A device for purifying exhaust gas of diesel engines, in which an oxidizing catalyst, a diesel particulate filter, and an Nox occluding/reducing catalyst are successively disposed in an exhaust gas passage of the diesel engine from the upstream side of the passage, the device for purifying exhaust gas of diesel engines comprising a bypass that connects the upstream side of the oxidizing catalyst with the downstream side thereof in the exhaust gas passage, an exhaust gas passage change-over means for changing-over the exhaust gas flow into either the oxidizing catalyst or the bypass, an air-fuel ratio control means for controlling the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas, an NOx occlusion amount detector means for detecting the amount of NOx occluded by the NOx occluding substance, and a controller. The controller controls the air-fuel ratio control means and the exhaust gas passage change-over means so that the exhaust gas having a lean air-fuel ratio flows into the oxidizing catalyst when the amount of NOx occluded by the NOx occluding substance does not reach a predetermined value, and so that the exhaust gas having a rich air-fuel ratio flows through the bypass when the amount of NOx occluded by the NOx occluding substance exceeds the predetermined value.

The present invention relates to a device for purifying exhaust gas of diesel engines and, more particularly, to a device for purifying exhaust gas by removing particulate matters and nitrogen oxides from the exhaust gas.
Vehicles mounting diesel engines have a serious problem of reducing particulate matters (hereinafter referred to as PMs) and nitrogen oxides (hereinafter referred to as NOx) contained in the exhaust gas emitted from the diesel engines. In order to decrease PMs and NOx, attempts have been made to remove PMs and NOx by an after-treatment system in addition to suppressing the generation of PMs and NOx by improving the combustion by means of a high-pressure injection and exhaust gas recirculation system (hereinafter referred to as EGR).
As a device for removing PMs, there has been known a diesel particulate filter (hereinafter referred to as DPF). The DPF is constituted by a porous honeycomb or a felted ceramic fiber, and traps PMs contained in the exhaust gas. The trapped PMs are continuously burned with NO2 formed by oxidizing the NO in the exhaust gas through an oxidizing catalyst disposed on the upstream of the DPF. The so-called continuous regeneration type DPF which continuously regenerates the DPF by utilizing the oxidizing catalyst permits the PM to burn at a temperature which is as low as 400xc2x0 C. or lower. Hence, it offers an advantage in that the entire apparatus can be simply and compactly fabricated as compared to the regeneration of the DPF by heating using an electric heater or the like.
Further, an Nox-reducing catalyst has been known as a device for removing NOx. In order to reduce the NOx by using the NOx-reducing catalyst, however, the exhaust gas must be rendered to be a reducing atmosphere at all times. In the case of a diesel engine which emits the exhaust gas creating an oxygen-rich atmosphere, it is necessary to continuously inject the fuel that does not contribute to increasing the engine output, by executing a so-called post injection (injection in a very small amount in the latter half of the combustion stroke), so that the exhaust gas is rendered to be a reducing atmosphere. This, however, causes a problem of making fuel consumption worse.
Under the circumstances, a study has been made on a so-called NOx occluding/reducing catalyst which occludes NOx when the exhaust gas has a lean air-fuel ratio and releases the occluded NOx to reduce it into N2 when the exhaust gas has a rich air-fuel ratio. The NOx occluding/reducing catalyst has a constitution that an Nox occluding substance and a catalytically active component which are carried on a carrier, and it oxidizes the NOx in the exhaust gas on the catalytically active component so as to allow the NOx occluding substance to occlude NOx when the exhaust gas has a lean air-fuel ratio, i.e., when the exhaust gas is an oxidizing atmosphere, and releases the NOx occluded by the NOx occluding substance to reduce the Nox to N2 on the catalytically active component by using HC and CO in the exhaust gas as reducing agents when the exhaust gas has a rich air-fuel ratio, i.e., when the exhaust gas is a reducing atmosphere. By using the NOx occluding/reducing catalyst as described above, the exhaust gas may be rendered to be a reducing atmosphere only when the NOx occluded by the NOx occluding substance is released to be reduced, giving advantage of superior fuel consumption property to that of the conventional NOx-reducing catalyst.
By furnishing a diesel engine with the above-mentioned continuous regeneration type DPF utilizing the oxidizing catalyst and with the NOx occluding/reducing catalyst, it is allowed to remove PMs and NOx from the exhaust gas simultaneously. Devices for purifying exhaust gas of diesel engines equipped with such devices have been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication (Kokai) Nos. 53442/1997 (JP-A 9-53442) and 137716/1997 (JP-A 9-137716).
By the way, when the diesel engine is furnished with the DPF of the continuous regeneration type utilizing the oxidizing catalyst and with the NOx occluding/reducing catalyst, it is necessary that these devices are arranged in order of the oxidizing catalyst, DPF and NOx occluding/reducing catalyst from the upstream side of the exhaust gas passage, since NO is formed at the time when the PMs burn on the DPF. Therefore, the exhaust gas passes through the oxidizing catalyst prior to passing through the NOx occluding/reducing catalyst. Here, even when the exhaust gas having a rich air-fuel ratio passes through the oxidizing catalyst, the HC and CO in the exhaust gas are oxidized to CO2 and H2O due to the presence of oxygen in the exhaust gas though its amount may be small. Therefore, when the oxidizing catalyst is disposed on the upstream side of the NOx occluding/reducing catalyst, the HC and CO which are the reducing agents are not supplied in sufficient amounts to the NOx occluding/reducing catalyst when the NOx is to be reduced through the NOx occluding/reducing catalyst by enriching the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas. Accordingly, the NOx released from the NOx occluding substance is not reduced but is directly emitted into the atmosphere.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for purifying exhaust gas of diesel engines, which is capable of reliably removing the PMs and NOx by furnishing the diesel engines with a DPF of the continuous regeneration type utilizing an oxidizing catalyst and with an NOx occluding/reducing catalyst.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object according to the present invention, there is provided a device for purifying exhaust gas of diesel engines, in which an oxidizing catalyst, a diesel particulate filter for trapping particulate matters contained in the exhaust gas, and an NOx occluding/reducing catalyst comprising an NOx occluding substance and a catalytically active component, are successively arranged in an exhaust gas passage of the diesel engine from the upstream side of the passage, said device for purifying exhaust gas of diesel engines comprising:
a bypass that connects the upstream side of said oxidizing catalyst with the downstream side thereof in said exhaust gas passage to bypass said oxidizing catalyst;
an exhaust gas passage change-over means for changing-over the exhaust gas flow to either said oxidizing catalyst or said bypass;
an air-fuel ratio control means for controlling the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas;
an NOx occlusion amount detector means for detecting the amount of NOx occluded by said NOx occluding substance; and
a controller for controlling said air-fuel ratio control means and said exhaust gas passage change-over means based on a detection signal from said NOx occlusion amount detector means;
wherein said controller controls said air-fuel ratio control means so that the exhaust gas will have a lean air-fuel ratio and controls said exhaust gas passage change-over means so that the exhaust gas will flow through said oxidizing catalyst when the amount of NOx occluded by said NOx occluding substance does not reach a predetermined value, and controls said air-fuel ratio control means so that the exhaust gas will have a rich air-fuel ratio and controls said exhaust gas passage change-over means so that the exhaust gas will flow through said bypass when the amount of NOx occluded by said NOx occluding substance exceeds the predetermined value.

Device for purifying exhaust gas of diesel engines


A fuel cell includes separators. A second plate of the separator includes a second circular disk section, a second elongated plate section, and a second rectangular section. A fuel gas supply passage extends through the second circular disk section. The second rectangular section has a fuel gas inlet for supplying a fuel gas to a fuel gas channel, an outer ridge, and a fuel gas outlet for discharging the fuel gas, and a detour path forming wall bent in a V-shape toward the fuel gas inlet. A fuel gas inlet is formed in the V-shaped inner area of the detour path forming wall.

Typically, a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) employs an electrolyte of ion-conductive solid oxide such as stabilized zirconia. The electrolyte is interposed between an anode and a cathode to form an electrolyte electrode assembly (MEA). The electrolyte electrode assembly is interposed between separators (bipolar plates). In use, generally, predetermined numbers of the electrolyte electrode assemblies and the separators are stacked together to form a fuel cell stack.
In the fuel cell, in order to supply a fuel gas such as a hydrogen-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas such as air to the anode and the cathode of the electrolyte electrode assembly, respectively, a fuel gas channel and an oxygen-containing gas channel are formed along surfaces of the separator.
For example, in a solid oxide fuel cell disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 05-129033, as shown in FIG. 33, unit cells 1a and separators 2a are stacked alternately to form a fuel cell stack 3a. A plurality of air supply holes 4a and fuel supply holes 5a are formed alternately at one end of the separators 2a, and a plurality of air discharge holes 6a and fuel discharge holes 7a are formed alternately at the other end of the separators 2a. In the fuel cell stack 3a, the fuel and the air flow in parallel to each other in the same direction on both of front and back surfaces of the unit cells 1a.
In a flat plate type solid oxide fuel cell disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-172594, as shown in FIG. 34, unit cells 1a and separators 1b are provided alternately, gas supply holes 2b and gas discharge holes 3b extend through four corners of the separator 1b in the stacking direction, and a plurality of gas flow grooves 4b are formed on both surfaces of each separator 1b.
The gas from the gas supply hole 2b flows through a triangular recess 5b, and flows into the gas flow grooves 4b. A gas inlet is formed in an area close to the gas supply hole 2b of the triangular recess 5b. In the gas inlet, at least one of a throttle section 6b and blocks 7b is provided. The throttle section 6b and the blocks 7b function to increase the pressure loss in the gas flowing from the gas supply hole 2b.
In the stack structure adopted in a flat type solid oxide fuel cell disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-026925, as shown in FIG. 35, a plurality of flat type unit cells 1c and separators 2c are stacked together alternately. The separator 2c is formed by stacking a center plate 3c, a fuel electrode plate 4c, and an air electrode plate 5c.
A fuel gas supply flow field 6c is formed on a surface of the center plate 3c, and a plurality of fuel gas injection through holes 7c are formed in the fuel electrode plate 4c. The fuel gas injection through holes 7c are connected to the fuel gas supply flow field 6c. An oxygen-containing gas supply flow field 8c is formed on the back surface of the center plate 3c. A plurality of oxygen-containing gas injection through holes 9c are provided in the air electrode plate 5c. The oxygen-containing gas injection through holes 9c are connected to the oxygen-containing gas supply flow field 8c.


An organic light-emitting device, comprising: a substrate; a first conductive layer formed over the substrate; at least one layer of a light-emissive organic material formed over the first conductive layer; a barrier layer formed over the at least one organic layer which acts to protect the at least one layer of organic material; and a second conductive layer, preferably a patterned sputtered layer, formed over the barrier layer.

The present invention relates to organic light-emitting devices, in particular patterned or pixelated organic light-emitting diodes, and a method of fabricating the same.
Organic light-emitting devices (OLED's) such as described in our earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,190 or in Van Slyke et al.'s U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,507 have great potential for use as monochrome and multi-colour displays. OLED's based on semiconductive conjugated polymers are described in our earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,190, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Principally, an OLED consists of an anode which injects positive charge carriers, a cathode which injects negative charge carriers and at least one organic electroluminescent layer sandwiched between the two electrodes. Typically, the thickness of the at least one organic layer is of the order of 100 nm and the electrical conductivity of the material of the at least one organic layer is sufficiently low as to avoid current spread from the overlap area between the cathode and the anode. Thus, light emission from the at least one organic layer occurs only where the cathode and the anode overlap and therefore pixelation and patterning is achieved simply by patterning the electrodes. High resolution is readily achieved and is principally limited only by the overlap area of the cathode and the anode and thus by the size of the cathode and the anode. Dot-matrix displays are commonly fabricated by arranging the cathode and the anode as perpendicular arrays of rows and columns, with the at least one organic layer being disposed therebetween.
Low resolution dot-matrix displays can, for example, be fabricated by coating at least one organic electroluminescent layer onto a substrate having thereon an array of indium-tin oxide (ITO) lines which act as an anode. A cathode comprising an array of lines perpendicular to those of the anode is provided on the other side of the at least one organic layer. These cathode lines may, for example, be lines of aluminium or an aluminium-based alloy which can be evaporated or sputtered through a physical shadow mask. However, shadow masking may not be desirable for various reasons. In particular, there are significant constraints on the use of shadow masks when displays of large area and/or high resolution are required. In order to produce such electrode line arrays and other patterns of large area and/or high resolution one would normally have to use various forms of lithography.
In order to fabricate efficient and stable OLED's with the desired electrical and light output characteristics great care must normally be taken in the design and construction of the interfaces between any organic layer and the electrodes. The particular importance of these interfaces is due to the fact that charge carriers should be injected efficiently from the electrodes into the at least one organic layer.
Maintaining the desired electrical and light output characteristics of the pixels in an OLED display when lithographic processes are used to fabricate the electrode patterns, in particular where those patterns are on top of the at least one organic layer, is not trivial owing to the risk of the lithographic processes modifying and potentially damaging the organic layer/electrode interfaces and the vicinity. Such damage during lithography may originate from the photoresists, the developers, the etching processes (both dry and wet, negative and positive techniques and etch and lift-off) or the solvents used. It should be mentioned here that conjugated polymers are often deposited from and are soluble in organic or aqueous solvents.
Plasma etching/ashing is very often used in lithography to remove the photoresist or residual photoresist which may not have been washed off by the developer. Organic electroluminescent and charge transporting materials would normally be damaged, modified and/or etched very rapidly in such dry etching/ashing processes if directly exposed to the plasma.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide an efficient organic electroluminescent device that has a construction which allows for the use of various lithographic processes to form the electrode on top of at least one organic layer without significantly changing the electrical and light output characteristics of the display.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Organic light-emitting device and method of fabricating the same


A preamplifier bias circuit for use in an AC coupled magnetoresistive read head amplifier which includes a pair of head contacts, a pair of amplifier inputs, a pair of coupling capacitors and a means for selectively shunting the amplifier inputs and rapidly charge the coupling capacitors. The pair of head contacts and the pair of amplifier inputs couple the preamplifier bias circuit to a magnetoresistive element and a read amplifier, respectively. Each of the coupling capacitors is connected between one of the head contacts and one of the amplifier inputs to block a static potential across the magnetoresistive element. The means for selectively shunting the amplifier inputs selectively provides a low impedance path to rapidly charge the coupling capacitors and clamps the amplifier inputs to a known potential. By selectively providing a low impedance path, the AC coupled magnetoresistive read head amplifier can be protected and its associated delay time prior to operation can be decreased.

The invention pertains to protecting and reducing the recovery time of an AC coupled magnetoresistive read head amplifier for a disc drive. More particularly, it pertains to a preamplifier bias circuit.
In magnetic disc storage systems, it is common to employ MR elements to transduce data recorded on the disc surface to electrical signals for amplification and processing by the data processing apparatus. The MR element is mounted to an actuator arm to be selectively positioned adjacent various concentric tracks on the disc surface. Usually, a separate MR element is employed for each disc recording surface so that where both sides of a disc are recording surfaces, two MR elements are employed. It is also common to stack plural discs for common rotation about a single spindle axis. Thus, a stack of six discs might employ as many as twelve recording surfaces and twelve MR elements.
Ordinarily, data are read from a single disc surface at any given time. Consequently, it is desirable that the bias current to the MR elements be selectively applied only to that element currently active. Data on the recording surface are transduced by the MR element which changes its impedance in accordance with changes in magnetic flux from data recorded on the surface. This change in impedance alters the voltage across the MR element caused by the bias current, and the changing voltage then is applied to an amplifier for processing.
It will be appreciated that the signal applied to the amplifier is an alternating current (AC) signal. However, due to the constant MR head bias current and finite resistance of the MR element, the signal also contains a direct current (DC) offset which adversely affects the recovery of data. For this reason, it is common to employ coupling capacitors to block the DC signal from the MR element so that only the AC signal is applied to the amplifier. Ordinarily, these coupling capacitors are quite large with a separate set of coupling capacitors employed for each of the read channels. Additionally, a separate read amplifier or a portion of the read amplifier is also employed for each read channel.
In order for the coupling capacitors to be effective in blocking the DC signal from the MR element, the charge on the coupling capacitors must be equilibrated with the MR element's DC potential. This equilibration process generally occurs when the bias current is first applied to an MR element but can also occur when transient signals propagate through the system such as when a thermal asperity occurs or when a write-to-read transition occurs. The length of time required to equilibrate the coupling capacitors represents a time delay to the magnetoresistive read head amplifier becoming operational and is equal to the settling time constant of the coupling capacitors. The equilibration time period is therefore equal to the product of the coupling capacitor and the impedance of the read amplifier and its bias circuitry. Thus, in order to decrease the time delay associated with the magnetoresistive read head amplifier becoming operational, the setting time constant of the coupling capacitors must be minimized.
A further concern in utilizing MR elements with read amplifiers in disc drive designs is that transient signals can flow across and damage MR elements when they are not selected for operation. Preferably, the unselected MR elements are held at a known potential which is equal to the potential of the disk. Otherwise, if a large potential difference is created between the disk and the MR element, then a spark can be generated therebetween causing damage to both the disk media and the head element. Thus, a need exists to protect and decrease the time delay of an AC coupled magnetoresistive read head amplifier for a disc drive.

Preamplifier bias circuit for use in an AC coupled magnetoresistive read head amplifier


A system for locking a chain-operated valve to prevent unauthorized and inadvertent operation of the valve. The system includes an elongated tube for receiving both lengths of a chain encircling the valve and a locking arrangement positioned at one end of the tube. Both lengths of the chain extending from the valve enter one end of the tube and exit the opposite end of the tube adjacent the lock arrangement. The lock arrangement includes a bracket secured to the tube and extending outwardly from the tube. The bracket preferably includes apertures for receiving a lockout hasp extending through the chain links and the bracket. A conventional padlock or other security locking device may then extend through the hasp to prevent opening of the hasp.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for locking a chain-operated valve to prevent unauthorized and inadvertent operation of the valve, and more particularly, to a system for locking out and tagging out a valve.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known to operate a valve with an operating chain to open and or close the valve. An example of a typical chain operated valve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,095,295 to Stevens. However, no means for preventing an operator from inadvertently opening or closing the valve by pulling the chain is provided.
Moreover, with conventional lockout systems, the locking means is positioned on or adjacent the valve. See U.S. Pat. No. 1,636,427 to Morrison, which does not enable remote access to the locking means if the valve is located in a hard to reach area, i.e., an overhead space.
Although it is known to enable a remotely located valve to be operated from a distanced location, such as the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,025,011, no means for locking the valve at the operating site is disclosed.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the limitations of the prior art systems by providing a valve locking system which can be used with valves that are not easily accessible, and therefore must be operated by pulling a chain to open or close the valve.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a locking system which enables an operating chain to be removably and securely fastened and at the same time preventing an operator from accessing any useable portion of the operating chain.
Still another object of the present invention is to permit a simple tag-out process to be used for the locked valves.
In accomplishing these and other objectives of the invention, there is provided a system for locking a chain-operated valve for preventing unauthorized and inadvertent operation of the valve. An operating chain having opposed ends is attached to the valve. An elongated tube having a first end receives both ends of the operating chain. A locking arrangement is positioned at a second end of the elongated tube to lock the operating chain to the second end of the tube and prevent operation of the valve.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparant from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.


A power module for high/low voltage insulation is provided. The power module includes a first substrate, a second substrate and an insulating substrate. The first substrate includes a first control circuit and a light source, wherein the first control circuit controls the light source to emit light. The second substrate includes a light-sensing part, a second control circuit and a power device. The light-sensing part receives the light of the light source of the first substrate to send a sensing information. The second control circuit correspondingly drives the power device in accordance with the sensing information. The insulating substrate is disposed between the first substrate and second substrate.

In conventional art, the power module is composed of control circuit in the low voltage domain and power transistor in the high voltage domain, which are assembled on the same circuit board by a solder-bonding method. However, when the high voltage VH is greater than 1200V, in the power module of conventional art, an electrical kickback may occur during operation of the power transistor due to a reason that a low voltage domain circuit and a high voltage domain circuit being disposed on the same circuit board, which results in failure for driving IC.

Power module for high/low voltage insulation

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A paving mat for use in a paved surface includes a fibrous mat in the form of a paving mat. The fibrous mat includes a fibrous matrix containing a mixture of polymer fibers, first mineral fibers having a first median length, and second mineral fibers having a second median length that is different from the first median length. In another embodiment, the paving mat includes a fibrous mat including a fibrous matrix which is bonded together by a binder. In one embodiment, the binder is a mixture of different binders. The fibrous matrix includes a mixture of mineral fibers in an amount within a range of from 61 wt % to 85 wt % and polymer fibers in an amount within a range of from 15 wt % to 39 wt %. The polymer fibers have a melting point greater than 320° F. (160° C.). The mat has a stiffness in the machine direction within a range of from 65 g-cm to 110 g-cm. The mat has a load-elongation behavior such that when the mat is subject to tensile stress, the mat achieves at least 90% of its ultimate load at an elongation not greater than 5% of the specimen length in the direction of applied stress. Another embodiment of the paving mat is made with a carboxy-modified acrylic binder.

Paved surfaces such as roads and parking lots are commonly constructed with a top surface layer of asphalt or concrete paving material. Over a period of time, the paved surface usually deteriorates due to the effects of traffic, temperature cycles, and other environmental causes. Cracks develop in the paved surface, and the cracks can spread and cause further deterioration. Water can penetrate the paved surface by flowing into the cracks, causing further damage.
Damaged paved surfaces are usually repaired by applying a new surface layer of paving material over the damaged portions or over the entire paved surface. After a paved surface having cracks is resurfaced, many times the new surface layer cracks directly over the cracks in the old surface, an occurrence known as "reflective cracking." One way to address this problem is to make the new surface layer thicker, but this is not very effective.
Consequently, various materials have been tried for waterproofing and for preventing or repairing cracks and other deterioration in paved surfaces. Some commercial products are needle-punched non-woven mats or geotextile fabrics constructed from polypropylene fibers. The product is applied over a hot tack coat of asphalt, and then a surface layer of hot asphalt paving material is applied over the mat. Unfortunately, the products made with polypropylene fibers tend to shrink, stretch and/or melt when they are exposed to the hot tack coat and/or hot paving material, which detracts from their effectiveness.
Another commercial product is the TruPave® Paving Mat developed by Owens Corning. This product is a non-woven mat constructed from a mixture of glass and polyester fibers. Compared with the polypropylene products, this product is more resistant to shrinking, stretching and melting, and it has improved strength.
Some patents describe different types of fibrous mats. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,546 discloses a non-woven paving mat made from a mixture of glass fibers and polymer fibers. Preferably, the glass fibers are from 6.35 mm to 50.8 mm in length and comprise about 60 to 80 percent by weight of the mat fibers. The polymer fibers are preferably from 25 mm to 40 mm in length and comprise up to about 40 percent of the mat fibers. The mat is made with a binder that includes from 91% to 97% aqueous thermoplastic emulsion, from 3% to 7% melamine formaldehyde resin and up to 2% water-soluble ammonium salt catalyst.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,737,369 discloses a non-woven roofing mat made from glass fibers, polymer fibers, or mixtures thereof. A majority of the fibers present in the mat are preferably unmixed glass fibers. The mat fibers have different fiber lengths. Specifically, the mat comprises a mixture of fibers where from 0 to 100 percent of the fibers have a median length of from 0.5 mm to 60 mm, and from 0 to 100 percent of the fibers have a median length of from 10 mm to 150 mm. The mat is made with any conventional binder, such as acrylamide, starch, urea resin, phenol resin, sodium silicate, epoxy resin, styrene-butadiene rubber, acryic, neoprene or acrylonitrile.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0136241 discloses a non-woven fibrous mat coated with foam for use as an exterior wallboard facing. Preferably, the majority of the fibers are glass fibers, but polymer fibers can be mixed with the glass fibers. The fibers are at least 6 mm long, and mixtures of different length fibers can be used. The binder used to bond the fibers together can include urea formaldehyde modified with acrylic.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,586,353 discloses a roofing mat made from glass fibers, polymer fibers or mixtures thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the mat is made from glass fibers bonded together by a binder comprising 75% to 99% urea formaldehyde and 1% to 25% acrylic latex.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,046 discloses a wall or floor fiberglass containing mat wherein up to 40% of the glass fibers can be substituted by other fibers, including polymer fibers. The binder for the mat can include acrylic or urea formaldehyde.
In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide a further improved paving mat for use in paved surfaces.


A utility meter reading device with a global positioning system (GPS) functionality has been developed. The device includes a utility meter reading unit that reads usage data from a utility meter and GPS unit. The GPS unit collects locating coordinates of the utility meter while the meter reading unit collects the usage data.

Meter reading systems for collecting data from utility meters that record the date and time of specific work performed by field workers are widely used. For example, meter reading devices carried by meter readers are capable of recording the date and time of meter reading, collections, and service order activity as utility company field workers travel from meter to meter collecting meter readings and completing orders for customers. However, efficient performance management of field workers is often difficult for utilities, and traveling from meter to meter, especially in residential areas, may present potential problems posed by obstacles or undesirable paths to field workers.
Utility companies face difficulties in efficiently managing the performance of field workers. While the meter reading device records the date and time of the specific work performed, falsifying meter readings, known as curbing or stumping, is a known practice among some field workers that is difficult for utility companies to oversee. It has also proved challenging for utility companies to regulate adherence among field workers to standard operating procedures.
Field workers may face several obstacles or routes that they may prefer to avoid as they travel, mostly by foot, through residential areas. Potential problems posed by such obstacles or undesirable paths are even greater if they are in an unfamiliar area. For example, a field worker may benefit from advanced notice of a potentially unruly pet, hostile resident or other obstacle or undesirable condition in close proximity to their location or along a potential route of travel to a meter. The possibilities of entering the wrong premises or entering data for the wrong customer due to mismatching of the meter being read to the account database are also problems that field workers and utility companies face. Consequently, a field device with GPS capabilities is needed.

Field service and meter reading devices with GPS functionality


This invention relates to a synthetic laminate structure and a method for making the synthetic laminate structure. More particularly, the synthetic laminate structure contains an outer layer comprising a substantially transparent copolyester, a printed or colored film layer having opposed surfaces wherein at least one of the surfaces is colored or has an image printed thereon, a backing layer, and a laminating enhancer layer comprising a polyurethane disposed between the outer layer and the film layer, the laminated enhancer layer providing a bond between the outer layer and film layer characterized by a substantial absence of visible air pockets or adhesion discontinuities.

Traditional synthetic laminates are composites made from any one of several types of thermosetting plastic and may contain a printed pattern. However, such laminates cannot be thermoformed and are generally rigid and brittle. In addition, certain materials which offer the prospect of providing improved properties in synthetic laminate structures do not readily adhere to adjacent layers resulting in nonuniform lamination or delamination after a period of use or upon being worked as in a milling, cutting or thermoforming operation, which adversely affects the functional or aesthetic characteristics of the resulting product.

Synthetic laminate structure and method for making same


A mounting bracket is provided for a pump of a washing machine. The bracket includes a body adapted to twist lock mount onto the base of the washing machine. The pump is adapted to twist lock mount onto the body of the bracket. The bracket includes one or more dampers to dampen vibrations generated by the pump during operation so as to produce a quiet operating washing machine.

Washing machines include a pump which is normally mounted to the base of the machine to drain water from the tub. The pump generates vibrations during operation which are transmitted to the base, and then to the rest of the machine. These vibrations increase the noise level of the operating machine, which is undesirable.
Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of a pump mounting bracket which dampens pump vibrations so as to produce a quiet washing machine.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a vibration damping pump mount or bracket which allows quick and easy installation of the pump to the washing machine base.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a washing machine pump mounting bracket having a rubber damper to isolate the pump and dampen the pump vibrations.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a pump bracket having a resilient body with dampers installed in the body to absorb pump vibrations.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved washing machine having a pump mounted to the base of the machine using a vibration damping bracket.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a washing machine having a pump bracket which allows for twist mounting of the pump to the bracket and twist mounting of the bracket to the machine.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a washing machine pump mount which is economical to manufacture and durable in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.


A process for preparing a gas permeable flexible graphite sheet is presented. The process includes providing graphite flakes; admixing the graphite flakes with a sacrificial additive to form a graphite mixture; compressing the graphite mixture into a sheet having sacrificial additive dispersed therethrough; and treating the sheet to at least partially remove the sacrificial additive to form a permeable flexible graphite sheet.

An ion exchange membrane fuel cell, more specifically a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell, produces electricity through the chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in the air. Within the fuel cell, electrodes denoted as anode and cathode surround a polymer electrolyte to form what is generally referred to as a membrane electrode assembly, or MEA. Oftentimes, the electrodes also function as the gas diffusion layer (or GDL) of the fuel cell. A catalyst material stimulates hydrogen molecules to split into hydrogen atoms and then, at the membrane, the atoms each split into a proton and an electron. The electrons are utilized as electrical energy. The protons migrate through the electrolyte and combine with oxygen and electrons to form water.
A PEM fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly sandwiched between two graphite flow field plates. Conventionally, the membrane electrode assembly consists of random-oriented carbon fiber paper electrodes (anode and cathode) with a thin layer of a catalyst material, particularly platinum or a platinum group metal coated on isotropic carbon particles, such as lamp black, bonded to either side of a proton exchange membrane disposed between the electrodes. In operation, hydrogen flows through channels in one of the flow field plates to the anode, where the catalyst promotes its separation into hydrogen atoms and thereafter into protons that pass through the membrane and electrons that flow through an external load. Air flows through the channels in the other flow field plate to the cathode, where the oxygen in the air is separated into oxygen atoms, which joins with the protons through the proton exchange membrane and the electrons through the circuit, and combine to form water. Since the membrane is an insulator, the electrons travel through an external circuit in which the electricity is utilized, and join with protons at the cathode. An air stream on the cathode side is one mechanism by which the water formed by combination of the hydrogen and oxygen is removed. Combinations of such fuel cells are used in a fuel cell stack to provide the desired voltage.
Materials useful in forming fuel cell components such as electrodes are often manufactured from graphite materials. Particularly such components are often formed from flexible sheet graphite material, which has most often been formed through calendering processes and then mechanically impacted to form channels therethrough for fluid permeability.
Graphites are made up of layer planes of hexagonal arrays or networks of carbon atoms. These layer planes of hexagonally arranged carbon atoms are substantially flat and are oriented or ordered so as to be substantially parallel and equidistant to one another. The substantially flat, parallel equidistant sheets or layers of carbon atoms, usually referred to as graphene layers or basal planes, are linked or bonded together and groups thereof are arranged in crystallites. Highly ordered graphites consist of crystallites of considerable size: the crystallites being highly aligned or oriented with respect to each other and having well ordered carbon layers. In other words, highly ordered graphites have a high degree of preferred crystallite orientation. It should be noted that graphites possess anisotropic structures and thus exhibit or possess many properties that are highly directional such as thermal and electrical conductivity.
Briefly, graphites may be characterized as laminated structures of carbon, that is, structures consisting of superposed layers or laminae of carbon atoms joined together by weak van der Waals forces. In considering the graphite structure, two axes or directions are usually noted, to wit, the "c" axis or direction and the "a" axes or directions. For simplicity, the "c" axis or direction may be considered as the direction perpendicular to the carbon layers. The "a" axes or directions may be considered as the directions parallel to the carbon layers or the directions perpendicular to the "c" direction. The graphites suitable for manufacturing flexible graphite sheets possess a very high degree of orientation.
As noted above, the bonding forces holding the parallel layers of carbon atoms together are only weak van der Waals forces. Natural graphites can be treated so that the spacing between the superposed carbon layers or laminae can be appreciably opened up so as to provide a marked expansion in the direction perpendicular to the layers, that is, in the "c" direction, and thus form an expanded or intumesced graphite structure in which the laminar character of the carbon layers is substantially retained.
Graphite flake which has been greatly expanded and more particularly expanded so as to have a final thickness or "c" direction dimension which is as much as about 80 or more times the original "c" direction dimension can be formed without the use of a binder into cohesive or integrated sheets of expanded graphite, e.g. webs, papers, strips, tapes, foils, mats or the like (typically referred to as "flexible graphite"). The formation of graphite particles which have been expanded to have a final thickness or "c" dimension which is as much as about 80 times or more the original "c" direction dimension into integrated flexible sheets by compression, without the use of any binding material, is believed to be possible due to the mechanical interlocking, or cohesion, which is achieved between the voluminously expanded graphite particles.
In addition to flexibility, the sheet material, as noted above, has also been found to possess a high degree of anisotropy with respect to thermal and electrical conductivity due to orientation of the expanded graphite particles and graphite layers substantially parallel to the opposed faces of the sheet resulting from very high compression. Sheet material thus produced has excellent flexibility, good strength and a very high degree of orientation.
Briefly, the process of producing flexible, binderless anisotropic graphite sheet material, e.g. web, paper, strip, tape, foil, mat, or the like, comprises compressing or compacting under a predetermined load and in the absence of a binder, expanded graphite particles which have a "c" direction dimension which is as much as about 80 or more times that of the original particles so as to form a substantially flat, flexible, integrated graphite sheet. The expanded graphite particles that generally are worm-like or vermiform in appearance, once compressed, will maintain the compression set and alignment with the opposed major surfaces of the sheet. The density and thickness of the sheet material can be varied by controlling the degree of compression. The density of the sheet material can be within the range of from about 0.04 g/cc to about 2.0 g/cc. The flexible graphite sheet material exhibits an appreciable degree of anisotropy due to the alignment of graphite particles parallel to the major opposed, parallel surfaces of the sheet, with the degree of anisotropy increasing upon compression of the sheet material to increase orientation. In compressed anisotropic sheet material, the thickness, i.e. the direction perpendicular to the opposed, parallel sheet surfaces comprises the "c" direction and the directions ranging along the length and width, i.e. along or parallel to the opposed, major surfaces comprises the "a" directions and the thermal and electrical properties of the sheet are very different, by orders of magnitude, for the "c" and "a" directions.
One process that has recently been proposed for the manufacture of the electrodes of the membrane electrode assembly involved mechanically impacting a sheet of flexible graphite material to form channels through the thickness of the sheet, and/or to form open grooves in the surface of the sheet. Such processes are shown for example in International Publication WO 01/54213 A1, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and the details of which are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, Mercuri, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,087,034 (the details of which are incorporated herein by reference) discloses the production of a fluid permeable flexible graphite sheet usable as a fuel cell electrode, where channels are formed in the sheet by the inclusion of non-reactive ceramic fibers with particles of expanded graphite before formation of the sheet. Optionally, a resin or pitch can be impregnated into the sheet after formation to partially fill the channels, and the resin or pitch then formed into coke to provide increased strength.
There is a continuing need for further and improved methods of manufacturing such materials.

Gas permeable flexible graphite sheet material and process therefor


A filter system for filtering intake air for a combustion engine, in particular an air filter for a commercial vehicle, having a tubular housing, an inlet situated in the housing through which unfiltered air to be cleaned can be supplied, an outlet situated in the housing through which cleaned air can be discharged, an arrangement of filters situated in the housing between the inlet and outlet which form a seal such that air from the inlet must flow through the filter arrangement to reach the outlet, the housing having an opening for replacement of the filter which can be closed and sealed by a housing cover, and in which at least one prefilter, one main filter and one secondary filter are situated in the housing in axial succession one after the other in the direction of air flow through the filter system.

The invention relates to an air filter system, particularly for commercial vehicles. In addition, this invention also relates to a main filter element and a secondary filter element for use in the air filter system of the invention and to a method of purifying intake air using the air filter system according to the invention.
The air filter systems known in the prior art for internal combustion engines are mounted mainly near the engine, usually in the engine compartment. However, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to install the air filter system in this area because the installation space available for this purpose is becoming smaller and smaller. In particular in commercial vehicles, especially in tractors, the available space is very limited due to the extra functional elements such as hydraulic and pneumatic elements installed in the engine compartment, and access to these systems is often hindered due to an air filter system located in the engine compartment near the engine. In addition, the intake point is often located in the dirty area of the vehicle, i.e., resulting in an elevated particle burden on the air filter and thereby reducing the lifetime of the air filter.
In this regard, German Utility Model No. 79 02 819 describes a proposed intake air purifying element as an external element for mounting on the body of a truck, whereby the element contains a prefilter and a water separator, a cyclone and air filter. However, this design is limited individually to the body of the various trucks and is thus greatly restricted with regard to free placement and in many cases, e.g., in agricultural machines with their special bodies cannot be used at all.


In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a developing device, a control section and a cleaner. The developing device stores decolorable toner and develops a latent image formed on a photoconductor with the decolorable toner. The control section forms a predetermined toner image on the photoconductor by the developing device after driving the developing device without adhering the decolorable toner on the photoconductor. The cleaner collects the toner image.

Conventionally, there is an image forming apparatus having a function of decoloring an image formed on paper. For example, the image forming apparatus heats the paper printed with decolorable toner to a certain temperature to decolor the image on the paper. In this way, the image forming apparatus makes the paper printed with the decolorable toner reusable.
Generally, developing agent obtained by mixing the decolorable toner with magnetic carrier is used in an image forming apparatus. When the developing agent is stirred, the decolorable toner may be contaminated due to the magnetic carrier. In a case in which printing is carried out on paper with the contaminated decolorable toner, the color may be left on the paper without being decolored even if the paper is heated to the certain temperature.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method


In a toner image fixing roller covered with a fluororesin layer, to evenly apply anti-offset agent to the roller surface and to increase sharpness of edge-portions of a toner image fixed on recording paper, a fixing roller consists of a core, elastic body layer and a fluororesin layer. The fluororesin layer contains filler (silicone oil or silicone powder) having affinity to anti-offset agent.

The present invention relates to a toner image fixing member, fixing roller and fixing device for use in an electrophotographic apparatus using an electrophotographic process, such as a copier, facsimile and printer, and more particularly to an electrophotographic apparatus capable of printing a full color image.
A conventional fixing device used in an electrophotographic apparatus (e.g., a copier or a printer) is usually of the heating roller type wherein an unfixed recording paper with an unfixed toner image passes through a nip between paired fixing rollers being heated to fuse and fix the toner image thereon. In particular, a full color printing electrophotographic machine necessarily uses a fixing device which has fixing rollers covered with silicone rubber, on the surface of which is applied an anti-offset agent such as silicone oil having a small surface energy on the surfaces of the rotating rollers to prevent toner from adhering to the roller surfaces (i.e., preventing so called offsetting toner to another print).
However, the silicone rubber cover of a fixing roller is not so durable and may suffer deterioration of its surface quality by friction with recording paper and toner particles, causing offsetting toner to the roller only at and after 20000 printing cycles.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-219375 proposes a method for covering the roller surface with a layer made of fluororesin having an excellent durability. The roller covered with a fluororesin layer, however, can not be evenly wetted with a silicone oil because the fluororesin layer has a small surface energy and, therefore, a small wettability with silicone oil.
To solve the above-mentioned problem, two methods were recently proposed, one of which is to use silicone oil denatured to have an improved wetting ability to fluororesin and the other is to improve the wettability of a fluororesin layer of the roller with silicone oil by modifying the fluororesin layer surface itself to have a reduced surface tension.
The former method, however, was accompanied by some new problems that silicone oil denatured in respect to fluororesin is rather expensive than standard silicone oil and may produce toxic fluorine gases when it is heated at a high temperature. The latter method was accompanied by an increased surface roughness of the fluororesin surface to be easily contaminated with toner.
Furthermore, a fluororesin-covered fixing roller in comparison with a silicone-rubber-covered fixing roller has a higher hardness (less elasticity) and, therefore, is inferior in ability of following up a toner image and an uneven surface of recording paper. Consequently, the roller may not sufficiently heat a toner image in particular at edge portions thereof, resulting in poor sharpness of corresponding portions of the image.

Toner image fixing member, fixing roller and fixing device


A frame structure for mounting telecommunications equipment including a frame, a plurality of sealing covers, a plurality of fasteners, and a plurality of wire protective sleeve. The frame having a base, two support frames, and an upper frame. A receiving recess is provided to accommodate transmission conductors (optic cables, electric cables or lead wires) of telecommunications equipment. A positioning recess formed between the plate bodies at the upper and lower covers of the inner side of the sealing covers and the fastening plates allows the sealing covers to be mounted over the edge of the inner lateral plates of the opening of the receiving recess on the support frames. A fastener is then passed into a hollowed hole of the outer lateral plate on the sealing cover and further into a fastening hole, with the plate body of the sealing cover being pressed downwardly. A press element is then pressed into a fastener body to secure the connection. The frame thus assembled may accommodate and conceal the transmission conductors led out from telecommunications equipment.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a frame structure for mounting the transmission conductors of telecommunications equipment, and more particularly to a frame structure for accommodating the transmission conductors of telecommunications equipment, the frame structure being pleasing in appearance, and easy to assemble.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
In existing frame structures for telecommunications equipment, the transmission conductors (such as optic cables, electric cables or lead wires) of the equipment are tied with a wire and then inserted into a securing frame protrudently provided at the upper end of the support frame from below before they are distributed to other locations or other wire holes at the other end of the equipment. The overall appearance of such conventional frame structures is therefore unsightly and the transmission conductors are vulnerable to damage. Besides, the suspended transmission conductors may be loosened from the terminals or the contact is not good.

Frame structure for mounting telecommunications equipment


Irreversible cysteine protease inhibitors based upon an alkene bond being conjugated to an electron withdrawing group are disclosed. The inhibitor structure also provides a targeting peptide which is specific for different cysteine proteases. The method of making the inhibitors, and methods of using the inhibitors to inhibit cysteine proteases and for therapy are disclosed.

Cysteine or thiol proteases contain a cysteine residue at the active site responsible for proteolysis. Since cysteine proteases have been implicated in a number of diseases, including arthritis, muscular dystrophy, inflammation, tumor invasion, glomerulonephritis, malaria, and other parasite-borne infections, methods for selectively and irreversibly inactivating them provide opportunities for new drug candidates. See, for example, Meijers, M. H. M. et al., Agents Actions (1993), 39 (Special Conference Issue), C219; Machleidt, W. et al, Fibrinolysis (1992), 6 Suppl. 4, 125; Sloane, B. F. et al., Biomed. Biochim. Acta (1991), 50, 549; Duffy, M. J., Clin. Exp. Metastasis (1992), 10, 145; Rosenthal, P. J., Wollish, W. S., Palmer, J. T., Rasnick, D., J. Clin. Investigations (1991), 88, 1467; Baricos, W. H. et al, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. (1991), 288, 468; Thornberry, N. A. et al., Nature (1992), 356, 768.
Low molecular weight inhibitors of cysteine proteases have been described by Rich, Proteinase Inhibitors (Chapter 4, "Inhibitors of Cysteine Proteinases"), Elsevier Science Publishers (1986). Such inhibitors include peptide aldehydes, which form hemithioacetals with the cysteine of the protease active site. The disadvantage of aldehydes is their in vivo and chemical instabilities.
Aldehydes have been transformed into .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated esters and sulfones by means of the Wadsworth-Emmons-Horner modification of the Wittig reaction (Wadsworth, W. S. and Emmons, W. D. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1961), 83, 1733: Equation 1).

Irreversible cysteine protease inhibitors containing vinyl groups conjugated to electron withdrawing groups


A semiconductor test system includes a user device configured to operate a reference device in accordance with an interface signal based on a timing signal having a variable operating frequency, a pattern synthesis apparatus configured to measure an interval between adjacent edges of the timing signal transmitted from the user device, and extract a logic value of the interface signal in accordance with the timing signal so as to generate test pattern data, and a test device configured to receive the test pattern data, reconstruct the timing signal based on the measured interval, generate a test driving signal such that the logic value is extracted from a device under test (DUT) based on the reconstructed timing signal, and apply the test driving signal to the DUT so as to determine an operating state of the DUT.

1. Field
Example embodiments of the inventive concepts relate to a pattern synthesis apparatus which determines pass or fail of a semiconductor device, and to a semiconductor test system having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wafers are formed into complete devices through procedures including a fabrication (FAB) process and a subsequent post-process. The thus-formed devices are categorized into non-defective units and defective units by electrical, thermal and functional tests conducted during or after a packaging process. However, a memory module or device which is commercially available after having been determined to be a non-defective unit may not operate properly when mounted in a personal computer (PC) or a user device including for example a customer end (CE) device.
A semiconductor device to be tested is referred to as a device under test (DUT), and automatic test equipment (ATE), mounting-type test equipment, and fixed frequency mounting-type test equipment are used in testing the DUT.
The ATE tests the DUT using a test pattern based on a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) defect model obtained through experimentation. The ATE, which may exhibit superior performance in detecting logical failures and parametric failures, however, may be unreliable in terms of accuracy and ease of detection when detecting failures in an actual operation environment. For example, the ATE may have limits in detecting failure patterns in a user device.
The mounting-type test equipment may test the DUT under simulated test conditions of an actual operation environment. In the case of a PC, the mounting-type test equipment may perform a test after fitting the DUT into a socket on a motherboard, thus performing the test in a relatively easy manner. However, when the DUT is welded to a printed circuit board (PCB), a socket may be required to be coupled to the DUT, which may cause distortion in an actual operation environment. Moreover, test patterns applicable to the DUT may be restricted, and the range of the test condition simulation may thus be limited.
The fixed frequency mounting-type test equipment may capture signals input to/output from a semiconductor device in a user device, which operates at a fixed frequency, receives data based on the captured signals, and tests the DUT based on the data. The fixed frequency mounting-type test equipment may provide advantages of both the ATE and the mounting-type test equipment.
However, electronic products with semiconductor devices which are actively variable in operating frequency are increasingly used recently, for example, to satisfy user demand for low power consumption and elongated life of electronic products. It may be desirable to have a semiconductor test system capable of testing pass or fail of semiconductor devices based on frequency variation.

Pattern synthesis apparatus and semiconductor test system having the same


A dosing vessel includes a reservoir having an inlet and an outlet and is configured to contain a supply of a cryogenic liquid with a headspace above. The outlet is configured to be connected to a dosing arm having a dosing head. A low pressure sensor is configured to detect a vapor pressure in the headspace. A high pressure sensor is configured to detect a pressure in a bottom portion of the reservoir. An inlet valve is in fluid communication with the inlet of the reservoir and is placed in communication with a source of cryogenic liquid. A controller is in communication with the high and low pressure sensors and the inlet valve and is configured to store a preset liquid level or a preset differential pressure corresponding to the preset liquid level, to determine a measured differential pressure based on data from the high and low pressure sensors and to control the inlet valve based on the measured differential pressure and the preset liquid level or the preset differential pressure so that a liquid level of a cryogenic liquid stored in the reservoir is generally maintained at the preset liquid level.

Cryogenic fluids, that is, fluids having a boiling point generally below −150° C. at atmospheric pressure, are used in a variety of industrial applications. One example is in the packaging of food, beverages and other products.
One part of liquid nitrogen (a cryogenic fluid) warms and expands into 700 parts of gaseous nitrogen at ambient temperature. Based on this characteristic, automated dosing equipment and systems have been developed that precisely dispense measured doses of liquid nitrogen into product containers prior to sealing. The trapped liquid nitrogen vaporizes and thus creates pressure within the container so as to add rigidity to the container. This allows for a use of a thinner container wall which reduces material costs and weight. Alternatively, for preservation and modified packaging (MAP) applications, the rapidly expanding gas is allowed to escape before the product packaging is sealed, flushing out oxygen and extending product life. In still another application, a dose of liquid nitrogen is introduced to "lock in" and surface freeze the food product (such as novelty ice cream).
A typical prior art dosing system is illustrated in FIG. 1. The liquid nitrogen is stored in a vacuum-insulated bulk tank 20 and transferred, via vacuum-insulated piping 22, to a phase separator 24. Liquid nitrogen is then provided via line 26 to a doser, indicated in general at 28. The doser includes a dosing vessel 30 which houses an insulated cryogen source reservoir that receives the liquid nitrogen from line 26. A dosing arm 32 is connected to the dosing vessel 30 and is in communication with the cryogen source reservoir. A dosing head 34 is positioned on the distal end of the dosing arm. The dosing arm 32 includes vacuum-insulated piping so that liquid nitrogen is supplied from the cryogen source reservoir of the doser body to the dosing head 34. A conveyer of a product packaging system passes below the dosing head. The dosing head includes a valve that dispenses or injects droplets including very precise amounts of liquid nitrogen into product containers as they pass below the dosing head on the conveyer.
The dosing vessel 30 must maintain a minimum liquid level for the doser to function properly. If the liquid level in the dosing vessel drops below the minimum level, the liquid nitrogen traveling to the dosing head will not have sufficient pressure to be properly dispensed.
Current liquid level technology in dosing equipment includes either a mechanical float valve or an electromechanical sensor with magnetic floats. Mechanical floats cannot accept higher pressure applications, and both versions are prone to freezing in certain conditions. A dosing vessel with liquid level sensor technology that addresses at least some of these issues is desirable.

Differential pressure filling system and method for a dosing vessel


An innovative optical system and method is disclosed for analyzing and uniquely identifying high-order refractive indices samples in a diverse population of nearly identical samples. The system and method are particularly suitable for ultra-fine materials having similar color, shape and features which are difficult to identify through conventional chemical, physical, electrical or optical methods due to a lack of distinguishing features. The invention discloses a uniquely configured optical system which employs polarized sample light passing through a full wave compensation plate, a linear polarizer analyzer and a quarter wave retardation plate for producing vivid color bi-refringence pattern images which uniquely identify high-order refractive indices samples in a diverse population of nearly visually identical samples. The resultant patterns display very subtle differences between species which are frequently indiscernable by conventional microscopy methods. When these images are analyzed with a trainable with a statistical learning model, such as a soft-margin support vector machine with a Gaussian RBF kernel, good discrimination is obtained on a feature set extracted from Gabor wavelet transforms and color distribution angles of each image. By constraining the Gabor center frequencies to be low, the resulting system can attain classification accuracy in excess of 90% for vertically oriented images, and in excess of 80% for randomly oriented images.

Adult sea scallops reproduce by freely releasing gametes into the water column where larvae swim and develop for a period of about 50 days. Normally, larvae ready to settle find a likely spot on the bottom and begin to develop into the juvenile form. This newly settled stage is called "spat" which can attain size of 1 cm within a few weeks. It has been shown in countries such as Japan that commercially important sea scallop stocks may be greatly enhanced and managed through the practice of spat collection. Meshed bags or collectors are placed in regions where larvae are naturally concentrated, the larvae settle on the collectors and quickly develop into spat. The spat are then relayed into protected grow-out areas where fishing pressure is eliminated. After 1 to 2 years, the adult scallops are harvested using normal bottom trawling techniques.
Knowledge of the population dynamics of bivalves such as clams, oysters, and scallops is required to effectively management these commercially important shellfish resources. A major stumbling block to understanding bivalve population dynamics has been identification of the planktonic, and very small (order 100 microns) larvae. For years researches have searched for distinguishing, species-specific features for identifying larvae. Although scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is regarded as the most reliable approach for feature identification, the technique is very laborious requiring days to process just a few larvae. The optical approach to larval identification described here lends itself to non-destructive, rapid, flow-through optical systems where hundreds of larvae could be identified in seconds. When put into use on research vessels, this approach could greatly enhance our ability to map abundance and distribution of bivalve larvae in the world ocean and allow researchers to make rapid predictions of where the ocean currents will carry the larvae before settlement on the bottom. Resource managers require this kind of information before attempting to establish effective management plans.
Many bivalve mollusks produce planktonic larvae which progress through a series of developmental stages before settling to the bottom and taking up a benthic existence. All bivalve mollusks have larvae which progress through a series of developmental stages: fertilization of the egg, gastrulation, trochophore stage, prodissochonch I stage, prodissochonch II stage, and dissochonch stage. Mineralization of the prodissochonch I shell begins about 20 h after fertilization in an area of the trochophore larva called the shell field invagination (SFI), which consists of a proteinacous organic matrix. Optical orientation of the bi-refringent aragonitic crystals, which nucleate and grow on the organic matrix, is controlled by protein organization within the organic matrix. Under polarized light, the prodissochonch I shell exhibits a dark cross of full light extinction where the optic axes of the two polarizing filters are normal to one another demonstrating that crystal orientation is arranged radially around the SFI. The mode of shell deposition makes a transition between prodissoconch I/II formation as crystals are added to the ventral margins of the shell with an orientation relative to the previous layer. This process continues for about 30 days until the prodissochonch II shell is fully formed and the larva is ready to metamorphose into the dissoconch stage. The prodissoconch I/II boundary is clearly viewed under polarized light extending radially around the shell at a distance of about 100 microns from the SFI.
Since bivalve larvae are typically about 100 um in size, larvae species appear nearly identical upon conventional polarized light microscopy examination. A recent review of current identification techniques has been provided by Garland and Zimmer (E. D. Garland and C. A. Zimmer, Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 225:299-310 (Jan. 11, 2002). Attempts to identify bivalve larvae based on their morphology such as shell shape (Chanley and Andrews, 1971; Loosanoffet al. 1966; Miyazaki, 1962; Rees, 1950; Stafford, 1912) or denticular structures (Le Pennec, 1980; Lutz et al. 1982) has been shown to be extremely, difficult, time consuming, and inaccurate. Use of the scanning electron microscope to identify denticular structures improves identification accuracy, but is extremely time consuming requiring hours to days for sample preparation and observation (Fuller et al. 1993; Lutz and Jablonski, 1979). More recently, a limited number of attempts to identify bivalve larvae to species have been made using molecular techniques (Bell and Grassle, 1997; 1998; Coffroth and Mulawka, 1995; Demers et al. 1993; Hu et al. 1992), but these are highly inaccurate, time consuming, and completely destructive to the individual. Thus, despite years of research we do not have the ability to accurately, repeatedly, and quickly identify scallop larvae from the plankton.
What is currently needed is a system and method for rapid identification of scallop and other bivalve larvae in the field using instrumentation on ships of opportunity where data can be immediately telemetered to shore, assimilated into physical models, and results made available on a daily basis to commercial fishermen.

Optical method and system for rapid identification of multiple refractive index materials using multiscale texture and color invariants


A system, method and computer program product for extracting information from a telecommunications invoice is provided. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method may include: receiving a telecommunications invoice data stream in a first data format; analyzing the telecommunications invoice data stream to determine the first data format; modeling the telecommunications invoice data stream; and mapping the modeled telecommunications invoice data stream to a normalized data format. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method may include: where the modeling of the telecommunications invoice data stream may further include any of: creating a model for the first data format; modeling the telecommunications invoice data stream according to the model; and/or modeling the telecommunications invoice data stream with an intelligent adapter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to invoices and, more particularly, to telecommunications invoices.
2. Related Art
Interconnection arrangements in the telecommunications industry have a long history. Interconnection first became a contractual issue in 1894 when Alexander Graham Bell's initial patents expired. Beginning in 1894, the Bell System had to enter into interconnecting contracts with independent telephone companies, and the independent telephone companies similarly signed contracts with each other that governed the terms of interconnection.
Telecommunications legislation and regulatory actions in the past few decades in the United States has led to creation of a large number of incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), intra exchange carriers (IXCs), and competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs). Through a complex system of regulation, telephone calls are placed through these multi-vendor networks using the vast networks of cooperating companies.
In 1984, AT&T was broken up by antitrust regulators in the U.S., forming a network of local phone companies (the ILECs), and long distance companies (the IXCs). Following the breakup, initially each local loop was monopolized and run by a LEC, typically a Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC) or an independent telephone company such as GTE. Excluding cellular phones, the local loop was a required input in the production of long distance services, and typically long distance companies did not have their own comparable local loop. In telecommunications, the use of a local exchange incurred charges to originate calls (access origination) or to terminate calls (access termination).
Passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, authorizing competition in the local phone service market, has permitted CLECs to compete with ILECs in providing local exchange services. This competition has created even more companies which may charge for origination or termination.
When a customer places a telephone call, the call may often originate onto an ILEC, may be transported over a network of the ILEC, and/or an IXC's network, and then may be terminated on an ILECs' facilities. If a call originates at an ILEC, is terminated onto a CLEC's facilities, and then is terminated, e.g., at an Internet Service Provider (ISP), then the ILEC owes the CLEC reciprocal compensation for the termination of the call. Thus, reciprocal compensation is basically a settlement mechanism for telephone traffic transferred between two local networks. This arrangement was pursuant to the FCC Interconnection Order. The money follows the calls. Most ISP calls are from users and terminated to ISPs. This potentially means a lot of money flowing from ILECs to CLECs who have ISPs as customers. The ISPs are considered "end users" pursuant to FCC rules, and therefore the call is considered a local call. If a call is considered a long distance transmission, then reciprocal compensation did not apply. Many ILECs may pay CLECs reciprocal compensation.
Because of the many origination and termination fees that are charged by telephone companies, an ILEC, for instance, can receive enormous numbers of often enormously sized invoices from many different individual telecommunications service providers. Individual large companies may also receive many telecommunications services invoices for their entities. The processing of telecommunications invoices which come from many different entities with largely non-uniform billing systems, can be an extremely costly process, which may be fraught with potential billing errors.
A telecommunications carrier may send and receive thousands of invoices each month. Most of these invoices between carriers may be electronic (perhaps 60-80% depending on the carrier). There are several structured industry formats for providing electronic invoices. The structured industry formats include CABS and SECAB formats which are maintained and improved by industry associations. However, many bills are not available in these formats.
Since most companies do not have the means to create separate custom tools to accept any non-standard input format, most carriers still obtain a large proportion of bills on printed paper. Indeed, many bills are still provided in printed form as a large paper document. The result is that every telecommunications carrier spends considerable manual effort to process, audit and pay thousands of manual invoices.
Processing paper invoices is extremely time-consuming and costly. The cost of creating loading programs and maintaining them for multiple carriers is also time consuming and costly. As a result, manual invoices are often paid without any automated auditing or detailed review. The lack of detailed review results in even higher costs and processing errors to telecommunications carriers.

System and method for intelligent data extraction for telecommunications invoices


A cleaning head for cleaning a submerged surface includes a body portion, and a skirt portion extending around a periphery of the body portion, the skirt portion performing a sealing function between the body portion and a submerged surface desired to be cleaned when the cleaning head is disposed on the submerged surface during use. The cleaning head also includes at least one cleaning member for causing material on the submerged surface to separate from the submerged surface when the cleaning head is disposed on the submerged surface during use, and at least one suction aperture in fluid communication with a space defined between the body portion and the submerged surface during use.

It is known that a tendency exists for an underwater portion of a vessel hull or structure to become increasingly fouled over time to the extent that eventually a significant layer of material, including in some circumstances living organisms, accumulates on the underwater portion of the vessel hull or structure.
If such fouling is not removed from the vessel hull or structure, significant problems can occur, including damage to the vessel hull or structure and, in the case of a marine vessel, a reduction in seafaring performance of the vessel. In addition, some living organisms can be noxious and, if transported to other locations, can be dangerous to local species.
Uncontrolled in-water cleaning can release chemical and biological contaminants into the local environment, and for example may stimulate the release of reproductive propagules, or plant and animal fragments capable of regeneration.
In order to avoid release of such contaminants into the local marine environment, conventional vessel hull cleaning techniques have involved removing the vessel from the water, and subsequently cleaning the vessel hull. However, this approach is expensive and time consuming.


In a semiconductor device, and a method of fabricating the same, the semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a cell region and a peripheral circuit region, a portion of the semiconductor substrate in the cell region and in the peripheral circuit region including an isolation region defining an active region, a portion of the active region protruding above an upper surface of the isolation region to define at least two active channels, a gate dielectric layer formed over the active region of the semiconductor substrate including the at least two protruding active channels, a gate electrode formed over the gate dielectric layer and the isolation region of the semiconductor substrate, and a source/drain region formed in the active region of the semiconductor substrate on either side of the gate electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device including a multi-channel fin field effect transistor (FinFET) and a method of fabricating the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device including a multi-channel FinFET in a cell and/or peripheral circuit region of a semiconductor substrate and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to improve performance and reduce fabrication cost of semiconductor devices, an integration density of semiconductor devices must continually increase. Increasing integration density of semiconductor devices requires developing techniques for reducing a feature size of a semiconductor device.
In conventional semiconductor fabricating processes, the channel length of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) is decreased to increase an operating speed and integration density of a semiconductor device. This decrease in channel length, however, may degrade characteristics of the device as an active switch. For example, as a distance between a source and a drain is further reduced, a short channel effect occurs. Thus, it becomes difficult to effectively suppress an influence of a drain electrical potential on a source electrical potential and a channel electrical potential. However, since a conventional MOSFET, in which a channel is disposed parallel on a surface of a semiconductor, is a planar channel device, it is difficult to not only structurally scale down the MOSFET, but also to suppress the occurrence of the short channel effect.
A FinFET has a structure, in which a fin-shaped, three-dimensional active region is formed, and both lateral surfaces and a top surface of the fin-shaped active region are surrounded by a gate. Thus, the FinFET includes not a planar channel but a three-dimensional channel. Unlike a planar MOSFET, since the FinFET includes a vertical channel disposed on a substrate, the size of the FinFET can be scaled down, and a short channel effect may decrease by greatly reducing a junction capacitance of a drain. In addition, the FinFET offers other superior electrical properties such as higher drive current and lower leakage current induced by improved sub-threshold current and reduced drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL). Accordingly, in view of these advantages of the FinFET, extensive research into replacing conventional MOSFETs with FinFETs has recently been conducted.
Although the FinFET offers these superior electrical characteristics, it is currently difficult to make a FinFET having a very short and uniform channel width transistor, e.g., less than 30 nm, because of the limitations of current lithography techniques. These limitations lead to other disadvantages. For example, if fins are not formed to a uniform width, a current dispersion characteristic may be deteriorated. To form a three-dimensional channel on a substrate in a FinFET, a photolithography process must be performed. However, a line width that can be obtained by the photolithography process is limited. Therefore, an improved method for forming a three-dimensional channel having a fine line width below a resolution limit is required.
Moreover, to appropriately control a current increased by forming a FinFET in a cell region, a transistor of a peripheral circuit region requires change. However, the layout of a conventional active region should be adjusted in accordance with a new fin structure to form a FinFET in a peripheral circuit region, and photoresist trimming should be used to obtain a fine line width. Thus, it is difficult to increase a contact region of a source and a drain due to the above-described patterning problems.
By fabricating a relatively short multi-channel transistor of a fin type, the transistor's drive current level may be increased. Therefore, new semiconductor devices including multi-channel FinFETs having uniform and relatively short channel width and methods of fabricating the same are needed.

Semiconductor device including a multi-channel fin field effect transistor including protruding active portions and method of fabricating the same


The present invention discloses a method for pressure forming of an aluminum alloy special-shaped tubular component by using an ultra-low temperature medium. By means of the characteristics that the forming property of an aluminum alloy tube is greatly improved under ultra-low temperature conditions, a tube is cooled and pressurized in a die through an ultra-low temperature medium, so that the tube forms a special-shaped tubular component at an ultra-low temperature. In the method for pressure forming of an aluminum alloy special-shaped tubular component by using an ultra-low temperature medium, the ultra-low temperature medium is not only used for cooling the die and the tube, but also used for pressurization to achieve flexible loading of the tube, which is favorable for forming complex special-shaped tubular components with varied cross-sections.

As a lightweight material, aluminum alloy has high specific strength and good corrosion resistance and is widely used in the fields of aviation, aerospace and automobiles. With the further improvement of the requirements for high reliability, long service life and light weight of carrying devices such as new-generation launch vehicles, aircrafts and new energy vehicles, there is an increasing demand for the replacement of multiple split tailor-welded structures with overall structures. Examples are air intake ducts of aircrafts, chassis components of electric vehicles, and vehicle body frames. These components are complex special-shaped tubular components and each have a complex cross-section shape and large cross section difference and also have a local small fillet. These geometric features are coupled to difficulty in deformation of high-strength aluminum alloy, making these special-shaped tubular component have high forming difficulty.
At present, internal high-pressure forming (or hydroforming) is an advanced and mature technology for manufacturing hollow variable-cross-section special-shaped tubular components. The technology has been widely used in aerospace and automotive industries, and is suitable for materials with good room temperature plasticity, such as low carbon steel and stainless steel. For an aluminum alloy special-shaped tubular component with a simple shape, such as an automobile instrument panel bracket, internal high-pressure forming is also gradually being applied. However, a high-strength aluminum alloy having a tensile strength of more than 400 MPa is limited by problems such as low forming property and proneness to generation of range peel, the high-strength aluminum alloy needs to be formed by complex processes such as multi-pass preforming and intermediate annealing, and there are also problems of low yield and poor quality of finished products. For an integrated tube with a complex shape, when the cross section difference is large and the ratio of the fillet radius to the thickness is smaller than 3, the limit of high-pressure forming in the high-strength aluminum alloy is exceeded.
Since a large-diameter thin-walled seamless aluminum alloy tube blank cannot be obtained by an extrusion process, during the high-pressure forming of large-diameter aluminum alloy thin-walled integral tubular component, a prefabricated tube blank needs to be obtained by coiling welding of sheets. For example, the tube blank of a special-shaped air intake duct of an aircraft is more than 1 meter in diameter and the wall thickness is only a few millimeters, and a prefabricated tube blank needs to be obtained by sheet curling and friction stir welding. However, the strength and plasticity of a tailor-welded joint are usually lowered relative to those of a base metal, and the strength coefficient of a welding seam of a friction stir welding tube is smaller than 0.8, which is likely to cause cracking of a welding seam area during internal high-pressure forming, resulting in that the forming cannot be completed, and the application of large-diameter aluminum alloy special-shaped tubular components is limited.
The study found that the forming property of a high-strength aluminum alloy base metal and a friction stir welding seam under ultra-low temperature conditions is greatly improved, and the plasticity of the welding seam is similar to that of the base metal. For example, the forming property of 2219 aluminum alloy under 77K ultra-low temperature conditions is 70% higher than that of the 2219 aluminum alloy at room temperature. Under ultra-low temperature conditions, the forming properties of aluminum alloy and the welding seam are improved, which is beneficial to the forming of complex special-shaped tubular components.

Method for pressure forming of aluminum alloy special-shaped tubular component by using ultra low temperature medium


A method includes receiving audio data from a microphone of a device associated with a user. The audio data includes audio received by the microphone from a first source and from a second source. The audio data is correlated with a first audio signature and a second audio signature. Then, based on the correlation of the audio data with the first audio signature, first content broadcast from the first source is identified. Second content broadcast from the second source is also identified based on the correlation of the audio data with the second audio signature. It is then determined that the device is closer to the first source than the second source based on audio qualities and/or temporal aspects of the audio data. The first content is associated with the user based on the determination that the device is closer to the first source.

Using television and other content distribution channels (such as, but not limited to, online video received through a computer or mobile device, video content viewed on other screens, and so forth), advertisers often attempt to reach a specific demographic, for example, based on age, gender, and/or interests. One common advertising strategy is to broadcast an advertisement concurrently with media content (e.g., a television show) that is popular among that particular demographic. In that sense, it is often desirable to determine the audience of the media content to ensure that the advertisement is reaching the desired demographic.
Historically, the success of the advertisement has been determined by sampling polls, surveys, or panels to estimate the size and profile (e.g., age and gender) of the audience. However, the sampling polls are typically limited to a selected number of individuals, and therefore, do not provide sufficient accuracy or specificity in determining the exact size and profile of the audience. Furthermore, the sampling polls do not provide sufficient information of viewing habits for specific individuals. Moreover, such polls or panels are susceptible to statistical bias due to the requirement that respondents explicitly and consciously cooperate with the poll or panel.
The disclosed process and system are directed to mitigating or overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the prior art.

Audio correlation for viewership determination


Nanophosphor compositions were prepared. The compositions can be used for radiation detection.

Phosphors are currently used in many important devices such as fluorescent lamps, RGB (red, green, blue) screens, lasers, and crystal scintillators for radiation detectors, radiographic imaging, tagging and other security applications, lighting applications, and nuclear spectroscopy. Perhaps the most important property of any phosphor is its brightness, i.e. its efficiency, which is the ratio of the number of optical photons emitted by the phosphor to the energy absorbed. Other important properties include the spectral region of maximum emission (which should match commonly-used photodetectors), optical absorption (minimum self-absorption is desired), decay time of the emission (for some applications fast is desired), and the density. In general, superior scintillators exhibit high quantum efficiency, good linearity of the spectral emission with respect to incident energy, high density, fast decay time, minimal self-absorption, and high effective Z-number. Specific scintillator applications determine the choice of phosphor. Scintillators used for active and passive radiation detection, for example, require high density, and brightness, whereas scintillators used for radiographic imaging also require fast decay time.
An exceptionally good scintillator is cerium-activated lutetium oxyorthosilicate. This material has been conveniently abbreviated in the art as either LSO:Ce or Ce:LSO. LSO:Ce is a crystalline solid that includes a host lattice of lutetium oxyorthosilicate (Lu2SiO5, abbreviated LSO) that is activated by a small amount of the rare-earth (RE) metal dopant cerium (Ce). Cerium is an excellent activator because both its 4f ground and 5d excited states lie within the band gap of about 6 eV of the host LSO lattice. LSO:Ce is very bright, i.e. it has a very high quantum efficiency. LSO:Ce also has a high density (7.4 gm/cm3), a fast decay time (about 40 nanoseconds), a band emission maximum near 420 nanometers, and minimal self-absorption.
While the scintillator properties of LSO:Ce are exceptional, high-quality single crystals are difficult and expensive to prepare. The high cost, which is at least partly due to the high cost of starting materials (high purity Lu2O3 powder) and equipment (iridium crucibles for containing the Lu2O3 powder that melts at about 2150 degrees Celsius), and the tendency of the crystal boule to form cracks that limit the amount of usable single crystal from the boule, limits efforts to develop other types of crystals with an LSO host lattice.
Other exceptionally good scintillators include rare earth doped lanthanum halides, such as cerium-doped lanthanum fluoride, lanthanum chloride, lanthanum bromide, and cerium-doped lanthanum mixed halides. A lanthanum halide host doped with an appropriate phosphor such as Ce(III), for example, is of interest as a scintillator for large-scale radiation detectors.
Light output from nanophosphors has been shown to increase compared to larger phosphors in several systems. In addition, when nanoparticles are used in plastic scintillators, their small size results in reduced light scattering, and hence less attenuation. Nanoparticle phosphors with these properties are less expensive than single crystals to prepare, and could be used to prepare radiation scintillators where detection of radiation over large areas is required. Crystalline lanthanide halide nanophosphors, for example, have attracted recent interest due to their potential uses in optics and optoelectronics (e.g., lighting and displays, optical amplifiers/scintillators, and lasers), microelectronics, and tribology. A particular current interest is their possible use for large-scale scintillators for applications related to homeland security and medical imaging.
Currently, methods for producing micron sized to nanosized particles of rare earth doped or undoped lanthanum halides are limited. Nanoparticles with mean particle sizes below 10 nm of rare earth doped lanthanide oxides, orthosilicates or halides may be prepared using single source precursor, hydrothermal, spray pyrolysis or solution combustion methods (see, for example, Chander in "Development of Nanophosphors—a Review", Mat. Sci. Eng., vol. R 49, (2005) pp. 113-155, incorporated by reference herein). These particles must then be dispersed in an appropriate medium to prevent agglomeration.
There is a need for better methods for preparing high-quality monodisperse, well shaped, single-crystalline nanoparticles, and also for inexpensive large area, high output radiation detectors.

Nanophosphors for large area radiation detectors