The invention provides technology for building houses and many other structures using logs. Log-positioning apparatuses are provided. Also provided are assemblies that include a plurality of logs and a plurality of log-positioning apparatuses. Finally, various log building methods are provided.

Log structures have been built for centuries. Historically, log structures were handcrafted using logs in their natural shape. That is, using logs that retain the unique, natural shapes of the trees from which they came. More recently, log buildings have been constructed using prefabricated logs. For example, such logs are commonly manufactured to have a common shape, whereby they can be used interchangeably. While prefabricated log structures can be built more quickly and affordably than those built by hand, many people prefer the aesthetics of a handcrafted log home. Accordingly, handcrafted homes remain popular even though their construction commonly involves significant time and expense.
The general procedure used in log construction developed long before the advent of cranes and other mechanized lifting equipment. Because logs are heavy, awkward, and dangerous to lift, early log builders did not want to lift logs onto a wall more than once. Thus, once each log was positioned upon a wall, it was processed completely until it fit in its permanent position on the wall. Only then would the next log be processed. Thus, at any given time, only the logs that were on the exposed top layer would be processed. Even though this general procedure was invented for log construction without modern lifting equipment, this procedure is used even today by those who build handcrafted log homes. This traditional procedure will now be described as it would typically be applied in building a simple four-walled structure.
Each log is processed one-at-a-time through a series of steps to produce a handcrafted log structure. First, a set of logs are selected and the bark is removed from each log. The first-layer logs are then selected and positioned. Traditionally, each of the first-layer and second-layer logs (or "sill logs") is cut to have a planar bottom surface that will rest on the floor deck to provide the structure with a solid foundation. Two first-layer logs are positioned in a parallel, spaced-apart configuration.
(In the present background section, terms like "first-layer" and "second-layer" logs are used to refer to the two layers of logs that are closest to the ground. Throughout the rest of this disclosure. for example, and unless otherwise specified, in the assemblies and methods described in the detailed description section, terms like "first-layer logs" and "second-layer logs" are used simply to refer to logs of any two adjacent layers, even though those logs need not ultimately be the two layers that are closest to the ground in the resulting shell.)
Each additional layer comprises two logs that are stacked crosswise over the logs of the layer below. For example, the second-layer in such a structure comprises two logs positioned in a crosswise stack on top of the first-layer logs. A notch is marked near both ends of each second-layer log, then the notches are cut, whereafter the second-layer logs are re-stacked over the first-layer logs with each notch fitted over the end of a first-layer log. The notches in the second-layer logs are commonly dimensioned such that the planar bottom surfaces of the second-layer logs will be flush with the planar bottom surfaces of the first-layer logs when these notches are fitted over the first-layer logs.
Once the first-layer and second-layer logs are in place and fitted, the third-layer logs are selected and lifted into place. Each third-layer log is positioned in a crosswise stack atop the second-layer of logs such that each third-layer log lies directly above a first-layer log. At this stage, there is a gap between each pair of adjacent first-layer and third-layer logs. This gap will often be wider at one end than at the other. Both ends of this gap are measured to determine how the adjacent third-layer log can be lowered to make the gaps more uniform from end to end. A rough notch is then cut into the end of the third-layer log that is adjacent the wide end of the gap. The depth of this rough notch is such that when it is fitted over the second-layer log below, the third-layer log is lowered to a position where the vertical height of the gap is about the same at both ends. Commonly, a rough notch is cut into both ends of each third-layer log so each gap is made to be both less tall and more uniform. But it is not uncommon for no rough notches to be cut at all, or for rough notches to be cut in only one end of a log, instead of both ends, of a given log.
Even after rough notching, there will commonly be one area where the gap between each pair of adjacent first-layer and third-layer logs is greatest. This is because each log has a unique and irregular shape that corresponds to the natural shape of the tree from which it came. The maximum height of this gap is measured for each pair of adjacent first-layer and third-layer logs.
A marking instrument similar to an inside caliper is then used to mark (or "scribe") a long groove that will be cut in the bottom surface of each third-layer log. The marking points of the caliper (or "scriber") are set to a distance (the "scribe setting") that is slightly greater than the maximum gap height that was found for that particular pair of adjacent first-layer and third-layer logs. Because the maximum gap between each pair of adjacent first-layer and third-layer logs will commonly be different, the scribe setting for each such pair of logs will likewise be different.
The scriber is used to mark a final notch cut on both ends of each third-layer log. The scriber is used to mark a final notch cut that will lower each end of each third-layer log by the same distance that was used to mark the long groove cut for that pair of logs.
The long groove and the final notches are then cut for each third-layer log. This is commonly done by rolling each third-layer log upside down and cutting the long groove and the final notches that have been scribed. Alternatively, each third-layer log may be removed from the wall and placed near the ground for cutting. Each third-layer log is then put in its finally fitted position. Only after the third-layer logs have been completely processed and fitted into their final position, does the builder begin working on the fourth-layer logs. The same steps are performed for each fourth-layer log until each log in the fourth-layer is fitted into its final position. This process is repeated for each of the remaining logs in the walls of the structure. Thus, each log on the exposed upper layer is fully processed and placed into its final, permanent position before any work is done on logs of higher layers.
As can be seen, the traditional method of fully processing each log one log at a time is inefficient and slow. For example, a four-walled building with nine logs in each wall will comprise 36 logs. However, using the traditional method, only two out of 36 logs are processed at one time. Thus, even a small, simple log structure takes a long time to build with the traditional method. Clients can be frustrated by the slow pace at which handcrafted structures are built. Accordingly, the development of the log building industry has been affected by the high costs and lengthy wait-times that are characteristic of the traditional log-by-log building method.
In short, traditional methods are adequately suited to building on the final foundation and without a crane. However, they are poorly suited to building off-site and with a crane. Traditional methods were adequate in the year 1620, but they are now poor business choices.
Modern mass-production methods typically benefit from using work forces comprised of specialized laborers rather than small work crews of highly-skilled craftsmen. It is difficult to use a large number of workers in traditional log building methodology. Since only a few logs are processed at one time, there is only enough work for a few workers to do. Thus, log building companies typically keep each work crew small. Furthermore, when crews are small, it is useful if each worker is skilled at performing many log construction tasks. This makes specialization of labor difficult. It is also time-consuming and costly to hire and keep workers who are proficient at the full spectrum of tasks. Likewise, it is expensive to adequately train workers in all of the numerous skills required in log building. Furthermore, those workers who become skilled at all aspects of log construction are sometimes tempted to leave employment to start their own log construction business. In summary, log building companies can find employment, training, and maintenance of skilled workers and crews to be a continuing expense.
The traditional method of log building can also be unsafe. It can be difficult and expensive to erect scaffolding around a log structure during construction. Thus, where long grooves are cut into logs that are resting atop walls, workers may be required to walk backwards on top of the log walls while operating a chainsaw. For example, this may be the case where double-cut long grooves are used. This type of groove is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,435, which is issued to Beckedorf (the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference).
It is common to assemble each log shell twice using traditional log building methods. Commonly, the shell is built once at the construction yard and again at its final location. Since each log is fully processed one at a time with the traditional method, this adds significantly to the construction time. This also means that each log is handled many times. Inevitably, there are costs and risks each time that heavy, awkward logs are handled at a construction site. There is a risk of accident each time a log is moved or lifted. Furthermore, the peeled, natural surface of each log can be scratched and dented by lifting tongs. Such damage is undesirable since the peeled surface of the log commonly serves as the finished surface of the walls.
Surprisingly, log home builders today use the same basic procedures that builders were using hundreds of years ago. It would be desirable to provide more efficient methods for building handcrafted structures with naturally-shaped logs. It would also be desirable to provide log-positioning apparatuses that can be used to facilitate efficient log building methods.

Methods, apparatuses, and assemblies for log building


There is provided macrostructures of porous inorganic material which can have controlled size, shape, and/or porosity and a process for preparing the macrostructures. The macrostructures comprise a three-dimension network of particles of porous inorganic materials. The process for preparing the macrostructures involves forming an admixture containing a porous organic ion exchanger and a synthesis mixture capable of forming the porous inorganic material and then converting the synthesis mixture to the porous inorganic material. After formation of the composite material, the porous organic ion exchanger can be removed from the composite material to obtain the macrostructures.

Both mesoporous inorganic material and microporous inorganic material are characterized by a large specific surface area in pores and are used in a large number of applications of considerable commercial importance. The terms "porous inorganic material" and "porous material", as used herein, includes mesoporous inorganic material, microporous inorganic material, and mixtures thereof.
In most of the applications using porous inorganic material, the fact that the phase interface between the solid porous material and the medium (liquid or gas) in which it is used is large can be very important. Heterogeneous phase catalysts used in refinery processes, petrochemical conversion processes, and different environmentally related applications often comprise porous inorganic material, especially microporous material. Adsorbents for the selective adsorption in the gas or liquid phase or the selective separation of ionic compounds are often porous inorganic material. In addition to these applications, porous inorganic materials have recently become increasingly utilized in a number of more technologically advanced areas. Examples of such uses include use in chemical sensors, in fuel cells and batteries, in membranes for separation or catalytic purposes, during chromatography for preparative or analytical purposes, in electronics and optics, and in the production of different types of composites.
Although a large phase interface is often a fundamental requirement for use of porous materials in different applications, a number of additional requirements related to the specific area of application are imposed on these materials. For example, the large phase interface available in the pores of the porous organic material must be accessible and useable. Therefore, the porosity, pore size and pore size distribution in large pores (meso- and macropores) are often of major significance, especially when mass transport affects process performance. The surface properties of the porous material can also be very important for the performance of the material in a given application. In this context, the purity of the material is also significant. In most applications, size and shape of porous macrostructures containing the porous inorganic material and the degree of variation of these properties are very important. During use, the size and shape of the porous macrostructures can influence properties like mass transport within the porous structures, pressure drop over a bed of particles of the material, and the mechanical and thermal strength of the material. The factors that are the most important will vary depending on the application in which the macrostructures are used as well as the configuration of the process in which the application occurs. Techniques that permit production of a material with increased specific surface area, pore structure (pore size/pore size distribution), chemical composition, mechanical and thermal strength, as well as increased and uniform size and shape, are consequently required to tailor porous inorganic macrostructures to different applications.
Mesoporous inorganic materials include amorphous metal oxide (non-crystalline) materials which have mesoporous and optionally partially microporous structure. The pore size of the mesoporous inorganic material is usually in the range of from about 20 Å to about 500 Å.
Microporous inorganic materials include crystalline molecular sieves. Molecular sieves are characterized by the fact that they are microporous materials with pores of a well-defined size in the range of from about 2 Å to about 20 Å. Most molecules, whether in the gas or liquid phase, both inorganic and organic, have dimensions that fall within this range at room temperature. Selecting a molecular sieve with a suitable pore size therefore allows separation of a molecule from a mixture through selective adsorption, hence the name "molecular sieve". Apart from the selective adsorption and selective separation of uncharged seeds, the well-defined pore system of the molecular sieve enables selective ion exchange of charged seeds and selective catalysis. In the latter two cases, significant properties other than the micropore structure include, for instance, ion exchange capacity, specific surface area and acidity.
Molecular sieves can be classified into various categories such as by their chemical composition and their structural properties. A group of molecular sieves of commercial interest is the group comprising the zeolites, that are defined as crystalline aluminosilicates. Another group is that of the metal silicates, structurally analogous to zeolites, but for the fact that they are substantially free of aluminum (or contain only very small amounts thereof). Still another group of molecular sieves are ALPO-based molecular sieves which contain framework tetrahedral units of alumina (AlO2) and phosphorous oxide (PO2) and, optionally, silica (SiO2). Examples of such molecular sieves include SAPO, ALPO, MeAPO, MeAPSO, ELAPO, and ELAPSO.
A summary of the prior art, in terms of production, modification and characterization of molecular sieves, is described in the book Molecular Sieves—Principles of Synthesis and Identification (R. Szostak, Blackie Academic & Professional, London, 1998, Second Edition). In addition to molecular sieves, amorphous materials, chiefly silica, aluminum silicate and aluminum oxide, have been used as adsorbents and catalyst supports. A number of long-known techniques, like spray drying, prilling, pelletizing and extrusion, have been and are being used to produce macrostructures in the form of, for example, spherical particles, extrudates, pellets and tablets of both micropores and other types of porous materials for use in catalysis, adsorption and ion exchange. A summary of these techniques is described in Catalyst Manufacture, A. B. Stiles and T. A. Koch, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1995.
Because of limited possibilities with the known techniques, considerable investment has been made to find new ways to produce macrostructures of porous inorganic materials, with a certain emphasis on those in the form of films.
PCT Publication WO 94/25151 involves the production of films of molecular sieves by a process in which seed crystals of molecular sieves are deposited on a substrate surface and then made to grow together into a continuous film. PCT Publication WO 94/25152 involves the production of films of molecular sieves by introduction of a substrate to a synthesis solution adjusted for zeolite crystallization and crystallization with a gradual increase in synthesis temperature. PCT Publication WO 94/05597 involves the production of colloidal suspensions of identical microparticles of molecular sieves with an average size below 200 nm. PCT Publication WO 90/09235 involves method for production of an adsorbent material in the form of a monolith by impregnation of the monolithic cell structure with a hydrophobic molecular sieve, followed by partial sintering of the molecular sieve with the material from which the cell structure is constructed.
Although a number of different techniques already exist for production of porous inorganic macrostructures with the desired size and shape, these techniques have a number of limitations that can affect the properties and performance of the macrostructures during their use. Most of these techniques require the use of a binder to give the macrostructure acceptable mechanical strength. The presence of the binder can adversely affect certain desired properties, such as high specific surface area and uniform chemical composition. Also, most of the existing binding techniques constrain the ability to tailor the macrostructure in size and shape within narrow limits. If a well defined size is desired with a narrow particle size distribution, it is many times necessary and most often required, to separate desirable and undesirable macrostructures, which can lead to considerable waste during manufacture. The use of different types of binders can also affect the pore structure in the macrostructures and it is often necessary to find a compromise between mechanical properties and pore size. It is often desirable to have a bimodal pore size distribution in the macrostructures of the porous materials, in which the micropores maintain a large specific phase interface, whereas the larger pores in the meso- or macropore range permit transport of molecules to the surface and, in this way, prevent diffusion limitations. During production of macrostructures using known techniques, a secondary system of pores within the meso- and/or macropore range can be produced by admixing a particulate inorganic material or by admixing organic material (for example, cellulose fibers), which are later eliminated by calcining. Both of these techniques, however, often produce an adverse effect on the other properties of the resulting material.
The present invention provides a process for the production of macrostructures of porous inorganic materials with controlled size, shape and porosity in which it is possible to overcome or at least mitigate one or more of the above-described problems.

Macrostructures of porous inorganic material and process for their preparation


Disclosed is a film-removal/sorting method for coated resin products, which comprises a film removal step (S5) of feeding a target material comprising a mixture of plural types of coated resin products each having a different softening temperature in at least either one of a film (2b) and a substrate (2a) thereof, into a film removing apparatus (20), and heating the target material in the film removing apparatus (20) up to a temperature allowing the substrate (2a) or the film (2b) of at least either one of the coated resin products to be softened in a non-molten state, so as to remove the film (2b) from the substrate (2a), and a sorting step (S9) of sorting the target material after being subjected to the film removal step (S5), between a film-free material (2A) consisting of the substrate (2a) of the coated resin product which has succeeded in removing the film (2b) therefrom, and an untreated target material (2B) consisting of the remaining coated resin products having residual films (2b). The film removal step (S5) and the sorting step (S9) are repeatedly carried out while increasing the temperature of the target material in the film removal step (S5) stepwise within a temperature range equal to or less than a highest one of softening temperatures of the films (2b) and the substrates (2a) of the coated resin products.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of heating a target material, such as shredded resin components of used automobiles, up to a softening temperature to remove a film from a substrate thereof, and recyclably sorting the substrate which has succeeded in removing the film therefrom.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, great efforts have been made for recycling resin components of used automobiles, such as resin bumpers. In the recycling process, if the resin component is coated with a film, the film is likely to be not fully removed and left on a substrate. Consequently, a component made of a recycled material from such coated resin products has a problem about mechanical properties, such as occurrence of cracks in a portion having a residual film due to external force applied thereto, and/or a problem about deterioration in appearance.
Thus, there is the need for forming a recycled product using only a resin free of a residual film.
As one example of a technique of recycling such a coated resin product, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-353721 discloses a technique of shredding coated resin components into fragments, pre-heating the fragments up to a temperature just before a melting temperature thereof, agitating the pre-heated fragments in a treatment vessel, and rapidly increasing the temperature of the fragments under agitation at the start of the agitation to reduce a process time.
Generally, in a coated resin product, a film (typically, thermosetting resin) and a substrate (typically, thermoplastic resin) are different in melting point from each other, and plural types of resins different in melting point, as typified by ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and PC (polycarbonate), are used for a resin molding process. Moreover, temperature characteristics of a resin material are varied depending on the types (talc, glass, calcium carbonate, etc.) and contents of additives to be contained in the resin material. For example, as shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D, a heat deflection temperature of a resin material, i.e., a temperature at which a resin material exhibits a certain deformation (the resin material is softened in a non-molten state) during heating at a constant speed under a constant load, is changed to some extent depending on the types and contents of additives or resin matrix compositions. Thus, in a recycling process for a mixture of plural types of resin products, if the mixture is simple heated up to a single softening temperature, a part of the resin products which have not being softened to have residual films will be undesirably mixed with the resin products which have succeeded in being soften to allow films to be removed therefrom.

Method and system for film removal and sorting of coated resin products


An image processing apparatus is provided, including a brightness change level classifying unit, a dynamic weight calculating unit, and a brightness correcting unit. The brightness change level classifying unit compares a brightness change average value representing brightness changes from a pixel of interest to neighboring pixels around the pixel of interest with an upper threshold value and a lower threshold value and classifies the brightness change level of the pixel of interest into three types of levels according to the result of the comparison. An upper threshold value and a lower threshold value are predetermined based on the brightness of the pixel of interest. The dynamic weight calculating unit calculates different dynamic weights according to the brightness change level of the pixel of interest. The brightness correcting unit corrects the brightness of the pixel of interest, based on the dynamic weights. Accordingly, noise generated on a plane part of an image is minimized and a contour of the image is appropriately emphasized, consequently improving the definition of images.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method, and more particularly, to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method by which noise on a plane part of an image is reduced and at the same time the contour of an edge part of the image is emphasized.
2. Description of the Related Art
In some cases, the boundary of an object included in an image output from a general image processing apparatus such as a digital camera built into a mobile phone, that is, the contour of the image, may be blurred. An image contour denotes a boundary in which the location, shape, size, etc. of an object is changed. Such an image contour has a lot of information about the image and exists at a point where the brightness of the image changes from a low value to a high value or vice versa.
The image contour has been emphasized using a sharpening filter that is suitable for image signals. However, the use of a sharpening filter causes noise generated on a plane part of an image to be reinforced.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method


A system and method wherein the parameters used for face recognition are determined via an evolutionary algorithm, such as a genetic algorithm. Candidate sets of parameters are evaluated for face recognition performance in a given environment. The most effective sets of parameters are used to generate offspring sets of parameters, and these offspring sets are subsequently evaluated for face recognition performance. This process is repeated, with each generation of offspring sets inheriting attributes of the most successful sets, until the system converges on a set of parameters that exhibits superior performance for the given environment. In like manner, other sets of parameters are determined for other environments. When the face recognition system is deployed, the appropriate set of parameters is used, dependent upon the environment in which the target images originate. In this manner, the system exhibits superior performance in each of the environments in which it is deployed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of image recognition, and in particular to the use of genetic algorithms to determine which characteristics of an image are preferred for distinguishing among images for efficient and effective recognition and/or to determine a minimum number of different characteristics that are required for efficient and effective recognition.
2. Description of Related Art
Image recognition, and particularly face recognition, is becoming an increasingly popular feature in a variety of applications. Security systems use face recognition to grant or deny access to select individuals, or to sound an alarm when a particular person is recognized, or to continually track an individual as the individual travels amongst a plurality of people, and so on. In like manner, home automation systems are being configured to distinguish among residents of a home, so that the features of the system can be customized for each resident.
Most face recognition systems do not directly compare images to effect a recognition. Instead, each face is characterized using a predefined set of characteristic parameters, such as the ellipticity of the face, the spacing of the eyes, the shape of the chin, etc., and a search for a target face is based on a comparison of these characteristic parameters. These characteristic parameters are designed to facilitate a distinction between images of different faces, and a matching between different images of the same face. In this manner, a target image can be compared to a set of reference images, and, based on the characteristic parameters, the number of possible reference images that match the target image is reduced, preferably to one reference image that corresponds to the same face as in the target image. In a controlled environment, such as an entry vestibule with a security camera, the comparison of a target face to a library of authorized faces is a fairly straightforward process. An image of each of the authorized individuals will have been collected using an appropriate pose in a well lighted area. The person requesting entry to the secured facility will be instructed to stand at a certain point relative to the camera, to most closely match the environment in which the images of the authorized people were collected. Sufficient lighting is provided to facilitate a straightforward comparison process.
For most applications, however, requiring the target individual to pose is an unrealistic restriction. Most home occupants, for example, will not generally be agreeable to standing at a particular point in the home in order for the home automation system to recognize the occupant. Most security systems are designed to be unobtrusive, so as not to impede the normal course of business or travel, and would quickly become unusable if each person traveling to or through an area were required to stop and pose. Thus, in most applications, the target image or images will be obtained under less-than-ideal conditions, and will generally not correspond directly to the pose and orientation of the images in the library of images. In an image tracking system, wherein an image of a target is obtained from one scene, and then matched to images in subsequent scenes, neither the original image nor the subsequent images will be obtained under ideal conditions.
Because one or both of the images being compared for face recognition will generally be less-than-ideal, a rigid comparision of all the characteristic parameters that define each face will not generally be suitable. Some parameters will not be determinable due to the particular orientation of the face relative to the camera, or due to shadows introduced by less-than-ideal lighting conditions, or due to other environmental factors. A more complexing difficulty than the absence of a measure of a characteristic parameter, however, is the presence of a mis-measured characteristic parameter, also caused by capturing the image under less-than-ideal conditions. In a typical comparison of two images, some parameters will match, some parameters will not match, and some parameters will be absent.
Conventional face recognition systems require the ability to reach a match/no-match decision based on incomplete and often conflicting information. Generally, the developers of the system determine the particular parameters that are most instrumental in determining a match, and give these parameters more 'weight' in the match/no-match decision than other parameters. In some systems, combinations of parameters are given more 'weight' than their individual 'weights'. For example, the ellipticity of the face and the spacing of the eyes may each have a certain significance in the match/no-match decision process, and an extra significance may be afforded to an image wherein there is a match of both the ellipticity and eye spacing. These decision rules are generally developed based on the trial-and-error analysis of hundreds of images. Obviously, the effectiveness of these decision rules distinguishes a successful face recognition system from unsuccessful systems, and considerable resources are expended to develop these decision rules.
Among competing face recognition systems, different performance characteristics will emerge. One system may be more successful than its competitors in matching faces in an outdoor environment; another system may be more successful in an indoor environment; and so on. Some systems may be particularly sensitive to camera angles, others may be sensitive to shadows. Although each vendor of a face recognition system would prefer to excel in all areas, the cost of developing rules for each environmental condition precludes the customization of the face recognition system for each potential environment. Also, in most applications, the face recognition system will be deployed in a variety of environments for a single customer. In such a case, the customer will generally select a system with sufficient overall performance, even though alternative systems provide better performance in select environments. That is, a system that provides mediocre indoor and outdoor performance will often be preferable to a system with excellent indoor performance and poor outdoor performance, or a system with poor indoor performance and excellent outdoor performance.

Face recognition using evolutionary algorithms


The present invention relates to a fat removal device, which comprises: a navigation system having a first connection end and a first terminal; a hollow suction tube having a second connection end and a second terminal, wherein the navigation system is disposed inside the hollow suction tube; a connection unit connected to the first connection end and the second connection end; a robotic arm connected to the connection unit to rotate and move the connection unit multidirectionally; a suction unit connected to the connection unit by a pipeline between the connection unit and the suction unit; and a microprocessor connected to the connection unit, the robotic arm, and the suction unit, to transmit signals from one to another.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fat removal device, and particularly to an automatic fat removal device which comprises a navigation system, a hollow suction tube, a connection unit, a robotic arm, a suction unit, and a microprocessor.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical method of fat removal surgery includes high frequency current fat disintegration, dermal-fat excision, ultrasonic fat disintegration, mechanical vibration, negative pressure suction, and so on.
Furthermore, dermal-fat excision, which directly excise extracts out the excess undesirable fat through a dermal incision, may cause scars, seroma, hematoma and infection.
Ultrasonic assisted fat removal device, fat cells is crushed by ultrasonic energy and extracted or extruded to outside of body by a negative pressure. However, such ultrasonic fat removal device takes more time and the probe temperature may be raised with the increased energy for fat disintegration. Sometimes, skin over the liposuction site is burned by the high-temperature probe.
Thus, negative pressure suction is the most widely-used fat removal surgery today, and the extracted fat may be used for materials of fat transplantation. However, a conventional liposuction device is operated at a single fixed point each time, and there is a variation in depth between each two liposuctions, and thus unevenness of skin development rise if the suction tube is too close to the skin.
Also, a reciprocating liposuction movement needed during a typical massive liposuction surgery is performed by a surgeon, and a considerable physical strength is required, resulting fatigue of the surgeon, which may cause more complications.
Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, it is desirable to develop a fat removal device, which can advantageously improve the unevenness of skin during liposuction and relieve considerable physical and mental fatigue of the surgeon with assistance of a robotic arm during surgery.


An approach is provided for presenting, via a graphical user interface, a plurality of selectable areas corresponding to a plurality of categories of switches and a plurality of options. One of the options includes a search function for finding a desired one of the switches. A communication session is automatically established with one of the switches as specified by a user through one of the selectable areas or the search function. Information from the one switch is received over the communication session, wherein the information is used for analyzing the one switch.

With the ubiquitous deployment of communication networks for a wide range of communication services, management of the associated network devices (which can number in the hundreds if not thousands) can be a daunting task for network managers. For example, in telephony networks, the number and types of voice switches vary from traditional circuit-switched switches to packetized voice switches (e.g., Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services). Also, these networks can have a global footprint, thereby introducing further challenges. From a network management perspective, these factors of diversity in switch types and locations have spawn ad hoc, labor intensive processes and management mechanisms. Given the competitiveness of communication offerings, service providers must maintain a high level of network availability and reliability to ensure consumer satisfaction and loyalty. To accomplish this, information from these devices to perform maintenance and troubleshooting needs to be acquired rapidly and efficiently.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach that permits a user to access information quickly and conveniently from network devices for proper management of the corresponding network.

Method and apparatus of providing an interface for managing network switches


A kiosk configured for selling and manufacturing customized food for a pet is disclosed. The kiosk comprises a customer interface area, a biological sample analysis and handling area, a base product display area, a product additive storage area, and an ingredient mixing and customer observation area.

This invention relates generally to methods for marketing pet foods, and more particularly, to an apparatus configured to the manufacture of a pet food customized to the health and nutrition requirements of an individual pet.
Retail pet food manufacturers typically manufacture their pet foods in large quantities and in only a limited number of formulations. Most manufacturers offer, for example, dog food in several flavors, and in a puppy formula, an adult dog formula, and a mature or inactive dog formula. Some manufacturers offer breed-specific or size-specific formulas. In addition, some manufacturers offer more specialized formulas for dogs having specific food allergies or nutrient responsive diseases. Similarly, retail cat food is typically offered in a limited variety of formulas having different flavors or for different stages of development. However, all of the above described food selections are for a totally pre-made product and hence the range of pet food choices is not necessarily compatible with the highly variable preferences and dietary requirements of individual pets. Thus, making a selection to suit a particular pet's dietary needs is sometimes difficult and sub-optimal. For example, an individual pet may have specific dietary requirements because of an existing illness or disease, or because of a genetic predisposition towards a particular disease. Further, the existing variety of pet food choices typically available at, for example, retail outlets, makes it difficult for pet owners to choose the food which most closely meets their own pet's nutrient needs. In addition, once a food is chosen, knowing how to feed the food correctly can be difficult.


A method for producing a 6α-fluorinated corticosteroid or derivative thereof by reacting a 17-hydroxy-21-ester epoxide of Formula II

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the manufacture of 6α-fluorinated corticosteroids. In particular, the invention relates to the manufacture of 6α,9α-difluoro-11β,17α,21-trihydroxy-16α(or β)-methyl-prednisolones and their 17- and/or 21-substituted derivatives.
2. Related Art
Certain halogenated corticosteroids, particularly 6α,9α-difluoro-11β,17α21-trihydroxy-16α(or β)-methyl-prednisolones and their 17- and/or 21-substituted derivatives, represented generally by compound I (R3=Me), are known anti-inflammatory agents having pronounced activity.
Examples of compounds in this class include diflorasone (R1=OH, R3=β-methyl), flumethasone (R1=OH, R3=α-methyl), and halobetasol propionate. These agents have a 6-fluoro substituent exclusively in the alpha-(equatorial) configuration. Derivatives of these compounds, e.g., diflorasone diacetate, halobetasol propionate, flumethasone acetate etc., have also been shown to have enhanced anti-inflammatory activity.
Traditional methods for inserting fluorine in the 6-position of the steroid molecule consist of converting the corresponding 3-ketosteroids into appropriate 3-enolates and reacting these unstable intermediates with a source of electrophilic fluorine. Common sources of electrophilic fluorine that have been used are frequently toxic and gaseous, for example perfluoryl perchlorate. These known procedures generally lead to mixtures of both the 6-α- and 6-β-diastereomers which must then be separated by, for example, crystallization or column chromatography. For pregn-4-enes, the relative amount of alpha-epimer may be increased by bubbling anhydrous hydrogen chloride through a mixture of isomers in an inert organic solvent (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,831).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,331 discloses a method of preparing diflorasone derivatives which includes, as a key step, 6-fluorination of 9β,11β-epoxy-16-β-methylpregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione 17,21-diesters. This conversion was performed in two steps by the formation of unstable 3-enolacetate and reaction of this derivative with fluoroperchlorate.
A second method (Kavolda et al. Chimia 46, 1992, pp. 338–344; Swiss. Pat. 631185; GB1563638) includes hydrogenation of the 1,2-double bond of pregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione, preparation of the 3-ethyl enolate, 6-fluorination of the enolate by fluoroperchlorate and oxidation of the 6-fluoropreg-4-ene with DDQ to restore the pregna-1,4-diene configuration. Although this reaction proceeds with some stereoselectivity, it also utilizes the explosive and toxic gaseous fluoroperchlorate as the source of electrophilic fluoride. This reagent "has become a reagent with limited appeal. Its loss of popularity stems from difficult handling, threatening explosions, unwanted chlorinated by-products, and unavailability" (M. Hudlicky, A. E. Pavlath (ed.), "Chemistry of Organic Fluorine Compounds II", ACS, Washington, D.C. 1995, pp. 163, 164).
There thus remains a need for safe and effective methods of preparing fluorinated steroids that are useful as anti-inflammatory agents. There is also a continuing need for methods of forming these compounds in a stereoselective manner.

Method for the preparation of 6α-fluoro corticosteroids

Abstract: with a stereoselective fluorinating agent to stereoselectively form a 21-ester-17-hydroxy 6α-fluorinated compound of Formula VII

Abstract: R1 can be OC(O)—Rd; R4 can be C(O)—Rd; R3 can be H or Rd. Each Rd may be the same or different and is independently selected from (C1-4)alkyl, aryl and heteroaryl. The dashed line can be a single or a double bond. R4 may be, for example, acetyl; R3 may be, for example, alpha or beta methyl; R1 may be, for example, acetate or propionate. The stereoselective fluorinating agent used in the reaction may be, for example, a fluoropyridinium or fluoroquinuclidium compound, for example, Selectfluor®.


A server system for distributing information securely includes a network interface for receiving, over a network, an information object accompanied by metadata. A repository stores the information object. Metadata is mapped to electronic addresses of trusted recipients. A processor is configured to generate a link for accessing the information object in the repository, acquire an electronic address of a trusted recipient based on the metadata accompanying the information object, insert the link into an electronic message addressed to the electronic address of the trusted recipient, and send the electronic message with the link to the trusted recipient. The processor is further configured to receive, over a second network, a request for the information object sent from a user device in response to an activation of the link, retrieve the information object from the repository, and transmit the information object to a browser of the user device over the second network.

The sharing of electronic health records (EHRs) and personal health records (PHRs) can provide many benefits for health care providers and their patients. With the sharing of EHRs and PHRs, health care generally improves. The sharing of EHRs and PHRs leads to complete and accurate information, improved access to such information, and empowerment of the patient, who can take an active role in their health by receiving electronic copies of their medical records. Within a radiological environment, for instance, the Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard was developed to promote communication of digital image information. The DICOM standard defines the structure of radiological objects, such as images, reports, measurements and other patient documentation, and the manner in which such radiological objects are exchanged. However, before one can fully reap the benefits of electronically sharing EHRs, any system designed to exchange medical records needs to take into consideration that such records contain highly confidential and sensitive information.
To help protect the highly confidential and sensitive nature of exchanged health information among healthcare participants, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology developed the Direct Secure Messaging (Direct) standards. In brief, Direct is a secure electronic communication service by which health care personnel can send authenticated, encrypted health information directly to known, trusted recipients. Direct operates like electronic mail (email) with security features, such as point-to-point encryption.


A semiconductor processor for spray coating wafers or other semiconductor articles. The processor has a compartment in which are mounted a wafer transfer, coating station and thermal treatment station. The coating station has a spray processing vessel in which a movable spray-head and rotatable wafer holder. The spray station has coating viscosity control features. An ultrasonic resonating spray-head is precisely supplied with coating from a metering pump. The heat treatment station heat cures the coating and then cools the wafer. The system allows coatings to be applied in relatively uniform conformational layers upon irregular surfaces.

The production of semiconductor devices, such as semiconductor wafers, semiconductor substrates, flat panel displays, data discs and other similar articles, generally requires at least one step in which a coating must be applied in a uniform layer across a surface of the device. For instance, the production of integrated circuits frequently involves the application of a uniform coating of photoresist on a silicon wafer or substrate.
The small feature size and variety of micro-devices being produced need highly uniform coating layers to be produced. The production of micro-devices is significantly affected by current limitations associated with non-uniformity in coating layers, particularly when coating over irregular surfaces. Such irregular surfaces occur due to the micro-devices having one or more features such as vias, channels, and peaks. These features produce irregularities in the height of the surface over which the coating is being applied. These surface irregularities cause problems and limit the overall production performance and effectiveness of conventional coating apparatus and methods because the coatings cannot be applied in a sufficiently uniform manner. The coatings often fill channels, run off the peaks, and in some instances are unable to adequately fill vias. As a result, the coating layer is thickened in the channels, and thinned on the peaks. Vias can either be underfilled or overfilled depending upon viscosity and feature geometry.
A common prior art technique for applying photoresist coatings involves spraying the wafer with a photoresist and then spinning the wafer. The spinning action of the wafer produces centrifugal forces which spread the liquid photoresist. However, these spin application techniques have difficulties in providing layers having good uniformity. Striations are a common problem. These striations can be initiated by surface features, contaminants, or fluid properties of the coating being applied. These and other irregularities have derogatory effects on the production of micro-circuits and other micro-devices.
Prior art semiconductor coating techniques have not been able to provide thin, uniform coating layers which conform to irregularities present on the wafer or other semiconductor surface being coated. Spin coating techniques produce coating layers which tend to have an approximately level or planar surface even though surface features of varying heights are contained beneath the coating. The surfaces of wafers can contain topographical height variations of 10–40 microns with associated horizontal increments of 100–500 microns. Coatings thicknesses can thus vary in the range of 5–30 microns. This creates variations in the width of lines or other critical dimensions. These variations can in turn cause significant process yield losses. Thus, there is a need for improved coating apparatus and methods which can produce a coating layer onto semiconductor surfaces which is conformational to provide more uniform coating thickness, even when applied over surfaces having features of varying heights and shapes.
Prior art coating techniques have also been troubled by difficulties which arise during lithographic processes performed upon coating layers. These difficulties arise when coating thicknesses vary to a degree sufficient to cause focusing variations in the lithographic beams used to define features of a device. These problems are in particular significant when complex topographical configurations are used. This increased difficulty occurs due to the greater difficulty in producing uniform coating thicknesses on complex topographical configurations.
Prior art semiconductor coating equipment and techniques have also been deficient in not providing uniform application of relatively viscous coating materials. The exact mechanism causing the difficulties are not fully understood. This problem of coating with viscous coatings is further exacerbated when the surface being coated is irregular, such as discussed above.
The application of coatings to semiconductor article surfaces is further complicated by the extraordinarily low levels of contamination which must be maintained when processing semiconductor materials. Contaminating particles will cause defects to exist in the resulting products and will typically decrease device yields and profitability. Thus there is a strong need to produce uniform coating layers free from contaminants or congealed particulate accumulations which may form from the coating materials themselves.
Another problem associated with present equipment and methods for coating semiconductor wafers and similar devices is that a relatively large volume of coating material is used. This occurs in some instances because the coating is applied and the wafer is spun to provide centrifugal dispersion of the coating across the wafer surface. This leads to coating material being spun off and wasted. In other equipment the coating spray is not efficiently applied and is wasted in part as an aerosol of coating particles which do not adhere to the surface being coated.
A further problem associated with current techniques is inefficient coating application equipment and techniques. The excess coating material is either wasted, or else time and money are expended to dispose of, reformulate, or recycle the spent coating material. Thus there is a continuing need for methods and apparatus which can more precisely coat such articles using a relatively smaller amount of coating material and with reduced waste.
For these and other reasons, there is a strong need for improved methods and apparatus which can provide a uniform coating layer on irregular semiconductor article surfaces using reduced amounts of the coating materials.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention relates to an acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive composition, specifically, an acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive composition having improved anti-static properties, comprising 100 part by weight of acrylic copolymers, 0.01 to 20 part by weight of ester plasticizer having at least one ether linkage in the molecular structure, and 0.001 to 25 part by weight of metal salts consisting of alkali metal cation, and anion which is counter-ion of super strong acid and has perfluoro alkyl group, and prevent whitening of appearance under high temperature and humidity condition as well as static electricity without change of the durability, transparency, and adhesion.

In information industry, electrostatics has been a troublesome problem in the production of numbers of electronic components. Electrostatics, generated during the production process of electronic products, may draw dust or other pollutants that might damage the properties of the products. Also, modern electric devices are highly sensitive to electrostatics, so that temporary or permanent damage of such devices by electrostatics has been increasingly reported.
Nowadays, liquid crystal display (LCD) is widely used in various fields producing notebook computer, monitor, TV, etc, due to its potential for weight reduction and slimness.
In general, LCD consists of liquid crystal cell containing liquefied crystal therein, polarizer, and pressure sensitive adhesive layer for the adhesion of the above liquid crystal and the polarizer. The polarizer consists of multilayer including a row of iodine compounds or dichroic polarizing material, protective film, such as triacetyl cellulose (TAC), to protect polarizing element, pressure sensitive adhesive layer, and releasing film, etc.
Particularly, the production of LCD includes the process of adhering polarizer, during which static electricity is generated after peeling releasing film out of pressure sensitive adhesive layer. The generated static electricity affects orientation of liquid crystal in LCD, resulting in defectives.
In order to prevent generation of static electricity as explained above, a method of forming anti-static layer on an exterior surface of polarizer was proposed, but the effect was not good enough, and could not prevent generation of static electricity basically. Therefore, the anti-static function is needed for the pressure sensitive adhesive to prevent generation of static electricity completely.
Conventional methods for providing the anti-static function of the pressure sensitive adhesive include a method of adding conductive components such as conductive metal powder or carbon particle, or a method of adding an ionic material such as a surfactant type. However, the method of adding metal powder or carbon particle had a disadvantage that transparency of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer is decreased since a large amount of metal powder or carbon particle should be used to provide the anti-static function. Also, the method of adding a surfactant had disadvantages that it is vulnerable to humidity, and adhesive property is decreased due to the migration of surfactant to a surface of the pressure sensitive adhesive.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 1993-140519 discloses a method for preventing generation of static electricity by adding plasticizer of ethyleneoxide-modified phtalic acid dioctyl in the pressure sensitive adhesive. However, the addition of such plasticizer only cannot prevent the fundamental generation of static electricity and not to eliminate static electricity remaining after the separation of releasing film, either.
Also, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1994-128539 discloses a method for providing anti-static property by mixing polyether polyol compounds and one or more alkali metal salts. However, this method has disadvantages that the use of polyether polyol compounds may affect the degree of crosslinking. To avoid such affection on the crosslinking degree, the inventors of the above patent tried to make crosslinking first by using isocyanate crosslinking agent, and then dissolved the composition again before mixing process of the polyether polyol compound and the alkali metallic salt. However, such processes are very difficult to be applied in real industry.
Therefore, it is required to develop a pressure sensitive adhesive having excellent antistatic property without changing compatibility and durability.

Acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive compositions


In a process for preparing p-dichlorobenzene by nuclear chlorination of benzene and/or chlorobenzene as the starting material with chlorine molecules, chlorination is carried out using aluminum chloride in an amount of 0.1–3 millimols per mol of the starting material and phenothiazines such as 10H-phenothiazine-10-carboxylic acid phenyl ester in an amount of 0.1–0.9 mols per mol of aluminum chloride so as to be a chlorination degree in a range of 1.2–2.5, by which p-dichlorobenzene can be obtained in a high para-selectivity and a short reaction time.

A nuclear chlorination reaction of chlorobenzene which is a step for producing p-dichlorobenzene is classified in an electrophilic substitution reaction exhibiting ortho-para orientation, which is known to be chlorinated by a chlorine molecule using a Lewis acid as a catalyst.
Cram & Hammond: "Organic Chemistry" 2nd edition, page 218 (1964) discloses aluminum chloride and ferric chloride as important Lewis acid. Moreover, in page 427, it is disclosed that one halogen atom of a halogen molecule combines with ferric halide or aluminum halide and the other halogen atom becomes cationic halogen to enhance electrophilic property.
Regarding 10-substituted-10H-phenothiazine which is used as a promoter together with the Lewis acid, there are following proposals in order to enhance the para-selectivity upon preparing p-chlorobenzene by nuclear chlorination of benzene and/or chlorobenzene using chlorine molecules and Lewis acid.
EP126669 (corresponding with Japanese Patent Application Laid-open SHO 59-206051) discloses 10-arylcarbonyl-10H-phenothiazine, 10-halocarbonyl-10H-phenothiazine and 10-CHxX1yCO-10H-phenothiazine (wherein X1 represents a chlorine atom or bromine atom, x is 0–2 and y is 1–3). EP474074 (corresponding with Japanese Patent Application Laid-open HEI 4-305544) discloses 10-CF3(CF2)nCO-10H-phenothiazine (n=0, 1 or 2). WO97/43041 discloses 10H-phenothiazine-10-carboxylic acid phenyl esters.
EP126669 does not disclose aluminum compounds as the Lewis acid, but ferric chloride and antimony trichloride are used in Examples. It does not suggest that the aluminum chloride shows an effect superior to ferric chloride and antimony trichloride. EP474074 and WO97/43041 disclose aluminum chloride as the Lewis acid, but only ferric chloride is used in Examples. These references do not suggest that the aluminum chloride exhibits an effect superior to ferric chloride.
Although all the process disclosed in these three patent documents relates to the same proposals for improving the para-selectivity, there are still problems to be improved with respect to reaction time.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open SHO 60-125251 discloses in Example 3 chlorination of toluene using a Lewis acid together with 10-trifluoroacetyl-phenothiazine as a catalyst system for improving the para-selectivity in nuclear chlorination of alkylbenzene. Table 1 in said reference however shows the fact that aluminum chloride has the para-selectivity inferor to that of ferric chloride and antimony trichloride.


A method for dynamic bandwidth allocation in Passive Optical Network (PON), said PON includes a OLT and a plurality of ONUs accessing to the OLT, comprising: classifying traffic which is to be communicated between the OLT and the ONUs into a plurality of service types, and granting a different priority to each type of the services; authorizing service ports of every type of services to transmit service data in descending sequence of said priorities of the services, and recording granting information of the service ports obtained from the authorization; reading out said granting information of every to-be-granted service port of a same ONU; and scheduling granted start time of data transmission of every to-be-granted port of current ONU, generating downlink granting messages including both said granting information and said granted start time of data transmission of every granted port of said current ONU, transmitting said downlink granting messages to said current ONU. This method for bandwidth allocation in the present invention can satisfy requirements of different types of services, increase bandwidth utilization ratio and realize equal bandwidth allocation.

As a new broadband access optical fiber technology covering the "last mile", PON needs no active node and only a simple optical splitter needs to be installed. Thus PON has the advantage of saving optical cable resource, sharing bandwidth resource, saving equipment room investment, high security device, rapidity of setting up network, low cost of network building, and so on. As a primary type of present optical access network, PON has been widely applied.
PON takes the point-to-multipoint master-slave control structure. With reference to FIG. 1, an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) is a master node device, which is connected with a plurality of Optical Network Units (ONUs) through optical splitter, and the processes of the ONU registration, authorization of the data waiting to be transmitted, message interaction of Media Access Control (MAC) sub-layer and so on are performed at the OLT. The ONU is a slave node device, responding to the OLT finding message, reporting the sizes of data waiting to be transmitted, transmitting data of every port according to granting information, and a plurality of client terminals are accessed to the ONU to support multi-service access. With such frame structure as in optical access network, the problem of how to reasonably allocating bandwidth and effectively using network resource to meet service requirement is of great importance to PON MAC scheme.
In optical access network, there are two ways of allocating bandwidth: Static Bandwidth Allocation (SBA) and Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation (DBA). As to SBA, ONUs or its port is allocated with fixed bandwidth and unused time slot cannot be arbitrarily occupied. The disadvantage of SBA is low bandwidth utilization ratio and poor adaptive faculty to self-likelihood service with high burst ratio. DBA algorithm is a mechanism or algorithm for rapidly re-allocating bandwidth based on requirements of the current client service. As to DBA, the PON bandwidth utilization ratio can be increased by dynamically adjusting bandwidth, with reference to requirements of ONUs burst service.
At present, there are a lot of dynamic bandwidth allocation methods, For example, an Interleaved Polling with Adaptive Cycle Time (IPACT) dynamic bandwidth allocation method for PON; a DBA protocol special for APON which is put forward in G.983.4 standard by ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication) Standardization Sector.
The main idea of IPACT is that polls the next ONU before the data sent by the former ONU arrive at OLT, thereby, to determine whether to authorize and how much to authorize, etc. and determine the start time of the data transmission of the next ONU according to the calculated arrival time of the last bit of the data of the current ONU.
As to the second scheme, a DBA protocol is put forward in ITU-T G.983.4 standard, service from ONU is divided into several types of T-CONT (Transmission Container). According to service priority, there are four types of T-CONT, in descending priority they are T-CONT1, T-CONT2, T-CONT3 and T-CONT4, while T-CONT5 is adaptive to all services in order to reduce number of transmission containers. Every type of T-CONT corresponds to a specific requirement of bandwidth allocation. There are four types of bandwidth allocation requirements: constant bandwidth, assured bandwidth, non-assured bandwidth and best-effort transmission bandwidth. And there are three strategies in the present DBA protocol: NSR (Non-Status-Reporting), SR (Status-Reporting) and mixing type.
In the first technology scheme mentioned above, the polling period adaptively varies with amount of data, resulting in data transmission jitter in the same service, so the requirement of low delay and delay jitter for real-time service is not be satisfied. In the second technology scheme, Round-Robin constant sequence polling is adopted, which is special for connection-oriented APON application with fixed length of PDU (Protocol Data Unit). Additionally, the bandwidth updating mechanism is special for T-CONT and bandwidth is allocated neither according to different ports nor different services.
In the above two schemes, since different allocating strategies for different services are not taken into account, they are applied in single service system in practical application, such as in system only providing browsing service or voice service. This kind of system cannot meet Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of more than one service type, neither allocate bandwidth according to client service ports. Moreover, when allocating bandwidth, granting messages of window allocation are basically generated in sequence of port reporting, without considering delay requirement of different ONU ports, and bandwidth utilization ratio is also low; in addition, there is no dynamic process if ONUs are offline.

Method for dynamic bandwidth allocation in passive optical network


In a grinding wheel in which abrasive tips for rough grinding and abrasive tips for finish grinding are alternately bonded to a periphery of a disk type base rotating about a rotation axis, each abrasive tip includes the abrasive layer formed by bonding abrasive grains and a lower layer overlaid and integrally for led with the abrasive layer. The abrasive tip is attached to the periphery of the base at the lower layer. A Young's modulus of the lower layer of the abrasive tip for finish grinding relative to a load acting on the grinding surface of the abrasive tip in an inward direction of the grinding wheel is less than that of the abrasive tip for rough grinding. Thereby, the surface of a workpiece can be both rough-ground and finish-ground with superhigh-precision surface roughness with using one grinding wheel.

In order to grind the surface of a workpiece with high-precision surface roughness a grinding machine is provided with two grinding wheel heads, on one of which a grinding wheel for rough grinding is rotatably supported, and on the other of which a grinding wheel for finish grinding is rotatably supported. The grinding machine rough-grinds the workpiece with high grinding efficiency with using the grinding wheel for rough grinding and then finish-grinds the rough-ground workpiece with high-precision surface roughness with using the grinding wheel for finish grinding. It is done that after the rough grinding with using the grinding wheel, the workpiece is lapped for high-precision surface roughness with using a lapping tape.
Further, in the centerless roll grinding machine disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1999-104940, a wide combined grinding wheel having a grinding wheel for rough grinding 11a, a grinding wheel for medium finish grinding 11b, and a grinding wheel for finish grinding 11c is used as a grinding wheel 11. Further, while a roll 2, which is supported and rotated on an adjustment wheel 13, and a knife blade 14 to pass between the grinding wheel 11 and the adjustment wheel 13, the rough grinding, the medium finish grinding, and the finish grinding are conducted in one pass.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional grinding machine, as the workpiece is rough-ground by the grinding wheel for rough grinding, and thereafter finish-ground or lapped by the grinding wheel for finish grinding or by the lapping tape, it takes time to move the workpiece from a position opposite the grinding wheel for rough grinding to a position opposite the grinding wheel for finish grinding or a position opposite the lapping tape, so that the time required to perform grinding increases. Further, there is a problem that the grinding machine is expensive.
In the centerless grinding machine disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1999-104940, when depth of cut of the grinding wheel is ultraminute, the roll 2 is not fed in an axial direction. Hence, a roll surface cannot be ground with superhigh-precision surface roughness.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to resolve the above mentioned problem and to provide a grinding wheel capable of rough-grinding the surface of a workpiece and finish-grinding it with superhigh-precision surface roughness with using one grinding wheel.


In a machine for automatically bending a material into the outside skin of a channel letter, a desired configuration of the channel letter is input into a control computer. The computer controls the feed of the strip of metal into the machine for the bending of the metal into the outside skin. Feed assemblies feed the material along a material feed path of the machine. A notching station notches the edge of the material where necessary for purposes of forming flanges in the material and bending the material. A subsequent flange forming station forms the flanges on the edge of the material, when desired. A bending assembly bends the strip of material into the desired form, with the bending arm moving from one side to the other of the material as necessary. The material is cut at a cutting station immediately preceding the bending assembly when the length of the material needed for the formation of the outside skin has been fed to the appropriate point at the cutting station along the material feed path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine for bending metal to form the outside skins of channel letters. More particularly, the present invention relates to a machine that can automatically bend metal material into the form of outside skins of channel letters for signs, primarily exterior signs.
2. State of the Prior Art
At most shopping strip malls, restaurants and other stores, the main electrically illuminated sign which is out front, typically displaying the name of the business, will be made of channel letters. Each channel letter is composed of a front face that is usually made of plastic, and can be any of various colors. The front face forms the letter seen by the public in viewing the sign. Each channel letter also has a back, which is commonly made of aluminum. The front face and back can be cut manually or by using computer controlled routers. Between the front and the back, however, there is an outside skin, usually made of metal, connecting the front face and the back.
The outside skin is usually made of metal. The outside skin has to be formed into the shape of the letter matches the same shape of the cut out front face and back. To date, all of the metal outside skins of channel letters are manually bent. This is a very labor intensive job, and for this reason channel letters make up the highest dollar segment of the multi-billion dollar sign industry.
Various apparatus are known in the prior art for bending sheet or sheet-like material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,893 discloses a method and apparatus for bending steel rule in which a coil of steel rule material is unwound and fed to a notcher/cutter that cuts notches in the rule at selected locations prior to bending. The rule is then bent by a clamping device holding the rule and a bending tool rotating to bend the rule. The bending tool can be positioned on either side of the rule for making bends in opposite directions. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,773,284 and 3,823,749 provide bending devices that are similar in operation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,463,890, 5,507,168 and 5,495,741 each disclose a bending mechanism that operates slightly differently from that above. In each of these patents, a strip of material is passed through a clamping or holding portion, and a bending portion can be relatively rotated in either rotary direction to cause the bend of the material to occur.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,879,979, 3,986,470, 3,038,252, 3,270,541 and 3,581,535 disclose various methods of bending metal materials also including in some instances the formation of notches in the material.
However, none of the above-disclosed apparatus and methods for bending metal materials are suitable for forming the outside skins of channel letters. In particular, none of these devices can automatically form a channel letter.

Automatic channel letter bending machine

c/o Computerized Cutters, Inc., 1400 S. Sherman St., Suite 116


A layer of viscous material is applied to a substrate by constricting a stream of pressurized viscous material prior to entry into a chamber wherein the constricted filament-shaped stream is acted upon by radially inwardly and forwardly oriented currents of compressed air which reduce the thickness of the stream and issue with such stream from the chamber through an orifice. The orientation of air currents in the chamber is such that the filament is not imparted a swirling movement. The flow of air issuing from the chamber through the orifice forms a hollow cone which surrounds the filament of viscous material on its way toward contact with the substrate.

The invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for applying viscous material to substrates, e.g., for applying an adhesive or a sealing compound to a workpiece. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for applying strips of viscous material with assistance from compressed air or from another compressed gaseous fluid.
Viscous materials of the character under consideration here are those exhibiting a rather high viscosity, preferably higher than about 100 cSt. Such materials are not likely to be atomized by compressed gas but will retain the form of a continuous strand, layer or strip, or at least the form of sections of a layer, strand or strip. An optimum viscosity can be arrived at by varying the temperature and/or by adding effective amounts of a suitable solvent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,333 granted Feb. 26, 1991 to Keller et al. discloses an apparatus for forming a substantially continuous filament of a thermoplastic work material and for imparting a swirling motion to the filament. The configuration of a material discharging nozzle and the construction of the system for supplying a compressed gas are selected in such a way that the filament of thermoplastic material is imparted a swirling motion so that it adheres to a surface in the form of a series of arcs. This is achieved by causing compressed air to flow in a bore extending in parallelism with the filament of thermoplastic material and discharging into a ring-shaped space which is in direct communication with the outlet for air. Swirling motion can be imparted in a number of ways, for example, by providing a gas- or material-discharging bore which is inclined with reference to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus. Alternatively, the material discharging orifice is asymmetrical with reference to the outlet for air.
The swirling motion which is imparted to the filament of thermoplastic material causes such material to deposit on a selected surface in the form of arcs having identical diameters. Thus, if such arcuate deposits of thermoplastic material are to form a continuous strip, they must closely overlap with the result that the marginal zones of the developing strip are higher (i.e., they contain more material) than the median zone. Consequently, if the strip is brought into contact with another surface, the bond between the surface to which the thermoplastic material was applied and the other surface is established primarily along the marginal portions of the strip. This is undesirable irrespective of whether the thermoplastic material is an adhesive or a sealing compound. Moreover, the quantity of thermoplastic material which can be applied per unit of time is relatively small which is unsatisfactory in many, or most, instances if the thermoplastic material is a sealing compound. If the quantity of applied thermoplastic material is raised above a relatively low upper limit, the applied material is likely to be sprayed beyond the selected area and to thus contaminate the workpiece.

Method and apparatus for applying viscous material to a substrate

Bollhoff Verfahrenstechnik GmbH & Co. KG


An automatic convection heating baking apparatus for bread or cake making with greatly improved automatic-baking quality is disclosed. Baking in this apparatus is achieved by two hot air streams each covering about half of the baking chamber space. Hot air circulation is produced by forming suction and blowing regions within the baking chamber by placing an electric fan within a single ventilation compartment. The machine is compact and low-cost since only a single electric fun is needed to cause circulation and to produce two hot air streams, premature hot air return to the ventilation compartment is prevented by using air-regulating means. Dual timer for mixing and baking is provided to improve cake fluffiness by controlling heating during ingredient mixing.

Home-made oven-fresh cakes and breads are something that young children are eager to look forward to and get excited when they receive them. Apart from the actual gastronomical appreciation of the baked products, the activities surrounding their making being along a lot of warmth and pleasure to family life. However, making such products often requires a lot of containers and utensils and involves a lot of preparation and is a lengthy process. The making of mouth-watering cakes or breads however often results in a messy kitchen plus a parent in a state of total fatigue.
Modern technology comes to help by offering automatic baking machines which produce baked products by simply having all the ingredients pot into a single machine, the rest of the process will then be taken care of the machine. With such machines, a cake will be table-ready some time after ingredients are introduced into the machine. However, cakes or breads made by such machines are often not as fluffy and are often not evenly baked. These shortcomings are largely due to baking machine designs. The modern trend for compact and slim domestic appliances means that baking machines having a baking compartment evenly surrounded by clusters of electric heaters would not be accepted by consumers. That is why automatic baking machines usually utilise convention heating. However, evenly distributed convection heating is very difficult to achieve and control and that is why machine-made cakes or breads are not very palatable.


A line driver with positive feedback reduces the output signal amplitude excursion required for driving a communication line, and enables the driver's output impedance to be synthesized using a reduced component value, thereby achieving a reduction in power loss through the output resistor, while simultaneously matching the effective electrical value of the driver's output impedance to the line. The line driver includes an operational amplifier having differential polarity inputs and an output. An output resistor, whose value is a fraction of the line impedance, is coupled between the amplifier output and an output node coupled to the line. A negative feedback resistor is coupled between the amplifier output and an inverting input. A further resistor is coupled between the amplifier output and a non-inverting input. The further resistor has a value of k*R, where m=(k+1)/(k-1), R is the value of each of input and negative feedback resistors, and m is the ratio of the desired output resistance Rt to the value Ro of the line driver's output resistor.

There are a variety of communication system applications that require extremely low distortion, highly linear signal driver components. As a non-limiting example, consider the case of a relatively long (on the order of 20-25 kft) two-wire, twisted subscriber loop pair serving a `remote` terminal for conducting full duplex communications. In order to prevent mutual interference between the transmit and received signals, echo-canceling circuitry is installed at the respective ends of the loop. However, the performance of these components, and therefore the effective service distance of the loop, is limited by the amount of distortion introduced into the signals being transported over the two-wire pair, and the ability of the echo-canceling circuitry to precisely excise the unwanted echo of the transmitted signal and still realize a useable signal that is received from the far end equipment.
To this end, the line driver components should be extremely linear and introduce minimum distortion, with the output impedance of the line driver being defined so as to match the characteristic impedance of the line. It is especially difficult to maintain this linearity when power is restricted, as in the case where the two-wire pair is also used for powering remote customer premises equipment (e.g., DSL, ISDN equipment) from the central office.
Recent advances in loop data transmission equipment components have made it possible to reduce the power supply requirements for local digital subscriber loop circuits from supply rails on the order of .+-.15 volts (or a thirty volt power rail differential), to .+-.8 volts power supply rails (a sixteen volt power supply differential). Driving the loop with components that operate with relatively small absolute signal voltage swings (e.g., five volts peak-to-peak) relative to the power supply differential improves linearity. However, it still leaves a considerable voltage difference (e.g., eleven volts for a .+-.8 volts supply) between the maximum signal excursion and the supply rail differential, resulting in a substantial standby power overhead loss (the product of the standby current times the voltage difference).
To reduce this standby power loss, the power overhead can be reduced to make the supply rail differential be as close as possible to the differential signal swing. However, this power reduction objective must be balanced against the fact such an overhead reduction inherently increases the amount of distortion in the line driver amplifiers.

Low distortion driver employing positive feedback for reducing power loss in output impedance that effectively matches the impedance of driven line


For welding composite pipes together a welding ring is used, which bears against the side wall portions of elevations. It consists of thermoplastic material and is provided with an electric resistance heating. Prior to welding there is an annular gap between the front walls of the pipes to which annular gap a volume compensating groove is associated in the welding ring. A connection of the pipes in their region outside of their inner pipe is performed by an at least partial welding of the welding ring, the front walls bearing against each other in unwelded manner.

Pipes of the generic type, which are composite pipes or ribbed pipes, which are also called double-walled pipes, are connected in practice usually by means of tubular sleeve. In this case it can be so-called double plug-in tubular sleeve, into which the two pipes to be connected are plugged in, or tubular sleeve which are disposed or formed at a pipe end. In order to assure a fluidtight and/or gastight connection of the pipes, sealing rings on an elastomere basis are employed.
With full-walled pipes consisting of polyethylene or polypropylene it has become known in practice to plastify the front walls, which are to be interconnected and which extend vertically to the central longitudinal axis of the pipes, by means of a heated welding mirror, and subsequently--after pulling out the welding mirror--to join the pipes under a corresponding welding pressure. In practice it has also become known for composite pipes to produce a welded connection of this type, whereby the front walls to be welded with one another are arranged in the region of one corrugation trough, respectively, of the pipe. With this type of welded connection it is disadvantageous that a welding bead emerges at the inner wall of the pipe, which projects into the inner space of the pipe, through which fluids are transported. Welding beads of this type have to be removed by machining at correspondingly high expenses. In addition, when welding composite pipes or ribbed pipes, the pipe portions supporting the front walls have a relatively small thickness, so that the stability of the welded connection cannot always be guaranteed at least not under field conditions. Furthermore it is added that the mirror welding method can only be performed under difficulties at building sites, as face cutting of the front walls and their cleaning, welding, finishing of the inner beads and the like is combined with considerable expenses. Furthermore pipes consisting of thermoplastic plastics are unavoidably oval to a small extend, so that the wall thicknesses, which are anyway too small, of the wall portions to be welded with one another cannot be fully utilized. Therefore the mechanical properties of composite pipes or ribbed pipes welded in such manner are not always satisfying.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,533 it is known to interconnect full-walled pipes by welding in such manner that a heating element is pushed over the ends facing each other, which is covered with plastics used for welding. Furthermore a tubular sleeve embracing the heating element is placed thereon. In the tubular sleeve outlet openings are disposed, through which excess plastics escapes, by means of which it is displayed simultaneously that the welding is completed. Connection of the full-walled pipes is performed at their outer side. By means of this no welding beads appear, which project into the inner space of the pipe. This type of welding full-walled pipes can be easily accomplished and is well suitable for construction sites. For connecting the pipes of the generic type this method, however, is only relatively suitable.

Method for welding together pipes consisting of thermoplastic plastics


A physiotherapeutic device for ascent and decent of stairs to be used by professional physiotherapists, and a preferred embodiment to be used at home, in order to rehabilitate patients or maintain health and physical fitness, the device also being useful as a safe ladder for the elderly and those who suffer from physical handicaps, including a plurality of substantially longitudinal step members arranged adjacent to each other, a body pivotally attached to each of the step members and an elevator coupled to the axis. Additionally, the device may be used as an elevator or stair lift assisting handicapped and wheelchair ridden individuals to ascend or descend to or from one level to another. Alternatively, the device may be used to raise or lower heavy or bulky items from one level to another, especially in the home where such tasks are very tasking if done unaided.

The present invention relates to a therapeutic device and, more particularly, to a physiotherapeutic device for exercising the ascent and descent of stairs to be used by professional physiotherapists, and a preferred embodiment to be used at home, in order to rehabilitate patients or maintain health and physical fitness; the device may also be utilized as a safe ladder for the elderly and those who suffer from certain physical handicaps.
Additionally, the device according to the present invention may be used as an elevator or stair lift assisting handicapped and wheelchair ridden individuals to ascend or descend to or from one level to another.
Alternatively, the device may be used to raise or lower heavy or bulky items from one level to another, especially in the home where such tasks are very tasking if done unaided.
Many patients require physiological rehabilitation for various reasons. These include, for example, victims of traffic accidents, patients who have suffered from a cardiac episode or underwent a cardiac medical procedure, as well as individuals that have had a cerebral episode, invasive medical procedures, or sustained injuries of violence and the like. These patients need to receive physiotherapeutic treatment in rehabilitation wards of various institutes or by professional physiotherapists, for the purpose of a gradual return to regular life.
The practicing of ascending and descending stairs is a central part of the rehabilitation process and greatly assists in enabling the patient in returning to his natural environment. Furthermore, the ability to ascend and descend stairs is a vital component in the assessment process performed by the medical staff in relation to the possibility of discharging a patient from the rehabilitative institution to his home.
Notwithstanding the aforesaid, there are no efficient devices for performing this essential exercise. The rehabilitative institutes usually utilize a staircase made of wood with three to five stairs of a fixed height. Such staircases do not meet the rehabiltatory needs of most patients as a patient at the start of the rehabilitation process may only be able to ascend stairs with a maximum height of, for example, 3 centimeters, while the same patient or a different patient at the end of the rehabilitation process, may require to exercise ascending and descending steps as high as 25 centimeters.
Many patients need to continue the rehabilitation process at home, after being discharged from the rehabilitative institute. As many researches show, exercising ascending and descending stairs aids health and physical fitness in general. This is especially the case for older patients.
Numerous house accidents are caused by falling off a ladder, and researches also show an increase in such a risk with age. Elderly people find it very hard to ascend a conventional ladder and therefore require a device enabling them to safely and easily ascend and reach the desired height and then descend from it, for the purpose of executing various activities in the home, such as inserting and removing items from cupboards or closets, light chores about the house, and the like. Such a device will open before the elderly and handicapped a wide range of activities which they previously were unable to perform for fear of the dangers involved with climbing ladders and the like or in a case where individuals are physically unable to use a conventional ladder.
Every physiotherapeutic device in professional and rehabilitative physiotherapy institutes is used by many patients. Efficiency, speed and convenience in adapting the device to meet the therapeutic needs of every patient are vital. The price and the dimensions of the device, however, are of secondary importance in that the burden of the overall cost is spread over many patients, and the device has a permanent place in the rehabilitative physiotherapy framework.
Physiotherapeutic treatment as described above is not usually available for patients that have been discharged to their homes, patients not needing to be admitted to a rehabilitative institution, and geriatrics not within an institutionalized framework, who require physiotherapy or physical exercise.
The mobility problem and the dangers of using a conventional ladder in the home are especially felt by the geriatric and the handicapped. For the handicapped, the use of a conventional ladder is both difficult and hazardous. Moreover, for these individuals the overall size and cost of the device are of primary significance in that it serves an individual, or couple, and the space available to use such a device is limited.
Various attempts have been made to create a device meeting the needs of the patients. In rehabilitative institutes wooden stairs are usually ordered from a carpenter. However, wooden stairs are latently deficient in that the stairs have a fixed height which can not be varied to meet the rehabilitation needs of every patient. In addition, there are patients in the preliminary stages of rehabilitation that are only able to exercise ascending and descending of stairs of a small height but in that the stairs are fixed at a larger height, are unable to accomplish this exercise.
Various fitness clubs have "stepping machines" which include a pair of paddles which go up and down on a hinge, while resistance is provided by pneumatic or hydraulic piston. These machines are unsuitable for the majority of patients, and especially unsuitable for the preliminary stages of rehabilitation. Moreover, "stepping machines" are intended to strengthen the user's muscles and are devoid of any rehabilitative use as well as involving different bio-mechanics than ascent and/or descent of stairs notwithstanding the term "stepping machines".
The use of conventional steps is inappropriate for the required physiotherapeutic exercise required in that the height of the steps cannot be altered. In addition, conventional ladders are manifestly hazardous for geriatrics and patients due to conventional ladders having a fixed height difference between each step as well as the lack of hand rails and latent instability of conventional ladders.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a low cost, low maintenance, reliable and effective physiotherapeutic device for the exercising of ascent and decent of stairs which provides a quick, easy and exact adaptation to the needs of the patient; the device enabling a plurality of patients to perform ascents and descents, at varying degrees of difficulty, one after the other, and providing an effective rehabilitation device which may be used to aid in the maintaining of health and fitness or as a ladder for the elderly and handicapped.
Additionally, the is also a need for an elevator or stair lift assisting handicapped and wheelchair ridden individuals to ascend or descend to or from one level to another which can alternatively be used to raise or lower heavy or bulky items from one level to another, especially in the home where such tasks are very tasking if done unaided.