A fixing device for thermally fixing a toner image formed on a recording medium by an image forming apparatus is disclosed. A heat roller included in the fixing device is prevented from moving in its axial direction or thrust direction without causing any leak to occur. While a heating layer and a temperature sensor are electrically isolated from each other, the temperature sensor can accurately sense the surface temperature of the heat roller without damaging the surface of the heat roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a copier, printer, facsimile apparatus or similar electrophotographic image forming apparatus and, more particularly, to a fixing device for thermally fixing a toner image on a recording medium.
2. Discussion of the Background
It is a common practice with an electrophotographic image forming apparatus to form an electrostatic latent image representative of a document image on the surface of a photoconductive element charged to a preselected polarity beforehand. The latent image is developed by a developing device located at a preselected position around the photoconductive element. Specifically, powdery charged toner is fed from the developing device to the phoconductive element in order to develop the latent image. The resulting toner image is brought to an image transfer station by the photoconductive element in rotation and transferred to a paper or similar recording medium also conveyed to the image transfer station. The toner image carried on the paper is fixed by a fixing device.
Generally, the fixing device is made up of a heat roller having a heat source therein and a press roller facing and pressed against the heat roller. The heat roller and press roller thermally fix the toner image on the paper being passed between the two rollers. Tie prerequisite with the heat roller is that it accurately contacts the image area of the paper and surely fixes the toner image on the paper. To meet this requisite, the heat roller is mounted on, e.g., the housing of the apparatus in such a manner as not to move in its axial direction or thrust direction. Means for restricting the movement of the heat roller in the thrust direction has been proposed in various forms in the past. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 61-19265, for example, teaches a configuration in which a generally C-shaped stop ring in the form of a metal spring is resiliently fitted on the outer periphery of a heat roller. The stop ring abuts against a bearing and a support member supporting the heat roller so as to restrict the axial displacement of the roller.
Usually, the heat source disposed in the heat roller is implemented by a halogen lamp heater or similar heater capable of heating the roller by radiation. However, the problem with this kind of heat source is that a substantial interval is necessary between the time when the heater, i.e., the power switch of the apparatus, is turned on and the time when the surface of the heat roller reaches a preselected fixing temperature. That is, a long preheating time or warm-up time is necessary. In light of this, there has recently been proposed to form a heating layer heating in response to a current on the surface of the heat roller, as taught in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 9-127814. The heating layer directly heats the surface of the heat roller.
In a fixing device of the type using a heating layer as stated above, the surface temperature of the heat roller is usually controlled to a preselected value by the control of current supply to the heating layer. Specifically, the current supply to the heating layer 114 is controlled in accordance with the output of a thermistor or similar contact type temperature sensor contacting the surface of the heat roller. However, when the stop ring scheme is applied to the fixing device of the type accelerating the warm-up of the heat roller with the heating layer covering the surface of the roller, the stop ring and heating layer contact each other and bring about a leak. Particularly, when a leak occurs between the thermistor and the heating layer, current flows to the thermistor and prevents it from sensing temperature with accuracy.

Fixing device for an image forming apparatus


An improved outlet tube (60) is provided for an air filter (10) of the type including a housing (12) having distally opposite axial ends (14 and 16), and a cylindrical filter element (34) in the housing (12), the cylindrical filter element (34) having an annular sidewall (40) with a hollow interior (58) and extending between distally opposite axial ends (48 and 50), wherein air flows radially inwardly through the annular sidewall (40) into the hollow interior (58) and then axially through the hollow interior (58). The outlet tube (60) is mounted to the axial end (14) of the housing (12) in snap-in relation and is rotatable relative thereto about the axis (62) of the cylindrical filter element (34) and communicates with the hollow interior (58) of the cylindrical filter element (34) for exhausting clean filtered air therefrom (64, 66). A seal (70) provides both axial and radial sealing of the outlet tube (60) to the housing (12), and seals the housing/outlet tube joint and allows the filter element (34) to seal both radially and axially with the housing/outlet tube assembly.

The invention relates to air filters, including for internal combustion engines on trucks.
Air filters for trucks are known in the prior art, and typically include a cylindrical housing having distally opposite axial ends, and a cylindrical filter element in the housing, the filter element having an annular sidewall with a hollow interior and extending between distally opposite axial ends. Air flows radially inwardly through the annular sidewall of the filter element into the hollow interior and then axially through the hollow interior and exits the housing. The present invention relates to improvements to an outlet tube mounted to one of the axial ends of the housing for exhausting the clean filtered air.


A prediction mode determining method in scalable video coding based on a structure of multiple layers is provided. The prediction mode determining method includes: deriving a coded block pattern (CBP) value of a luma component for a 16×16 mode of an encoding target picture; determining first candidate modes for the encoding target picture according to the derived CPB value; and determining a final prediction mode for the encoding target picture based on the determined first candidate modes. According to the present invention, encoding efficiency may be improved, and complexity may be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video processing, and more particularly, to a scalable video coding method and apparatus
2. Related Art
Recently, in accordance with the development of a network and the activation of various multimedia services, a broadband convergence network (BcN) and a communication and broadcasting convergence infrastructure have been introduced and generation, transmission, and consumption environments of a digital multimedia have been rapidly changed. In accordance with this change, video application devices such as a HDTV, a UHDTV, a smart phone, an IPTV, a 3DTV, a digital theater, an AT-DMB, and the like, have exponentially increased. In most of the multimedia service schemes that is currently being provided, data compressed according to an environment determined in advance is used in consideration of a transmission environment and user terminal performance. However, in a digital convergence environment that has been gradually generalized, a technology of providing contents so as to be adaptive to a transmission environment, a storing system, and a user terminal has been demanded.
The video coding experts group (VCEG) of the ITU-T and the moving picture experts group (MPEG) of the ISO/IEC have standardized the scalable video coding (SVC). The SVC may also be called scalable video coding. However, in order to compress video data applied to a network environment in which a bandwidth is frequently changed, a new compression technology is required. To this end, a scalable video coding method may be used.

Fast mode determining method and apparatus in scalable video coding

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


The invention provides a method of sensitizing a tumor cells of a subject to a weak base chemotherapeutic drug comprising administering an effective amount of a NHE6-RACK1 blocker to the subject. It also provides a method of preventing or treating cancer or a symptom thereof in a subject, comprising (a) administering an effective amount of a NHE6-RACK1 blocker to the subject; and (2) administering an effective amount of a weak base chemotherapeutic drug to the subject. Also provided are compositions and kits comprising a NHE6-RACK1 blocker.

A major challenge in treating cancer is resistance to therapy1. A mainstay of therapy for the management of many cancers includes chemotherapy regimens based on anthracyclines or anthracycline analogs (Doxorubicin [Dox], daunorubicin [Dnr] or mitoxantrone [Mtx)])2-4. Yet, the response rates are suboptimal and very few effective therapeutic options are currently available to treat patients who failed to respond to anthracycline treatments3,5,6.
The success of chemotherapy depends on the ability of the drug to accumulate in the cellular compartment where its target is located (e.g., nucleus). Hence, tumors use various mechanisms to escape the deleterious effect of cytotoxic drugs. Among these, primary or acquired multidrug resistance (MDR) remains the primary hurdle to curative cancer therapy. Although drug resistance is most often attributed to genetic alterations, one major factor contributing to drug resistance is the physical tumor microenvironment (pO2 and pH) that has consistently been shown to impede drug accumulation in cancer cells7 8,9. MDR is a complex and multifactorial process with up-regulation of cell-surface efflux pumps (such as ATP-binding cassette transporter family of p-glycoprotein and MDR-associated proteins) being the most studied and clinically tested aspect10. Cells adapted to a hypoxic and acidic microenvironment in vitro display up-regulated activity of p-glycoprotein which is thought to contribute to drug resistance11,12. However, results from clinical trials targeting these transporters have been so far rather disappointing and it is clear that more detailed knowledge about the causes and mechanisms of drug resistance are needed in order to find new ways to counter MDR13.
Accumulating evidence indicates that sequestration of anticancer drugs in intracellular vesicles outside of their targeted compartments contributes significantly to the MDR phenotype14,15. One mechanism involved in this process is the pH-dependent drug partitioning within cells caused by a direct effect of pH gradients on drug distribution16 17. This model predicts that weakly basic chemotherapeutic drugs that include anthracyclines, will concentrate in acidic compartments such as intracellular vesicles where they will be trapped in their protonated, membrane-impermeant, form8. Given that most commonly used anticancer drugs have nuclear targets, such sequestration into vesicles will not only result in insufficient drug accumulation at the target site, but will also increase drug extrusion through exocytosis18. Therefore, pH-dependent alterations in intracellular drug distribution is an important fundamental mechanism associated with drug resistance, but surprisingly little is known about the molecular regulators of this process.
The present description refers to a number of documents, the content of which is herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Methods of sensitizing tumor cells to weak base chemotherapeutic drugs


A device and method utilize a linear feedback/feedforward configuration to estimate and cancel a listener echo wherein equalizer (202) and listener echo cancellation (204 and 208) units are jointly updated, allowing determination of an error signal once (204 and 208), in place of the former method of separate error signal determination for each of an equalizer and a listener echo canceller. An improved phase-correction scheme is utilized to compensate the frequency offset in the listener echo. The relationship between the listener echo and talker far echo is utilized to facilitate the listener echo cancellation.

Data communication equipment (DCE) such as modems are generally utilized to transmit and receive data over a communication channel. High speed modems typically use bandwidth-efficient modulation schemes such as quadrature modulation. In such a system that utilizes binary data, the data is first mapped into a sequence of complex signal points or symbols selected from a constellation with a finite number of points. A real-valued transmitted signal is utilized to carry information about this complex sequence.
One category of DCEs, often referred to as full-duplex modems, is capable of transmitting and receiving simultaneously over a two-wire communication link such as a telephone channel in the general switched telephone network. On such a two-wire telephone channel, hybrid couplers are commonly used to perform two to four wire conversions which separate the data transmission in both directions. Due to imperfect impedance matching at the hybrid couplers, data transmission separations are not ideal. Thus, there exist echoes that interfere with normal data transmission. Such echoes may be divided into two categories: a talker echo and a listener echo. The talker echo signal, generated by an outgoing signal from a local modem's transmitter, typically includes a near echo component and a far echo component. The near echo is generated by hybrids in the local modem and a near-end telephone central office, and the far echo signal is mainly generated by hybrids in a remote central telephone office and a remote modem. The far echo signal is delayed in time relative to the near echo signal since it travels a round trip around the telephone channel. The far echo signal may also be corrupted by a frequency offset in the telephone network. The listener echo signal, in contrast, is generated by a data signal from the remote modem's transmitter. The overall channel that the listener echo signal passes through can be viewed as a cascade of the channel that a normal received data signal passes through and an extra channel that includes the round trip telephone trunk and two trans-hybrid paths on both sides of the trunk, as is illustrated in FIG. 1. The listener echo signal is delayed in time with respect to the normal received data signal since it travels an extra round trip around the telephone network. Both the talker far echo delay and the listener echo delay are about equal to the telephone trunk round trip delay, and hence are nearly equal to each other.
Similar to the talker far echo signal corruption, the listener echo signal may also be corrupted by a frequency offset, often designated as phase roll, thereby complicating cancellation of that echo signal. Thus, phase correction circuitry is needed to track and correct phase variations in the echo.
The listener echo total frequency offset consists of a sum of two components. The first component corresponds to the normal received data frequency offset, while the second component corresponds to the frequency offset of the listener echo relative to the normal received data signal, which is substantially equal to the talker far echo frequency offset. Further, the second component is substantially equal to a sum of the normal data frequency offsets in the transmission and the reception directions, typically being smaller than the first component and a total frequency offset.
Most existing two-wire full-duplex high-speed modems come equipped with an adaptive talker echo canceller that is capable of nearly eliminating the talker echoes, including the near and the far talker echoes. The listener echo is often much weaker than the normal received data signal. The ratio between the normal received data signal and the listener echo signal is computed as the total signal loss by the round trip telephone trunk and trans-hybrid losses on both sides of the telephone trunk. When this ratio is much greater than the required signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the listener echo signal has little effect on the reception of the remote data. However, as the quality of the telephone network improves, the signal loss by the telephone trunk may be reduced, and thus the ratio between the normal received data signal and the listener echo signal may also be reduced. As a result, the listener echo signal may become problem, especially for very high-speed modems which may require a higher SNR to obtain reliable reception. In this case, elimination of the listener echo signal becomes necessary.
In the prior art listener echo cancellers have been implemented as a special form decision feedback equalizer. A detected data signal from an output of a decision device, after an appropriate delay corresponding to a listener echo delay, is fed back to a transversal filter whose coefficients are adaptively adjusted such that the filter's output, after correcting a total phase variation caused by a total frequency offset in the listener echo signal, becomes an estimate of the listener echo signal. This estimate is then typically subtracted from a phase-corrected equalizer output before it is sent to the decision device. Such a structure has two potential problems. First, as is the case for a conventional decision feedback equalizer, decision errors in the decision device may cause error propagation. Second, to obtain a more reliable decision, complex decision algorithms, such as a Viterbi decoding algorithm, are generally employed. A relatively long decision delay may be required for such a decoding algorithm. If the listener echo delay is shorter than this decision delay, the decision will not be readily available for the listener echo canceller. In addition, a major drawback is that a relationship between the listener echo signal and the talker far echo signal is typically disregarded, forcing estimation of the listener echo bulk delay by an extensive search scheme. Prior art compensates the total frequency offset using a simple first-order phase-locked loop (PLL). Thus, as is known in the art, an inherent compensation error by such a first-order PLL is proportional to the frequency offset to be compensated.
Hence, there is a need for a listener echo signal canceller that eliminates the problem of decision error propagation and that is not limited by decision delay, that utilizes information obtained for the talker far echo cancellation, and that improves phase correction.

Device and method for linear listener echo cancellation


The connection between a surface terminus for subsea production risers and a surface collection vessel is facilitated by a connection which utilizes slack loop flexible jumper hoses between the surface terminus of the subsea risers and a swivel coupling located on the surface vessel.

The transfer of hydrocarbons from subsea wells to a collection point on the sea surface has been accomplished in a variety of different ways. For large deposits of hydrocarbons expensive subsea towers or floating platforms have been used. For smaller deposits whose production does not justify the expense of a subsea tower or floating platform, a surface collection vessel has been used. The surface collection vessel is specially moored to remain at a relatively constant location over the subsea wells. However because of waves, currents and wind, the surface collection vessel will rotate or weathervane around the surface terminus of the production risers. With such rotating or weathervaning motion of the surface collection vessel, it is often difficult to install a reliable system which can accommodate the rotation of the surface collection vessel and still maintain a fluid flow connection with the production risers extending from the subsea wells to the sea surface.
Various complex systems have been proposed to maintain fluid flow connections between a weathervaning vessel and the surface terminus of production risers. Such systems are described in U.K. Patent 2,270,132 and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,915,416 and 5,113,778; however, because of the reliability and complexity of those prior art systems, none of these systems has been widely adopted by the industry.
There remains, therefore, a need in the art to provide a simple, reliable system which will allow rotation or weathervaning of the surface collection vessel with respect to the surface terminus of production risers. Such system should not put undue stress on the production risers or create the possibility of leakage of the hydrocarbons as they flow from the production riser into temporary storage on board the surface collection vessel.

Limited rotation riser connection system


This disclosure provides a method, system and computer program product for denoising an image by extending a Block Matching and 3D Filtering algorithm to include decomposition of high contrast image blocks into multiple layers that are collaboratively filtered. According to an exemplary method, the high contrast image blocks are decomposed into a top layer, a bottom layer and a mask layer.

This disclosure relates to a method, system and computer program product for image denoising. According to an exemplary embodiment, MLBM3D (Multiple Layer Block Matching 3 Dimensional Filter) is provided for collaboratively filtering high contrast image patches, i.e. image blocks.
Image denoising has long been a topic of interest for the image processing community. See R. C Gonzalez, R. E. Woods., Digital Image Processing, Prentice Hall, N.J., 2008 and Vladimir Katkovnik, Alessandro Foi, Karen Egiazarian, Jaakko Astola, "From local kernel to nonlocal multiple-model image denoising", Journal International Journal of Computer Vision, Vol 86, Issue 1, pp 1-32 January 2010. Traditionally, image denoising is performed as a local point-wise operation, e.g. local smoothing. In recent years, there have been two emerging trends. See R. C Gonzalez, R. E. Woods., Digital Image Processing, Prentice Hall, N.J., 2008. First, non-local dependency existing in natural images has been exploited. Second, multiple point estimation methods are being investigated. Combining non-local processing and multiple point operations, Block Matching and 3-D Filtering (BM3D) algorithm, see K. Dabov, A. Foi, V. Katkovnik, and K. Egiazarian, "Image denoising by sparse 3-D transform-domain collaborative filtering", IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, vol. 16, no. 8, pp. 2080-2095, August 2007, hereinafter referred to as Dabov et al., is currently considered as one of the most successful denoising algorithms. In BM3D, similar image patches, i.e. blocks, are grouped and stacked into 3-D arrays called "groups", which are then collaboratively filtered. The collaborative filtering includes three steps: 3-D linear transform, shrinkage in transform-domain, and 3-D inverse transform. As it exploits both within-patch local correlations and between patch similarities, the 3-D transform often generates a highly sparse representation of the true signal and the noise can be effectively removed by shrinkage.
Various improvements over BM3D have been proposed. Shape Adaptive BM3D was introduced in K. Dabov, A. Foi, V. Katkovnik, and K. Egiazarian, "A Nonlocal and Shape-Adaptive Transform-Domain Collaborative Filtering", Proc. 2008 Int. Workshop on Local and Non-Local Approximation in Image Processing, LNLA 2008, Lausanne, Switzerland, 2008, which applies a Shape-Adaptive DCT (Discrete Cosine Transformation) for within-patch de-correlation. PCA (Principal Component Analysis) on adaptive-shape neighborhoods was proposed in K. Dabov, A. Foi, V. Katkovnik, and K. Egiazarian, "BM3D Image Denoising with Shape-Adaptive Principal Component Analysis", Proc. Workshop on Signal Processing with Adaptive Sparse Structured Representations (SPARS′09), Saint-Malo, France, April 2009. A method applying adaptive block-match thresholds is presented in Y. S. Zhang et al., "BM3D Denoising Algorithm with Adaptive Block-Match Thresholds", 2012, Applied Mechanics and Materials, vol 229-231, pp 1715-1720, November 2012. O. Pakdelazar1 and G. Rezai-rad, "Improvement of BM3D algorithm and Employment to satellite and CFA images Denoising", International Journal of Information Sciences and Techniques (IJIST) Vat No. 3, pp 23-33, November 2011, changes BM3D algorithm parameter values according to noise level. A Smooth Sigmoid-Based Shrinkage is combined with BM3D in M. Poderico, S. Parrilli, G. Poggi, L. Verdoliva "Sigmoid Shrinkage for BM3D denoising algorithm", 2010 IEEE International Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing (MMSP), 423-426. BM3D and its variations have demonstrated a performance beyond the abilities of most modern alternatives.
Despite its excellent results, BM3D still has room for improvements. Image details and sharp edges, such as text in document images are challenging, as they usually do not produce sparse representations under the linear transformations. As a result, noise near the edges cannot be effectively removed and various artifacts such as ringing and blurring can be introduced. In this disclosure, provided is a Multiple Layer BM3D (MLBM3D) denoising algorithm. The algorithm applies a three layer model to decompose a high contrast patch. The model includes a top layer, a bottom layer, and a binary mask layer which controls switching between the content layers, i.e. the top and bottom layers. The top and bottom layers are collaboratively filtered and then combined. As the top and bottom layers are typically smooth and of low contrast, they can be effectively modeled by sparse representations. Consequently, image details and sharp edges can be retained with more fidelity.

Multiple layer block matching method and system for image denoising


In a process integration, particularly with a blast furnace, nitrogen under pressure is moisturized by the addition to it of hot, pressurized water. The moisturized nitrogen is expanded and power thereby generated. The nitrogen is not mixed with combustion gases. Improved heat balance and work recovery are achieved.

This invention relates to air separation and in particular to an integrated method of separating air and generating power, and integrated plant for performing such a method.
A gas turbine comprises an air compressor, a combustion chamber and an expander. In operation, air is compressed in the compressor and is used to support combustion of a fuel gas in the combustion chamber. The resulting gaseous combustion products are then expanded in the expander or turbine with the performance of external work. This work may be the generation of electricity. Thus, the gas turbine may form part of a power station with the rotors of the compressor and expander and an alternator all mounted on the same shaft.
Commercial processes for the separation of air first require its compression. It is known to bleed compressed air from the air compressor of a gas turbine to feed an air separation plant. In a conventional air separation process, air is compressed, is purified by the removal of components such as water vapor and carbon dioxide that are less volatile than its main components, cooled to a temperature suitable for its separation by rectification, and then rectified in a so-called double rectification column having a higher pressure and a lower pressure stage. The oxygen product is typically withdrawn from the lower pressure stage as a vapor and warmed to ambient temperature by heat exchange with the incoming air. The lower pressure stage is conventionally operated at a pressure a little above atmospheric pressure so that the oxygen product is obtained at about atmospheric pressure. In some schemes, oxygen product from the air separation plant is used in the generation of the fuel gas that is burned in the combustion chamber of the gas turbine. Such processes typically require the oxygen to be produced at elevated pressure. Although the necessary pressure can be created by compressing the oxygen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,045 discloses that there are advantages in terms of the operating efficiency of the air separation process to operate the lower stage of the double rectification column at pressures well above atmospheric pressure. Further, the compressor of a gas turbine typically has an outlet pressure in the order of 10 to 20 atmospheres which is in excess of that required by the air separation process when the oxygen is taken from the lower pressure stage of the double rectification column at a pressure a little above atmospheric. Accordingly, it is typically desirable to operate the higher pressure stage of the double rectification column at substantially the same pressure as the outlet pressure of the compressor of the gas turbine.
Not only is oxygen then produced at a pressure well above atmospheric pressure, so is a nitrogen product. There are a number of proposals in the art including U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,045 for taking a stream of this relatively high pressure nitrogen product, warming it to about ambient temperature by heat exchange with the incoming air to about ambient pressure, further compressing the stream, further raising the temperature of the stream in a second stage of heat exchange with the incoming air so as to remove heat of compression from such air and then introducing the nitrogen into the combustion chamber or expander of the gas turbine. Accordingly, the nitrogen helps to power the gas turbine and therefore compensates for the loss of the air taken for separation from the air compressor of the gas turbine. Other examples of such processes are given in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,735 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,136. One practical example of the above-described method is in the gasification of coal and is discussed in a paper entitled "Air Separation Integration for GCC Plants", by Olson, Jr, Anand and Jahnke, Tenth EPRI Conference on Coal Gasification Power Plants, 16 to 18 October 1991, San Francisco. In the integrated process described in this paper, nitrogen from the air separation plant is saturated with water vapor before being introduced into the turbine. We believe one purpose of this moisturization is to provide additional returning mass to the turbine so as better to compensate for the air from the compressor of the turbine that by-passes the combustion chamber and flows into the air separation plant.
There is increasing interest in using pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air together with coal in processes which form iron by the reduction of iron ore. It has for example been proposed to inject coal together with oxygen or oxygen-enriched air into the tuyeres of a conventional blast furnace thereby reducing the demand of these processes for coke and hence reducing the need for the operation of coke ovens which are viewed as providing environmentally harmful waste products. See for example a paper entitled "Oxy-coke Injection at Cleveland Ironworks". D A Campell et al, 2nd European Ironmaking Congress, Glasgow, September 1991, pp 233-246. Alternative processes using both oxygen and coal, such as the COREX process, eliminate the need for coke altogether. Such processes produce a fuel gas as a by-product, although the fuel gas does not have as high a calorific value as one produced by the direct gasification of coal. Indeed, current proposals for enhancing the operation of a blast furnace by use of oxygen and coal typically produce a fuel gas by-product having a calorific value of less than 5 MJ/m.sup.3. Nonetheless, sufficient fuel gas is generated to make worthwhile its combustion for the generation of power. Thus, the fuel gas can be burned in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine and air taken from the compressor of the gas turbine for separation to form an elevated pressure oxygen product that is introduced into the blast furnace.
There is however a problem in introducing nitrogen into a gas turbine that employs a low calorific value fuel gas in its combustion chamber. The turbine has only a limited capacity for the return of preheated nitrogen and so only a part of the heat in the bleed air stream can be used for heating nitrogen. In addition, current gas turbines generally have fuel gas handling systems not able to handle gas at a temperature above 300.degree. C. Accordingly, it is desirable to keep the temperature of any nitrogen stream introduced into the combustion chamber of the gas turbine at or below 300.degree. C., and therefore a further limit is placed on the transfer of heat to such a nitrogen stream.
There is therefore a need for a method and apparatus which enables integrated air separation-gas turbine technology to be used when the fuel gas supplied to the gas turbine is of low calorific value, its source being for example a blast furnace. The invention aims at providing a method and plant that meet this need.


The reinforcements for tires are made from a single cord (4) laid by a laying head (3A) which describes a path of any type surrounding the rigid core (2) which constitutes a rigid support on which the tire is progressively built. The path comprises a laying zone during which the laying head (3A) applies a length of cord. Between two successive passes of the laying head (3A), the rigid core (2) turns by an amount corresponding to the laying pitch.

The present invention concerns the manufacture of tires. More precisely, it refers to the manufacture of reinforcement armatures which are found in belted tires and, in general, so-called radial carcass tires.
By "manufacture of a tire", there is understood complete manufacture or else partial manufacture comprising at least the reinforcements produced by the process which will be explained below, the manufactured tire, for example, having no tread.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,259 discloses a proposal for manufacturing such reinforcements no longer in the form of semi-finished products which are incorporated subsequently upon the assembly of the tire, but directly on the tire during the course of manufacture, and this from a single cord. This proposal, which is based on the projecting of a cord in the manner of a whiplash, makes it possible to cover the current angles of so-called crown plies. However, it permits the obtaining of small angles only with difficulty.
The teaching of said patent does not make it possible either to produce a carcass ply in which the cord extends continuously from one bead of the tire to the other.
The object of the present invention is to propose a method of manufacture which makes it possible to produce all crown reinforcements from a single cord, namely the reinforcements which are found below the tread, whatever the angle which the cords of these reinforcements form with respect to the median plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the tire. The expression "cord" is to be understood in a very broad sense, covering a single cord proper or a cable or equivalent assembly, and this whatever the material constituting the cord.
In accordance with the invention, the method of manufacture of a tire, at least one reinforcement of which is formed from a single cord, successive lengths of which are deposited on a rigid support defining the shape of the inner surface of the tire and on which all or part of the tire is progressively built, is characterized by the fact that:
the cord necessary to constitute a length is removed by cord feed means permitting the feeding of a given amount of cord intended to constitute a length, PA1 each successive length is laid by at least one laying head which describes an orbital path surrounding the support, said path comprising a laying zone for the length of cord, said orbital path being contained in a plane which intersects the axis of rotation of the support by an adjustable angle, PA1 the said support is imparted a rotary movement the angular speed of which depends on the angular speed of the laying head, the laying angle, the number of laying heads, and the laying pitch of the cords. PA1 a frame, PA1 a displaceable rigid rotary core constituting said support, PA1 unwinding means for removing the given quantity of cord necessary to constitute a length, PA1 at least one laying head describing an orbital path around the core, said path comprising a laying zone and being contained within a plane which intersects the axis of rotation of the core along an adjustable angle, PA1 drive means for the laying head or heads and means for the driving in rotation of the core, the speed of said latter means depending on the drive speed of the laying head or heads, their number and said angle, and on the pitch.
Two basic embodiments will be explained with machines which comprise a laying head describing a circular orbital path. The laying head can, in addition to its basic function, by its movement cause the feeding of the cord necessary or else the feeding of the cord and the presentation of a length in front of the laying head are assured by parts independent of the head.
The invention extends also to machines for the manufacture of tire reinforcement machines having a laying head capable of describing any suitable path of encirclement of the core around a rigid core, permitting the employment of this process. This rigid core constitutes the rigid support which defines the inner surface of the tire.
In general, such machines comprise:
The following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will make it possible better to understand the invention and to note all of its advantages.

Process for the manufacturing of a tire and machines for the carrying out of the process


In order to create a quick coupling for connecting at least two pressurised lines to a first coupling part that is connectable to a second coupling part so as to be pressure-proof, which quick coupling in a simple manner makes possible easy coupling while avoiding the mentioned disadvantages in all pressure ranges, it is provided for an externally arranged central pressure relief device (70) which is integrated in a second coupling part, or arranged on the second coupling part in an additional block (84), to be connectable to the pressurised lines (Lx) by way of pressure-relief connection lines (52A to 52D), and for the coupling parts to be able to be reversibly brought by a lever element (92) from a non-coupled position (P1) to a coupled position (P2), and to be lockable in place.

The invention relates to a quick coupling for connecting at least two pressurized lines to a first coupling part that is connectable to a second coupling part so as to be pressure-proof.
Quick couplings (rapid action couplings) of the generic type are well known. They are used to connect pressurised medium-conducting lines, and are used with liquids, for example with hydraulic oils, gases and other suitable media. Normally such quick couplings comprise two coupling parts, wherein a first coupling part is a plug-in part and a second coupling part is a socket part. To bring about coupling, the plug-in part can be pushed into the socket part. The generic quick coupling is also used to connect lines that are subjected to high media pressures. In such cases the connection has to be established one time under pressure in the socket part and another time under pressure in the plug-in part of the coupling. The connection can also be made with both coupling parts being either in the pressurised state or in the non-pressurised state.
In the case of quick couplings for high media pressures for example from 20 to 50 MPa in one of the two, or in both, coupling parts, pressure reduction elements are known for easier handling during the coupling process. By means of such pressure reduction elements it is possible to reduce the pressure in the coupling part by draining a small quantity of the medium to the face of the coupling part. Connection of the coupling parts of the quick coupling is facilitated in this way. Arranging pressure reduction elements in both coupling parts is also known.
From DE 41 01 001 A1 a coupling device is known in which a pressure reduction element is arranged and operated in the interior of at least one coupling part when the plug-in part is connected to a socket part. The pressure reduction element comprises a drain channel for the media pressure and a shut-off element which is arranged in the pressure reduction element and which can be operated by way of an operating element. When the pressure reduction element is operated the chambers of the coupling parts connected to said pressure reduction element form communicating vessels, as a result of which pressure equalisation takes place and the coupling can be closed with little physical effort.
Quick couplings are frequently associated with a problem in that the pressure reduction elements located in the coupling parts are of complex construction. Furthermore, impurities in the medium can lead to the pressure reduction elements clogging up and rendering the quick couplings heavy to operate. There is a further disadvantage in that depending on the type of the quick coupling the plug-in part or the socket part or both coupling parts have to comprise the complex pressure reduction elements.
To overcome this problem, quick couplings comprising two coupling parts, namely the plug-in part and the socket part, are known from DE 102 17 922 A1, which however comprise other pressure reduction options for the coupling process. In these quick couplings several plug-in parts of several pressurised lines are arranged in one connection block. The several socket parts which face the plug-in parts are accommodated in an additional connection block. A stud, which is centrally arranged in the connection block between the lines, is faced by a control piston between the socket parts, which control piston is centrally arranged in the connection block. The socket parts are connected to a pressure relief device. In an additional connection block (plug-in part) the elements of the pressure relief device are connected to the connection block (socket part).
Pressure-relief valve systems are integrated in the pressure relief device. Each line has its own pressure-relief valve system. The existing pressure-relief valve systems are connected to a shared pressure relief line by way of a pressure relief chamber. However, this arrangement, in which each line has its own pressure-relief valve system, is an expensive solution.
Furthermore, in most of the known quick couplings securing the coupling parts in relation to each other is problematic. Since quick couplings are also used in a very high-pressure range from 20 to 50 MPa, the requirements for firm connection between the coupling parts are very demanding. Apart from the actual design of the quick coupling, which in itself is very expensive and complicated, there is thus an additional need to integrate the locking elements in the housing of the quick coupling.
From DE 41 01 001 A1 locking elements such as clamp-type actuating springs and clamp-type ball fittings are known. These locking elements must be made to close tolerances to achieve a secure connection of the parts during the coupling action. The complex design and exacting requirements relating to the precision of the coupling part and to the additional locking parts pose considerable problems.
It is thus the object of the invention to provide a quick coupling of the generic type which in an easy way supports simple coupling while overcoming the above-mentioned disadvantages in all pressure ranges.

Quick coupling having pressure relief device for multiple pressurized lines


A coating fluid holding member including a porous molded body which is formed of heat-resistant fibers (or a mixture of heat-resistant fibers and a filler) bound to each other with a binder, has intercommunicating pores having an average pore size of 1 to 500 .mu.m, and has a porosity of 20 to 90%, and a coating fluid holding member including a porous molded body which is formed of heat-resistant fibers bound to each other with a binder, contains fine intercommunicating interstices between fibers and uniformly distributed pores having a diameter of 0.05 to 2 mm, and has a porosity of 30 to 90%. The holding member has a high fluid holding capacity for its volume and releases the coating fluid, such as a parting agent, an oil or a coating compound, in a stable manner for an extended period of time.

Applicators for applying a coating fluid for modifying surface properties of an article, such as a parting agent, an oil or a coating compound, to the surface of the article are composed of a coating member which is brought into direct contact with an article to be coated and a coating fluid holding member which holds a coating fluid and supplies the coating fluid to the coating member.
Large-sized coating equipment usually has a separate container, such as a tank, as a coating fluid holding member. For coating equipment with small consumption of a coating fluid, there is a coating fluid holding member which is used in the form integrated with a coating member.
Known coating fluid holding members of the latter type include a hollow pipe made of, e.g., metal having a number of small through-holes, with a coating fluid held in its hollow portion so as to be released little by little through the through-hole to a coating member provided in intimate contact with the outer surface of the pipe (see JP-U-59-73762 and JP-A-60-136782) and a synthetic resin foamed body having open cells, in which a coating fluid is infiltrated and oozed therefrom through capillary action (JP-B-61-6381). The terms "JP-U", "JP-A" and "JP-B" as used herein means an unexamined published Japanese utility model application, an unexamined published Japanese patent application, and an examined published Japanese patent publication, respectively.
A coating applicator should be such that a coating fluid can be applied at a constant rate without excess nor shortage. From this point of view, the stability of coating fluid supply is important for the above-mentioned type of coating fluid holding members which are not equipped with a constant delivery means, such as a pump. It is desirable for the coating fluid holding member to keep furnishing a fixed amount of a coating fluid in a stable manner from the start of use until the coating fluid held thereby is almost exhausted. It is also desirable for the coating fluid holding member to have as high a capacity as possible so that it may be used for as long a period of time as possible.
However, conventional coating fluid holding members having a high fluid holding capacity tend to cause considerable variation in feed rate with decrease of the residual coating fluid, while those having feed stability tend to have a small capacity and must be exchanged more frequently.

Process for producing a coating fluid holding member


A garden tool that includes a rake and a shovel rake for picking up and placing fallen leaves, twigs, branches, grass clippings, and other debris into a transport container such as a wheelbarrow, garbage bag, or trash can. The rake has prongs pointing in two directions so that the rake can gather leaves when in a raking position, but can also hold leaves against the shovel rake when in a placement or transport position. The prongs can each be carried on individual tines of the rake or can be carried in pairs, one prong facing in each direction. The handle of the shovel rake pivots on the handle of the rake so that it rests on top of the handle when the rake is used to collect leaves. After debris is gathered, the user places the shovel rake on one side of the leaves to be moved, swings the rake to the far side of the leaves to be moved, lowers the rake, and draws the rake toward the shovel rake. The user then picks up the shovel rake, the leaves being held in place by the rake as gravity acts on the rake. The handles of the rake and shovel rake are shaped so that they form a substantially circular handle over the contacting portions of their handles.

Many people consider the removal of debris such as cut grass and fallen leaves to be an important part of lawn care. The most ubiquitous tool for such debris removal is, of course, the rake. However, the rake is only adept at gathering fallen leaves and other debris into piles by raking. Once piled, one must transfer the leaves to a disposal or transport container, such as a trash bag or wheelbarrow, for transport to a dump or compost heap. Most people scoop the leaves up with a rake in one hand, the other hand holding the leaves against the rake. Some people try using two rakes like tongs. Other people give up on the rake entirely and use a shovel, both hands, or some other tool to place the leaves in the container.
Several attempts have been made to develop a rake that includes a tool for moving piled leaves into transport containers. One arrangement includes two rakes with heads facing and the handles joined in scissors fashion. This arrangement is cumbersome and difficult to use for both debris collection and transfer.
Another arrangement has an accessory such as a smaller rake or a shovel-like tool mounted on the underside of a rake. This is easier to use than the scissors-type tool, but the tool on the underside of the rake interferes with proper use and is apt to fall during debris collection. Additionally, this type of arrangement often has some sort of lever that must be operated with one hand while the other holds the rake handle, making operation more complicated than is generally desired.
All of the prior art devices have drawbacks that prevent them from being effective tools. They are too heavy, too cumbersome, or too complex for general use in debris collection and removal.

Garden tool for collection and removal of debris


System and techniques for secure wireless association are described herein. A station (STA) may transmit a probe request for the wireless network that includes identification of a certificate. An access point (AP) receiving the probe request may obtain the identified certificate and use the certificate to encrypt a key. The encrypted key may then be included in a beacon by the AP. The STA may then obtain the encrypted key from the beacon, decrypt the key with the certificate, and then use the key to associate to the wireless network via the AP.

The internet-of-things (IoT) refers to devices and communication networks to connect a multitude of devices, many of which were previously unconnected. Examples may include sensor arrays, control systems, appliances, building automation systems, among others. The Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) is a standards body promulgating communications protocols to facilitate a variety of IoT deployments. The OCF family of standards defines application layer communication endpoints, object (e.g., data) definitions, discovery and security procedures to allow the exchange of data between IoT devices and services.
A variety of techniques may be used to provide the physical layer connectivity of IoT deployments. Although wired techniques, such as Ethernet, are possible, IoT deployments generally employ wireless technologies to ease deployment placements and costs. An example wireless technology used in some IoT deployments operates in accordance with a standard from the IEEE 802.11 family of standards (e.g., wireless local area network (WLAN)). A variety of security techniques for WLAN networks have been developed, such as the Wi-Fi protected setup (WPS) family of standards. WPS, and related technologies, generally provide authentication and data security (e.g., encryption) at the physical layer for establishing network connectivity. Thus, generally, an IoT device will be provisioned on the physical layer and then be provisioned in the application layers before the IoT device participates in IoT system deployments.


A motor includes a shaft that serves as a rotation center when a rotor is rotated with respect to a stator, a bearing that supports the shaft in a circumferential direction of the shaft, a thrust bearing that supports one end of the shaft in a thrust direction of the shaft, a magnet that is fixed to the rotor and alternately magnetized to different poles in a rotational direction of the shaft, a core that is fixed to the stator and disposed to face the magnet in a radial direction of the shaft, a coil that are wound around the core, and a magnetic shield that shields leakage flux leaking from the magnet to the coil. A magnetic center of the core is offset from a magnetic center of the magnet in the thrust direction, so that the shaft is attracted to the thrust bearing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor that is used in an electronic device or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related art, a disk spindle motor having the structure shown in FIG. 12, an axial flow fan motor having the structure shown in FIG. 13, and the like have been known as motors used in electronic devices or the like. Both the motors shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 have the following structure. That is, a radial bearing 133 supports a rotating shaft so that the rotating shaft can be rotated, or the radial bearing supports a rotor so that the rotor can be rotated with respect to the shaft. A slide bearing is used as the radial bearing 133. The shaft 131 maintains the rotation of the rotor 111 with respect to the stator 112.
The disk spindle motor 101A shown in FIG. 12 should constantly maintain the position of a turntable 102 in order to stably record and reproduce information signals on/from an optical disk. Further, the axial flow fan motor 101B shown in FIG. 13 should support the weight of an impeller 119 in every direction and attitude, and should stably rotate the impeller 119 without a thrust force during the rotation of the impeller 119. Consequently, each of the motors 101A and 101B using the radial bearing 133 that is a slide bearing and the thrust bearing 134 should generate a pressing force (hereinafter, referred to as "thrust attraction") that presses the shaft 131 against the thrust bearing 134. A method of generating the pressing force that presses the shaft 131 against the thrust bearing 134 will be described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 14. Meanwhile, FIG. 14 is an enlarged view showing the positional relationship between a magnet 120 and a core 115, which generate thrust attraction, of each of the motors 101A and 101B shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.
As shown in FIG. 14, a motor generating thrust attraction has the structure in which a magnetic center C01 of the core 115 in a thrust direction is deviated and offset from a magnetic center C02 of the magnet 120 in the thrust direction by a predetermined distance L in the thrust direction. In this motor, lines of magnetic force generated from the magnet 120 proceed to the core 115. However, since the magnetic centers are offset from each other by the distance L, the states of the lines of magnetic force are different from each other at one side (upper side) and the other side (lower side) of the core 115 in the thrust direction. In this case, the lines of magnetic force are formed along the shortest distance so that magnetic resistance is minimized.
When the distance L representing the deviation (offset distance) between the magnetic centers is changed, if L is 0, a state is stable. When the offset distance is changed from the stable state, the lines of magnetic force are different from each other at the upper and lower sides of the core. Accordingly, repulsive thrust is generated in the thrust direction due to the difference of the lines of magnetic force, and the magnetic force is increased at the upper side of the core. As a result, thrust attraction Fs that is a force attracting the shaft 131 to the thrust bearing 134 is generated. Meanwhile, thrust attraction generated due to the offset between the center of the core 115 and the center of the magnet 120 is used in various motor other than the disk spindle motor 101A and the axial flow fan motor 101B.
However, although the above-mentioned motor generating thrust attraction is inexpensive and excellent in terms of the method of attracting the shaft in the thrust direction, there is a concern that noise and vibration are generated as described below. The principle of the generation of noise and vibration will be described below with reference to FIGS. 15A to 15D.
FIGS. 15A to 15D and 16A to 16D are views illustrating the relationship between the core 115 around which a coil 114 are wound (hereinafter, referred to as a "core coil") and the magnet 120, as seen from the outside in FIG. 14, that is, side views of the core coil 114 and 115 and the magnet 120 as seen from the outside to the inside in a radial direction and cross-sectional views showing the positional relationship between the core coil 114 and 115 and the magnet 120 in the thrust direction. Meanwhile, FIGS. 15A to 15C are side views showing that thrust attraction is generated due to the offset corresponding to a distance L, and FIG. 15D is a cross-sectional view showing each of the states of FIGS. 15A to 15C and an offset state corresponding to a distance L. Further, FIGS. 16A to 16C are side views showing that offset does not occur due to L=0 and thrust attraction is not generated, and FIG. 16D is a cross-sectional view showing each of the states of FIGS. 16A to 16C and a distance L is 0.
FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C are views showing that the relationship between the core 115 and the magnet 120 facing the core is changed due to the rotation of the rotor 111. That is, FIG. 15A shows that the core 115 faces a portion of the magnet 120 magnetized to an N pole. FIG. 15B shows that the rotor 111 is slightly rotated from the state of FIG. 15A, that is, the core 115 faces boundary portions of the magnet 120 magnetized to an N pole and an S pole. FIG. 15C shows that the rotor 111 is further rotated slightly from the state of FIG. 15B, that is, the core faces a portion of the magnet magnetized to an S pole of the boundary portions of the magnet 120 magnetized to an N pole and an S pole.
In any state among the states of FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C, the core and the magnet are positioned in a relationship where the magnetic centers of the core 115 and the magnet 120 are offset from each other in the thrust direction (hereinafter, this state is referred to as "magnetic center offset") as shown in FIG. 15D. Accordingly, the shaft 131 is attracted to the thrust bearing 134 due to thrust attraction Fs that is caused by the magnetic center offset.
However, the magnetic center offset between the core 115 and the magnet 120 has an effect on the coil 114 wound around the core 115. That is, relatively high density magnetic flux M01 contributes from the magnet 120 to one side coil 114a corresponding to one side, where the magnetic center C02 of the magnet 120 is deviated and offset from the magnetic center C01 of the core 115, of both sides of the core 115 in the thrust direction, among the coil 114 wound around the core 115. Relatively low density magnetic flux M02, which is generated from the magnet 120, contributes to the other side coil 114b. In other words, the magnetic flux, which is generated from the magnet 120 and does not contribute to torque rotating the rotor 111, is orthogonal to the coil 114.
For example, due to the effect of the magnetic flux, in the state shown in FIG. 15A, constant thrust attraction Fs is generated as described above, and an unnecessary force F01 is generated in one side coil 114a, which is provided on one side of the core 115 in the thrust direction, among the coil 114 wound around the core 115 in the opposite direction X2 opposite to the direction X1 of the thrust attraction Fs. Meanwhile, a force F02 is also generated in the other side coil 114b, which is provided on the other side of the core 115 in the thrust direction, among the coil 114 wound around the core 115 in the same direction X1 as the direction of the thrust attraction Fs. However, since the magnetic flux M02 having an effect as described above has density lower than the magnetic flux M01, it may not be possible to offset the unnecessary force F01 generated in the opposite direction X2.
In this case, assuming that current flows through the coil 114 in the direction shown in FIG. 15A, if the so-called Fleming's left-hand rule is applied in a state where the N pole is dominant as shown in FIG. 15A, it is apparent that the generated unnecessary forces F01 and F02 are generated in the thrust direction and generated as described above in the opposite direction X2 to the direction of the thrust attraction Fs on one side of the core in the thrust direction. Further, it is apparent that the unnecessary forces are generated in the same direction X1 as the direction of the thrust attraction Fs on the other side of the core in the thrust direction. Meanwhile, the motor is similar to a common motor in the related art in that the phases of the N and S poles of the magnet 120 are detected by a Hall element 119 and the value of the current flowing through the coil 114 is changed in time. Meanwhile, relatively small current is supplied to the coil in the state of FIG. 15A, maximum current is supplied to the coil in the state of FIG. 15B to be described below, and relatively medium current is supplied to the coil in the state of FIG. 15C. Likewise, small current is supplied to the coil in the state of FIG. 16A, maximum current is supplied to the coil in the state of FIG. 16B, and medium current is supplied to the coil in the state of FIG. 16C.
Further, the state shown in FIG. 15B is similar to the above-mentioned state shown in FIG. 15A in that the magnetic flux has high and low density at one side and the other side coils 114a and 114b. However, since the facing portion of the magnet 120 is the boundary portion between the N pole and the S pole, the unnecessary forces are offset by the magnetic flux generated from the N pole and the S pole at any one of one side and the other side coils 114a and 114b. Therefore, unnecessary forces are not generated, and only constant thrust attraction Fs is generated as described above.
Further, the state shown in FIG. 15C is reversed to the state described with reference to FIG. 15A, and constant thrust attraction Fs is generated as described above. In addition, an unnecessary force F03 is generated in one side coil 114a, which is provided on one side of the core 115 in the thrust direction, among the coil 114 wound around the core 115 in the same direction X1 as the direction of the thrust attraction Fs. Meanwhile, a force F04 is generated in the other side coil 114b, which is provided on the other side of the core 115 in the thrust direction, among the coil 114 wound around the core 115 in the opposite direction X2 to the direction of the thrust attraction Fs. However, since the magnetic flux M04 having an effect as described above has density lower than the magnetic flux corresponding to one side coil, it may not be possible to offset the unnecessary force F03 generated in the same direction.
In this case, if current flows through the coil 114 in the direction shown in FIG. 15C, the state is changed into the state where the S pole is dominant as shown in FIG. 15C, and the so-called Fleming's left-hand rule is applied, it is apparent that the generated unnecessary forces F03 and F04 are generated in the thrust direction and generated as described above in the same direction X1 as the direction of the thrust attraction Fs on one side of the core in the thrust direction. Further, it is apparent that the unnecessary forces are generated in the opposite direction X2 to the direction of the thrust attraction Fs on the other side of the core in the thrust direction.
As described above, the unnecessary forces are repeatedly generated while the directions of the unnecessary forces are changed in the states of FIGS. 15A to 15C due to the rotation of the rotor 111. Accordingly, while being changed in the direction X1 or X2 that is toward the upper or lower side in the thrust direction, a small force is applied to the rotor 111 or the rotor minutely moves due to the small force. For this reason, there has been a concern that noise and vibration are generated.
In contrast to the state where thrust attraction is generated as shown in FIGS. 15A to 15C, in the state where offset does not occur due to L=0 as shown in FIGS. 16A to 16C and thrust attraction is not generated, the rotor 111 does not minutely move unlike in FIGS. 15A to 15C and there is no concern that undesirable vibration and noise are generated.
That is, in any state of the states of FIGS. 16A to 16C, the core and the magnet are positioned in a relationship where the magnetic centers C01 and C02 of the core 115 and the magnet 120 coincide with each other as shown in FIG. 16D.
Since the magnetic centers of the core 115 and the magnet 120 coincide with each other, there is no effect on the coil 114 wound around the core 115, that is, substantially the same density magnetic flux M03 and M04 contribute to both one side and the other side coils 114a and 114b corresponding to both sides of the core 115 in the thrust direction among the coil 114 wound around the core 115.
For example, in the state shown in FIG. 16A, an unnecessary force F05 is generated in one side coil 114a among the coil 114 wound around the core 115 in one direction X2 (toward the upper side in FIG. 16A). However, at the same time, an unnecessary force F06 is generated in the other side coil 114b among the coil 114 wound around the core 115 in the opposite direction X1 (toward the lower side in FIG. 16A) to the direction of the unnecessary force F05 that is generated in one side coil 114a. Accordingly, substantially the same density of magnetic flux M03 and M04 have an effect on one side and the other side coils 114a and 114b, so that the forces are offset to each other.
Further, in the state shown in FIG. 16B, like the case of FIG. 15B, the unnecessary forces are offset by the magnetic flux generated from the N pole and the S pole at any one of one side and the other side coils 114a and 114b. Therefore, the unnecessary forces are not generated.
In addition, in the state shown in FIG. 16C, like the case of FIG. 16A, an unnecessary force F07 is generated in one side coil 114a among the coil 114 wound around the core 115 in the other direction X1. However, at the same time, an unnecessary force F08 is generated in the other side coil 114b among the coil 114 wound around the core 115 in the opposite direction X2 to the direction of the unnecessary force F07 that is generated in one side coil 114a. Accordingly, substantially the same density of magnetic flux M03 and M04 have an effect on one side and the other side coils 114a and 114b, so that the forces are offset to each other.
When the magnetic center offset between the core 115 and the magnet 120 that has been described with reference to FIGS. 16A to 16C does not occur, the minute movement of the rotor 111 occurring in the thrust direction in the cases of FIGS. 15A to 15C or undesirable vibration and noise caused by the minute movement are not generated.
However, when the magnetic center offset between the core 115 and the magnet 120 does not occur as shown in FIGS. 16A to 16C, the thrust attraction necessary to function as a motor should be generated by the separate structure.
In the related art, there has been a motor that obtains thrust attraction by using a dedicated thrust-attraction magnet like a motor disclosed in JP-A-11-252878. Specifically, there have been a disk spindle motor 141A and an axial flow fan motor 141B shown in FIGS. 17 and 18. The structure of a thrust-attraction magnet 142 used in FIGS. 17 and 18 will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 19. Meanwhile, FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of a portion, on which the thrust-attraction magnet 142 is mounted, of each of the motors shown in FIGS. 17 and 18. In FIGS. 17 to 19 and the following description, the same components as the components of the motors shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 are indicated by the same reference numerals and the detailed description thereof will be omitted.
Each of the motors 141A and 141B is provided with a thrust-attraction magnet 142, which includes a back yoke 143, on a stator 112 as shown in FIG. 19. The thrust-attraction magnet 142 attracts a rotor yoke 111a, and generates thrust attraction that attracts a rotor 111 and a shaft 131, which is integrally fixed to the rotor, to a thrust bearing 134. Each of the motors shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 generates thrust attraction by using the above-mentioned thrust-attraction magnet 142, and is to avoid unnecessary vibration and noise. Meanwhile, although each of the motors 141A and 141B shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 has been provided with the magnet 142 on the stator 112, the magnet may be provided on the rotor 111 and an attraction yoke that attracts a magnetic body may be provided on the stator 112. Meanwhile, a neodymium magnet, which has relatively large energy product, has been used as the thrust-attraction magnet in order to stabilize attraction and prevent variation.
However, according to each of the motors 141A and 141B including the thrust-attraction magnet 142, manufacturing cost is increased due to the addition of the structure, the limitation on a mounting space is increased, and an air gap ga between the magnet and the attraction yoke should be maintained. For this reason, if the structure against vibration and noise is added, there is a problem in that cost is increased. Further, it is difficult to simplify the structure, to reduce manufacturing cost, and to suppress unnecessary vibration and noise, at the same time.


Various systems, methods, and programs embodied in computer-readable mediums are provided for implementing circular replication among nodes. In a representative example, a plurality of nodes are arranged in a circular replication configuration. Each of the nodes has a logfile indicating storage of a plurality of entries, where each of the nodes receives the entries from a plurality of external devices. The entries received by a respective one of the nodes are replicated in the remaining ones of the nodes via circular replication.

Redundant systems are often used to maintain important data. Such systems usually involve a primary device that receives data to be stored and one or more secondary devices that are used to maintain mirror copies of the data. However, one problem with such systems is that the primary device is the only device that receives the data from external devices which can limit the capabilities of the system.


A ball grid array assembly includes a package cover that encapsulates a die and a portion of a substrate to which the die is attached, including an edge of the substrate. Encapsulation of the substrate edge by the cover reduces penetration of moisture or other contaminants into the substrate. The cover includes a rib that extends to contact a circuit board to which the ball grid array assembly is connected. With such a rib, planarity between the circuit board and the substrate is maintained during soldering.

Semiconductor fabrication processes have been developed that permit the integration of very large numbers of transistors, diodes, and other circuit elements onto a single integrated circuit. Such integrated circuits generally require large numbers of electrical connections to receive inputs and supply outputs. Because these integrated circuits are generally very small, the required input/output electrical connections on the integrated circuit are both numerous and densely spaced.
A significant problem in the use of integrated circuits is packaging the integrated circuit in such a way as to electrically connect to the many, densely spaced input/output electrical connections. If the input/output electrical connections must be spread out to permit electrical connections to other integrated circuits, other circuits or circuit components such as printed circuit boards, then much of the advantage of integrated circuit miniaturization is lost.
One method of packaging integrated circuits for electrical connection to a printed circuit board is the so-called ball grid array (BGA) package. A BGA package includes a semiconductor die (an integrated circuit) that is attached to a substrate. Electrical connections are made from the die to the substrate with bond wires that are attached to bond pads provided on the die and the substrate. The bond pads on the substrate are electrically connected to an array of solder balls or bumps, and these solder balls are used to bond and make electrical connection to the printed circuit board. BGA packages are described in, for example, Tsuji et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,603, Tsunoda et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,531, and Tsuji et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,072.
Not only are BGA packages more compact than other packages, BGA packaged devices generally have superior thermal and electrical properties. The solder balls provide an excellent thermal path for the removal of heat from the semiconductor die as well as providing low resistance, low inductance electrical connections.
BGA packages have several drawbacks. For example, soldering a BGA packaged device to a printed circuit board can require precise soldering process control. Accordingly, improved packages, packaging methods, and packaging apparatus are needed.


A reception unit for an MR device with at least two local antennas has a combination network to which the antennas are connected separately for combination of the antenna signals. The combination network generates at least two different modes that are linear combinations of the antenna signals, and at least two of which are present at an output of the combination network.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a method for mode formation from at least two magnetic resonance response signals. The invention also concerns a method for mode provision for magnetic resonance imaging. Furthermore, the invention concerns of a reception unit for a magnetic resonance device with at least two local antennas that are respectively connected separately to a combination network to combine the antenna signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Parallel imaging techniques (Parallel Acquisition Techniques PAT) are used in magnetic resonance tomography (MR tomography) to reduce the image acquisition time. In such techniques, information regarding the locations of respective signal-receiving local antennas is used for image reconstruction. Given an arrangement of N local antennas, the image acquisition time can be maximally shortened by an acceleration factor N. The number of the local antennas used is thus always larger than or equal to the achieved acceleration factor. A reception channel of an MR imaging unit is necessary for each local antenna that is used.
If multiple local antennas are used in a parallel imaging method, and if the maximum acquisition region (Field Of View FOV) of the local antennas is scanned, a reception channel is thus necessary for each local antenna that is used, also in the case of no accelerated imaging being implemented.
An arrangement of local antennas is known from German OS 4,232,827. The arrangement formed as an array with at least three linearly polarized local coils that mutually overlap insofar as that they are geometrically decoupled, and each local coil is separately connected to a combination network in which a complex linkage is produced among the output signals respectively from three local coils, such that one MR signal is acquired that corresponds to a circular polarization.
A method for MR imaging is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,162. In this method, an array of surface coils is first provided, with the surface coils positioned such that they exhibit no mutual interaction. An MR response signal, which originates from a part of the probe that is located in the acquisition region, is received by each coil. An MR image is formed from each MR response signal, and the MR images are combined with one another on a pixel-by-pixel basis in order to generate a single common MR image.
The topic of the phase-controlled group antenna is, for example, explained in "Taschenbuch der Hochfrequenztechnik", Springerverlag 1986. In a supply network of the group antenna, phase shifters and delay elements are used that change the amplitudes and phases of the individual radiation emissions before their superimposition and influence the directional characteristics of the group antenna.
A PI/2 power element is known from European Application 03 37 194 that divides an input signal into two signal paths with equal amplitude and 90° phase shifting.

Method for mode formation, method for mode provision, and reception unit for a magnetic resonance device


A system may include a fixed communications device and a mobile communications device each configured to wirelessly communicate at a first frequency and also at a second frequency higher than the first frequency. The fixed communications device and the mobile communications device may cooperate to establish a wireless link via the second frequency, exchange a location signal via the first frequency responsive to establishing the wireless link, communicate via the wireless link using the second frequency and determine respective transmit and receive delays associated with transmission and reception of the location signal via the first frequency, and determine a distance between the fixed communications device and the mobile communications device based upon a time of arrival of the location signal, the transmit and receive delays, and a signal speed associated with the second frequency.

A growing number of applications such as navigation, retail, indoor mapping, vehicle automation, etc., rely on highly accurate position information to operate correctly and safely. In an outdoor environment, this positioning signal is often provided by satellite navigation, and more particularly the Global Positioning System (GPS).
However, there are certain drawbacks associated with consumer GPS devices. For example, GPS accuracy is about 9 ft on average, which may not be satisfactory for certain high precision or close quarters applications. Moreover, GPS requires the use of expensive satellite constellations, a very precise and synchronized timing signal, and a clear line of sight between a receiver and the satellites.
As a result, GPS is not well suited for indoor location applications. In such cases, other location methods may be used, such as cellular, WiFi or Bluetooth based location services. These systems generally use the relative received signal strength to provide an estimated range to a transmitting device. As such, these systems are generally not as accurate as systems like GPS and tend to have much more noise in the calculated range values. Moreover, these approaches are also often vulnerable to minor changes such as receiver or transmitting antenna orientation or other environmental disturbances.
Some systems, such as ultrasound RTLS (real-time location services) systems in healthcare applications, utilize fixed position ultrasound devices to provide zone-based location of assets within a healthcare facility. However, such fixed position devices are relatively expensive, and may not scale well when a relatively high degree of accuracy is desired.

System for determining distance between fixed and mobile endpoints and related methods


A signal switching apparatus includes multiple video image processing units, a controller configured to control operation of the video image processing units, and a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to receive input of a selection between an HD mode and a quartering-4K mode which are operation modes of the video image processing units. The controller controls the video image processing units so that the video image processing units operate in the HD mode or quartering-4K mode, on the basis of a selection inputted to the GUI.

The present technology relates to a signal switching apparatus and a method for controlling operation thereof.
More specifically, the technology relates to a signal switching apparatus including multiple mix effect banks (M/Es), or the like.
There have been known effect switchers which can process both SD video signals and HD video signals by changing the settings (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-131380).

Signal switching apparatus and method for controlling operation thereof


Compositions and methods for enhancing or creating plant disease resistance to plant pests are provided. Transforming a plant with a novel rice Pi2-like disease resistance gene of the invention enhances disease resistance of the plant. Transformed plants, plant cells, tissues, and seed having enhanced disease resistance are also provided.

Rice blast, which is caused by the fungus Magnaporthe grisea, is one of the most devastating diseases in rice, and occurs in most rice growing areas worldwide. In terms of plant damage, rice blast commonly causes leaf blast during the vegetative phase of rice plant development, and infertility when plants are infected during the reproductive phase (panicle and node blast). This latter effect can result in dramatic yield and quality reductions, which are estimated to result in economic losses for farmers of nearly $5 billion per year (Moffat (1994) Science 265:1804–1805).
Because rice farmers generally have limited economic resources, control of rice blast is most often accomplished through the use of rice plant cultivars that exhibit a natural resistance to the disease. However, the disease resistance exhibited by these cultivars is generally unstable, with cultivars released as resistant showing susceptibility after only a few seasons of widespread cultivation. Despite this instability, the use of resistant cultivars remains the most economical and effective method of controlling rice blast disease. Consequently, there is a continued need for such disease-resistant cultivars.
Although resistant cultivars occur naturally, recent research has focused on genetic methods for creating or improving highly disease-resistant plants. Thus for the last four decades, rice geneticists and breeders have studied the genetics of blast resistance germplasm in order to develop the methods necessary to breed such durably resistant cultivars. Methods for the genetic analysis of resistance to blast originated in the early 1960s when Goto established the differential system for races of M. grisea in Japan (Ou (1985) Rice Disease 2nd ed. (Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Slough, UK).
One blast resistance gene of particular importance is the Pi2 gene, which exhibits highly effective broad-spectrum resistance to a diverse population of blast disease isolates and, consequently, remains effective in a wide range of rice cultivation areas after over a decade of use. Although the location of this gene in the rice genome has been determined (Yu et al. (1991) Theor. Appl. Genet. 81:471–476; Liu et al. (2002) Mol. Genet. Genom. 267:472–480), its DNA sequence remains unknown. Because techniques for creating or improving disease resistance rely on the knowledge of such sequences, there is a great need for obtaining the actual DNA sequence of the Pi2 gene.

Cloning and characterization of the broad-spectrum resistance gene


Astigmatism-correction devices are disclosed for use in a charged-particle-beam (CPB) microlithography apparatus and methods and that do not produce higher-order aberrations when correcting deflection aberrations. The CPB microlithography apparatus includes a projection-optical system that includes first and second projection lenses and associated deflectors. The astigmatism-correction device can include a first coil array associated with the first projection lens upstream of an aperture, and a second astigmatism-correction device associated with the second projection lens downstream of the aperture. In each coil array, the nominal half-angle of the constituent coils is 30xc2x0. With such a configuration, higher-order aberrations that otherwise would be produced by the deflectors are reduced nearly to zero, making it possible to use large electrical currents in the deflectors. Specifically, deflection-astigmatism aberrations and hybrid deflection-astigmatic distortions otherwise produced by the deflectors are eliminated.

This invention pertains to microlithography (projection-exposure) of a pattern, defined by a reticle, onto a suitable substrate. Microlithography is a key technology used in the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits and displays. More specifically, the invention pertains to microlithography performed using a charged particle beam (e.g., electron beam) as an energy beam. Yet more specifically, the invention pertains to apparatus and methods for reducing astigmatism (e.g., deflection astigmatism, hybrid deflection astigmatic distortion, and the like) in charged-particle-beam (CPB) microlithography apparatus.
As the sizes of circuit elements in integrated circuits have continued to be further miniaturized, the limitations of optical microlithography (i.e., microlithography performed using light such as ultraviolet light) have become apparent. This has led to much research directed to the development of practical microlithography apparatus and methods that employ an energy beam other than light. Considerable research effort has been directed to microlithography apparatus and methods that employ a charged particle beam such as an electron beam or ion beam.
Various approaches to charged-particle-beam (CPB) microlithography have been investigated. Three approaches include (1) spot-beam exposure, (2) variable-shaped beam exposure, and (3) block exposure. Each of these approaches can provide superior resolution to optical microlithography. However, each provides much lower throughput (number of wafers that can be processed per unit time) than optical microlithography. Specifically, approaches (1) and (2) have limited throughput because they perform exposure by tracing a pattern element-by-element using a beam having an extremely small spot diameter or a square profile. Block exposure (approach (3)) was developed to improve throughput over that of approaches (1) and (2) by utilizing a reticle on which the pattern elements have standard shapes that are exposed in batches. However, batch exposure currently does not provide a sufficiently high throughput because the number of pattern elements that can be defined on the reticle is limited, and because batch exposure typically must be performed in conjunction with the variable-shaped beam approach.
In order to improve throughput, so-called xe2x80x9cdivided-reticlexe2x80x9d CPB microlithography has been proposed. In divided-reticle CPB microlithography, the pattern as defined on the reticle is divided or segmented into multiple exposure units usually termed xe2x80x9csubfieldsxe2x80x9d that are individually exposed by respective shots in an ordered manner. Such a reticle is termed a xe2x80x9cdividedxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9csegmentedxe2x80x9d reticle. During exposure, the images of the individual subfields are positioned contiguously on the substrate (wafer) to form the image of the entire die.
Certain aspects of this divided exposure are shown in FIG. 4. The wafer is typically exposed with multiple xe2x80x9cdiesxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cchips.xe2x80x9d Each die is comprised of multiple rows of subfields that are arranged in xe2x80x9cstripes.xe2x80x9d Each die is exposed stripe-by-stripe and (within each stripe) subfield-by-subfield. The reticle defining the pattern to be exposed onto each die is similarly divided.
For projection exposure, the subfields of the reticle are sequentially irradiated (xe2x80x9cilluminatedxe2x80x9d) in an ordered manner by a charged particle beam (e.g., electron beam or ion beam). Upstream of the reticle, the beam (termed an xe2x80x9cillumination beamxe2x80x9d) passes through an xe2x80x9cillumination-optical system.xe2x80x9d Downstream of the reticle, the beam (termed a xe2x80x9cpatterned beam,xe2x80x9d formed by passage of the illumination beam through the irradiated subfield) passes through a xe2x80x9cprojection-optical system.xe2x80x9d Each of the illumination-optical system and the projection-optical system comprises multiple lenses.
Certain aspects of exposure are shown in FIG. 5, which shows a stripe as defined on the reticle and a corresponding stripe as formed on the wafer. The reticle is mounted on a reticle stage (not shown), and the wafer stage is mounted on a wafer stage (not shown). During exposure of a stripe, the reticle stage and wafer stage are moved synchronously at respective constant velocities along the center line of the stripe. (The respective velocities of stage movement are established and controlled according to the demagnification ratio of the projection-optical system.) The subfields in the stripe on the reticle are illuminated sequentially, row by row, by the illumination beam. To illuminate each row, the illumination beam is deflected in a direction roughly perpendicular to the direction of travel of the reticle stage to sequentially illuminate the individual subfields in the row. After all the subfields in a row are exposed, exposure proceeds to the next row. Hence, exposure is performed in a raster manner. To maximize throughput, exposure of each row is performed by deflecting the beam in opposite directions, as shown in FIG. 5. When exposure of a stripe is completed, the reticle stage and wafer stage are stopped and then shifted horizontally to the next stripe.
Throughput is remarkably improved with the divided-reticle technique, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, because each subfield is exposed in a single respective xe2x80x9cshot,xe2x80x9d and all the elements of a pattern to be transferred are defined on the reticle.
On a divided reticle, each subfield is separate from adjacent subfields. Extending between the subfields are xe2x80x9cstrutsxe2x80x9d that provide substantial mechanical rigidity and strength to the reticle. The struts also allow individual subfields to be accurately selected for illumination by the illumination beam.
More complex or larger patterns require more subfields and hence more stripes. Increasing the number of stripes requires a corresponding increase in the number of times that the reticle stage and the wafer stage must be moved back and forth to expose each die. This results in a corresponding increase in the number of times that the stages must be accelerated and decelerated. During accelerations and decelerations of the stages, exposure cannot be performed and the time is wasted. To avoid losses in throughput, the width of each stripe is increased (i.e., each row of subfields has more subfields) to reduce the number of stripes. Such increases in stripe width require corresponding increases in the width of the deflection field of the illumination beam.
The lenses in the illumination-and projection-optical systems, similar to their counterparts in conventional optical systems, can exhibit any of various aberrations corresponding to respective aberrations exhibited by optical lenses. With an increase in stripe width, the distance over which the beam must be deflected laterally is correspondingly increased. i.e., the beam must pass through more off-axis portions of the lenses in the illumination- and projection-optical systems, which results in greater deflection aberrations.
A xe2x80x9chybrid deflection-astigmatic distortionxe2x80x9d refers to an astigmatic distortion (aberration) having a magnitude proportional both to lateral deflection distance and the beam size (the lateral dimensions of the subfield). This and related aberrations result in a blurred (defocused) and distorted image as exposed onto the wafer. To correct aberrations, one or more deflectors are conventionally provided in the illumination- and/or projection-optical systems. Image defocusing and/or distortion can be ameliorated somewhat by adjusting the excitation current applied to such a deflector so as to alter the beam trajectory in a manner that reduces aberrations. However, these remedies alone are no longer sufficient to achieve the desired resolution in CPB microlithography.
A conventional approach to providing better correction of deflection-astigmatism aberrations and hybrid deflection-astigmatism distortions involves the use of an astigmatism-correction device. In such a device, a magnetic field is produced that is proportional to cos[2xcex8]in a magnetic-field distribution in a cylindrical coordinate system (z,r,xcex8), wherein the optical axis is the z-axis and xcex8 is the rotational angle around the optical axis. Conventionally, higher-order components produced by the astigmatism-correction device, i.e., magnetic-field components proportional to cos[6xcex8], were considered relatively small and negligible. However, with increased aberrations in CPB microlithography apparatus in which the lateral beam deflection is increased to accommodate wider stripes, the drive current applied to the astigmatism-correction device also is increased. This situation generated problems in that magnetic-field components proportional to cos[6xcex8]produced by the astigmatism-correction device could no longer be neglected.
The problems summarized above are addressed by the present invention, wherein an object of the invention is to provide astigmatism-correction devices that do not produce higher-order aberrations when correcting substantial deflection aberrations. Another object is to provide charged-particle-beam (CPB) microlithography apparatus that include such astigmatism-correction devices.
One embodiment of an astigmatism-correction device is used in conjunction with a CPB microlithography apparatus comprising a projection-optical system through which a charged particle beam passes from a reticle to a substrate. The astigmatism-correction device comprises a coil array situated in the projection-optical system such that the charged particle beam passes through the coil array. The coil array exhibits a nominal half-angle of approximately 30xc2x0 so as to eliminate deflection astigmatism and hybrid deflection-astigmatic distortion of an image produced on the substrate by the charged particle beam.
The coil array can comprise eight coils arranged radially about an optical axis of the projection-optical system. One of the coils desirably is orientated at a nominal half-angle, relative to the optical axis, of "psgr". In such a configuration, the other coils have nominal half-angles of (xe2x88x92"psgr"), (xcfx80/2xe2x88x92"psgr"), (xcfx80/2+"psgr"), (xcfx80xe2x88x92"psgr"), (xcfx80+"psgr"), (3xcfx80/2xe2x88x92"psgr"), and (3xcfx80/2+"psgr"). Each coil may be toroidal, saddle, compound saddle, or other suitable configuration.
The projection-optical system typically includes first and second projection lenses arranged along an optical axis, and an aperture situated on the optical axis between the first and second projection lenses. In such a situation, the astigmatism-correction device desirably comprises a first coil array situated upstream of the aperture within and coaxial with the first projection lens, and a second coil array situated downstream of the aperture within and coaxial with the second projection lens.
The projection-optical system also can include a first array of multiple deflectors arranged along the optical axis within the first projection lens, and a second array of multiple deflectors arranged along the optical axis within the second projection lens. The first array can comprise eight deflectors, and the second array can comprise four deflectors. Again, the astigmatism-correction device can comprise a first coil array situated upstream of the aperture within and coaxial with the first projection lens, and a second coil array situated downstream of the aperture within and coaxial with the second projection lens.
According to another aspect of the invention, CPB microlithography apparatus are provided that comprise the astigmatism-correction device summarized above. In such an apparatus, the higher-order 6xcex8 component of the magnetic field is virtually no problem, even if high currents are applied to deflectors of the apparatus. Hence, stripe width can be increased according to the resulting increase in lateral deflection of the charged particle beam, which allows improved throughput.
The foregoing and additional features and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Astigmatism-correction device and charged-particle-beam microlithography apparatus and methods comprising same