A release device for releasing a flowable preparation includes an electrical energy source, a control unit connected to the energy source, a sensor unit, a release element and an acoustic transducer. The sensor unit is a piezoelectric element suitable for picking up sound waves and/or structure-borne noise from the surrounding environment and converting them into a sensor signal which is converted in the control unit into a control signal for the release element. The release element is the same piezoelectric element and is supplied with electrical signals from the control unit and sprays at least one first preparation from at least one first container. The acoustic transducer is the same piezoelectric element and is supplied with electrical signals from the control unit, which electrical signals are converted by the piezoelectric element into audible acoustic signals in a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

Accurate dispensing which is appropriate to requirements of flowable or pourable compositions is of relevance in a large number of fields of application.
Domestically, in particular, the dispensing of flowable substances is gaining in significance, this having its basis primarily in the exact dispensing, controlled according to requirements, of the corresponding active substances, whereby on the one hand the environment is protected by resource conservation and the prevention of incorrect or over-dispensing, while on the other hand the efficiency of the active substances dispensed in this way is optimized.
The dispensing of cleaning and scenting compositions in the toilet area is currently effected primarily by "toilet fresheners". These comprise single- or multi-chamber containers, which are hung in the toilet bowl in such a way that, during the process of flushing the toilet bowl with water, an active substance is released from the toilet freshener into the toilet bowl.
Such devices are known for example from EP0828902 or DE10113036.
A significant disadvantage of these toilet fresheners is that dispensing depends substantially on the respective local flow conditions in the toilet bowl during the flushing process. However, flow conditions may differ widely as a function of toilet type and the positioning of the toilet freshener in or on the toilet bowl. It may thus happen, for example, that with certain toilet types no active substance is released from the toilet freshener, since no or insufficient water flows over the toilet freshener during the flushing process and the dispensing mechanism of the toilet freshener is thus not initiated.
Also, if flush water flows as intended over a toilet freshener, this is disadvantageous insofar as the water path intended by the toilet manufacturer is disturbed, whereby the flushing performance of a toilet may be noticeably reduced.
Active substances are usually released from such toilet fresheners as a result of penetration of flush water through openings in the toilet freshener, the preparations being partially dissolved and discharged by and swept away from the toilet freshener when the flush water exits through corresponding outlet openings. Depending on how the toilet freshener is arranged in the toilet, the strength of flow through it varies due to the frequently locally very different flow conditions involved in flush water outlet from the toilet bowl rim, whereby only diffuse release of the active substances may be achieved.
Conventionally the flush water stream is influenced, as described above, by the introduction of a toilet freshener. The changed flow conditions may change the flushing behavior of the toilet markedly. Frequently the flush water stream is influenced in such a way that water is splashed upwards out of the toilet bowl, such that flush water escapes from the toilet bowl or may come into contact with the user when the toilet is used, which as a rule is regarded as unpleasant.
Moreover, a purposeful flow path in toilets is designed as an attempt to reduce further the quantities of flush water used while maintaining the same or improved flushing behavior, such that any intervention in the flush water flow in toilets optimized in this way has a far greater effect on flushing behavior.
It would thus be desirable to have a release device for releasing active substances into a toilet bowl which dispenses active substances into the toilet bowl independently of the toilet flushing process.
In addition to targeted dispensing of preparations in a toilet, accurate dispensing of preparations in a manner appropriate to the circumstances has in particular also reached the field of automatic washing and dishwashing agents. These automatic washing and dishwashing agents are typically offered for sale to the consumer in solid form, for example as a powder or as tablets, but increasingly also in liquid or gel form. For some considerable time, attention has focused on convenient dispensing of washing and cleaning agents and on simplifying the operations required to carry out a washing or cleaning method.
Furthermore, one of the main objectives of manufacturers of automatic washing and cleaning agents is to improve the washing and cleaning performance of these agents, increasing attention having been paid in recent times to washing and cleaning performance in low temperature washing and cleaning cycles or in washing and cleaning cycles with reduced water consumption. To this end, new ingredients, for example more highly active surfactants, polymers, enzymes or bleaching agents have been added to the washing and cleaning agents. However, since new ingredients are only available to a limited extent and the quantity of the ingredients used per washing and cleaning cycle cannot be increased at will for environmental and economic reasons, there are natural limits to this approach to solving the problem.
In this connection, devices for multiple dispensing of washing and cleaning agents have recently in particular come to the attention of product developers. In terms of these devices, a distinction may be drawn between dispensing chambers integrated into the dishwashing machine or washing machine, on the one hand, and separate devices independent of the dishwashing machine or washing machine, on the other hand. These devices, which contain a multiple of the quantity of washing or cleaning agent required to carry out a washing or cleaning method, automatically or semi-automatically dispense washing or cleaning agent portions into the interior of the water-conveying domestic appliance over the course of a plurality of successive washing or cleaning methods. For the consumer, manual dispensing for each cleaning or washing cycle is no longer necessary. Examples of such devices are described in European patent application EP 1 759 624 A2 (Reckitt Benckiser) or in German patent application DE 53 5005 062 479 A1 (BSH Bosch and Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH).
For detecting a rinsing or washing section within a treatment program of a water-conveying domestic appliance, it is desirable to have the simplest and most reliable sensor system possible, and the simplest possible release element for dispensing the corresponding preparations.
It is furthermore desirable for a user to receive signals from such a release device, for example to indicate that a preparation is being sprayed or the end of a spraying operation.
The object of the invention is accordingly to provide a compact, inexpensive to manufacture device which dispenses preparations in response to predetermined, sensor-detected measured variables and which indicates at least the start and/or the end of active substance release to the user.
Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

Dispensing device having a piezoelectric element


A clamp assembly including a curved resilient band terminating in a radial direction in two clamp members and in an axial direction in two end faces that are bent radially inwards, the resilient band being adapted to receive therein an elastomeric seal that contacts an outer contour of a pipe, wherein the end faces are formed with a plurality of notches, each of the notches having an open end facing radially inwards and a closed end opposite to the open end, the closed end being wider than the open end.

Many kinds of removable band-type couplings or clamps for pipes exist in the art. It is noted that throughout the specification and claims, the term "pipe" encompasses any kind of generally cylindrical object.
One kind of clamp has a resilient band that wraps around the pipe and is sealingly tightened on the pipe with bolts or screws. The resilient band is typically made of sheet metal.
An example of such a prior art resilient band 6 is shown in FIG. 1. It is known in the prior art to form notches 7 on end faces 8 of the band 6. The purpose of the notches 7 is to improve the ability of the band 6 to bend when being wrapped and tightened about a pipe (not shown). However, sometimes stresses are formed near the notches 7, which may lead to cracking of the band material near the notches 7.

Clamp assembly with resilient band having notches


The invention provides an image stabilizer by which, even where it is applied to an image stabilizing optical apparatus which employs an optical axis angle variation mechanism in which an optical system of the afocal type is employed, problems of interference with an imaging optical system and so forth can be solved. A plano-concave lens and a plano-convex lens form an optical system of the afocal type. A turning shaft supports the plano-concave lens for turning movement in a plane perpendicular to an optical system of the optical system while a turning shaft supports the plano-convex lens for turning movement in another plane perpendicular to the optical axis. A pair of shaking detectors, a calculation section, a pair of drive circuits, and a pair of drive motors drive the plano-concave lens and plano-convex lens to turn to compensate for or cancel hand-shaking of the optical system.

This invention relates to an image stabilizer suitable for use with an image stabilizing optical apparatus provided, for example, in a video tape recorder integrated with a camera (hereinafter referred to as "video camera"). The present invention further relates to an optical axis angle variation apparatus suitable for use to realize an image stabilizer of the type mentioned and also to an optical axis angle variation mechanism suitable for use to realize an optical axis angle variation apparatus of the type mentioned.
In recent years, also for a video camera for broadcasting business use, it becomes demanded to have an image stabilizer for suppressing shaking of an imaged image caused by hand-shaking because of reduction of skilled cameramen and so forth.
In order to satisfy this demand, it has been proposed to employ an image stabilizing optical apparatus which is employed by video cameras for general consumers.
As one of image stabilizing optical apparatus employed in video cameras for general consumers, an image stabilizing optical apparatus is conventionally known. The image stabilizing optical apparatus controls a transmission light optical axis angle based on a magnitude of hand-shaking (angular displacement) of a video camera to suppress shaking of an imaged image caused by the hand-shaking. Here, the transmission light optical axis angle is an angle of an emergent side optical axis with respect to an incident side optical axis of an optical system.
In order to realize an image stabilizing optical apparatus of the type described above, an optical axis angle variation apparatus by which a transmission light optical axis angle can be corrected in accordance with a correction demand for a transmission light optical axis angle is required. Further, in order to realize the optical axis angle variation apparatus, an optical axis angle variation mechanism which can vary a transmission light optical axis angle is required.
As an optical axis angle variation mechanism of the type mentioned, a mechanism which employs a variable apex angle prism and another system which employs an optical system of the afocal type are conventionally known.
One of optical axis angle variation mechanisms of the type wherein a variable apex angle prism is employed is disclosed, for example, in Document 1 listed below. In the optical axis angle variation mechanism disclosed in Document 1, a variable apex angle prism is formed by encapsulating liquid between a pair of pivotally connected glass substrates and the angle between the glass substrates, that is, the apex angle of the variable apex angle prism, is varied to vary the transmission light optical axis angle.
Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open
No. Showa 61-269572 PA1 No. Heisei 06-070220 PA1 No. Heisei 06-281889 PA1 No. Heisei 06-118471 PA1 No. Heisei 07-168235
Another optical axis angle variation mechanism of the type wherein a variable apex angle prism is employed is disclosed, for example, in Document 2 and Document 3 listed below. In the optical axis angle variation mechanism disclosed in Document 2 or 3, a plano-convex lens and a plano-concave lens having proximate spherical curvatures to each other are disposed such that spherical faces thereof are opposed to each other to form a variable apex angle prism and the two lenses are turned around the centers of the curvatures thereof to vary the angle defined by the flat surfaces of the lenses, that is, the angle of the variable apex angle prism, thereby to vary the transmission light optical axis angle.
Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open
Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open
As an optical axis angle variation mechanism which employs an optical system of the afocal type, an optical axis angle variation mechanism disclosed, for example, in Document 4 or Document 5 listed below is known. In the optical axis angle variation mechanism disclosed in Document 4 or 5, an optical system of the afocal type is formed from one concave lens and one convex lens, and the two lenses are moved perpendicularly to an optical axis and orthogonally to each other to vary the transmission light optical axis angle.
Document 4: Japanese Patent Laid-open
Document 5: Japanese Patent Laid-Open
However, a video camera for broadcasting business use has a large lens aperture, and a high speed responsibility is required for it. Where such an optical axis angle variation mechanism as disclosed in Document 1 is applied to a video camera for broadcasting business use, since the liquid has a considerably high viscosity, a high speed responsibility cannot be realized readily and high power dissipation is required. Further, since the video camera may possibly be used under severe conditions, there is the possibility that the liquid may leak or bubbles may be produced in the liquid by a drop of the air pressure, resulting in deterioration of the picture quality.
Meanwhile, in the optical axis angle variation mechanism disclosed in Document 2 or 3, the centers of turning movements of the two lenses are included in the optical path. While the optical axis angle variation mechanism requires a supporting mechanism for supporting the two lenses for turning motion, where it is applied to a video camera for broadcasting business use, since the video camera for broadcasting business use has a large lens aperture and has a high inertia, a large supporting mechanism and high power are required.
Further, in the optical axis angle variation mechanism disclosed in Document 4 or 5, as a supporting mechanism for supporting a lens for movement in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis, a suspension formed from a leaf spring or a like element disposed in the direction of the optical axis is employed. However, where the optical axis angle variation mechanism employs such a construction as just described, in order to support a large aperture lens, a long and large suspension is required. This gives rise to a problem that the supporting mechanism and an imaging optical system of the video camera may interfere with each other, another problem that it is difficult to assemble the support mechanism to the imaging optical system and a further problem that driving control of the suspension is difficult. Those problems arise also where a supporting mechanism which employs orthogonal slide guides are used as a supporting mechanism for a lens. Therefore, it is difficult to use the optical axis angle variation mechanism for a video camera for broadcasting business use.

Optical axis angle variation mechanism optical axis angle variation apparatus and image stabilizer


Refrigerator and an ice maker, the refrigerator including an ice maker, an ice bank for receiving ice from the ice maker, and discharging the ice, an ice moving device movably mounted for receiving ice from the ice bank, and discharging the ice to a dispenser, and a driving device for moving the ice moving device, thereby obtaining ice without bending oneself.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator and an ice making apparatus from which ice can be taken out without bending oneself.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, the refrigerator stores food at a low temperature by operating a refrigerant system.
In general, the refrigerator is provided with a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber. In the refrigerators, there are a bottom freezer type in which the freezing chamber is arranged at a lower portion, and a top freezer type in which the freezing chamber is arranged at an upper portion. In the freezing chamber, there may be an ice making apparatus provided thereto.
Recently, in order to satisfy various tastes of consumers, the ice making apparatus is provided, not only to the refrigerator, but also to various products, such as water purifier. The ice making apparatus is connected to a dispenser for the user to have ice through the dispenser.
However, the related art ice making apparatus, or refrigerator has the following problem.
In the bottom freezer type refrigerator, the dispenser can not but be arranged at the lower portion of a body of the refrigerator, because the ice making appatatus is arranged in the freezing chamber. Moreover, in a case the ice making apparatus is arranged in a refrigerator with a low body height, or the lower portion of a body of a predetermined product, the dispenser can not but be arranged at a lower portion of the body. In this case there is inconvenience of the user to bend oneself for taking out ice.


In order to automatically calculate an operational sequence of processes that determine an output value from at least one input value, a multitude of processes (P1–P8), whose inputs are provided with at least one of the attributes: input value of the same calculation cycle (PRE), input value of the preceding calculation cycle (POST), input value from any calculation cycle (ANY), are arranged in such a manner that a process, which does not have any input with the attribute input value of the same calculation cycle (PRE), is determined as the first process of a calculation cycle and, in successive analogous steps, determines a quantity of possible sequences.

The invention relates to a method for automatically obtaining an operational sequence of processes, a method for checking a sequence of processes to be worked through to ascertain inconsistencies in the data flow and a tool for arranging or testing a sequence of processes to be worked through, in particular a sequence of calculation functions of operating system software, for example operating system software of an electronic controller for a motor vehicle.
The publication "Kürzere Entwicklungszeiten mit automatischer Codegenerierung" [shorter development times with automatic code generation ] in Automotive Engineering Partners 5/99, Vieweg GmbH, Verlag Friedrich & Sohn Verlagsgesellschaft mbH of the GWV Fachverlagen GmbH, discloses a tool for automatic code generation for operating system software of motor vehicle controllers and also a testing tool for checking the functions of a controller. The tool for automatic code generation automatically translates the technical presettings of development engineers, which are in the form of a physical description of an automatic control system, into the code that can be read by a controller of a motor vehicle. The testing tool addresses the controller via an interface and generates physically correct signals which would be generated in the actual operation of a motor vehicle. Therefore, the system behavior of the controller, and more precisely its operating system software, can be investigated at an early stage in the laboratory in a simulation of the closed control loop.
However, the tool is not able to determine independently the sequence of processes of an automatic control system, but mainly serves only for translating manual presettings into software code. Furthermore, it is often desirable to take over already tested sequences of processes or individual processes from existing libraries for a new development and to insert new processes at a suitable point of the existing sequence or to link up in an executable sequence known, tested processes with processes to be newly devised.

Method for automatically obtaining an operational sequence of processes and a tool for performing such method


The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, particularly a liquid crystal display device provided with a retardation film, and an electronic device using the same, and provides a liquid crystal display device which satisfactorily and certainly eliminates coloring in the ON-state as well as in the OFF-state and gives a good contrast, and an electronic device using the same. The invention provides a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel having a liquid crystal layer and a retardation film for eliminating coloring caused on the liquid crystal display panel; wherein a polarized light separator comprising a first film having birefringence and a second film not having birefringence is arranged at least on one side of the liquid crystal display panel; the ratio B.sub.LC /B.sub.RF of the wavelength dispersion B.sub.LC of refractive index anisotropy in the liquid crystal display panel to the wavelength dispersion of retardation in the retardation film is at least 1.02; and the ratio R.sub.450 /R.sub.650 of the reflectivity R.sub.450 at a wavelength of 450 nm of the polarized light separator to the reflectivity R.sub.650 at a wavelength of 650 nm is at least 1.

1. Industrial Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, particularly one provided with a retardation film for eliminating coloring caused on the liquid crystal display panel, and an electronic device such as a watch or a portable telephone using such a liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is conventionally known a liquid crystal display device provided with a liquid crystal display panel such as an STN (Super-Twisted Nematic) liquid crystal, in which a retardation film such as a uniaxial drawn film is arranged on one side of the liquid crystal display panel (for example, see Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 3-50249 previously proposed by the present inventors).
FIG. 9 is a descriptive view of a schematic configuration illustrating an example of the conventional liquid crystal display device provided with the retardation film as described above. In FIG. 9, 1 is an upper polarizer; 2 is a retardation film; 3 is a liquid crystal display panel; 4 is a lower polarizer; and 5 is a reflector. The liquid crystal display panel 3 has a pair of upper and lower substrates 31 and 32 holding a liquid crystal layer 33 there between.
As the above-mentioned retardation film, uniaxially drawn polymer film such as a polycarbonate film is used. Coloring produced on the liquid crystal display panel is eliminated by appropriately selecting a material and a thickness of the retardation film in response to the product of multiplication .DELTA.n.multidot.d of the anisotropy of refractive index .DELTA.n of the liquid crystal display panel and the thickness d of the liquid crystal layer and other parameters. While FIG. 9 illustrates a reflective liquid crystal display device, a backlight is installed in place of the reflector 5 in a transmissive liquid crystal display device.
However, use of a retardation film as described above did not always ensure sufficient elimination of coloring caused by the liquid crystal display panel, and particularly, it was difficult to eliminate coloring in both the ON-state and OFF-state.
The results of extensive studies on these problems revealed that coloring was further accelerated by the reflector. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 10 illustrating spectroscopic properties of an aluminum reflector commonly in use in conventional liquid crystal display devices, reflectivity is higher in the high-wavelength region than in the low-wavelength region of the visible light region, and this is accelerating coloring.
The present invention was developed in view of these problems and has an object to provide a liquid crystal display device using a retardation film as described above, which satisfactorily and certainly eliminates coloring in the ON-state as well as in the OFF-state and gives a good contrast, and an electronic device using the same.

Liquid crystal display device and electronic device using same


The present invention achieves a heating stage for a micro-sample, capable of efficient heating and accurate observation of the micro-sample. A micro-sample mount is a heating portion in coil form and is fixed at both ends to a base for the heating stage for the micro-sample. The base can be divided into two members at a base cut line, and the mount is fixed at one end to the first member and is fixed at the other end to the second member. A sample subjected to micro-sampling is mounted on the mount. The base is removed from the tip of a holder, and is mounted on a stage for the sample stage. A current is fed to the micro-sample mount through the members to thereby apply heat to a micro-sample for observation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heating stage for a micro-sample, which is used for efficient heating and observation of a sample as subjected to a micro-sampling process by an instrument for observation based on a focused ion beam process.
2. Description of the Related Art
The heating and observation of a powder sample, when performed for the heating and observation of a given micro-sample, involves fixing the powder sample directly on a coil heater for heating, thereby carrying out the heating and observation.
This is an effective means for the heating and observation of the powder sample because the heater also serves as a part for fixing the powder sample and thus the sample is directly heated and hence affected little by removal of heat in an atmosphere of vacuum in a sample chamber of an electron microscope (See Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 6-44936).
On the other hand, the heating and observation of a solid sample has difficulty in fixing the solid sample directly to the coil heater because of the properties of the sample such as the shape thereof, and thus involves adopting a fixing method, such as molding the coil heater in any given shape to fix the sample on top of the molded heater or employing a double-heater construction to sandwich the sample in between the heaters, thereby carrying out the heating and observation (See Japanese Patent No. 3663056).
In addition, the heating and observation of a micro-sample subjected to micro-sampling (see Japanese Patent No. 2774884) involves fixing the micro-sample on a sample stage for use in an instrument for observation based on a focused ion beam process, what is called a notch mesh, and applying indirect heating to the sample, with the mesh contacted with the same molded heater as that for the solid sample, thereby carrying out the observation.


The present invention provides an air-purifying respirator facepiece with a removable, one-piece filter element connector. It also has a removable component housing in the lens as well as a nosecup without inhalation valves that prevents fogging of the portion of the lens used for viewing.

The present invention relates generally to respirator facepieces and, more particularly, to full facepieces for use in environments in which toxic substances may be present.
A full facepiece, air-purifying respirator typically includes a face mask and a head harness for securing the face mask to the user. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,420. The face mask, which is sealed to the face of the user, typically includes a lens through which the user can view the surrounding environment. The face mask also includes one or more inhalation ports in fluid connection with one or more filtering elements (for example, chemical and particulate filtering canisters or cartridges) through which inspired air passes into the face mask and an exhalation port through with expired air passes out of the mask.
A nose cup is typically provided around the nose and mouth area of the user to assist in directing the flow of air into and out of the face mask. The nose cup, for example, assists in directing expired air to the exhalation port, reducing buildup of carbon dioxide and in preventing expired air, which is rich in moisture, from causing "fogging" of the face mask lens. In currently available respirators, the nose cup includes one or more check valves that allow inspired air to enter the nose cup, but prevent expired air from passing through the nose cup to contact the lens. Such valves can complicate the manufacture, assembly and maintenance of the respirator.
One or more air filters, such as filtering canisters, filtering cartridges or other filtering elements are typically removably attachable (for example, via threading or via a bayonet-type connection) to connectors or interfaces attached to the face mask as part of the inhalation port(s) of the face mask. In a number of current face masks, multi-component filter element connectors are manufactured separately from the remainder of the face mask and later attached to the face mask via, for example, cooperating threaded attachment members. Filter element connectors can also be attached to the face mask via an adhesive or via a polymeric welding bond. In general, the manner in which the filter element connectors are currently attached to face masks complicates manufacturing, assembly and maintenance of such face masks.
It is therefore, desirable to develop face masks and components therefor which reduce and, preferably, eliminate the above-identified and other problems with currently available face masks.


A method for determining the wear on a linkage of a ground drilling device includes detecting a bending load of the linkage. The bending load is used to carry out a service life calculation.

Ground drilling devices usually comprise a drive device and a linkage connected to it, on which linkage a drilling head, which can be designed as a tool, can be fastened. The drilling head can be a widening head or a pipe taking-in adapter. The drive forces of the drive device are transferred via the linkage onto the drilling head, as a result of which the latter is driven into the earth. For a boring operation of the ground drilling device, as a rule pressure forces are applied onto the drilling head so that it is moved in a pushing manner through the ground. However, the concept "introduction of a ground borehole" by the ground drilling device also includes a transfer of tractive forces onto the linkage and onto the drilling head. In the transfer of tractive forces by the linkage onto the drilling head, an existing bore is usually widened, an existing old line is shattered and/or a new pipe is drawn into an existing bore or old line. The linkage of a ground drilling device usually consists of a plurality of interconnected linkage lengths which are successively connected to each other (in a pushing operation) or are separated from one another (in a drawing operation) according to the advance of the drilling head in the ground area. A connection between the linkage lengths can take place, for example, by screw connections or by plug couplings. Mixed connections consisting of screw connections and plug couplings are possible.
In the transfer of drive forces onto the drilling head on the linkage, linear drives are almost exclusively used which transfer the drive forces or drive movements step-by-step onto the linkage, i.e., with a load stroke in which the linkage is connected to the linear drive and with a return stroke in which the connection between the linear drive and the linkage is loosened. Customary linear drives for ground drilling devices operate with hydraulic cylinders as the drive source, wherein high forces can be applied by them with comparatively compact dimensions. In addition, linear drives with toothed rack drives are also known.
The expected service life of basically all components of these devices, in particular of the linkage, which are moved through the ground area is difficult to estimate. This can be traced back in particular to the fact that the service life of the components in addition to the geometric dimensions and the materials used is essentially a function of how they are loaded. To this end DE 10 2008 052 510 B3 suggests providing a measuring device for measuring the instantaneous load on the linkage in which, in order to determine the instantaneous load on the linkage, the operating forces of the drive connected to the linkage are measured.
It turned out that the known ascertaining of the determination of the instantaneous load of the linkage with which a calculation of the service life can be made can at times deliver a result which can deviate from the real service life.
Starting from this prior art, the invention had the problem of increasing the operational safety of a ground drilling device and/or improving service life calculations of a linkage of a ground drilling device.
This problem is solved by the subject matter disclosed herein. Advantageous embodiments are also set forth in the following description of the invention.

Method for determining wear on a linkage of a ground drilling device


A customizable cache discard policy is provided which reduces adverse consequences of conventional discard policies. In a data processing system, a cache controller invokes a cache data discard policy as the cache approaches its capacity. Using one possible policy, data having the shortest retrieval (fetch) time is discarded before data having longer retrieval times. In an alternative policy, data may be discarded based upon its source. Weightings may be applied based upon the distance from each source to the cache, may be based upon priorities assigned to each source, or may be based upon the type of each source.

In a typical data processing system, data to be processed is read from an inexpensive but low speed data source and placed into a relatively expensive but high speed cache. When the data is again required, the processor first looks to the cache and, if the data is present, the processor retrieves the data rapidly. If the data is no longer in the cache, the processor must fetch it from the data source. To avoid retrieval delays, therefore, it is preferable to maintain as much data as possible in the cache. However, the capacity of the cache is limited and data is discarded periodically or when the cache approaches full capacity. A commonly used policy discards the least recently used (LRU) data first on the assumption that the more recently used data is more likely to be needed first. Another commonly used policy discards the oldest data first (first in, first out or FIFO) on the assumption that such data is least likely to be needed.
However, most conventional cache discard policies, such as the LRU policy, do not take into account that not all data takes the same amount of time to retrieve. One policy which addresses this issue is proposed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,362 in which recently (and possibly frequently) used data, which has a very short access latency (fetch time), is discarded in favor of retaining less recently used data, which has a much longer access latency.
In addition to fetch latencies, data from different sources may have different processing priorities. Thus, when a processing node is being used to process both local and remote data, the application processing the local data (executing wire transfers for a bank) may be more important than the application processing the remote data (updating the bank's employee records). However, both an LRU discard policy and a latency-based policy may favor retaining the less important remote data in cache at the expense of the higher priority local data.

International Business Machines Corporation


A putting training aid and putter calibration device for use on a putting surface is disclosed which includes a horizontal calibrated bar with a linear centered scale and a parallel calibration block having an orthogonal face and set on the practice putting surface below and offset from the horizontal calibrated bar. Also provided is a linear scale decal which is applied to a putter shaft. The device is designed to align the putter head to proper lie and neutral loft so that the face is square to the intended target line and to teach the golfer the proper grip, stance, alignment of the golfer, alignment of the club and proper putting stroke.

This invention relates generally to golf training aids, and more particularly to training aids dealing with that part of the golf game referred to as putting. Training aids are commonly used in the game of golf to assist the golfer to improve a particular aspect of the golfer's game. These can be used for self improvement or with the assistance of a professional golf instructor. The present invention is intended to improve the putting portion of the golf game and can also be used to assist in the selection of the putter best suitable for a given golfer's style of putting stroke.
Prior putting aids have failed to assist the golfer in proper club selection. Additionally, past training aids have used a subjective approach to correction of the stroke without using or establishing objective criteria. This invention can objectively calibrate the loft of the putter face and the lie angle of the putter. The loft of the putter face is defined as the angle between the club face and the vertical plane. A neutral loft would generally have neither a positive nor a negative loft. The lie angle is defined as the angle between the club shaft center line and the horizontal plane. This invention is intended to provide the golfer with objective measurement criteria, which, when incorporated into the golfer's game through adjustment of the loft, horizontal and vertical positioning of the putter, the golfer should achieve more consistent putting performance. The invention, when used in accordance with its instructions, is intended to provide an aid for the development of a reproducible putting stroke from an objective repeatable set up position that is consistently on line with the intended target. The training aid will afford the user the opportunity to achieve sustainable positive putting results.

Putting training aid and calibration device


A pavement sweeping apparatus includes an angled, counter-rotating transverse roller broom followed by a high pressure/high velocity and full-width blast of air to remove particles too small for the broom to sweep up. The roller shaped broom has auger wound bristles causing dynamic propulsion of objects that come in contact with the surface of the rotating broom. The objects are forced by mechanical action, both by the windrow effect of the transverse angle of the broom and, additionally, by the augering action of the helical wound broom bristles to propel object toward an exhaust port of the powerhood for further transfer into a storage bin. A blast orifice, narrow and elongated in shape with its elongated length angled in a transverse position and parallel with and positioned behind the broom, entrains fine particles and small objects not propelled and windrowed by the broom will be blasted by the high-velocity air and forced back under the broom where they are forced back in front of the broom again to be transferred toward the exhaust port. Some of the extremely small particles or objects will be propelled entirely by the high velocity air stream as the broom will have limited effect on extremely fine particles of a size not visible by the human eye.

The present invention relates to a surface cleaning apparatus, and, more particularly, to sweeping hoods, i.e., pickup heads for vehicle-mounted street sweepers and particularly for surface cleaning sweepers, especially sweepers using an air recirculation system to generate air pressure and suction. Heretofore, sweeping heads having both air pressure blast and suction or suction hoods having only suction have been found inadequate when sweeping debris from a paved or other surface. Debris often adheres or otherwise sticks to the surface of pavement because of being repeatedly forced into the surface by vehicles using the roadway. The problem of adherent debris has been addressed by using a vehicle-mounted rotating broom to mechanically dislodge debris followed by a separate air/suction or vacuum sweeper. As can be appreciated, the use of two different types of sweeping machines increases the costs associated with debris removal. In an attempt to eliminate the necessity of utilizing both mechanical broom sweepers immediately followed by air/suction or vacuums weepers, several broom-in-the-head sweepers were developed and used. One fault with the previous broom-in-the-head designs is that the mechanical broom is placed behind the blast orifice. In air/vacuum type sweepers, the high pressure air blast does not allow even a high rotational-speed broom to throw much of the debris through the curtain of high pressure air, and, as this occurs, the mechanical broom positioned at the rear becomes overwhelmed by a buildup of debris; the broom tends to climb over the debris which is then lost behind the sweeper. Additionally, in the earlier broom-in-the-head sweepers, the mechanical broom located behind the blast orifice was positioned straight across in a transverse attitude, thus, the ability to position the mechanical broom at a slight angle to create a windrow effect upon the debris was not readily possible. As this situation occurs, usually after a rain, after snow melts, around construction sites, behind road spills from vehicular haulers, and other instances, and especially during spring cleanup (which involves several months every year), mechanical broom sweepers followed by air/vacuum sweepers are utilized traveling in tandem. This combination of a leading mechanical broom and a trailing air/suction sweeper, of course, adds to cost of pavement sweeping cleaning.


The present invention relates to devices and methods for loading grain into a grain bag using a grain bagging apparatus that can expand and contract to accommodate different grain bag sizes. The apparatus is comprised of an expandable grain discharge tunnel. This expandable tunnel comprises a stationary section and a flanking side. The flanking side can expand in an outwardly direction away from the stationary section to increase the overall width of the grain discharge tunnel such that differently sized grain bags can be utilized with a single grain bagging apparatus. The flanking side can be slid in an inwardly direction towards the stationary section into a first position for use with smaller grain bags. In the first position, the apparatus is easier to transport or store. The grain bag can be loaded onto the grain bagging apparatus in a first position and then the expandable grain discharge tunnel can be expanded into the second position.

Grain production in the agriculture industry is expanding to feed the world's population. Single farming operations are increasingly producing more and more grain products. Accordingly, convenient grain storage methods are required to store the grain products.
Use of grain bags or grain sleeves for storing grains, such as cereal grains, seeds, oilseeds, pulses, and legumes is becoming standard practice. The grain bags are transported as large rolls of flexible material, such as plastic, in which the grain can be stored during the winter months.
The grain is loaded into these grain bags using grain bagging machines. The bags are then sealed for storage. One problem with the grain bagging system is that there are multiple sizes of grain bags—ranging from 9 to 12 feet in diameter. Accordingly, the grain bagging machines used to load these grain bags must have grain discharge tunnels with widths that accommodate grain bags that range from 9 feet to 12 feet in diameter. Currently, for a grain farming operation to utilize the various sizes of grain bags, multiple grain bagging machines are required—one for each size of desired grain bag. However, the same grain farming operation may have various field or crop sizes that require different grain bag sizes for storage.
Furthermore, to utilize the larger grain bag sizes, such as 12-foot bags, the required grain bagging machine must also be the same width of the bags. Transportation of a wider machine can be more difficult for the operator and dangerous to the public when traveling on roads and highways. Additionally, storage of larger grain bagging machines can be cumbersome for the operator, especially if multiple size machines are required for a single grain operation.
Based on the above, there is therefore a need for methods, devices, and systems which mitigate, if not overcome, the problems with the prior art.

Expandable grain bagging apparatus and method thereof


A method is offered of achieving a desired C/I ratio within a cellular system, at reduced transmitter power levels, by measuring a signal loss on a downlink between a base site transmitter (31) and mobile receiver (20) and calculating an uplink signal magnitude at a base site receiver. A communication channel is then selected from a number of communication channels based upon comparison of the uplink signal magnitude with pre-measured interference levels for each channel of the number of channels to produce a desired C/I ratio.

Cellular communication systems are known. Such systems are, typically, comprised of a number of remote base sites, each having a service coverage area, and a number of cellular telephones (communication units). Remote base sites are typically dispersed throughout a geographic area providing local communication services to communication units passing through the area from the nearest remote base site. Within the geographic area, service coverage areas of adjacent remote sites are often arranged to partially overlap in such a manner as to provide a substantially continuous coverage area in which a communication unit receiving service from one remote site may be handed off to an adjacent remote site with no interruption in service. The Groupe Special Mobile (GSM) Pan-European cellular system, as specified in GSM recommendations available from the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and incorporated herein by reference, is an example of just such a system using such a format.
Such systems, typically, provide communication access to communication units within service coverage areas (cells) on an assigned frequency spectrum. The assigned frequency spectrum is divided into a number of operating frequencies (f.sub.1, f.sub.2, . . . f.sub.7n+7).
To maximize the capacity of a cellular system within a given geographic area, operating frequencies must be reused among the cells in such a manner that mutual interference does not exceed a maximum threshold level. Mutual interference, within such systems, is maintained below the maximum threshold level through the use of a reuse pattern.
Under the reuse pattern a list of available, idle channels is maintained at each remote base site serving a cell. The list of available frequencies is, in turn, further divided into a list of useable channels based upon interference measurements.
The list of useable channels available at remote base sites, for handoffs or for allocation to communication units requesting access, is determined from interference measurements performed by the base sites and comparison with a cell threshold (or thresholds for defining degrees of channel quality). Channels having measurements below the highest threshold may be deemed useable while those above the threshold may be deemed not useable.
The threshold method of determining channel availability by comparison of interference measurements with thresholds works well in most cases. Communication units requesting access from locations near the base site typically experience good carrier to interference (C/I) ratios and clear audio channels. Problems arise, on the other hand, where a requesting communication unit is located near the periphery of a service coverage area or is in a poor service area. In such a case the communication unit may be operating at, or near, full output power yet still providing a signal that appears weak to the base site.
In the case where a communication unit is near the periphery of the service coverage area (because of handoff or otherwise), the allocation of a communication channel, under the threshold method, may result in a poor quality of service. In specific, if high quality channels (with low measured interference) are used indiscriminantly for calls with strong signals, then calls with weak signals may be left with only poor quality channels which may produce poor audio quality, service interruptions, and dropped calls.
Because of the importance of mobile telephone communications a need exists for a better method of selecting channels for assignment during requests for access or requests involving handoff. Such a method should take into account the vagaries of signal quality associated with geographic location.

Method of channel assignment by matching channel interference with channel link loss


To solve such a problem of a conventional direct conversion receiver that an image rejection ratio is insufficient owing to analog processing employed to reject an image, the present invention provides such a direct conversion receiver that the image can be rejected by digital signal processing to improve the image rejection ratio and also reduce the hardware load and the processing load. A HILBERT filter of a digital signal processing section shifts a quadrature component digital signal by 90° by HILBERT conversion to provide an output, while a delay circuit delays an in-phase component digital signal by the same delay time as a delay time by the HILBERT filter to provide an output, both of which outputs undergo addition or subtraction at an adder to have the image rejected there and then enter a complex frequency converter, where an offset provided at a local oscillator is removed by frequency conversion processing to output the in-phase component and quadrature component signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a type of direct conversion used in a receiver etc. and more particularly to, a direct conversion receiver which can improve an image signal rejection ratio and, further, reduce the load of hardware and processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a configuration of a receiver employing a type of direct conversion, which is one of the conversion methods used in a receiver etc., when a modulated radio wave is received, almost the same frequency of a carrier wave signal (local frequency) as that of a desired reception frequency of this received signal is output by a local oscillator, so that the output signal from this local oscillator and the received signal are mixed to thereby convert a reception wave in the RF band directly into a base-band signal, which is then detected and demodulated.
By such a direct conversion receiver, however, since the frequency of a carrier wave output from the local oscillator is the same as that of a desired reception signal, such a DC (Direct Current) offset phenomenon occurs that the output from the local oscillator is input again to another input of the multiplication processing to be multiplied again by the output of the local oscillator to thereby offset a DC component of the base band signal or such a fundamental problem occurs that 1/f noise is generated because the intermediate frequency of the base band signal obtained by the multiplication is nearly 0 (zero), thus making it difficult to receive signals in a wide range of band.
To guard against this, there is available a direct conversion receiver employing the low IF (Intermediate Frequency) system.
By the direct conversion method of the low IF system, an offset frequency (difference in frequency) having such a extent as not to generate a DC offset or 1/f noise is given between a desired reception frequency and a frequency output by the local oscillator, to then convert the reception signal to a low IF, so that the reception signal is converted in frequency by the digital signal processing using the offset frequency, thus obtaining in-phase and quadrature outputs.
In the low IF system, however, it is necessary to suppress an image signal at an image frequency so that it may not overlap with the desired signal.
The above-mentioned conventional direct detection circuit has a problem that it is difficult to sufficiently attenuate at the band pass filter such an image frequency signal contained in a reception signal, with respect to a desired wave, so that it may sometimes be necessary to make variable the intermediate frequency, the band, etc. of the band pass filter.
That is, it is difficult to obtain wide band characteristics of a receiver provided with a direct conversion and so to implement a wide band low IF receiver.
To solve the above-mentioned problem of the image frequency signal, there is available such a method as to give processing way for rejecting the image signal.
By this method, for example, in a low IF-type direct conversion receiver, a desired reception signal is multiplied by a local-oscillator's frequency provided with an offset frequency to be down-converted into an low-IF signal, which then undergoes image signal rejection and then digital signal processing to convert the offset frequency, thus obtaining an in-phase output and a quadrature output.
Note here that one conventional technology related to a direct detection-system receiver is disclosed in Japan Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-70482 published on Mar. 10, 1998 (Applicant: Philips Electronics, Nemrose, Fennohtsharp, Inventor: Paul, Anthony, Moore, et al.)
This conventional technology provides an integrated receiver using a local oscillator which oscillates an intermediate frequency of a desired signal wave higher than a frequency of an interference signal wave directly detected to thereby down-convert the frequency of an input signal, thus removing the influence by the interference signal.
In a type of conventional low-IF direct conversion receiver, however, the image rejection processing section performs analog processing, so that there occurs an error in the coefficient of an analog filter etc. caused by fluctuations etc. in characteristics of the analog elements, thus giving rise to a problem of an insufficient image rejection ratio.
If, for example, an average value of the fluctuations in characteristics of the elements is 1%, the limit of the image suppression ratio by analog processing is 40 dB or so, thus giving rise to a problem of poor performance of image rejection.


Provided are anti-human α-synuclein-specific binding molecules, e.g., antibodies or antigen-binding fragments, variants or derivatives thereof, as methods related thereto. Further provided are anti-human α-synuclein binding molecules which bind to specific N-terminal and C-terminal epitopes on human α-synuclein. The binding molecules described herein can be used in pharmaceutical and diagnostic compositions for α-synuclein targeted immunotherapy and diagnosis, respectively.

The present invention generally relates to novel α-synuclein-specific binding molecules, particularly human antibodies as well as fragments, derivatives and variants thereof that recognize α-synuclein and aggregated forms of α-synuclein, respectively. In addition, the present invention relates to pharmaceutical and diagnostic compositions comprising such binding molecules, antibodies and mimics thereof valuable both as a diagnostic tool to identify toxic species of α-synuclein in plasma and CSF and also in passive vaccination strategies for treating disorders related to aggregates of α-synuclein such as Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Lewy body variant of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other synucleinopathic diseases.
Protein misfolding and aggregation are pathological aspects of numerous neurodegenerative diseases. Aggregates of α-synuclein are major components of the Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). A natively unfolded protein, α-synuclein can adopt different aggregated morphologies, including oligomers, protofibrils and fibrils. The small oligomeric aggregates have been shown to be particularly toxic.
Naturally occurring autoantibodies against α-synuclein have been detected in healthy persons and altered levels in patients were associated with particular neurodegenerative disorders; see for review Neff et al., Autoimmun. Rev. 7 (2008), 501-507. Thus, naturally occurring antibodies in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease, either spontaneously or upon vaccination, in particular in healthy patients can serve a protective role with respect to α-synuclein aggregation; see, e.g., Woulfe et al., Neurology 58 (2002), 1435-1436 and Papachroni et al., J. Neurochem. 101 (2007), 749-756. Hitherto, the therapeutic significance of autoantibodies had been difficult to assess. This is mostly due to the lack of straight-forward experimental approaches for their isolation and subsequent characterization in vitro.
Recently, oligomeric species of α-synuclein have been reported extracellularly in plasma and CSF (El-Agnaf et al., FASEB J. 20 (2006), 419-425) and immunization studies in mouse models of PD show that extracellular mouse monoclonal antibodies against α-synuclein can reduce accumulation of intracellular α-synuclein aggregates (Masliah et al., Neuron, 46 (2005), 857-868) supporting the idea that antibodies that neutralize the neurotoxic aggregates without interfering with beneficial functions of monomeric α-synuclein can be useful therapeutics. However, the therapeutic utility of murine based antibodies in human is hampered by the human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) response in view of their non-human origin.
Emadi et al. in J. Mol. Biol. 368 (2007), 1132-1144, describe the isolation of single chain antibody fragments (scFvs) from a phage displayed antibody library based on human sequences against α-synuclein, which bind only to an oligomeric form of α-synuclein and inhibit both aggregation and toxicity of α-synuclein in vitro. However, although the generation of scFvs from phage display is rather simple, this technique has severe drawbacks since the antibodies so produced bear the risk of undesired crossreactivity against self-antigens and lack the characteristics of evolutionary optimized natural human antibodies produced by the human immune system. Furthermore, such antibodies may not be specific enough because of cross-reactivity with other proteins and/or with the target protein in context with normal physiological environment and function. In case of Parkinson's disease, for example, antibodies that also cross-react with physiological derivatives of α-synuclein bear the potential to cause side effects related to the normal functions of the physiologic target structures. In this respect, an undesired autoimmune disease would downrightly be induced—a hardly calculable risk also in the conceptual design of active immunization experiments employing protein structures that, in variant form, also occur physiologically.
More recently, Seitz et al. (81. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurologie mit Fortbildungsakademie Hamburg 10-13 Sep. 2008), reported on the isolation of anti-α-synuclein polyclonal autoantibody from different immunoglobulin solutions and samples of single blood donors through affinity chromatography. However, besides the fact that this approach provides mere limited amounts of the desired antibody, polyclonal antibodies are of only limited use for therapeutic application, for example because of their heterogeneity and the risk of being contaminated with other α-synuclein associated molecules which have undesired side effects. Likewise, the diagnostic value of polyclonal antibodies is reduced since the variability of the composition of the antibodies will influence the overall specificity and reactivity. This is all the more true for antibodies against proteins subject of aggregation and deposition due to misfolding.
Thus, there is a need to overcome the above-described limitations and to provide a therapeutic and diagnostic human antibody against α-synuclein.


The invention relates to an apparatus for aligning box-shaped articles of various sizes on a conveyor belt, as well as a printing station, a reading station, and a labelling station including said apparatus. The apparatus comprises an input conveyor belt operable to move transversally with respect to an output conveyor belt conveying direction, to adapt to a transverse size of a transported box-shaped article, and feed said output conveyor belt with corresponding aligned article.

A distribution or production line for transporting batches of articles on a conveying plane usually comprises a station equipped with a print head for printing data (e.g. product information, logo etc.) on the articles, or a reader for reading data printed on the articles (e.g. a camera for reading printed barcodes or for quality control purpose): a precise positioning of the articles on the conveying plane of the line is then required for allowing accurate printing or reading operations. In case the articles of a batch have all a same size, conventional lines use suitably disposed rail guides (and control of transport speed) set for guiding and positioning the articles e.g. in front of a print head of a printer for printing data of some part of a surface of the articles. However, in case the line transports batches of different article types, i.e. the sizes of the articles within two consecutive batches differ, then the line must be stopped after treatment of the first batch to modify and set the positions of the rail guides, and also the position of the print head or the reader, as well as the width of the conveying plane, in order to accurately process the second batch.
In case the line transports articles of different sizes, some adaptable alignment mechanisms (e.g. with size sensors and moveable guiding rails, or moveable print head or reader) are available for automatically adapting the guiding operations. However, these alignment mechanisms generally necessitates a step of fine tuning of the distance of the print head, respectively the reader (and some sensors), to respectively print or read data on the articles. These setting operations can take a substantial time, particularly if several operations are combined: i.e. different parts of the articles must be printed (with a plurality of print heads) or read. Moreover, such alignment mechanisms are not well suited for guiding articles of which size varies over a great range. This is typically the case, for example, with the pharma production/distribution lines wherein box-shaped articles having greatly differing sizes must be transported on belt conveyors. Moreover, data must be printed, or read, on different faces of the box-shaped articles (e.g. on labels), and often at different places on a face, to comply with some various identification/security/information rules (possibly further depending on several national regulations). These constraints result in an increased complexity of the line: it is often necessary to have a plurality of printing or reading stations along the line, or to have specific drive mechanisms for moving the print heads or the readers. This is also the case for postal packages, for example. The above remarks also apply to the operations of a labelling unit of a labelling station, for accurately apply labels on the articles.
Thus, there is a need for a device capable to automatically align box-shaped articles of variable size on a conveyor belt in order to allow accurate printing and/or reading operations on a plurality of faces of these articles.
There is also a need for a printing station including the above mentioned alignment device and further capable to accurately print data on faces of variable-size box-shaped articles transported on the conveyor belt, with a simplified and efficient positioning mechanism of the print head(s).
Likewise, there is a need for a reading station including the above mentioned alignment device and further capable to accurately read data on faces of variable-size box-shaped articles transported on the conveyor belt, with a simplified and efficient positioning mechanism of the reader(s).
Also, there is a need for a labelling station including the above mentioned alignment device and further capable to accurately apply labels on at least one of the faces of variable-size box-shaped articles transported on the conveyor belt.
It is therefore an object of the invention to solve the above mentioned limitations of the prior art and provide an apparatus for automatically aligning box-shaped articles of variable size on a conveyor belt.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a printing, resp. reading, station including the above mentioned apparatus and further capable to accurately print, resp. read, data on one or several faces of variable-size box-shaped articles transported on the conveyor belt, with a simplified and efficient positioning of the print head(s), resp. reader(s).
Another object of the invention is to provide a labelling station including the above mentioned apparatus and further capable to accurately a label on one or several faces of variable-size box-shaped articles transported on the conveyor belt, with a simplified and efficient positioning of the labeling unit of this labeling station.

Apparatus for aligning box-shaped articles of various sizes on a conveyor belt, printing station, reading station, and labelling station including same


After the resist is removed with an alkaline solution, a noncorrosive rinse solution is applied to the substrate which is composed of (a) a water-soluble monovalent lower alcohol and an organic or inorganic acid, or (b) a water-soluble monovalent lower alcohol, an organic or inorganic acid and water or (c) an organic or inorganic acid. This rinse solution prevents corrosion completely when a resist is removed from Al-Si-Cu wiring :material, which is widely used as the wiring material for high-density integrated circuits.

During the fabrication of the semiconductor device, after the desired photoresist mask is formed, the wiring pattern is formed by etching. Then the unnecessary resist layer, including the resist layer on top of the wiring pattern, is removed with the resist removal solution and cleaned with a rinse solution. Then it is necessary to use a rinsing process called water washing.
In such cases, as for the solution used to remove the resist, acidic or alkaline removal solutions can be named. As the representative of the acidic resist removal solution, the removal solutions obtained by mixing alkylbenzenesulfonic acid with phenol compounds, chlorinated solvents and aromatic hydrocarbons are sold commercially and used widely but, although such conventional solutions remove resists excellently, they have the problem of generating pit-shaped corrosion caused by alkylbenzenesulfonic acid on the surface of Al-Si-Cu wiring, which is widely used in high-density integrated circuits. In addition, the fact they contain phenol compounds, which are highly toxic, and chlorinated compounds, which can cause environmental pollution, presents a problems. Also, as for alkaline resist removal solution, the removal solutions composed of organic alkali and all kinds of organic solvents are sold commercially and used widely. Since these alkaline resist removal solutions have low toxicity and little effect on environmental pollution, they have been used extensively in recent years. However, although alkaline resist removal solutions exhibit the same excellent resist removal property as the above-mentioned acidic resist removal solutions, they have the problem of pitting the surface of the Al-Si-Cu wiring material by the alkaline component. This problem remains to be solved.
In order to solve the problem of generating pitting on the surface of the Al-Si-Cu wiring material by removing the resist with an alkaline solution, it has been determined, in accordance with the invention, that the this kind of corrosion is caused by the dissociation of alkaline components mixed into the rinse solution from the alkaline resist removal solution which is mixed in during the water rinse process carried out as the last removal process.

Rinsing solution after resist stripping process and method for manufacturing semiconductor device


An apparatus for preventing a closed outdoor table umbrella from opening. To attain this, a continuous ring fixably attached to a distal end of a long handle is placed around the body of an umbrella. In use, a user extends the ring above the umbrella, and lowers it until snug about the umbrella. In an embodiment, the long handle includes a hand-hold at its proximal end. Such a hand-hold may rest upon an outdoor table-top while an attached ring is in place about an umbrella extending up from the center of the table. Also, a method of retaining an umbrella.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an umbrella retaining apparatus for use in connection with holding an umbrella closed. The umbrella retaining apparatus has particular utility in connection with preventing an umbrella from being transported in wind gusts.
2. Description of the Related Art
An umbrella retaining apparatus is desirable for preventing a pole umbrella from moving about in the wind.
The use of umbrella fasteners for hand-held umbrellas is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,306 to Kuusisto discloses an umbrella fastener having a tapered hollow truncated cylinder and a holding means attached to one end of the cylinder, thus enabling a user to hold and carry the cylinder and the umbrella by hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,425,806 to Swift discloses an open, tensioned band for engaging and holding the end of the ribs of an umbrella when closed. However, the Swift '806 patent does not disclose a continuous ring fixably attached to a handle having two orthogonal components, where the ring is configured to be arranged around the canopy-forming portion of an umbrella.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 1,410,173 to DeNobili discloses an umbrella ring that is hinged. However, the DeNobili '173 patent does not disclose a continuous ring fixably attached to a handle having two orthogonal components, where the ring is configured to be arranged around the canopy-forming portion of an umbrella.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,651 to Goodman discloses a clamping device designed to keep articles of clothing together while laundering. However, the Goodman '651 patent does not disclose a continuous ring fixably attached to a handle having two orthogonal components, where the ring is configured to be arranged around the canopy-forming portion of an umbrella.
U.S. Pat. No. 840,551 to Baumgarten discloses an umbrella clasp having an open, spring-metal clasp. However, the Baumgarten '551 patent does not disclose a continuous ring fixably attached to a handle having two orthogonal components, where the ring is configured to be arranged around the canopy-forming portion of an umbrella.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,373,471 to Hannan discloses an umbrella retaining device that is used with a hand-held umbrella. However, the Hannan '471 patent does not disclose a continuous ring fixably attached to a handle having two orthogonal components, where the ring is configured to be arranged around the canopy-forming portion of an umbrella.
Lastly, U.S. Design Pat. No. 279,834 to Falzett appears to disclose an umbrella runner that is circular having arched cutouts therearound. However, the Falzett '834 patent does not disclose a continuous ring fixably attached to a handle having two orthogonal components, where the ring is configured to be arranged around the canopy-forming portion of an umbrella.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe an umbrella retaining apparatus that allows a user to secure an upright, outdoor table umbrella. The Kuusisto '306 patent makes no provision for securing an upright, outdoor table umbrella.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved umbrella retaining apparatus which can be used to hold closed a very large, upright umbrella. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the umbrella retaining apparatus according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of securing an outdoor umbrella in windy conditions.


A computer implemented system for determining average product revenue is provided. The system includes at least one data store that is operable to maintain revenue data for a plurality of products. The system also includes a processor programmed to calculate a first revenue-based age metric based on revenue from a first product over a period, an age factor for the first product, and revenue for a group of products over the period. The processor is further programmed to calculate a second revenue-based age metric based on revenue from a second product over the period, an age factor for the second product, and revenue for the group of products over the period. The first and second revenue-based age metrics may be used to compare the first and second products.

A business enterprise makes significant investments in bringing new products or services to market. New products and services may generate premium prices upon introduction to the market, based on an element of uniqueness or newness. Such premiums often drive business enterprises to innovate and invest in new products and services. With competition, however, the initially high prices erode over time. Such marketplace dynamics cause innovation to occur in cycles.
Given the cyclical nature of innovation and pricing of products, there is a need for executives to be able to assess their enterprise's innovative efficacy and relative health. Innovative efficacy is a measure of measure success in bringing new products to market, how fast new products come to market, and how much new revenue they generate. Relative health is a measure of current relative success between groups of products. Counting the number of new products and services is an inadequate measure for objectively measuring innovative health, because a count of new products does not reflect the marketplace success of a new product nor how long it has been on the market.

System and method for determining revenue-based age


Methods and apparatus for applying a uniform application of an appropriate quantity of pipe dope to the internal threads of a pipe. In general, the preferred apparatus includes a supply of pipe dope and a centrifugal applicator for evenly applying the pipe dope to internal threads. The system also includes a dosing system to regulate the distribution of pipe dope by dispensing a consistent volume of pipe dope at each application. Potential advantages of the preferred embodiments include the repeatability and consistency of amount of pipe dope on pipe threads (e.g. thickness).

The invention relates to threaded pipe connections and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to applying a lubricating material, such as pipe dope, to the internal threads of a pipe.
In the oil and gas production industry, threaded pipe connections are often used. Special types of lubricant compositions are used for application between the male and female parts of these threaded tubular connections. The use of a pipe thread dope, or "pipe dope" as it has been called, may be required to provide a more stable joint. Pipe dope is a paste-like material that is applied to clean internal pipe threads just prior to joint assembly and provides three basic benefits to a threaded pipe joint. First, it lubricates the threads to ease assembly. Second, it acts as a sealant that enhances the gas-tightness or fluid-tightness of the resulting joint. And third, it hardens or cures to effectively cement and stabilize the joint.
The process of applying pipe dope has basically not changed since its original utilization. Pipe dope is commonly packaged in tins, or cans, of varying size, so one may purchase a quantity that is appropriate to the task at hand. The common method of applying pipe dope is to acquire a portion of the dope from the tin with the brush, and apply the dope to internal pipe threads by brushing. This method does not, however, assure a uniform application of the dope, either over the threads of one fitting or from joint to joint. Also, the amount of dope used is not regulated or controlled, so too much or too little dope may be used. Each of these situations may compromise the quality, durability, and reliability of the resulting threaded pipe joint. For example, too little pipe dope on the threads may result in increased friction in the threads during spinning, which may cause galling of the threaded surface. Conversely, too much pipe dope on the threads may result in pollution of the system (e.g. excess pipe dope may fall into the drillstring).
In conventional methods, the quality of a threaded pipe joint is highly dependent upon the skill or craftsmanship of the user in applying the pipe dope. Thus, an apparatus to provide a uniform application of an appropriate quantity of pipe dope will greatly benefit the quality of threaded pipe joints.


In the ink jet printer using hot melt ink, a heater is provided for overheating hot melt ink in the ink supply channel. The collector is provided for collecting air bubbles generated when the hot melt ink is overheated by the heater. The air bubbles, collected in the collector, are then expelled from the release valve. The hot melt ink is subsequently cooled before the ink enters the print head section, where the air is dissolved in the ink. The above-described air bubble-releasing and -dissolving processes are repeatedly performed as the ink is circulated due to the maintained difference in ink level between the ink supply chamber and the ink collecting chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet printer using hot melt ink, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for removing air bubbles from the hot melt ink.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has bean conventionally proposed an ink jet printer of a type for ejecting hot melt ink onto recording medium.

Method and apparatus for removing air bubbles from hot melt ink in an ink-jet printer


A communication system includes a seat unit configured to be mounted on a seat of a vehicle and to receive power supply from a battery to operate, and a vehicle unit configured to wirelessly communicate with the seat unit. The vehicle unit includes a determination section configured to determine whether communication with the seat unit is necessary, and a command transmission section configured to transmit to the seat unit a transmission command requesting the seat unit to transmit information on an electronic device mounted on the seat during a period in which the determination section determines that the communication with the seat unit is necessary. The seat unit is configured to transmit the information on the electronic device upon receipt of the transmission command.

The present invention relates to a communication system, and a vehicle unit and a seat unit that are used in the communication system. The communication unit includes the seat unit that is mounted on a seat of a vehicle and that operates upon receiving power supply from a battery, and the vehicle unit that wirelessly communicates with the seat unit.
A related art signal receiving device performs infrared communication between a slide seat and a vehicle, and uses a battery as a power source of a slide seat side, so that routing of wire harness between the slide seat and the vehicle is avoided (see, e.g., JP2013-67322A).
However, according to the signal receiving device described above, communication between the slide seat and the vehicle is being performed even during a period in which communication with the slide seat is not necessary. For this reason, battery exhaustion occurs quickly.

Communication system, vehicle unit, and seat unit


The application discloses an optical isolator having an input and an output, the optical isolator comprising a phase retardation plate positioned at the input, and an optical rotator positioned between the phase-retardation plate and the output, the isolator comprising a Faraday rotator positioned between a first polarizer and a second polarizer. The application also discloses a process comprising rotating a polarization of an optical signal using a phase retardation plate, and following the rotation of the polarization of the optical signal using a phase retardation plate, further rotating the polarization of the optical signal using an optical rotator.

Optical isolators are devices that allow radiation (usually light) to pass through them in one direction, but not in the opposite direction. In a typical optical-fiber-based system, a laser is coupled to an optical isolator through free space optics then through other free space optics to an optical fiber, through which the output of the laser is directed. Isolators are needed in optical systems in many roles, the most common of which is preventing reflections from returning toward, re-entering, and disrupting the operation of the laser. Optical isolators, then, are the optical analog of a diode in an electrical circuit.
The most basic optical isolators accomplish their task by rotating the state of polarization (i.e., its electric and magnetic field vectors) of the light entering the isolator. Most optical phenomena are reciprocal, however, so construction of an isolator is not necessarily straightforward. One optical phenomenon that is not reciprocal—and is therefore useful in constructing an isolator—is known as the "Faraday effect." The Faraday effect occurs when certain materials, for instance Yttrium-Iron-Garnet (YIG), are placed in a strong magnetic field. Light traveling within the material has its state of polarization (i.e., its electric and magnetic field vectors) rotated by an amount depending on the length of the material and the strength of the magnetic field. The most important aspect is that the Faraday effect is nonreciprocal: light traveling in one direction may have its polarization rotated counterclockwise by, for example 45°, but light traveling in the opposite direction would have its polarization rotated clockwise by the same amount (45° in this example). Thus, the rotation is in opposite directions relative to the direction of the ray of light, but in the same direction in relation to the rotator. A device that uses the Faraday effect is commonly known as a "Faraday rotator." A simple single-stage optical isolator consists of a Faraday rotator sandwiched between a pair of polarizing filters. Two-stage optical isolators are built by adding further rotators and polarizing filters to one-stage isolators.
For certain applications, it is desirable to have a polarization-maintaining isolator; in other words, an isolator in which the polarization state of the output is the same as the polarization state of the input. Two polarization states are considered the same if the orientation of the first state's polarization plane differs from the second state's polarization plane by 180° (π radians), or some integer multiple thereof. One approach commonly used in the prior art to build a polarization-maintaining isolator is to put a phase retardation plate (also known as a wave plate) following a two-stage optical isolator. In this type of isolator, one half the rotation of the state of polarization is accomplished by the two-stage isolator. The phase retardation plate accomplishes the final half of the overall rotation. Phase retardation plates, however, are designed for one specific wavelength and are very sensitive to variables such as manufacturing tolerances, meaning that the phase retardation plate introduces errors in the rotation of the polarization state, particularly in situations where the wavelength of the light is difficult to control, or where it is purposely varied. These errors can have a significant effect on the proper operation of existing isolators and limit their application.


An ink jet device including a head having a nozzle surface formed with a nozzle through which ink droplets are ejected; a carriage on which the head is mounted; a cap for covering the nozzles of the head; a suction pump for generating pressure within the cap; a sheet feed mechanism for transporting a recording medium; a line feed motor for supplying a drive force; a switching mechanism for switching transmission of the drive force of the line feed motor from the sheet feed mechanism to the suction pump when the carriage enters a predetermined movement range and from the suction pump to the sheet feed mechanism when the carriage leaves the predetermined movement range; and cap movement mechanism moving the cap against the nozzle surface of the head while the carriage is at a position within the predetermined movement range and further moving the cap out of abutment with the nozzle surface of the head while the carriage is at another position within the predetermined movement range.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet device with a purge mechanism for recovering from misfires or otherwise defective ejections.
2. Description of the Related Art
Misfires or otherwise defective ejections sometimes occur in jet devices for ejecting ink droplets from nozzles to print dot patterns. The misfires or defective ejections can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as dust or dirt clinging to the nozzles, air entering the nozzles, or ink drying in the nozzles.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. SHO-62-263058 discloses an example of a mechanism for restoring an ink jet printer to a proper ejection condition. The carriage of the printer is moved to bring a print head mounted on the carriage into alignment with a cap of a purge system. When the carriage is in this predetermined position, a switching mechanism, which includes a plurality of rachet gears, operates to switch drive force of a sheet feed motor to drive a negative pressure means of the purge system. The negative pressure means then generates a negative pressure in the cap, thereby sucking ink and foreign matter from the nozzles and nozzle face of the head.
However, because the drive force is switched by a plurality of ratchet gears, the mechanism is complicated and requires a large number of parts. This obstructs attempts to down-size the printer.

Ink jet device with a head and purge mechanism for cleaning the head


Described herein are methods and systems for detecting clouds in satellite imagery captured using first and second sensor arrays that are carried by a satellite and physically offset from one another on the satellite. Movement mask data is produced based first image data and the second image data, obtained, respectively, using the first and second sensor arrays carried by the satellite. Cloud mask data is produced based on spectral information included one of the first and second image data. Cloud detection data is produced based on the movement mask data and the cloud mask data, the cloud detection data indicating where it is likely, based on both the movement mask data and the cloud mask data, that one or more clouds are represented within one of the first and second image data. The cloud detection data can be used in various ways to account for the clouds included within the satellite imagery.

The use of geospatial imagery (e.g., satellite imagery) has continued to increase in recent years. As such, high quality geospatial imagery has become increasingly valuable. For example, a variety of different entities (e.g., government entities, corporations, universities, individuals, or others) may utilize satellite imagery. As may be appreciated, the use of such satellite imagery may vary widely such that satellite images may be used for a variety of differing purposes.
At any given time, a significant portion of the surface of the earth is obstructed from imaging by a satellite due to the presence of clouds. Accordingly, it is useful to be able to detect clouds within images so that the detected clouds can be masked out of the images if desired. For example, it is important to mask out clouds from images where image alignment (aka registration) requires stationary land pixels. For another example, where customers want imagery free of clouds, by beginning with a large archive of imagery that includes clouds, cloud-free portions of images can be selected and stitched together to produce large cloud-free mosaics. For still another example, where change detection algorithms are used to detect land development and/or deforestation from multiple different images of the same geographic region captured at different times, clouds, if not accounted for, can adversely affect the accuracy of such change detection algorithms.
While some techniques have been used in the past to detect clouds, such techniques often provide inaccurate results. For example, prior techniques that detect clouds based on the color, size, shape, and/or texture of objects within an image often produce false positives where the images include snow and/or ice covered land, or other large swaths of land or water that appear white and/or highly reflective. More generally, with previous cloud detection techniques, snow, ice, bright building rooftops, and bright desert and/or other geologic features often cause false positives. Accordingly, there is still a need for improved techniques for cloud detection.


A system, apparatus, method, and machine readable medium are described for enhanced security during registration. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: receiving a request at a relying party to register an authenticator; sending a code from the user to the relying party through an authenticated out-of-band communication channel; and verifying the identity of the user using the code and responsively registering the authenticator in response to a positive verification.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of data processing systems. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for secure registration of authentication devices.
Description of Related Art
Systems have also been designed for providing secure user authentication over a network using biometric sensors. In such systems, the score generated by an authenticator, and/or other authentication data, may be sent over a network to authenticate the user with a remote server. For example, Patent Application No. 2011/0082801 ("'801 application") Describes a Framework for user registration and authentication on a network which provides strong authentication (e.g., protection against identity theft and phishing), secure transactions (e.g., protection against "malware in the browser" and "man in the middle" attacks for transactions), and enrollment/management of client authentication tokens (e.g., fingerprint readers, facial recognition devices, smartcards, trusted platform modules, etc).
The assignee of the present application has developed a variety of improvements to the authentication framework described in the '801 application. Some of these improvements are described in the following set of US Patent Applications ("Co-pending Applications"), which are assigned to the present assignee: Ser. No. 13/730,761, Query System and Method to Determine Authentication Capabilities; Ser. No. 13/730,776, System and Method for Efficiently Enrolling, Registering, and Authenticating With Multiple Authentication Devices; Ser. No. 13/730,780, System and Method for Processing Random Challenges Within an Authentication Framework; Ser. No. 13/730,791, System and Method for Implementing Privacy Classes Within an Authentication Framework; Ser. No. 13/730,795, System and Method for Implementing Transaction Signaling Within an Authentication Framework; and Ser. No. 14/218,504, Advanced Authentication Techniques and Applications (hereinafter "'504 application").
Briefly, the Co-Pending Applications describe authentication techniques in which a user enrolls with authentication devices (or Authenticators) such as biometric devices (e.g., fingerprint sensors) on a client device. When a user enrolls with a biometric device, biometric reference data is captured by the biometric sensor of the authentication device (e.g., by swiping a finger, snapping a picture, recording a voice, etc). The user may subsequently register the authentication devices with one or more servers over a network (e.g., Websites or other relying parties equipped with secure transaction services as described in the Co-Pending Applications), and subsequently authenticate with those servers using data exchanged during the registration process (e.g., cryptogtaphic keys provisioned into the authentication devices). Once authenticated, the user is permitted to perform one or more online transactions with a Website or other relying party. In the framework described in the Co-Pending Applications, sensitive information such as fingerprint data and other data which can be used to uniquely identify the user, may be retained locally on the user's authentication device to protect a user's privacy. The '504 application describes a variety of additional techniques including techniques for designing composite authenticators, intelligently generating authentication assurance levels, using non-intrusive user verification, transferring authentication data to new authentication devices, augmenting authentication data with client risk data, and adaptively applying authentication policies, and creating trust circles, to name just a few.

Enhanced security for registration of authentication devices