembly for a cutting tool. The tool holder assembly includes a tool holder, a locating member, and a spring. The spring is configured to bias the locating member to engage the cutting tool to inhibit fluid leakage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool holder assembly, and more particularly to a tool holder assembly having a spring-biased adjustment member adapted to deliver a fluid to a cutting tool.
2. Background Art
Previously, tool holders incorporated an adjustment screw in the shank of a cutting tool as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,005 or incorporated a movable coolant pipe that engages a longitudinal screw tap borehole as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,679.


A design method for an integrated circuit adds spare cells in a System-on-Chip to allow for Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) to be performed at a later stage in the design. This method can be used to provide a second version of the chip having minimal alterations performed in a short cycle time. The spare cells can be divided into combinational and sequential cells. There is an optimum spread of combinational cells in the design for post placement repairs of the chip with just metal layer changes. The method takes into account the drive strength of the spare cells as the main factor in their placement on the chip.

There are generally three types of ICs that a circuit designer may use to implement a custom design.
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is an integrated circuit having a number of circuit blocks that can be interconnected in any desired manner by programming interconnection switches disposed on the FPGA die. Therefore, a circuit designer may program the FPGA with firmware to implement any circuit that the FPGA is capable of implementing.
A full-custom application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is laid out on the transistor level to implement the designer's circuit. Typically, the designer presents a circuit topology, in the form of a netlist, to a semiconductor manufacturer. The manufacturer lays out the circuit (typically with placing and routing software) transistor by transistor.
A semi-custom ASIC is laid out on a circuit-cell level to implement the designer's circuit. Typically, the designer presents a circuit topology, in the form of a netlist, to the semiconductor manufacturer. The manufacturer lays out the circuit (typically with placing and routing software) cell by cell. Each cell contains a pre-established set of circuit components that may be interconnected as desired. For example, each cell may contain a flip-flop or another logic gate (for example, NAND gate, OR gate, inverter gate, etc.). The placing and routing software "builds" the circuit defined by the netlist using these cells, and then generates the appropriate node connections between the cells. The software may also define circuit macros, which are groups of cells interconnected in a pre-established manner. For example, the software may define a phase-locked loop (PLL) using the cells, so that the designer may designate a pre-established PLL in his netlist, instead of having to manually define the PLL on a cell-by-cell or a transistor-by-transistor basis.
FIG. 1 is a top view of a 9-cell portion 10 of a semi-custom ASIC. As an example, a semi-custom ASIC may include 100,000 or more cells 12 that are arranged in a checkerboard pattern. Typically, the higher the number of cells, the larger the IC die needed to implement the circuit.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a single cell 12 of FIG. 1.
The cell 12 includes a top conductive layer 14, which may be used, for example, as a portion of a power-supply plane VDD. That is, because the cells are contiguous in the ASIC, the top layer 14 of each cell merges with the top layers 14 of the contiguous cells to form a continuous conductive plane that spans the entire die.
Beneath the top layer 14 is an insulator layer 16 and another conductive layer 18, which may be used, for example, as a portion of a ground plane.
A region 20 includes one or more polysilicon and/or metal interconnection layers that form, for example, interconnections between the components within the cell 12 and also connections from the cell to neighboring cells. This region may also include layers that form, for example, polysilicon structures such as transistor gates.
A substrate 22 may be made from silicon, another semiconductor material, or another appropriate material, and may include, for example, the drain and source regions of CMOS transistors, the base, emitter, and collector regions of bipolar transistors, and isolation structures such as isolation trenches or field-oxide regions.
The cell 12 may include other layers and regions that are not shown in FIG. 2.
Still referring to FIG. 2, the region 20 and the substrate 18 of the cell 12 contain a predetermined arrangement of components therein. For example, the cell 12 may include transistors that are connected together to form, for example, a flip-flop, one or more combinatorial logic gates (for example, a NAND gate, a NOR gate, an inverter), or some combination of the same. The interconnections between these intracellular components as specified by the designer may be implemented in the one or more metal layers within the region 20. Alternatively, the interconnections between these intracellular components may be fixed, and the designer may later on specify the interconnections between cells.
So the design process for a semi-custom IC is typically as follows.
The designer provides a circuit netlist in some hardware description language, for example, Verilog, which defines the functionality of the circuit.
Next, the manufacturer takes this netlist and using known techniques (for example, Synthesis) determines how many cells will be needed to implement the circuit, and thus the minimum dimensions of the die that are needed to implement the circuit.
The manufacturer includes in this estimate of the number of cells, a number of additional cells, often called "spare" cells. These spare cells are available at a later stage of manufacturing or after the manufacturing of the die to correct problems that are found during various testing stages of the die. For example, it may be discovered that a signal that needs to be inverted at a certain point is not inverted. Therefore, the manufacturer may use an inverter in a spare cell to invert this signal. If the mistake is in the layout itself, then the manufacturer may merely change the mask of an appropriate one of the metal layers in the region 20 to make this connection to the spare inverter, such that all subsequently manufactured versions of the circuit work properly. Alternatively, if the problem is limited to one or a small number of ASICs, then the manufacture may use ion-beam or other similar technologies to manually route the signal through the spare inverter. Using spare cells in this manner may significantly increase the yield of the semi-custom ASIC, and thus significantly reduce the cost per ASIC.
As an example, assume that a circuit design requires 100,000 cells for implementation. Using known techniques, the manufacturer may determine that for such a circuit, statistically speaking, 10% or 10,000 additional spare cells are needed to make sure that there are enough spare cells to correct any defects that may occur post layout and manufacture of the chip.
After the number of needed cells is determined (the sum of the cells needed for the circuit implementation plus the statistically determined number of spare cells, for a total of 110,000 in this example), the manufacturer generates a modified netlist that adds the spare cells to the circuit cells. For example, the manufacturer may add spare macro circuits to the netlist, each macro circuit including a variety of spare cells. For example, assume that there are sequential and combinatorial logic gate cells. The manufacturer wants spares of all these different types of cells located throughout the chip. So the manufacturer may generate these macros including at least one of each of these types of cells. For example, the manufacturer may create a macro that is a ring oscillator including all these types of components, with the intent that the ring oscillator not be used as a ring oscillator but for its components if spares are needed.
Typically, even a very efficient utilization of IC area means that an implemented circuit, including the spare cells, does not utilize 100% of the chip area. Therefore, even in designs that use the IC area efficiently, around 40% of the area can still be unused.
Now if this unused area were left empty, that is, void of cells, then there would be "holes" in the IC as one looks down from above where no functional or spare cells are needed.
To plug these holes, filler cells are used.
Referring to FIG. 2, a filler cell is similar to the cell 12 except that it typically includes no interconnections for netlist functionality within the region 20. That is, the region 20 may just include continuous layers, or a continuous single layer such as an insulator layer or some rudimentary maintenance constructs. However, the conductive layers 14 and 18 are present so as to provide a continuous conductive plane (for example, VDD and ground planes) with no "holes" in it, and of course the substrate 22 is included so that the substrate is continuous as well.
Therefore, the resulting semi-custom ASIC typically has three types of cells. Functional cells which form circuits that are part of the overall circuit design originally submitted by the designer, spare cells whose function is to provide spare components if they are needed to modify the functionality of the chip after placement & routing at various stages of manufacture, and the filler cells.
One problem with this approach is that the number of cells in a semi-custom ASIC die, and thus the area of the die itself, is typically significantly increased by including the spare cells. For example, in the example given above, the size of the die is effectively increased 10% (from 100,000 cells to 110,000 cells) to accommodate the 10,000 spare cells.
Another problem is that the locations of these pre-connected spare cells may be tied to the locations of other connected spare cells, and thus these spare cells may not be uniformly available over the die.
Another problem is that even when they are not used, these spare cells typically draw quiescent current and thus add to the power consumed by the chip. So the number of spare cells that can be used is limited by the power budget of the chip. And because the locations of these limited number of spare cells may tend to be clustered due to a redundant pattern (for example, the ring oscillator described above), then this may result in areas of the chip lacking a sufficient number of spare cells to fix a defect that may be later discovered.
What is desired, therefore, is a method of effectively utilizing the space that would eventually be filled with filler cells in an integrated circuit in a manner that overcomes the problems associated with the prior art approaches mentioned above, thereby providing an optimum spare cell distribution.

Spatially aware drive strength dependent die size independent combinatorial spare cell insertion manner and related system and method


A vehicle diagnostic test sequence authoring module includes a flowchart display screen, an add node display screen, an expression builder display screen, a panel editor display screen, a phrase editor display screen, and a meter editor display screen. Each of the author module display screens include a combination of selectable fields, including editable text fields, dropdown menu fields, checkbox fields, selectable bullet fields, logical display buttons, and logical links, that facilitate development of diagnostic test sequences, represented by hierarchical flowcharts, by vehicle diagnostics experts who do not have substantial knowledge of a computer programming language. A flowchart includes multiple nodes, representing individual test steps, and branches that connect the nodes. Logical expressions based on vehicle test conditions determine the flow of the test sequence.

Diagnostic systems are used by technicians and professionals in virtually all industries to perform basic and advanced system testing functions. For example, in the automotive, trucking, heavy equipment and aircraft industries, diagnostic systems provide for vehicle onboard computer fault or trouble code display, interactive diagnostics, multiscope and multimeter functions, and electronic services manuals. In the medical industry, diagnostic systems provide for monitoring of body functions and diagnosis of medical conditions, as well as system diagnostics to detect anomalies in the medical equipment.
In many industries, diagnostic systems play an increasingly important role in manufacturing processes, as well as in maintenance and repair throughout the lifetime of the equipment or product. Some diagnostic systems are based on personal computer technology and feature user-friendly, menu-driven diagnostic applications. These systems assist technicians and professionals at all levels in performing system diagnostics on a real-time basis.
A typical diagnostic system includes a display on which instructions for diagnostic procedures are displayed. The system also includes a system interface that allows the operator to view real-time operational feedback and diagnostic information. Thus, the operator may view, for example, vehicle engine speed in revolutions per minute, or battery voltage during start cranking; or a patient's heartbeat rate or blood pressure. With such a system, a relatively inexperienced operator may perform advanced diagnostic procedures and diagnose complex operational or medical problems.
The diagnostic procedures for diagnostic systems of this sort are typically developed by experienced technical experts or professionals. The technical expert or professional provides the technical experience and knowledge required to develop complex diagnostic procedures. The procedures must then be programmed by computer programmers knowledgeable in a computer programming language. The diagnostic procedure computer program source code is compiled to create an object code diagnostic program, which can then be executed on a diagnostic system.
Thus, existing diagnostic systems have a disadvantage in that diagnostic procedures developed by technical experts and professionals must be programmed by computer programmers, who often are not experts in diagnostics. This process can result in unnecessary time and cost, as well as errors, which sometimes are introduced during the programming phase because of the difficulty of communicating complex diagnostics to the non-expert computer programmers. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus for developing and authoring diagnostic procedures in a format that can be executed on PC-based diagnostic systems without requiring knowledge of a computer programming language.

Authoring diagnostic test sequences apparatus and method


A display device includes: a display unit (20) that displays information; a touch panel unit (10) that is disposed on the display unit (20) and that detects contact manipulations; a tactile sensation presentation unit (60) that presents tactile sensations via the touch panel unit (10); an input assessment unit (70) that, on the basis of the conditions that have been set with respect to contact manipulations, determines the display of the display unit (20) and the operation of the tactile sensation presentation unit (60) in accordance with the contact manipulation that was detected on the touch panel (10); and a CPU (90) that, on the basis of the determination in the input assessment unit (70), controls the display of the display unit (20) and the operation of the tactile sensation presentation unit (60).

In recent years, starting from smartphones, display devices that are operated by using a touch panel have come into widespread use. In such display devices, a touch panel is disposed over the display, and touching an area in which, for example, a button is displayed on the display causes an operation to be carried out according to the button.
In display devices that are operated by using this type of touch panel, devices have been considered that, by imparting a vibration or an electrical stimulus to the skin when the touch panel is touched, provide a tactile sensation in accordance with information such as an image that is displayed in that area (for example, see Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2).

Display device and operating method thereof


A coating agent is capable of forming a coating film that has enhanced adhesion and adherence to a substrate, and enhanced water resistance as well and composed mainly of an aqueous material. A process of forming a coating agent uses the coating agent, a primer treatment process uses the coating agent, a process of doing repairs to concretes uses the coating agent, and a process of laying down roads uses the coating agent. The coating agent is composed mainly of a polyphenol derivative and containing a polymerizing agent, and has a pH of 9 or less. The polymerizing agent contains a compound having two or more functional groups selected from the group of an amino group and a mercapto group per molecule. In the process of forming a coating film, the coating agent is applied onto a substrate in an alkaline environment having a pH of greater than 9.

Coating films in the form of prime-coating films or repair films such as surface protecting films, primers and sealers are used in various situations where they are required to have such performances as mentioned below.
A coating film in the form of a surface protecting film is required to have water resistance, chemical resistance or the like, and have enhanced adhesion to a substrate to which the coating film is applied.
A coating film in the form of a prime-coating film such as a primer or a sealer is required to have enhanced adhesion to a substrate to which the coating film is applied as well as a film to be formed on a prime-coating film. Upon formation of a film on a coating film such as a prime-coating film, it is required to prevent its components from soaking into the substrate. Further, the coating film in the form of a prime-coating film is often required to have high resistance and impermeability to liquid such as rainwater or seawater in general and water in particular passing through a film formed thereon, say, high water resistance and waterproofness.
A coating film in the form of a repair film is required to have high adhesion and adherence to a substrate to be repaired such that cracks occurring in the substrate are not enlarged or spread. The coating film is also required to have water resistance, waterproofness and hydrophobicity (water repellency) high enough to keep water or the like from entering from the repair.
As mentioned above, these coating films are commonly required to have high adhesion and adherence to substrates as well as high water resistance.
Further, the coating films are preferably aqueous, because the aqueous coating films are less harmful to the human body and the environment than a solvent-based coating film.
Dopamine is known for an aqueous coating material capable of forming a coating film on various substances (see Non-patent Publication 1).

Coating agent, process of forming coating films, primer treatment process, process of repairing concretes, and process of constructing roads

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE


A lamp netting assembly has a net, a serial decoration lamp assembly disposed on the net, the serial decoration lamp assembly having a plurality of decoration lamps and a wire, a plurality of retainer plates retaining the respective decoration lamps on the net, and two opposite rods disposed on two laterals of the net. The lamp netting assembly is disposed on a panel. The net has a plurality of net threads forming a plurality of meshes. A pattern string is marked or knit on the net. The retainer plates are arranged in series along the pattern string.

This invention relates to a lamp netting assembly, and more particularly, this invention relates to a lamp netting assembly which contains a plurality of decoration lamps.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 1A, a conventional frame device 10 for a Christmas tree has a plurality of positioning clamps 11 to clamp a serial decoration lamp assembly (not shown in the figures). However, the conventional frame device 10 occupies a large room.


An accelerator includes a beam tube having a cavity with a central axis along which particles can be accelerated. A radio frequency power coupling device couples the cavity to a high frequency power source. The coupling device includes a coaxial waveguide having a central axis, an outer conductor and an inner conductor. The outer conductor is fixed relative to the cavity defining an angle between the central axis of the cavity and the central axis of the coaxial waveguide. An external drive moves the inner conductor along the central axis of the coaxial waveguide.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a power coupler with an adjustable coupling factor for accelerator cavities, in particular superconducting accelerator cavities.
2. Description of the Related Art
High-frequency resonators or accelerator cavities of beam tubes which are used for particle acceleration and/or applications related thereto in accelerator installations include one or more different high-power coupling devices, among other components. Such high-power coupling devices couple the power (HF-power up to 200 kW) to accelerate the particle beam in high-frequency resonators or accelerator cavities of the beam tubes. Usually, such accelerator cavities are operated at resonant frequencies ranging from about 40 MHz to about 5 GHz. Generally speaking, the resonant frequencies of accelerator cavities lie in the high-frequency (HF) domain, and particularly in the radio-frequency (RF) range.
High-power coupling devices are in the form of rod couplers or loop couplers. A rod coupler usually includes a coaxial waveguide connected to the accelerator cavity to be powered or to the beam tube in the vicinity of the cavity; the coaxial waveguide has a tube-shaped outer conductor and a rod-shaped inner conductor which is arranged in the outer conductor and serves as an antenna to transfer HF-power to the cavity. Preferably, rod couplers are used in conjunction with accelerator cavities which are operated at resonant frequencies ranging below about 1 GHz, in particular at several hundred MHz.
Due to the rigid mechanical construction of such couplers, the strength of the coupling, which is expressed as the so-called coupling factor, is fixed and cannot readily be adjusted in dependence of the operational requirements.
In accelerator applications, a typical mode of operation of an accelerating cavity is to sustain an electromagnetic field, oscillating with the resonance frequency of the cavity; the amplitude is predetermined to correspond to the amount of acceleration of particles in a beam passing through. The amplitude of the field is kept constant by providing a high-frequency signal having sufficient power, and coupling an effective fraction of the signal into the cavity by means of a suitable power coupling device. In the absence of a particle beam, the HF-power coupled into the cavity matches the amount of that dissipated in the cavity; for a typical superconducting cavity, this may be approximately 10 W. However, an accelerated beam of particles passing through the cavity increases the HF-power afforded to sustain the electromagnetic field at its predetermined amplitude, as the acceleration process affords a power transfer from the cavity to the beam.
In typical applications, the HF-power transferred to a beam of particles may well amount to several hundred kilowatts. Since HF-power sources capable of varying their power output between about 10 W and about 200 kW are not readily available, an accelerating cavity is usually powered by a HF-power source delivering a signal of constant and sufficiently large amplitude which is coupled to the cavity by means of a power coupling device having a coupling factor adjusted so that the desired amount of power is transferred into the cavity, according to the operating conditions, including the intensity of the beam.
Until now this problem has been solved by the use of different couplers, each adapted to a different purpose and each being selectively connected to the accelerator cavity, according to the specific operational requirements.
However, that method is not flexible and it necessitates additional assembly procedures when the operating conditions change.
German patent specification DE 32 08 655 C2 discloses a power coupling device for a superconducting accelerator cavity with an adjustable coupling factor. That device comprises a coaxial waveguide with an outer conductor and a rod-shaped inner conductor connecting the cavity to a rectangular waveguide leading to a HF-power source. The outer conductor is rigidly fixed between the rectangular waveguide and the cavity, and the inner conductor projects from the coaxial waveguide through the rectangular waveguide to an external drive, and is movable relative to the outer conductor, so as to vary the coupling factor by varying the position of a tip of the inner conductor in the vicinity of the cavity. The rectangular waveguide has a first wall, where the outer conductor terminates leaving an opening into the coaxial waveguide, and a second wall opposite the first wall with another opening through which the inner conductor projects. However, the inner conductor has to be contacted to the second wall by a connection which should be an ideal electric short. According to that patent specification, such a short is approximated by a .lambda./4-transformer, which includes a number of conductive tubes of suitable length (approximately .lambda./4) and differing diameter arranged concentrically with the inner conductor and electrically contacted to the second wall. By dimensioning the transformers accordingly, a relatively small electric impedance close to a short circuit may be attained at the gap between the inner conductor and the second wall. However, the small electric impedance is still dependent on the geometrical configuration of the external drive for the inner conductor which may include cavities with dimensions and, accordingly, resonances which vary as the inner conductor is moved. This entails fluctuations of the impedance at the gap and, of course, may considerably limit the applicability of that power coupling device.
The afore-mentioned problem of electrically connecting the inner conductor of a coaxial waveguide to a wall of a tubular waveguide, especially a rectangular waveguide, might in some circumstances be solved by furnishing sliding contacts directly connecting the inner conductor to the wall; however, in conventional accelerator applications this solution is excluded because of the high electrical currents between the wall and the inner conductor. The currents correspond to the high HF-powers (up to 1 MW) which have to be handled; damage to the sliding contacts would be likely.
A superconducting single cell cavity for pion-beam compression is used at the Los Alamos Laboratory. The cavity operates at a resonant frequency near 400 MHz.
Since the beam load on the cavity is negligible in that particular application, the total quality factor Q of the cavity is essentially determined by the coupler, since the quality factor of a superconducting cavity without any coupling is generally extremely high and no effective load is present from a beam passing through the cavity, which in turn further impairs the quality factor Q. A compromise may be found between a high Q which is desirable for a low level of HF-power needed and a low Q which eases the frequency control of the HF-power source, as a rather low Q corresponds to a fairly high bandwidth of the cavity and consequently may allow a reduction of precision requirements for the frequency control. Besides, a sufficiently low Q assures that the impedance of the cavity is kept almost constant, if frequency variations are kept within reasonable and well achievable limits; accordingly, it is possible to avoid great mismatches which might adversely affect the HF-power source.
In such a situation a need has been found for a simple and reliable power coupler with adjustable coupling, in order to obtain flexibility in view of possible variation in operational conditions as well as to explore the boundaries of the above-mentioned range of Q.

Power coupler with adjustable coupling factor for accelerator cavities

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


A method and system provides for execution of calibration cycles from time to time during normal operation of the communication channel. A calibration cycle includes de-coupling the normal data source from the transmitter and supplying a calibration pattern in its place. The calibration pattern is received from the communication link using the receiver on the second component. A calibrated value of a parameter of the communication channel is determined in response to the received calibration pattern. The steps involved in calibration cycles can be reordered to account for utilization patterns of the communication channel. For bidirectional links, calibration cycles are executed which include the step of storing received calibration patterns on the second component, and retransmitting such calibration patterns back to the first component for use in adjusting parameters of the channel at first component.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the calibration of communication channel parameters in systems, including mesochronous systems, in which two (or more) components communicate via an interconnection link; and to the calibration needed to account for drift of conditions related to such parameters during operation of the communication channels.
2. Description of Related Art
In high-speed communication channels which are operated in a mesochronous manner, typically a reference clock provides frequency and phase information to the two components at either end of the link. A transmitter on one component and a receiver on another component each connect to the link. The transmitter and receiver operate in different clock domains, which have an arbitrary (but fixed) phase relationship to the reference clock. The phase relationship between transmitter and receiver is chosen so that the propagation delay seen by a signal wavefront passing from the transmitter to the receiver will not contribute to the timing budget when the signaling rate is determined. Instead, the signaling rate will be determined primarily by the drive window of the transmitter and the sample window of the receiver. The signaling rate will also be affected by a variety of second order effects. This system is clocked in a mesochronous fashion, with the components locked to specific phases relative to the reference clock, and with the drive-timing-point and sample-timing-point of each link fixed to the phase values that maximize the signaling rate.
These fixed phase values may be determined in a number of ways. A sideband link may accompany a data link (or links), permitting phase information to be passed between transmitter and receiver. Alternatively, an initialization process may be invoked when the system is first given power, and the proper phase values determined by passing calibration information (patterns) across the actual link. Once the drive-timing-point and sample-timing-point of each link has been fixed, the system is permitted to start normal operations.
However, during normal operation, system conditions will change. Ambient temperature, component temperature, supply voltages, and reference voltages will drift from their initial values. Clock frequencies may drift due to environmental and operational factors, or be intentionally caused to drift in spread spectrum clock systems, and the like. Typically, the frequency drift will be constrained to lie within a specified range, and many of the circuits in the components will be designed to be insensitive to the drift. Nonetheless, the drift will need to be considered when setting the upper signaling rate of a link. In general, a channel parameter may be calibrated as a function of one or more changing operating conditions or programmed settings. In many cases, drifting parameters will be plotted in the form of a two-dimensional Schmoo plot for analysis. Examples of programmed settings, which might be subject of calibration, or which might cause drift in other channel parameters, include transmitter amplitude, transmitter drive strength, transmitter common-mode offset, receiver voltage reference, receiver common-mode offset, and line termination values.
As the conditions drift or change, the optimal timing points of the transmitter and receiver will change. If the timing points remain at their original values, then margin must be added to the timing windows to ensure reliable operation. This margin will reduce the signaling rate of the link.
It is desirable to provide techniques to compensate for the condition drift, and provide improvements in system and component design to permit these techniques to be utilized.

Communication channel calibration for drift conditions


A cover composition comprises at least about 50 weight percent water, about 1 to about 50 weight percent of cement and/or fly ash, at least some fiber, at least some water dispersible polymer, and at least some acid, the cover composition being free of foaming agent. The acid is present in an amount sufficient to maintain the pH of the bulk material cover composition between about 1.0 and about 6.0. Also provided is a composition consisting essentially of about 70 to about 80 weight percent cellulosic water dispersible polymer, about 15 to about 30 weight percent fiber, and about 0.1 to about 5 weight percent acid, wherein the acid maintains the pH of the composition between about 1.0 and about 6.0.

During the processing or storage of waste, for instance, residential or industrial waste, the waste may be concentrated into piles, for example, within landfills, compost windrows, and sludge heaps, among others. When waste is concentrated into piles, it is often necessary to cover the waste piles to minimize the emission of odor, prevent fires, prevent the movement of the waste, and/or prevent vectors such as birds, flies, and other insects from feeding on the waste. Typically, waste piles are covered by spreading a layer of dirt over the exposed portions of the waste piles. For example, in landfills, piles of municipal solid waste are typically covered by spreading a layer of dirt on the pile. The thickness of the layer depends upon the length of time the pile is to remain covered. For example, a waste pile that is to be covered for a short period of time, for example, overnight, may require, for example, a six-inch layer. However, when it is necessary to cover a waste pile for a relatively longer period of time, a twelve-inch layer may be required. For a permanent cover generally a layer of dirt of approximately two feet or more in thickness may be required.
One problem associated with the use of soil and dirt is that large quantities are necessary to cover these waste piles. For this reason, there is a high loss of available volume for waste thereby significantly reducing the amount of waste that can be concentrated into a pile. This is particularly true in landfills where waste piles are stacked upon other waste piles having daily soil covers separating each waste pile. Since there is concern over the effective space available in existing landfills, it has become necessary to maximize the volume available for waste. One way of accomplishing this is to minimize the volume of dirt necessary for covering the waste piles or to provide a cover material that substitutes for the dirt.
Several spray-on coatings have been developed to provide an effective cover to waste piles. These include the coatings described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,161,915; 5,275,508; 5,385,429; 5,525,009; and 7,544,243 (the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference here in their entirety), which are marketed under the registered trademark POSI-SHELL by LSC Environmental Products, LLC of Apalachin, N.Y. These cover materials typically comprise a mixture of water, mineral binder (such as cement kiln dust, "CKD," or similar materials), and fibers (both cellulose and synthetic) that can be sprayed on to a waste pile and allowed to set to provide an effective cover. These mineral-based covers have proven to provide effective covers to landfills and other waste piles.
Other prior art cover materials, for example, those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,082,500 and 5,516,830, are primarily fiber based. These fiber based cover materials also include clay and a polymer that aid in retaining the integrity of the fiber-based matrix. These prior art covers are predominantly fiber with minor amounts of clay binder. However, these fiber-based covers typically do not adhere well to low friction surfaces, for example, plastic containers, typically found in landfills, and thus their effectiveness as covering material can be significantly hampered. Since the fiber in the fiber-based covers tends to agglomerate or flocculate, it is inherently difficult to fluidize the fiber-based slurry in order to pump and spay these fiber-containing products effectively. Accordingly, these fiber-based cover materials typically require inordinately large water content to prevent agglomeration of the fibers. However, the high water content produces a slurry that does not adhere well to refuse, most notably to plastic surfaces that are common in landfills. The tendency of such fiber-based cover materials to slide off landfill material typically requires that the material be applied repeatedly and with constant vigilance during application to areas where the cover thins or gaps appear. As a result, the application of such fiber-based covers can be problematic to ensure the desired material cover. Moreover, the low solids content of such fiber-based cover materials provides a non-uniform cover that, when subjected to rain and wind, can lose its integrity.
Aspects of the present invention overcome these and other limitations of the prior art and provide an effective bulk material pile cover that can be easily applied and maintained without the limitations and disadvantages of prior art material cover materials. Aspects of the present invention provide improved adhesion to landfill materials and are easier to apply. They can be applied with minimal concern for thinning and can be spray applied quickly and easily.


A video image Fk! is identified as a basis image and stored as a basis page Sk! in a holographic storage medium. A subsequent image Fk+n! is stored by recording in the medium a page Sk+n!=Fk+n!-ak!Fk!, where ak!.noteq.0 and preferably ak!=1. The page Sk! is recorded with a reference beam Rk!, while Sk+n! is recorded with a reference beam Rk+n! orthogonal to Rk!. The basis page is reset whenever the average intensity of a page to be stored exceeds a predetermined threshold. An image F'k! is retrieved by reading basis page Sk! and letting F'k!=Sk!. Subsequent images F'k+n! are retrieved as Sk+n!+bk!Sk!, where bk!.noteq.0 and preferably bk!=ak!=1. The page addition step is performed coherently, i.e. by accessing the medium with a reference wave function Rk+n!+bk!Rk!. The coherent addition is achieved by using a compound phase-and-amplitude modulator in a phase-code-multiplexed system, and by simultaneously accessing the storage medium at two different angles in an angle-multiplexed system. Differential video compression leads to a reduction in interpage crosstalk and to a capacity increase in crosstalk-limited memories. Optical page-by-page addition allows fast readout and eliminates the need for a time-consuming electronic decompression step.

Since the development of off-axis holography in the 1960's, volume holography has been identified as a promising candidate for high density data storage. Theoretically, up to 10.sup.14 bits of information can be stored in 1 cm.sup.3 of a volume holographic medium. In addition, holographic storage promises fast data transfer rates, estimated at over 1 Gb/s. For general information on holographic memory systems, see for example the articles by Heanue et al. in Science 265: 749-752 (1994), Hong et al. in Optical Engineering 34(8): 2193-2203 (1995), and Psaltis and Mok in Scientific American 273(5): 70-78 (1995), or U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,220 (Hesselink et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,218 (Heanue et al.).
One of the major challenges facing holographic data storage has been increasing the capacity of storage systems. Several approaches have been used for multiplexing, or storage of multiple pages within a system. Typical approaches include spatial, angular and phase-code multiplexing. For an overview of these techniques, see for example the above-mentioned article by Hong et al.
Three major noise sources affect the performance of typical holographic storage systems. Imperfections in detectors cause detector noise. Imperfections in the medium structure cause undesired scatter, which is independent on the number of pages stored in the system. Interpage crosstalk leads to a reconstruction of undesired pages when the medium is accessed with a reference beam corresponding to a given page. The crosstalk-limited SNR (object signal intensity/crosstalk intensity) varies inversely with the number of stored pages, for a fixed average intensity per page. For a review of interpage crosstalk for angular and phase-code multiplexing see for example the article by Bashaw et al. in J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 11: 1820-1836 (1994), herein incorporated by reference. Interpage crosstalk is an important barrier facing efforts to increase the capacity of holographic storage media.

Differential video image compression in holographic media


Methods of forming cationic liposome/nucleic acid complexes in which the complexes have a mean diameter of about 200 to about 300 nm are provided. The complexes are formed by combining a first solution of preformed cationic unilamellar liposomes with a mean diameter of from 100 to 150 nm, with a second solution of nucleic acid. Each of the solutions are equilibrated prior to mixing to temperatures of from 0.degree. C. to about 12.degree. C., preferably about 2.degree. C. to about 7.degree. C. The preformed cationic liposomes are typically prepared from an unsaturated cationic lipid, for example DODAC, DOTAP, DOTMA, DODAP, DMRIE, DORI, DOSPA and combinations thereof, and a neutral lipid, for example DOPE or cholesterol. The combination of the first and second solutions is typically carried out by gentle mixing over ice for a period of time of from about 10 to about 60 minutes.

Developments in recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid ("DNA") technology have opened up new avenues for medical treatment. The location and sequences of an increasing number of disease-related genes are being identified, and clinical testing of nucleic acid-based therapeutics for a variety of diseases is now underway.
Gene therapy involves the introduction of genetic material into a cell to facilitate expression of a deficient or defective protein. Missing or defective genes (sequences of DNA encoding messenger RNA which are used as templates for protein construction) which are responsible for the production of these proteins result in a class of genetic disease often referred to as `inborn errors of metabolism`. In some cases the disease can be treated by controlling the diet, as in the case of phenylketonuria, in which the liver enzyme responsible for the conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine is defective. Untreated, this disease can result in mental retardation.
Treatments available for most genetic diseases are not as straightforward as merely altering the diet. For example, adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency results from a missing or defective gene that makes the adenosine deaminase enzyme. This enzyme is essential for a healthy immune system. ADA deficiency, however, is the disease successfully treated by the first human "gene transfer" experiment conducted by Kenneth Culver in 1990 (see, Culver, GENE THERAPY: A HANDBOOK FOR PHYSICIANS, MaryAnn Liebert, Inc. publishers, p. 33-40 (1994)).
One method of introducing nucleic acids into a cell is mechanically, using direct microinjection. However this method is only practical for transfecting eukaryotic germline cells for the production of transgenic systems. To be effective in treating a disease, a nucleic acid-based therapy must enter many cells.
Systemic gene transfer entails distributing nucleic acids to target cells and then transferring the nucleic acid across a target cell membrane intact and in a form that can function in a therapeutic manner. In vivo gene transfer is complicated by serum interactions, immune clearance, toxicity and biodistribution.
The in vivo gene transfer methods under study in the clinic consist almost entirely of viral vectors. Although viral vectors have the inherent ability to transport nucleic acids across cell membranes and some can integrate exogenous DNA into the chromosomes, they can carry only limited amounts of DNA and also pose risks. One such risk involves the random integration of viral genetic sequences into patient chromosomes, potentially damaging the genome and possibly inducing a malignant transformation. Another risk is that the viral vector may revert to a pathogenic genotype either through mutation or genetic exchange with a wild type virus.
Lipid-based vectors have also been used in gene transfer and have been formulated in one of two ways. In one method, the nucleic acid is introduced into preformed liposomes made of mixtures of cationic lipids and neutral lipids. The complexes thus formed have undefined and complicated structures and the transfection efficiency is severely reduced by the presence of serum. Preformed liposomes are commercially available as LIPOFECTIN.RTM. and LIPOFECTAMINE.RTM.. The second method involves the formation of DNA complexes with mono- or poly-cationic lipids without the presence of a neutral lipid. These complexes are prepared in the presence of ethanol and are not stable in water. Additionally, these complexes are adversely affected by serum (see, Behr, Acc. Chem. Res. 26:274-78 (1993)). An example of a commercially available poly-cationic lipid is TRANSFECTAM.RTM..
Other efforts to encapsulate DNA in lipid-based formulations have not overcome these problems (see, Szoka, et al., Ann. Rev. Biophys. Bioeng. 9:467 (1980); and Deamer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,736).
Ideally, a delivery vehicle for nucleic acid will be small enough (<300 nm) and stable enough in circulation to distribute from local injection sites or following intravenous injection. The composition will have the maximum amount of nucleic acid per particle and will be homogeneous and reproducible. The composition should also efficiently transfect the target cells.
Surprisingly, the present invention provides such compositions, methods for their preparation, and methods for the introduction of nucleic acids into cells.

Use of temperature to control the size of cationic liposome/plasmid DNA complexes


Embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and methods for executing a functional test on an application. According to one embodiment, a method for running a functional test on an application can comprise executing the function test on the application. The functional test can comprise a plurality of steps. The plurality of steps can comprise a set of related steps having one or more relationships between each other and a set of one or more independent steps having no relationships to other steps in the plurality of steps. The one or more relationships between the set of related steps can be deduced and an indication of the deduced one or more relationships between the set of related steps can be saved. The functional test can then be replayed on the application based on the saved indication of the deduced one or more relationships between the set of related steps.

The development lifecycle of a software application is an iterative process of development and testing. To find defects in the application as early as possible, automatic functional testing is used. Automated functional testing traditionally employs an automation script which consists of operations to be performed on the Application Under Test (AUT). These operations are operating on the AUT at a user level, i.e. testing the application through a user interface of the application. In most cases the functional tests are written or recorded in a serial sequence of steps. Under prior approaches, the speed and efficiency of these tests cannot be improved by running the steps in parallel because some of the successive steps may depend on run results of previous steps. Hence, there is a need for improved methods and systems for automatically deduce the relationships among test steps to identify which steps can be run in parallel to improve performance of the tests.

Methods and systems to automatically deduce relationships among test steps


Disclosed is a method for maintaining compact descriptions of the behavior of customers in a database of information relating to customer transactions. Of all possible variables that might be used to characterize customer transactions, a limited number are selected on the basis of discriminating power to define customer profiles. Customers are classified according to distinguishing features of their profiles. A new customer can be initially assigned to a particular class based on data characterizing his first few transactions.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods for storing and updating descriptions of customer behavior in databases of information relating to customer transactions.
2. Art Background
A company that conducts many business transactions with individual customers will often find it advantageous to maintain customer profiles that describe the current transactional behavior of some or all individual customers. Such profiles are advantageously updated each time a customer conducts a transaction.
By way of example, a telephone service provider might profile its customers on the basis of variables such as day-of-week, time-of-day and duration of calls, call origin and destination, and the like. A customer profile is useful, e.g., for fraud detection. That is, if a call made by a purported customer diverges markedly from that customer's profile, it is reasonable to suspect that the caller is fraudulently impersonating the purported customer.
Of course, such profiles are useful in regard not only to customers in the strict sense of the term, but more generally, they are useful in regard to parties to transactions of any kind that has distinguishing features that can be used to discriminate among individual parties. We will continue to apply, herein, the term customer to any such party, but it should be borne in mind that the term is meant in the broad, and not in the restrictive, sense.
Several challenges confront the practitioner who wishes to compile a database of customer profiles. One challenge is to select an appropriate amount of information for storage. Enough information should be stored to provide a useful characterization of the profiled customers. On the other hand, the total amount of stored information should not overwhelm the storage and processing capacities of the database system. Advantageously, the amount of data allocated for each customer, i.e., the profile length, is fixed, because computers can generally process fixed-length profiles faster and more efficiently than they can process variable-length profiles. A limitation to fixed-length profiles, however, makes it even more difficult to select an appropriate amount of information for storage.
A typical profile is a collection of histograms, also referred to herein as "profile components," in each of which a relative frequency of transactions is plotted for each of a plurality of intervals, or bins, along an axis. Measured along the axis is a variable such as time or cost. A time axis might represent, e.g., time of occurrence of a telephone call, call duration, or interval between calls. The variable measured along the axis may be continuous, such as time, or it may be discrete, such as geographical zone (which takes on discrete values such as international and domestic).
A further challenge confronting the practitioner is to choose the appropriate level of resolution along the measurement axis; that is, the appropriate widths of the bins. In general, this is a problem whenever the variable has continuous values or values that fall on many levels. Such variables include the time-based measurements listed above. In regard, for example, to relative frequencies of call occurrence, a pair of gross counts of weekday calls and weekend calls, respectively, might have a relatively large amount of power for discriminating between customers. If that were so, there would be relatively little need to count calls on a daily, much less an hourly, basis. In such a case, choosing coarse rather than fine temporal resolution would be advantageous because such a choice would leave storage space available for a further variable having potentially high discriminating power.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for constructing an updateable database of subject behavior patterns


A system and the like capable of maintaining the continuity or smoothness in the motion of a controlled object. According to a control system 1 and a robot R, which is a controlled object thereof, of the present invention, a desired position trajectory is generated by performing an interpolation process of generating a line segment represented by a linear combination of point sequences disposed in a model space with a basis function for spatial interpolation as a coupling coefficient. Therefore, a line segment, which continuously and smoothly connects the starting point and the end point, represented by a linear combination of a plurality of points (control points), instead of a broken line passing through the plurality of points disposed in the model space.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control system, a robot, which is one of controlled objects of the control system, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an approach for searching for a macroscopic position trajectory of a controlled object such as a robot, there has been suggested an RRT-Connect (Refer to Knuffer et al. "An Efficient Approach to Single-Query Route Planning," In Proc. 2000 IEEE Int'l Conf. on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2000)).

Robot, control system for controlling motion of a controlled object, and recording medium for control program for controlling motion of a controlled object


An improved lighting technique via a lighting technique utilizing a light source invisible to the subject is provided herein. The improved lighting technique capability blends image data from an image detector sensitive to visible light with corresponding image data from an image detector sensitive to light not visible to humans to create an improved image.

This section introduces aspects that may be helpful in facilitating a better understanding of the inventions. Accordingly, the statements of this section are to be read in this light and are not to be understood as admissions about what is in the prior art or what is not in the prior art.
There are numerous techniques for lighting an object for image capture. For example, one technique relies on visible environmental lighting (e.g., existing ceiling lights, ambient lighting, and/or the sun). Another technique uses front visible auxiliary lighting (e.g., floodlights and flashlights) of a subject, e.g., to illuminate a subject's face.

Method and apparatus for image production


Problems are proactively analyzed and responded to as they are detected in a virtual private network (VPN) access path rather than waiting for a user to manually report the problem. When a problem is automatically detected, such as a failure causing degraded performance, an alarm may be generated. The alarm proactively triggers rules-based analysis procedures and isolation testing to diagnose problem in a VPN access path. Based on the testing and analysis, a comprehensive trouble ticket may be generated that is customized with specific alarm information allowing for increased efficiency in problem isolation and saving significant time and resources in resolving the problem.

An organization, such as a company or a group of companies, may use a virtual private network (VPN) for secure communications over a public network. Failures that affect the reliability of the VPN access circuit may occur anywhere from a user's premises through the connection path to the VPN-provider network, and may be difficult to diagnose. Failures are costly to a user as a failure may cause loss of data or down time affecting the user's normal business flow.
For example, access problems may reside at various levels in the seven layer open systems interconnection (OSI) model of computer network communication and failures of electronic components, including passive components such as cables, may surface in different communication layers. Physical layer 1 problems can occur at the cabling and signaling interface level where connections are established between network devices. Logical data link layer 2 issues may cause data errors associated with the protocols used on the access circuit. Network layer 3 problems may cause routing errors. Cross-layer interactions can complicate the identification of or otherwise mask the root cause of a component failure.
Users can access a VPN network using private lines provided by a VPN-provider, a local exchange carrier, or another alternate access provider. These private lines can be, for example, a 64 kbps circuit conforming to the digital signal 0 (DS-0) telecommunications standard, a line using NxDS-0, a 1.544 Mbps circuit using the digital signal 1 (DS-1) format, a line using NxDS-1, or the like. In many user access circuits, the lines are multiplexed into higher order facilities once they enter an access provider's network and subsequently enter the VPN provider's network. This access path, along with the access paths of many other customers, typically terminates on an optical communication hierarchy level X (OC-X) port on a gigabit switch router serving as an access point to the VPN-provider network. Failures in the access path are typically detected by a user long after a failure occurred. The user then has to deal with the consequences of the failure and report the error for service. When a user manually reports a problem in connecting to a VPN, for example, the location of the failure causing the problem is typically not easy to determine and is usually not known to the user. For example, a failure may be occurring with customer premises equipment (CPE), or with a local exchange carrier (LEC), or with the VPN provider. Due to the complexity of a customer network system, variability of equipment used, and use of different access alternatives, it may be quite time-consuming for a VPN provider to pinpoint the cause of a problem.

Automated rules based proactive alarm analysis and response


The present invention discloses a method for classifying individuals into those who have airway hyperreactvitiy and those with asthma based on cytokine expression patterns. It is contemplated that such a method will enable rapid identification of individuals requiring intensive treatment for asthma, thereby reducing morbidity and improving quality of life for those affected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of immunology and molecular biology. Specifically, the present invention identifies molecular classifiers of hyperreactivity, which will allow rapid identification of individuals with asthma. This rapid identification will help clinical investigation on the etiology and intervention for asthma.
2. Description of the Related Art
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by recurrent episodes of symptomical airflow obstruction and various degrees of airways hyperreactivity to nonspecific stimuli (Busse and Lemanske, 2001). The recognition that this disease has a chronic inflammatory component has directed therapy towards early use of inhaled glucocorticoid therapy, typically producing significant reductions in inflammatory markers, and improvement in pulmonary function (Busse and Lemanske, 2001). However, there is a subset of patients (˜5-7%) with "severe", or "refractory" asthma that do not respond to glucocorticoids. These patients account for 40-50% of the health costs of asthma, and incur significant morbidity and decrements in quality of life (Godard et al., 2002; Serra-Battles, 1998).
Severe asthma is a heterogeneous disorder with distinct ages of onset, duration of disease, degree of airflow impairment, presence of modifying factors (GERD, sinusitis), and type of underlying inflammation (Moore and Peters, 2006; Wenzel et al., 1999). In this regard, phenotypic analysis of severe asthmatics prospectively enrolled in the Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP) has shown that severe asthmatics tend to be older and have a greater frequency of respiratory infection (sinusitis and/or pneumonia), suggesting that as a group, they have alterations in innate immune defenses (Moore et al., 2007). Additionally, at least some severe asthmatics have been characterized as having either neutrophil-predominant inflammation, or increased tissue eosinophils by endobronchial biopsy (Wenzel, 2003; Jatakanon et al., 1999). These latter patients have been shown to increase near-fatal events, especially those with early onset disease, and are associated chronic airway remodeling, indicated by increased sub-basement membrane thickening (Wenzel et al., 1999). However, others have found no clinical differences between the eosinophilic and noneosinophilic phenotypes (Lemiere et al., 2006). Together, these observations suggest that severe asthma is a pathologically heterogenous disorder that still lacks an objective method for distinguishing clinically significant subtypes.
Thus, prior art in diagnostic assays that will allow medical personnel to rapidly identify individuals who may benefit from more intensive treatment of their asthma, thereby reducing morbidity and improving quality of life for those affected. The present invention full fills this long-standing need and desire in the art.


A polymer mixture reinforced by an in situ, melt-polymerized microphase whereby the rigidity of the base material is increased, a process for manufacturing same, and use thereof for providing reinforced compositions and articles in which the polymer mixture is prepared by polymerizing a component B in a melt of a component A composed of at least one thermoplastic polymer. Component B is composed of at least one compound having the structure ##STR1## The reaction of component B in a melt of component A results in linear, branched or cross-linked, high or low molecular weight polymers constituting a microphase. Preferably, the microphases have the form of microfibers. In the structure of component B, X is NH.sub.2, NHR.sup.3, OH or an N-substituted, Y-activated lactam of the ##STR2## type which is activated with an electrophilic substituent Y, where Y is CO, SO.sub.2, or R.sup.5 P=O; R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 are bivalent or multivalent aliphatic-, aromatic-, heterocyclic- or heteroatom-containing segments, with R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 preferably being bivalent aliphatic or aromatic radicals (CH.sub.2).sub.z in which 1<z<15; R.sup.3 and R.sup.5 are aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic radicals; and n and m are integers for which 1<m and n<5, and preferably m=n=1.

1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to a novel polymer mixture which is a polymer reinforced thermoplastic polymer, such as an organic fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer, to a process for its manufacture, and to use thereof for providing reinforced compositions and articles.
2. Background of The Art
Rigidity is an important characteristic of polymer materials, particularly polymeric construction materials. Frequently cost considerations, among other considerations, cause the development of such materials by incorporation of inorganic reinforcing substances, such as talcum, chalk, mica or glass fibers, into an insufficiently rigid polymer material matrix. The drawback of such a technique is that the impact strength of the reinforced material is generally reduced. At the same time, the addition of reinforcing substances tends to negatively influence other characteristics, for example, flow behavior and weldability. The worsening of such characteristics, moreover, becomes even more distinct as increasing amounts of reinforcing substances are added. It is therefore desirable to employ reinforcing substances having the greatest possible reinforcing effect and to employ them only in low concentrations. For industrial applications, fibrous reinforcing substances, particularly short and long glass fibers, are best suited in this respect. On the other hand, however, incorporation of such fibers requires that special measures be taken to prevent breaking the fibers during incorporation and often results in undesirable fiber markings on the finished surfaces of the workpieces.
In addition to inorganic reinforcing substances, rigid polymers are also employed as reinforcing polymers, i.e., stiffening agents for insufficiently rigid polymer material matrices. The mixture of polymers may be homogeneous or heterogeneous, that is, the mixture may be a single phase or a biphase mixture, and, in particular, the reinforcing polymer may be present in the mixture in the form of fibers. However, organic polymer fibers composed of thermoplastic polymers are not known to have any special reinforcing effect. An exception is stretched polyethylene fibers. Although stretched polyethylene fibers are very strong, their application for this purpose is limited. They cannot be employed, for example, for reinforcing polypropylene or polyamides because of their low melting point. Further, their non-polar character frequently requires that additional measures be taken to improve adhesion to the surrounding polymer matrix.
A reinforcing effect as exhibited, for example, by glass fibers, is likewise demonstrated by non-thermoplastic polyparabenzamides (aramids) when employed as short fibers in, for example, polyamide-66. They have the excellent advantage, compared to glass fiber reinforcements, that the extruded composite materials are isotropic in their strength behavior. The incorporation of prefabricated aramid fibers into thermoplastics in industry is expensive, however, as for glass fibers, in that care must be taken to avoid breakage of the fibers. Thus, uniform dispersion of aramid fibers in, for example, polyamide, is possible only with the use of special phase forming agents which ensure the bonding of the aramid fiber to the polyamide matrix (see synthec, 9403 Goldach, 1 (1989), pages 8-11). In polyamide-66, this process has been employed to increase the elastic modulus by 71% by adding 20 weight percent aramid fibers.
A further example of prior art use of an aramid as a reinforcing fiber is the incorporation of polyparaterephthalamide (PPTA) in polyamide-6 by way of precipitation from a common sulfuric acid solution thereof according to Takayanagi et al, J. Macromol. Sci. Phys., B 17, page 591(1980). During precipitation, PPTA forms microfibers which are dispersed in the polyamide-6 matrix. In this way, the modulus of elasticity of polyamide-6 may be almost doubled by addition of 5 weight percent PPTA fibers. Since PPTA is not meltable, however, it is not possible to produce a PPTA microfiber reinforced polyamide-6, by, for example, a melting-mixing process, so that these interesting substances produced according to the Takayanagi process would be obtainable only at considerable expense on an industrial scale.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a polymer mixture by a simple process for reinforcing a thermoplastic polymer with organic microphases suitable for industrial practice, which microphases preferably have the form of microfibers.
It is a further object of the present invention to reinforce a thermoplastic polymer A by reacting a monomer B in a melt of thermoplastic polymer A to form the most rigid possible linear, branched or cross-linked, high or low molecular weight reaction products.
It is yet another object of the present invention to reinforce a thermoplastic polymer A specifically with aramids as the reinforcing polymer by a melt process so that the technically expensive dispersion of prefabricated aramid fibers in, for example, a polyamide, is no longer necessary.
It is still another object of the present invention to reinforce a thermoplastic polymer A using a lower percentage of reinforcing polymer than used by the prior art while maintaining at least a comparable reinforcing effect so as to keep negative influences on characteristics, for example, weldability of the compound substance, as low as possible.

Process for the manufacture of in situ polymer alloys and microcompounds, and use thereof


A collet-and-shank assembly for gripping a work piece or tool used in rotary cutting equipment. The assembly includes a dual-threaded nut that enables the machine operator to lock and release the device from a single end. The dual-threaded nut is completely recessed within the shank, thereby reducing the overall length of the assembly and increasing the available working space. In the preferred embodiment of the collet-and-shank assembly, the dual-threaded nut has an interior right-hand threading corresponding to the outside threading of a section of the collet. The exterior of the dual-threaded nut has a threading orientation opposite to that of the interior region, corresponding to the threading of an interior section of the shank. When the exterior of the dual-threaded nut is threaded into the shank and the collet is threaded into the interior of the dual-threaded nut, the collet is affixed to the shank, and the work piece or tool is also locked within the collet. Utilization of fixed inside shank and outside collet dimensions where the dual-threaded nut joins the two eliminates the need to provide a supplemental adapter when, for example, a small tool or work piece must be used in a large turret or spindle hole.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collet-and-shank assembly device for gripping and securing work tools and work pieces used in various types of machining operations. More particularly, the present invention relates to a collet-and-shank assembly device that can be tightened or loosened from one end, and that provides for an increase in the space available to work on the piece to be machined. A unique locking nut of the present invention provides the means for single-end manipulation of the entire assembly device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of lathes, screw machines, and other similar rotary machining equipment, various tool- or work piece-holding devices have been designed to grip the tool or piece securely. The collet is a common element of such gripping devices. Collets are generally compressible tubes or sleeves that engage the work piece or tool in such a way that it either does not move, or only moves in the same way that the collet does. In most instances, the collet acts in conjunction with a closing element that surrounds the collet and provides uniform pressure to the entire outer perimeter of the collet. This closing element is typically a sleeve-like body that may be similar in appearance to the collet. The collet is designed such that when this uniform pressure is applied to it, its radial dimensions are reduced, and the tool or work piece located within the collet is locked in place. The means by which the closing element--generally a sleeve or shank with an inner diameter that is larger than the collet's outer diameter--applies pressure to the collet can vary. Prior to the application of such pressure it is necessary to first form the collet so that it can be uniformly compressed when pressure is applied to it. Of course, in order to remain effective through more than one use, the collet must be designed so that it can "spring" back to its original shape when that pressure is removed. This is achieved in prior gripping devices by providing the collet with a split end, i.e., making it a split-type collet. A split-type collet has an end region formed of several sections, each separated by slots or openings that, in effect, reduce the overall hoop strength of that end of the collet. Furthermore, the collet is tapered at the end region, with the several sections having the collet's greater outer diameter. The closing element that is used to apply uniform pressure to the collet is also tapered; however, its smaller outer dimension is that region that corresponds to and comes in contact with the collet's end region. Using means to draw the collet into the tapered closing element, the larger collet end region with its several sections and spacings is squeezed into the closing element's end region such that the several collet sections close in nearer each other, thereby reducing the outer and inner diameters of the collet. By placing the work piece or tool within the collet and then drawing the collet into the closing element, that tool becomes locked in position as a result of the reduction in size of the inner diameter of the end region of the tapered collet. Once the tool or work piece is locked in position, the collet and accompanying closing element are placed in the machining equipment.
One problem with the prior tool-securing devices that include collets is that they are designed such that the various components must be joined together from both ends of the assembly. That is, at one end of the collet--generally the end that is not tapered--a first securing component joins the collet to the closing element. At the opposite end--the tapered end of the collet--a second securing component on the outside of the closing element acts to compress the collet at that tapered end such that it grips the work piece or tool located in the bore of the collet. This second securing component may be a threaded ring joined to the closing element, it may be a nut affixed to the exterior of the closing element, or it may be a compressing sleeve of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,783,051, issued to Stromme in 1957.
Regardless of the type of securing component or components used, the prior devices require manipulation at both ends of the assembly in order to secure the tool for machining operations. This dual-ended manipulation reduces the amount of room available to work on an item. In earlier machining equipment, one operated on the work piece from only one end of the equipment's turret or spindle. Present equipment, and CNC lathes in particular, permit the operator to work the piece from both sides of the turret. The ability to work on a piece from both sides of the equipment has greatly improved production capability. However, it has also reduced the space available to work on that piece. This is because the bed length of the machining equipment has remained essentially the same while the turret or spindle operates over a wider area than in the past. The present tool/piece securing means have failed to keep up with the improved capability of dual-end machining because they are limited to the extent that they permit an operator to place the tool or work piece all the way into the turret or spindle holder. In addition, the use of two securing components increases the overall length of the prior gripping devices. This length increase reduces the working space available on the equipment.
Another problem with prior securing devices involves the shank--the closing element used to retain the collet. It is well known that machining equipment of the type noted is made with various turret hole sizes. Since it is much less expensive to have a variety of collet and shank assemblies rather than a variety of machines, it has been necessary to adapt such assemblies to the turret/spindle holes. Present shanks come in a range of sizes designed to fit into the range of turret holes. For a shank of a particular size, only collets in a certain range of sizes can be used with that particular shank. A problem arises when the machine operator has a machine with a turret hole that requires a shank of a certain size, and a tool that requires a collet falling outside of the range of collets available for that certain shank. Generally, this occurs when the turret hole is large and the tool is small. In that situation, an adapter must be inserted into the turret hole in order to accommodate a smaller shank that will be able to retain a smaller collet. Unfortunately, the need to have this supplemental adapter increases the accumulation of error in matching the work tool to the work piece.
A further problem with the various shanks of the prior assemblies is the fact that different shanks have different securing components--larger shanks having larger securing components. Of course, with the larger shanks and securing components--particularly the generally-available securing components that are located on the exterior of the shank--comes a reduction in available working space.
Still another problem associated with present chucking devices is the expense involved. Collet assemblies currently available are most commonly made of hardened steel. Give the fact that tools and work pieces gripped in the collet vary greatly in size, it is necessary to stock a number of collets, even to the point that it is sometimes necessary to purchase a collet or collets for one-time use only. The cost to secure the tool or work piece is therefore considerable. In addition to the upfront expense of the present collets, the fact that they are made of hardened steel eliminates the possibility of easily modifying them to accommodate other work pieces or tools, by, for example, enlarging the bore hole into which the piece or tool is placed.
Therefore, what is needed is an assembly for securing tools and work pieces that can be locked and released from one end only, in order to provide the maximum possible space in which to work on the secured piece. What is also needed is an assembly for securing tools and work pieces that eliminates the need for a supplemental adapter used to accommodate the range of turret holes, spindle holes, work tools, and work pieces. Further, what is needed is a chucking device that can be made inexpensively and of materials machinable enough to be easily modified while still hard enough to provide sufficient strength to grip the tool or work piece therein under anticipated operating conditions.


A driving device of an ink-jet print head is provided that discharges liquid drops through a plurality of nozzles. The driving device comprises a data storage unit which stores a data block for liquid drop discharge; a data determination unit which determines the stored data block; a shift register which outputs the determined data block to the ink-jet print head; and a clock signal generation unit which generates clock signals for driving the shift register. The data determination unit determines whether the data block has a predetermined array. When the data block has the predetermined array, the clock signal generation unit stops generating the clock signals and the shift register outputs the data block having the predetermined array to the ink-jet print head.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving device of an ink-jet print head, a control method of the driving device, and a liquid drop discharge apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
The overview of a head unit and a driving device thereof for an ink-jet liquid drop discharge apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 9.
FIG. 9 is a view for explaining the relationship between an information processor main body 910 (hereinafter, referred to as a driving device) that is a control subject, and a head unit 950 to be controlled. In FIG. 9, the driving device 910 includes a driving signal generator 915 which generates a driving signal Vout to discharge liquid drops through a plurality of nozzles, and a data storage unit, which converts driving data input from a high-rank unit (not shown) into data having a structure suitable for transmission to the head unit 950 and outputs the converted driving data in series, that is, a latch circuit 911, and a shift register 913. A print timing signal PTS for driving is input from the high-rank unit, and the latch circuit 911 receives input driving data at a rising edge of the print timing signal PTS and stores the input driving data.
A latch signal LAT, which is obtained by delaying the print timing signal PTS for a predetermined amount of time, is supplied to the driving signal generator 915 from the high-rank unit. In addition, a static voltage VH of about 30 V is applied to the driving signal generator 915 and becomes a power source for a driving signal. The driving signal data input from a data bus is digital-to-analog (D/A) converted by the driving signal generator 915 and is output as the driving signal Vout.
Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 9, the head unit 950 includes a shift register 951 for inputting data DATA which is driving information for each nozzle, a latch circuit 952 for storing the data DATA of the shift register 951, a selector 953 which selects driving/non-driving, and a nozzle driving unit 954 which has an actuator for driving a nozzle (not shown) communicating with each of a plurality of liquid drop containers. The shift register 951 converts the data DATA, which is input serial data, into parallel data. The latch circuit 952 is a data storage unit that stores the parallel data output from the shift register 951 in each nozzle. In addition, the selector 953 is configured such that the driving signal Vout is transmitted to the selector 953 from the driving device 910, driving information distributed for each nozzle is applied to a desired nozzle only during driving and is not applied to the desired nozzle during non-driving. In the nozzle driving unit 954, each actuator to which the driving signal Vout is applied is driven and liquid drops are discharged through a plurality of nozzles. A logic power source Vcc and a ground line GND are power source lines. A voltage of +5 V or +3.3 V is supplied to the logic power source Vcc.
An object substrate on which liquid drops are discharged using the aforementioned ink-jet liquid drop discharge apparatus has become larger. With the large-sized substrate object, the number of head units or nozzles tends to increase. For this reason, there are drawbacks such as an increase in power consumption of a driving device. In particular, liquid drop discharge apparatuses for industrial uses generally include at least ten head units for improving processing efficiency. In this case, however, the amount of radiated heat also increases with the increase in power consumption. Such increases in power consumption and the amount of radiated heat become a serious problem when liquid drops are uniformly and consecutively discharged onto the object substrate (so-called, application of liquid drops to the entire surface of a region).
The present invention has been made to address the above problem with the prior art. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a driving device of an ink-jet print head, a control method of the driving device, and a liquid drop discharge apparatus, which have low current consumption and a small amount of radiated heat.

Driving device of ink-jet print head, control method of the driving device, and liquid drop discharge apparatus


A semiconductor device is provided with an automatic voltage switching circuit which applies an internal, reduced power voltage to an internal other than when a burn-in test is performed. The semiconductor device comprises a temperature detection circuit for detecting a predetermined temperature used for the burn-in test and a switch circuit for applying the external power voltage to the internal circuit when the predetermined temperature is detected.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly to a semiconductor device having a built-in internal supply voltage step-down circuit for generating an internal supply voltage.
In recent years, semiconductor integrated circuits, especially semiconductor memory devices have increased the densities of integration owing to the progress of various relevant technologies. Up-to-date microfabrication techniques have been adopted for the semiconductor memory devices, the memory capacities of which have been quadrupled in three years. In this regard, in the semiconductor memory device such as 4-megabit static RAM (4MSRAM) or 16-megabit dynamic RAM (16MDRAM), the deteriorations of transistor performances attributed to hot electrons and degradation in a gate oxide film have become a serious problem with the microminiaturization of transistors. In order to prevent the deteriorations of the transistors, therefore, researches have been made on the use of the internal supply voltage of the semiconductor memory device that is stepped down from the external supply voltage thereof, and studies have been made on the mounting of an internal supply voltage step-down circuit in the semiconductor memory device.
The prior-art semiconductor memory device having such an internal supply-voltage step-down circuit is shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the memory device is composed of a memory cell array 4 and as peripheral circuits, an address buffer 3-1, a row decoder 3-2, a column decoder 3-3 and an input/output circuit 3-4 in a known manner. The memory device further comprises a supply-voltage step-down circuit 1 which receives an external power voltage Vcc which is usual set at 5 V and generates a reduced value of an internal supply voltage V.sub.INT, a value of which is typically 3 to 4 V. The internal voltage V.sub.INT is fed to an internal power supply wiring 5 coupled to the peripheral circuits 3-1 to 3-4 and the memory cell array 4. By stepping down the external supply voltage to the internal supply voltage of the semiconductor memory device in this manner, the deteriorations of the characteristics of the transistors can be prevented to realize a semiconductor device of high reliability.
Meanwhile, in general, when a semiconductor manufacturer has produced semiconductor devices, it sorts out the defective semiconductor devices in order to remove them before shipment. Further, it often performs a burn-in test (BT) in order to remove initial conductor device is exposed to high temperature (on the order of +120.degree. C.) and high voltage (on the order of +7 V) for a long time (several to several tens hours), thereby to remove initial defective units.
Since, however, the prior-art semiconductor memory device drops the external supply voltage therein and then uses the dropped voltage in order to ensure the reliabilities of the, transistors, the high voltage is lowered within the device even during the burn-in test described above, resulting in the problem that initial defective units cannot be effectively removed. In other words, it is almost impossible to directly apply the external supply voltage raised to the high voltage e.g. 7 V to the internal elements such as transistors during the burn-in test because there is inevitably the internal supply-voltage step-down circuit present between the external supply voltage terminal and the internal elements, and the internal supply-voltage step-down circuit produces the regulated or reduced value of the internal supply voltage to the internal elements.

Semiconductor device having a temperature detection circuit


Apparatus (28) for implanting ions into a target element (26) comprising a circular array of hot cathode, are discharge, ion sources (29) mounted on a rotary carousel (13) or a linear mechanism. An annular rotary support (15) around the carousel supports a plurality of extraction electrodes (18). A housing (20,23) defines an outlet path (32) for the ion beam from the ion source (29). The ion beam is directed through a beam analyzer (24) and through accelaration stages (25) to means (27) for scanning beam relative to the target (26) to be implanted. The carousel (13) and the annual support (15) can both be rotated, so as to bring into cooperating relationship required combinations of ion source (29) and extraction electrode (18).

The present invention relates to apparatus for and a method of producing a beam of ions for ion implantation in a target element. The invention relates in particularly but not exclusively to apparatus for and methods of implanting ions of a preselected species, into a target element, for example the controlled introduction of a species into the surface layer of another material. The technique is important in semi-conductor technology where it is used in the manufacture of integrated circuits and other devices, particularly by modifying the conductivity of semi-conductor material by introducing chemical impurities into the material. The general background to the use of ion implantation in the manufacture of large scale integrated circuit chips is set out in published U.S. Pat. No. 4578589, having the same inventor as the present application.
An ion implantation apparatus normally consists of an ion source, an extraction system having an extraction-electrode which accelerates the ions from the extraction slot in the ion source, an analysing magnet for the selection of the required ion species, acceleration stages before or after the analysing magnet, and a target region with means for producing relative scanning movement between the beam and the target, either by scanning the beam, or by moving the target.
A number of problems arise in connection with the ion source and extraction system, particularly where the ion implantation apparatus is to be used to implant a number of different species selectively in a target. The ion source is typically a hot cathode, arc discharge, with a tungsten filament, maintained at approximately 10.sup.-2 torr pressure by a gas or vapour supply system. Such an ion source has a limited operational life time before it requires servicing, and its performance and reliability are adversely affected by using the source for a number of different species. The extraction system is typically an accelerating gap with a voltage of 10-50 kV across it. Sparking across this gap often becomes a problem when the extraction conditions are changed, particularly when the species is changed or the extraction voltage increased.

Apparatus for and method of producing ion beams


An eye movement tracking device that can be mounted to standard eyeglasses as disclosed. The device comprises an illumination source, a time-of-flight (TOF) camera and a processor. The source transmits energy within a frequency band from a location proximate to an eye of a person, such that at least a first portion of the transmitted energy is reflected off a lens of eyewear worn by the person to subsequently reflect off the eye, and such that at least a second portion of the transmitted energy is transmitted through the lens to reflect off objects in the person's environment. The TOF camera detects reflections of at least the first portion of the transmitted energy, and distinguishes them from other energy detected by the TOF camera in said frequency band, based on TOF principles. The processor uses the detected reflections of the first portion of the transmitted energy to determine eye position.

Eye tracking (also called gaze tracking) technology is evolving to become an important part of next generation human-computer interfaces. Eye tracking technology has many potential applications in entertainment, research, and as an interaction tool for people who are physically impaired.
Most known video-based eye tracking systems use infrared (IR) cameras with IR light sources to detect the pupil/iris as well as glints from the illumination. Additionally, these systems generally use either direct imaging or indirect imaging. Direct imaging systems image the eye region directly by placing one or more IR sensors directly aimed at the eyes. These systems have problems, however, with occlusion of the sensor (e.g., from eyelashes) as well as the user's vision (e.g., from the sensor). These systems have particular trouble tracking the eyes of people who wear eyeglasses, at least partly because the eyeglasses cause occlusions or disturb the computer vision algorithms by creating false specular reflections.
Indirect imaging systems partly address the occlusion problem by viewing the eye via a so-called "hot mirror" lens, which acts as a mirror to near-IR limitation but as pass-through glass to visible light. In that way, the sensor can view the eye from a frontal position while avoiding occlusion of the user's field of view. However, the indirect imaging approach requires special glasses (i.e., equipped with hot mirror lenses) and, therefore, is not suitable for people who depend on standard (prescription) eyeglasses.


Introducing at least one metal such as cobalt, molybdenum, metal carbonyl, tungsten, platinum, or other suitable metal to a focused ion beam. Introducing the focused ion beam to a substrate within a processing chamber. Forming at least one layer over a substrate. Applying heat to the layer by, for example, a laser.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to post-processing with heat of focused ion beam deposited xe2x80x9cmetal linesxe2x80x9d or layers, and the resultant reduction of the metal line or layer""s electrical resistance.
2. Background
Integrated circuit structures are generally formed of numerous discrete devices on a semiconductor chip such as a silicon semiconductor chip. The individual devices are interconnected in appropriate patterns to one another and to external devices through the use of interconnection lines or interconnects to form an integrated device. Typically, many integrated circuit devices are formed on a single structure, such as a wafer substrate and, once formed, are separated into individual chips or dies for use in various environments.
There are several conventional processes for introducing metals such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or platinum to form an interconnect onto a substrate. The metal is generally introduced in the form of a deposition process, (e.g., chemical vapor deposition (CVD)) and patterned by way of an etching process into a discrete line or lines. Another process for introducing a metal interconnect, particularly copper or its alloys over a substrate is the damascene process. The damascene process introduces copper interconnect according to a desired pattern previously formed in dielectric material over a substrate.
Yet another process is FIB metal deposition that is generally used to introduce thin metal lines or arbitrary patterns as a layer over a substrate. FIB deposition is used for modification of small metallic structures such as the modification of existing interconnects in integrated circuits. In the FIB, a gaseous metal-organic precursor containing metal (e.g. platinum, tungsten etc.) is introduced over a substrate. The ion beam contacts the gaseous metal-organic precursor causing the dissociation of the precursor and the release of metal atoms. The metal atoms then form a metal line or layer over the substrate.
One disadvantage of FIB metal line deposition is that the material that is formed is impure, and typically has a high (in comparison to process lines) electrical resistance such as 160 micro Ohm centimeters (micro Ohm cm) to 200 micro Ohm cm. What is needed is a process and a tool that allows for the introduction of metals to form a layer over a substrate that is both efficient and decreases the electrical resistance of the FIB interconnect.


A flexible chain guide guides the slack side of a length of chain that extends between a drive sprocket and a driven sprocket. The chain guide has a flexible, resilient spring leaf with a fixed end and an unattached free end. The spring leaf bears against the slack side of the length of chain to damp vibration.

In any chain and sprocket system, a chain that vibrates can cause wear and noise. To reduce or eliminate vibration, a chain guide is employed. In a chain and sprocket system connecting the crankshaft of the engine of an automotive vehicle to a balance shaft, spikes in torsional vibration of the crankshaft caused by system resonance or misfiring may cause the chain to vibrate and separate from the guide. This vibration can be the source of undesirable noise and cause premature wear or failure of the chain and the chain guide. Vibration on both the tension side of the chain and the slack side can be a problem, but vibration on the slack side is probably a more serious problem.