A security apparatus for a shopping cart having a plurality of casters has a braking member rotatably mounted on a wheel axle of one of the wheels. The braking member is movable between a raised position spaced above the ground surface and an operative position contacting the ground surface, and has a portion projecting radially outwardly from the outer peripheral rim of the wheel at least in the operative position so as to lift the wheel from the ground and impede rotation of the wheel. A locking device releasably locks the braking member in the raised position, and is released by a trigger device in response to a signal from a signal system extending around an area in which carts are to be retained, at which point the braking member rotates into the operative position.

The present invention relates generally to security or locking devices for wheeled vehicles, and is particularly concerned with a locking device for a shopping cart.
Wheeled shopping carts are conventionally provided by supermarkets and other large stores for the convenience of shoppers, so that relatively large loads of goods can be collected, paid for, and then wheeled out to the shopper's vehicle for unloading. The empty cart is then collected by store personnel and returned to the store for subsequent use. The problem with this system is that carts are often removed from the store parking lot, for various reasons. One reason for such removal is that a shopper with no vehicle will use the cart to transport goods back to their home, and then often does not return the cart. This can result in permanent loss or theft of the cart. Loss of shopping carts adds significantly to the cost of operating stores or markets, since each cart is a relatively expensive item.
Numerous proposals have been made in the past for devices to deter shoppers or others from removing carts from the immediate vicinity or parking lot of a store. Such devices typically include some type of wheel locking mechanism which is activated when the cart crosses a boundary of some type around the perimeter of the parking lot. Up to now, these devices have had significant disadvantages and have not been adopted to any great extent due to the disadvantages or problems in implementing them. For example, some mechanisms are highly complex and liable to failure or improper operations. Other such mechanisms are too easy to circumvent to be effective. Some locking mechanisms are too difficult to deactivate when the cart is removed to the proper area. Others are liable to cause damage to the cart wheels or the ground surface when deployed. In other cases, the locking devices are so expensive that they add considerable cost to the carts. Another problem with such devices is that store personnel retrieving carts and nesting them together will have no way of knowing which carts have locked wheels. When the resultant "snake" of carts is pushed back to the store, locked wheels slide on the ground and are liable to be damaged.
One prior art locking device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,075 of Snedeker. This device comprises a ground contacting probe which is deployed by a magnetic triggering assembly when the cart is rolled over a magnetic strip at an outer perimeter of the parking area. The probe contacts the ground and lifts an adjacent cart wheel off the ground, disabling the cart. However, if a person attempts to push the cart at this point, dragging the probe along the ground, damage to the ground surface and probe may occur.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,962 of Gray, a braking device for a wheeled vehicle includes a braking member which contacts the ground and lifts the vehicle to impede further movement. Again, the device is triggered by a magnet to release a blocking member, allowing the braking member to move into an activated position. Other shopping cart braking devices include stops which extend into openings in one or more wheels, preventing rotation of the wheel. Again, the locked wheel may then be dragged along the ground if a person still attempts to push the cart, damaging the tire.

Security device for shopping carts and the like


A system for detecting the operative strokes of an internal combustion reciprocating engine (10) includes a plurality of cylinders (C1, C2, C3, C4), a crankshaft (12) and at least one camshaft (22). The system also includes first and second sensors (14, 28, 26, 30), each including one sensor (28, 30) and one wheel (14, 26), the first sensor detecting the frequency of revolution of the crankshaft (12) and the angular position of at least one cambshaft (22), respectively. The second sensor includes a phonic wheel (26) split into a number of sectors (S1, S2, S3, S4) equal to the number of cylinders (C1, C2, C3, C4) in which each sector (S1, S2, S3, S4) has a characteristic number of projections and recesses (34) which is different from those of other sectors. An electronic control unit (32) establishes the operative strokes of the cylinders (C1, C2, C3, C4) in accordance with the signals output by the first and second sensors.

This invention relates to a system for detecting the operative strokes of an internal combustion reciprocating engine.
In electronically controlled injection engines, the electronic control unit which controls the injectors must know the stroke of each cylinder to control injection of fuel and to control ignition in the predefined instants of each operating stroke. At engine crank-up, the electronic control unit does not know which are the operating strokes of the single cylinders. Usually, in order to start the engine in the shortest possible time, during the initial crank-up phase, a certain amount of fuel is injected into all of the cylinders at the same time. In this way, however, polluting emissions of unburned hydrocarbons are created which cause problems in terms of compliance with pollution prevention standards.
This invention aims at providing a system for detecting the operating strokes of an engine which, at the time when the engine is cranked, allows to identify the operating strokes of the various cylinders in the engine in the briefest possible time to allow the engine to run in the briefest possible time in a sequential and timed fashion, that is with fuel injection made at the right time and in a sequential fashion in the various cylinders.

System for detecting the operative strokes of an internal combustion reciprocating engine


A method and a product of one-time enveloping silicone gel with plastic films. The surfaces of two films to be in contact with the silicone gel are treated by a plasma casing process (crosslinking by activated species of inert gases) or an electron beam process in advance so as to improve the wetting capability thereof. Thereby the films and the silicone gel are able to tightly combine together without the fear of separation. The operation is carried out under a vacuum environment so that no bubble will be generated therein and the leakage of the silicone gel on welding portions will be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a product of enveloping silicone gel with plastic films, and in particular to a method for enveloping silicone gel under a vacuum environment with a first and a second plastic films which have been treated by a surface implement process, such as a plasma casing process or an electron beam process and a product thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Referring to schematic views in FIGS. 1A through 1D, a conventional method for enveloping silicone gel with plastic films is normally performed in an atmospheric environment, which includes the following steps.
Step 1: Provide two plastic films 41, 42 by a film forming machine.
Step 2: Combine two plastic films 41, 42 into a bag like enclosure 46 with an opening 43 by a film welding machine to (see FIG. 1A).
Step 3: Pour silicone gel 2 into the enclosure 46 from the opening 43 to fill the silicone gel 2 with air 45. In order to enhance adhesion between the silicone gel 2 and the films 41, 42, an adhesive is added in the silicone gel 2, or spread on the contact surfaces of the two films 41, 42 (see FIG. 1B).
Step 4: Continuously expel bubbles 44 and the air 45 out of the enclosure 46 through the opening 43 by manually squeezing the enclosure 46 with the silicon gel 2.
Step 5: Close the opening 43 by the film welding machine after the bubbles 44 and the air 45 are totally expelled from the enclosure 46 so as to complete the operation of enveloping the silicone gel 2 with the plastic films 41 and 42 (see FIGS. 1C and 1D).
However, the above-mentioned conventional method has several drawbacks, namely:
1. It needs to perform two-stage welding procedures, and the leakage of silicon gel will happen on bad welding portions.
2. It is time and labor consuming to apply adhesion between the silicon gel and the films 41, 42. Moreover, the adhesion will damage the silicone gel to degrade the quality of the product.
3. Since the enveloping of silicone gel 2 is performed in the atmospheric environment, which leads the problem of the bubbles 44 and the air 45 existed in the enclosure 46 when filling in the silicone gel 2, a lousy work has to follow for expelling the bubbles 44 and the air 45. Such procedure further brings the following extra shortcomings:
(1) Wasting too much manpower and time,
(2) A poor yield of product,
(3) Difficult to isolate bacterial contamination,
(4) Incompletely cleaning of the bubbles and the air causing separation of the silicone gel from the contact surfaces of the films under an abnormal circumstance, such as during air transportation,
(5) Degrading the stability, quality and yield of the product due to the manual fabrication process.
For these defects inevitably brought on the prior art, an improvement is seriously required.
The applicant has plunged into this matter for years to studying and improving these defects and come up with a novel method and product of enveloping silicone gel with plastic films as provided in this invention to eliminate the defects mentioned above.
These features and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of the accompanying Drawings.

Method for enveloping silicone gel with plastic films and product thereof


The present invention is a shipping container adapted to isolate and extinguish a fire within the container, the container comprising a container body having a bottom, an interior wall defining an internal region, an opening into the internal region, a cover positionable over the opening, an insert or liner provided within the container and at a fixed distance from its interior wall, the insert having apertures extending therethrough, the region between the container's interior wall and bottom and the insert containing a free-flowing expanded glass granulate having fire insulating, fire suppressing and smoke absorbing properties.

Consumer electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, e-readers, MP3 players and electronic toys, are powered by lithium-ion batteries. If improperly handled, manufactured or overcharged, lithium-ion batteries are subject to overheating and thermal runaway i.e. the battery spontaneously increases in temperature and begins to vent hot and toxic pressurized gases. This causes the lithium-ion fluid within the battery to burst into flames, reaching temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. While it is possible to extinguish the flames by applying large amounts of water, the lithium inside of the battery may react with the electrolytes and water to generate hydrogen which can accelerate the fire. Sand or other granular minerals can be applied to a lithium-ion battery fire; however, these materials are fire resistant only and do not provide fire extinguishing properties. These fire suppression methods are not practical if the lithium battery fire occurs within a sealed shipping container during transport on tractor trailer or freight train.
Currently, shipping containers for spent or defective lithium-ion batteries or devices containing such batteries are limited to 55 gallon UN rated steel drums. These drums are intended to protect the batteries from damage and provide the minimal amount of protection from outside heat. Should a battery within the drum become compromised, it could fill the drum with smoke and flames and cause a massive explosion. Should the outside of the drum be exposed to a fire, the drum would only have to heat up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit for a lithium battery inside of the drum to experience thermal runaway. A cache of batteries is therefore unsafe against fires which may occur either inside the drum or outside of it.
Prior art solutions for shipping containers used to ship lithium-ion batteries include small scale boxes that are lined with ceramic fiber. These devices have been found to be too impractical for containing large quantities of batteries that require shipment. Additionally, these devices are constructed from cardboard or other non-metallic materials which renders them too fragile for commercial shipping and the containers provides no protection to its contents against a fire emanating outside the container.
Further, a shipping container, by its very nature, needs to be relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Shipping containers are often damaged during shipping, and a large number or containers are often required. To provide shipping container that can effectively contain and suppress an internal fire and shield the contents against an external fire, only adds to the cost of the overall device.
A need has therefore existed in the art for a rugged, cost efficient transport container that is adapted to isolate and extinguish a fire that might erupt within the container including, but not limited to, a fire caused by a lithium-ion battery and protect the contents of the container from a fire that might occur exterior of the container.

Receptacle for suppressing and containing a fire


The present invention provides a method to resolve ambiguities for monitoring and automating UNIX processes by providing a multi-level filter routine and search approach that interrogates the active process table to identify the specific process by matching unique process criteria stored during configuration of the automation product. The filter and search method goes beyond process name, as process names are often not unique in UNIX environments, and includes process parameters and information by which the process was invoked.

Names of software processes executing under UNIX environments are not necessarily unique. For example, all Java programs have a process name of "install_path java." UNIX environments assign a unique process ID to each active process and require this process ID as a parameter on external requests to manage a specific process. Therefore, external automation products like, for example, Tivoli System Automation for z/OS, are required to first lookup and identify the correct process ID, in the process table, before requests can be sent to monitor and automate that process. Automation products unsuccessfully attempt to identify processes by name, because automation products do not have a way to resolve which unique process ID to select from a potentially long list of identically named processes. Some automation products simply select the first process found with the matching name. Therefore, today, only processes with unique process names can reliably be monitored out-of-the-box by automation products.
Software processes executing under UNIX environments are managed in a hierarchical tree structure containing links to the parent process. There is a root process which has a process ID of 1. Each process may create as many child processes as needed. Each child process in turn is assigned its own unique process ID. The UNIX environment keeps the process name, command line parameters, process attributes, and a backward pointer to the parent process, for each active process in a process table. While process names may not be unique, consideration of the command line parameters of that process or the attributes of the parent process may be useful in differentiating between similarly named processes.
Additionally, it is becoming more common for large computer systems, such as mainframes, to support a UNIX environment as far as automation is concerned. For example, within IBM's z/OS, there is a UNIX environment called UNIX System Services (USS), capable of running multiple UNIX processes. USS is a complete UNIX kernel that runs in parallel to and is tightly integrated with the traditional mainframe base control program (BCP). Operators of these large computer systems wish to monitor and automate UNIX applications in the same way as they automate their existing legacy jobs, from the same operator's console and without the need for special skills. A UNIX application in this context is a program which in turn is a sequence of coded instructions. When this program is started, an environment has to be created for it consisting of a program counter, storage, and other mechanisms an operating system needs to control proper execution of that program. This environment is called a process. Each process has a unique ID while the program name may be ambiguous. As used herein, the term "process name" means the name of the program and the path within the UNIX filesystem, where the program is located that is currently executing within this process.
One current method used to identify similarly named processes is to create symbolic unique links. However, the creation of these links is a manual activity and requires both setup to the application itself and the adding of plain automation rules to the automation product. The complexity of the automation environment and the manual effort for managing this environment grows with the number of symbolic links.
A second method used to identify similarly named processes is to create a wrapper script with a unique name. However, with this approach, the automation product would only be able to monitor the script process and not the actual process started by the script.
What is needed in the art is a way to allow an automation product to automate not only on the basis of process name, but also based on the start parameters sent to the process and by the method the process was invoked.

Method to resolve ambiguities for monitoring and automating UNIX processes

International Business Machines Corporation


According to one embodiment, the optical layer has a larger planar size than the semiconductor layer. The optical layer is transmissive to emission light of the light emitting layer. The first insulating film is provided on a side surface of the semiconductor layer continued from the first surface. The metal film includes a first reflective part covering the side surface of the semiconductor layer via the first insulating film. The metal film includes a second reflective part opposed to the optical layer in a region around the side surface of the semiconductor layer and extending from the first reflective part toward a side opposite from the side surface of the semiconductor layer.

A semiconductor light emitting device for emitting visible light such as white light or light in other wavelength bands can be based on a combination of an LED (light emitting diode) element and phosphor. As such a semiconductor light emitting device, a semiconductor light emitting device having a chip size package structure has been proposed. In such a semiconductor light emitting device, there is demand for increasing the light extraction efficiency.

Semiconductor light emitting device and method for manufacturing same


A hemodialysis system includes the following: a dialysate handling unit for providing dialysate to the patient. This unit includes a hemodialysis solution pump and apparatus for monitoring hemodialysis solution safety such as a conductivity tester. Additionally a solution heater and appropriate conventional controls can be provided, as well as a proportioning system, an ultrafiltration measuring unit, and other known apparatus for handling dialysis solution. A blood handling unit is also provided, which includes a membrane dialyzer and holder, a blood pump, blood flow tubing and safety equipment for monitoring blood flow as it is pumped through the arterial/venous blood conduit set tubing from the patient, through the membrane dialyzer, and back to the patient. A first conduit is present for conveying fresh dialysate from the dialysate handling unit to the blood handling unit (or directly to the membrane dialyzer). A second conduit is provided for conveying spent hemodialysis solution away from the blood handling unit. By this invention, the dialysate handling unit and the blood handling unit are connected by a movable arm and are separate from and movable relative to each other while the hemodialysis is being performed. Significant economic and functional advantages can be achieved.

Hemodialysis systems generally comprise a console or cabinet which provides both the blood and dialysate handling and processing functions that are necessary for hemodialysis. In prior art systems, the membrane dialyzer is mounted on the console, along with blood conduit set containing the bubble traps of the arterial and venous conduits, and the blood pump segment of the arterial conduit, which is typically of the roller pump type.
Inside of the console, the dialysate handling and processing equipment includes a proportioning system if the hemodialysis system is of the type which mixes a dialysis concentrate with water to form the dialysate. Temperature gauges, conductivity meters, a dialysis solution pump, and other known components for the processing, heating, monitoring, and pumping of dialysate through the membrane dialyzer unit are also provided in the console.
Also a pair of tubular dialysate conduits are provided for connecting the membrane dialyzer with a supply of dialysate, these dialysate conduits being fairly short since the membrane dialyzer is mounted on the face of the system console, or on a pole mounted on or near the system console.
The console also includes the blood handling and processing equipment comprising typically a blood pump, heparin pump, air bubble detector, line clamp, and blood pressure monitors and alarms. This equipment acts upon and/or communicates with the blood pathway inner lumens of the arterial and venous blood conduit sets.
The arterial and venous blood conduit sets are also connected to the membrane dialyzer, as well as being connected to the patient, to provide an extracorporeal blood flow circuit between the membrane dialyzer and the patient. Since the membrane dialyzer is carried on the console during the hemodialysis procedure, the arterial and venous blood conduit sets are typically each about eight feet long, since the relationship between the dialysis chair or bed and the hemodialysis system console is relatively fixed, and access sites on the patient range from the lower leg to the jugular vein. To avoid undue variation of the types of blood conduit sets, most or all of them provide such long tubing.
Such long tubing creates a significant extracorporeal blood volume that causes a strain on the patient's vascular system. Any reduction in extracorporeal blood volume (without an attendant rise in pressure drop) would result in a significant reduction in hypotension of other hemodynamic problems currently endemic to hemodialysis.
Also, typically, the arterial and venous blood conduit sets for hemodialysis are disposed of after one use, or a few uses at most. Thus, the cost of the sets represents a significant percentage of the cost of dialysis. Any reduction in the cost of the arterial and venous blood conduit sets would comprise a significant reduction in the cost of the long term hemodialysis of a patient, since the procedure is performed on a chronic basis, typically three times a week.
In accordance with this invention a modification of hemodialysis systems is provided, in which the length of the tubing of the arterial and venous blood conduit sets can be substantially reduced, by separating the blood processing and dialysate processing equipment into two consoles such that the blood processing equipment can be brought closer (horizontally) to the patient's vascular access, and closer (vertically) to the patient's heart level. This results in a potentially significant cost savings in the disposable sets, since more than a hundred fifty of them are typically used annually by each dialysis patient.
By way of further advantage, a reduction in the length of the tubing of the blood conduit sets reduces the priming volume of the sets, which, in turn, can reduce the loss of blood by the patient in each hemodialysis procedure. Also, at high blood flow rates, the pressures in a set with blood tubing of reduced length can have a reduced pressure drop. This reduces the risk of collapsing blood vessels in the patient, due to excessive suction pressure at the arterial end of the blood conduit set.
By way of further advantage, the pressure monitoring means (pressure transducers) can more practicably brought to the level of the patient's heart, thus eliminating blood pressure reading errors caused by differentials in the height of the patient relative to the height of the pressure monitoring means. The shortness of the tubing and the correct height of the pressure monitoring means allows very accurate blood pressure measurements in the patient's fistula or graft as called for in an ideal dialysis.

Separable hemodialysis system connected by a movable arm


A detachable handle for a cooking vessel having at least one attachment opening formed therein includes an elongate member and a vessel engaging portion. The vessel engaging portion is attached to a first end of the elongate member and is adapted to engage at least one of the attachment openings of the cooking vessel. The detachable handle further includes a locking mechanism for securing the detachable handle to the cooking vessel.

In general, detachable handles for cooking or baking vessels, such as pots and pans, are well known. Pots and pans with detachable handles require less space, as the handles may be removed and placed inside the pots or pans, thereby enabling the pots and pans to be stored closer together. Many prior art detachable handles include a pair of opposing, tong-like members which grip the upper rim of a pot or pan. Because the upper rim is generally not very wide, the detachable handle has only a small surface area with which to grasp, making it difficult for the handle to attach securely to the pan. As a result, the connection between the handle and the pan is unstable.
Attempts to improve these detachable handles include extending the portion of the tongs which engages the rim of the cooking vessel to grasp a part of the side wall of the cooking vessel. For example, in one such device a planar surface extends down from each member of the tongs toward the bottom of the cooking vessel when the handle is attached to the vessel. While this approach improves the connection between the handle and the cooking vessel, the planar surface extension of the handle located on the inside of the vessel may interfere with food in the pot or pan.
Other versions of detachable handles are designed to engage a lug permanently attached to the cooking vessel. These handles typically include a lug engaging portion of dimensions slightly larger than the thickness of the lug. When the handle is attached to the vessel, the handle encompasses the lug and clamps down on the top and bottom surfaces of the lug. One problem with these detachable handles is that, because the handle covers the lug, the handle tends to be rather bulky.
Still another type of detachable handle engages permanent handles mounted on the sides of a pot or pan. One end of the detachable handle is shaped like a hook and is designed to be inserted into an open space in the permanent handles. A disadvantage with this detachable handle is that, since the handle does not have a lock, the handle may be accidentally disconnected or removed from the pot or pan. As a result, the handle does not provide a secure connection with the pot or pan.
In light of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a sleek and attractive handle which may be easily attached to and removed from a cooking or baking vessel and which does not interfere with the vessel's contents. In addition, it is desirable to provide a locking mechanism for attaching the handle to the vessel.


Embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to systems and methods for using field-loadable input/output (I/O) tables. An avionics hardware unit may include one or more processors. An operational software of the avionics hardware unit may perform a plurality of operations for processing avionics data in safety or data-integrity driven applications. An I/O table may be loaded onto the avionics hardware. The I/O table may be selected from a plurality of I/O tables loadable onto the avionics hardware for operation with the operational software. The selected I/O table may include a configuration of rules. The rules may be assigned according to the configuration to each of the plurality of operations to configure the behavior of the respective operations for processing the avionics data. The configuration may be different from that of others of the plurality of I/O tables in configuring the plurality of operations of the operational software.

Avionics software installed onboard an aircraft may be designed in accordance with mandated standards (e.g., Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification (DO-178C)). The input/output (I/O) information for avionics software for processing data from electronic components may be particular to a specific model, operator, or even registration number of the aircraft. In current systems, any change in the I/O information may cause the avionics software undergo re-certification to conform to the mandated standards. Certification may consume significant computing resources as well as an excessive amount of time and effort.

Field-loadable input/output tables for avionics hardware units


An apparatus used to communicate with a plurality of audio/video (A/V) end nodes in an Audio Video Bridging (AVB) network. The apparatus may include a first A/V end node. The first A/V end node may be configured to transmit a clock reference stream including a plurality of timestamps to a plurality of A/V end nodes. The plurality of A/V end nodes may transmit a media stream including a plurality of video samples and a plurality of audio samples to one another. The media stream may be separate from the plurality of timestamps. The plurality of A/V end nodes may be arranged to syntonize or synchronize the plurality of video samples and the plurality of audio samples with one another for playback in response to the plurality of timestamps.

The supplying of clock information in an Audio Video Bridging (AVB) network is based on the recovery of a clock from presentation timestamps that are received in a media stream. Real time transporting of digital audio and video and other digital media over data networks creates a new set of problems compared to non-media data. For instance, data networks may use packet switching in which data is divided into packets for separate transmission. As the packets are transmitted, sequential packets may take different routes and include different transit times. The packets are numbered to ensure they can be reordered correctly after arrival. This technique, however, does not suffice when left and right audio signals are to be received at different destinations, for instance at different speakers.
Unlike non-media data, digital media must be played out in synchronization. For example, video and audio must be aligned in time so that when they are played out the images match the sound.
The concept of a network clock has been used to address timing problems in data networks. A network clock signal is typically generated at a specific point in the network and this becomes a system time signal received by devices on the network. The system time signal is then used as a time reference for every device that receives the system time signal. Because of the topology of the network, devices at different locations on the network will receive the clock signal with a phase offset from the network clock, depending on the propagation delay from the clock to the device. A further consequence is that different remote devices may include received clock signals that include phase offsets with respect to each other, as well as with respect to the network clock.
Digital media transmission has historically embedded clocking information in the transmitted data. Embedding and recovering clocking information from data signal transitions or packet timing (e.g., Audio Engineering Society standard AES3, Sony/Philips Digital Interface, Gibson Media-accelerated Global Information Carrier) works well for point to point links between a small number of devices, but as the number of devices increases, clock jitter cascades and builds through each device that recovers and re-transmits the clocking information.
Digital media transmissions may alternatively employ a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) approach. In TDM systems (e.g. Multichannel Audio Digital Interface, CobraNet), a master clock device initiates periodic transmission cycles and each device is allocated one or more time slots within that cycle for transmission. This limits the total available number of channels.

Method and system for transmitting clock reference streams with timestamps directly to audio/video end nodes in an audio/video bridging network


In a lithographic apparatus, a slip of a patterning device relative to a support, the support being constructed to support the patterning device, may be provided by: measuring a position of the support relative to a structure of the lithographic apparatus; measuring a position of the patterning device relative to the structure of the lithographic apparatus; determining a correlation between the position of the patterning device and the position of the support; and deriving from the correlation a slip of the patterning device relative to the support. The structure may include a projection system to project a radiation beam patterned by the patterning device onto a target portion of the substrate. The projection system may be connected to a frame, such as a metrology frame of the lithographic apparatus.

1. Field
The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus and a method to detect a slip of a patterning device in such lithographic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g. including part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned. Conventional lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at once, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.
In a scanning type lithographic apparatus, a mask (or patterning device) is carried by a support, also referred to as a mask table or patterning device table. While generating a pattern on a target portion of a substrate, the mask table performs scanning movements along a line of movement, in a single scan direction or scanning in both (i.e. opposite) directions along the line of movement. When a reversal of direction takes place, the mask table is decelerated and accelerated between the successive scanning movements. Also, the mask table is accelerated and decelerated before and after each scanning movement in a specific direction. Conventionally, the scanning movements are made with constant velocity. However, the scanning movements may also at least partly be made with varying velocity, e.g. the movements including at least part of the deceleration and/or acceleration phases.
The mask table supports, i.e. bears the weight of, the mask. It holds the mask in a manner that depends on the orientation of the mask, the design of the lithographic apparatus, and other conditions, such as for example whether or not the mask is held in a vacuum environment. The mask table may include a frame or a table, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required. The mask table (and its control system) may ensure that the mask is at a desired position, for example with respect to the projection system.
The mask is coupled to the mask table through a clamp. Conventionally, the mask is coupled to the mask table through a vacuum clamp which may be implemented as one or more vacuum pads provided on the mask table, where at least a part of a circumferential area of the mask is held onto the vacuum pads. By the clamp, a normal force between adjacent surfaces of the mask and the mask table is generated, resulting in a friction between contacting surfaces of the mask and the mask table. The vacuum pads include one or more openings coupled to a gas discharge and supply system. Instead of a vacuum coupling between the mask and the mask table, other forms of couplings based on friction between the mask and the mask table are conceivable, such as electrostatic or mechanical clamping techniques to hold the mask against the mask table.
In an ongoing development, increasing throughput requirements placed on lithographic apparatus lead to increasing scanning velocities. Consequently, deceleration and acceleration of the mask table increase. In the deceleration and acceleration phases, increased inertia forces act on the mask table and on the mask.
It is known that inertia forces acting on the mask table and the mask may lead to slip of the mask and the mask table relative to each other. The slip usually is in the order of nanometers. For relatively low decelerations and accelerations, the slip has appeared to be low and approximately constant over time, changing its direction with each deceleration/acceleration phase. In such circumstances, the slip may be ignored if it is sufficiently low, or the slip may be compensated by suitably calibrating a positioning device controlling the position (and hence, the movement) of the mask table and/or the substrate stage.
However, with increasing decelerations and accelerations, the slip occurring between the mask and the mask table increases, and becomes variable and unpredictable. Factors influencing the amount of slip may include, but may not be limited to, a flatness and roughness of the surfaces of the mask and the mask table engaging each other, a humidity of the atmosphere(s) in which the mask and the mask table are handled, a contamination of the mask or the mask table, and a degree of vacuum when the mask is held on the mask table by vacuum pads. Thus, a calibration of the positioning device will not lead to a correct positioning of the mask table and/or the substrate stage under the circumstances of high inertia forces.
Not only the speed of movement and acceleration of the mask table may tend to increase, also, accuracy requirements on the lithographic apparatus may become more stringent. Therefore, slip of the mask becomes less tolerable, as slip of the mask may result in a position error of the pattern projected onto the substrate.


Apparatus and method for controlling the slope angle of sheet stock in a feeder/loader for copying/printing where leading edge side of the stock is elevated by elevating one side of the support tray to position the top sheet for nudging into a nip. When the slope angle of the stock reaches a critical value, in one version, a separate elevating mechanism raises the opposite side of the support tray to prevent the slope angle from exceeding the critical value. In another version, the elevating mechanism for the opposite edge is connected to the elevating mechanism for the leading edge of the stack and raises the opposite edge when the sheet stock slope angle reaches a threshold value to prevent potential misfeed.

The present disclosure relates to feed trays or stackers for holding sheet paper stock from which sheets are progressively fed into a copier or printer. Feeders for paper sheet stock may have the deck plate or bottom of the tray elevatable as sheets are withdrawn from the stack to maintain the top sheet of the stack properly positioned for correct entry when moved by a nudger into the feeder entry such as a pair of nip rollers. A common method to elevate stacks for feeders such as friction retard feeders containing one ream of paper stock, typically less than 600 sheets, is to elevate only the one edge of the stack of sheet paper stock nearest to the feeder nip thereby reducing the forces required to elevate the entire stack and minimize the complexity of the elevating mechanism. However, single edge elevation of the feeder deck plate inherently results in a sloped/angled approach of the stack into the feeder nip. Where heavy weight paper sheet stock is being fed, this has resulted in the leading edge of the top sheet contacting the roller above the nip centerline which results in sheet stubbing and the downward bending of the leading edge whereby the normal and friction forces developed between the bent top sheet and the next sheet beneath results in dragging the next sheet into the nip causing a misfeed.
In addition, as sheets are withdrawn from the stack, the elevation mechanism must raise the leading edge of the stack progressively higher resulting in a greater sloped angle of approach of the stack to the feed nip. The increased angle has resulted in the leading edge of the top sheet striking the upper nip roller even higher and further causing sheet damage and more frequent misfeeds.
Therefore, it has been desired to provide a paper sheet stock feeder which has a cost effective elevatable bed plate or tray which can accommodate the weight of a large stack of paper sheet stock and particularly heavy weight sheet stock and elevate the stack so as to maintain the top sheet for proper nudging into the nip of the feeder in a manner which is not complex, does not require an elevating force equal to the weight of the entire stack and which aligns the leading edge of the top sheet with the centerline of the feed nip at an very low angle of approach as sheets are withdrawn from the stack.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a known arrangement for a sheet paper stock feeder or loader is illustrated where the stack of sheet paper stock indicated generally at 1 has the top sheet thereof moved by a nudger roller 3 frictionally engaging the top sheet and rotated in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the curved arrow for propelling the sheet 2 into a feeder nip indicated generally at 4. A sheet guide, denoted by reference numeral 5, lifts the leading edge of the sheet 2 from the stack to position the leading edge properly for entry into the centerline of the nip as illustrated in FIG. 3 for a full stack of paper in the tray or bed plate 6.
Referring to FIG. 4, the device of FIG. 3 is shown with the lead side of the bed plate 6 adjacent the leading edge 2a of the sheet 2 elevated by a crank arm 7 which is lifted by a distance "Y" and forming a tilt or slant angle for the bed plate 6 denoted by the character "a" in FIG. 4. Thus, the leading edge 2a engages the upper roller 8 of the feeder nip 4 at a distance "y" above the centerline of the nip which results in the top sheet 1 being deflected downwardly into the nip. This downward deflection causes increased pinching and friction between the top sheet and the next adjacent sheet in the stack and often dragging the next sheet into the feeder nip thereby causing a misfeed. This problem is particularly acute with heavy weight paper stock because the bending force of the top sheet 1 is increased by the greater stiffness of the heavier sheet stock thereby resulting in substantial downward friction force on the next adjacent sheet; and, thus there is a high probability of misfeed when the angle "a" is sufficient to cause the leading edge 2a to engage the upper nip roller 8 so as to cause significant bending of the top sheet 1.
Thus, it has been desired to provide a way or means of implementing a sheet paper stock feeder tray which may be elevated economically by a mechanism raising only one side thereof but which eliminates the occurrence of misfeed when the tilt or slant angle of the stack, resulting from withdrawal of many sheets, increases to a point where the leading edge contacts the upper nip roll above the nip centerline resulting in substantial downward bending of the leading edge of the top sheet.

Self leveling elevator plate for paper feed tray


A method in a plasma processing chamber, the chamber being employed for processing a substrate, for removing corrosive species from the plasma processing chamber after the substrate is processed. The method includes introducing a flash source gas comprising an oxidizing agent such as oxygen into the plasma processing chamber. The method further includes performing, a flash process, including striking a plasma in the plasma processing chamber with the flash source gas, thereby permitting oxygen species in the plasma to reduce a concentration of the corrosive species in the plasma processing chamber.

The present invention relates to the processing of substrates. More particularly, the present invention relates to improved techniques for liberating corrosive species from the chamber walls of a plasma processing chamber and/or the substrate surface. The present invention also relates to improved techniques for weakening the layers of polymer that are formed above a substrate during plasma processing to facilitate ease of removal.
In the manufacture of semiconductor devices such as integrated circuits and/or flat panel displays from substrates, particularly when plasma-enhanced processing techniques are employed, corrosive etchants may be employed to etch through one or more layers of the layer stack of the substrate. For example, a corrosive etchant may be employed to etch a desired pattern through the metallization layer of the layer stack. As is known, the metallization layer is typically employed to electrically couple device components together. If the metallization layer comprises aluminum, for example, the etchant gas employed may represent, in one example, chlorine or bromine.
For ease of discussion, the remainder of the discussion will be made with reference to the etching of an aluminum metallization layer using corrosive etchants containing chlorine and/or bromine. It should be understood, however, that the inventive techniques herein address the problems caused by any corrosive etchant (whether or not chlorine and/or bromine and whether or not employed to etch through an aluminum layer, or even a metallization layer).
Although corrosive species such as chlorine and/or bromine are efficient at etching the aluminum metallization layer, there are adverse side effects associated with their use. For example, even after the plasma etching step that employs the chlorine and/or bromine species is terminated, some of the chlorine and/or bromine species may be adsorbed onto layers of the layer stack itself. The presence of adsorbed corrosive species, e.g., chlorine and/or bromine, on the layer stack may introduce undesirable contamination into subsequent process steps.
Further, the continued presence of adsorbed chlorine and/or bromine on parts of the metal layer, e.g., the metal features' side walls, may cause the metal features to continue to corrode long after the fabrication process is finished. The continued corrosion of the metal features may eventually damage these metal features, causing the resultant semiconductor device to prematurely fail.
Additionally, it has been observed that chlorine and/or bromine species may become adsorbed onto the chamber walls of the plasma processing chamber. The presence of accumulated chlorine and/or bromine species in the chamber may contaminate other process steps. For example, particles containing chlorine and/or bromine may flake off the chamber wall and contaminate the environment within the plasma processing chamber, which may in turn contaminate the substrate undergoing processing.
The adsorbed chlorine and/or bromine species may react with moisture within the plasma processing chamber to form corrosive acids, which may migrate to other parts of the plasma processing system. These corrosive acids may lodge themselves in various parts of the plasma processing system, contributing to the contamination problem. Over time, the corrosive acids may damage or even destroy parts of the plasma processing system, particularly parts which are susceptible to corrosion such as those containing iron.
In view of the foregoing, there are desired efficient and effective techniques for removing adsorbed corrosive species from the chamber wall of a plasma processing chamber and/or the substrate.


A controller at a source site generates a set of tasks associated with a replication job. Each task includes one or more of copying an object from the source to destination site, or deleting an object from the destination site. The tasks are placed onto a message queue at the source site. Source worker nodes at the source site retrieve the tasks from the source site message queue for processing in conjunction with destination worker nodes at the destination site. A destination worker node, upon receiving a task from a source worker nodes, places the task onto a message queue at the destination site for retrieval by a backend worker node that handles writing to an object store at the destination site.

Replication is a process for creating copies of data. Organizations may replicate data for any number of reasons. For example, having another copy of data can help an organization quickly recover from failures at the primary site. In other cases, an organization may wish to move their data from one cloud site to another (e.g., move from a private cloud to a public cloud or vice-versa).
Current systems, however, are unable to adjust to changing requirements. The amount of data to replicate can vary tremendously based on many different micro- and macro-economic factors. Factors may include the frequency of replication, type of data to replicate, seasonal demands, business expansion, business contraction, and even the current legal, political, and social climate.
An organization may over-estimate its requirements, which results in an over-provisioning of resources. Replications may thus be completed very quickly, but such an over-provisioning is wasteful because it can result in other initiatives not receiving adequate funding. Alternatively, an organization may under-estimate its requirements, which results in an under-provisioning of resources. As a result, replications may require an unacceptably long time to complete or unexpectedly terminate because of the lack of resources.
There is a need for improved systems and techniques to adapt to rapidly changing conditions under which replication may occur and to provide efficiencies in data replication.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.

Tracking status and restarting distributed replication


A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a plurality of contact surfaces, an interlayer dielectric layer formed over the substrate and having a first open portion which exposes a part of the contact surfaces and a second open portion which exposes the other contact surfaces, a storage node contact (SNC) plug filling the first open portion, and a damascene structure filing the second open portion and including a bit line, a spacer formed on both sidewalls of the bit line, a capping layer formed over the bit line and the spacer, and an air gap formed between the bit line and the spacer. The bit line includes a conductive material of which the volume is contracted by a heat treatment to form the air gap.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device with a damascene bit line and a method for fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the increase in integration degree of semiconductor devices, the difficulty level of a self-aligned contact (SAC) process has rapidly increased. The SAC process is performed for a storage node contact (SNC) plug after a bit line with a stacked structure is formed. In sub-30 nm memory devices, it may be difficult to secure an open area of an SNC hole and a SAC fail may frequently occur, due to such a reduction in process margin.
In order to solve such features, a damascene bit line process has been proposed. In the damascene bit line process, an SNC plug is first formed, and a bit line is subsequently formed.
In the damascene bit line process, two SNC plugs adjacent to each other are formed at once, and then separated from each other through a damascene process. Then, a bit line is formed to fill the inside of the damascene pattern. Through such a process, the SNC plugs may be more easily patterned than when the SNC plugs are separately formed. Furthermore, this process has an advantage in terms of the SAC fail, compared with a process in which the SNC plugs are formed later.
In the damascene bit line process, a spacer may be formed on the sidewalls of the bit line, in order to prevent the bit line and the SNC plugs from being short-circuited.
The spacer may be formed of a dielectric layer such as silicon nitride or the like. Since the silicon nitride has a high dielectric constant, the silicon nitride may not be effective in suppressing parasitic capacitance between the bit line and the SNC plugs.

Semiconductor device with damascene bit line and method for fabricating the same


A localized heat applying medical device is provided for applying heat to tissue adjacent a patient's tubal ostia in order to close the patient's fallopian tubes and sterilize the patient. Procedures of performing sterilizations are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medical devices and procedures for applying localized heat to a site in the patient's body, particularly for purposes such as sterilization of a female patient by closing of the fallopian tubes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art includes devices and procedures for applying localized heat to a site in a patient's body for a number of purposes, generally including altering, removing or destroying tissue in the patient's body.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,773,413 and 4,662,368 both to Hussein et al. disclose a localized heat applying medical device powered by laser energy transmitted through an elongated conduit. The heat applying device includes a bulbous heat generating element, having an aperture in the forward end of the device permitting a portion of the laser energy to be transmitted out the aperture and directly applied to the patient's body tissue. The devices disclosed in Hussein et al. are particularly designed for use in treating cardiovascular disease by removing arteriosclerotic deposits from blood vessels. Commercial embodiments of the Hussein et al. device are marketed by LaserControl Medical Systems Division of Trimedyne, Inc., of Santa Ana, Calif. One such commercially available device is marketed as the SpectraProbe.TM.-80, which is designed such that approximately eighty percent of the laser energy transmitted thereto is emitted through the optical aperture of the end of the device. The SpectraProbe.TM.-80 has a tip diameter of about 2.5 millimeters.
German Patent No. 2,826,383, published Dec. 20, 1979, of Eichler, et al., discloses a laser probe placed directly against or inserted into the patient's tissue for treating the same.
It is also known to use laser powered devices in hysteroscopic procedures. For example, a surgical procedure referred to as an "endometrial ablation" has been recently developed as an alternative to hysterectomy for treatment of excessive uterine bleeding. In this procedure, an Nd:YAG laser is used to destroy the entire endometrium lining the uterus. An optical fiber is inserted in the uterus by means of a hysteroscope to conduct the laser energy to the endometrium. With the aid of a parallel optical viewing fiber of the hysteroscope, the end of the laser transmitting fiber is slowly moved across the surface of the endometrium so that the laser energy penetrates and destroys the endometrium so that the laser energy penetrates and destroys the endometrium which is on the order of three millimeters thick. Typical prior art procedures have utilized a bare optical fiber for transmitting the laser energy. Two techniques have been developed. By one technique, the end of the bare optic fiber is actually touched to the endometrium in a "dragging" procedure. By a second technique, generally referred to as "blanching", the bare tip of the optic fiber is held several millimeters away from the endometrium. These techniques are generally described in Daniell et al., "Photodynamic Ablation of the Endometrium with the ND:YAG Laser Hysteroscopically as a Treatment of Menorrhagia", Colposcopy and Gynecologic Laser Surgery, Volume 2, No. 1, 1986; Mackety, "Alternative to Hysterectomy: Endometrial Ablation by Laser Photovaporization", Today's OR Nurse, Volume 8, No. 4; and Goldrath et al., "Laser Photovaporization of Endometrium for the Treatment of Menorrhagia", Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., Volume 140, No. 1, page 14, May 1, 1981.
The Goldrath et al. and Daniell et al. articles cited above, both suggest that patients undergoing an endometrial ablation procedure will probably be sterile following the procedure. The work of Goldrath et al. and Daniell et al. was not directed to the end purpose of sterilization, but it was observed as a side effect of the treatment. For reasons further described herein, it is believed that the cause of the sterility observed by Goldrath et al. and Daniell et al. was the destruction of the patient's endometrium.
A recent improvement upon the endometrial ablation procedure, wherein a heat generating tip is attached to the end of the laser transmitting conduit, with the tip being designed to laterally emit a portion of the laser energy is disclosed in Everett et al. pending Application No. PCT/US89/02492 filed Jun. 7, 1989, which has been published in INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION NO. WO 89/11834 on Dec. 14, 1989. That application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/205,218 filed Jun. 10, 1988.
In all of the endometrial ablation procedures set forth in the references discussed above, the treatment is directed to the endometrium, that is the lining of the uterine cavity, for the purpose of destroying that lining to prevent excessive bleeding. The procedures are not directed to the purpose of closing the fallopian tubes to induce sterilization. Furthermore, the endometrial ablation procedures do not involve any substantial fixed contact of the tip of the laser fiber, or of a heating device on the end of the laser fiber, with the tissue, but rather involve a continuous movement of the tip while dragging it across, or moving it while held a slight distance away from, the tissue.

Medical device for applying high energy light and heat for gynecological sterilization procedures


A patient care system is configured for infusing fluid to a patient. The system includes at least one fluid infusion pump connected to a respective fluid supply for pumping the contents of a fluid supply to a patient via fluid supply lines. The system includes a programming module that determines the efficiency of the fluid infusion pumps and dynamically adapt the infusion pumps based on one or more system parameters.

A patient in a hospital often has the need to be infused with one or more fluids, including a variety of drugs. This can require the use of at least one infusion pump. In addition, the infusion pump can be programmed to deliver the one or more fluids to the patient at a variety of infusion rates.
A hospital patient often has the need for multiple intravenous (IV) infusions from multiple supplies of fluids, such as drugs. This can require the use of multiple infusion pumps that are connected to the patient and to fluid containers via fluid lines. In addition, each fluid infusion pump can be programmed to pump fluid to the patient at a variety of infusion rates. The infusion rates can depend on a number of factors including type of fluid, such as drugs, and the needs of the patient.
It can also be important to maintain the programmed infusion rates in order to ensure that the patient being infused with the fluids is not receiving too much or not enough of the fluid. In some instances, the patient can be harmed if given too much or not enough of a recommended dose of fluid. Additionally, in some cases, if the patient receives too much or not enough of a fluid the patient can be severely injured and can be negatively affected. Therefore, it can be critical that patients receive the proper amount of fluid.
Infusion pumps can provide a way to deliver a fluid to a patient at a programmed infusion rate. However, a variety of factors can cause the infusion pump to become more or less efficient such that the programmed infusion rate is disturbed. For example, due to changes in pressure in the fluid lines, more or less fluid per pumping action of the infusion pump can result in more or less fluid delivered to the patient than what was programmed to be delivered.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for methods and devices for adapting the pumping mechanism of an infusion system in order to maintain a programmed infusion rate.

Adaptive volume per motor revolution system and method


The invention relates to a composite material which is to be used in sliding bearings and comprises a metallic support (1) and at least one reinforcement material having an open structure (2). Said support (1) and reinforcement material (2) are connected to each other by means of a metallic connection. An overlay (4) which is a polyethylene(PE)-based layer is provided on the reinforcement material (2) as an additional layer.

Sliding bearing composite materials consisting of a metallic support, a reinforcement material and a plastic overlay are generally known. The metal support and reinforcement material are usually connected in this case by laminating means using a suitable adhesive such as perfluoroalkoxy polymer (PFA).
The reinforcement material in known sliding bearing composite materials usually consists of metal and can be wire mesh, expanded metal or a perforated plate for example.
The overlay in known sliding bearings usually consists of plastics, which have good sliding qualities and at the same time resist high mechanical stress and are particularly temperature-resistant, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) or polyether ether ketone (PEEK).
Apart from the laminated composite materials, those wherein the metallic support and the reinforcement material are connected to each other by means of a metallic connection are also known. Thus for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,198 describes a sliding bearing composite material consisting of a metallic support and wire mesh coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is connected to the support by means of welding. Composite materials manufactured in this way are characterized by a bearing free from play and improved load-carrying capacity of the bearing. In addition, such a composite material can be formed better in comparison to laminated materials.
If the known heavy duty and temperature-resistant fluorinated plastics such as PTFE are used in the overlay of sliding bearings, their high manufacturing costs are disadvantageous. So for example PTFE is only moldable by means of relatively costly sintering. Furthermore there is a need for environmentally-compatible materials as an alternative to PTFE.

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Pampus, GmbH


A heat transfer structure for electronic devices comprises at least two electronic devices coupled with corresponding heat adaptors, a high heat conductivity plate and at least two heat pipes spaced between the plate and the heat adaptors. Each of heat pipes comprises an adiabatic section located between evaporating and condensing sections. Each of heat adaptors from one side is in a tight contact with the electronic device while the other side is thermally connected with the evaporating section of at least one of heat pipes. The adiabatic section is made like a bend with at least one curvature radius, thus serves like a displacement compensator. The condensing section of each heat pipes is thermally connected with the plate.

The regulation of the temperature of electronic devices like processors due to heat generated inside is an important consideration during the design of an electronic device. Cooling is important because if left unchecked, heat can cause electronic devices to malfunction during use or lead to premature device failure. As improvements in processor speed occur, the amount of heat generated by the faster processors also increases.
Another factor that aggravates the need for improved heat removal cooling systems is the trend towards making computing devices smaller and especially thinner. The trend toward smaller and thinner electronic devices having larger, faster processors renders the traditional heat removal cooling systems inadequate for several reasons. First, smaller devices having faster processors result in an increased density of heat producing by electronic devices leading to higher concentrations of heat. Second, a decreased amount of space is available for temperature regulating devices. In order to decrease the system space, some designs offering a single heat dissipation module that able to cool several electronic components.
There are numerous designs of cooling systems for electronic devices that include a blower-assisted heatsink located directly at the electronic device. But the problems became more dramatically when an electronic structure, for example, like an embedded system comprises several electronic devices. In this case it is practically impossible to provide a coincidence of the contact surfaces of the electronic devices with the contact surface of the heatsink. Therefore, it is very difficult to provide a good tight contact with low thermal resistance between each heatsink and electronic devices compared to the heatsinks that are individually installed on every electronic component. As a result, when a single common heatsink or heat spreader coupled with several electronic devices, it's nearly impossible to provide tight attachment with every processor and the thermal resistance increases drastically. Therefore the cooling efficiency of such system is not sufficient enough.
For solving the mentioned problem related with cooling of several electronic devices the heat transfer structures used often between the electronic devices and the heatsink. Special designed heat transfer elements with certain flexibility like heat pipes or high heat conducting elements that allow providing a good thermal contact with the electronic devices and heatsink.
There are known devices of this type with special designed flexible heat pipes, for example, US Patent Application No. 2004/0240184 "Circuit Cooling Apparatus". The heat transfer structure according to this design comprises two heat pipes providing linear and angular displacements due to their special corrugated shaped design. The each heat pipe comprises a condenser, an evaporator and two separated wick members spaced inside of the corrugated container. But such design is complicated and, therefore expensive and not reliable enough.
There is also a heat transmission apparatus according to the Japanese Patent No. JP2005142328 designed for solving the same problem when several electronic devices are placed at the same circuit board. The heat transmission apparatus comprises heat transmitting means which are formed of different material having both thermal conductivity and resiliency and are arranged in a space between the electronic devices and the heat dissipated element like a heatsink. However, in comparison with heat pipes these heat transmitting means having much lower heat conductivity that decreases the system cooling efficiency.
There is also known the heat transfer structure described in the Japanese Patent No. JP9232781 "IC Cooling Structure". According to this patent the design comprises the spiral bodies which are respectively constituted of a plurality of fine wires having high heat conductivity and consist of a flexible metal. Like a previous design, in comparison with heat pipes these spiral bodies have much lower heat conductivity and much higher thermal resistance. Therefore it has not sufficient cooling efficiency.
The main problem of all known heat transfer structures that cools several electronic devices located at one circuit board—is that all designs can not resolve the contradiction between the high cooling efficiency on the one hand and complicity and reliability on the other hand.
Therefore, it would be generally desirable to provide a low profile reliable and not complicated and efficient heat transfer structure for several electronic devices that overcomes mentioned problem.

Heat transfer structure for electronic devices


Systems and methods for synchronizing write credits between a host device and a media controller of a memory system comprising a non-volatile memory (NVM), wherein the host device is configured to maintain a write credit (WC) counter implemented in a memory controller of the host device. The WC counter tracks and limits the number of outstanding write commands which may be issued to the NVM. The host device may query the memory system to obtain status of the available write buffer space in the media controller, and adjust the WC counter based on any detected errors in the write buffer space reported in metadata of read packets sent from the memory system.

For some memory systems, there is an expectation of persistence of write operations thereto, which means that information written to the memory system, and classified as a persistent write, is not to be lost, even if there is a loss of power or a system crash, for example, while execution of the persistent write operation is in progress and has not been completed. For a write operation to be persistent, a host (e.g., processor) or application thereof requesting the write operation, may expect explicit confirmation that the write operation has reached the persistent memory. By contrast, write operations to non-persistent memory (such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or other volatile memory) are conventionally considered to be completed or posted, from the perspective of the application, once the write operation and associated data have been transferred to the memory and no explicit confirmation that the data has been written is required.
Non-volatile memory (NVM) such as non-volatile dual in-line memory module (NVDIMM) comprising a series of DRAM integrated circuits, as known in the art, may be configured to support persistent writes. For example, the NVDIMMs may be energy-backed in one implementation which supports persistent writes, although other implementations for supporting persistent writes are also known. An NVDIMM which supports persistent writes is also known as NVDIMM-P. A host device may be configured to send write requests including requests for persistent writes to a memory system comprising a NVM, such as an NVDIMM-P. A media controller configured to manage read/write access of the NVDIMM-P may be integrated in the memory system, wherein the media controller may be configured to receive the write requests from the host device and direct the write requests to the NVDIMM-P based on the available resources to support the write requests, e.g., based on available write buffer space in the media controller.
However, in conventional implementations, the write performance from the media controller to the NVM (e.g., NVDIMM-P) may be poor and the speed of the write operations may be slow. This is because in the conventional implementations, as the media controller retires or transfers the write operations to the NVM, the media controller frees up corresponding write buffer space, wherein the freed up write buffer space is in turn converted into write credits to be returned to the host device. A memory controller on the host device may be configured to regulate write operations based on the returned write credits in an effort to restrict the amount of write traffic to the memory system to not exceed the write buffer space.
However, there may be errors, e.g., an uncorrectable error (UE) on returning write credits from the media controller to the host device. The memory controller may detect such errors by performing error checks, e.g., parity checks or using error control coding (ECC), etc., as known in the art. However, when such errors are detected, the memory controller, in conventional implementations, may not be able to simply retry the write operations which may have incurred errors on their corresponding returning write credits. This is because the media controller is not aware of the error in the returning write credits and so the media controller would not have updated its write buffer space to account for the write operations which were not correctly retired, and so there would be dissonance between the write credits reported to the host device and the available write buffer space on the media controller.
Accordingly, there is a recognized need for efficient synchronization of the write credits between the host device and the media controller, e.g., to avoid the aforementioned problems in scenarios wherein errors may be incurred on the reporting of write credits from the media controller to the host device.

Write credits management for non-volatile memory


A speech processing device includes an automotive device that filters data that is sent and received across an in-vehicle bus. The device selectively acquires vehicle data related to a user settings or adjustments. An interface acquires the selected vehicle data from in-vehicle sensors in response to a user's articulation of a first code phrase. A memory stores the selected vehicle data with unique identifying data associated with the user and establishes a connection between the selected vehicle data and the user when a second code phrase is articulated. A data interface provides access to the selected vehicle data and stored relationship data and enables the processing of the data to customize the in-vehicle system. The data interface is responsive to the user's articulation of a third code phrase to process the selected vehicle data that enables the setting or adjustment of the in-vehicle system.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to vehicle elements and, in particular, to an adjustment of vehicle elements through a speech control.
2. Related Art
Drivers and passengers operate devices when traveling. Drivers may control mirrors, displays, navigation systems, and entertainment systems. In many systems in vehicle devices are manually controlled. With so many devices to control, setting the devices is challenge and a distraction too.
There is a need for a hands free adjustment of vehicle elements. The control may provide access to one or more in-vehicle systems.

Adjusting or setting vehicle elements through speech control


The present invention is directed to an intravenous fluid infusion system that includes a dual-sight drip chamber. The infusion system allows for improved, inexpensive and convenient administration of IV fluids during anesthesia and surgery, using the principles with which practicing anesthesia providers are most comfortable with.

Intravenous (IV) administration of fluids and drugs is an integral part of the routine care of patients, especially those undergoing anesthesia and surgery. Every year in the United States, some 20 million patients undergo surgery and anesthesia. IV infusion is essential as a route of drug administration during induction and maintenance of anesthesia throughout surgical or other procedures.
During administration of anesthesia, invariably there is a need for administration of IV fluids using variable flow rates. In addition to providing a basal infusion rate (maintenance IV fluids), there is a need for frequent intravenous administration of different anesthetic or other medications in boluses. While it is important that these medications are carried into the cannulated vein by a continuous IV flow, administration of excess quantities of IV fluids is frequently undesirable, or deleterious. It follows that a moderately slow and flow-adjustable IV delivery system is preferred. However, ongoing blood or intravascular volume losses, or cardiovascular instability due to occasionally profound general or regional anesthesia, allergic reactions or intravascular volume redistribution, can create the need for quick delivery of larger fluid boluses or faster infusion rates in order to support the circulation. Fluid loading or replacements are frequently administered with great immediacy during various surgical or interventional procedures.
The most commonly used IV infusion system consists of a bag filled with IV fluids, a drip chamber, roller clamp (variable resistance controller) for control of the flow and tubing connected to an IV catheter. The elevated IV bag in this system serves as a pressure source, the roller clamp as a user-controlled resistor, and the IV catheter as a fixed resistor.
Most commonly, the rate of IV fluids flow is determined by the rate at which drops of liquid are observed falling through a drip chamber. Gravity infusion of the parenteral solution is accomplished by suspending the solution container several feet above the patient and connecting the solution container to the venopuncture site via a disposable intravenous administration set which includes a drip chamber and flexible delivery tube.
Flow rates (drops/ml/min) are controlled by use of a roller clamp. U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,558 describes a roller clamp for collapsing the delivery tube to control the flow rate. The roller clamp is a simple, inexpensive, two-piece plastic device that progressively compresses the plastic tube of the intravenous administration set at a single point on the tube thereby occluding the tube to create a pressure drop across the restriction and a corresponding reduction in flow rate. Although the constancy of flow rates during use of such roller clamps is problematic due to cold flow or creep of the plastic tubing at the point of restriction, which causes the flow rate to decrease after setting, this problem is of negligible clinical importance in anesthesia practice. This is so, because the anesthesia provider by the nature of the profession repeatedly has to check and adjust the flow rate according to the clinical circumstances or phases of the anesthetic course.
Continuous flow through the infusion system is usually necessary to ensure the proper delivery of the injected drugs into the patient and avoid accumulation of repeated doses within the IV tubing. However, administration of excess IV fluids is undesirable and frequently harmful. Even in otherwise healthy patients, inadvertently administered large volumes of IV fluids can result in urinary bladder distention and need for urethral catheterization during the surgery, or urinary obstruction post-operatively, all of which can cause delays in discharge. In patients with heart or lung disease, the administration of excessive fluid volumes is a frequent cause of postoperative lung and cardiovascular dysfunction. This can result in congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema (swelling of the lungs) and difficulties in discontinuing mechanical ventilation (breathing machine) after surgery and anesthesia.
While the administration of IV fluids is commonly controlled using "microdrip" IV infusion systems (60 drops/ml), which provide reliably slow infusion rates, these systems are not suitable for administration of fluid boluses and emergent intravascular expansion or replacement of ongoing surgical volume losses should that become necessary (blood loss, syncope, allergic reaction to medications or contrast agents, etc.) during the procedure.
On the other hand, the macro-drip infusion systems (15 drops/ml), which are most commonly used in anesthesia, allow for administration of high fluid rates and fluid boluses, but controlling the flow rate is cumbersome and inexact. Since these systems are capable of delivering high flow rates, failure to frequently assess and adjust the infusion rate using a roller clamp can easily result in administration of excess IV fluids, i.e., 1000 ml over 10 min. The risk of administering large fluid volumes is ever present also due to the deficiencies inherent in these infusion systems. For instance, the rate of drip formation has been found to be an inaccurate measure of flow rate because of the influence of temperature, fluid composition, orifice diameter, and orifice shape. Furthermore, the cold flow (creep) in the tubing underlying the roller clamp contributes to flow variation in excess of 15% over 45 minutes. When a vein collapses, critically high flow velocities occurs, causing the distention of the vessels (produced by the downstream resistance) and paradoxically increase in the IV flow. Veins are characterized by an opening pressure and by a small resistance to flow. Tissues behave as ordinary resistors with a resistance higher than that of veins. The opening pressure of tissue usually is no greater than that of veins, at least initially. In tissues, there is no obstructing pressure when there is no extravasation. However, as fluid is infused, opening tissue pressure rises. In response to these changes in flow rates, the clinician frequently has to check and adjust the roller clamp in order to properly adjust the IV flow so that the flow is continuous, keeping the veins open and assuring the delivery of administered medications and anesthetics, but not excessive to result in fluid overload or infusion of inappropriately large quantities of IV fluids.
In addition to the mentioned irregularities in maintaining the steady flow rate, many clinical situations produce venous collapse, resulting in veins and surrounding tissues behaving like Starling resistors and influencing the flow rate. Typical situations include patient positioning, blood pressure cuff inflation, venous tourniquets (or strapping of the patient's arm to an operating table on-board extension), problematic venous sites, catheter against the venous wall, etc. The clinician is unaware of actual resistance provided by the roller clamp. He or she simply moves the roller clamp until proper flow rate is reached (judged by measuring the rate of drop formation).
Thus, when the IV flow ceases in the above situations, the dripping in the chamber also stops. The clinician frequently completely opens the roller clamp in an attempt to restore the IV flow. However, since deflation of the blood cuff, removal of the tourniquet, or patient repositioning restores the flow, so that unless the clinician remembers that he or she intentionally opened the roller clamp and fails to detect restoration of flow in a timely manner, the patient will almost certainly receive a large bolus of fluids. Since the most commonly used IV set in anesthesia, 15 drops/ml ("macrodrip"), is capable of delivering flow rates as high as 75 ml/min through a 20 G (gauge) IV with just a moderate elevation of the IV bag, this situation would result in administration of 750 ml of fluids in just 10 minutes.
Frequent adjustment in the flow rate is important to counteract periodic, potentially large changes in IV flow due to the described interference in which the flow can start and stop even with small changes in bag elevation or patient repositioning. Thus, the administrator is frequently tempted to completely open the roller clamp during the times when the infusion rate is slowed or when there is a need for "flushing" of administered medications or anesthetics into the IV tubing. Failure to notice the increase in flow when the obstruction to the flow is removed, or failure to decrease the flow after the administered medications are flushed, can again, easily result in administration of excess of fluids. This readily occurs during the times when the clinician becomes distracted by performing a procedure or administering anesthesia.
IV systems used in anesthesia and during different procedures (i.e. cardiac catheterization, interventional radiology, GI and pulmonary endoscopies, etc.) are also frequently used as a carrier for administration of sedatives, anesthetics and other medications. Most commonly, drugs are administered from a syringe with the needle into the flowing IV stream that is powered with gravity. Although administration of IV fluids per se may not be needed or even might be undesirable, IV administration of medications requires a free flowing IV stream, which necessarily results in fluids being administered to the patient.
While using a microdrip IV set (60 drops/ml) for this purpose would minimize the possibility of inadvertent administration of large quantities of IV fluids and assure the delivery of injected medications by a slow IV flow, the maximum flow rate through this system is inadequate should the patient become unstable or require emergent IV intervention. On the other hand, macrodrip sets (15 drops/ml) are excellent for resuscitation, but carry the risk of inadvertent infusion of large IV boluses in the above described circumstances. Although theoretically, one can exchange the microdrip system for a macrodrip system if that becomes necessary, this is time consuming since this would be done in urgent situations. Additionally, exchanging the IV sets carries a risk of loosing the existing IV line, should the IV catheter inadvertently become dislodged during the maneuver, which occasionally happens clinically.
Systems for administering intravenous liquids are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,367 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,515. The '367 patent describes a plurality of separate flow paths with each flow path having a predetermined flow characteristic. Each path is associated with an on/off element. An even more sophisticated system for administering intravenous fluids is described in the '515 patent. The '515 patent describes a plurality of separate flow paths with each flow path having a predetermined flow characteristic. The flow in each path is controlled by a selector mounted to a housing which allows for setting or selecting a desired flow rate.
In the dynamic environment during operation and delivery of anesthesia, the administration of fluids using the systems described in both the '367 and '515 patents would require a time consuming selection from a finite number of tubes and associated flow characteristics.
Canadian Patent No. 1,125,134 describes an apparatus for administering incompatible I.V. liquids. The '134 apparatus includes two independent parenteral solution chambers with two independent piercing pin assemblies and two independent sight-drip chambers for incompatible liquids. Hence, the user of the '134 system would be required to insert two separate piercing spikes into two separate solution containers. In addition to adding complexity to administering IV fluids, this system is by necessity costlier since two bags with IV fluids are used. Additionally, since these two piercing spikes are separately inserted, they are frequently positioned at different levels above the infusion site. This, in return, results in different gravity driving pressure and can result in difficulty in maintaining a simultaneous flow through both IV paths, or over-spilling of fluids or medications from one path to another. By having the drip chambers in a common enclosure, the present invention prevents these problems.
Several flow rate regulators, such as the Abbott Laboratories' Dial-A-Flow, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,428 have been introduced in recent years in attempts to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages associated with the use of conventional roller clamps and infusion procedures. U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,055 is yet another invention designed in order to improve the accuracy of delivering the desired flow rate and is said to represent an advantage of the aforementioned Dial-A-Flow device.
However, since anesthesia providers routinely work in an intense and dynamic environment prone to human mistakes, any unnecessary complexity of the equipment used during administration of anesthesia introduces a risk of a mishap. These systems are also designed to provide a wide range of flow rates through a single drip chamber. Since the capillary tube in this singular drip chamber has to be of a large diameter, this results in a very slow droplet formation when a slow infusion rate is selected. This again, precludes monitoring of the flow rate and prevents the operator from assuring continuous flow by observing the rate of drops formation, which is the most common and convenient method of monitoring of IV flow used by anesthesiologists. The ability to observe flow rate and adjust it accordingly is far more important in anesthesia practice than the limitation of flow provided by these infusion devices. Consequently, none of these devices have been widely accepted in anesthesia practice. Thus, the present invention also provides a means of avoiding the mixing or flow from one path to another by having separate drip chambers and flow paths at the same height in one enclosure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an infusion system that corresponds to the conventional droplet monitoring technique and will, therefore, be acceptable to medical practitioners.
Another object of the invention is to provide an infusion system that permits the user to quickly and easily adjust flow rates in accordance with the observed clinical response of the patient receiving the fluids.
Another object of the invention is to provide an infusion system that is inexpensive to manufacture.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sterilized kit containing an infusion system for the administration of intravenous fluids.
Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and easy method for administration of intravenous fluid.


A shoveling and throwing device for moving a snow from a surface comprising a frame having a first and second ends, the frame comprising at least one frame extension extending generally upwardly and at least one wheel disposed on said first end of said frame, a manually operable lever which is pivotally attached proximate to the first end of said frame, a first member having a first end being pivotally attached to the frame extension, a second member having a first end being pivotally attached proximate to a second end of the manually operable lever, a third member having a first end being pivotally attached to a second end of the second member, and a shovel blade pivotally attached to a second end of the third member.

The removal of snow from driveways and walkways is normally accomplished in one of two ways. When one wants to avoid manual removal, a wide variety of gasoline powered snow blowers or plows are available. Typically, these blowers and plows come in a variety of widths and horsepower ratings which relate to the rate or amount of snow removal. Disadvantages with such gasoline powered devices include their cost and their lack of maneuverability to work in and around tight places.
For manual removal, a snow shovel is commonly used and its limitations are well known. The shovel can only hold a limited amount of snow and significant back strain results in moving the snow loaded onto the shovel blade to a remote location away from the driveway or walkway. In many instances the snow must be moved several feet depending upon the length and width of the driveway or walkway. Furthermore, for many people the act of shoveling their driveway or walkway is a physically exhausting task.
The present invention reduces the effort that one must exert in order to clear their driveway or walkway of snow. In view of the present disclosure or through practice of the present invention, other advantages may become apparent.