The present invention provides for systems and methods for automated quantification of individual compounds in a mixture. The invention is generally concerned with quantitative analysis of solid, liquid, or gas samples and relies on a separation instrument and on a mass detector. The separation instrument provide means to separate the individual compounds typically according to certain physicochemical property, and the mass detector provides means to determine the amount or concentration of an arbitrary compound using an instrument-specific calibration curve. The present invention provides automated capability to analyze such mixtures without user intervention by varying pre-determined control parameters on one or more of the instruments so as to achieve a high degree of analytical resolution of some or all of the individual compounds in the mixture.

Analysis of mixtures containing different compounds is typically guided by the information desired. For example, analysis of mixtures of chemical compounds may be directed towards identification of said compounds. A general method to identify mixtures constituents is to first separate the mixture and then use one or more techniques for further identification of the individual compounds. Methods of separation depend on the state of the mixture, solid, liquid, or gas, and on known or assumed characteristics of the compounds in the mixture. For example, chromatography is a well known technique to separate mixture components in the liquid or gas phases based on their mass, size, electrical charge, mobility, affinity to other molecules or other properties.
Once separated, many techniques are available for identification of unknown compounds by probing certain physical or chemical properties. For example, spectrophotometric techniques could be used to identify compounds by comparing their absorption spectra to known spectra. Equally important analysis of mixtures of compounds is related to their absolute quantification. Alone or in tandem with their identification, obtaining information regarding the amounts of mixture components is also important for many analytical applications. For example, it is desired to quantify all chemical compounds in a mixture following synthesis, to monitor transformation of a compound over time or after exposure to other compounds, to quantify only the major component of the mixture, or to quantify minor components such as impurities.
In certain fields, chemical analysis is performed in a high throughput manner, and techniques for rapid identification and quantification of both major and minor components of a mixture are highly desired. For example, modem discovery of organic pharmaceutical compounds involves synthesis and screening of thousands or sometimes millions of chemical compounds. Since synthesis techniques are never perfect, compounds that demonstrate initial biological activity are then sent to further chemical analysis. Such analysis involves separation of the assumed mixture of compounds, quantification and identification of all of the constituents. This information could then be used to assess properties of the mixture, such as biological activity, physicochemical parameters such as solubility and lipophilicity and other information relevant to the use of the compound.
While identification of the individual compounds in a mixture can deploy many techniques which probe the chemical composition using multiple physical and chemical aspects, techniques for quantification of said compounds are much more limited in number and scope. Most generally, the compounds in a mixture must be separated and identified. Once separated and identified, standards of the individual components containing known amounts of the mixture are prepared. These standards are typically subjected to further analyses correlating certain physical or chemical properties to their a priori known amounts thus constructing a calibration curve. Finally, the unknown amounts of the components in the mixture are calculated from measuring the same properties previously measured from the standards and using the calibration curve in reverse.
Preparing standards, developing individual calibration curves, and quantifying unknown compounds is a highly resource and time consuming process and not suitable for high throughput analyses. A significant simplification of this process could be achieved if calibration curves could be constructed for a large class of chemical compounds based on a common attribute that could be directly measured. For example, equimolar elemental techniques produce signals which are proportional to the amount of an individual element in the sample. Detectors for quantifying the total carbon, nitrogen or other elements are available. Usually standards containing known amounts of such elements are used to construct calibration curves, which could then be used to analyze any compound containing such elements without the need to prepare an individual series of standards for each unknown compound. In a common scenario, the compound is provided in known volume to the detector which then produces a signal that is proportional to the amount of the element in the sample, thus directly producing a quantitative measure as a total mass or, for example, as parts-per-million or milligrams per milliliter when considering the known volume and properties of the solvent phase. Once the compound is identified, its amount or concentration could be calculated using the number of atoms in the molecule and its molecular weight, for example.
Elemental detectors could achieve an intrinsically very large dynamic range, e.g., from part-per-million to percent concentration of the analyte. However, due to the much more limited range of certain internal components of the detector, for example, a photo-multiplier tube, the overall large dynamic range is realized using sensitivity level selectors. When these detectors are connected to an upstream separation system, a potentially powerful quantification system is possible. For example, a liquid solution containing a mixture of unknown compounds could be injected into a high performance liquid chromatography system which separates the mixture based on any desired property. The eluent from the chromatography column could be directly diverted into an elemental detector and each of the unknown constituent compounds could be quantified and converted to any convenient concentration unit.
In practice, such combination still necessitate constant manual intervention by the analyst, since in most typical applications, the interest is in quantifying a major component in the mixture simultaneously with much smaller amounts of minor components, sometime referred to as impurities. The analyst has to inspect the analysis signal, select alternative sensitivity settings, and repeat the analysis to optimize the signal to noise ratio for each and every desired separated compound. Thus while the entire process is still much simplified, requiring no individual calibration curves to be constructed, the analysis is still cumbersome and requires attention and interim signal evaluation by a trained analyst in order to optimally quantify each component in the mixture.
Devising an automated process which combines both separation and elemental quantification systems, together with a signal analysis and sensitivity gain optimization and control program, is highly desirable, especially for unattended high throughput analyses of mixtures.

Method for quantitative analysis of mixtures of compounds


Provided is a method of luminance compensation for a camera lens by performing a multiline interpolation algorithm. Preferably, a plurality of directional lines are radially arranged on a curved surface of the lens. Sampling dots are then designated along the directional lines in equal or variant distances. Steps including a step of determining the location of a target for luminance compensation, a step of obtaining adjacent directional lines by referring to a slope at the target, a step of calculating the correction values and the weights for interpolation are further introduced. The interpolation algorithm is used to restore a correction plane of a whole image. A polynomial equation is preferably used to obtain two correction values of two directional lines with the same radius. Alternatively, a lookup table is introduced to find the two correction values. It's featured that a symmetric or asymmetric compensation for the camera lens is achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of luminance compensation for a camera lens using Multiline Interpolation, and more particularly, to restore an image's plane by a correction value calculated from the sampling dots along the virtual directional lines arranged on the lens' surface.
2. Description of Related Art
The camera lens is one of the most important factors that dominate the quality of photographs. During the process of manufacturing the camera, lower quality lenses may be used in the product under consideration of cost. The low-cost camera lens may cause uneven formation of image as the light passes through the lens. Meanwhile, the image would be unharmonious since the luminance near the lens border is less than the central region. However, a proper calibration can improve the lens' luminance effectively.
Currently, the conventional ways of luminance compensation for the camera lens can roughly be separated into two categories, which are symmetric compensation and asymmetric compensation for the camera lens. The symmetric compensation for the camera lens is usually used for high-quality camera lenses, in which the distribution of luminance on the image's plane presents a simple variation of cosine θ. That is, the high-quality camera lens usually has higher luminance at off-axis than the luminance around the central axis. Moreover, the ranges of reduction relative to the lens center are uniform in every direction. The variations of the luminance contour lines are shown as the simple geometric changes, such as a right circle, an ellipse, or a dual-curved line. By the corresponding geometric equation, the mentioned luminance reduction for the high-quality lens is comparatively simple to be compensated.
Asymmetric lenses are often used for low-cost products. The design therefor has defects which cause the lens' luminance plane to have abnormal changes. Although the lens center of the most low-cost lenses can keep lighter than the distribution at the border, the luminance variations in every direction on the surface have no uniform distribution. Meanwhile the luminance contour lines on the lens surface can not use the simple geometric pattern or equation to describe the image's plane. More sampling dots are necessary for restoring the whole correction plane. After that, the image's plane can be evenly compensated.

Method of luminance compensation for a camera lens using multiline interpolation


A substantially purified lifeguard (LFG) polypeptide is provided. The polypeptide includes an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, or a conservative variant thereof. An isolated polynucleotide is provided that encodes an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, or a conservative variant thereof. An antibody is provided that binds to a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2. A method is provided for identifying a compound which affects a function a polypeptide as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, or a conservative variant thereof, or affects the expression of a polynucleotide comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1. A method is provided for treating a subject with a disorder associated with decreased or increased Fas-mediated cell death. A method is provided for treating a patient having or at risk of having a disorder associated with increased Fas-mediated cell death.

This invention relates generally to the field of apoptosis, and more specifically to the inhibition of Fas-mediated apoptosis.
Necrosis and apoptosis are two basic processes by which cells may die. In necrosis, cell death usually is a result of cell injury. The cells tend to swell and lyse, and the cell contents ultimately spill into the extracellular space. By contrast, apoptosis is a mode of cell death in which single cells are deleted in the midst of living tissues. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is utilized in a number of biological processes that include modeling the embryo, regulating the immune system, and tumor regression (M. D. Jacobson et al., Cell, 347, 1997; A. Winoto, Curr. Opin. Immunol., 9, 365, 1997; G. Evan, et al., Science, 281, 1998; H. Arai et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 94, 13862, 1997). For example, apoptosis accounts for most of the programmed cell death in tissue remodeling and for the cell loss that accompanies atrophy of adult tissues following withdrawal of endocrine and other growth stimuli. In addition, apoptosis is believed to be responsible for the physiologic death of cells in the course of normal tissue turnover (i.e., tissue homeostasis) (Kerr, J. F.,et al, 1972. Br. J. Cancer 26:239-257; Wyllie, A. H., et al. 1980. Int. Rev. Cytol. 68:251-306). As an example, apoptosis is observed in the immune system as the process by which B and T lymphocytes are removed when they fail to recognize a foreign antigen or when they are self-reactive.
The deregulation of programmed cell death may result in a disease state. Dysfunction of the apoptotic system has been implicated in oncogenesis, development of autoimmunity and degenerative diseases. Degenerative diseases which result from excessive cell death include degenerative neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer""s disease and Parkinson""s disease which are associated with the death of particular subsets of neurons. The inopportune death of T cells in AIDS may be associated with physiological cell death. Physiological cell death may also be associated with transplant rejection. Diseases due to increased cellular proliferation are also possible due to deregulation of the apoptotic mechanism and include autoimmune diseases in which self-reactive B and T cells are allowed to persist. The term xe2x80x9cphysiological cell deathxe2x80x9d is used here to describe cell death that occurs by a mechanism that exists in the mammal to kill its own cells and includes apoptosis and programmed death as synonymous terms.
An imbalance of the cell proliferation and cell degeneration processes also may lead to development of neoplasias in cells deregulated for the control of apoptosis. As a protective mechanism against cancer, tumor necrosis factor can trigger apoptosis in transformed host cells. An important example of the type of cancers which develop when cell proliferation exceeds the normal balance, is human follicular lymphoma. As with other malignancies where the development of neoplasia is related to an oncogene, follicular lymphoma is characterized by a chromosomal breakpoint. The rearrangement in follicular lymphoma is the most common chromosomal translocation in human lymphoid malignancies, the t(14;18)(q32;q21) translocation, which is known to inhibit programmed cell death in B cells. The bcl-2 gene is translocated and deregulated in follicular lymphoma.
Intense studies of apoptosis in the last decade have identified membrane bound receptors, and their cognate ligands that together begin a program that ultimately leads to cell death (A. Ashkenazi, Science, 281, 1305, 1998). One of the most characterized receptors is Fas (also called CD95 or Apo-1) belonging to the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily (N. Itoh et al., Cell, 66, 233 1991; A. Oehm et al., J. Biol. Chem., 267, 10709, 1992). Binding of soluble or cell-surface expressed CD95 ligand to CD95 leads to oligomerization of the receptor and the subsequent the transmission of the apoptosis signal. Fas has three cysteinexe2x80x94rich extracellular domains and an intracellular death domain (DD) required for signaling (N. Itoh et al., J. Biol. Chem., 268, 10932, 1993). Ligation of the receptor by its cognate ligand, FasL (T. Suda et al., Cell, 75, 1169, 1993), or an agonistic antibody (S. Yonehara et al., J. Exp. Med., 169, 1747, 1989), leads to the recruitment of a cytoplasmic adapter molecule FADD (also called MORT-1), mediated by a DD in FADD and the DD of Fas (A. M. Chinnaiyan et al., Cell, 81, 505, 1995; Boldin et al., J. Biol. Chem., 270, 7795, 1995). Additionally, FADD contains a death effector domain (DED) that recruits the protease caspase-8 (also called FLICE, MACH and Mch5) to the signaling complex M. Muzio et al., Cell, 85, 817, 1996; M. P. Boldin et al., Cell, 85, 803, 1996; S. M. Srinivasula et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 93, 14486, 1996). This zymogen, through proximity with other caspase-8 molecules, is cleaved rendering it fully active, thus beginning a protease cascade that leads to cell death (M. Muzio et al., J. Biol. Chem., 273, 2926, 1998). A counterpoint to this activation is inhibition of apoptosis.
Apoptosis plays an important role in the homeostasis and development of all tissues within an organism. The present invention relates to a novel apoptotic-associated polypeptide Lifeguard (LFG), and to the use of LFG antibodies, nucleic acid sequences, and amino acid sequences in the study, and treatment of apoptosis-associated disorders.
A substantially purified lifeguard (LFG) polypeptide is provided. The polypeptide includes an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, or a conservative variant thereof.
An isolated polynucleotide is provided that encodes an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, or a conservative variant thereof. An isolated polynucleotide is provided selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, where T can also be a U, SEQ ID NO:1, a nucleic acid sequence complementary to SEQ ID NO:1, and fragments of SEQ ID NO:1 that are at least 15 bases in length and that hybridize under highly stringent conditions to DNA which encodes a polypeptide as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.
An antibody is provided that binds to a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.
A method is provided for identifying a compound which affects a function a polypeptide as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, or a conservative variant thereof, or affects the expression of a polynucleotide including a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1. The method includes incubating the compound and a cell expressing the polypeptide under conditions sufficient to allow the compound to interact with the cell, determining the effect of the compound on Fas-mediated cell death, and comparing Fas-mediated cell death of the cell contacted with the compound with Fas-mediated cell death of a cell not contacted with the compound.
A method is provided for treating a subject with a disorder associated with decreased Fas-mediated cell death, including administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a compound that inhibits LFG function or expression. A method is also provided for treating a subject with a disorder associated with increased Fas-mediated cell, including administering to the subject a therapeutically effective of a compound that augments LFG function or expression.
A method is provided for treating a patient having or at risk of having a disorder associated with increased Fas-mediated cell death, including introducing into a cell of a patient having a disorder associated with Fas-mediated cell death a polynucleotide sequence encoding a SEQ ID NO:2 operatively linked to a promoter, thereby inhibiting Fas-mediated cell death.
A pharmaceutical composition is provided that includes a therapeutically effective amount of a substantially pure LFG polypeptide as set forth as SEQ ID NO:2, or a conservative variant thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
A kit for is provided for detecting the presence of LFG in a sample. The kit includes a carrier means being compartmentalized to receive therein one or more containers comprising a container containing an antibody which specifically binds to LFG. A kit is also provided that is useful for the detection of a target LFG nucleic acid sequence. The kit includes a carrier means being compartmentalized to receive therein one or more containers including a container containing oligonucleotides which hybridize to LFG nucleic acid sequences.
A transgenic nonhuman animal is provided wherein the transgenic animal has a phenotype characterized by expression of LFG, otherwise not naturally occurring in the animal, the phenotype being conferred by a transgene contained in the somatic and germ cells of the animal. The transgene includes a nucleic acid sequence which encodes SEQ ID NO:2. In one embodiment, transgenic animals having gene knockouts in which the target gene has been rendered nonfunctional by an insertion targeted to the gene to be rendered non-functional by homologous recombination are provided.

Lifeguard (LFG) polynucleotides and polypeptides and methods of use thereof

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies


A drip field manifold system comprises an upper manifold, a flush manifold and a plurality of drip lines operatively connected to the upper and flush manifolds. The upper and flush manifolds are disposed vertically above the upper most drip line in a drip field to isolate the drip lines from one another during periods of suspended effluent flow from a waste water treatment system, preventing back flow of effluent through the manifolds to the lower most drip line and resulting over saturation of the drip field.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of waste water treatment systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a drip field manifold system which prevents over saturation of a drip field.
II. Description of the Related Art
Drip fields are commonly utilized with waste water treatment systems for the disposal of effluent into the soil. The) are especially useful with land lots having steep grades, rocky terrain, high water tables or soil with low percolation rate capability. Drip fields generally comprise an inlet and an outlet manifold with a plurality of substantially parallel drip lines connected therebetween acting in concert to discharge the effluent from the given waste water treatment system into the soil. Further, the waste water treatment systems are designed with timers to periodically shut off effluent flow to the drip field to prevent over saturation. To assist in preventing over saturation of a portion of the drip field, the drip lines are typically disposed substantially perpendicular to the slope of the grade and along the contour of a portion of the land lot. The manifolds accordingly are disposed substantially parallel to the slope. A drip line often comprises a pressure-induced, water-emitting drip hose having either above or below ground drip emitters. In another configuration, the drip lines are disposed substantially parallel to the slope of the grade with the inlet manifold being at a higher elevation than the discharge manifold.
Unfortunately, either configuration for the drip field arrangement fails to prevent over saturation, which can result in effluent run-off causing waste water contamination of ground water or local lakes and streams. Even though effluent flow from the waste water treatment system to the drip field is periodically terminated, the effluent remaining in the manifolds and the drip lines continues to flow down grade due to gravity and is discharged at the lower most drip line, commonly through the lower most drip emitters, because the individual drip lines are not isolated from one another. Additionally, previously discharged effluent can be siphoned back into the upper most drip lines and thereby redirected to the lower most drip line and discharged, adding to the over saturation problem. Also, the upper most drip lines can act as drains by receiving previously discharged effluent which back flows through the drip emitters and is redirected to the lower most drip line to be discharged, adding to the over saturation problem as well. Much effort has been expended in the waste water treatment industry to eliminate the problem of over saturation of a portion of the drip field, and until now, without success.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,065, I describe a tertiary waste treatment and disposal system having a drip field. The drip field has an upper manifold, a lower manifold and drip lines extending from the upper manifold to the lower manifold. In this configuration, the drip lines are not isolated from one another and the effluent remaining in the manifolds continue to drain through drip emitters of the drip lines even after the flow of effluent from the waste treatment system is discontinued. Since the manifolds run the length of the drip field, a significant amount of effluent is capable of being retained within the manifolds.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,631 issued to Stegall, Sr., et al also describes a waste treatment system having a drip field. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, the drip field has a manifold and drip line configuration similar to the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,065.
Harry, III, describes a sewage effluent disposal system having sparger in holding tank in U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,477. Referring particularly to FIG. 2 thereof, this system also has a drip field, but the drip lines are in a looped arrangement extended between a discharge manifold and a return manifold. Again, the drip lines are not isolated from one another because the manifolds are perpendicular to the drip lines and extend the length of the drip field, enabling the same problems of over saturation because the upper most drip line is operably connected and drains to the lower most drip line even after effluent flow is suspended from the waste treatment system.


The present invention relates to a hot rolling high-pressure fluid descaling method and descaling apparatus. The apparatus comprises at least one descaling unit, a axial direction of a main pipe header of the descaling unit and a rolling stock transportation direction intersect. Each nozzle ejects fluid onto a surface of the rolling stock to form an impact region. The adjacent impact regions are presented in an alternate pattern on the surface of the rolling stock. The center lines of the impact regions along a longitudinal direction are spaced apart by a specific distance, and the center lines are essentially perpendicular to the rolling stock transportation direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a descaling method and a descaling apparatus, more particular to a descaling method and a descaling apparatus that apply high-pressure fluid to remove the scale on the surface of semi-finished products (referred as rolling stock) in the hot rolling processes, such as the rolling of steel strip, steel plate, shaped steel, steel bar, wire rod, etc., for descaling purpose.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the scale on the surface of the rolling stock must be removed preceding rolling to prevent from the rolled-in-scale defects in a conventional hot rolling process such as for steel strip or steel plate. Therefore, a high-pressure fluid descaling apparatus is usually arranged before the rolling machine.
FIG. 1(a) shows the schematic drawing of the impact regions formed by the ejection of the nozzles of the conventional high-pressure fluid descaling apparatus; FIG. 1(b) shows the schematic drawing of the arrangement of the descaling apparatus; FIG. 1(c) shows the side view of a conventional high-pressure fluid descaling apparatus. In FIG. 1(a), B is the jet width, E is the nozzle distance, O is the overlapping, γ is the offset angle of the nozzle axis against the header axis. In FIG. 1(b), α is the nozzle spray angle, and β, in FIG. 1(c) is the inclination (lead) angle.
As shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c) for a conventional descaling apparatus, the inclination angle β is to lead the scale up-stream so as to prevent from rolled-in-defects in rolling stock such as the steel strip or the steel plate. In other words, general conventional descaling flushes the scales away against the rolling stock transportation direction, and the inclination angle β is generally about 15°.
FIG. 2 shows the A-A cross-section of FIG. 1(b) about the overlapping of the jet spray of the conventional adjacent nozzles; FIG. 3 shows the rebounding of the jet spray of the conventional nozzles, in which X is the diverging angle due to the rebounding; FIG. 4 shows the usage of an aluminium plate in the erosion experiment of two adjacent impact regions, in which G is the width of the blank region and W is the width of the softened region after being eroded.
As shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 3, the jet curtains 12, 13 out of nozzles 11 are diverged by the offset angle γ to prevent them from interfering with each other, thereby decreasing the uniformity of descaling. The impact regions 14, 15 on the surface of the rolling stock 10, which are formed by the jet curtains 12, 13 ejected by the consecutive nozzles 11, are partly overlapped so as to remove the scale evenly. However, having performed erosion test repetitively by using an aluminium plate as a testing plate, the testing results are not to the anticipation. It turns out as shown in FIG. 4 that the impact regions 14, 15 of the adjacent nozzles 11 do not overlap and there is a blank region (G) created, in which there is no erosion effect.
The blank region (G) occurs mainly because the rebounding fluid 16 from the jet curtain 13 behind the overlapped region interferes with the jet curtain 12 ahead of the overlapped region as shown in FIG. 2. Part of the jet curtain 12 may not effectively reach the overlapped region on the aluminium test plate; hence, the impact force is greatly reduced. Another important reason is that the rebounding fluid tends to extend towards two sides where there is less pressure. As a result, the rebounding fluid 16 will diverge outwardly as shown in FIG. 3.
In the blank region (G), only slight mark appears. In the softened region (W), rough surface is formed on the aluminium testing plate, whereas the width and depth of the erosion mark becomes narrower and shallower. In other words, the impact force or descaling effect to the blank region (G) and the softened region (W) is diminished due to the interference caused by the rebounding of the jet sprays from the adjacent nozzles.
The existence of the blank region (G) and the softened region (W) shows that the conventional high-pressure fluid descaling nozzles 11 are not adequately arranged, which is one of the main reasons why the scale is rolled in. However, in respect to the conventional technology, the problems are often deemed improper arrangement of the nozzles 11 or improper arrangement of the descaling apparatus, which causes the insufficient overlap of the impact regions 14 and 15.
Therefore, it is innovative to provide a high pressure fluid descaling method and apparatus for the hot rolling process to reduce the interference on the overlapped region, in which the rebounding fluid emerged from the jet curtains of the adjacent nozzles.

Hot rolling high-pressure fluid descaling method and descaling apparatus


Seat fittings for attaching seats to seat tracks in a vehicle and related systems and methods are described herein. An example seat fitting includes a body having a bottom surface to face a seat track, a locking stud, and a solenoid disposed in the body. The solenoid is operable to move the locking stud between a retracted position in which the locking stud is disposed in the body and an extended position in which the locking stud extends outward from the bottom surface of the body and into the seat track.

Modern vehicles, such as aircraft, buses, trains, subways, etc., often include rows of seats or benches. The seats or benches are connected to tracks disposed in the floor of the vehicle. The seats or benches can be disconnected from the seat tracks and rearranged depending on a desired spacing and/or configuration.


A compound represented by Formula (1) and a polymer obtained using the compound:

Polyorganosiloxane has excellent heat resistance, weatherability and surface-modifying function, and therefore it is used for semiconductor insulating protective films, flame retardants and coating material additives. For example, a coating agent prepared by blending an organic polymer with polyorganosiloxane can provide the surface of a material coated with the agent with functions such as water repellency. The representative examples of the organic polymer are acryl resins, polyurethanes and alkid resins. In general, however, these polymers do not have a good compatibility with polyorganosiloxane. Accordingly, there have been the problems that the coating agent is liable to become cloudy by blending polyorganosiloxane, and that a coating film obtained from the coating agent is liable to be whitened. That is, an addition amount of polyorganosiloxane has been restricted.
It has so far been known that an introduction of a polysiloxane structure into principal chain and/or side chain of an organic polymer makes it possible to improve the characteristics of the polymer such as heat resistance, water repellency and weatherability. Disclosed in, for example, the patent document 1 is a process in which a polysiloxane-containing polymer is radically copolymerized with other addition-polymerizable monomers to thereby produce a polysiloxane graft copolymer having a polysiloxane structure in a side chain. Polysilsesquioxane having a structure in which 1.5 oxygen atom is bonded to one silicon atom is disclosed in the patent document 2. It is described in the document that a polysilsesquioxane derivative having a polymerizable unsaturated bond and two or more functional groups such as hydroxyl group and alkoxy group is copolymerized with other addition-polymerizable monomers to thereby obtain a vinyl polymer into which a siloxane side chain is introduced. All of them are considered to be excellent in heat resistance, water repellency and weatherability as compared with the homopolymers of the other addition-polymerizable monomers.
It has so far been tried to enhance the content of a polyorganosiloxane structure in an organic polymer for the purpose of improving the characteristics as described above. However, in the foregoing organic polymer having a polyorganosiloxane structure, such a high improving effect as expected has not been provided to the characteristics such as heat resistance, water repellency, weatherability and electric insulating property. Accordingly, strongly desired is a polyorganosiloxane having a structure which further elevates characteristics such as heat resistance, water repellency and weatherability in the organic polymer.                Patent document 1: JP S60-231720 A/1985        Patent document 2: JP S62-275132 A/1987
An object of the present invention is to provide a useful polysilsesquioxane derivative in order to solve the problems described above, and another object is to provide a novel polymer obtained by using the derivative. Still another object is to provide a coating agent, a plastic substrate and an optical material each obtained by using the polymer.

Compound having silsequioxane skeleton and its polymer

Abstract: wherein R1 is phenyl which may have substituents, Q1 is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cyclohexenyl or phenyl in which optional hydrogen may be replaced by halogen or alkyl having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, Q2 is a group represented by Formula (2):

Abstract: wherein the code < represents a bonding point with silicon, l, m, n and p are independently 0, 1, 2 or 3, and A1 to A4, Z0 to Z4 and Y1 are defined in the specification.


A byte-programmable/byte-erasable flash memory system having on-chip counters and secondary storage for word line and bit line disturbance control during program and erase operations. The counters count the numbers of program/erase cycles and compare them with empirically pre-determined counter limits; when the program/erase count exceeds the counter limit, the data then carried in the system are temporarily transferred onto the secondary storage while the memory array is refreshed and the counters are reset. The lifetime of the resulting flash memory system is improved because of decreased erase and program stresses in the memory array.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to flash memory arrays in general, and more particularly to a novel byte-programmable and byte-erasable flash memory array having on-chip counter means and secondary storage means for the control of word line and bit line disturbances during program and erase operations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Semiconductor memories are considered one of the crucial microelectronics components for mainframe computers, personal computers, telecommunication equipment, automotive and consumer electronics, commercial and military avionics systems, and so on. Semiconductor memory devices include both volatile random access memories (RAMs) and nonvolatile memory devices (NVMs). The data stored in an NVM are not lost when the power supply is removed. Depending on the design and the fabrication technology, nonvolatile memory data storage mode may be either permanent or re-programmable. Various categories of NVMs have been developed in the art, including mask read-only memory (mask ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically alterable read-only memory (EAROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM or E.sup.2 PROM), nonvolatile static random access memory (NVRAM), and the flash memory.
One of the most important erasable-programmable NVMs is the flash memory device, in which the contents of all the memory cells in an array or in a section or block of an array can be erased simultaneously through the use of an electrical erase signal. A flash memory cell can be based on either EPROM or E.sup.2 PROM technology, the latter typically requiring a select transistor and a floating gate transistor per memory cell. The choice between the flash E.sup.2 PROM memory and the flash EPROM memory thus depends on the tradeoffs between the higher density of the EPROM technology and the in-circuit programming flexibility of the E.sup.2 PROM technology. Most conventional flash memories have been based on EPROM in view of its compactness, speed and relatively low cost.
The structure of a flash memory cell is essentially the same as that of an EPROM or E.sup.2 PROM memory cell. Thus, a floating gate transistor having a floating gate, typically located between a control gate and a substrate, is used to store electrical charges that represent a data bit.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional stacked-gate flash EPROM memory cell transistor 10 as fabricated in a flash EPROM array. Typically, the substrate 12 is a monocrystalline silicon wafer having a first conductivity type dopant, e.g., the p-type. The substrate 12 has a source region 14 and a drain region 16, both doped with a second conductivity type dopant, e.g., the n-type. A channel zone 18 is defined by the near-surface area of the substrate 12 between the source 14 and the drain 16.
The flash memory cell shown in FIG. 1 has two gates: the floating gate 20 and the control gate 22. The floating gate 20 and the control gate 22 are usually made of the same material, i.e., polysilicon. Layers of dielectric materials 24 are deposited between the substrate 12 and the floating gate 20 (e.g., silicon dioxide) and between the floating gate 20 and the control gate 22 (e.g., an oxide-nitride-oxide interpoly dielectric). The dielectric (oxide) layer between the substrate 12 and the floating gate 20 is the gate oxide layer 26. As shown in FIG. 1, the floating gate 20 in the flash memory cell 10 typically overlaps with the edges of the source region 14 and the drain region 16.
When the floating gate 20 of a flash memory cell 10 carries no charge, the floating gate 20 has no influence on the electric field generated by the active control gate 22 in the channel zone 18. However, once the floating gate 20 is charged with electrons, the charge on the floating gate 20 will generate in the channel zone 18 an electrical field opposite to the field generated by the active control gate 22, thus raising the threshold voltage (V.sub.t) of the flash memory cell, i.e., the control-gate-to-source potential difference required to turn on the cell. Following the convention used in the EPROM technology, the memory cell charging operation is typically referred to as the "program" operation, while the discharging operation is typically referred to as the "erase" operation.
Typically, to program the flash EPROM cell transistor 10, a control gate voltage of +9 to +12 V is applied to the control gate 22, a typical drain voltage of +5 to +6 V is applied to the drain 16, and the source 14 is grounded. These conditions create an electric field that causes electrons to flow from the source region 14 to the drain region 16. In addition, an electric field is created by the large positive voltage at the control gate 22. Some of the electrons moving from the source 14 to the drain 16 will have sufficient energy (i.e., "hot electrons") to pass through the gate oxide 26 and collect on the floating gate 20 to represent a data bit. This process is the so-called channel hot carrier injection ("HCI") programming. The amount of charge transferred to the floating gate 20 is very time-dependent. A typical program operation will require the above voltages be present for a relatively long duration, e.g., 10 .mu.sec. As a comparison, a typical read operation takes less than 100 nsec.
In a typical "read" operation of a flash memory cell, the drain region 16 is connected to a small positive voltage of +1 to +2 V while the source region 14 is grounded. A positive voltage, e.g., +5 V, is applied to the control gate 22. As described above, the electrical charges present on the floating gate 20 will alter the threshold voltage of the cell. A cell which is erased or not programmed has a relatively low threshold voltage of about +2 V (i.e., low V.sub.t state), while a programmed cell has a relatively high threshold voltage of +5 to +6 V (i.e., high V.sub.t state). Thus, if a memory cell 10 has been programmed, the gate-to-source voltage of +5 V will be close to the programmed threshold voltage, so that little current will flow. This absence of cell current indicates that the cell is in a programmed state. By common convention, a memory cell in the programmed state has a logic state of "0". If, on the other hand, the memory cell 10 is in an erased or unprogrammed state, the control-gate-to-source voltage of +5 V will exceed the threshold voltage of +2 V and cause the cell to conduct a current. The presence of a cell current indicates that the cell is in an erased state. Again by common convention, a memory cell in the erased state has a logic state of "1". During a read operation, the cell current is converted to a voltage, which is then compared with a reference voltage by a sense amplifier (not shown in FIG. 1). The output of the sense amplifier will indicate whether the cell is programmed (a logic "0") or erased (a logic "1").
A flash memory cell 10 can be erased in a number of ways. For example, in the so-called negative-gate source erase, a control gate voltage of approximately -10 V and a source voltage of approximately +5 V are respectively applied, while the drain 16 is allowed to float. These erase voltages enable electrons to be driven from the floating gate 20 to the source 14, typically via the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling mechanism. Source erase allows a "page-erase" that can erase typically 512 or 128 bytes at a time. Another example of the source erase operation involves applying a large positive voltage (e.g., +10 V) to the source region 14, allowing the drain 16 to float, and connecting the control gate 22 to ground. Still another example of the erase operation is the channel erase, in which charges on the floating gate 20 are caused to move to the substrate 10 rather than to the source 14, again through the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling mechanism. To implement effective source erase or negative-gate source erase, a double-diffused implant (DDI) (not shown in FIG. 1) is generally introduced into the source regions 14.
In a conventional flash memory array, each time a memory cell (representing a bit) is re-programmed, it must first be in the erased state having a logic state of "1". This is because cell programming can only change the threshold voltage from low to high, corresponding to a change from a logic "1" to a logic "0". Thus, to program a selected memory cell in a conventional flash memory, the word line (described below) to which the control gate of the cell is connected and the bit line (also described below) to which the drain of the cell is connected must first be selected, and the entire sector or even the whole array containing the selected cell must first be erased before it can be programmed. Consequently, programming and erasing conventional flash memories are often time-consuming tasks that require a specialized command protocols comprising command sequences of read, program, and erase for writing data to selected memory locations.
A flash memory array contains many individual memory cells orthogonally interconnected along word lines ("WL's") and bit lines ("BL's"). A typical flash memory array configuration is the so-called common source NOR-type NVM array. A layout representation of a portion of a common source NOR-type flash memory array 30 is shown in FIG. 2. In the NOR array 30, n+ diffused Vss metal common source lines 32 are placed every 16 to 64 metal bit lines 34 in the array 30 to provide connections 36 to n+ source buses 38. The Vss common source lines 32 and bit lines 34 are parallel to each other. Source buses 38, also essentially parallel to each other, are in addition essentially parallel to the polysilicon word lines 40. Each of the metal bit lines 34 provides connections 42 to the individual drain areas 44. Furthermore, as discussed above, implanted wells are typically used to provide isolated regions in the substrate, e.g., a p-type well or a double (p/n) well (not shown in FIG. 2).
Ideally, a flash memory should last forever. However, whenever an erase is performed on a flash memory cell, the transistor is stressed; if the transistor is then re-programmed, it is stressed once again. In an conventional flash memory erase operation, all the transistors in the page, sector or even entire array are stressed. Repeated stress inevitably reduces the life of the memory array over time. Because the sector/array erase is time-consuming, computers or electronic devices containing a conventional flash memory often encounter undue delays in changing the information in the flash memory and delays in regaining access to the flash memory. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop a flash memory array that can be erased and programmed in a selected number of bits, e.g., bytes.
A flash memory should ideally maintain a programmed state indefinitely if such is desired. In reality, however, the size of the individual memory cells is constantly being reduced in order to increase the storage capacity of the semiconductor memory. This reduction in cell size has been accompanied by a decrease in the data retention of the cells, owing in a large part to the increased tendency to disturb the programmed state of the cells during various memory operations. The ability of a flash memory to retain data over a long time period is mainly affected by three types of disturbances, including "read disturb," "word line disturb," and "bit line disturb."
Read disturb occurs when a memory cell 10 of FIG. 1 becomes slightly programmed (i.e., its floating gate 20 is slightly charged) by way of the hot electron injection during a read operation. Thus, an electric field is created between the source region 14 and the drain region 16 due to the positive voltage (+1 to +2 V) applied to the drain region 16. This electric field causes a very small percentage of the electrons traveling between the drain and source regions to obtain sufficient energy to be drawn up to the floating gate 20 by the positive voltage of the control gate 22. This is true even though the time required to perform a read operation is much less than that required to perform a conventional program operation. Because the strength of the aforesaid electric field between the drain and the source is inversely proportional to the length of the channel zone 18, the read disturb phenomenon becomes more pronounced as cell geometries become smaller.
When a large positive voltage is applied to the control gate of a memory cell, with that control gate being connected to a word line of the array, word line disturb take places at the unselected cells on the same word line. For example, if one word line has 1024 cells, there are as many as 1016 unselected cells on the same word line during a byte-erase or program operation. These unselected cells on the same word line will experience the high-voltage stress or "WL disturb" during the erase or program operation. Compared to read line disturb, WL disturb is much more pronounced because of the relatively high voltage used in a program or erase operation. Similarly, bit line disturb takes place at the unselected cells on a bit line as one or more of the cells of the same bit line are selected for program or erase. For example, if one bit line has 64 cells and one bit on the same bit line is selected for program or erase, the other 63 unselected cells on the same bit line will experience the high voltage stress or "BL disturb" during the program or erase operation. Generally, the higher the program or erase voltage is and the smaller the memory cells become, the more aggravated is the problem of disturbance to adjacent cells on the same word line or the same bit line. It is thus highly desirable to develop a byte- or bit-programmable flash memory having advanced disturb control features.

Byte-programmable flash memory having counters and secondary storage for disturb control during program and erase operations


A protective sleeve for being installed around a longitudinal portion of a pipe (72) for transporting hydrocarbons. The sleeve includes a set of rings, each of which has two opposite flanks (16, 18), and which are retained together in series, with the flanks (16, 18) opposite each other, by a plurality of elastically deformable connecting elements (32). The bending of the longitudinal portion is capable of causing contraction of the connecting elements (32) located towards the inside of the curve, as well as the elongation of the opposite connection elements (32), in order to resist the bending. Each connecting element (32) has two opposite rigid attachment portions (34, 36) and an elastic deformable body (38) interposed between the two attachment portions. The attachment portions (34, 36) are attached to the flanks (16, 18) opposite the rings (10), respectively.

The present invention relates to protective sleeves intended to preserve the flexible pipes used to transport fluids such as hydrocarbons and in particular gas, between the offshore installations.
Such pipes are said to be non-linked or linked depending on their structures, which comprise wound superposed layers. Precise definitions of these structures can be found in the "recommended practice for flexible pipe" documents published by the American Petroleum Institute (API).
More particularly, the invention relates to a stiffening sleeve intended to be mounted around a longitudinal portion of flexible pipe, usually close to an end of the pipe, to withstand the deflection of said longitudinal portion according to any bend so as to safeguard it from any irreversible damage. The damage may result either from an excessive deflection of the portion of flexible pipe by a small bending radius or else from the repeated deflections, provoked by the movements of the sea swell or currents.
Stiffening sleeves that are known and widely used in the field of flexible oil pipelines consist of a tapered body molded from a plastic material, usually polyurethane. These stiffening sleeves, or "bend stiffeners" are then fitted around the flexible pipe before the end piece is installed. Their weight is relatively high, several hundred kg, for example 900 kg. Also, handling and installing this type of sleeve is fairly difficult. Furthermore, they are made from a single piece of a polymeric material whose cost is relatively high and which requires an appropriate molding technique. Another drawback is the replacement of this type of stiffening sleeve, which cannot be done without cutting the section of flexible pipe bearing it.
To overcome the drawbacks of the above-mentioned stiffening sleeves, consideration has been given to fitting the portion of pipe through a set of collars, which are distributed at regular intervals over the length of the portion of flexible pipe to be reinforced. These collars include axial drill holes intended to receive flexible metallic rods regularly distributed around the pipe.
The document WO2006/033579 discloses such a stiffening sleeve for flexible pipe transporting hydrocarbons. The elastic properties of the metallic rods and their spacings around the circumference of the portion of flexible pipe define the stiffness of the sleeve and consequently the resistance to deflection undergone by the portion of flexible pipe.
However, when the deflection forces exerted on the portion of pipe are too great, the metallic rods buckle and the stiffening sleeve is ultimately bent beyond a bending radius that is acceptable to the pipe, and it is degraded.
Also, a problem which arises and which the present invention seeks to resolve is to provide a protective sleeve which allows not only the deflection of the flexible pipe to be withstood, but more, it makes it possible to prevent the deflection beyond a limiting bending radius.


A data structure to provide high performance in the transmit portion of an ethernet controller. The data structure includes the data to be transmitted, the STATUS information of the data to be transmitted, and the DESCRIPTOR information of the data to be transmitted. The data is organized in 8-bit bytes in 32-bit rows, the 32 bit STATUS information is organized in four 8-bit bytes in a 32 bit row, and the 32 bit DESCRIPTOR information is organized in four 8-bit bytes in a 32 bit row. A one-bit tag field is associated with each of the rows and a 1 in the tag field indicates that the end-of-packet is located in the row associated with that tag. The lower four bits of a STATUS byte contains information indicating which byte in the row contains the end-of-packet.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method and device for controlling the transmission of information by a station to and from an ethernet and, more particularly, to a method and device for increasing the performance of the transmission of information and even more particularly, to a data structure to support multiple tranmsit packets for high performance.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
This invention is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/659,795 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,113 entitled "END OF PACKET DETECTION FOR STORING MULTIPLE PACKETS IN AN SRAM" invented by Alok Singh and Rajat Roy and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/669,728 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,818,844, entitled "ADDRESS GENERATION AND DATA PATH ARBITRATION TO AND FROM SRAM TO ACCOMMODATE MULTIPLE TRANSMITTED PACKETS" invented by Alok Singh, Rajat Roy, and Jerry Kuo, both applications assigned to the assignee of this application and both filed on the same date as this application.
A local-area network ("LAN") is a communication system that enables personal computers, work stations, file servers, repeaters, data terminal equipment ("DTE"), and other such information processing equipment located within a limited geographical area such as an office, a building, or a cluster of buildings to electronically transfer information among one another. Each piece of information processing equipment in the LAN communicates with other information processing equipment in the LAN by following a fixed protocol (or standard) which defines the network operation.
The ISO Open Systems Interconnection Basic Reference Model defines a seven-layer model for data communications in a LAN. The lowest layer in the model is the physical layer which consists of modules that specify (a) the physical media which interconnects the network nodes and over which data is to be electronically transmitted, (b) the manner in which the network nodes interface to the physical transmission media, (c) the process for transferring data over the physical media, and (d) the protocol of the data stream.
IEEE Standard 802.3, Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) Access Method and Physical Layer Specifications, is one of the most widely used standards for the physical layer. Commonly referred to as Ethernet, IEEE Standard 802.3 deals with transferring data over twisted-pair cables or co-axial cables which are typically more expensive than twisted-pair cables. The 10Base-T protocol of IEEE Standard 802.3 prescribes a rate of 10 megabits/second ("Mbps") for transferring data over twisted-pair cables.
Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates how a prior art system 10 with a workstation, personal computer, file server, data terminal equipment, or other such information processing equipment, represented by CPU 12, is connected to an ethernet 22 or other types of data communications equipment represented by the media independent interface 24. In FIG. 1, ethernet controller 14, also commonly known as a Network Interface Controller, is situated between the CPU 12 and the incoming (and outgoing) ethernet 22 lines. Typically, the ethernet 22 connection consists of two pairs of twisted-pair copper cables, an incoming pair referred to as 10R and an outgoing pair referred to as 10T.
The ethernet controller 14 is responsible for controlling the transmission of outgoing data to the outgoing pair or cable and the reception of incoming data from the incoming pair or cable. For example, before being furnished to the outgoing pair or cable, the outgoing data is Manchester encoded to reduce electromagnetic interference. The Manchester encoding causes some portions of the data stream to be pulses at 10 MHz while other portions of the data stream are pulses at 5 MHz.
The ever growing need to transfer more information faster, accompanied by increases in data processing capability, is necessitating an expansion to data transfer rates considerably higher than the 10 Mbps rate prescribed by the 10Base-T protocol. As a consequence there is a 100Base-TX protocol which extends IEEE Standard 802.3 to accommodate data moving at an effective transfer rate of 100 Mbps through twisted-pair cables of presently existing systems. There are situations in which it is desirable that the physical transmission media be capable of handling data transferred through twisted-pair cables at both the 100Base-TX rate and the lower 10Base-T rate. Presently there is a need to support a PCI speed of 33 MHz on the internal PCI bus and a need to support an ethernet speed of 25 MHz maximum for the 100 MBits per second operation in order to support the full duplex mode of operation with an interpacket gap of 0.96 microseconds.
In addition to the problems associated with the transmission of data at different rates over the ethernet or the media independent interface, there are the problems associated with the varying data handling capabilities of the personal computers, workstations, file servers, repeaters, data terminal equipment, and other such information processing equipment. For example, in a personal computer system there may be other equipment or duties that the CPU 12 must attend to in addition to the receipt or transmission of data over the ethernet 22.
The ethernet controller 14 is responsible for controlling the transmission of data from the CPU 12 to the ethernet 22. One of the major problems confronted by the ethernet controller 14 is that the different memory devices in the various components are of differing sizes. For example, there is a requirement to keep semiconductor devices as small as possible. For that reason, it is advantageous to have bus sizes as small as possible without degrading performance of the device. As can be appreciated, a 16 bit bus is half the size of a 32 bit bus and if it is possible to provide the same performance with a 16 bit bus as a 32 bit bus it is preferable to design the part with a 16 bit bus. In addition, the smaller the bus size the less probability there will be manufacturing defects in the bus.
Referring to FIG. 2 the differing size components are illustrated. The SRAM 16 is a 16 bit memory device, data bus 20 is a 16 bit data bus, and the PCI BUS 18 is typically a 32 bit bus. There are presently 64 bit PCI Buses and future computer systems may all have the 64 bit PCI Bus as a standard bus size. The SRAM 16 is used as a buffer by ethernet controller 14 to prevent delays from occurring in the transmission of data either from the ethernet 22 to the CPU 12 or from the CPU 12 to the ethernet 22. Such delays could be caused, for example, by high latency in the CPU 12 or by a collision on the ethernet 22 causing a sending station to have to retransmit information that has just been sent. The various FIFOS, BX FIFO 26, MX FIFO 28, BR FIFO 30, and MR FIFO 32 are responsible for controlling the transmission of data between the various components. For example, BX FIFO 26 is responsible for receiving data from CPU 12 via PCI BUS 18, changing the format from 32 bits to 16 bits so that it can be transmitted over the 16 bit data bus 20 to SRAM 16. In addition, there is a requirement for addresses to be generated by BX FIFO 26 and MR FIFO 32 so that the information can be placed into SRAM 16 and retrieved efficiently by MX FIFO 28 and BR FIFO 30 respectively, which are responsible for changing the format from 16 bits as received from SRAM 16 into a 32 bit format.
In addition, because there is the possibility that there will be a need to receive data at the same time that there will be need to send data via ethernet 22 and also that there will be a need for the ethernet controller 14 to receive data from CPU 12 at the same time that there will be a need to send data to the CPU 12 there is a necessity for ethernet controller 14 to make intelligent choices for which data will be sent or received first and in what sequence subsequent data will be sent or received.
Because the data from the CPU 12 is being sent to the ethernet 22 there is a requirement to maintain and update the status of the data that is being sent. There are error codes and conditions that indicate whether the data has been successfully sent, has been garbled, has not been successfully sent, etc.
What is needed is an efficient and effective data structure that can be "piggy backed" to the packet for the maintenance and updating of the status of the packet.

Data structure to support multiple transmit packets for high performance


A charging station for charging a vehicle includes a charger, a camera, a positioner, and a controller. The charger has a transformer part by which electrical energy can be transferred to a corresponding transformer part arranged behind the vehicle license plate when the charger is in a position relative to the license plate at which the transformer parts sandwich the license plate. The camera generates positional information indicative of positioning between the charger and the license plate. The positioner can move the charger within a range of motion. When the license plate is within the range of motion, the positioner moves the charger based on the positional information to the position at which the transformer parts sandwich the license plate. The controller uses the positional information to generate instructions indicative on how to drive the vehicle to a position in which the license plate is within the range of motion.

DE 20 2010 007 613 U1 describes a transmission system having a charging station of the type described above for the inductive charging of the traction battery of an electrically driven vehicle parked at the charging station. The transmission system includes a charging station-side transformer part and a vehicle-side transformer part. The charging station includes a charging coupler having the charging station-side transformer part. The vehicle-side transformer part is arranged on the vehicle behind the license plate of the vehicle. Electrical energy can be transferred from the charging station-side transformer part to the vehicle-side transformer part when the charging coupler is moved to a position relative to the license plate at which the transformer parts sandwich the license plate. The charging station further includes a motorized positioner configured to move the charging coupler in different spatial directions relative to the license plate. The charging station further includes a camera configured to detect the position of the charging coupler and the license plate relative to one another. The positioner is configured to use the camera information in order to precisely position the charging coupler with respect to the license plate and thereby position the transformer parts with respect to one another for optimal coupling.
Depending on how precisely the driver parks the vehicle relative to the charging coupler at the charging station prior to the process of the positioner positioning the charging coupler with respect to the license plate of the vehicle, the positioner has to be configured to move the charging coupler over a relatively large range of motion which makes the positioner relatively large and expensive.

Method and charging station for traction battery of an electric vehicle with automatic, motorized positioning of station-side coupler to inductively charge through the vehicle license plate


An electrical operator for a circuit breaker includes a carriage moving assembly and a solenoid having a reciprocating plunger. The plunger is configured to engage with the carriage moving assembly in response to a pulsating current.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to an electrical operator for a circuit breaker.
Circuit breakers employ pairs of separable contacts, an operating mechanism, and releases. The operating mechanism within the circuit breaker rapidly drives the contacts to their open positions upon the occurrence of an overcurrent condition. An external operating handle or toggle is employed to move the contacts between open and closed conditions usually to energize associated electrical equipment.
When such a circuit breaker is located remotely from the associated equipment, an electrical operator can be disposed on the circuit breaker. The electrical operator engages the operating handle of the circuit breaker and moves the handle under driving force provided by a remotely-switched electric motor. The electrical operator provides a storage system of mechanical energy accumulated for a rapid opening or closing operation of the circuit breaker, and provides high energy in a short time. The energy storage system of the electrical operator is charged via the motor, which includes a rotatable shaft that drives a gear set. The last stage of the gear set engages with an eccentric cam that pushes a charging lever with a frequency corresponding to the angular velocity of the last stage of the gears. The charging lever moves a tensioning cam to drive a spring loaded carriage that includes a handle opening through which the handle from the circuit breaker extends. Stored energy from the springs is released to quickly switch the circuit breaker.

Electrical operator for circuit breaker and method thereof


A bale processor for cutting or dicing a bale or slab of unvulcanized rubber produces small cubes or blocks of a predetermined size and uniform shape for continuous feeding at a predetermined rate into a mixing machine or blender. A bale or slab of feedstock rubber is advanced incrementally along a slider platform and a segment is sliced from the leading end of the bale. After separation, the segment falls onto a receiving panel from which it is transferred by a vacuum pick-up head to a vacuum hold-down table. Multiple slices are then formed through the segment along the X-axis by circular cutting blades of an X-axis cutter head, thereby forming elongated segment strips. Next, multiple slices are formed through the segment strips in the Y-direction by a Y-axis cutter head which includes circular cutter blades that are extendable and retractable along the Y-axis. The bulk slab or bale is thus reduced to multiple cubes of predetermined length, height and width dimensions as established by the dimension of the initial segment slice and by the spacing of the circular cutting blades of the X-cutter head and the Y-cutter head, respectively.

The present invention relates in general to the processing of bulk unvulcanized rubber material, and in particular to a bale processor for cutting or dicing a bale or slab of unvulcanized elastomer such as ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) or styrene butadiene (SBR).
Bulk synthetic rubber such as unvulcanized elastomer is normally supplied in a dense rubber bale or slab, typically 24xe2x80x3xc3x9718xe2x80x3xc3x978xe2x80x3 size and 24 kg weight, often wrapped in a thin protective plastic film. Due to its high bulk density and compact size, the bulk rubber bale or slab is the most economical and safe form for shipping, storage and handling.
The term rubber as used herein refers to a natural rubber or polymer resin having in its unvulcanized state properties of deformation upon stress and recovery upon release of the stress. A rubber can be further defined as having a glass transition temperature of below 20xc2x0 C. Most rubbers have a raw polymer Mooney value of from about 20 to about 125 measured at 100xc2x0 C. (212xc2x0 F.) after 4 minutes using a large rotor, i.e. a ML-4 reading, and have an elongation at break of from about 100 percent to about 1000 percent or more.
Examples of unvulcanized bulk rubbers that can be processed by the present invention include natural rubber, polyvisoprene rubber, polybutadiene rubber, cis-polybutadiene rubber, polychloroprene rubber, polysulfide rubbers, polypentenamer rubbers, polyacrylated rubbers, poly(butadieneacrylonitrile) rubbers, poly(isopreneacrylonitrile) rubbers, poly(styrenebutadiene) rubbers, poly(isoprene-styrene rubbers) poly(ethylene-propylene-diene) rubbers, and the like. The term rubber as used in this invention also includes blends of two or more of the elastomers. The rubbers may be blended with resins or fillers prior to forming the bale or slab.
In recent years, the use of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), which are melt-mixed blends of thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene and synthetic elastomer, is increasing rapidly. Blends of thermoplastic resin, elastomers, plasticizers or softeners, fillers and stabilizers offer significant advantages over thermosetting elastomers, including 100% recyclability, ready-to-use pelletized form, no need for curing, lower density, ease of processing, lower cost per unit, and colorability.
Thermoplastic elastomers are produced using either an internal batch mixer or continuous mixers. In recent years, many producers of TPEs have used continuous mixers because of their ability to provide uniform product quality, short residence time and versatility. Various ingredients are metered directly through small input openings in the continuous machine using automatic feeding devices. For consistent feeding and trouble-free operation, all ingredients must be small in size, uniform in shape and non-agglomerating in nature. Since a rubber bale is very large, it must be reduced to pieces or fragments that are size-compatible with automatic feeding equipment and other ingredients. Even in a batch mixer, where whole dense bales can be used, smaller size feedstock reduces cycle time and hence reduces overall productivity and quality of product. In making rubber-based adhesives, smaller size rubber feedstock enhances the rate of solvent diffusion.
Various devices including guillotine cutters, granulators and shredders use rotary knives, shears or saw blades for comminuting and reducing the size of scrap plastic and rubber. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,575 discloses a machine for cutting and metering a slab of unvulcanized rubber, which utilizes a continuous blade band sawing machine for cutting slices of rubber. U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,086 discloses a shredding machine which uses a rotary screw blade equipped with both radial and longitudinal knives for cutting shreds of polymer from a feedstock bale.
Such machinery is not suitable for dense bales of rubber because (1) unvulcanized rubber tends to flow under the influence of shear; (2) such machines are large in size, require special installation, use large amounts of energy, create loud noise, break down frequently, and require time-consuming cleaning; and, (3) the resulting product is either very large in size (e.g. as produced by guillotine cutters) or consists of a mixture of fine powder, fluff and large irregularly shaped chunks that are not suitable for continuous feeding applications. Moreover, the reduced material tends to stick and agglomerate, and has limited shelf life. Such machines are intended for large scale operation in production environment only and not suitable for small scale operations (i.e. lab scale devices).
Some producers of thermoplastic elastomers use a two-step method in which elastomer bale material is mixed with thermoplastic resin using an internal mixer, and reduce the size of the mixed material into pellets using an extruder-pelletizer or dices using a roll mill-dicer. Besides being a costlier process, there are other limitations to that conventional process: (1) the rubber material is subjected to two heat and shear steps which affects its durability; (2) many high molecular weight elastomers are highly oil extended which requires long mixing times; (3) are applicable only where the formulation consists of a large amount of thermoplastic resin; (4) the resulting pellets or dice must be dusted with a partitioning agent to keep them from re-agglomerating during handling; and, (5) such pelletized materials have short shelf life and tend to agglomerate when stored under hot and humid conditions.
Some producers of elastomers provide rubber bales in form which can easily be broken into small popcorn-like crumbs. Even though very beneficial, such feed stock also has significant limitations: (1) crumbs with irregular surfaces tend to have very low bulk density and do not feed well using conventional feeders; (2) the crumbs tend to interlock in the feed hopper causing feed-blocking; (3) the crumbs do not pack efficiently and thus require large storage space; (4) only those elastomers with medium molecular weights, high comonomer content and no oil are available in the form of dense bales; and (5) adding oil during mixing reduces shear, prolongs mixing time, and thus reduces production rates.
Most recently, some producers using new catalyst technology are supplying selected grades in free-flowing granular or large pellet forms. Currently, only a small range of some selected elastomers are available in the free-flowing granular shape, and none with any oil.
From the above discussion, it is clear that the baled elastomer must be reduced in size, preferably to portions of uniform size and shape to accommodate the needs of continuous mixing processes. The conventional reduction methods discussed above have one or more of the following limitations:
(1) high cost of size reduction equipment;
(2) irregular shape and size of resulting product not suitable for continuous feeding;
(3) lower bulk density of reduced product requires larger storage area;
(4) limited shelf life;
(5) requires unwanted partitioning agents to extend shelf life; and,
(6) size reduction method poses limitations on choice of elastomer and mixing method.
Small cubes or blocks of a predetermined size and uniform shape are reduced from a bale or slab of unvulcanized rubber for continuous feeding at a controlled rate into a mixing machine or blender along with compounding chemicals during the mixing and extrusion of synthetic rubber and elastomeric products. A bale or slab of unvulcanized rubber is advanced along a loading platform on the input end of a processor console. The bale is fed incrementally into a first cutter assembly at a first cutter station where a segment of predetermined width is sliced from the leading end of the bale. The segment is transferred by a vacuum pick-up head to a second cutter station where it is secured for further reduction on a vacuum hold-down table.
After the segment is immobilized on the hold-down table, it is then sliced into elongated, parallel strips by an X-axis cutter head which includes an array of rotary cutter blades that are extendable and retractable across the segment in parallel with the X-axis. While the reduction strips are firmly held in place on the vacuum hold-down table, they are diced by a Y-axis cutter head which includes an array of rotary cutter blades that are extendable and retractable across the elongated strips in parallel with the Y-axis.
The slab segment is thus reduced to multiple cubes of predetermined length, height and width dimensions as established by the initial segment slice dimension and by the spacing of the roller cutting blades in the X-cutter head and the Y-cutter head, respectively. The bale is advanced incrementally at the speed demanded by the blending process, so that feed stock cubes are continuously transferred at a controlled rate to the feed throat of a mixing or shaping machine such as an extruder or internal mixer.