A firing head actuator for a perforating gun includes an atmospheric pressure chamber which is run into the well on a slick line. The atmospheric pressure chamber can then be communicated with a low pressure side of an actuating piston to move the piston and initiate firing of the perforating guns. Either pyrotechnic or electrical time delays may be built in to the firing head actuator.

1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for perforating wells.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
One operation commonly performed in the completion of an oil or gas well is the perforation of the steel casing of the well to communicate the well bore with a subsurface formation intersected by the well. Thus, formation fluids are allowed to be produced from the formation through the perforations and up through the well bore.
Many techniques have been used in the past to actuate perforating guns to accomplish the formation of the perforations. For example, perforating guns have been actuated: (1) electrically; (2) through drop bar mechanisms; and (3) through pressure actuated mechanisms.
One commonly used technique for conveying the perforating guns and associated apparatus into the well is to assemble the same on a tubing string thus providing what is commonly referred to as a tubing conveyed perforating system. Such tubing conveyed perforating systems are available from the Halliburton Reservoir Services division of Halliburton Company, the assignee of the present invention.
One commonly used operating system for tubing conveyed perforating systems is a firing head which operates in response to a pressure differential. The pressure differential is created by applying increased pressure either to the tubing string or to the annulus surrounding the tubing string and conveying that increased pressure to an actuating piston contained in the firing head. Typically, such a firing head will have hydrostatic pressure balanced across the actuating piston as the tool is run into the well. When it is desired to operate the tool, increased pressure is applied to one side of the actuating piston. Thus, the low pressure reference for the actuating piston is hydrostatic pressure, and a pressure differential is created by increasing pressure on the high pressure side of the piston above hydrostatic pressure. One example of such a system is the Vann Systems differential firing head shown at page TCP-1020 of Vann Systems Engineered Well Completion Product Catalog.
Another approach of the prior art has utilized an isolated atmospheric chamber contained within a firing head as a low pressure reference zone. For example Vann Systems Pressure Actuated Firing Head shown at page TCP-1022 of Vann Systems Engineered Well Completion Product Catalog illustrates a firing head operating in response to increased tubing pressure which creates a pressure differential as compared to an atmospheric pressure chamber which is in constant communication with the low pressure side of the actuating piston.
The prior art also includes dual firing heads such as Vann Model APF-C as shown at page TCP-1028 of Vann Systems Engineered Well Completion product catalog.
There are sometimes disadvantages to using firing heads which require substantial pressure to be applied to the tubing or well casing to provide the increase in pressure which actuates the tool. In some instances, the pressures necessary to actuate the tools may be excessively high. Also, in many well perforation jobs it is desirable to perforate in an underbalanced condition, that is with a relatively low pressure present in the well when perforating occurs, and thus if high pressures are applied to actuate the perforating gun, it is necessary to be able to bleed off those high pressures very rapidly before the well is actually perforated.
On the other hand, in many situations it is undesirable to use drop bar actuated firing heads or electrically actuated firing heads.
Thus it is seen that there is a need for a pressure actuated firing system which can avoid or eliminate the application of excessively high pressures.

Air chamber actuator for a perforating gun


A method and system for synchronization-replication concurrency maintain a history table for a data table in a mirror, where the history table can include redundant version values that indicate a period in which data values corresponding to the version values are valid. Replication can thus be performed between a source and a mirror for a current version of the data table, while synchronization is simultaneously performed between the mirror and a client for an earlier version of the data table using the history table.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional system for data replication and synchronization. The system of FIG. 1 has three tiers: a source 101, a mirror 102, and a client 103. The client 103 can be a mobile database. The mirror 102 and source 101 are database servers. The mirror 102 stores a subset of the data at the source 101. The client 103 typically stores a subset of the data at the mirror 102. Replication is the transmission of data between the mirror 102 and the source 101 with the purpose of keeping their data in sync. Synchronization is the transmission of data between the client 103 and the mirror 102 to keep their data in sync. Typically, synchronization occurs more often than replication, and there are many more clients than mirrors. The replication and the synchronization attempt to occur simultaneously. "Simultaneous" as used in this specification, refers to instructions within two different threads attempting to be executed concurrently.
One conventional approach for facilitating replication and synchronization is to use a single snapshot of the source 101, shared by both the synchronization and the replication. However, while the data is being written during the replication, any attempts to simultaneously read the data during synchronization are blocked to maintain the integrity of the data retrieved. "Simultaneous" as used in this specification, refers to instructions within two different threads attempting to be executed concurrently. In another conventional approach, a plurality of snapshots is shared while providing isolation levels in the mirror 102. Although this approach allows the simultaneous write (during replication) and read (during synchronization) of the snapshots, simultaneous writes during replication and synchronization are blocked. Thus, the conventional approaches are limited in their efficiency of the replication and synchronization processes.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved method and system for synchronization-replication concurrency. The method and system should allow simultaneous reads, writes, and read-writes during replication and synchronization, while maintaining data integrity. The present invention addresses such a need.

Synchronization-replication concurrency using non-shared snapshot query on a history table at read-uncommitted isolation level

International Business Machines Corporation


A system for treatment of a vessel lesion comprises an expandable balloon and at least one cutting blade engaged to an exterior surface of the balloon. At least a portion of the cutting blade has a substantially serpentine configuration defined by a plurality of interconnected peaks and troughs wherein each trough is in closer proximity to the balloon than each peak.

Arterial blockages, which are also called stenosis, lesions, stenotic lesions, etc, are typically caused by the build-up of atherosclerotic plaque on the inside wall of an artery. In fact, several such stenoses may occur contiguously within a single artery. This can result in a partial, or even complete, blockage of the artery. As a result of the danger associated with such a blockage, several methods and procedures have been developed to treat stenoses. One such method is an angioplasty procedure which uses an inflatable balloon to dilate the blocked artery. A typical inflatable angioplasty device, for example, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,669.
Angioplasty balloons have enjoyed widespread acceptance in the treatment of stenoses. Recent studies, however, have indicated that the efficacy of the dilation of a stenosis is enhanced by first, or simultaneously, incising the material that is creating the stenosis. Consequently, recent developments have been made to equip angioplasty balloons with cutting edges, or atherotomes, which are intended to incise a stenosis during the dilation procedure. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,196,024; 5,616,149 and 5,797,935, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference, respectively describe an inflatable angioplasty balloon having a number of atherotomes mounted longitudinally on the surface of the balloon. Upon inflation of the balloon, the atherotomes induce a series of longitudinal cuts into the surface of the stenotic material as the balloon expands to dilate the stenosis. As a result of such cuts, the stenosis is more easily dilated, and the likelihood of damaging the artery during dilation is reduced.
Blades in many existing cutting balloon assemblies tend to be fairly rigid, particularly in the axial direction. The rigid axial structure of the blade naturally limits the blades ability to elongate with the underlying balloon material during balloon expansion at high pressure. As a result, stress between the comparatively axially rigid blade and the elongating balloon may lead to stress therebetween. This stress can lead to de-lamination of the blade and/or adhesive from the balloon. The effect of balloon elongation is more pronounced in larger diameter balloons than in smaller diameter balloons, and is further amplified in longer balloon lengths as well. As such, it has been necessary, particularly in larger vessel applications, to limit the materials of blade equipped balloons to those that are fairly stiff such as PET, PEN, etc. in order to minimize axial elongation.
Existing blades also tend to be fairly rigid in the transverse direction as well. This has the affect of limiting the flexibility of the balloon as it is advanced through the tortuous confines of a vessel or other body lumen.
In light of the above it would be desirable to provide a cutting blade for use with a cutting balloon that is more flexible, and which does not interfere with or is compatible with the expansion characteristics of the balloon to which it may be mounted.
All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below.
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims.

Serpentine cutting blade for cutting balloon


According to an embodiment of the present invention, an active matrix substrate (100) includes a display region (DR) defined by a plurality of pixel regions (P) arranged in a matrix and a peripheral region (FR) located around the display region. The active matrix substrate includes a substrate (1), a first TFT (10), and a second TFT (20). The first TFT is supported by the substrate and disposed in the peripheral region. The second TFT is supported by the substrate and disposed in the display region. The first TFT includes a crystalline silicon semiconductor layer (11), which is an active layer. The second TFT includes an oxide semiconductor layer (21), which is an active layer. The first TFT and the second TFT each have a top-gate structure.

In an active matrix substrate, which is used for a liquid crystal display device and the like, a switching element is provided for each of the pixels. An example of the switching element is a thin film transistor (hereinafter, a "TFT"). As the switching element, a TFT in which an amorphous silicon film is used as an active layer (hereinafter, an "amorphous silicon TFT") and a TFT in which a polycrystalline silicon film is used as an active layer (hereinafter, a "polycrystalline silicon TFT") are widely used.
In recent years, it has been proposed to use an oxide semiconductor as a material for an active layer of a TFT, in place of amorphous silicon and polycrystalline silicon. A TFT in which an oxide semiconductor film is included as an active layer is referred to as an "oxide semiconductor TFT". PTL 1 discloses an active matrix substrate in which an In—Ga—Zn—O system semiconductor film is used as an active layer of a TFT.
Oxide semiconductors have a higher mobility than amorphous silicon. Thus, oxide semiconductor TFTs can operate at a higher speed than amorphous silicon TFTs. Furthermore, oxide semiconductor films are formed using a simpler process than that for polycrystalline silicon films and therefore can be employed for devices that require a large area.
An active matrix substrate typically includes a display region and a peripheral region. The display region includes a plurality of pixels (pixel regions) arranged in a matrix and is also referred to as an active region. The peripheral region is located around the display region and is also referred to as a frame region.
In the display region, TFTs formed for respective pixels are provided, and gate bus lines, source bus lines, and pixel electrodes that are respectively electrically connected to the gate electrodes, source electrodes, and drain electrodes of the TFTs are provided.
In the peripheral region, drive circuits for driving the gate bus lines (scanning lines) and the source bus lines (signal lines) are disposed. Specifically, a gate driver for providing gate signals (scan signals) to the gate bus lines and a source driver for providing source signals (display signals) to the source bus lines are disposed. Drive circuits, such as the gate driver and the source driver, may be mounted as semiconductor chips (by COG (Chip On Glass) mounting) or may be formed monolithically (integrally) with the active matrix substrate. A drive circuit formed monolithically is referred to as a "driver monolithic circuit". A driver monolithic circuit typically includes a TFT.
In this specification, a TFT disposed as a switching element for each of the pixels in the display region is referred to as a "pixel TFT", and a TFT included in a peripheral circuit, such as a drive circuit, is referred to as a "circuit TFT". For active matrix substrates in which oxide semiconductor TFTs are used as the pixel TFTs, it is preferable, from the standpoint of the manufacturing process, that circuit TFTs be oxide semiconductor TFTs formed from the same oxide semiconductor film from which the pixel TFTs are formed.
However, although the mobility of oxide semiconductors is higher than the mobility of amorphous silicon as described above, the mobility of oxide semiconductors is approximately one order of magnitude lower than the mobility of polycrystalline silicon. As such, oxide semiconductor TFTs have a lower current driving ability than polycrystalline silicon TFTs. Thus, there is a possibility that a driver monolithic circuit configured with an oxide semiconductor TFT may have an insufficient driving ability. If the size of the TFT is increased (the channel width is increased) to compensate for the low current driving ability, narrowing of the peripheral region is hindered.
PTL 2 discloses a configuration in which oxide semiconductor TFTs are used as pixel TFTs and in which polycrystalline silicon TFTs are included as circuit TFTs in peripheral circuits. In the configuration disclosed in PTL 2, the oxide semiconductor TFTs have a bottom-gate structure, and the polycrystalline silicon TFTs have a top-gate structure.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Active matrix substrate, liquid crystal display device, and organic EL display device


Disclosed is a test apparatus of accelerated photo-degradation measuring a degradation caused by photo-degradation in a material or a product by light containing UV light and visible light that simulate the solar light-inducing degradation. The apparatus includes a light irradiating unit configured to irradiate light using at least one electrodeless plasma lamp; a light condensing unit configured to collect light emitted from the light irradiating unit and irradiate the light uniformly into the surface of the specimen for the material or the product; and a specimen holder configured to fix the specimen, and the specimen holder being fixed at a predetermined position or rotated. Further, the at least one electrodeless plasma lamp generates light having a light power spectrum similar to a solar light in a region of UV light and short-wavelength visible light corresponding to a range of about 300-500 nm.

Typically, polymeric materials and organic materials used for forming plastics, rubbers, paint coatings, etc. are characterized by including macromolecules as a main component to which organic elements such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, etc. are covalently bonded, and have properties of relatively weak degradation by the degradation factor from light, heat, etc. compared to metal materials and ceramic materials. Physical degradation phenomenon such as creep, fatigue and stress relaxation is mostly based on destruction of bond between molecules or movement between molecules. On the contrary, chemical degradation by light such as UV is mostly companied with destruction of bond within molecules.
The degradation of the polymer by UV light is generated when the polymer absorbs the light energy corresponding to the energy destructing the main chain of the polymer. Here, the energy of destruction is called the bond dissociation energy.
The bond dissociation energy depends on a variety of molecule bond states from the weak bond energy such as a bond (O—O) of peroxide structure to the strong bond energy such as a bond (O—H) of hydroxyl group. In case of carbon-carbon bond or carbon-hydrogen bond constituting a main chain of molecule, the bond dissociation energy has a relatively high energy more than 83 kcal/mol.
Thus, a polymeric material consisting of only carbon-carbon bond or carbon-hydrogen bond such as polyethylene and polypropylene is expected to provide a relatively better light resistance. In fact, however, the light resistance may not be reached to the expectation. This result is estimated to be caused by a number of reasons. However, a problem of molecular structure due to carbon-carbon bond in the position of allyl located at an irregular defect structure or carbon-hydrogen bond of the tertiary carbon located at a chain structure such as vinyl and vinylidene structures formed by repeating irregular reaction or side reaction of monomer of polymerization may be issued to be a reason for a relatively lower dissociation energy. Accordingly, even in the polymer materials represented by the same molecular structure, light resistance may differ depending on kinds or amounts of such internal defects.
The difference of photo-degradation depending on the difference of the aforementioned molecular structure may occur even when molecular structures of a polymeric material or an organic material are different against the same light, but also is to be meant to occur even when conversely, light characteristics being applied to a polymeric material or an organic material having the same molecular structure are different. Thus, in the accelerated photo-degradation test or a weathering test, depending on how much the light characteristic used for the test apparatus is consistent with the actual solar light characteristic, it becomes the most important technical characteristics how much the photo-degradation phenomenon by the solar light outdoor can be reproduced or accurately predicted.
Radiant energy sending out from the sun to the surface of the earth contains a variety of light of wavelengths ranging from UV light, visible light and to infrared light. Such a division of the component of the solar light is merely separated to UV light, visible light and infrared light based on a specific wavelength band, and does not mean that such three types of different lights reach to the surface of the earth respectively. In fact, the solar light has a continuous spectrum over a wide wavelength band, and does not have any criteria to separate the solar light into such three kinds of lights.
The surface temperature of the sun is typically known to be 5,780 K, and light power spectrum of the solar radiation has a similar distribution of wavelength with a continuous spectrum of the blackbody also having a temperature of 5,780 K. However, the solar radiation is subject to reflection, scattering, absorption, etc. during passing through the earth's atmosphere. Therefore, the solar radiation energy passing through the earth's atmosphere is not consistent with the solar radiation energy reaching to the stratosphere outside the earth's atmosphere.
A wavelength band showing the most significant change is a short-wavelength UV light range of which most are filtered in the ozone layer in the earth. Therefore, UV light with a short-wavelength range of about 200-295 nm existing outside of the atmosphere is mostly removed, and the solar radiation energy reaching to the earth's surface contains light with a wavelength more than about 295 nm only.
Because of such characteristics, the amount of the short-wavelength UV light contained in the solar radiation energy is affected even by a way passing through the atmosphere, and also depending on an altitude of the sun from sea level and an altitude of the sun to the earth' surface, the effect on passing through the atmosphere appears differently.
When the solar radiation energy reaches to the earth's surface, as the light power spectrum of the solar light is affected by area and climate, the amount of UV light contained in the solar radiation and light power characteristics vary depending on area, season, weather and a time zone. For convenience sake, however, a certain reference is standardized for using. According to the Publication CIE 85-1989 which was established by International Commission on Illumination (CIE) as a reference for the standard light source for simulating the solar light for the test purpose, content ratio of UV light, visible light and infrared light in the solar radiation is typically 6.8%, 55.4% and 37.8%, respectively.
In the UV light contained in the solar radiation reaching to the earth' surface, content of the UV light with a short-wavelength of UVB region (about 280-315 nm) corresponding to the shortest wavelength is merely about 3%. However, as the light included in the UVB region has relatively strong light photon energy, even if the amount of the light in the UVB region is small, it can exert a strong effect on the photo-degradation of polymer and organic materials, thereby considering as an important artificial light source for the solar light simulation.
In order for the UV light exposed into an organic material such as a polymeric material to exert an effect on the chemical degradation, the energy of UV light exposed into the material must take place to be absorbed, which essentially depends on a unique UV light absorbing characteristic of the organic material. Such a characteristic is basically dependent on chemical molecular structure, and different absorbing characteristics are provided for each polymeric material. Typically, aspects of the UV absorption spectrum of many polymeric materials show trends that absorption rate at a short-wavelength region near 300 nm is increased and absorption rate at a long-wavelength region near 400 nm is decreased. As aspects are different for each polymeric material, however, it is difficult to generalize.
When a light source having a specific light power spectrum such as the solar light is irradiated to the polymeric material having different UV light absorption spectrum as above mentioned, the coupler of the polymeric material absorbs the light energy of the specific wavelength to make a chemical degradation to be progressed resulting in decomposition and oxidation reactions. Accordingly, an activated spectrum for the specific light source such as the solar light becomes to exist.
A variety of the activated spectrum caused by differentiated UV light absorption spectrum for each polymeric material consequentially becomes to a main reason causing an inconsistency between tests of photo-degradation by other light source with different light power spectrum in the UV light or the visible light region. This is the most fundamental reason causing an inconsistency between the test result with an artificial light source inconsistent with the light power spectrum of the solar light and the test result with the actual solar light. In particular, it is important whether in the UV light region exerting a direct effect on the photo-degradation, the light power spectrum between the solar light and the artificial light is inconsistent. Accordingly, in the photo-degradation test for the polymeric material and the organic material, it becomes the significance technically to select an artificial light source and also to use a filter with a function of removing UV light in a specific wavelength region.
However, there is no light source available having a light power spectrum fully consistent with the solar light in the developed artificial light sources so far. Even a xenon-arc lamp or a metal-halide lamp commonly employed for simulation for the solar light is not possible to provide a consistency with the solar light without using a filter, and even in case of using an appropriate filter, it is not possible to perfectly consist with the solar light power spectrum in the entire region as well as in the UV light region. Therefore, a realistic choice is taking a method to use a UV light filter capable of removing a short-wavelength UV light not contained in the solar light so as to consist with the solar light, even though the short-wavelength UV light severely is affected on the photo-degradation.

Test apparatus and method of accelerated photo-degradation using plasma light source

KOREA RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY


A battery assembly and an electronic cigarette are provided. The battery assembly includes a housing, a battery cell located in the housing, a upper mounting seat slidably disposed on the housing, an elastic member and an electrode contact are located within the housing, and the housing is provided with an atomizer interface, the electrode contact is disposed on the upper mounting seat, the electrode contact and the upper mounting seat are disposed between the atomizer interface and the battery cell, and the elastic member elastically resists the upper portion a mounting seat, the electrode contact is separated from the positive electrode or the negative electrode of the battery cell by an elastic force of the elastic member, and the electrode contact contacts with the positive electrode or the negative electrode of the battery cell by overcome the elastic force of the elastic member under an external force.

At present, the battery assembly of most electronic cigarettes on the market adopt a housing as a negative electrode, and a positive electrode contact is arranged in the housing, the positive electrode contact and the housing is insulated from each other by an insulation member disposed therebetween. The positive electrode contact of such type of electronic cigarette is always connected to the positive electrode of the battery, and the positive electrode contact is exposed outside the battery assembly to wait for connection with the electrode end on the atomizer.
However, when the battery assembly is not connected to the atomizer, the positive electrode contact and the housing are easy to conduct as long as the conductive medium falling into the housing or/and positive electrode contact, and there is a danger of battery discharge.

Battery assembly and electronic cigarette thereof

Changzhou Patent Electronic Technology Co., LTD


A rotary disc valve is used to control fluid flow within a fluid delivery system. The valve may include a valve body having multiple ports that are connected to the system. In addition, the valve may include a diverter and seal assembly that are disposed in the valve body. The seal assembly includes first and second seal subassemblies. The first subassembly has first through openings that are axially aligned with the diverter through openings. The second subassembly is axially stacked with the first subassembly and includes second through openings that are axially aligned with valve body subchambers associated with the ports. A first static seal is disposed between the diverter and the first subassembly, a second static seal is disposed between the valve body and the second subassembly, and a dynamic seal is disposed between the first subassembly and the second subassembly.

A rotary valve is a type of directional control valve that may be used in a fluid delivery system to control fluid flow and distribution through the system. For example, rotary valves may be used to control the flow of coolant through a vehicle cooling system. The rotary valve may include a valve body that defines several ports and a diverter that is disposed in the valve body. The diverter is shaped to distribute the flow to predetermined ports for certain rotational orientations of the diverter within the valve body, and is rotated relative to the valve body to control flow through the valve.
In some conventional rotary valves, the diverter moves against an elastomeric sealing element. However, elastomers have higher friction factors than some other conventional materials, which may result in higher required torque to rotate the valve. Other conventional rotary valves employ low friction plastic materials. In such valves, the diverter may be cylindrical in shape. Cylindrical diverters, often referred to as "plugs", may result in higher operating torque and less flexibility in placement and orientation of the inlet and outlet tubes. Still other rotary valves use a disc-shaped diverter. Such rotary disc valves may use ceramic materials for the sealing components. However, using a ceramic disc as a diverter limits the options regarding the shape of the diverter, and can be more expensive relative to diverters formed of other materials such as plastic.


An automobile strength member, having a cross-sectional shape giving a high bending repulsion at the beginning of impact and able to reduce the production cost and lighten the weight and achieve a greater improvement in safety and a reduction of cost of an automobile, that is, an automobile strength member comprised of a rectangular steel tube with a square cross-section, simultaneously satisfying the following relations (1) to (3), and having a strength of at least 690 MPa in terms of tensile strength:R1≦1.5t  (1)tR≧1.1t  (2)R1≧R2  (3)                where, t: thickness of side (mm)                    tR: thickness of corner (mm)            R1: outside corner R (mm)            R2: inside corner R (mm)                        where both a maximum value and minimum value of hardness at a cross-section of the rectangular steel tube are in the range of within ±30% of the average value of the entire cross-section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automobile strength member high in bending repulsion at the beginning of impact and able to reduce production costs and lighten the weight.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, standards for side impact of automobiles have become tougher. The structural design concepts of chasses have changed as well. Automobile doors are being provided with door guard bars. In the past, door guard bars have been considered members deforming at the time of side impact so as to absorb the impact energy and reduce the impact received by passengers.
In recent years, chassis structures have been designed to enable the impact energy at the time of a side impact to be absorbed by the door as a whole. In such a chassis structure, the door guard bar has been used as an energy transmitting member for transmitting the impact energy to other members around the door guard bar to have the other members absorb the impact energy by their own deformation. Therefore, it is important that the member used as the door guard bar keep any impact force received to within its elastic deformation range and not deform. In particular, a member having the property of a high bending repulsion at the beginning of impact has been demanded. For this, increase of the strength of the member may be considered, but a higher strength results in the problems of brittle fracture or hydrogen induced cracking. Just increasing the strength of the member is not preferable for an automobile member. Therefore, the shape was focused on and studied for improvement of the bending repulsion at the beginning of impact.
Up to now, members for door guard bars have been studied using static bending test from the viewpoint of the absorption energy. For example, it is known that a high absorption energy can be obtained by increasing the strength of a steel tube while its cross-section is round (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H4-63242). However, in bending deformation behavior of a round-section steel tube, the load concentrates right under the load, and the sectional shape easily flattens due to local buckling. The member is similarly weak in impact bending. Therefore, a high bending repulsion at the start of impact cannot be obtained.
Further, an automobile structural member having a closed sectional structure, a maximum dimension in the longitudinal direction, a maximum dimension in the direction perpendicular to that, an outer circumferential length, and a thickness defined in relationship by a tensile strength of at least 1400 MPa has been proposed (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-248941). With this member, it is true that the absorption energy and bending repulsion are improved compared with the past, but in each case the results were based on a static bending test. Whether a high bending repulsion at the beginning of impact is obtained even for an impact bending test is unclear.
On the other hand, as opposed to this, rectangular tubes superior in bending properties compared with round tubes are being developed. That is, there has been proposed a rectangular tube wherein the outsides of the corner parts are either not provided with an R or are providing with an R of a magnitude less than the thickness and the inner surfaces are provided with an R larger than the outside so as to make a load act directly on the two side surfaces parallel to the bending input direction and improve the bending repulsion (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H6-278458). The tensile strength of the member is the 1470 MPa class. With a member having this tensile strength, the possibility arises of brittle fracture or hydrogen induced cracking occurring due to the bending load applied. Further, when further working an electric resistance welded steel tube or other round tube into a rectangular tube, provision of a larger R at the inner surfaces of the corner parts than the outer surfaces is difficult in production, while when producing the above sectional shape, there is the problem that the cost ends up becoming remarkably higher.


A double ended inverter system for an AC traction motor of a vehicle includes a fuel cell configured to provide a DC voltage, an impedance source inverter subsystem coupled to the fuel cell, a DC voltage source, and an inverter subsystem coupled to the DC voltage source. The impedance source inverter subsystem, which includes an ultracapacitor, is configured to drive the AC traction motor. The inverter subsystem is configured to drive the AC electric traction motor. The ultracapacitor is implemented in a crossed LC network coupled to the fuel cell.

In recent years, advances in technology, as well as ever evolving tastes in style, have led to substantial changes in the design of automobiles. One of the changes involves the power usage and complexity of the various electrical systems within automobiles, particularly alternative fuel vehicles, such as hybrid, electric, and fuel cell vehicles.
Many of the electrical components, including the electric motors used in electric and hybrid electric vehicles, receive electrical power from alternating current (AC) power supplies. However, the power sources (e.g., batteries) used in such applications provide only direct current (DC) power. Thus, devices known as power inverters are used to convert the DC power to AC power. In addition, double ended inverter topologies can be used to drive a single AC motor with two DC power sources.
It may be desirable to use a fuel cell as a DC power source in a double ended inverter system. A fuel cell can be realized as a series connection of many low voltage cells. This type of implementation favors a low voltage, high current stack technology. These fuel cell power systems require a boost converter and additional energy storage to operate efficiently with high voltage electric traction components. However, it may be impractical in a vehicle application to use a separate and distinct boost converter and an associated inverter component with a fuel cell because these additional components add to the cost, weight, and manufacturing complexity of the vehicle.

Double ended inverter system with a cross-linked ultracapacitor network


A metal organic framework Fe2(bdp)3 (BDP2−=1,4-benzenedipyrazolate) with triangular channels is particularly suited for C5-C7 separations of alkanes according to the number of branches in the molecule rather than by carbon number. The metal-organic framework can offer pore geometries that is unavailable in zeolites or other porous media, facilitating distinct types of shape-based molecular separations.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to fluid stream separation schemes and methods for producing metal-organic frameworks, and more particularly to the production and use of a metal-organic framework with the formula Fe2(BDP)3 which can efficiently separate the isomers of C5-C7 alkanes.
2. Description of Related Art
The separation of molecules that are structurally-similar and chemically-similar from a product stream can be particularly challenging. Conventional separation schemes use solid adsorbents such as zeolites and activated carbons for key gas storage and molecular separation applications. However, these separations are often dependent on cryogenic or distillation steps that are both extremely energy-intensive strategies and often inefficient resulting in the production of low purity separations. For example, the efficient separation of alkane isomers by adsorption is especially challenging because the molecules are chemically inert and have similar polarizabilities, leaving shape as the main handle available for their differentiation. This alkane separation is critical to the production of gasoline, which is composed of approximately ten percent pentanes and hexanes.
For example, high-octane gasolines are more expensive than regular gasolines because of the cost and difficulty of separating the right type of molecules from crude petroleum. The creation of premium fuels requires the refinery to boil the petroleum at precise temperatures to separate out alkane isomers with only slightly different boiling points making the overall process both challenging and costly.
Hexanes of formula C6H14 are generated in large quantities through a catalytic isomerization reaction that results in a thermodynamically-controlled product stream composed of 10% to 30% of each of five different isomers. The product stream from the isomerization reactor, that commonly uses the zeolite MOR as a catalyst, consists of an equilibrium distribution of unreacted n-hexane (nC6), along with its mono-branched isomers 2-methylpentane (2MP), 3-methylpentane (3MP) and di-branched isomers 2,2-dimethylbutane (22DMB) and 2,3-dimethylbutane (23DMB).
In current industrial practice, the linear nC6 is separated from the branched isomers in an adsorption separation step that relies on molecular sieving. The typical adsorbent that is used is LTA-5A that consists of cages separated by 4.1 Å sized windows. The windows only allow the diffusion and adsorption of the linear nC6 isomer, and the branched isomers are rejected and removed as product. The unreacted nC6 is then recycled back to the isomerization reactor.
The worth of a particular isomer as a component in the gasoline pool is related to its research octane number (RON), which is highest for the di-branched hexanes 2,3-dimethylbutane and 2,2-dimethylbutane, that have values of 105 and 94, respectively. The RON values for the mono-branched isomers 2-methylpentane and 3-methylpentane are significantly lower, at 74 and 75, respectively, whereas the value for linear n-hexane is only 30. To achieve higher octane number fuel blends, current processes sieve n-hexane using zeolites, generating a mixture of the other four isomers with a final RON value of nearly 83, while returning n-hexane to the isomerization reactor. Additionally, some separation processes achieve higher-grade mixtures by subsequently distilling the mono-branched isomers away from the valuable dimethylbutane products. At the present time, approximately two million barrels of pentanes and hexanes are processed daily.
Therefore, di-branched isomers are preferred products for incorporation into the high-octane gasoline pool. An improved process would require the recycle of both linear and mono-branched isomers to the reactor. Typically, in such a processing scheme the aim would be to produce a product stream from the separation step with a RON value of 92. The separation of 22DMB and 23DMB from the remaining isomers is a difficult task because it requires distinguishing molecules on the degree of branching.
Accordingly, there is an need for an improved hexane separation process that selectively isolates the most valuable products, 2,3-dimethylbutane and 2,2-dimethylbutane, while returning the less valuable mono-branched isomers to the isomerization reactor along with n-hexane.
There is also a need for a system that performs this separation at or near the isomerization temperature thereby saving a great deal of energy in the production of high-quality gasoline. Furthermore, such a scheme would potentially benefit public health, since it could reduce the need to use toxic aromatics that are added to boost the octane number of gasoline.
The present invention satisfies these needs as well as others and is generally an improvement over the art.

Metal-organic framework for the separation of alkane isomers

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA


A skill-testing, entertainment or game equipment operating on the basis of user's physical values comprises units for non-invasive measuring physical values of a user, a computer unit arranged to receive the physical values of a user measured by the measuring units, the normal game score of the equipment and also to receive multiplication factors for certain physical values and units for displaying the scores produced by multiplication of the physical values measured by the measuring units or game scores with the multiplication factors supplied to the computer unit.

The present invention relates to an electronic or electro-mechanical skill-testing, entertainment or game equipment--such as for instance video games, pinball machines or skill-testing game machines or the like--with a system of controlling this equipment and/or for evaluation of the test or game results obtained with the equipment dependent on physical values of a person.
It is known to measure non-invasively some physical values of users. For example, a non-invasive measurement of blood gas values, such as blood oxygen value or blood carbon dioxide value can be performed by an electro-chemical sensor. The measuring contact surface of the sensor is warmed up to approximately 43.degree. C. and located above the skin of any part of the body. The warmed up sensor contact surface is causing a local arterialization of the skin. The part of the skin which is in contact with the sensor is furthermore covered with a chemical, whereby the value of the blood gas diffusing through the skin into the chemical is measured by the electro-chemical sensor with the help of measuring polarography instrument wired with the sensor.
It is also known to measure non-invasively saturation of the blood with certain blood gases such as for instance with blood oxygen or with blood carbon dioxide by a photometric sensor. This sensor emits light with different wave lengths. The light penetrates blood and tissue and is partly absorbed and modulated dependent on the degree of saturation of the blood with blood gases. The modulated light is received by the detector of the sensor which measures the blood gas value with a measuring instrument evaluating the extent of the modulation and wired with the sensor. Also, so-called oximeter sensors can take measurements of both blood oxygen and pulse rate values at the same time by the photoelectric method. Furthermore a large number of measuring means are known and mentioned in the following, which enable non-invasive measuring physical values of a user completely painless and bloodless and without the necessity of a surgical treatment.
Furthermore, biofeedback devices are known which have stimulus generating means for applying some physical or chemical stimulus to an individual's body and means for measuring the reaction from an individual's body in response to said stimulus.
The above-mentioned methods have been almost exclusively used in intensive care units and other situations, for medical diagnostics and the like.

Game score evaluation and game control system on the basis of player's physical values


A method is provided for using a single-pixel imager in order to spatially reconstruct an image of a scene. The method can comprise the following: configuring a light filtering device including an array of imaging elements to a spatially varying optical filtering process of incoming light according to a series of spatial patterns corresponding to sampling functions. The light filtering device can be a transmissive filter including a first membrane, a second membrane, and a variable gap therebetween. The method further comprises tuning a controller for manipulating a variable dimension of the gap; and, measuring, using a photodetector of the single-pixel imager, a magnitude of an intensity of the filtered light across pixel locations in the series of spatial patterns. The magnitude of the intensity can be equivalent to an integral value of the scene across the pixel locations.

Digital cameras in the megapixel range are commonplace due to the fact that silicon, the semiconductor material of choice for large-scale electronics integration, readily converts photons at visual wavelengths into electrons. On the other hand, imaging outside the visible wavelength range is considerably more expensive. Hyperspectral and multispectral imaging have a wide range of applications. Current embodiments of hyperspectral imaging systems are bulky, expensive and relatively slow. Single pixel imaging systems can offer unique advantages, including significant cost savings, but maintaining a broad spectral response can create a somewhat more complex optical path requiring additional splitters, mirrors, and filters.
Present single-pixel camera architectures can compute pseudo-random linear measurements of a scene under view and reconstruct the image of the scene from the measurements. Scene under view can comprise light emanating from the object under view, where emanating can refer to radiating, transmitting, refracting, and/or reflecting from the object under view. The pseudo-random linear measurements are inner products between an N-pixel sampled version of the incident light field from the scene and a set of two-dimensional sampling functions. The inner product can be implemented via a digital micromirror device (DMD) consisting of a two-dimensional array of N mirrors that reflect the light towards only a single photodetector or away from it. The photodetector integrates the incoming light and converts it to an output voltage that is related to the magnitude of the inner product between the scene and the sampling function according to which the DMD is configured. Reconstruction of the image is possible by judicious processing of the set of estimated inner product values. One of the main limitations of the above described single-pixel camera architecture is that it is restricted to a single wavelength band.

Hyperspectral single pixel imager with fabry perot filter


Disclosed herein is a display film stack for a backlight display system. In one embodiment, the display system comprises: a light source, a first film comprising a first surface texture layer that is formed of a first material of a first refractive index, and a second film comprising a second surface texture layer that is formed of a second material of a second refractive index. The second film is disposed between the light source and the first film. The second refractive index is greater than the first refractive index. The light source is disposed in optical communication with the first film and the second film. The first surface texture layer and the second surface texture layer comprise unit structures independently selected from the group consisting of hemispherical structures, partial hemispherical structures, ellipsoidal structures, immersed spherical beads, ellipsoidal beads, “bell-shape” bump and complex lens shape structures.

This disclosure generally relates to a display film stack for back lighting of flat panel display systems, and a method of modeling a display film stack to enhance on-axis luminance.
Display films are used in a variety of applications, such as part of displays or lighting devices. Regardless of the application, display films can be used to improve the efficiency of the light transmitted from a light source to an output by redirecting the light.
One technology that has gained attention in display technologies is liquid crystal (LC) technology. An LC display (LCD) includes a liquid crystal material that is modulated to provide a light-valve function. In many LCD applications, it is useful to improve the power efficiency. Increasing the power efficiency of an LCD (or other similar display) can be useful in improving the image quality of the display, among other benefits.
Conventional LCD backlights for large displays have conventionally employed multiple lamps to provide sufficient brightness over a large area. Typically, these directly illuminated backlights are used for television and large display applications and contain linear arrays of fluorescent lamps with reflectors. In order to provide a uniform intensity profile from the surface of the backlight before passing through the LCD panel, display film(s) are used to "spread-out" or diffuse the light from the linear array of fluorescent lights so as to eliminate the visibility of linear "hot spots" or non-uniformities in the backlight luminance. Such a display film can include a surface texture to aid in the diffusion. This surface texture can be shaped and arranged to redirect light in an LCD, making the LCD more energy efficient.
Light collimating capability and the overall light efficiency are important components of any display system. Both of these factors, however, are affected by the surface texture of the display film as well as the refractive index of the material used to make the display film.
A conventional display film stack used for back lighting of flat panel displays can include a bottom diffuser to diffuse the input light and hide the lamps or reflective paint dots underneath the display film stack, and a prismatic film to collimate the light from the bottom diffuser of the display film stack to gain on-axis luminance. Examples of prismatic films include BEF made by 3M Company, and the like. Examples of diffuser films include D121 made by Tsujiden Company Ltd. of Japan, UTE II made by MNTech Company of Korea, PTR733 made by Shinwha Intertek Company of Korea, BE2039 made by General Electric®, and the like.
It is desirable to have a multiple-film stack that is optimally designed to better balance both the light collimating ability and the overall light efficiency of the stack to enhance the on-axis luminance of the backlight system.

Display film stacks and a method of modeling the films


Methods of forming integrated circuit memory devices include the steps of forming a first electrically insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate containing memory cells in a memory cell array region and peripheral circuits for driving the memory cells in a peripheral circuit region adjacent the memory cell array region. An etch-stopping layer is then formed on the first electrically insulating layer and then steps are performed to form a first electrically conductive layer on the etch-stopping layer, form a ferroelectric layer on the first electrically conductive layer, form a second electrode layer on the ferroelectric layer, etch the second electrode layer and ferroelectric layer in sequence using a first mask to define a second electrode and then etch the first electrically conductive layer using a second mask to simultaneously define a first electrode and a first interconnection layer comprising the same material. A second electrically insulating layer is then formed on the second electrode and first interconnection layer. First and second vias are then formed in the second electrically insulating layer, to expose the second electrode and first interconnection layer, respectively. A second electrically conductive layer is then patterned in the first and second vias.

With the increase in integration density in dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and a ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) devices, ferroelectric materials such as PZT ((Pb,Zr)TiO.sub.3) or BST ((Ba,Sr)TiO.sub.3) have typically been used as dielectric films in storage capacitors. Ferroelectric material has spontaneous polarization, in contrast to conventional oxide films such as silicon nitride film or tantalum pentoxide film, and generally has a high dielectric constant of several hundred to 1000.
The upper and lower electrodes of a ferroelectric capacitor are generally composed of Pt-group elements. The lower electrode of the ferroelectric capacitor is typically connected to a contact plug composed of polysilicon or tungsten, and the upper electrode thereof is typically connected to a metal interconnection layer composed of aluminum. However, platinum (Pt) composing the upper and lower electrodes reacts with aluminum and this reaction can degrade the polarization characteristics of the ferroelectric capacitor. To avoid this problem, a barrier layer is typically provided between the electrode of the ferroelectric capacitor and aluminum metal interconnection layer. Also, to enhance contact resistance in forming a metal interconnection, an ohmic layer such as a Ti layer is interposed between the barrier layer and the upper electrode.
Hereinbelow, a structure of a semiconductor device having a conventional ferroelectric capacitor therein will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a sectional view for explaining metal interconnections in a cell array region and a peripheral circuit region. As shown in FIG. 1, in the cell array region there are provided a transistor including a field oxide film 2, source and drain regions 3 and 5 and a gate electrode 7 functioning as a word line, and a bit line 11 on a semiconductor substrate 1. A first interlayer dielectric (ILD) 13 and a second ILD 15 each having a storage contact hole are sequentially deposited over the transistor. A tungsten plug 17 is formed to fill the storage contact hole, and a lower electrode 19, a ferroelectric film 21 and an upper electrode 23 are sequentially formed on the tungsten plug 17 to provide the ferroelectric capacitor. A diffusion preventing film 24 is provided on the top and sides of the ferroelectric capacitor. A first intermetal dielectric (IMD) 27 and a second IMD 29 having via holes therein are sequentially formed over the ferroelectric capacitor. A second metal interconnection 31 is formed to fill the via holes. A Ti layer 25 is formed on the ferroelectric capacitor as an ohmic layer. A TiN layer 33 is interposed over the ohmic layer as a barrier layer. Thus, a Ti/TiN layer is interposed between the upper electrode 23 of the capacitor and the second metal interconnection 31.
Referring still to FIG. 1, in the peripheral circuit region adjacent to the cell array region, gate electrodes 7 and 9 and a bit line 11 are formed on the semiconductor substrate 1 on which the field oxide film 2 is formed. A first ILD 13, a second ILD 15 and a first IMD 27 each having a contact hole, are sequentially formed thereon. A first metal interconnection is formed through the contact hole. It is understood from FIG. 1 that the step height of the contact hole in the peripheral circuit region may be large, for example, about 1.5 .mu.m. If the step height is increased to such an extent, a void may be produced in the contact hole when filling the same with metal. A second IMD 29 having a via hole is formed over the first metal interconnection 35, and a second metal interconnection 31 is filled in the via hole to then be connected to a predetermined portion of the first metal interconnection 35. At this time, in order to improve contact resistance between metals, a Ti layer 25 as an ohmic layer is interposed therebetween. Also, a TiN layer 33 is interposed, over the ohmic layer, as a barrier layer.
As seen from FIG. 1, each via hole is formed in the cell array region and the peripheral circuit region after forming the first metal interconnection 35 and the second IMD 29. At this time, the portion where the via hole is formed extends opposite upper electrode 23 of the ferroelectric capacitor in the cell array region, and extends opposite the first metal interconnection 35 in the peripheral circuit region. The second metal interconnection 31 composed of aluminum is deposited in the via holes. Before the second metal interconnection 31 is deposited in the via holes, the Ti layer 25 as the ohmic layer and the TiN layer 33 as the barrier layer are deposited on the bottoms thereof. Therefore, the bottom of the via hole will have a stacked metal structure of Ti/TiN/Al.
However, if the Ti layer is deposited on the bottom of the via hole as described above, the residual polarization characteristics of the ferroelectric capacitor may still be deteriorated during a subsequent high temperature thermal treatment process following the formation of the capacitor. This is thought to be caused by defects in the perovskite structure of the ferroelectric film due to the diffusion of Ti through Pt. To solve the problem caused by Ti diffusion, there has been proposed a method of using only Al to form the second metal interconnection without using the Ti/TiN layer. However, as described above, Al also reacts with Pt during the thermal treatment process and deteriorates the polarization characteristics of the ferroelectric capacitor.
To solve the above-mentioned problem of Ti diffusion, there has been proposed another method of using aluminum (Al) and only a TiN layer as a barrier layer, without using a Ti layer as an ohmic layer in forming a second metal interconnection. According to this method, the polarization characteristics of a ferroelectric capacitor are maintained. However, this method has a drawback because via contact resistance is typically increased when the Ti ohmic layer is omitted.
Thus, according to currently developed metal interconnection technologies, it is quite difficult to maintain the polarization characteristics of ferroelectric capacitors in cell array regions and also improve contact resistance in peripheral circuit regions.

Methods of forming integrated circuit memory devices having improved electrical interconnects therein


A thermometry assembly includes a thermometer and a mount for mounting the thermometer on a wall or other support structure. The thermometry assembly has an anti-theft system for deterring theft of the thermometer. The anti-theft system generally includes a counter that counts the number of uses of the thermometer during a period beginning from the time the thermometer was last on the mount. A microcontroller of the thermometer is programmed to disable further operation of the thermometer when a threshold number has been reached or exceeded by the counter. The counter is reset when the thermometer is returned to the mount. The anti-theft system includes a solid-state sensor that is activated by a magnet in the mount. The sensor signals to the microcontroller to reset the counter when it is activated by the magnet.

Electronic thermometers are widely used in the healthcare field for measuring a patient's body temperature. Typical electronic thermometers have a base unit that is held in the palm of a hand and a probe with an elongated shaft connected to the base. The base unit includes a probe well for holding the probe when the thermometer is not in use. Electronic temperature sensors such as thermistors or other temperature sensitive elements are contained within a tip of the probe. When the tip is placed, for example, in a patient's mouth, the tip is heated up by the patient's body and the thermistor measures the temperature of the tip. Electronic components in the base unit receive input from the sensor components to compute the patient's temperature. The temperature is then typically displayed on a visual output device such as a seven segment numerical display device. Typically, electronic thermometers are powered by batteries to make the thermometers portable. Since the thermometers are portable, wall mounts or other holders may be included with the thermometers to provide places to securely store the thermometers.
Some medical-grade electronic thermometers have an anti-theft mechanism for deterring theft. One type of anti-theft mechanism employs a microcontroller with a counter that records the number of uses of the thermometer. When the counter reaches a predetermined number, then the thermometer is disabled. The counter can be reset by placing the thermometer on the wall mount, for example. When the thermometer is placed back on the wall mount, an anti-theft switch in the thermometer is activated, resetting the counter. A conventional anti-theft switch may include a reed switch in communication with the microcontroller. In this type of anti-theft mechanism, the mount includes a magnet having sufficient strength to bring the contact reeds together within the tube of the switch (activating the switch), thereby resetting the counter. Like the true mechanical switch, the reed switch is prone to mechanical wear and failure. Moreover, the reed switch is fragile, as the contact reeds are maintained in a glass vacuum tube. Still further, the magnet used to open the switch typically must have a flux density of at least about 1200 Gauss, which means the magnet is probably bulky and expensive.


An automotive console includes a console body adapted to be installed in the passenger compartment of a vehicle and includes a storage compartment having an opening for storing one or more items. The console further includes a console lid having a first lid portion pivotally coupled with the console body and movable relative thereto between an open and closed position. The console lid further includes a second lid portion pivotally coupled with the first lid portion and movable relative to the first lid portion between a first position and a second position. The second lid portion includes at least one convenience feature adapted for use by a second row occupant when the first lid portion is in the open position and the second lid portion is in the second position.

It is known to provide vehicle interiors with various trim assemblies to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the interior and to provide comfort, as well as convenience, to vehicle occupants. For example, many automotive vehicles include a center console or other storage device disposed between the driver and passenger seats in the front passenger compartment of the vehicle. These consoles typically comprise a console base either secured to the floor or pivotally connected between the seats, a storage cavity formed in the console base to retain items during travel and a generally rectangular lid pivotally connected to the console base extending generally horizontally across the storage cavity. The lid typically includes a padded upper portion covered with an aesthetically pleasing covering, such as vinyl or leather or other suitable materials that presents a "class A" surface. The lid is coupled with the console base so as to be moveable between an open and closed position, the contents of the storage cavity being accessible when in the open position.
The console has many functions. For instance, in addition to operating as a storage unit, the console may operate as an armrest or as a writing table or general work surface for an occupant of the front passenger compartment. Additionally, the console may include one or more cup holders, a coin compartment and other convenience features desired by vehicle occupants. More recently, the center console has been used to provide a viewing screen for onboard video entertainment systems such that the back seat occupants may view the screen.
While the convenience features incorporated into the consoles of many automobiles have been largely successful in meeting the desires and needs of the front passenger compartment occupants, providing many of these features to the second row occupants in the rear passenger compartment has proven more challenging. This is especially true, for example, for the middle seat occupant. Second row seating often is configured as a bench seat capable of seating multiple occupants. Typically, at least one end of the bench is adjacent a side of the automobile such that convenience features may be incorporated into a rear side panel and be accessible to an occupant in the associated end seat. Moreover, some of the second row seats may be adjacent the seat backs of the front row seats such that some convenience features may be incorporated therein and be accessible to the second row occupants immediately behind the seat backs. The middle seat occupant, however, or an occupant adjacent the center console typically has limited access to the rear side panels or front row seat backs thus making it difficult to provide convenience features to that occupant from these areas.
Furthermore, many convenience features incorporated into the rear of the center console for access by the second row occupants have generally not been successful. For instance, the rear of the center console is relatively low and therefore positioned such that it is difficult to access the convenience features from the second row seats. The relatively low height of the console may also cause problems with the viewing screen of the video entertainment system. For example, the low height of the viewing screen may cause some passengers to suffer from motion sickness generated by the improper sight lines of the relatively low-level viewing screen.
There is thus a need for an improved console that provides convenience features to the second row occupants that overcomes these and other disadvantages and shortcomings of present console designs.

Automotive console having a double hinged lid


A vehicle control system including: a surrounding state detector is configured to detect a state of the surroundings, a first running assistor is configured to automatically control at least acceleration/deceleration or steering such that the subject vehicle can run along a route to a destination; a monitor is configured to monitor whether or not the first running assistor is in a predetermined state and limit an operation of the first running assistor in a case in which the first running assistor is in the predetermined state; and a second running assistor is configured to assist a occupant's driving on the basis of the result of the detection executed and perform steering control according to a relation between the subject vehicle and a lane in a case in which the first running assistor is determined as being in the predetermined state.

In recent years, research on technologies for automatically controlling at least one of the acceleration/deceleration and the steering of a subject vehicle such that the subject vehicle runs along a route to a destination has progressed. In connection with this, a running control device for a vehicle that executes continuation of automatic driving while applying a restriction to steering when an abnormality is detected in an automatic steering means is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program


There is provided a voice and digit compatible fully automatic radio paging system comprising a radio page central station and a plurality of pagers with voice and digit compatibility. The central station automatically captures a digit and voice information from a telephone network, automatically generates a radio page information based on a predetermined coding protocol, sets up a page information database. The page information is coded by a coder and is then sent by a transmitter in combination of voice and digit. The pager receives and stores the voice and digit information. The information can be repeatedly displayed. The system allows a digital pager to operate together with a pager having voice and digit compatibility in same network, whereby solved the problem that a paging system is not able to transfer an analog voice signal in the past.

Known radio paging systems have evolved from merely uttering of some single sounds to communicate information into the communication of much more information by the use of digits, letters, and Chinese characters This system acquires the paging information to be transmitted by a paging center via a wire line telephone network, and then sequentially transmits the information via a radio lie after the information being encoded by a coder. A group of digital pagers each having a unique address code operate simultaneously, with each of them receives information associated with the address code thereof, and then informs the subscriber with alerting signs. The pager displays corresponding information in digital (or Chinese character) form when a user depresses the query key. Normally, the digital pager contains any memory to store the paging information received for reviewing by the user at any time.
However, there are limitations on the above mentioned digital pagers, when pagers using digits or letters in displaying are used in territories of non-alphabetic spelling languages (Chinese character), it is necessary to look up information with the help of a code book which is inconvenient to use; pagers using Chinese character display mode are only suitable to be used for certain specific language, and of a large word library and high cost, Radio paging code can only be generated from the wire line telephony information with manual operation at the radio paging center, thus it is difficult to realize automation, and these have caused difficulties in mass production ad application.

Voice and digit compatible fully automatic radio paging system


A process for transmission of information between at least two devices comprises: generating a serial message coded by means of a time sequence of binary transitions called bits; reducing the time length of all bits in the message by changing them into shorter bits, in order to insert additional bits whose half duration falls at the moment in time where the transitions between unchanged bits occurred when no additional bits are inserted; keeping the half duration point of all reduced data bits to the same place as they were in the unchanged message; keeping the total duration of the message containing the additional bits identical to the total length of the unchanged message. The process is compliant with the MIDI standard and allows the increase of the amount of various distinct messages which it is able to convey.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for transmitting information over an electrical or optical support. It deals more specifically with the transmission of digital information flowing serially in a time sequence over the support.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention, Including Prior Art
It is known for a long time to transmit information in serial sequence over an electrical support with various methods. For instance, numerous processes and systems are known for the purpose of transmitting information between musical instruments according to the MIDI interface standard (Musical Instruments Digital Interface, MIDI Manufacturers Association, The complete MIDI 1.0 detailed specification", document version 95.1 section 2 embedding 2:doc version 4.2, October 1994 pages 1 to 3). Due to the MIDI specification requiring the use of optoisolators, the information is also conveyed as light modulation. Frequently, according to the coding of the information peculiar to the transmission process considered, it is not uncommon to be limited by the number of different coded messages the transmission process can pass along over the support. In the case of the MIDI standard, for instance, one quickly comes up against the absolute limit of 16 addresses (also called channels) of various distinct instruments that the system is able to cope with.
It is therefore desirable to expand the data density of the transmitted information, while keeping the previous admitted standard for transmitting the information, by "superposing" the additional information.


A case for an electronic device can include two pieces. A first piece can be configured to be attached to the electronic device in a substantially fixed position. A second piece can be configured to be attached to the electronic device in one of multiple substantially fixed positions.

Electronic devices have advanced dramatically over the years. As such devices have become increasingly complex, they have also generally become smaller and, in many cases, more fragile. A wide assortment of electronic device cases have been designed over the years and many have provided at least some measure of protection for the corresponding electronic devices. For example, some cases have protected electronic devices from being damaged when experiencing drops or other physical shocks while other devices have included waterproof casings.
Regardless of the primary purpose of these electronic device cases, such cases have generally resulted in a decreased experience or performance of certain types of information that may emanate from the protected electronic device such as audio information, e.g., sounds, voice, and music. Current electronic device cases also tend to negatively impact certain types of information to be received by the electronic device such as audio information, e.g., sound or voice data to be received by a microphone component of the electronic device.
There remains a need for a way to address these and other problems associated with the prior art.

Futuristic Audio Design Innovations, LLC


An outlet airflow direction control device includes a fan and a frame. The frame has an inlet and an outlet via which an amount of fluid flows into and out of the frame, and is internally provided at the outlet with a hub seat for supporting the fan thereon. A plurality of fluid control elements are radially provided between the frame and the hub seat to connect them to each other. Each of the fluid control elements is connected at an outer end, which forms a directional-guide section, to the frame, and at an inner end, which forms a connecting section, to the hub seat. The directional-guide section has an area larger than that of the connecting section, so that the fluid control elements are adapted to control a flow direction of the fluid flown out of the outlet of the frame.

Most currently developed electronic products are miniaturized while they have powerful functions and constantly increased working frequency and operating speed. The higher the working frequency is, the more heat is produced during the operation of the electronic products. The electronic products tend to become unstable when they operate under a high-temperature state. Therefore, it has become an important issue to effectively and quickly remove waste heat from the electronic products to reduce an internal temperature thereof. The use of a fan is one of many economical ways to effectively remove heat from the operating electronic products. When a motor of the fan is actuated to rotate blades of the fan, electric energy is converted into mechanical energy, which is transferred via the blades to cause flowing of a fluid and increasing a coefficient of convection in a limited space, so that flowing of fluid produced by changes in pressure and increase of speed is used to carry away extra heat produced by the electronic products during operation thereof and achieve the purpose of dissipating heat.
Generally, when an amount of fluid is driven by the rotating blades of the fan to flow through an outlet of the fan, the fluid only diffuses into outer areas surrounding the fan. Since the fan is not able to control the flow direction of the fluid, a relatively large dead-air zone is formed behind a hub of the fan to largely reduce the radiation effect that may be achieved by the fan. When the conventional fan is mounted at a location having poor air ventilation and high impedance to dissipate heat produced by electronic elements, the dead-air zone behind the hub of the fan actually largely reduces the radiation effect that may be achieved by the fan, resulting in damaged electronic elements due to high temperature produced during working of the electronic elements.
Taiwanese Invention Patent Application No. 090118816 entitled "Sectional Fan and a Fan Frame Thereof" discloses a sectional fan that includes a fan and a fan frame. The fan frame further includes a first frame and a first flow-guiding element provided in the first frame. The first flow-guiding element includes a plurality of radially extended stationary blades. When the fan is rotated, the stationary blades are adapted to enhance the volume and pressure of airflow produced by the fan.
With the above-mentioned sectional fan, it is possible to produce an increased amount of fluid flown through the fan, however, it is unable to control the direction in which the fluid flown out of the rotating fan, just as in most cases of the conventional fans. Thus, there is still a relatively large dead-air zone behind the hub of the sectional fan to adversely affect the effective radiating of heat produced by the electronic products.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an outlet airflow direction control device to eliminate drawbacks existed in the conventional radiating fans.


A back scrubbing brush with removable cover including a new and improved planar scrubbing member that has a head portion with an interconnected handle portion. A head covering is formed of a pair of generally rectangular foam members encased in a plastic sheath. The head covering is positioned about the head portion. A generally rectangular jacket with a hollow is provided. The jacket has a peripheral edge therearound. The peripheral edge forms an upper edge, a lower edge and a pair of side edges therebetween. The upper edge has a zipper coupled thereto. The lower edge has a generally rectangular opening. The zipper and the rectangular opening allow the jacket to receive the planar scrubbing member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a back scrubbing brush with removable cover and more particularly pertains to providing a backwasher for gentle cleansing of the skin and further providing a interchangeable covering.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of a back scrubber is known in the prior art. More specifically, back scrubbers heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of body cleansing are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, the prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,506 to Babitch discloses a cleaning implement for use on building surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,806 to Nickelston discloses a back scrubber. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 312,709 to Lindsay and Lindsay discloses a back scrubber. U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,836 to Colognori discloses a back scrubber and/or backscratcher with removable sponge element. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 267,671 to Kupchik discloses a back scrubber. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 258,151 to Nakagawa discloses a back scrubber.
In this respect, the back scrubbing brush with removable cover according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a backwasher for gentle cleansing of the skin and further providing a interchangeable covering.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved back scrubbing brush with removable cover which can be used for providing a backwasher for gentle cleansing of the skin and further providing a interchangeable covering. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Back scrubbing brush with removable cover


Core spray line riser repair apparatus and methods for axially restraining a reactor core spray line riser to a T-box are described. In one embodiment, the repair apparatus includes a sleeve, a threaded draw bolt extending through the axial bore, and a threaded block. The sleeve includes a substantially cylindrical main body having an axial bore extending therethrough and a flange at one end of the main body. The sleeve is configured to be inserted into the T-box until the flange abuts against the T-box. The draw bolt is configured to extend through the sleeve flange, the sleeve bore, and an opening in the core spray line riser. The draw bolt engages the block to draw the block in tight engagement with the core spray line riser.

A reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of a boiling water reactor (BWR) typically has a generally cylindrical shape and is closed at both ends, e.g., by a bottom head and a removable top head. A core shroud, or shroud, typically surrounds the core and is supported by a shroud support structure.
Boiling water reactors have numerous piping systems, and such piping systems are utilized, for example, to transport water throughout the RPV. For example, core spray piping is used to deliver water from outside the RPV to core spray spargers inside the RPV. The core spray piping and spargers deliver water flow to the reactor core.
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is a known phenomenon occurring in reactor components, such as structural members, piping, fasteners, and welds, exposed to high temperature water. The reactor components are subject to a variety of stresses associated with, for example, differences in thermal expansion, the operating pressure needed for the containment of the reactor cooling water, and other sources such as residual stresses from welding, cold working and other inhomogeneous metal treatments. In addition, water chemistry, welding, heat treatment and radiation can increase the susceptibility of metal in a component to SCC.
Reactor internal piping, such as T-boxes and core spray line risers, occasionally require replacement as a result of SCC. Replacing the core spray piping often requires removing and replacing the core spray line riser. The core spray line attachment to the shroud, however, typically is installed during original reactor construction and is difficult to access. In addition, replacing the core spray line riser, particularly the attachment to the shroud, is complicated by the limited available working space.
The core spray line riser includes a lower elbow secured to a core spray sparger T-box. There are a number of welds between the lower elbow and T-box, and the integrity of these welds must be maintained to ensure proper operation of the core spray piping. As explained above, it is difficult to access these welds.
It would be desirable to provide an apparatus which facilitates providing additional support for the welds between the core spray sparger T-box and the lower weld of the lower elbow of the core spray line riser. It would also be desirable to provide such apparatus which is easy to assemble and install in a limited working space.

Core spray line riser apparatus and methods


A decorative, multi-layered article of manufacture is described having a surface with portions of the underlying layers exposed. Multiple layers of curable thermosetting resin are cast into a mold having relief portions therein, wherein each layer has a different color. The resins are cured to form a first laminate with a substantially planar out-of-mold surface and an opposing in-mold surface having relief portions therein. Multiple layers of thermosetting resin are then cast onto the first laminate in-mold surface to follow the relief portions. Each layer has a color different from the other layers. The plurality of resins are then cured to form a second laminate, and such that the first and second laminates form an integral article having a face surface with relief portions therein and an opposing substantially planar back surface. The face surface of the article is then subjected to conditions sufficient to expose portions of the layers of the first and second laminates.

The present invention relates to a process for making a decorative article, and more particularly a multi-layered decorative article.
Solid surface articles have been available for over twenty years. The term "solid surface" relates to a material that has substantially the same physical and aesthetic properties throughout its thickness. Thus, if the surface of the material is sanded or planed, a substantially identical aesthetic is found. Solid surface materials are typically molded out of various thermosetting resins such as unsaturated polyester resins. Various aesthetics are produced such as solid color, marbleized color (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,230 to Stecker) and particulate dispersion (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,401 to Bellasalma et al.).
The limitation of these solid surface materials and the processes for making them are that in order to provide other decorative effects such as patterns, inlays or grooves simulating grout or seams, a highly skilled machinist must manually cut the effect into the solid surface material followed by casting a resin having a contrasting color, for example, into the cut portion to provide the decorative effect. This is time consuming and often is not carried out by the manufacturer but by a craftsman in the field. Moreover, such a technique has limited ability for mass production. Decorative articles used for such things as flooring components, wall components, and table and counter tops and having three-dimensional texture and depth are difficult to mass produce.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a process of providing a decorative article and, particularly, a multi-layered, three-dimensional decorative article that is economical to produce and capable of being produced in mass quantities without sacrificing aesthetic appeal.

Process for making a multi-layered decorative article


A cellular cordless telephone set includes an antenna being common to cellular telephone and cordless telephone, and a radio transceiver connected to the antenna and being common to cellular telephone and cordless telephone. The radio transceiver is changeable between a cellular telephone mode of operation and a cordless telephone mode of operation. The radio transceiver receives an incoming cellular telephone radio signal from the antenna and feeds a transmission cellular telephone radio signal to the antenna during the cellular telephone mode of operation. The radio transceiver receives an incoming cordless telephone radio signal from the antenna and feeds a transmission cordless telephone radio signal to the antenna during the cordless telephone mode of operation. The incoming cellular telephone radio signal and the transmission cellular telephone radio signal are in a first predetermined frequency band. The incoming cordless telephone radio signal and the transmission cordless telephone radio signal are in a second predetermined frequency band adjacent to the first predetermined frequency band.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cellular cordless telephone which can be used in both a cellular system and a cordless system.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,230 discloses a cellular cordless telephone which operates with both a cordless base station and a cellular base station. One embodiment of the cellular cordless telephone includes a cellular transceiver, a cordless transceiver, an antenna for cellular radio channels, and an antenna for cordless radio channels. Another embodiment of the cellular cordless telephone includes a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone transceiver, an antenna for cellular radio channels, and an antenna for cordless radio channels. Whenever the cellular cordless telephone is within a range of the cordless base station, telephone calls may be made over the cordless radio channel or transferred from the cellular radio channels to the cordless radio channel. If the cellular cordless telephone thereafter moves out of the range of the cordless base station, telephone calls may be made over the cellular radio channels or transferred from the cordless radio channel to one of the cellular telephone channels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,230 indicates that the cordless radio channels are in the frequency band from 46 MHz to 49 MHz while the cellular radio channels are in the frequency band from 824 MHz to 894 MHz.
The cellular cordless telephone of U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,230 has separate radio communication units for a cellular system and a cordless system respectively. Thus, the cellular cordless telephone of U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,230 tends to be large in size and heavy in weight.
In the cellular cordless telephone of U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,230, the two radio communication units consume electric power even when they are in stand-by states. Therefore, the total power consumption rate tends to be high.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An application program interface (API) replay tool and method is disclosed for modeling and testing APIs. The replay tool receives as input a set of API calls and associated context information and resources. A set of components are called to map variables and a context into the replay tool environment. An API builder translates the original API call (including mapping memory references of parameters) into a sequence of assembly code instructions, constituting the replayed API call, which is placed in an execution buffer. The execution buffer is thereafter executed in a replay environment including a set of resources extracted from a source binary file associated with the replayed API. Thereafter, the operating system, or other suitable consumer of API calls, executes the call in the context recreated by the API replay tool prior to passing the call.

There exists a general need in the development of software/systems to ensure that the finished product is sufficiently tested prior to its release to the public. Such testing is performed to detect programming errors/flaws. Corrections are formulated and then incorporated into subsequent versions of the software. There are various levels of testing thoroughness. The more thoroughly the software is tested prior to release of the software to users, the less likely bugs will be exposed in the subsequent use of the released software.
An application program interface of an operating system comprises a set of methods defining entry points by applications into the functionality (e.g., retrieving/opening files, launching executable programs, printing, etc.) supported/provided by the operating system. Furthermore, the functionality of the operating system comprises groups of related functions referred to herein as components. In the Microsoft WINDOWS operating system, examples of components include: Kernel, GDI, User and Shell. Application program interface (API) testing ensures that operating system components (e.g., printing, shell, etc.), when called upon by application programs, execute in an intended manner.
One general technique for testing operating system components involves writing applications to directly call and test operating system components via their specified API methods. In such case, the application programs are written for the sole purpose of exercising the operating system component(s) under test. Such approach provides a high level of control over testing. By directly programming the calls themselves, a tester is able to tailor a test to include specific inputs to APIs under specific contexts. On the other hand, testing cannot be performed until the test program has been rendered.
Another general technique for testing an operating system API avoids the need to write a particular program to act as the caller to the components under test. This alternative approach involves running application programs and observing their operation (and errors/fault) with regard to the various called components of the operating system via the API. This approach avoids the need to author an application to submit calls to the operating system components. Furthermore, this approach ensures that at least the application used to perform the testing operates properly with regard to the particular operating system API. A potential shortcoming of this approach is the wide variety of applications that execute on an operating system and call upon its functionality through the API.
The above-described approaches to API testing, while offering particular advantages, also exhibit shortcomings including either an inability to exhaustively test an API or alternatively perform such exhaustive testing at a very high price in testing time and resources. One especially vexing problem arises during the exhaustive testing of an API either to verify proper operation (e.g., verify security and compare against expected results), during performance testing (e.g., determining machine cycles needed to complete), and during regression testing. In known systems, a test program is written and compiled into an executable that is then executed to exercise the API and verify returned results. Though this task is relatively easy to explain, carrying out the programming, if performed correctly, is time consuming. As a result, an inordinate amount of effort is devoted to programming the tests rather than defining its scope and specifying its content.

Application program interface call replay tool