A peristaltic pump is provided with drive gear mechanisms so that the pump rollers are respectively driven about their support axes in a rotatable direction opposite to that in which the support discs are driven. The result is that a forward motion is applied to fluid within the pump tubing while an opposite or rearward motion is applied to the tubing itself. The rate of the rearward motion may be controlled to be at least as great as, or greater than, the rate of the forward motion. The result is a reduction in the stretching forces otherwise applied to the consumable or replaceable length of pump tubing through which fluids are driven. The benefits from such result are increased life (i.e., usage time) for the length of pump tubing before it must be replaced, and simultaneously improved fluid delivery rate accuracy for a longer period of time as compared to the loss of accuracy which otherwise occurs due to tube stretching. Applying such methodology successfully improves tube life and enhances fluid delivery rate accuracy regardless of the type of tube material utilized, and regardless of the relative speed of operation (for example, high or low) of the pump.

The present invention relates in general to improved apparatus and methodology for peristaltic pumps and in particular to improved pump roller drive mechanisms therefor resulting in improved pump tubing life and fluid delivery rate accuracy.
The basic design of typical conventional peristaltic pumps has been well-known and widely used to good advantage for many years. Such basic conventional design involves a length of pump tubing through which fluids to be pumped are received. Such tubing is typically resilient and pliable, and intended to be engaged by a plurality of pump rollers as the tubing is otherwise engaged against a rigid, curved backplate surface.
The pump tubing itself is regarded as being a consumable item, intended to be replaced as it "wears out."
Peristaltic pumps have been especially useful for many years in applications requiring relatively low fluid delivery rates and/or at relatively low pressures. Also, isolation of the fluid to be pumped in a pump tubing, generally without access thereto, helps prevent contaminating either the fluid or the pump itself. Such characteristic of isolated pumping ability is uniquely usable in certain applications, for example, if the material being pumped is chemically reactive or otherwise inherently dangerous.
Generally speaking, per the basic conventional design, fluid to be pumped enters one end of the pump tubing and is then advanced by progressive compression of the tubing between the rollers and the backplate surface. In essence, the fluid is advanced by being trapped in incremental amounts in the tubing between adjacent pairs of rollers, until it is forced through the entirety of the tubing by the action of the rollers and is expelled from an output end of the pump tubing.
Peristaltic pumps are generally very reliable due to their inherent simplicity. The fluid delivery rate itself is readily controlled through use of precision variable-speed electric drive motors.
Though generally simple in its basic design, peristaltic pumps are basically precision instruments of relatively higher costs, for example, costing possibly as much as $2000 to $2500 each.
The cost factor alone precludes use of peristaltic pumps in some applications, particularly where fluid isolation or delivery rate accuracy is not critical. However, the combination of their generally high reliability and the ease of flow rate control in otherwise demanding environments has resulted in the relatively wide spread use of peristaltic pumps in a number of stringent demand applications, such as for sample introduction into analytical instruments (e.g., ICP, DCP, Atomic Absorption, and the like), for the introduction of pharmaceuticals into intra-venous supply lines, and for the transfer of blood and/or other biological fluids. Peristaltic pumps are also often used for the introduction of fluids into chemical reaction vessels or similar arrangements, especially in small test bed or pilot plant operations, where critical controls and measurements are desired.
Despite their generally high reliability and accuracy, the performance of the pump is itself completely dependent on the performance of the pump tubing. "Wearing out" of a length of pump tubing occurs whenever the resilient, flexible pump tubing has excessively stretched due to its use. It is to be understood that the reaction of the rollers against the pump tubing is what actually performs the pumping work, and is also the source of the forces having a tendency to stretch the tubing during use. As a result of such stretching, the tubing internal diameter can be literally reduced in areas. Accordingly, the volume of fluid trapped between adjacent rollers can be correspondingly reduced.
In other words, in the face of such stretching, while the pump drive motor continues to operate at a highly accurate rate of turn, the progressive reduction in the tubing diameter and the consequential reduction in tubing volume between respective pairs of rollers, results in a progressive reduction in fluid delivery rate.
The above tube stretching phenomenon is therefore a significant drawback of typical conventional peristaltic pumps.
Another aspect of such phenomenon is that the progressive reduction in peristaltic pump delivery rate is particularly pronounced at relatively higher delivery rates. In other words, as a pump is run at relatively higher speed, such as between samples (to reduce instrument down-time between samples), the rate of undesired tube stretching increases.
Still another aspect of the undesired tube stretching phenomenon relates to the nature of the tubing material itself. In conventional practices, different tube materials are utilized for different applications. For example, silicone and fluoropolymer types of tubing may be typically used for chemically reactive and corrosive fluid pumping. However, such materials are relatively soft and mechanically weak, making them particularly susceptible to stretching damage. Such factor is especially a problem given the relatively higher costs of such types of tubing. Relatively less expensive vinyl tubing is generally less susceptible to stretching degradation (though stretching damage still occurs over time), but is not usable for certain applications, such as are the silicone and flouropolymer types of tubing, for handling particular fluids and/or operating in particular environments.
The bottom line for all basic designs of conventional peristaltic pumps is that there is a frictional drag between the pump rollers and the pump tubing, which results to a lesser or greater degree in undesired tube stretching. While the rate of such stretching varies with materials and/or pump operational speeds, the replaceable tubing (of basically any used material) is susceptible to such stretching damage, with commensurately reduced tubing life and degraded pump delivery rate accuracy.

Peristaltic pump driven pump roller apparatus and methodology


A variable focal length lens device includes: a variable focal length lens whose focal length cyclically changes in accordance with an inputted drive signal; an image detector configured to detect an image of a measurement target through the variable focal length lens; a pulsed light illuminator configured to emit a pulsed light to illuminate the measurement target; and an illumination controller configured to control the pulsed light illuminator so that the pulsed light is emitted twice in one cycle of the drive signal based on two detection phases corresponding to a designated focal distance of the variable focal length lens.

A device in a form of a variable focal length lens device employing, for instance, a liquid lens system (sometimes simply referred to as a "lens system" hereinafter) based on a principle disclosed in Patent Literature 1 (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0177376) has been developed.
The liquid lens system includes a cylindrical oscillator made of a piezoelectric material immersed in a transparent liquid. When AC (Alternating-Current) voltage is applied to an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface of the oscillator of the liquid lens system, the oscillator expands and contracts in a thickness direction thereof to oscillate the liquid inside the oscillator. Then, when the frequency of the applied voltage is tuned to an intrinsic frequency of the liquid, a concentric standing wave is created in the liquid to form concentric regions of different refractive indexes around a center axis of the oscillator. When light is introduced into the oscillator of the lens system along the center axis of the oscillator in this state, the light follows a diffusing or converging path depending on the refractive index of each of the concentric regions.
The variable focal length lens device includes the above-described liquid lens system and a focusing objective lens (e.g. a typical convex lens or lens group), which are arranged in a common optical axis. The liquid lens system, which is packaged as a liquid lens unit, is installed in the variable focal length lens device.
When a parallel light enters a typical objective lens, the light having passed through the lens is focused at a focal point located at a predetermined focal length from the lens. In contrast, when a parallel light enters the lens system disposed coaxially with the objective lens, the light, which is diverged or converged by the lens system, is focused at a position closer or farther than the original focal point (i.e. the focal point without the lens system) after having passed through the objective lens.
Accordingly, the focal point of the variable focal length lens device can be controlled as desired within a predetermined range (i.e. a range with a predetermined variation width capable of being added to/subtracted from the focal length of the objective lens using the lens system) by applying a drive signal inputted to the lens system (the AC voltage of a frequency capable of forming the standing wave in the internal liquid) and increasing or decreasing an amplitude of the drive signal.
The drive signal inputted to the lens system of the variable focal length lens device is, for instance, in a form of a sinusoidal AC signal. When the drive signal is inputted, the focal length (focal point) of the variable focal length lens device sinusoidally changes. At this time, when the amplitude of the drive signal is 0, the light passing through the lens system is not refracted and the focal length of the variable focal length lens device becomes equal to the focal length of the objective lens. When the amplitude of the drive signal is at a positive or negative peak, the light passing through the lens system is most greatly refracted and the focal length of the variable focal length lens device is most deviated from the focal length of the objective lens.
In order to capture an image by the above-described variable focal length lens device, a workpiece is illuminated by a pulse emission from a pulsed light illuminator at a predetermined phase of the drive signal. The pulsed illumination is thus applied when the sinusoidally shifting focal point reaches a predetermined focal point, at which the focused image of the workpiece is captured.
It should be noted that, in the lens system disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the cycle of the drive signal inputted to the lens system is 70 kHz, so that a time required for the cyclically changing focal point to reciprocatingly shift (i.e. undergo one cycle of reciprocal motion) (focal point change cycle) is approximately 14.3 μs. The variable focal length lens device using the lens system disclosed in Patent Literature 1 can obtain a less blurred image of an observed object by setting a sufficiently short pulsed illumination time with respect to the focal point change cycle.
However, a pulsed illumination time of several tens to hundreds μs is usually required in order to obtain a sufficiently bright image. With the above-described variable focal length lens device, it is thus difficult to obtain a sufficiently bright image through a single pulsed illumination period.
Accordingly, in the above-described variable focal length lens device, the pulsed illumination (tens to hundreds nanoseconds order per one time) is applied for a plurality of times in synchronization with a predetermined phase of the drive signal within a predetermined exposure time (millisecond order) during which an image detector such as a camera is exposed to light, thereby detecting a plurality of images at a predetermined focal length, the plurality of images being superimposed to form a single image. However, the above process requires a long time in order to obtain a sufficiently bright image.

Variable focal length lens device and control method of variable focal length lens device


Negative lithographic patterns are produced by imagewise exposing to electromagnetic radiation compositions comprising a polymer having pendant recurring ester groups or carbonate groups or both that contain a hetero atom; and a photoinitiator capable of releasing acid upon exposure to electromagnetic radiation. Specific polymersave poly(Hydroxy Alkyl) maleates.

The lithographic process comprises several steps which include coating a thin film of the radiation sensitive resist onto a substrate which is selectively image-wise exposed to radiation that defines a pattern on the coating. In so doing, a solubility difference is induced between the exposed and unexposed areas and the developer used in the pattern development process is capable of distinguishing between the two regions and preferentially removing one kind or the other. When the exposed areas are removed by the developer, the remaining pattern is positive while the opposite leads to negative patterns.
The manufacture of integrated circuits and other patterned devices relies primarily on resist materials that enable the formation of high resolution patterns. In the search for materials and methods for formation of patterns below 0.25 microns, it is recognized that such patterns require exposure sources based on UV radiation below 248 nm, or x-ray, or e-beam. In the case of the UV radiation, it might be convenient to use excimer laser sources that produce radiation at 193 nm. Likewise, it is essential to employ resist materials suitable for use with short wavelengths sources.
Moreover, in microcircuits, the critical levels are typically manufactured with negative resists. These levels are found primarily in the gate regions of the transistors, where precise critical dimensions are needed. Since the speed performance of the transistor is directly related to the gate size, it is important to maintain uniform dimensions throughout the circuit, otherwise the timing of the interactions between the components is thrown off and the device malfunctions.
It seems that the need for negative resists at these manufacturing levels is needed because of the difference in performance of positive resists and negative resists with isolated and nested lines. From experience with resists and processes used in CMOS, it is known that some positive resists overemphasize nested lines, while negative resists overemphasize (by much less) isolated lines. The real problem comes from the follow-up step which is a reactive ion etching. In this step there is over etching in isolated lines. Thus, if positive resist is used, then the error is compounded, and conversely when negative resist is used, the error is cancelled. This leads to small ACLV (Across Chip Linewidth Variation).
In the case of memory chips, the circuitry is very repetitive and redundant. There, one can compensate the mask to account for the problems mentioned above and thus use positive resists. However, in logic circuits the patterns are very diverse and such compensation on the mask is impractical. Therefore the critical levels in logic circuits depend upon negative resists.
Another level that is preferentially manufactured with negative resists is the first level of metallization. This level is performed by etching a film of metal. The use of negative resists at this level is due to thin film effects and especially reflective notching from underlying layers which is reduced by negative resists. These resists also have their better thermal stability which is needed during etching processes, and better performance when contamination and mask defects are considered.
A third level where use of negative resists is customary but not critical involves making of alignment marks.
In the manufacture of CMOS, there are additional levels that are manufactured with negative resists. These are "Block Levels" which are not regarded as "critical". The use of negative resists in these levels is motivated by the empirical observation that these resists contain less metal ions than positive resists and for those levels this is an important consideration.
The market for negative resists is smaller than the positive resists by a considerable margin (5:1 or so). But their importance to the manufacturing process cannot be overestimated, particularly in view of shrinking dimensions in future device generations. Negative resists have been widely discussed recently. Commercial formulations that incorporate base soluble polymers, acid sensitive crosslinking agents and photoacid generators have been introduced to the marketplace. However, it would be desirable to provide a negative resist capable of operating at 193 nm UV radiation.

Negative resist composition and use thereof

International Business Machines Corporation


A snowmobile, having an arrangement of components in which the layout of various accessory devices is improved for an internal combustion engine mounted thereon. A dry sump oil tank, a water pump and a starter motor are disposed in a concentrated space at a forward-facing portion of an internal combustion engine, which is mounted on a snowmobile at a position close to the front side of a body of the snowmobile. A steering shaft is arranged close to the front portion of the internal combustion engine, and is accommodated by modifying the shape of closely adjacent parts. Accordingly, the limited available space in a snowmobile is effectively used, and a rider riding in back of the engine can easily and closely approach the engine. The limited space inside the snowmobile cover is used effectively, by efficiently arranging selected accessory devices for an internal combustion engine mounted on the snowmobile.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a snowmobile, and more particularly to an arrangement of components within a snowmobile, in which the layout of selected accessory devices for an internal combustion engine mounted on the snowmobile is improved.
2. Description of the Background Art
There are some examples of known snowmobiles in which the snowmobile has an internal combustion engine with compactly arranged accessory devices, to accommodate limited available interior space in the snowmobile body. These arrangement considerations are especially relevant in a small-sized snowmobile. An example of a small snowmobile having such a structure is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 2002-266653 (pp. 4–5, FIG. 2), in which an internal combustion engine is installed within a limited space in the vehicle body to ensure an advantage in the mounting space. The snowmobile disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 2002-266653 has a shaft layout structure such that a crankshaft, as well as a traveling power output shaft and a pump drive shaft (auxiliary device shaft), are arranged parallel with one another in the vehicular transverse direction. As such, the shafts form a triangular shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle body. To achieve this configuration, the pump drive shaft is disposed below the power output shaft, and the crankshaft is disposed at an intermediate position between the power output shaft and the pump drive shaft, and on a rear side of the engine. According to this shaft layout structure, accessory devices to be arranged around the internal combustion engine are arranged compactly on both front and rear sides of the engine.
According to a snowmobile 060 of the invention disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 2002-266653, which is illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14 of the present drawings for comparative purposes, there is used a power output shaft 02. The power output shaft 02 is connected through the engagement of gears to a crankshaft 01 of an internal combustion engine 0E mounted on the snowmobile 060, and rotation of the power output shaft 02 is transmitted to an endless track belt 065 through a V belt type automatic transmission 066, whereby the snowmobile is driven for travel.
In the internal combustion engine OE mounted on the snowmobile 060 of this prior art reference, the crankshaft 01, the power output shaft 02 for driving the snowmobile 060, and a pump drive shaft 03 as an auxiliary device shaft, are arranged so as to be parallel with one another in the transverse direction of the snowmobile 060 and so as to mutually form a triangle when viewed from the side of the vehicle body.
More particularly, a pump drive shaft 03, for activating a cooling pump and an oil pump, is disposed below the power output shaft 02. The crankshaft 01 is disposed at an intermediate position between and behind the power output shaft 02 and the pump drive shaft 03. As a result, various accessory devices to be arranged around the engine OE are disposed compactly, especially on both front and rear sides of the engine OE.
The compact layout structure of various accessory devices around the engine OE in the invention disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 2002-266653 leads to a reduction in size of the internal combustion engine OE. Such a small-sized internal combustion engine OE in the small-sized snowmobile 060 not only facilitates the installation thereof, but also provides an advantageous structure in point of space.
Thus, Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 2002-266653 provides an improved structure for effective use of such an extremely limited body space as in the small-sized snowmobile, as compared to older art which preceded publication of this reference. However, the provision of a further improved structure for effective use of body space in the snowmobile, and for facilitating installation of an internal combustion engine onto the snowmobile body is needed. Particularly, an improved structure is needed for a small-sized snowmobile for effective use of mounting space for an internal combustion engine, and various accessory devices associated with the engine, which occupy a large relative importance related to the available space.

Snowmobile, and the arrangement of the engine and accessory components thereof


In a display device, a first image processor outputs a first pretilt gray scale in response to a first external image signal during a first pretilt period and a second image processor outputs a second pretilt gray scale higher than the first pretilt gray scale in response to a second external image signal during a second pretilt period. A gamma reference voltage generator outputs a gamma reference voltage. A data driver outputs a first pretilt voltage by converting the first pretilt gray scale into the first pretilt voltage and outputs a second pretilt voltage identical to the first pretilt voltage by converting the second pretilt gray scale into the second pretilt voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a display device capable of improving quality of images displayed on the display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a liquid crystal display device includes two display substrates and a liquid crystal layer interposed between both substrates. In such a liquid crystal display device, an electric field is applied to a liquid crystal layer and intensity of the electric field is controlled so as to adjust the transmittance of light passing through the liquid crystal layer, thereby displaying desired images.
As liquid crystal display devices have been widely used for display screens of televisions as well as computers, realization of video images in the liquid crystal display devices has been required increasingly. However, since conventional liquid crystal display devices have a low response speed of liquid crystals, such video images may not be effectively realized in the liquid crystal display devices.
In detail, since liquid crystal molecules have a low response speed, a certain period of time is necessary to charge a liquid crystal capacitor with a target voltage (i.e. a voltage at which a desired luminance can be obtained). Such time delay depends on the potential difference between the target voltage and the previous voltage, which has already been charged in the liquid crystal capacitor in the previous frame.
Particularly, if the potential difference between the target voltage and the previous voltage is great, application of the target voltage from the starting point may inhibit the liquid crystal capacitor from reaching the target voltage within a period of 1H during which a switching element is maintained in a turn-on state.


Disclosed is a method for controlling access to a chat room using a peer-to-peer (“P2P”) network. The method includes the steps of sending a search request to a first set of nodes in the P2P network, the first set of nodes neighboring a node requesting the search and including at least one node; forwarding the request to a second set of nodes neighboring the at least one node in the first set, the second set of nodes including at least one node; comparing the search request to a local profile topic list in each node in the first and second sets; receiving a zero or more responses from nodes in the first and second sets; and establishing a network connection between the node requesting the search and at least one of the nodes responding to the request to form a community.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computing networks. It more particularly relates to peer-to-peer ("P2P") networks and to dynamically creating chat rooms and forming communities.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional Internet chat systems use centralized servers. Within these systems, chat rooms are statically or dynamically created, but the rooms are publicly listed and are administered by the central server. Exemplary systems include chat rooms administered by AOL, MSN and Yahoo! These chat rooms do not allow for individual users to administer the chat rooms. In particular, individual users are limited with respect to managing chat room admission, i.e., cannot determine which and how many users can join a chat room.
Because of the centralized nature of Internet chat rooms, they are frequently targets of malicious users or "spammers" posting unrelated or off-topic messages such as advertisements. These off-topic messages effectively create a type of denial of service attack within the chat rooms by making the ratio of useful messages to spam messages very low.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a method and system for a peer-to-peer instant messaging and chat room system.

Peer-to-peer instant messaging and chat system

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention provides a process for the preparation of a gas oil fraction comprising the steps of: (a) providing a stream of a first hydrocarbon product of which a major portion of the hydrocarbons have a boiling point in the range of from 370-540° C. and a stream of a second hydrocarbon product of which a major portion of the hydrocarbons have a boiling point of less than 370° C.; (b) separating at least part of the stream of the first hydrocarbon product in a separating section into a gaseous stream and a liquid stream; (c) separating at least part of the second hydrocarbon product stream in a separating section into a gaseous stream and a liquid stream; (d) introducing at least part of the liquid stream as obtained in step (b) and at least part of the liquid stream as obtained in step (c) into a fractionating section to obtain a number of fractions of hydrocarbons including a gas oil fraction, wherein the at least part of the liquid stream as obtained in step (b) is introduced into the fractionating section at a level which is lower than the level at which the at least part of the liquid stream as obtained in step (c) is introduced into the fractionating section; and (e) recovering from the fractionating section the gas oil fraction.

The preparation of gas oil is nowadays important in view of the increasing demand for this type of refinery product. It is known to prepare a gas oil fraction and other hydrocarbon fractions such as naphtha, kerosene and wax by combining different refinery product streams and subjecting the combined stream obtained to a fractionating process.
For example, a high quality gas oil fraction can be obtained by combining a product stream obtained by hydrocracking a vacuum gas oil with a product stream that has been obtained by hydrotreating a gas oil, and separating the combined products stream in a fractionating section to obtain a number of hydrocarbon fractions, including the gas oil fraction. The general drawback of such a combined processing of product streams is that the energy efficiency of the fractionating section to be used leaves much room for improvement.
Thus, there is a need to prepare high quality gas oil from combined refinery product streams wherein the above drawback is sufficiently dealt with.

Process for the preparation of a gas oil fraction


Prosodic databases hold fundamental frequency templates for use in a speech synthesis system. Prosodic database templates may hold fundamental frequency values for syllables in a given sentence. These fundamental frequency values may be applied in synthesizing a sentence of speech. The templates are indexed by tonal pattern markings. A predicted tonal marking pattern is generated for each sentence of text that is to be synthesized, and this predicted pattern of tonal markings is used to locate a best-matching template. The templates are derived by calculating fundamental frequencies on a pursuable basis for sentences that are spoken by a human trainer for a given unlabeled corpus.

Text-to-speech systems synthesize speech specified by textual input. One of the limitations of conventional text-to-speech systems has been that they produce very unnatural robotic-sounding synthesized speech. Such synthesized speech does not exhibit the prosodic characteristics typically found with human speech. Most conventional text-to-speech systems generate prosody by applying a small set of rules that define the evolution of prosody parameters with time. Prosody is generally viewed to encompass the duration of sounds, the loudness of sounds and the pitch accent associated with sounds. Certain text-to-speech systems have attempted to employ stochastic techniques to enhance the naturalness of the resulting synthesized speech that is produced by the systems. These stochastic learning techniques have attempted to determine prosody based on statistics that are derived from a corpus of spoken phrases or sentences. These stochastic techniques, however, have also failed to consistently produce natural sounding speech.

Prosodic databases holding fundamental frequency templates for use in speech synthesis


A knockdown labyrinth framework made up of tubes interconnected to make a base unit which itself combines with three others by way of a connection hub to make up a master square. Each such master square is then connected to other master squares. Vertical tubes join the lower structure to an upper structure which has hanging rods from which is hung a partitioning canvas which traces the path to form the labyrinth. Each tube connects and locks in with the next tube by way of frictional interlock which does not require any tools so that it is easy to set up and knockdown afterward.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to tubular framework but more particularly to labyrinth or maze made up of interlocking pieces of tubes to create limitless shapes for use in a maze.
2. Background of the Invention
Lifesize mazes have been around for ages and were popular in renaissance Europe as a distraction to royalty. Over the centuries, the concept has evolved and has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years. Most structures use wire mesh fence as a basic structure and sometimes add an opaque canvas hung on the fence so as to keep the alleys visibly isolated.
The prior art shows various types of structures to make labyrinths easily dismantleable such as for use in county fairs and such where a temporary structure is desired.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,720 shows an amusement maze located inside of a building. The maze is formed by upright flexible panels which are appropriately arranged in selected longitudinally and laterally extending patterns. The panels are supported by ropes anchored to a single sidewall of the building and are suspended above the floor of the building by wires which extend upwardly to the ceiling.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,316 shows a portable self-supporting, compactible armed competition arena which comprises a floor covering having markings which layout a plan for the arena and upon which the arena is assembled. The markings comprise indicia which alpha-numerically or otherwise identify wall and other arena construction parts to be assembled at the marked locations. Wall parts and other arena parts identified by the floor covering markings likewise bear tags comprising identifiers which correlate with the markings such that each identified part has a predefined unique location on the floor covering and in the arena structure. When totally assembled, the arena comprises a unitized structure which withstands wind and body loads. When used out-of-doors, tie-downs provide additional stability against wind load.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,311 shows a collapsible labyrinth constructed with a plurality of collapsible separating boards temporarily secured by vertical pivotal posts, two horizontal bars respectively on and under a line of separating boards to secure upper and lower ends of the pivotal posts, and tenons fitting in a mortise in a lower end of each separating board and also in one of tenon holes preset in the ground for securing temporatily each separating board so that the boards can be altered in position to make up a labyrinth route.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,501 shows a maze including a plurality of posts, a plurality of stretching members for inserting into longitudinal slots on the posts to reinforce the structural strength of the posts, a plurality of coupling members end matched between either two posts, and a plurality of partition members for connection horizontally between either two posts to define a network of intricate passages.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,659 shows an apparatus comprising a maze game that can be used indoors or outdoors and which has vertical poles and horizontal poles that interconnect together to make up the frame of the maze apparatus. The panels are made of fabrics and are readily attached and detached from the horizontal poles such that the panels hang downwardly from the horizontal poles to establish the various isolated pathways through the maze.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,462 shows a maze structure having plural levels, each with a floor and upstanding walls arranged in a maze-like pattern and dividing each level into a plurality of separate chambers. Openings are located in the top and bottom sides of the levels for communication of the chambers of one level with chambers of adjacent levels when the levels are stacked. Having the chambers of adjacent levels being arranged to communicate with one another regardless of the relative orientation of the levels permits any one level to be rotated about a vertical axis in relation to the other levels as well as permitting a plurality of different stacking orders to produce numerous different combinations and different solutions to the maze structure.
The prior art suffers from certain drawbacks such as the fragility of the structure which has weak ground anchoring, "soft" wall which can be lifted as easily as one lifts a curtain or else, over elaborate structure mechanisms which make it hard to assemble or disassemble.


Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for maintaining a valid semantic map of an environment for a mobile robot. A mobile robot comprises a drive system, a sensor circuit to sense occupancy information, a memory, a controller circuit, and a communication system. The controller circuit can generate a first semantic map corresponding to a first robot mission using first occupancy information and first semantic annotations, transfer the first semantic annotations to a second semantic map corresponding to a subsequent second robot mission. The control circuit can generate the second semantic map that includes second semantic annotations generated based on the transferred first semantic annotations. User feedback on the first or the second semantic map can be received via a communication system. The control circuit can update first semantic map and use it to navigate the mobile robot in a future mission.

Autonomous mobile robots can move about an environment, and perform several functions and operations in a variety of categories, including but not limited to security operations, infrastructure or maintenance operations, navigation or mapping operations, inventory management operations, and robot/human interaction operations. Some mobile robots, known as cleaning robots, can autonomously perform cleaning tasks within an environment. e.g., a home. Many kinds of cleaning robots are autonomous to some degree and in different ways. For example, a cleaning robot can conduct cleaning missions, where the robot traverses and simultaneously ingests (e.g., vacuums) debris from the floor surface of their environment.
Some mobile robots are capable of storing a map of the robot environment. The mobile robot can use the map to fulfill its goals such as path planning and navigating the mobile robot in the environment.

Systems and methods for managing a semantic map in a mobile robot


An electrode system for use in administering an EKG test, provided as a chair with a flexible strap having electrodes embedded therein. The flexible strap is attached to the chair back rest and is tightened around the chest when the patient is seated in the chair. Electrodes fitted in the lower portion of the chair and the armrest make connection, respectively, to the legs and arms, thereby completing the test set-up procedure in a short time period. The electrodes embedded in the flexible strap are adjustable horizontally, and the strap itself is adjustable vertically, so that particular locations on the chest are reachable, making the strap suitable for all size patients. The chair is designed to become a bed to increase patient comfort. A set of exercise accessories is removably attachable to the chair, to permit EKG measurements during physical exertion. The electrode system has many applications, in hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms, intensive care units, cardiology units, health institutes, old age homes, and sports medicine clinics.

The prior art of medical diagnostic electrodes includes a set of electrodes for application to the body skin for purposes of performing an EKG test. Individual ones of these electrodes are applied by a medical assistant to the limbs and the chest of the patient, and this requires a certain set-up time in preparation for the test. The electrodes are attached to cables which often become entangled, making identification of the proper electrode difficult as well as consuming additional set-up time.
The set-up difficulties with the electrodes and time consuming nature of the activity in performing an EKG test tend to make the patient uncomfortable, and the experience unpleasant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,679 to Blackham et al. discloses an adjustable head set for use in performing an EEG test, with the head set held in place on the back of a patient's head when the patient leans back against a chair head rest. The head set includes disposable monitors which provide good contact with the head without prior skin preparation. This design is not applicable to EKG testing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,768 to Golab et al. discloses an integrated medical testing system for automated administration of test stimuli to a patient, including stimulation control means for automatically administering the stimuli and for controlling a rotatable chair in which the patient is seated.
A set of electrodes for stimulating regions of the skin of disabled individuals is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,878 to Levine, and an example is presented using the electrodes in a wheelchair seat, to avoid the likelihood of pressure sores.
The increase in sophistication of medical instrumentation has led to the development of self-administered test devices for monitoring personal health, such as blood pressure. Designed especially for simplicity of use, such machines are available for public use in shopping centers, etc. Despite these developments, use of the EKG machine remains complicated and time-consuming due to the electrode set-up time.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an electrode system to facilitate use of the EKG machine quickly and easily.

Electrode system and method for EKG testing


Provided are glycoengineered populations of Fc domain-containing binding proteins with a reduced anti-drug immune response (ADA). Also provided are methods of treating disease using such compositions, and methods and host for making such compositions.

The use of therapeutic binding proteins has revolutionized the treatment of many diseases, including cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Despite their success in improving the quality of life of patients, long-term treatment with therapeutic binding proteins is often associated with the emergence of anti-drug antibodies (ADA) against the therapeutic agent. The development of ADA results in progressively lower serum drug levels and a diminished treatment efficacy.
For example, a 2011 study of rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with adalimumab revealed the development of anti-drug antibodies resulted in significantly lower remission rates. Two-thirds of the anti-adalimumab antibody-positive patients developed antibodies to the drug within the first 28 weeks of treatment. The presence of anti-adalimumab antibodies was further shown to substantially reduce serum adalimumab concentrations Similar results have been reported for infliximab, adalimumab, and natalizumab (see Bartelds et al., JAMA. 2011; 305(14):1460-1468). Such ADA immune responses, therefore, decrease the overall efficacy and utility of therapeutic binding proteins.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for recombinant protein therapeutics compositions that exhibit a reduced ADA response relative to current therapeutic binding proteins.

Glycoengineered binding protein compositions


A method for detecting and quantifying additives in a complex aqueous fluid, and a method for detecting an inhibitor of mineral deposition or corrosion, injected in a gas or oil well. The invention also relates to a developer solution including a lanthanide and a chelating agent for detecting said additives or inhibitors.

During exploitation of oil or gas fields, the recovery of gas or oil can be improved by injecting water into the deposit, via an injection well, so as to force the oil of the deposit out of the subsoil, via at least one other well, called a producing well. The interaction of the injected water with the reservoir containing gas, oil and underground water can lead to the formation of chemical species that can cause faults in the operation of the facility. More particularly, deposits of barium sulphate, calcium carbonate or sulphides of zinc and lead, for example, are in particular likely to be formed under conditions of exploitation at high pressure and high temperature or when the brine injected for extracting the oil or gas comes into contact with hydrogen sulphide or the ions contained in the reservoir. The production of reservoir water or aquifer water simultaneously with the oil or gas can lead to the same phenomena. These mineral deposits can obstruct the flow channels in the formation, contaminate the pipelines and the surface equipment and block the pumping systems.
More generally, mineral deposits or corrosion phenomena can appear under various operating conditions of industrial installations in contact with an aqueous environment.
In order to prevent or slow down these phenomena, additives are injected, for example into the underground formation or in the gas or oil wells. An example of such additives is constituted by inhibitors of mineral deposits and corrosion inhibitors. The injection of a fluid containing an inhibitor capable of preventing the formation of the crystals that cause the problems, of preventing their growth or dispersing them, thus makes it possible to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and avoid or delay dismantling the installations in order to clean them.
However, assay (detection and/or quantification) of these inhibitors constitutes an essential aspect of the production of hydrocarbons, in order to ensure that they are present in sufficient quantity to fulfil their function with, if necessary, timely injection of an additional quantity of inhibitor, adjusted to take account of the economic constraints of the process and its environmental impact.
The methods currently used for determining these inhibitors are often of low accuracy and/or take a long time and require equipment that is often rather unsuitable for the exploitation conditions. An example of these methods is the determination of corrosion inhibitors using methyl orange. Although this technique is extremely flexible, it sorely lacks reliability and has a very high relative uncertainty as regards the results.
Determination of molecules that inhibit mineral deposits requires accurate chemical analysis for a certain number of specific elements of one of the molecules used (measurement of the level of nitrogen or of phosphorus for example, the so-called Hyamine method for polymers). These measurements can be carried out either by mass spectrometry and/or by separation and concentration using analytical devices such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These techniques are both complex and difficult to implement.
Moreover, development of a detection method that is reliable and rapid comes up against the fact that these additives or inhibitors are generally so effective that they are only present in the injected fluid at the level of a few ppm, and that the fluid constituted by the exploitation waters contains a variety of compounds such as salts and organic residues. Owing to the presence of these compounds, the complex fluid produced in particular has an intrinsic fluorescence that prevents detection of additives or inhibitors, optionally labelled with a fluorescent probe, using traditional fluorescence techniques. Finally, the production sites are generally located in remote places, far from local analytical laboratories, which represent an additional constraint.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to determine these additives or inhibitors directly on site, in the production waters, using a method that is simple, reliable and accurate, that can be used for a variety of inhibitors of mineral deposits and corrosion inhibitors and that can be carried out using easily transported, compact equipment.
The inventors demonstrated that these requirements could be satisfied by mixing the fluids to be analysed, which may contain these additives, with a developing solution comprising at least one lanthanide ion and at least one chelating agent of the lanthanide ion and using the time-resolved fluorescence method. This method in fact makes it unnecessary to employ the natural fluorescence of the exploitation water, which has very short emission times, and only collect the light emitted after a delay a few microseconds to one millisecond, preferably from 100 microseconds to one millisecond, resulting from the fluorescence of the inhibitors labelled in this way. Furthermore, pre-complexation of the lanthanide ions with a chelating agent makes it possible to considerably improve the sensitivity of detection of the additives or inhibitors, even despite the increase in fluorescence of the lanthanide ions associated with the presence of the chelating agent. The present method also makes it possible to detect additives or inhibitors with low complexing power (in particular certain amine-containing corrosion inhibitors) or that are easily excitable in the near UV/visible (such as europium).
This method has the further advantage of specifically identifying the type of additive, for example inhibitor (of mineral deposits or of corrosion), without a preliminary labelling step and even when it is present in a complex fluid formed by the production water in the petroleum medium, as a function of its optical signature, simultaneously employing the excitation and emission spectra and the lifetimes of the signals emitted.

Method and solution for assaying inhibitors in a petroleum fluid containing water

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS)


The present invention relates to liquid pharmaceutical compositions of baclofen or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. More specifically, stable liquid pharmaceutical compositions of baclofen at concentrations of 5 mg/mL or more are provided. Preferably, the liquid pharmaceutical compositions are suitable for oral administration, and stable at pH ranges of 5-8 over a variety of storage conditions, including long-term storage for extended periods of time.

Baclofen is a structural analog of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and may exert its effects by stimulation of the GABA receptor subtype. Chemically, baclofen is 4-amino-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-butanoic acid, a derivative of Y-aminobutyric acid. It is represented by the following formula:

Baclofen is a white to off-white, odourless or practically odourless crystalline powder, with a molecular weight of 213.66 g/mole. It is slightly soluble in water, very slightly soluble in methanol, and insoluble in chloroform. Its low solubility in water makes it difficult to obtain stable aqueous solutions of baclofen with concentrations greater than 2 mg/mL, and specifically greater than or equal to 5 mg/mL.
Baclofen is a skeletal muscle relaxant used to treat spasticity in conditions such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. Baclofen is currently approved and marketed as intrathecal injection, oral disintegrating tablet and tablet dosage forms. KEMSTRO® (oral disintegrating tablet) and LIORESAL® (tablet) were approved in United States for the alleviation of signs and symptoms of spasticity resulting from multiple sclerosis, particularly for the relief of flexor spasms and concomitant pain, clonus, and muscular rigidity. Baclofen intrathecal injection is approved for use in the management of severe spasticity in adult, geriatric, and pediatric patients from age 4 years and above.
Administration of solid oral dosage forms to pediatric and geriatric population still remains a challenge, particularly due to a frequent lack of age-appropriate formulations, which raises a concern about dose accuracy. Moreover, several factors specific to the pediatric and geriatric population, such as the ability to swallow, palatability issues, etc., may hamper the administration of oral medication. Indeed, most commercially available medicines are designed for adults and do not provide ease of use for pediatric and geriatric population. Beyond the efforts of health authorities to promote the development of pediatric and geriatric medicines, many medicinal products are authorized only for adults and are not currently available in formulations suitable for administration to pediatric and geriatric population. Consequently, caregivers or parents frequently modify medicines used off-label before administration in children, leading to dose error risk or inaccurate dosing, as well as stability and/or bioavailability issues pertaining to the drug.
In general, there is a need for developing oral liquid formulations of baclofen that allow for dosing flexibility which can cater to the needs of geriatric and pediatric population. There is an increased recognition that for medicines requiring precise dosage and titration, as with baclofen, development of oral formulations allow for tailored dosages across the dosing range, or for other populations with swallowing difficulties. In the absence of a ready-made product, there are several approaches that are utilized in an attempt to "create" an appropriate dosage form for pediatric and geriatric population. One frequent approach is to prepare an oral liquid from tablets, capsules or powdered drug dispersed or dissolved in a suitable base. The practice of crushing tablets or opening capsules and adding the powder to a drink (e.g., water, juice or soda) or sprinkling into solid food (e.g., apple sauce or pudding) is an alternative, but there are few circumstances where this method is appropriate. It is difficult to ensure that a complete dose has been taken, the effects on the drug from the food or drink the tablet is dispersed into are unknown, and the practice of nurses, caregivers or other healthcare professionals handling powdered drug may pose significant health concerns. With baclofen doses ranging from 1 mg to 400 mg per day, utilizing the currently available 5, 10, and 20 mg tablets presents significant challenges in drug delivery to the pediatric or geriatric population. For example, to deliver a 15 mg or any dose greater than 20 mg, multiple tablets and significant manipulation of the tablets is required to deliver these doses.
Baclofen dissolves poorly in water, and once dissolved, has a tendency to precipitate out of solution under normal storage conditions. Particularly at higher concentrations, baclofen may not completely dissolve in aqueous solution, or it may have an unacceptable tendency to precipitate out of solution during storage. Moreover, achieving long-term stability of baclofen in an oral solution is difficult and challenging.
Baclofen is also extemporaneously compounded as oral suspensions in the hospital pharmacies at concentrations of equal to or more than 5 mg/mL. However, sedimentation of solids is a common problem which is encountered in suspension products, which leads to caking (formation of compact mass), making it difficult to dispense the suspension. The content of active ingredient depends to a large extent upon the re-dispersibility of the oral suspension product. This results in dose uniformity issues resulting in patients receiving the dose of baclofen more or less than the maximum recommended dose. The over dose of baclofen in patients may cause coma or with progressive drowsiness, light-headedness, dizziness, somnolence, accommodation disorders, respiratory depression, seizures, or hypotonia progressing to loss of consciousness. Moreover, the extemporaneously compounded oral suspensions of baclofen are not suitable for long-term storage.
It has been reported that baclofen could be dissolved in strongly acidic or strongly basic pH solutions. For example, Ahuja (1985) reported that concentrations of baclofen greater than 20 mg/mL could be obtained by dissolving baclofen in aqueous solutions of 0.1N HCl or aqueous solutions of 0.1N NaOH. However, at a very high and a very low pH, baclofen undergoes alkaline and acidic hydrolysis, respectively, and forms baclofen-related Compound A which is listed in the USP monograph as a known impurity (BRC A) that must be controlled to within certain limits.
Preparation of a stable baclofen oral solution at near neutral pH at a concentration of about 5 mg/mL or more remains a critical challenge, because baclofen is not soluble at a concentration of 2 mg/mL in near neutral pH. Moreover, an increase or decrease in pH of the oral solution leads to formation of impurities.
Various sources have reported stable suspensions or syrups of baclofen for oral administration that had concentrations higher than an equilibrium concentration of 4.3 mg/mL (Allen et al., 1996; Johnson and Hart, 1993), but none of these preparations were acceptable for pharmaceutical uses.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,357,379 discloses aqueous solutions comprising baclofen in concentrations greater than 2 mg/mL up to about 10 mg/mL. These solutions were prepared by heat and sonication; high speed stirring; alkalization with back titration; acidification with back titration. U.S. Pat. No. 9,655,968 discloses aqueous solutions comprising baclofen in multivalent physiological ion solution such as artificial cerebrospinal fluid at concentrations of 10 mg/mL. The aqueous solutions disclosed in the above patents contains normal saline or multivalent physiological ion solution as solvents which are preferred diluents for injectable dosage forms and not preferred for preparing oral dosage forms.
What is needed is a method for providing a high-concentration, stable liquid pharmaceutical compositions of baclofen for oral administration, without requiring use of strong acids or strong bases for dissolving baclofen, and without utilizing sonication and intense agitation to dissolve the baclofen. There also appears to be a clinical need for providing concentrated aqueous solutions of baclofen for oral administration, having acceptable pharmaceutical properties, and most preferably, concentrated solutions that are stable in a variety of storage conditions and for extended periods of time.
Furthermore, baclofen undergoes acidic and basic hydrolysis at very high or very low pH ranges. Therefore, there remains a need to develop a liquid pharmaceutical composition of baclofen for oral administration which is stable at pH ranges of about 5-8.

Liquid pharmaceutical compositions of baclofen for oral administration


A wavelength converting material including a wavelength converting activator and a scatter is provided. The wavelength converting activator is suitable for being activated by a light with a wavelength λ1, so as to emit a light with a wavelength λ2. The scatter is disposed on the wavelength converting activator. The scatter is suitable for scattering a first light and a second light irradiated to a surface thereof. As a result of that the scatters on the wavelength converting activators increases the gap of two wavelength converting activators adjacent to each other, the wavelength converting activators could be sufficiently activated for emitting a light with wavelength λ2 while the wavelength converting materials are irradiated by the light with λ1. Therefore, the brightness of a light emitting diode with the wavelength converting material is enhanced.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting device and a wavelength converting material thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a light emitting device with high brightness and a wavelength converting material thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional light emitting diode (LED). Referring to FIG. 1, the LED 100 includes a carrier 110, a blue LED chip 120, and a yellow phosphor encapsulant 130. The blue LED chip 120 is disposed on the carrier 110 and electrically connected to the carrier 110 via a bonding wire 140, wherein the blue LED chip 120 is suitable for emitting a blue light.
The yellow phosphor encapsulant 130 is directly overlaid on the blue LED chip 120 and is located in the illumination range of the blue light. The yellow phosphor encapsulant 130 includes a transparent material 132 and yellow phosphors 134, wherein the yellow phosphors 134 are uniformly mixed in the transparent material 132 and is suitable for being activated by the blue light emitted by the blue LED chip 120 so as to emit a yellow light. The LED 100 can be used as a white light source after the blue light and yellow light therein are appropriately mixed.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view of Region A in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, the yellow phosphors 134 are uniformly mixed in the transparent material 132, but in fact, an aggregation phenomenon of the yellow phosphors 134 often occurs, as shown by the yellow phosphors 134a-134c. As such, a part of the yellow phosphors (such as 134a) is likely to be shielded by other yellow phosphors (such as 134b and 134c) and cannot be irradiated by the blue light. Therefore, the aggregation phenomenon results in poor wavelength converting efficiency of the yellow phosphors 134.
Additionally, in the conventional art, in order to uniformly mix the blue light and yellow light in the LED 100, a scatter or air bubbles with light insensitivity and preferable reflectivity are doped in the yellow phosphor encapsulant 130 and are uniformly mixed with the yellow phosphors 134. However, this process consumes a part of the quantity of light and decreases the brightness of the LED 100.

Light emitting diode and wavelength converting material


The present invention relates to a method and system for testing error detection programs dedicated for detecting hardware failures in a computer system, in which error case patterns comprising stimuli values are generated and response patterns to the hardware are evaluated. In order to develop and debug such error detection programs already at an early phase during hardware development it is proposed to feed a simulation model (26) of said hardware with said error patterns, and after running said model, evaluating (12) the model response patterns generated by the simulation model and comparing the response patterns with those expected as a result of the error detection program.

The present invention relates to hardware and software development, and in particular to a method and system for testing error detection programs dedicated for detecting hardware failures in a computer system, in which error case patterns comprising stimuli values are generated and response patterns to the hardware are evaluated.
Computer systems often have a complex structure that comprises many components, on-chip or off-chip switched to be arranged for tight co-operation with each other. The complexity is even increased when more than one processor unit is coupled with each other or when they co-operate via an electronic network system.
A problem arises when any technical component has a failure which is not made fail-safe by a redundant component. Then, the system operation may be interrupted which—when applied for business purposes—causes high additional costs, in general.
In order to minimize the time required for repairing a hardware failure prior art software programs exist which control the operability and functionability of individual hardware units. Those units may comprise one or more of hardware subunits. In case of a hardware failure the failing technical component may be localized very quickly and technical stuff can replace that component by a new one within relatively short time without a longer time being required for localizing the failing component. Such error detection programs dedicated for detecting hardware failure are referred to in prior art as so-called field-replaceable-unit (FRU) isolation programs. As a matter of fact such programs are complex as well and thus need some time to be developed and be debugged in order to provide sufficient quality.
In prior art, those FRU isolation programs are tested and debugged in close co-operation with the new hardware itself after this has been fabricated at least on a prototype base.
This situation is depicted in FIG. 1: a service element (SE) as e.g. a laptop 10 having installed such FRU isolation program under development is connected via a LAN connection to a computer system 15 in which the newly developed hardware 16 is running.
A separate error generator computer 18 has its own user interface 17 and is arranged to force errors in form of so-called stimuli voltage levels in the hardware itself, forced on latch level for example. Thus, the hardware itself is stimulated with errors.
Then, the error latch status values resulting from this hardware stimulation are read by the service element 10 which runs a respective driver and are evaluated by the FRU isolation software under development.
Usually, after Initial Microprogram Load (IML) at the new hardware 16 the so-called shift-chain-technology is used in order to track a plurality of different paths within a chip. Within a chain a plurality of dedicated latches are tracked and the respective voltage level dependent of a respective time clock is recorded in a view file provided per chain. Thus, such status values can be evaluated and bugs in the FRU program can be found and corrected because the hardware can be selectively fed with a continued sequence of new error stimuli values. Thus, an iterative operation of    a) new hardware stimulation,    b) watching the error propagation effects thereof in the error latches,    c) controlling the FRU-isolation program if it is able to detect those errors,    d) repeated amendment of said FRU-isolation program,is the way in which said FRU isolation program is debugged in prior art comprising two different user interfaces interface 17 for generating errors and user interface 12 for evaluating errors and debugging the FRU-isolation software.
A first disadvantage thereof is that this is a time-consuming, laborious debug procedure.
A second disadvantage of said prior art approach is that the FRU-isolation program can be analyzed for debugging purposes not before the new hardware exists physically in form of at least a prototype base. As, however, the FRU software is an essential component of a new hardware in sale it should be in a releasable status when the hardware itself is releasable. This, however, is not possible in prior art.

IML-stream generated error insertion / FRU isolation


A computing resource service provider may provide computing resources for execution of a program on behalf of a customer. The program's resource requirements may grow over time and horizontal scaling of the programs execution may be a laborious task as the portion of the program's the in-memory state may not be replicated. The program may include a set of modules which may be split and distributed to one or more computer systems of the service provider for execution. A factoring plan may be used to determine a set of partitions, where each partitions contains a subset of the modules of the program. Performance data associated with the one or more computer systems executing the partitions may be used to determine the factoring plan.

The use of network computing and storage has proliferated in recent years. The resources for network computing and storage are often provided by computing resource providers who leverage large-scale networks of computers, servers and storage drives to enable clients, including content providers, online merchants and the like, to host and execute a variety of applications and web services. Content providers, online merchants and developers, who traditionally used on-site servers and storage equipment to host their websites and store and stream content to their users, often forego on-site hosting and storage and turn to using the resources of the computing resource providers. The usage of network computing allows content providers and online merchants, among others, to efficiently and adaptively satisfy their computing needs, whereby the computing and storage resources used by the content providers and online merchants are added or removed from a large pool provided by a computing resource provider as needed and depending on their needs.
In addition, content providers, online merchants and developers may use the network computing resources and storage to execute a variety of different application. These application may have resource requirements that can be unpredictable and grow over time to exceed the capacity of a single computer system or network computing resource. The computing resources available to the application may be increased by horizontally scaling the application. Common techniques for horizontally scaling a particular application may include replicating the particular application across multiple servers or computing resources. For applications that include in-memory state, horizontal scaling may be a laborious task as the portion of the application using the in-memory state cannot be replicated.

Splitting programs into distributed parts


An award frequency analysis auditor is employed in wager based gaming systems and reduces the time necessary to detect award frequency and return to player that is out of a desired range. User configurable thresholds may be set with the auditor and user configurable actions may also be configured to be performed when the thresholds are reached. Increased accuracy and reduction of false positives are achieved.

The present invention relates generally to gaming devices and systems, and more specifically to devices and systems for monitoring and ensuring the proper payback of the devices.
Casinos and other forms of gaming comprise a growing multi-billion dollar industry both domestically and abroad, with electronic and microprocessor based gaming machines being more popular than ever. A gaming entity that provides gaming services may control gaming devices that are globally distributed in many different types of establishments. For example, gaming machines may be placed in casinos, convenience stores, racetracks, supermarkets, bars and boats. Further, via a remote server, a gaming entity may provide gaming services in locale of a user's choosing, such as on a home computer or on a mobile device carried by the user.
Electronic and microprocessor based gaming machines can include various hardware and software components to provide a wide variety of game types and game playing capabilities, with such hardware and software components being generally well known in the art. For example, bill validators, coin acceptors, card readers, keypads, buttons, levers, touch screens, displays, coin hoppers, player tracking units and the like are examples of hardware that can be coupled to a gaming machine. Software components can include, for example, boot and initialization routines, various game play programs and subroutines, credit and payout routines, image and audio generation programs, security monitoring programs, authentication programs and a random number generator, among others.
The functions available on a gaming machine may depend on whether the gaming machine is linked to other gaming devices. For instance, when connected to other remote gaming devices, a gaming machine may provide progressive jackpots, player tracking and loyalty points programs, cashless gaming, and bonusing among other items. In some systems, often known as server-based gaming systems, certain data can be transmitted to the gaming machine such as denomination selection control data, game selection control and display software and data, game operation and display software and data, etc, Many of these added components, features and programs can involve the implementation of various back-end and/or networked systems, including more hardware and software elements, as is generally known.
In a typical casino-based electronic gaming machine, such as a slot machine, video poker machine, video keno machine or the like, a game play is initiated through a wager of money or credit, whereupon the gaming machine determines a game outcome, presents the game outcome to the player and then potentially dispenses an award of some type, including a monetary award, depending upon the game outcome. In this instance, the gaming machine is operable to receive, store and dispense indicia of credit or cash as well as calculate a gaming outcome that could result in a large monetary award. The gaming machine is enabled to operate in this manner because it is placed typically in a location that is monitored (e.g., a casino), the gaming machine hardware and software components are secured within a locked cabinet and the gaming machine includes a security system for detecting fraud or theft attempts.

Award frequency analysis (AFA) security auditor


A system and method for determining data integrity as such data passes through a FIFO. A generator is provided for appending a bit in a predetermined bit location in each packet pushed into the FIFO in response clock signals. The appended bit is a function of the information pushed into the FIFO. A checker is provided for providing an indication of the information integrity in response to bits produced at an output of the FIFO in the predetermined bit location. In one embodiment, the generator is a parity generator and the checker is a parity checker. In one embodiment, during an initial test mode, one parity type is introduced into the FIFO by the parity generator and the opposite parity type is checked at the output of the FIFO by the parity checker to determine whether the parity checker is able to produce parity error signals. In another embodiment, the generator is a packet delimiter generator and the checker is a packet delimiter checker. In another embodiment, the generator is a frame delimiter generator and the checker is a frame delimiter checker.

As is known in the art, FIFOs are used extensively in digital systems such as computers, signal processors, etc. to pass data and/or control, i.e., information, from one part of the system to another. In these systems, it is important to confirm that the information introduced ("pushed" or written) into the FIFO is the same as the data received ("popped" or read) from the FIFO.
More particularly, a FIFO includes a plurality of storage stages. These storage stages may be a series of shift register stages or addressable stages. In either case, the information first written into the FIFO is the first information read from the FIFO. With a series of shift register stages, the information data is pushed into the input register stage in response to shift signals and any information previously residing in the FIFO is shifted into the next highest register stage, such shift signals being produced synchronous with a clock signal pushed into the FIFO. A "pop", or read address is applied to the FIFO that points to the oldest data in the FIFO. It is also important to confirm that the correct amount of information is popped from the FIFO.

First-in/first-out (FIFO) information protection and error detection method and apparatus


The invention includes an adaptive control system used to control a plant. The adaptive control system includes a hedge unit that receives at least one control signal and a plant state signal. The hedge unit generates a hedge signal based on the control signal, the plant state signal, and a hedge model including a first model having one or more characteristics to which the adaptive control system is not to adapt, and a second model not having the characteristic(s) to which the adaptive control system is not to adapt. The hedge signal is used in the adaptive control system to remove the effect of the characteristic from a signal supplied to an adaptation law unit of the adaptive control system so that the adaptive control system does not adapt to the characteristic in controlling the plant.

Adaptive control systems have the capability to adapt control response to changing conditions within the plant being controlled or the plant's operating environment. Adaptation to changing plant or environmental conditions provides enhanced control response for many kinds of plants, and may be required for certain types of plants that cannot be controlled with static control systems. However, conventional adaptive control systems have a tendency to adapt to plant or control system characteristics to which they should not. The control response of adaptive control systems can be greatly diminished when subjected to certain characteristic(s) of the plant or system, and can be rendered unstable in attempting to adapt to these characteristics. An example of a characteristic that could adversely affect an adaptive control system is a control or authority limit imposed on the control elements of an adaptive control system. If an operator generates a command signal that exceeds the ability of the control system or plant to respond, adaptation of the control system can render the control system unstable. It is desirable to reduce or prevent the impact of such characteristic(s) from adversely affecting the adaptive control system's performance.

Adaptive control system having hedge unit and related apparatus and methods


An apparatus and method is disclosed for selecting a handoff target base station in a wireless network. The apparatus comprises a handoff controller within a wireless mobile station that selects an optimal target base station for handoff based on pilot signal strength measurements of at least two candidate base stations and one of: a location of the wireless mobile station, a velocity of the wireless mobile station, and a direction of motion of the wireless mobile station. The present invention uses more than just pilot strength measurements to select an optimal target base station for handoff. Incorporating position location information in the handoff decision causes the handoff decision to be more reliable. This reduces the number of unnecessary handoffs and results in better system performance.

The radio frequency (RF) spectrum is a limited commodity. Only a small portion of the spectrum can be assigned to each communications industry. The assigned spectrum, therefore, must be used efficiently in order to allow as many frequency users as possible to have access to the spectrum. Multiple access modulation techniques are some of the most efficient techniques for utilizing the RF spectrum. Examples of such modulation techniques include time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), and code division multiple access (CDMA).
Wireless service providers also seek other ways of using the available spectrum as efficiently as possible. One important technique for maximizing spectral efficiency is to minimize overhead message traffic. If the number of overhead messages transmitted is reduced, fewer overhead channels are required to carry overhead messages. This frees up spectrum for user traffic. Also, reducing the number of overhead messages reduces the processing load in both the mobile stations and the base stations of the wireless network.
As is well known, when a wireless mobile station moves from a cell that is served by a source base station to a cell that is served by a target base station it becomes necessary to transfer or "hand off" the wireless mobile station from the source base station to the target base station. In most wireless networks approximately forty percent (40%) to fifty percent (50%) of all active calls experience some type of handoff. These handoffs involve adding cells or dropping cells to an active call, or handing the call over to another cell under the control of another base station. In either case a decision must be made prior to the handoff identifying which cell or cells are to be involved in the handoff. If the cell selection algorithm that is employed is not robust, unnecessary air signaling and call quality degradation may result. Improvements to cell selection algorithms for handoffs can result in a lower call drop rate and better overall network performance.
Prior art cell selection algorithms are based solely on the power levels of neighboring base stations. The wireless mobile station makes pilot signal strength measurements of the candidate base stations and uses the measurements to determine which cell (of a number of candidate cells) is to receive the handoff. This approach can lead to inaccurate decisions if the radio frequency (RF) environment is less than ideal. Specifically, phenomena such as fading, additive combining, and dopplers can produce misleading pilot strength signal readings at the wireless mobile station. Erroneous pilot strength signal readings may cause the base station selection algorithm to select the wrong handoff base station.
There is therefore a need in the art for an improved apparatus and method to enable a wireless mobile station to select an optimal handoff base station (as a target base station) for the handoff of the wireless mobile station from a source base station to the target base station. There is also a need in the art for an improved apparatus and method to provide an improved handoff decision algorithm in a wireless mobile station.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus and method for selecting a handoff base station in a wireless network


A plurality of cylindrical port defining portions project from a passage defining member defining a plurality of passages. A supply line defining body defining a plurality of supply lines is formed of an elastic member. The supply line defining body includes a plurality of openings each communicating with a corresponding one of the liquid supply lines. Each of the port defining portions extends perpendicularly to the direction in which each of the passages extends. Each of the openings extends perpendicular to the direction in which each of the liquid supply lines extends. A securing member fastens the port defining portions with respect to the corresponding openings collectively, by applying fastening force to the passage defining member and the supply line defining body in the axial direction of each port defining portion.

The present invention relates to duct connecting structures.
Conventionally, inkjet recording devices are broadly known as a type of liquid ejection device. The inkjet recording devices include so-called off-carriage types in which an ink retaining body provided in an ink cartridge is connected to a recording head provided along the bottom surface of a carriage through an ink supply tube. This type of recording device pressurizes the ink retaining body by supplying pressurized air into the ink cartridge with a pressurization pump or the like. As pressurized, the ink retaining body presses and moves the ink retained in the ink retaining body to flow to the recording head through the ink supply tube, which is formed of polyethylene or the like. The recording head is thus supplied with ink. The ink is ejected toward a recording paper sheet as ink drops, through a nozzle opening of the recording head provided in the carriage, which reciprocates, thus performing recording (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-212974).
There is a demand for minimization of ink jet type recording devices as a whole. For meeting the demand, the ink supply tube is formed of flexible material such as elastomer. When the carriage is reciprocated, the ink supply tube is bent by a large amount for saving the space for moving the tube. When joining the ink supply tube with a connecting member connected to the ink retaining body, a sleeve projecting from the connecting member is fitted into a hole defined in the tube. This structure prevents separation between the ink supply tube and the connecting member. Further, since the ink supply tube is formed of elastomer, the tube is relatively soft and thus functions as a seal.
However, such softness makes it easier for the ink supply tube of elastomer to be deformed due to creep or by external force. The deformation of the ink supply tube produces a gap between the sleeve and the connecting hole, resulting in lowering of the seal performance between the ink supply tube and the connecting member.


A rotary piston tube for an x-ray radiator is provided in which the vacuum housing, accommodating an anode and a cathode and displaceable in rotation, comprises a 360° all-around ray exit window. For optimization of the ray exit window, this is produced according to one of the subsequently stated material specifications: a) a high-temperature steel or a high-temperature chromium and/or nickel alloy, listed in the standard EN 10273 and EN 10302, at a wall thickness between 0.1 to 0.4 mm; b) a titanium material at a wall thickness between 0.2 and 2 mm; and c) a ceramic material at a wall thickness between 1 mm and 5 mm.

The invention concerns a rotary piston tube for an x-ray radiator with a vacuum housing accommodating an anode and a cathode, and displaceable in rotation, the vacuum housing being fashioned in a frustum shaped manner and expanding towards the anode, and comprising on the expanded end a 360° all-around ray exit window connected with the anode plate of the anode.
X-ray radiators that are equipped with rotary piston tubes normally comprise a vacuum housing, positioned such that it can rotate in the radiator housing, in which a cathode arranged is arranged on one side and an anode is arranged on the other side along a common rotation axis. In the known rotary piston tubes, the vacuum housing is fashioned mostly in a piston-like manner, with a cylindrical section and an abutting, frustum-shaped section expanding towards the anode. Located around the cylindrical section and outside of the vacuum housing is a device to deflect and focus the electron beam generated by the cathode on the impinging region of the anode. The stated device is fixed with regard to the rotating vacuum housing such that the electron beam is always deflected in the same direction, and thus always impinges on the impinging region of the rotating anode. The electron beam can be focused on, for example, a line-shaped focal spot with the aid of the invention.
Rotary piston tubes of this type are, for example, specified in German Patent Documents DE 196 31 899 A1, DE 197 41 750 A1 and DE 198 10 346 C1.
To provide a targeted exit of the x-rays from the radiator housing upon rotation of the vacuum housing, such rotary piston tubes require the ray exit window in the vacuum housing to unavoidably be fashioned as a 360° all-around window. Also, so that the electron deflection functions, the main part of the vacuum housing (thus the frustum-shaped section of the vacuum housing) must be comprised of a non-magnetizable material.
In the known embodiments, the vacuum housing has been produced from a non-magnetizable, vacuum-sealed steel plate (for example, from a steel grade material with the German material number W. No. 1.4301). The wall thickness of the vacuum housing in these embodiments goes down to approximately 2 mm, whereby for reasons of rigidity, the same wall thickness (or only a slightly reduced wall thickness) is provided in the region of the exit window. Due to the mechanical stressing of the tube (the tube rotates in operation with up to approximately 9000 RPM), for reasons of rigidity, and also due to the danger of a warpage upon heating of the tube, it is not possible to dimension the exit window in this material significantly thinner than 0.5 mm (in order to be able to reduce the radiation loss) given the materials used up to now.
Furthermore, previously no measures for improved (i.e., more efficient in terms of production and maintenance) fashioning of the ray exit window have been achieved, which ultimately means that the entire tube would have to be exchanged given wearing/deterioration of the window condition as a consequence of the electron bombardment.

Rotary piston tube for an X-ray radiator


The present disclosure, in one form, provides an electric motor/generator low hydraulic resistance cooling mechanism including a hollow cooling stator case having an inner and outer coaxial surface. The inner surface defines a generally cylindric cavity for receiving a stator in heat transference contact with the inner surface. The outer surface has integrated spiral groove cooling passages that are defined by filleted rectangular cross sections.

Electric machines such as, for example, motors and generators may be used to generate mechanical power in response to an electrical input or to generate electrical power in response to a mechanical input. Magnetic, resistive, and mechanical losses within the motors and generators during mechanical and electrical power generation cause a build up of heat, which may be dissipated to avoid malfunction and/or failure of the device. One of the limitations on the power output of the electric generators may be the capacity to dissipate this heat.
Cooling stator cases or jackets provide an excellent means for cooling electric motors and generators, such as brushless permanent magnet motors operating at high speeds and driven by fuel-powered engines to generate electrical power. Electric motors and generators generate considerable heat and require an efficient cooling system. Motors and generators are often equipped with a means for cooling, formed of a cooling jacket provided with grooves or passages built into the motor/generator housing. Circulating oil or water, or even air through the grooves or passages provides cooling to the motors and generators.
It is common practice in machining applications to machine spiral grooves into a metal part. Machined spiral grooves into a housing have been shown to work well to remove the necessary heat from these components, however machined spiral grooves are expensive to cut in a production environment.
In a patent application to Burjes et al. (2007/0268464 A1), a method of making a motor/generator cooling jacket is disclosed. A hollow cylindrical housing is cast with an outer peripheral surface and an annular axially facing end surface, a plurality of grooves formed in the outer peripheral surface and a radial lip at one end. The Burjes et al. patent application also teaches inlet and outlet ports drilled through the end surface to communicate with the grooves, and sealing recesses and o-ring seals integrated for sealing. However, the prior art process does not provide mechanisms to protect from pressure drop across the channels.
Further, the Burjes invention teaches a non-continuous flow path, which may require the cooling fluid to make 180-degree turns and flow in opposite directions. This non-continuous circulation path may further contribute to inconsistent and inefficient means for equally cooling the stator, and may lead to a less efficient system potentially causing a higher than desired pressure drop across the entire path of the fluid.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the issues set forth above.

Electric motor/generator low hydraulic resistance cooling mechanism


A locking device for gate valves utilizes an available lock and avoids the necessity of having to chain or weld the lock to the bonnet or other stationary portion of a standard gate valve. The locking device includes a bracket, which mounts securely to one of the truss members of the gate valve. The bracket also includes an upwardly projecting mast, which is inserted between the adjacent spokes of the hand wheel. A cap is seated onto the hand wheel and the mast of the bracket installed on the gate valve. The cap includes a mast port though which the upper end of the mast projects when the cap is seated on the hand wheel. In certain embodiments, the cap covers all of the spokes on the hand wheel and has a number of downwardly projecting spaced spoke detents that are inserted into the openings between the adjacent spokes of the hand wheel. The secure and easy installation of the cap onto the mast of the bracket and the hand wheel prevents rotation of the hand wheel and adjustment of the valve.

A wide variety of types of valves are currently used in a vast array of applications. One common type of valve is known as a gate valve. Gate valves have long been, and are today, extensively used to control the flow of fluids frequently under high pressure. Uses for gate valves include controlling the flow through pipes of steam, oil, water, gas, and other fluids. Such valves are used at selected points on pipelines, in plants and to control the flow of water into buildings and other facilities. A gate valve being used in a preset position is preferably secured in that position and, for this purpose, the hand wheel of the gate valve is often secured to the truss support or other stationary portion of the valve by a chain and padlock.
Unfortunately, certain people, or even organizations, are tempted to tamper with the settings of gate valves and to do so, the chain is cut or the staple of a padlock is sawed. Quite frequently, tampering with a gate valve to the extent of changing its setting, even to the extremes of shutting it off completely or fully opening it, may produce disastrous consequences. For example, if the flow of water to a building is shut off, none of its automatic sprinklers may work with the result that there would be no automatic suppression of a fire in the building. In the situation of a pipeline conducting the flow of oil or water, shutting off a gate valve may result in shutting down pumps or even causing damage to the pumps, which do not have means to respond to a flow stoppage.
One prior art device aimed at solving at least some of these problems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,833, issued Oct. 11, 1994, and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The locking device disclosed in that patent includes a bracket that is clamped onto a portion of the truss extending upwardly from the valve bonnet and supporting a gate valve stem and a hand wheel. In one embodiment, the bracket clamps onto only one of the truss members and in another embodiment it engages both of the spaced truss members by spanning across the stem packing components. The bracket in each embodiment has a rigid bar extending upwardly which is capped by an L-shaped member seated against the inside of the hand wheel and between an adjacent pair of the radially extending spokes of the hand wheel. The bracket may be secured by a cylindrical lock having a recess into which the vertical portion of the L-shaped member is inserted and then locked. The bracket may also be secured by a padlock.
Unfortunately, the locking device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,833 has certain shortcomings. Specifically, if the bracket only engages one of the truss members it is not securely mounted to the valve. The bracket is prone to movement on the truss and the hand wheel can be rotated even when the locking device is installed. The embodiment of the locking device which mounts to both of the truss members may offer a more secure attachment, but installation and removal is often difficult and cumbersome. Moreover, the bracket often interferes with the stem packing to loosen and/or damage those components resulting in leakage from the valve.
Additionally, many valve hand wheels have 3, 5 or 6 spokes spaced equally at about 120°, 72° or 60°, respectively. Even if the device in the '833 patent is installed correctly and securely, the vertical portion of the L-shaped member projecting between the spokes does not entirely prevent rotation of and tampering with the hand wheel. For example, if such a locking device is installed on a gate valve with a 3 spoke hand wheel, the hand wheel could still be rotated up to 120° causing an unauthorized adjustment to the valve before the locking device prevents further rotation and adjustment.
Therefore, a need exists for a secure, effective and easily implemented device to prevent the unauthorized, inadvertent or otherwise undesired manipulation and adjustment of gate valves that does not suffer from these and other problems associated with prior art locking devices.