A compound semiconductor material for forming an active layer of a thin film transistor device is disclosed, which has a group II-VI compound doped with a dopant ranging from 0.1 to 30 mol %, wherein the dopant is selected from a group consisting of alkaline-earth metals, group IIIA elements, group IVA elements, group VA elements, group VIA elements, and transitional metals. The method for forming an active layer of a thin film transistor device by using the compound semiconductor material of the present invention is disclosed therewith.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compound semiconductor material and, more particularly, to a compound semiconductor material suitable for forming the active layer of a thin film transistor of an active matrix flat panel display.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, the active matrix flat panel display has become a popular focus for research and development. In particular, the emphasis of that research and development is directed to the thin film transistor. In addition to that, the flat panel display has been developed to have a large active area, a low price, and a high resolution. Currently, the thin film transistors (TFTs) are classified as the amorphous silicon TFTs and the low temperature polycrystalline silicon TFTs, both of which need to undergo the vacuum evaporation process and the photolithography process, and thus have a high manufacturing cost. Lately, a method for manufacturing a thin film transistor using a group II-VI compound semiconductor by a solution process is disclosed. This method requires simple equipment, and has low cost and a fast processing speed.
However, take the manufacturing of ZnO transistors by the Sol-gel process for example. Although the Sol-gel process is simple and the materials used therein have a low toxicity, the characteristics of the transistors produced are not satisfactory. For instance, the current on/off ratio obtained is 103, as shown in FIG. 1. Besides, there is research to manufacture a group II-VI compound, such as CdSe or CdS, transistors by a Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) process. As shown in FIG. 2, the mobility of CdSe transistors reaches 15 cm2/Vs, the current on/off ratio obtained is 107, and the critical voltage is 3.5 V. Similarly, the mobility of CdS transistors reaches 1 cm2/Vs, the current on/off ratio obtained is 106, and the critical voltage is 2.6 V, as shown in FIG. 3. Although they both have good electrical characteristics, the precursors of CdSe and CdS are heavy metals that are quite toxic. Therefore, it is not feasible to mass-produce those transistors due to the problems of safety and environmental protection.
In the prior arts, the doped ZnO materials are mainly applied to the manufacturing of fluorescent films, and have not been used in the active layer of transistors yet. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a compound semiconductor material and a method for forming an active layer of a thin film transistor device to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.

Compound semiconductor material and method for forming an active layer of a thin film transistor device

Industrial Technology Research Institute


An external casing includes a housing, an interface module, an external electrical connector, a cover component, and a releasable fastening unit. The housing is adapted for receiving a data storage device therein, and is formed with an opening. The interface module is disposed in the housing, and is adapted to connect electrically with the data storage device disposed in the housing. The external electrical connector is connected electrically to the interface module, and is disposed in the housing. The cover component includes a fixing portion that is secured to the housing, a covering portion that extends from the fixing portion, and an engaging portion that extends from the covering portion. The releasable fastening unit is provided on the engaging portion of the cover component and the housing to retain releasably the engaging portion on the housing such that the covering portion covers the opening in the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an external casing for a data storage device, more particularly to an external casing that has a cover component for protecting an external electrical connector from dust when the external electrical connector is not in use.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional external casing for a portable data storage device, such as a hard disk, usually includes a housing and an electrical connector disposed in the housing and adapted to connect to an internal data storage medium. The electrical connector is constantly exposed from the housing so as to facilitate connection to a computer. However, dust can easily accumulate on the exposed electrical connector. In addition, when carrying the external casing, the exposed electrical connector is vulnerable to damages from scratches and bumping with other objects.

External casing for a data storage device


A recording system comprises an image pick-up recording device to record the picture information obtained through the image pick-up on a recording medium by a recording head; and a control device to change the relative location of the head and the medium after the information of one picture has been recorded in a predetermined location on the medium and to prevent the next picture information from being read out during the period of time until the completion of that displacement. The recording system may be provided with a memory for the picture information and a control device for allowing part of the picture information to be recorded in the selected portion on the medium. The control device also permits the other portion of the picture information stored in the memory to be recorded in the other portion on the medium after changing the relative location of the head and the medium.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved recording system in which signals obtained from an information source can be stably recorded in different portions on a recording medium, and more particularly to a recording system in which a plurality of picture information obtained from image pick-up devices such as a CCD or the like can be stably recorded during a short period of time.
2. Background of the Invention
For example, when one field of video signals is recorded in one track on a recording medium such as a magnetic sheet, it is conventionally known that a gate is provided in a signal path connecting a video signal source with a recording head, and the gate is opened intermittently during, for example, only one field interval per several fields to record the video signals in each track, and that while the gate is closed, the recording head is shifted to face the next track.
However, it is extremely difficult to shift the recording head within the limited period of vertical blanking time, causing a drawback in that the video signals recorded would have been forced to be intermittent.
Therefore, when one tries to compose a picture using the signal of one field twice, the picture must have been blurred or unfocussed if the subject is a moving object, and a satisfactory picture quality will not be obtained if the signal of one field is used once.

Recording system which can record signals from two fields for the composition of one picture


There is provided an electrophotographic element and method of making the electrophotographic element comprising a conductive support, a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer, said electrophotographic element having thereon a protective layer of a fluorinated diamond-like carbon wherein the fluorine content of the outermost surface of the fluorinated diamond-like carbon layer is between about 25 and about 65 atomic percent based on the total composition of the outermost surface of the protective layer. The protective layer provides for a low surface energy coating having a long process lifetime without causing latent image spread or degradation of photosensitivity.

Electrophotographic imaging processes and techniques have been extensively described in patents and other literature. Generally, these processes have in common the steps of employing a photoconductive insulating element which is prepared to respond to imagewise exposure with electromagnetic radiation by forming a latent electrostatic charge image. A variety of subsequent operations, well-known in the art, can then be employed to produce a visible record of the electrostatic image.
A group of important electrophotographic elements used in these electrophotographic imaging processes comprise a conductive support in electrical contact with a charge generation layer (CGL) and a charge transport layer (CTL). Electrophotographic elements having at least one of the layers designed primarily for the photogeneration of charge carriers (holes and electrons), referred to as CGL, and at least one other layer designed primarily for the transport of the generated charge carriers, referred to as CTL, are sometimes referred to as multilayer or multiactive electrophotographic elements. Representative patent publications disclosing methods and materials for making and using such elements include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,495,263; 4,701,396; 4,666,802; 4,427,139; 3,615,414; 4,175,960 and 4,082,551.
Photoconductive elements of this type have found widespread use in xerography. One continuing problem is that the lifetime of these elements is less than desired. The photoconductive elements are cycled in the machine and go through all of the steps in the electrophotographic imaging process many times. The corona charging and cleaning steps in the process are particularly damaging to the photoconductive element. It is believed that corona charging causes the formation of chemical species on the photoconductive element surface which causes a problem called "image spread". In Order to overcome this problem, the cleaning step is designed to remove these species. While removing these species, the cleaning step also removes a surface layer of the photoconductive element. Thus, a small amount of photoconductive element is removed with each cycle. Eventually, the photoconductor will be worn to the point of needing replacement.
Further, organic photoconductive elements are scratch prone. Extreme care must be taken when installing replacement elements since any scratches show up as defects on copies.
It has been proposed to put protective overcoats on photoconductive elements of this general type. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,156 to Hotomi et al. discloses the use of two protective layers on an organic photoconductive element. The first layer is an amorphous carbon layer which includes more than 5 atomic percent fluorine. The second, outermost layer is a similar material except that the fluorine content must be lower than 5 atomic percent. Hotomi et al. teach that if the fluorine content is above 5 atomic percent in the outermost layer, it causes image fogging. The photoconductor of interest to Hotomi et al. includes a hydrazone compound in the charge transport layer.
Arylamines used as charge transport materials in photoconductive elements are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,127,412 and 5,190,840 and are used commercially.
One potentially useful protective coating for electrophotographic elements would be a diamond-like carbon coating; however, such coatings, while providing for physical protection from scratches, also have high surface energies. High surface energies make the removal of toner from the photoconductive element difficult and decrease the efficiency of processes involved in the removal of toner from the photoconductive member, such as cleaning, resulting in image defects and in the transfer of unwanted toner to subsequent copies, reducing copy quality. It is not apparent what modification can be made to such coatings to reduce or eliminate this problem.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for photoconductive elements of this type which have longer process lifetimes and low surface energy.

Photoconductive element having an outermost layer of a fluorinated diamond-like carbon and method of making the same


A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing information about a real-world space such as an exhibition space. In a preferred embodiment, users visiting a space are equipped with mobile devices in communication with a service system. The mobile devices are arranged to deposit virtual markers with the service system as the users progress around the space. These markers are stored and decayed with time, either individually or in location-dependent marker aggregations, and data on the current strength values of the markers or marker aggregations is used to provide information concerning use of the space.

Ant colony optimization is concerned with the development and use of optimization algorithms inspired by the collective behaviour of large colonies of social insects. Typically, the algorithms represent a problem space as a network of nodes connected by arcs. The network is traversed by simple, autonomous agents that are capable both of depositing virtual markers on nodes and arcs, and acting upon the accumulated markers that they encounter on their travels. By an appropriate choice of agent behaviours, some emergent characteristic of the network can be caused to converge on a (near-)optimal solution to the original problem. This approach has been successfully applied to a range of problems such as the 'Traveling Salesman' Problem and job scheduling. More detailed information about the approach can be found in Swarm Intelligence by Bonabeau, Dorigo & Teraulaz (Oxford University Press, 1999).
Artificial life seeks to understand the processes by which biological and social complexity arise from simple organisms or agents. Typically, the approach is to construct a computer simulation of a universe populated by such agents and to study their interaction and evolution. The simulated universes may or may not reflect natural laws, and the agents may or may not be modeled on naturally occurring organisms. Within that context, the simulation of ant-like agents with the capability to deposit and sense virtual markers (pheromones) has been known for at least a decade (for example, see Ant Farm: Towards Simulated Evolution by Collins & Jefferson (in Artificial Life II, Farmer et al, Addison Wesley, 1991).
Agent-based robotics applies similar ideas to motivate the development and exploration of swarms of simple interacting robots operating in the real world. The idea of pheromone deposition and detection is well known in this field but is primarily used metaphorically to inspire mechanisms that actually implement direct communication between individuals rather than indirect communication through the environment in which the individuals move. For example, see Progress in Pheromone Roboticsby Payton, Estkowski & Howard (preprint, 7th International Conference on Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Mar. 25-27, 2002). An exception is the work of Andrew Russell in which robots do deposit (and sense) a chemical marker directly into the environment (see http://www.ecse.monash.edu.au/staff/rar/).
It is an object of a first aspect of the present invention to use the concept of pheromones to provide information concerning use of a real-world space such as an exhibition space.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for providing information about a real-world space

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


First and second guiding rails are attached to support member in a mounting unit. The mounting unit is mounted in an enclosure of an electronic apparatus, for example. The second guiding rail at a first position extends straight on the extension of the first guiding rail. The first and second guiding rails serve to assist the insertion of the mounting unit into the enclosure. The second guiding rail at a second position serves to define a window opening with the assistance of the edge of the support member. A supervisor is allowed to insert fingers into the window opening. The second guiding rail functions as a handle. The second guiding rail in this manner serves to assist the carriage of the mounting unit. A space is not required solely for a handle separately from a space for a guiding rail in the mounting unit. The mounting unit is thus allowed to efficiently utilize its inside space.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting unit mounted on an electronic apparatus such as a server computer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An input/output unit is mounted in the enclosure of a server computer, for example. A PCI board is incorporated in the input/output unit, for example. A handle is utilized to carry the input/output unit. Such a handle is attached to the top plate of the input/output unit, for example. The top plate defines a depression for receiving the handle.
The handle is kept at an upright attitude in the depression during the carriage. The handle falls down from the upright attitude when the input/output unit is mounted in the enclosure. The handle is laid down into the depression. The handle is of no use when the input/output unit has been mounted in the enclosure. The handle inevitably occupies some space within the input/output unit mounted in the enclosure.


In order to be able to ensure with low outlay a slip ring or commutator motor having a high level of freedom from noise and good running quality at maximum power, despite unavoidable deviations from circularity of the slip ring or commutator ground by the brushes abutting thereon, it is proposed according to the invention that the brushes (6; 7; 8) be supported such that they can pivot about an axis which runs radially in the vicinity of the surface and axially essentially in the axial direction of the commutator (1) or slip ring; that, according to one embodiment, the axis be formed by a guide pin (31; 41), which is retained in a brush housing (2) at least partially embracing the brush (6; 7) in the vicinity of the surface of the commutator (1) or the slip ring, and which is plugged axially through a guide slot (61; 71) running in the compression direction of the brush and open towards the surface of the slip ring or commutator (1), or that the brush (6) be tangentially embraced externally by the brush compression spring (3a) in the sense of a support with tangential supporting parts (33a; 34a), which can pivot.

The present invention relates to a slip ring or commutator motor having at least one brush held on the stator side. The brush is pressed, by a brush compression spring, against the surface of a slip ring or commutator. The brush is pivotable about an axis parallel to the direction of the commutator axis or slip ring axis.
Such a motor is disclosed in DE-PS 548,073. In the conventional motor mentioned above, to better adapt the carbon brush to deviations in the circularity of the sliding surface of the commutator or the slip ring, the carbon brush is supported in a brush guiding box. On opposite sides of the brush guiding box, there are fitted projections having outwardly directed surfaces belonging to a common partial cylindrical surface. Corresponding contact surfaces, likewise associated with a common cylindrical surface, are provided on a retaining arm holding the brush box such that the brush can adjust itself in a suitable direction to deviations from circularity of the sliding surface of the commutator or the slip ring. The cylindrical surfaces roll on one another.
A double brush holder is disclosed in CH-A-334,086 where two brushes are each held guided in a brush box. The two brush boxes are connected by means of a cross bar. An axle originates from the cross bar. This axle has a brush compression spring with an eye at its one end plugged into it. The other end of the brush compression is wound in an elastic manner onto a cylinder with a cylinder axle. The free ends of the cylinder axle project from both end faces of the cylinder and abut, via rollers, the head ends of the brushes (i.e., the surface facing away from the commutator). The complete module, with brush box, cross bar and brush compression spring suspension, is retained on the motor side such that a brush supporting arm engages on an external wall of a brush box.


An adjuster device for a deflector fitting of a vehicle occupant restraint system is provided, which comprises a rail adapted for vehicle-fixed mounting. The rail is provided with latching openings and comprises a bottom part and two side parts. The adjuster device further comprises a sled shiftable in the rail and adapted for being coupled to a vehicle seat. The sled is provided with a fitting part for the deflector fitting and at least one latching part which is able to cooperate with the latching openings to block the sled against a downwards displacement in the rail. The latching part is translatable from a normal rest position, in which it does not engage a latching opening, into a locking position in which it engages at least one of the latching openings, by means of a force acting downwards on the fitting part relative to the rail.

A typical adjuster device for a deflector fitting of a vehicle occupant restraint system comprises a vehicle-fixed rail provided with latching openings and having a bottom part and two side parts, and a sled shiftable in the rail and coupled to a vehicle seat. The sled is provided with a fitting part for the deflector fitting and at least one latching part which is able to cooperate with the latching openings to block the sled against a downwards displacement in the rail relative to the vehicle.
By means of such an adjuster device the run of the seat belt may be optimally adapted to the stature of the vehicle occupant in each case, this adaptation being achieved via the fore and aft adjustment of the vehicle seat. The problem posed with such an adjuster device is that whilst, on the one hand, smooth adjustment of the sled upon fore and aft adjustment of the vehicle seat needs to be assured, on the other, the sled must be reliably blocked on the rail in any position when via the seat belt a force is exerted on the deflector fitting oriented downwards relative to the vehicle as is the case in an accident. This problem is aggravated when the vehicle occupant restraint system is provided with a belt tensioner which eliminates belt slack from the system in case of an accident. The forces thereby exerted on the deflector fitting may result in the latching part no longer reliably engaging the next available latching opening and thus the sled is displaced downwards relative to the vehicle, as a result of which the effect of the belt tensioner is impaired.


An injector has a lift limiting member provided by a single plate member. The plate member has a stopper face, multiple hole sections, a flow passage hole, and a spring seat face. An axial end face of a needle head section of a needle contacts the stopper face when the needle lifts by a predetermined amount. Transmitting sections of a pressurizing piston are loosely inserted in the hole sections. High pressure fuel can pass through the flow passage hole. The spring seat face receives an end portion of a spring that biases the needle in a valve closing direction. The lift limiting member limits a valve opening lift position of the needle, so a stable injection quantity is obtained. Thus, a surface area of the single plate member can be used in multiple functions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an injector that controls opening/closing action of a needle by increasing/decreasing control pressure of a pressure control chamber through movement of a pressurizing piston driven by a piezoelectric actuator.
2. Description of Related Art
An injector using an electromagnetic valve as an actuator is commonly used. In order to realize a large flow rate and high response, an injector using a piezoelectric actuator with a large generative force and high response is proposed.
For example, an injector described in Patent document 1 (International Publication No. 2005/075811) has a piezoelectric actuator 100 that makes a displacement when voltage is applied thereto, a pressurizing piston 110 driven by the piezoelectric actuator 100, an outer sleeve 120 for slidably holding an outer periphery of the pressurizing piston 110, a pressure control chamber 130, internal pressure (hydraulic pressure) of which increases/decreases according to movement of the pressurizing piston 110, a needle 160 that is slidably held inside a valve body 140 and that opens/closes an injection hole 150 and the like as shown in FIG. 5.
The pressure control chamber 130 is fluid-tightly defined by the pressurizing piston 110, the outer sleeve 120, the needle 160 and the valve body 140. If the voltage is applied to the piezoelectric actuator 100, the piezoelectric actuator 100 pushes the pressurizing piston 110 downward in the drawing. Accordingly, the volume of the pressure control chamber 130 decreases and the internal pressure rises.
The internal pressure of the pressure control chamber 130 acts on a pressure receiving face 161 formed in the needle 160 to function as a valve opening force for biasing the needle 160 in a valve opening direction (upward direction in the drawing). If the valve opening force exceeds a valve closing force (reaction force of a spring 170 and the like) biasing the needle 160 in a valve closing direction, the needle 160 lifts and opens the injection hole 150. Thus, the high pressure fuel supplied to an inside of the valve body 140 is injected into a combustion chamber 180 of the engine from the injection hole 150.
However, the above-mentioned injector does not have a stopper mechanism for limiting a valve opening lift position of the needle 160 and the lift amount of the needle 160 is decided by the displacement amount of the piezoelectric actuator 100. Accordingly, there has been a problem that the injection quantity is not stabilized due to the displacement variation of the piezoelectric actuator 100.


A multiplexing spectrometer measures at least one parameter, such as temperature, pressure or stress. The system multiplexes the outputs of Bragg stack sensors deposited at the distant ends of optical fibers brought in contact or in close proximity to objects. The spectrometer detects the peaks of the optical signals returned from the Bragg stacks and converts them into corresponding values of the parameters of interest. The spectrometer includes an optical system that comprises an entrance slit, a diffraction grating as a light dispersing means. Multiplexing occurs on a two-dimensional solid state matrix photo detector detects and converts the light signals returned from the Bragg stack sensing elements into corresponding electrical signals, and a built-in look-up table to provides the values of the parameters of interest that correspond the spectral characteristics of the returned light signals.

Many types of sensors acquire and transmit information using light signals in which the intensity of light and its spectral signature represent the magnitude and nature of the parameter being measured, the former by the maximum height of the peak of the energy in the spectrum, the latter by the location of such peak. One convenient way to process such information from a single sensor and to convert it into its electrical equivalent is to use a spectrometer.
In many applications, however, a network of sensors is used to collect information from multiple locations on the objects or in the environment being monitored. While it is also possible to use currently available spectrometers as read-out instruments to interrogate multiple sensors, such instruments can be complex, expensive and not capable of operating at an adequate speed.
The class of photonic sensors that increasingly find diverse applications for measuring and monitoring a variety of parameters are fiber optic sensors. Such devices are used to monitor amongst other parameters, temperature, pressure, stress, etc., in machinery, power generators, manufacturing processes, propulsion systems, and other applications.


In a method for regulating at least two fluids, a fluid feed flow Q is divided into n parts, the sum of the n parts being equal to Q, each of the n parts is sent to one of n processing units, each of the n processing units produces at least one processed flow, at least one processed flow of a first of the processing units is regulated by control means in order to keep the flow thereof constant at a value Q1 in nominal operation, at least one processed flow of a second of the processing units is regulated by control means in order to keep the pressure thereof constant in nominal operation and, in the event of a reduction of the feed flow Q, in reduced feed operation, if, preferably only if, the flow of the flow processed in the second processing unit of step v) drops and thus reaches a first minimum flow threshold, a processed flow in the first processing unit is regulated such that the processed flow having a value Q1 in nominal operation is reduced to a value less than Q1.

The regulation of a plurality of fluids in parallel, coming from different sources, entails adaptation when:                The balance of substances in terms of flow rate needs to be maintained.        Certain fluids take priority over others, particularly during transient phases, for example if one of the fluids absolutely must be kept within a certain range of flow rates.

Method and apparatus for regulating a plurality of fluids

L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude


A disk clamp for securing data storage disks to the hub of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive has a circumferential rib protruding from a lower surface of the disk clamp. A complementary recess is formed in the hub of the spindle motor for closely receiving the rib on the disk clamp. The inner diameter of the rib and the outer diameter of the recess are closely toleranced to provide a very precise centering feature for mounting and aligning the disk clamp with respect to the hub and spindle motor. This design reduces the complexity of the tooling and fixtures required to complete the assembly and the overall part cost is reduced.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an improved hard disk drive and, in particular, to an improved system, method, and apparatus for centering and attaching a disk clamp to the hub of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a data access and storage system consists of one or more storage devices that store data on magnetic or optical storage media. For example, a magnetic storage device is known as a direct access storage device (DASD) or a hard disk drive (HDD) and includes one or more disks and a disk controller to manage local operations concerning the disks. The hard disks themselves are usually made of aluminum alloy or a mixture of glass and ceramic, and are covered with a magnetic coating. Typically, one to six disks are stacked vertically on a common spindle that is turned by a disk drive motor at several thousand revolutions per minute (rpm).
A typical HDD also utilizes an actuator assembly. The actuator moves magnetic read/write heads to the desired location on the rotating disk so as to write information to or read data from that location. Within most HDDs, the magnetic read/write head is mounted on a slider. A slider generally serves to mechanically support the head and any electrical connections between the head and the rest of the disk drive system. The slider is aerodynamically shaped to glide over moving air in order to maintain a uniform distance from the surface of the rotating disk, thereby preventing the head from undesirably contacting the disk.
Typically, a slider is formed with an aerodynamic pattern of protrusions on its air bearing surface (ABS) that enables the slider to fly at a constant height close to the disk during operation of the disk drive. A slider is associated with each side of each platter and flies just over the platter's surface. Each slider is mounted on a suspension to form a head gimbal assembly (HGA). The HGA is then attached to a semi-rigid actuator arm that supports the entire head flying unit. Several semi-rigid arms may be combined to form a single movable unit having either a linear bearing or a rotary pivotal bearing system.
The head and arm assembly is linearly or pivotally moved utilizing a magnet/coil structure that is often called a voice coil motor (VCM). The stator of a VCM is mounted to a base plate or casting on which the spindle is also mounted. The base casting with its spindle, actuator VCM, and internal filtration system is then enclosed with a cover and seal assembly to ensure that no contaminants can enter and adversely affect the reliability of the slider flying over the disk. When current is fed to the motor, the VCM develops force or torque that is substantially proportional to the applied current. The arm acceleration is therefore substantially proportional to the magnitude of the current. As the read/write head approaches a desired track, a reverse polarity signal is applied to the actuator, causing the signal to act as a brake, and ideally causing the read/write head to stop and settle directly over the desired track.
The attachment of the data storage disks to the hub of the spindle motor is accomplished via a disk clamp. The disk clamp retains the disks on the hub by attaching directly to the hub of the motor. It is very important to precisely center the disk clamp to the hub in order to reduce installation-induced mass imbalance. A conventional disk clamp 11 (FIG. 5) is typically centered on the spindle motor 13 by providing a rib 15 on top of the spindle motor hub 17. The rib 15 protrudes upward from the hub 17 and has an outer diameter 19 on which an inner diameter 21 of the disk clamp 11 is positioned and thereby centered. Moreover, very precise and expensive tooling is required to properly center and align the disk clamp 11 and hub 17. Although this design is workable, an improved system, method, and apparatus for attaching and centering a disk clamp on the hub of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive would be desirable.

System and method for hard disk drive with disk clamp annular rim inner wall engaging hub annular recess outer wall

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


An autosampling device for use in sampling air with canisters and analyzing the contents of said canisters for the presence of pollutants which allows random access of the contents of the canisters and controlled direction of the canister contents to a cryogenic concentrator. The device is a cart having shelf members for holding a plurality of canisters. Sample lines are mounted on the cart to be connectable to a canister at one end of said lines and to an inlet port of an electrically actuated multiposition valve at the other end. To protect against sample disruption, a heated zone around the valve controls valve temperature. An outlet sample line enclosed in a heated zone extends from an outlet port on the valve and is connectable to an inlet of the cryogenic concentrator. Selection of specific samples by means of a multiposition valve and the temperatures of the two heated zones may be controlled by connection to a programmed computer, and thermocouple feedback from the cart to the computer may also be provided.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to analytical apparatuses and methods for volatile organic compounds, and in particular, relates to air sampling and analysis utilizing a cryogenic concentrator and a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer or gas chromatograph with multiple detectors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Environmental concerns about air pollution have led to the need for reliable, sensitive analytical methods for the identification of toxic or other undesirable volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Individuals, companies, and governmental entities at all levels often have a need to detect, identify and quantitate unknown or suspected air pollutants.
The use of canisters, TEDLAR.TM. bags and other standardized containers to sample air has proven to be an effective and efficient collection method in the analysis of air pollutants. The standard method is summarized in the EPA Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air (Method TO-14).
In Method TO-14, ambient air samples are collected in pre-evacuated SUMMA passivated canisters. After collection, the sample canister pressure may be above or below atmospheric pressure. Sample canisters are tagged with identification including pressure reading and transported to a specified site for analyses.
Before being analyzed, individual canisters at subatmospheric pressure may be pressurized to 20 psig with zero dry nitrogen. The resulting dilution is calculated based on the fixed volume of the can (i.e. six liters) and the pressure readings of the canister before and after the dilution with nitrogen.
Sample canisters are connected to the inlet of the analytical system. A pressurized sample canister may require a split of an established flow from the canister to deliver a specified mass flow controlled rate (i.e. 40 ml/min) to the concentrating section of the analytical system. Water vapor is reduced in the gas stream by a NAFION.TM. dryer. The VOCs are selectively concentrated by condensation in a reduced temperature (cryogenic) trap, while the main components of air (nitrogen and oxygen) are not retained.
Once the pre-determined volume of sample is concentrated on the cryogenic trap, the trap is rapidly heated. The VOCs are revolatilized and introduced to a GC column through a heated transfer line. The gas chromatographic capillary column recommended in Method TO-14 is cooled to a sub-ambient temperature (i.e. -50.degree. C.) to focus (minimize the volume of) the VOCs. An appropriate GC temperature program heats the GC oven containing the capillary column used to separate the sample components. Each component is detected by one or more detectors for identification and quantitation.
The canisters used for sampling atmospheric gases are generally made of stainless steel and have a volume of six liters at atmospheric pressure. Each sample and control requires a separate canister. After the sample collecting is accomplished, the canisters are typically piled in boxes or individually carried back to the site of the cryogenic concentrator and GC/MS in the laboratory. The canisters are individually connected in sequence to an inlet port on a multiposition valve to begin the processing. As is readily understood, the transport and repeated individual connecting are cumbersome and time-consuming operations.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a mobile device on which a plurality of canisters may be placed and transported.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a device having sample lines for a plurality of canisters to be connected to a multiposition controllable selective outlet.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a device and method enabling sample chain-of-custody determination. Other objects and advantages will be more fully apparent from the following disclosure and appended claims.


This invention is directed to a pharmacologically acceptable composition for inhibiting nitric oxide synthase in a mammal, which includes a mercapto or seleno derivative and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The invention also concerns a method of inhibiting nitric oxide synthase, selectively inhibiting the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase, and treating various conditions where there is an advantage in inhibiting nitric oxide biosynthesis. The method includes the step of administering to a mammal a mercapto or seleno derivative in pure form or in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

The present invention relates to the use of mercapto and seleno derivatives as inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase (NOS).
The free radical nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized from the guanidino group of L-arginine by a family of enzymes termed nitric oxide synthase (NOS). The brain isoform (bNOS) is constitutively present in the neural tissue and NO is released as a neurotransmitter by activation of various (e.g. NMDA-type) receptors. NO in the central nervous system plays an important role in the genesis of memory.
The continuous release of NO from the constitutive endothelial isoform of NOS (ecNOS) keeps the vasculature in a continuous state of active vasodilatation and reduces the adhesion of platelets and polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMNs) to the endothelial surface. The biological activity of NO from the ecNOS was originally described as endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF). The release of EDRF in vivo and in vitro is stimulated by shear stress and various hormones and autocoids such as acetylcholine, bradykinin, substance P. vasopressin, noradrenaline, histamine or platelet-activating factor.
The inducible isoform of NOS (iNOS) is expressed in response to immunological stimuli in multiple cell types including macrophages, vascular smooth muscle cells and epithelial cells, and produces large amounts of NO (nanomoles of NO rather than picomoles of NO derived by the ecNOS or bNOS). NO in high local concentrations can act as a cytostatic and cytotoxic molecule acting against fungal, bacterial, helminthic and protozoal antigens as well as tumor cells. A number of pro-inflammatory cytokines and endotoxin (bacterial lipopolysaccharide, LPS) also induce the expression of iNOS in a number of other cells, including fibroblasts, glial cells, cardiac myocytes as well as vascular and non-vascular smooth muscle cells.
There is now substantial evidence that iNOS plays an important role in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases. Circulatory shock of various etiologies is associated with profound changes in the body's NO homeostasis. In animal models of endotoxic shock, endotoxin produces an acute release of NO from the constitutive isoform of nitric oxide synthase in the early phase, which is followed by induction of iNOS. In addition, it is now thought that excess NO production may be involved in a number of conditions, including conditions that involve systemic hypotension such as septic (toxic) shock and therapy with certain cytokines. Therefore, it is desirable to inhibit nitric oxide synthase. Furthermore, because of the potentially serious consequences of over-inhibition of the constitutive NOS enzyme, it is preferred to selectively inhibit the inducible isoform. Over-inhibition of the constitutive isoform may lead to hypertension, thrombosis, central nervous system toxicity and tissue damage.
Various nitric oxides synthase inhibitors have been proposed for therapeutic use. For example, NG-methyl-L-arginine (L-NMA) and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) have been suggested. However, they are generally nonselective in that they inhibit both the constitutive and the inducible NOS isoforms to a similar extent. Other NOS inhibitors proposed for therapeutic use include isothiourea derivatives and aminoguanidine. In in vitro and in vivo tests, isothioureas have been shown to inhibit NOS activity, and a few specific compounds within the class of isothioureas have been shown to be relatively selective inhibitors of iNOS activity (see, for example, Garry J. Southan et al., "Isothioureas: Potent Inhibitors of Nitric Oxide Synthases with Variable Isoform Selectivity", British Journal of Pharmacology, Vol. 114, pp. 510-516, 1995; Csaba Szaboet al., "Beneficial Effects and Improved Survival in Rodent Models of Septic Shock with S-methylisothiourea Sulfate, a Potent and Selective Inhibitor of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase", Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, Vol. 91, pp. 12472-12476 (December 1994); and PCT Application No. WO 94/12165). Aminoguanidine also has been found to selectively inhibit the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase in various in vitro and in vivo models (see, for example, Chin-Chen Wu et al., "Aminoguanidine Attenuates the Delayed Circulatory Failure and Improves Survival in Rodent Models of Endotoxic Shock", British Journal of Pharmacology, Vol. 113, pp. 001-007, Paper No. 78594 (1995); and European Patent Application 0 547 558 A1).
Although the nitric oxide synthase inhibitors discussed above may prove to have therapeutic use, it is important to identify additional compounds which inhibit nitric oxide synthase. It also is desirable to identify additional compounds which selectively inhibit the inducible isoform of the NOS enzyme. Because excess nitric oxide production plays such a role in a number of different disorders and conditions, such as systemic hypotension, septic shock and cytokine therapy, for example, it is extremely important to identify additional compounds capable of inhibiting, and even selectively inhibiting, nitric oxide synthase. This is especially true given that such additional compounds may prove to have fewer side effects and greater selectivity in inhibiting the inducible nitric oxide synthase enzymes.

Mercapto and seleno derivatives as inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase


A moulded plastic chair (1) fabricated using an air mould technique with four substaitially identical legs (4, 5) which are hollow, have a constant cross-section along their length and have a leading convex edge (13) and a rearward concave edge (14). The shape and arrangement of the legs (4, 5) constitutes a stacking mechanism which enables like chairs to be conveniently stacked. A indicator (8) able to indicate the size of the chair (1) is also disclosed as is a pair of protrusions (8) on the upper edge (7) of the backrest (3), the protrusions (8) providing a support for a school bag (10).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to chairs and, in particular, to school chairs suitable for use by school children of all ages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of demands are placed on school chairs which are not placed on chairs intended for other uses, for example in the home or in the office, In particular, school chairs must be robust since school children are liable (when unsupervised) to stand on the chairs or otherwise mistreat them. In addition, for reasons of space and the cleaning of school rooms, it is necessary mtat the school chairs be stackable. The stacking nechnism should be both simple and robust.
During the years of school attendance prior to adulthood, a person's stature is directly correlated to their age and for this reason school chairs are normally made in a range of sizes, the smallest size being intended for use by th youngest and smallest children, and the largest size being intended for use by te oldest and largest children who are, essentially, of adult statures.
School chairs should also support the substantial range of sizes of children occurrig within a particular class in postures which are beneficial for their activities. Within any class, and in particular within those classes including children at different stages of their growth spurt around puberty, there will be some students who are quite short and some students who are quite tall. Accordingly, the seating requirements of these students are different. In order not to make such students feel as if they were "the odd child out" it is desirable that these students be provided with an appropriately sized chair which is provided with a subtle indication of size sufficiently unobtrusive so as to not embarrass the student.
Furthermore, in relation to the classroom generally, there is a need for students to store their school bags in a storage arrangement such that the bags do not block the aisles or rows between the seats and are preferably easily accessible by the children in order to remove an item from the contents of the bag, or place an item into the interior of the bag.
The present invention seeks to meet the above mentioned desirable characteristics to a maximum extent possible, while also seeking to overcome, or ameliorate, to at least some extent the above mentioned disadvantages.


A wireless communication system and method therefore include a processor programmed with a protocol of a telecommunications provider downloaded from a network, so as to operate the wireless communication system in accordance with the protocol corresponding to a geographical region. The processor includes input and output pins arranged to provide a standard connectivity to electrical components in the wireless communication system. A slot in the wireless communication system receives the processor.

Wireless phone systems have been implemented using a Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) architecture. The Electronics Industries Association (EIA) and the Telecommunications Industries Association (TIA) have set standards for an American Digital Cellular (ADC) architecture, which is a dual mode analog and digital system following EIA/TIA document IS-54B. However, different standards have been promulgated for digital cellular phone systems in Europe.
Typically, a wireless cellular telephone user subscribes to one service provider and is assigned a corresponding telephone number. Thus, when the user uses the cellular phone in one geographical location, the user is unable to use the cellular phone in another geographical location without incurring excessive costs. Further, certain cellular phones are adapted to receive a credit-card sized Subscriber Identity Module (SIM). However, the SIM card is able to operate through a specific local provider only, and is not capable of being programmed to store a protocol from a different provider. Further, the SIM cards are not re-programmable.
The user who uses the cellular phone through a telecommunications carrier ("provider") providing telecommunications transmission services in the United States, for instance, may travel to a country in Europe where the provider in the United States does not provide service to the cellular phone in Europe. A reason why the cellular phone set up in the United States cannot work in Europe is because the CDMA architecture or the TDMA architecture used in the United States and the GSM system used in Europe use different standards of cellular architecture and are different base systems. Accordingly, the user is required to either purchase a handset that is configured to use the TDMA architecture or the SIM card. There is a need for a system that allows a user to operate a cellular phone in accordance with a protocol of a telecommunications provider corresponding to a geographical region.

Wireless communication system including a Universal C-Chip and method thereof


A method for transmitting faults across networks operating with different protocols is disclosed. The method includes identifying a fault at a local node, mapping a fault indication bit into a carrier packet, and transmitting the fault indication over a network. The method further includes receiving an indication that the fault was received at a remote node.

The present invention relates generally to digital communication networks, and more specifically, to a method and system for transporting local and remote faults across different types of networks operating with different types of protocols.
Ethernet has developed into one of the most widely deployed network technologies. Data rates have increased from 10 Mbps to Gigabit speeds. The IEEE 802.3ae standard covers 10 Gigabit Ethernet and has brought Ethernet into another generation of applications. The Gigabit Ethernet protocol (as set forth in IEEE 802.3ae) includes the following sublayers: reconciliation sublayer (RS) and 10 Gbps Media Independent Interface (XGMII), XGMII Extender Sublayer and 10 Gbps Attachment Unit Interface (XAUI), PHY (physical), and Medium Dependent Interface (MDI). GMII provides two status signals: one indicates presence of the carrier, and the other indicates the absence of collision. The RS maps these signals to physical layer signaling (PLS) which is understood by the MAC (media access control) layer. The PHY sublayer includes the physical coding sublayer (PCS), an optional WAN interface, physical medium attachment (PMA) sublayer, and the physical medium dependent (PMD) sublayer. PCS is the GMII sublayer which provides a uniform interface to the RS for all physical media. The PCS sublayer generates carrier sense and collision detect indications.
Link fault signaling operates between the reconciliation sublayer in a local network element and the reconciliation sublayer in a remote network element. 10Base-R physical coding sublayer (PCS) is capable of detecting faults in a receive datapath that render a link unreliable for communication. These detected faults are then sent by a 10Base-R PCS receiver to the RS receiver. The RS transmitting signals are sent to the RS in the remote network element through the PCS in the transmit datapath with this fault indication.
The above description is a generic bi-directional fault communication mechanism described in 802.3ae. This method for transporting faults, however, cannot be directly used if faults are being transported across networks which carry protocols other than 10 GE between the local RS and the remote RS.
There is therefore, a need for a method for transporting local faults and remote faults across networks using different protocols.

Method and system for transporting faults across a network


A microneedle array device and its fabrication method are provided. The microneedle array device comprises a supporting pad and a plurality of microneedles. Each microneedle has a top portion with a via thereon, thereby the microfluid may flow in or out. The intersection between the top portion and the inner tube of a microneedle forms a convex needle structure, and is almost perpendicular to the upper surface. For each microneedle, a hollow closed tube is formed between the top portion and the supporting pad. The fabrication method uses substrates with high transmittance and a plurality of convex area thereon as upper and lower caps, and applies a photolithography process to fabricate a microneedle array mold. It then sputters or electroplates metal material on the mold. The microneedle array is formed after having taken off the mold.

The current microneedle array may be made of silicon (Si substrate), metal or polymer. The manufacturing methods of Si substrate microneedle array can further be categorized as using wet etching or dry etching. The manufacturing process of metal microneedle array can further be categorized as using electroplating or deposition. The manufacturing process of polymer microneedle array can be further categorized as using molding or photolithography.
Among the methods of microneedle array, the most widely adopted is using Si substrate to fabricate the hollow needles or mold. However, the fabrication process of using Si substrate is more complicated, as disclosed in WO0217985, and requires many steps of wet/dry etching and thin film deposition. As it takes a longer time to fabricate, the yield rate is low and the cost is high. U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,856 disclosed a method of fabricating a microneedle array having flat needle tips and tapered tubes, as shown in FIG. 1. This type of design limits the width of the flow channel and the flexibility of the needle. To fabricate the needle higher than 100 um, the needle density must be restricted in compromise for an appropriate size of aperture and strength of needle structure. The restriction of low needle density further causes the problem of insufficient sampling. In addition, the Si substrate microneedles are brittle and break easily.
The tip of the hollow microneedle in most prior arts is designed as flat, except the design disclosed in WO0217985 (see FIG. 2), which is a slant. This is because a slant tip is easier to penetrate the human skin for micro-sampling than the flat tip, as the human skin is flexible.
Kim et al. disclosed a method for fabricating metal microneedle array in Journal of Micromechanics and Micro engineering in 2004. They spread two layers of SU-8 on a glass substrate and used a back exposure to seperately bake the two layers of SU-8. They also used reactive ion etching to obtain an SU-8 pillar array structure, and then used sputtering, electroplating, planarization and polishing to fabricate a tapered metal hollow microneedle array, as shown in FIG. 3. However, the method requires multiple layers of SU-8 to achieve the layered effect and the high aspect ratio of the pillar is prone to slant or twist. The fabrication process is difficult to maintain the quality.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,820 disclosed another method of using lithography and photolithography to fabricate polymer microneedle array, as shown in FIG. 4. This method has the advantages of rapid fabrication of micromold and microneedle, and low fabrication cost of the material and process. However, the flat-tip microneedles are still limited in the application. In addition, the polymer microneedles of this method do not have microchannels or reservoirs, and require additional fabrication process to attach the microchannels and reservoirs, if necessary. It is, therefore, difficult to have this method applied for mass production.
Numerous methods of fabricating microneedle array have been proposed. Regardless of the material used, the object of the microneedle array includes the capability to penetrate the human skin for micro-injection or micro-sampling painlessly, easy to fabricate, low in fabrication cost and safe to use.

Microneedle array device and its fabrication method


Multistage charge pumps with diode loss compensation are disclosed. In one example, a pre-regulated charge pump to generate a voltage is described. The example pre-regulated charge pump includes a charge pump having a plurality of stages and one or more diodes. The stages are configured to generate an output voltage at an output terminal based on an input voltage and a number of the multiplier stages. The example pre-regulated charge pump also includes a pre-regulator stage configured to adjust the input voltage to remove dependency on supply voltage variation. The pre-regulator includes a feedback diode configured to compensate for one or more voltage drops associated with the one or more charge pump diodes.

Charge pumps, or voltage multipliers, are commonly used in integrated circuit (IC) applications to boost a main supply voltage to a higher voltage. In some applications, the higher voltage must be generated internally within the IC to avoid the use of an externally-applied voltage. Post-regulated charge pumps, which sense the output voltage of the charge pump and utilize a control loop to regulate the output voltage, offer voltage accuracy at the expense of increased complexity and power consumption. However, not all applications require the voltage accuracy provided by post-regulation and, therefore, added overhead associated with post-regulation.
Applications that do not require high accuracy often utilize unregulated charge pumps, which result in a reduced complexity and smaller area requirement. However, output voltages that stray outside the application voltage limits, even in applications not requiring high accuracy, may result in stress on a load device and/or other undesirable effects.


Method of making an electroplated interconnection wire of a composite of metal and carbon nanotubes is disclosed, including electroplating a substrate having a conductive baseline on a surface thereof in an electroplating bath containing a metal ion and carbon nanotubes, so that an electroplated interconnection wire of a composite of the metal and carbon nanotubes is formed on the conductive baseline. Alternatively, a method of the present invention includes preparing a dispersion of carbon nanotubes dispersed in an organic solvent, printing a baseline with the dispersion on a surface of a substrate, evaporating the organic solvent to obtain a conductive baseline, and electroplating the surface in an electroplating bath containing a metal ion, so that an electroplated interconnection wire of a composite of the metal and carbon nanotubes is formed on the conductive baseline.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,709,562 B1 discloses a method for producing a sub-micron interconnection structure on an integrated circuit chip, which comprises forming an insulation material on a substrate, forming trenches in said insulation by a photolithography technique; forming a conductive layer as an electroplating base on said insulation material; electroplating a seamless conductor in an electroplating bath containing copper ions and additives; and removing the electroplated conductor layer outside the trenches by polishing. The disclosure of said patent is incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,642 discloses a method of encapsulating a material in a carbon nanotube comprising generating a vapor of the material to be encapsulated, generating a hydrogen arc discharge that discharges encapsulating material and the products discharged from the hydrogen arc discharge proximate a surface to encapsulate the material in a carbon nanotube. However, this method is not applicable on a substrate with a large surface area.


A medical examination apparatus for acquisition of slice images of an examination subject, such as a magnetic resonance apparatus, has a control device for controlling the image acquisition procedure having at least one associated monitor on which graphic elements serving for adjustment of the image acquisition modalities can be displayed. The graphic elements can be positioned by the user via an input unit with regard to the image simultaneously displayed on the monitor. The control device controls the image acquisition procedure dependent on the position and type of the graphic elements. Some of the displayed graphic elements can be coupled to one another as needed in terms of their positional relationship so that, given a position change of a selected graphic element, all graphic elements coupled therewith can mutually be moved with retention of their positional relationship with one another.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a medical examination apparatus for acquisition of slice images of an examination subject, in particular a magnetic resonance apparatus, of the type having a control device that controls the image acquisition procedure, with at least one associated monitor on which can be displayed graphic elements serving for setting the image acquisition parameters, the graphic elements being positionable by the user via an input unit with regard to an image simultaneously displayed on the monitor, the control device controlling the image acquisition operation dependent on the position and type of the graphic elements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Magnetic resonance or computed tomography systems are used primarily for acquisition of slice images of an examination subject. In order to be able to exactly set the image acquisition parameters, previously acquired overview slice images that show the examination subject are displayed to the physician or to the technician on one or more monitors. One or more graphic elements then are superimposed in this image. These graphic elements may be of different types and allow the image acquisition parameters to be defined and individually adjusted by the physician. The graphic elements, for example, can more specifically define the site of the image acquisition, thus the examination site, for example 2D and 3D slice elements that determine the position and orientation of the slice to be acquired, or volume elements or spatial grids (for example for CSI spectroscopy (CSI=Chemical Shift Imaging)). In addition, the graphic elements can be positioned, so that, for example, specific regions visible in the displayed overview images can be virtually masked out; these regions then are saturated in the imaging procedure, which can be defined by corresponding saturation elements.
Depending on the examination method or on the examination subject, it may be necessary for a particular measurement or a measurement task (measurement protocol) to position a number of graphic elements, these being primarily aligned in three-dimensional patient space to the anatomy of the patient (defined, for example, by three previously-acquired overview images that are orthogonal to one another). These graphic elements simultaneously must be aligned among one another in a fixed spatial relationship (for example parallel to each other with predetermined separation, perpendicular to each other with a common center point, at a predetermined angular ratio to each other, etc.). The graphic elements are to be positioned separately by the physician, i.e. the physician designs the measurement task or the measurement protocol virtually step-by-step by positioning the individual graphic elements. If, for example, after concluding positioning the physician determines the selected arrangement is to be changed, this causes every graphic element to be separately repositioned, which is very laborious and time-consuming because many individual manual steps have be re-executed. Even small variations involve a series of corrections to objects to be aligned relative to one another, but it is essential that this be done to achieve a meaningful image acquisition.

Medical examination apparatus for acquiring slice images of a subject


In a high-pressure cleaning apparatus comprising an electric motor arranged in a housing, a high-pressure pump arranged in a housing with at least one piston entering a pump chamber in a sealed manner, and a swash plate carried by a motor shaft protruding from the housing of the electric motor, with the piston or pistons of the high-pressure pump resting in a resilient manner against the swash plate, in order to achieve electrical insulation in the region of the swash plate drive, it is proposed that the transition from the motor shaft via the swash plate to the piston or pistons be electrically interrupted by an electrically insulating material being interposed therebetween.

The invention relates to a high-pressure cleaning apparatus comprising an electric motor arranged in a housing, a high-pressure pump arranged in a housing, at least one piston entering a pump chamber in a sealed manner, and a swash plate carried by the motor shaft of the electric motor, with the piston or pistons of the high-pressure pump resting in a resilient manner against the swash plate, the transition from the motor shaft via the swash plate to the piston or pistons being electrically interrupted by an electrically insulating material interposed therebetween.
For safety reasons, it is necessary to electrically insulate the pump and the pump housing relative to the electric motor and the housing of the electric motor. In a known high-pressure cleaning apparatus in which the pistons of the high-pressure pump are driven by an eccentric drive, this is accomplished, inter alia, by the motor shaft of the electric motor carrying an eccentric being provided with a plastic covering (DE 88 01 028-U1). However, there is no hint to be found in this publication as to how this object could be accomplished specifically in a high-pressure cleaning apparatus with a swash plate drive.
It is also known, in such an axial piston pump, to design the swash plate as a molded part made of plastic material so that an electrical insulation is thereby achievable in the strand consisting of motor shaft/swash plate/piston (DE-U 9 320 361).
The object of the invention is to so design a generic high-pressure cleaning apparatus, i.e., a high-pressure cleaning apparatus with a swash plate drive, that a more complete electrical separation of the pump part and the motor part is possible.


A method of creating an aggregated Internet accessible registry includes the step of accepting a query from a registrant. The query contains an identifier and a search criteria, the identifier identifying one of a multitude of registry databases. Registries matching the search criteria in the selected registry database are retrieved. When the registrant selects one of the matching registries, a general user identifier that uniquely identifies the registrant is associated with the registry. Additional queries and registry selection completes the aggregation registry process. The aggregated registry is managed on-line by the registrants and accessed by guests. The aggregated registry provides a framework that allows automated updates by registry database provides without loss of the identity of an aggregated registry.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of Internet accessible product registries. More particularly, this invention relates to a system and method for aggregating and managing multiple registries over the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
The advent of widespread access to the Internet has generated interest in the development of web applications capable of accessing registry databases. Registry databases are collections of registries. Each registry in a registry database describes a registrant, an event, and the items that the registrant would like to acquire in celebration of the event. Registry databases are generally maintained by retailers such as department stores. An event may be, for example, an engagement, wedding, anniversary, birthday, graduation, religious holiday, baby shower, baptism, confirmation, Mother""s day, Father""s day, or other significant event. Further, rather than representing an event, a registry may simply represent the generalized wish list of the registrant.
Internet accessible registry databases have many advantages over registry databases that are exclusively available in the store. First, an Internet accessible registry removes geographic limitations. Trips to the store to purchase registry items or to create a registry are no longer necessary. One simply accesses the registry over the Internet from the convenience of the home or office. The hassle of traffic, waiting in lines, and reliance on sales staff is circumvented. Using an Internet accessible registry, it is possible for a Tuscaloosa Alabama couple to register with a retailer in Manhattan, or for that matter, Venice, Italy. Second, for guests, the purchasers of registration items from a registry, options such as gift routing and wrapping are conveniently handled directly over the Internet. For example, gift wrapping and its concomitant hassles, such as waiting in long gift wrapping lines, is prevented by making such on-line designations. Third, Internet accessible registry databases provide advantages to retailers such as reduction in overhead costs and product exposure to an expanded, geographically unconstrained marketxe2x80x94benefits that may be passed on to the consumer in the form of reduced retail prices.
Retailers that provide registration services over the Internet typically restrict the content of their registry databases to products offered by the individual retailer or, at best, to those of a highly limited number of retail partners. Thus, registrants to major events such as weddings must still register with several different retailers in order to attempt adequate coverage. Often registrants are not satisfied with the scope of their selections even after several different retail-specific registries have been made. However, the typical registrant does not create more retail-specific registries because of the burden it places on guests and because of the high degree of maintenance that is required by the registrant to maintain such a large number of registries. Further, existing retail-specific registries do not offer registrant with the option of registering unconventional items such as maid service, cooking lessons, or camping gear.
Even with the introduction of Internet accessible registries, the practice of restricting registry database content produces the unsatisfactory result that guests attempting to buy gifts for registrants must search multiple retail-specific web sites. Such inconvenience is magnified when the guest does not even know where the registrant is registered. Several retail independent web sites have attempted to address the shortcomings of retail-specific Internet accessible registry databases. These web sites allow a registrant to build a gift registry that is not retail-specific. However, while functional, such web sites are unsatisfactory in practice. The registrant must manually enter large amounts of information, such as a product description, price, and possible places that the registry item can be found. Further, there is no method by which a retailer can update the registry when a purchase is made. Rather, such web sites typically require that the guest update the registrants"" web page as gifts are purchased. This has the disadvantage that every guest must use the registrant""s web page and diligently update it. Often, this is simply not possible because some of the guests do not have access to the Internet.
In view of the situation described, what is needed in the art is a system and method for managing a large number of registries in a single uniform environment such that the amount of work required by both the registrants and the guests is minimized and the content of the registries is expanded beyond traditional retail content.
The present invention provides a system and method for aggregating registries. The system and method allows registrants to collect all registries, both custom and retail-specific, in a single web site. The present invention allows registrants to expand the number of event types for which they create registries. Using the features of the present invention, registries for even the most common events, such as birthdays, are created by registrants and are easily accessed by relatives and friends over the Internet.
In a preferred embodiment, a query from a registrant, which includes an identifier and a search criteria, is received by a server. The identifier is used to select a particular registry database from a plurality of registry databases. The search criteria is used to identify matching registries in the selected registry database. In response to a selection of one of the matching registries, a user identification that uniquely identifies the registrant is associated with the selected registry. As the registrant selects additional registries, an aggregated registry, composed of each registry that has been chosen, forms. Because selected registries are associated with a user identification rather than transferred to a secondary registry database, an aggregated registry typically spans multiple primary registry databases.
In another aspect of the present invention, a query is received from a guest and multiple registry databases are searched. The query typically includes a name of a registrant and an event date. A unique identifier, for each matching registry in any of the multiple registry databases, is then communicated to the guest. When the guest selects one of the unique identifiers, the registry associated with the unique identifier is opened for review. The guest may pick items in the registry for purchase while the registry is open. In a preferred embodiment, the guest may make additional queries. The additional queries may designate different registrants or additional event dates. As with the original query, each registry database is searched for matching registries. Unique identifiers, each representing a matching registry, are communicated to the guest. The guest selects one of the unique identifiers and the corresponding registry is opened. Items selected by the guest from the opened registry are added to an aggregated purchase list that includes all items selected by the guest from previously selected registries.
When the guest has finished making queries and selecting items, a single purchase transaction is performed. The purchase transaction includes the steps of producing a requisition for each registry database provider represented in the aggregated purchase list. Each requisition corresponds to a particular registry database provider and includes each item in the purchase list that originated from a particular registry database supported by the corresponding registry database provider. Then, using a credit and/or debit system, such as a credit card associated with the guest, an electronic purchase transaction is executed for each requisition.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a registrant may log onto a server. During the log in process, a unique user identifier is obtained from the user profile of the registrant. The user identifier is used to generate an aggregated registry that includes each registry in a multitude of registry databases. Once the registrant selects one of the registries in the aggregated registry, management of the registry over the Internet is possible. On-line management typically includes adding/deleting items from the registry, reviewing the registry purchase order history, altering an item order quantity in the registry, identifying a party that has made an order using the registry; and/or sending a message to a party that has made an order using said registry.
In yet another preferred embodiment, registry database providers may access their registry databases from a server to review update registry databases with in store activity, revise on-line catalogs of products, and review registry orders. However, even when registry database providers update their respective registry databases, aggregated registries, i.e. the associations between user identifications and registries, are preserved.

System and method for providing internet accessible registries


A device for managing alcohol consumption of a user includes a camera that captures an image associated with a beverage container, a display unit, a memory unit that stores (a) a set of modules, and (b) a database, and (iv) a processor that executes (a) an alcohol content identification module, when executed by the processor, identifies (i) a type of drink in the beverage container and (ii) an alcohol content associated with the drink, (b) an alcohol consumption determination module, executed by the processor, determines an alcohol consumption by the user, (c) an alcohol consumption updating module, when executed by the processor, updates the alcohol consumption by the user in the database, and (d) an alert generation module, when executed by the processor, generates an alert when the alcohol consumption by the user is in proximity with the at least one of periodic threshold.

Technical Field
The embodiments herein generally relate to alcohol consumption management systems, and, more particularly, a system and method for obtaining information associated with alcohol consumption behavior of a user and facilitating the user in managing his/her drinking behavior.
Description of the Related Art
People consume alcohol sporadically without keeping track of their consumption. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to health problems, family problems, loss of productivity at work places, etc. Typically, there exist a number of applications which enable an individual to keep tracking their drinking habits.
AlcoDroid Alcohol Tracker, developed by Myrecek is an alcohol consumption tracker application for a mobile phone, in which an individual logs drinks which have been consumed. The EAC is plotted on a chart and it indicates when alcohol consumption by the individual reaches a legal limit for driving, or subsequently when blood alcohol content (BAC) level of the individual gets back to zero.
A blood alcohol calculator developed by Hauki, is an application for a mobile phone, in which an individual may provide quantity of one or more drinks (e.g., beer, wine, and spirits) which have been consumed. Accordingly, the application computes and displays a maximum blood alcohol level of the individual.
An alcohol calculator developed by Pawel Nadolski, is also an application for a mobile phone. An individual has to enter number of alcoholic drinks consumed by the individual and a finish time of drink. The application computes and displays blood alcohol concentration and an estimated time at which blood alcohol level will drop to an allowable limit for driving.
A blood alcohol calculator developed by CityJams is a simple calculator that provides a list of common drink types. An individual has to enter his/her weight, time spent in drinking, and types of drinks consumed. The blood alcohol calculator then calculates the blood alcohol content (BAC) level.
Drink Droid Plus BAC Calculator developed by Laby, is an application for estimating the blood alcohol content (BAC) level based on types and quantity of drinks consumed by an individual.
Another example of a blood alcohol content calculator is jAlcoMeter, developed by Tuukka Haapasalo. The application works by allowing a user to input each drink in a real-time, or later if he/she forgets. Personal information such as a gender and a weight is captured to enable the BAC level estimation, and current intoxication level is indicated. However, whilst this application gives an indication of how intoxicated a person is becoming, it is necessary for the individual to enter details of each drink consumed, which is likely to be inaccurate in various circumstances. The application does not support individuals to modify their drinking habits or fails to indicate whether their drinking habits have caused any long term problem.
KR 100286129 discloses a portable phone having a "drunkometer" function to add functions of a breathalyzer to a portable terminal. A "drunken alarm message" display on the portable phone is connected to an alcohol concentration detection sensor. A ROM connected with the message display, stores a required drunken alarm messages.
Accordingly, thus whilst portable breathalyzers exist and mobile device applications operable to enable an individual to log a number of drinks consumed exist. However, there remains a need for an alcohol management system that gives support to individuals in modify their drinking habits.

System and method for managing alcohol consumption of a user using a smartphone application


An automatic clutch is integrated in a weapon system between an ammunition feed system and a cannon. A feeder feeds ammunition into the cannon. The clutch mechanism includes an actuator, a locking pin with an assisting spring or the like, and locking cams. The clutch mechanism allows the drum shaft of the cannon to be disengaged from the gear of the feeder between the cannon and the ammunition supply system and thus from the conveyance mechanism of the feeder.

The invention pertains to an ammunition feed system with an automatic clutch, especially for a revolver cannon.
Ammunition feed systems in belted and unbelted (linkless) form, which convey the ammunition to the feeder of the weapon, are sufficiently well known. The linkless ammunition is characterized by the fact that the installed volume in the ammunition magazine is generally smaller than for belted ammunition.
EP 1 024 339 B1 describes an ammunition magazine for beltlessly conveyed ammunition. The cartridges are fed from the ammunition magazine to the weapon by an ammunition feed system. The goal is to prevent the occurrence of slack chain links, especially during acceleration of the ammunition drive chain.
Ammunition feed systems are usually connected with the cannon either rigidly or by a clutch and move the ammunition into the weapon or cannon according to the rate of fire.
With respect to loading or unloading the ammunition feed system and discharging the cannon, it is necessary, especially at high basic loads, to separate the cannon from the ammunition feed system. This can be accomplished by a manually operated clutch, which mechanically separates the ammunition feed system from the cannon. After disengagement, the cannon and ammunition feed system can be moved independently of each other and the operations of loading/unloading can be carried out. For loading the cannon itself and firing, the ammunition feed system and the cannon must be synchronized again by the clutch.

Ammunition feed system with an automatic clutch


The systems may include dividing a digital map provided by a mapping system into a matrix having a plurality of cells; assigning a cell of the plurality of cells to encompass a geographic region of the digital map; calculating a number of sites of interest in the cell; creating a marker comprising a first count number representing the number of sites of interest in the cell; and sharing the marker with a browser for display on the digital map.

Various entities may wish to locate, plot and/or monitor various sites of interest on a digital map. A digital map may allow magnifying or expanding the visible area of the digital map to aid in monitoring sites of interest in specific geographic areas. Sites of interest may include a merchant using or selling their products, service providers providing services or any other site or location an entity may want to plot and/or monitor. Traditionally, digital maps allowed only a certain number of sites to be plotted and monitored on a digital map, so it may not be appropriate or possible to plot all sites of interest.

American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.


A bypass directional control valve has a valve sleeve, and two sets of outlet ports on each of two axial sides of the inlet ports. The outlet and the inlet ports all are formed to be cylindrical holes, and a diameter of the inlet ports is greater than a diameter of the outlet ports. A valve sleeve, a spool, a fluid flow system and a method are all also disclosed.

This application relates to a bypass directional control valve for use in a pumping system.
Pumping systems are known, and utilized in any number of applications. One application is a gear pump delivering fuel to accessories on a gas turbine engine, such as to a Fuel/Oil Cooler (FOC).
In known systems, a pressure regulating valve is positioned downstream of the gear pump, and operates to bypass a portion of the pumped fluid back to an inlet for the gear pump.
A bypass directional control valve receives the bypass fluid downstream of the pressure regulating valve, and directs the bypass flow into two paths. A first path may be delivered through a heat exchanger, such as a fuel oil cooler, and the second path may be delivered without passing through such a cooler. The bypass directional control valve receives a control pressure signal to move to distinct positions to control the amount of fluid delivered to the two paths, respectively.
Bypass directional control valves in the prior art have resulted in undesirably high pressure losses.


The relay includes means for obtaining current and voltage samples on the power transmission line for a particular possible fault type. The current sample is multiplied by the replica impedance of the power transmission line, while the voltage sample is multiplied by a polarizing voltage to provide a first complex expression having a real portion and an imaginary portion. The product of the current sample and the replica impedance is multiplied by the polarizing voltage to produce a second complex expression having a real portion and an imaginary portion. The real portion of the first complex expression is then divided by the real portion of the second complex expression to produce a scale value m which is compared against known reference scale values for each zone, so as to determine underimpedance conditions in any one of the zones.

Distance relays are used primarily to detect underimpedance conditions on a power transmission line, due to a fault or other condition on the line, although they may be used in other applications as well. One particular type of distance relay is known as the "mho" relay. The mho relay has a circular impedance plane characteristic and in operation, discriminates between transmission line impedances which are inside or outside of the mho circle. An actual impedance for a particular line portion which is determined by the relay to be inside the mho circle is an indication of an underimpedance condition on that particular portion of the line, which in turn is a reliable indication that there is a fault on that portion of the line.
While the mho circle distance relay is reliable and has been widely used for several decades, a large number of individual mho elements are required to cover all of the fault types in a three phase line. When four or even more zones along a given portion of transmission line are covered by a conventional distance relay, twenty-four or even more mho elements may be necessary. Associated computation/comparison elements and computation time are necessary for the operation of each mho element, to calculate the impedance condition. Thus, for a distance relay covering a number of overlapping zones, including all fault types, a large number of elements is required and the overall system is computationally intensive.
From the standpoint of system cost, as well as reliability and efficiency, it would be desirable to reduce the number of mho elements and the computational burden in such a relay without decreasing the protective capability of the relay.

Computationally-efficient distance relay for power transmission lines

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.


A method including removing an impurity from a gas stream to a processing chamber at a point of use. An apparatus with a point of use purifier on a gas stream. An apparatus including a shelf having dimensions suitable for placement within a thermal processing including a body of a material that renders the body opaque to radiation frequency range used for a temperature measurement of a substrate in a thermal processing chamber.

In many semiconductor device manufacturing processes, the required high levels of device performance, yield, and process repeatability can be achieved if constituents (gases, reactants, etc.) of known quality (e.g., purity) are delivered to a processing environment. Device performance, yield, and process repeatability can also be achieved if the substrate (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) remains relatively free of defects during processing of the substrate.
Rapid thermal processing (RTP) is used for several different fabrication processes, including rapid thermal annealing (RTA), rapid thermal cleaning (RTC), rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD), rapid thermal oxidation (RTO), and rapid thermal nitridation (RTN). Many advances in substrate processing techniques are generally seeking higher temperature processing conditions. One high temperature process, where temperatures of 1200° C. or greater are desired is in the formation of semiconductor on insulator (SOI) substrates. SOI substrates are desired, in one regard, because such substrates offer an alternative to increased device speed and performance with a given feature size (i.e., without decreasing device feature size).
In one technique for forming an SOI substrate, two substrates are bonded together and cleaved ("bond and cleave" method). A first substrate is first subjected to oxide (e.g., SiO2) growth on a surface. A second substrate is implanted with a species that creates a damaged layer below a monocrystalline layer of sufficient thickness for device fabrication. The monocrystalline layer of the second substrate is bonded to the oxide surface of the first substrate and the composite substrate (of the first and second substrates) is cleaved at the damaged layer. The remaining composite structure includes a monocrystalline layer over an oxide layer.
The surface of the monocrystalline layer formed according to the bond and cleave method is typically rough following cleaving. The composite substrate is generally thermally annealed at a high temperature in a hydrogen (H2) atmosphere to smooth the surface. The high temperature anneal surface smoothing process consists, in one embodiment, of a soak at around 1200° C. or greater for around 30 seconds or more in a H2 atmosphere. This process is representatively described in the following articles: Sato & Yonehara, Appl Phys Lett 65 (15) 1994, pp. 1924-1926; Maszara et al., 1997 IEEE International SOI Conference Proceedings, pp. 130-131; and Moriceau et al., 1998 IEEE International SOI Conference Proceedings, pp. 37-38.
One criteria associated with high temperature anneal processing such as described is maintaining the quality of constituents delivered to the processing environment. An objective of a surface smoothing anneal, for example, is maintaining a moisture-free environment for this anneal. See Sato et al., 1998 IEEE International SOI Conference Proceedings, pp. 17-18 (noting etch or pitting rate related to amount of oxygen in hydrogen atmosphere). One guideline is that the gases used for the anneal have an oxygen or moisture content of less than one part per million (ppm). A representative purity measurement of gases that is typically delivered to a tool from a tank source, however, has been found to be on the order of 10 ppm range.
There is also a trend in RTP processes to increase substrate size so as to increase the number of devices which can be fabricated simultaneously. If substrate thickness is constant, the mass of the substrate is generally proportional to the square of its radius or edge length.
In susceptor-based processing systems, the substrate is supported by being placed on a susceptor support. Thus, the amount of support is proportional to the surface area of the substrate. In susceptorless processing systems, the substrate is generally only supported around its perimeter with an edge ring. In one type of susceptorless system, the edge ring is positioned between a heat source, such as a number of lamp heaters, and a reflector plate to reflect radiation from the heat source to a substrate seated on the edge ring. A substrate is supported at its edge by the edge ring.
In susceptorless systems, the edge ring has a tendency to impart a localized ring of scratches around the perimeter of the bottom surface of the substrate, which may be explained as follows. A substrate tends to sag where it is not supported by the edge ring, i.e., in areas away from its edge, causing the substrate to assume a curved shape. Exposure of the substrate to high temperatures makes the substrate more susceptible to sag, thus increasing its curvature.
Because of its curvature, the edge of the substrate assumes a slight angle from the horizontal. For instance, the edge of a 12-inch (300 mm) diameter substrate may be about 150 μm higher than its center at room temperature, thereby causing the edge of the substrate to assume an angle of about 0.1 degrees from the horizontal. Due to this angle, the substrate does not rest flat on the surface of the edge ring but instead contacts the ring's inside edge. As a result, the edge ring tends to scratch the bottom surface of the substrate.
300 mm (12 inch) substrates are especially susceptible to scratches for two reasons. First, 300 mm substrates are heavier and more highly curved when supported at their edge, causing the substrate to contact the edge ring with greater force. Second, larger substrates are typically provided with backside surfaces that are highly polished, which tend to show scratches more readily than unpolished surfaces.
A ridge, or "edge crown", or nodules present on the inside edge of the edge ring were also found to scratch the substrate. The edge crown, which is formed when the edge ring is coated with a layer of polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon), is composed of excess polysilicon that preferentially deposits on the inside edge of the edge ring. The edge ring is typically coated with a layer of polysilicon to render it opaque in the frequency range used for temperature measurements of the substrate, thereby improving the accuracy of the temperature measurement. Nodules tend to form when the substrate and edge ring are of similar materials (e.g., silicon) and, as the melting point of the material is approached, the edge ring and substrate stick together and material is transferred to the edge ring. The material transferred from the substrate to the edge ring, typically classified in the form of a nodule, can damage successive substrates.
Scratches on the surface of a substrate are undesirable because they tend to increase the susceptibility of the substrate to slip. Slip is a defect in the crystalline structure of the substrate that tends to destroy any devices through which it may pass, thereby reducing the yield of the substrate. More particularly, the presence of scratches on a substrate causes slip to occur in the substrate at a lower temperature than if no scratches were present. In other words, the presence of scratches makes a substrate less robust and less able to tolerate high temperatures. Scratches also increase the susceptibility of a substrate to slip under rapidly varying temperature conditions. Scratches are therefore a particularly significant problem for substrates processed in RTP chambers, where temperatures typically exceed 1100° C. and are subject to rapid change.
In addition to increasing the susceptibility of a substrate to slip, scratches also introduce undesirable cosmetic imperfections in the substrate. Furthermore, scratches may generate stray particles that may contaminate a device fabrication process, thereby decreasing yield.

High temperature anneal with improved substrate support