A method and system for providing click-once links is disclosed. Elision is used to automatically remove a URL and associated content from a web page as hyperlinks are selected, reducing previously visited material and providing visual feedback to a user. When a user selects an elision-enabled hyperlink, the hyperlink and its associated content are not displayed during subsequent displaying of the same web page. Web pages may be generated on the origin server and a browser client updates the content automatically. Click-once links may be flagged in an enclosing HTML source page through a combination of an indirection through a JavaScript function in an anchor and an additional HTML tag. Cookies may be used to record information about which links have been followed and to share such information with the origin server for use in subsequent page generation, or the browser may be adapted to perform elision without using cookies.

Web pages often contain lists of many hyperlinks (also known as anchors). Some of these web pages contain transient data such as news items that are typically viewed only once via that page and then not again. Examples of such web pages include search engines, news clipping services, and notification agents such as the AT&T Internet Difference Engine (AIDE).
When a user selects, or clicks, a hyperlink on a web page, the hyperlink may be marked as having been visited. When the user returns to the page from which the hyperlink was originally selected, the previously visited hyperlink is typically displayed in a different color from hyperlinks that were not previously visited. This distinguishes visited hyperlinks from non-visited hyperlinks. However, changing color is often insufficient in relation to a user's needs, if it is possible at all.
First, a web page may become cluttered when a large number of hyperlinks are placed on the page, thus reducing user efficiency. Simply changing the color of a hyperlink does not reduce clutter on the page. Second, it may be difficult or impossible to discern color differences, especially on web pages with non-standard color backgrounds. Therefore, a user may not be able to differentiate clearly between visited and non-visited hyperlinks. Third, links are not necessarily textual, nor is any text associated with a link necessarily limited to the actual hyperlink. That is, there may be multiple page fragments associated with each hyperlink, consisting of text and/or graphics. Changing the color only changes any hyperlink text, not the associated graphics or non-hyperlink text. Finally, on hand-held devices, such as PDAs, screen real estate is at a premium, and color capability if provided is often limited. Because of the size, resolution, and color limitations of most PDAs, not as many links may be viewed on the screen as on a conventional (larger and higher resolution) desktop or laptop computer display. Simply re-coloring links does not provide additional space for new links to be displayed. Because many PDAs do not provide color displays, PDAs often display color as shades of gray. Therefore, it is often difficult or even impossible to detect color differences between shades of gray.
Thus, it would be an advancement in the art, rather than simply relying on changes in text color or other similar techniques, to be able to remove hyperlinks, as well as the text and other content associated with it after a user selects the hyperlink. This can improve user efficiency by focusing on what is actually new and/or different for that user.
It would also be an advancement in the art to provide disappearing hyperlinks on a selective basis. That is, the choice of which hyperlinks should be treated as disappearing may be decided by the web page author.


The problem addressed by this invention is to achieve a useful and novel method for producing dicyanocyclohexane and bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane. This problem was solved by providing a method for producing dicyanocyclohexane having a cyanation step in which dicyanocyclohexane is obtained by a cyanation reaction of cyanocyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid and/or a salt thereof with an ammonia source, and a method for producing bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane using the dicyanocyclohexane thus produced.

Bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane is an industrially important compound that is used as a raw material of an epoxy curing agent, a polyamide, a polyurethane and the like. Since such bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane is obtained through hydrogenation reaction of dicyanocyclohexane, methods for efficiently producing this dicyanocyclohexane have been explored. For example, a method in which cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diester is cyanated in the presence of an ammonia source cyanation (for example, Patent document 1), a method in which cyclohexanediamide is heated (for example, Patent document 2) and a method in which cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid is heated and cyanated in the presence of an ammonia source without a solvent (for example, Patent document 3) are known.

Method for producing dicyanocyclohexane and bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane


A catch pan for a standard broiler includes a trough extending behind the grille below the level of the grille surface. One side of the trough hooks over the ridge present in the standard broiler, and the other side of the trough extends upward to form a stop plate for debris scraped from the grille. Handles permit the catch pan to be lifted off the ridge for cleaning.

Continuing use of a standard broiler, particularly in commercial food-service establishments, generates a lot of debris composed mainly of charred fat and meat particles. This material must be periodically scraped off the grille to maintain proper conditions for cooking. It is common practice to just scrape the accumulations to the rear, and permit them to fall off the back of the grille onto the floor. The standard broiler is mounted on rollers or casters, and is occasionally pulled far enough away from an adjacent wall to permit cleaning the floor area. This practice tends to keep the floor saturated with grease, and produces undesirable odors that are not associated with the efficient and sanitary preparation of tasty food. The additional effort in time required to move the broiler and clean the floor area is obvious.


In a communication terminal, a transmission control unit transmits, by a first wireless communication method to the information processing apparatus, instruction for executing wireless communication by a second wireless communication method using communication information stored in the information processing apparatus. In an information processing apparatus, a storage unit stores the communication information. A communication unit executes wireless communication by the second wireless communication method using the communication information stored in the storage unit, in a case where the instruction is transmitted by the transmission control unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system, communication terminal, information processing apparatus, control method, and storage medium storing a program, capable of near field wireless communication.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a mobile communication terminal apparatus is known to perform short distance wireless communication in addition to communication via a communication network. A partner communication apparatus in short distance wireless communication is, for example, a mobile communication terminal apparatus or MFP (Multi Function Printer), and transmits/receives image data and the like. At this time, short distance wireless communication is sometimes performed by two communication methods in order to implement efficient communication by taking account of the communication speed and operability. For example, pieces of information of a communication target apparatus necessary for the second short distance wireless communication method are transmitted/received by the first short distance wireless communication capable of reliably specifying a communication partner, and high-speed communication is performed by the second short distance wireless communication method using the pieces of information (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-166538).
The first short distance wireless communication method is, for example, NFC (Near Field Communication), and the second short distance wireless communication method is, for example, Bluetooth® or a wireless LAN. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-166538 proposes a printer which first transmits the communication method and cryptographic method of the next communication by NFC, then switches the communication, and prints by using the second communication method. The processing of performing pairing by the first short distance wireless communication method and then switching the communication to the second short distance wireless communication method is called a handover. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-60526 discloses a technique of transmitting a BD address and link key in Bluetooth using an auxiliary communication unit such as a non-contact IC module, and then performing communication using Bluetooth.
However, security may be poor in the use of a method of saving, in a storage unit, the result of communication using an auxiliary communication unit such as a non-contact IC module, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-60526. A memory accessory to a non-contact IC reader/writer is designed so that it can be used even upon power-off. This memory is vulnerable to piracy or alteration because it takes only a low-level security measure in comparison with a main memory capable of complicated CPU control. That is, since the non-contact IC module is used, this memory reacts to a read/write request from an arbitrary apparatus and allows an arbitrary user to access data saved in the storage unit. For example, when a malicious user accesses the storage unit by using a non-contact IC reader/writer mounted in a mobile phone, information about the BD address and link key in Bluetooth may be stolen.

Communication system, communication terminal, control method, and storage medium storing program


A method for cell selection including a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell is described, the method including receiving priority information or reselection information, storing the information at a wireless transmit/receive unit, and applying the priority information for cell selection.

The current effort for the 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) program is to bring new technology, new architecture, and new methods in the new LTE settings and configurations to provide improved spectral efficiency, reduced latency, and better utilization of the radio resources to bring faster user experiences and richer applications and services with less cost.
As part of these efforts, the 3GPP would like to introduce the concept of a home enhanced Node B (HeNB) in LTE (and also, possibly in a parallel fashion, in Release 8 of WCDMA, GERAN, and other cellular standards). The HeNB refers to a physical device similar to a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP). The HeNB provides users with access to LTE services over extremely small service areas, such as homes or small offices. The HeNB is intended to connect to the operators' core network by using, for example, public Internet connections. This can be particularly useful in areas where LTE has not been deployed and/or legacy 3GPP radio access technology (RAT) coverage already exists. This may also be useful in areas where LTE coverage may be faint or non-existent for radio transmission problems that occur, for example, while in an underground metro or a shopping mall.
The cell (which is the term for the area over which radio coverage provided by the HeNB is available) that is deployed by the HeNB may be accessed only by a group of subscribers who have access to the services of the cell (e.g., a family) and such a cell may be referred to as a HeNB cell, or more commonly, a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) cell. A HeNB may be used to deploy (usually) one or more CSG cells over the area which LTE coverage is desired. The term CSG cell may be used for a cell deployed by a HeNB for LTE services or by a HNB for WCDMA or other legacy 3GPP RAT services.
Cell selection and reselection criteria for CSG cells are currently an open issue. This raises several other issues:
(1) No priority schemes exist for CSG cells.
(2) The CSG identifier that the WTRU needs to determine whether a CSG cell is configured in its white list is currently in the system information blocks (SIBs). Reading the SIBs for possibly hundreds of CSG cells in a frequency layer might be unnecessarily expensive in terms of time and power consumed.
(3) Other parameters for cell selection and reselection, such as Qhyst and Qoffset, for CSG cells are undefined.

Cell selection and reselection for closed subscriber group cells


A flexible coupling suitable for use in an automobile exhaust system having axially spaced conduit sections. Upstream and downstream conduit sections are held end to end by an intermediate coupling member. The upstream conduit has a part-spherical end connector that fits within a complementary part-spherical socket of the coupling member. Similarly, the coupling member has a part-spherical end connector that fits within a complementary part-spherical socket of the downstream conduit. The part-spherical connectors permit relative pivotal and rotational movement of the upstream and downstream connectors relative to the coupling member. Each of the part-spherical connectors tapers internally to an annular lip, so that the flow of gas increases to create a venturi effect. The venturi effect establishes a relative vacuum at the junctions between the coupling member and the conduits to oppose escape of gas (such as exhaust fumes) from the coupling. The coupling member may be curved to accommodate relative axial movement of the upstream and downstream conduit sections.

Flexible joint couplings have previously been used to connect conduit sections, for example in exhaust pipes or underground water conduits. Such flexible couplings are particularly useful because they allow relative movement between adjacent conduit sections, which permits the conduit sections to flex without breaking. Various flexible couplings have previously been designed that allow pivotal, rotational or axial movement between independent sections of the conduit.
A specific example of a flexible coupling member is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 677,809, wherein the coupling includes two axially spaced steam or liquid conduits. The ends of the conduit, which are to be joined in the coupling, terminate in a ball-shaped end. Each ball shaped end is pivotally held in a hollow case within which the balls can move, which allows the conduits to flex at the case and move relative to one another. The conduits abut against the walls of the case to limit the angular flexion of the conduits.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,617 discloses a telescopic swivel pipe joint for flexibly coupling pipes, such as underground water supply lines. This joint allows the connected water lines to slide telescopically within a sleeve, or move pivotally and rotationally inside a separate joint connector. The freedom of movement imparted by the joint helps the pipes withstand earthquakes and ground subsidence without breaking.
Flexible pipe joints have previously been used in engine exhaust systems for gasoline powered vehicles and aircraft. Flexible couplings are important in such an environment, where engine action creates torque that is transmitted to an attached exhaust line. Flexible couplings have been widely used in the past in an attempt to isolate the transmission of this torque through the exhaust conduit to the chassis or muffler.
An example of a flexible conduit joint in an exhaust system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,451,252, wherein the joint includes axially spaced conduit sections joined by flexible ball slip joints. The ball slip joints have wide separations through which gas in the exhaust system leaks from the joints. To avoid this leakage, the separations at each joint are filled with a resilient seal that minimizes loss of exhaust gases from the joint. A flexible bellows also encloses the joint to hermetically seal the conduit against loss of exhaust gases.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,822 discloses a series of part-spherical flexible joints for connecting exhaust pipes or other conduits. Each joint includes a pair of part spherical mated sealing surfaces that slide against each other to allow the pipe to pivot.
Additional examples of flexible connectors in exhaust systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,487, U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,071 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,165. Each of these patents discloses a bellows sealed ball joint that permits pivotal movement between axially spaced sections of conduit joined by the connector.
Another example of an exhaust line connector is the flexible connector available from Exhaust & Filtration Systems of Stoughton, Wisconsin. The flexible joint of this connector includes a series of interlocking rings. The interlocking rings, however, tend to deform and become locked in place during use. These mechanical problems limit the useful life of the exhaust connector, which typically begins leaking well before the end of the useful life of the vehicle in which the connector is installed.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved flexible coupling that minimizes the loss of gases (such as exhaust fumes) from the coupling.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a coupling that has an extended useful life, and will last (for example) in a vehicle exhaust system for as long as the useful life of the vehicle in which the coupling is used.
Moreover, it is an object of the invention to provide such a coupling that does not require the use of an external bellows or other sealing member to inhibit or prevent the loss of gas from the coupling.

Flexible articulated coupling that minimizes leakage


A method and system for context sensitive navigation of an aircraft is provided. The method comprises obtaining data for use at takeoff, enroute, or at a destination, and interpreting the data to infer conditions during takeoff, enroute, or at the destination. One or more viable flight plans are determined based on the conditions during takeoff, enroute, or at the destination. The one or more viable flight plans are then presented to a pilot for optional selection. When there is more than one viable flight plan, a prioritized selectable list of flight plans is presented to the pilot.

Prior to landing an aircraft at an airport, a pilot needs to know airport environmental conditions in order to make any necessary adjustments to a flight plan. The final approach of the aircraft to the airport is the highest workload time of the entire flight for the pilot. Changes that are made to the flight plan at this time increase head-down time and lower pilot situation awareness.
Pilots typically have to radio forward to the airport to get an audio representation of the airport environmental conditions such as wind conditions. While more advanced aircraft control systems have been developed for use in certain aircraft, environmental data is still in many cases not easily accessible to the pilot during flight or excessive pilot interaction is required to retrieve the data during high workload phases of flight. Currently, pilots have to use the environmental data they do receive to make their own determination of which runway approach is optimal for landing the aircraft. While some standard aircraft control systems provide surface wind indicators to pilots, the pilot is still required to make further decisions based on the surface wind information.
One system that has been developed for use in aircraft navigation is known as AWIN (Aviation Weather Information), which is an on-board avionics application that provides real-time graphic aviation weather information to pilots. The AWIN system includes software, data, and data link applications, which provide user-friendly, color weather graphics such as composite-radar mosaic, lightning-strike data, wind data, satellite images, and forecasts. The AWIN system further integrates existing textual AIRMET (Airman's meteorological information), terminal area forecasts, aircraft present position, and flight plan information into a single-source pilot workstation.
Some aircraft control systems use METAR (Meteorological Terminal Aviation Routine Weather Report), which is a format for reporting weather information from airports. Such information can include temperature, wind conditions, cloud conditions, visibility, etc. The METAR may also provide information on convective activity, precipitation type, precipitation amounts, lightning, and other information that would be of interest to pilots.
In a typical flight scenario, the pilot collects disparate, unfused data from multiple sources as he or she has time. The pilot then fuses and interprets the data/situation. The pilot manually enters plan changes into a navigation system, which includes many steps, and then flies according to the plan. The unfused data can include an aircraft operation performance model comprising take off and landing distance, weight/balance, and aircraft crosswind performance envelope; METAR-current winds and weather; terminal area forecast (TAF); automatic terminal information service (ATIS) radio current winds; runway-in-use; flight service station (FSS) radio enroute; ground weather terminals; visual conditions; flight experience; domain knowledge; airport environment such as runway conditions and density altitude; approach path; charts/maps/plates; XM satellite weather graphics; flight information system, ground-based VDL (VHF data link) FIS (flight information services) data link weather; VDL radio graphics; and global positioning system (GPS) moving map graphics.
Conventional navigation systems provide various displays that a pilot has to page through one at a time for situation awareness. Such displays typically include graphical information related to the above data such as airport environment, airport information, weather mosaic, lighting strikes, area weather conditions, current airport weather, map overlays, and terrain overlays. Such displays need to be viewed and analyzed during the high workload of the critical terminal phase of the flight. A pilot will make certain decisions with respect to a landing approach based on all of the information at hand. In general, it is not quick or easy to make entries into aircraft navigation systems. Thus, reducing the time it takes to modify flight plans would improve flight safety and efficiency.

Method and system for context sensitive aircraft navigation


A smart card comprises a microcontroller, a memory unit, a storage unit, and a communications unit. The smart card may be connected to a terminal, which is in turn may be connected to a host computer and/or a network. The smart card is configured to initiate communications with the terminal, which enables the smart card to control the terminal, host computer, or network and to access the resources connected to the terminal, host computer, or network. A communications protocol defines the commands that the smart card can send and allows the smart card to communicate using asynchronous or logical asynchronous communication.

The invention relates to smart cards, and in particular to smart card control of terminal and network resources.
Smart cards are used for a variety of applications including electronic game cards, identification badges, and data storage media such as electronic books. The smart cards are typically encased in a tamper-resistant, plastic or metal housing about the size of a credit card and contain one or more embedded integrated circuit devices. Terminals, such as ID verification systems and electronic video games, etc., are available with one or more smart card interfaces that permit connection of the smart card to the terminal.
In traditional systems, the terminals or terminal device accesses the smart card through standard protocols, such as the ISO 7816 protocol. These protocols usually limit the smart cards to the role of "slave", while the terminal or terminal device acts as the "master". This means that the smart card cannot initiate any action or communication, but can only respond to specific commands from the terminal. A prior art terminal typically starts in the idle state (ST11), as shown in FIG. 1. The terminal then transmits a command to the smart card (ST12), and then waits for a response (ST13). After receiving the response from the smart card (ST14), the terminal returns to the idle state (ST11). Similarly, as shown in FIG. 2, a prior art smart card begins with the smart card waiting for a command from the terminal (ST21). Upon receiving the command from the terminal (ST22), the smart card proceeds to prepare an appropriate response (ST23), transmits the response to the terminal (ST24), and returns to the wait state (ST21) to await the next command. Under the above scheme, there is no provision for the smart card to access resources controlled by the terminal.

Smart card system having asynchronous communication with the smart card operating either as master or slave


A device may comprise: a storage for storing a reference output representing an output of an electrical circuit at a reference temperature; one or more processors, configured to: determine a temperature shift based on a comparison of an output of the electrical circuit sensed at a sensing temperature and the reference output; determine a plurality of coefficients of a model of the temperature shift, wherein the model implements one or more functions that associate the plurality of coefficients and a temperature with the temperature shift at the temperature.

In the field of radio communication, transmitter (Tx) nonlinearities have a severe impact on the quality and accuracy of the communication. Tx nonlinearities may arise from multiple origins, e.g., including various combinations of amplitude modulation (AM) and phase modulation (PM), e.g., AMAM, AMPM, PMPM and PMAM. Conventionally, each nonlinearity is described by an integrated-non-linearity (INL) look-up-table (LUT), which holds the error for each given input value of the Tx. Digital pre-distortion (DPD) is a correction-method which utilizes the INL LUTs in order to compensate for the transmitter distortions.
However, such transmitter nonlinearities are temperature dependent. Therefore, the INLs need to be updated with temperature drifts. Conventionally, updating the LUTs requires a full calibration, in which the complete transmitter (Tx) nonlinearity is determined for the actual temperature and converted into updated LUTs. This process is time consuming and, as such, imposes severe constraints on the system.
Conventionally, the INL is not taken into account for multiple temperatures. Thus, the update is time consuming due to the length of the full calibration and the need to re-calibrate at every new temperature. Storing INL LUTs for multiple temperatures, in order to avoid re-calibrating the same temperature twice, is memory consuming, and thus of a limited benefit. It is desired to reduce the time required to update the INL LUTs.

Device and method for determining a model related to a temperature shift


A focal plane shutter capable of carrying out electric automatic exposure control and mechanical manual exposure control comprises a selecting member for selecting an automatic exposure position and a plurality of exposure time period positions, a switching member operated by the selecting member for switching a mechanical exposure time period control mechanism in correspondence with respective exposure time period positions, an electromagnetic device for electrically driving the switching member, and an electronic circuit for controlling the electromagnetic device. In operation, when the selecting member is disposed at the automatic exposure position, the switching member is controlled to be driven by the electromagnetic device, and when the selecting member is disposed at an exposure time period position, the switching member is driven by the selecting member.

The present invention relates generally to a focal plane shutter for a camera, and more particularly to a focal plane shutter capable of carrying out electric automatic exposure control and mechanical manual exposure control.
Before the advent of a focal plane shutter capable of carrying out electric automatic exposure control, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 70533/1979 and the like, exposure control was carried out mechanically by using a governor, gears, levers, springs and the like. After electric automatic exposure control was developed, by switching on a power source such as a battery in a camera, a member of the camera such as a shutter could be driven by using a motor or an electromagnet utilizing power from the battery.
A focal plane shutter capable of carrying out electric automatic exposure control enables a photographing operation by a single-lens reflex camera achieving high function in an extremely simple and convenient manner by electrically driving a motor or an electromagnet and therefore, at present, the focal plane shutter is adopted in almost all of single-lens reflex cameras. However, when the battery is consumed, the focal plane shutter becomes inoperable and therefore, when taking the camera on a photographing trip over a long period of time, spare batteries are needed, which is inconvenient.
On the other hand, in the case of a focal plane shutter capable of carrying out mechanical manual exposure control, it is not necessary to take consumption of the battery into consideration, and such a focal plane shutter is used easily by some users. However, some degree of skill and experience is needed in operating such a focal plane shutter and accordingly, it is inconvenient for a person who is not accustomed to use such a camera.
An object of the present invention is to provide a focal plane shutter which overcomes the aforesaid drawbacks and which enables either mechanical manual exposure control or electric automatic exposure control to be selected as needed.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a focal plane shutter comprising an exposure time period control mechanism for controlling an exposure time period by successively operating an opening member and a closing member, a selecting member for selecting an automatic exposure position and a plurality of exposure time period positions, a switching member operated by the selecting member for switching the exposure time period control mechanism in correspondence with a desired one of the exposure time period positions, and electromagnetic driving means for electrically driving the switching member, wherein when the selecting member is disposed at the automatic exposure position, the switching member is driven by the electromagnetic driving means and when the selecting member is disposed at the exposure time period positions, the switching member is driven by the selecting member.


Mapping an address for memory access in a memory system into a combination address that includes a memory bank identifier and a memory bank internal address. The address is partitioned into a first portion, and a second portion. The memory bank identifier is determined by performing a look-up operation in a look-up matrix, in which a look-up matrix row is determined by the value of the first portion, and a look-up matrix column is determined by the value of a binary number with two or more bits formed by applying a parity function to two or more respective sub-portions of the second portion. The memory bank internal address is derived based on the second portion of the address.

The invention relates generally to addressing of memory locations, and specifically to a method for mapping an address for memory access in a memory system.
Memory systems have a growing impact on overall computer system performance and power efficiency. Maximizing the utilization of the available memory resources is therefore a key target of many research projects these days. One aspect that has been targeted already for a long time is to improve the memory system performance for workloads that involve access patterns based on power-of-2 strides in the used address sequences. These are, e.g., workloads that access a data structure that is mapped on the linear virtual (and also physical) address space, by addresses with an increment of 1 (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.), 8 (e.g., 0, 8, 16, 24, etc.), or 256 (e.g., 256, 512, 768, 1024, etc.) and so on. Despite that this type of access has been investigated for a long time, the issue of inefficient access is still not solved. One problem is that this kind of power-of-2 stride access often results in degraded memory performance due to the organization and standard address mapping used in many memory systems, which are often organized using a power-of-2 number of memory banks. In special HPC (high performance computing) systems, sometimes fixed/hard-wire mappings are used that are based on performing a modulo operation against a prime number or similar approaches, which are difficult to program and still can result in worst-case/pathological cases. The latter mechanisms also add to the access latency. One example of a workload that involves many accesses to the same data structure using a wide variety of power-of-2 strides is the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), which is considered one of the most important algorithms in signal processing and is also one of the most published algorithms in literature. It allows efficient conversions of a sampled function from the time domain to the frequency domain and vice versa, which are essential for a wide range of applications, including image processing (including recognition), and radio astronomy, and many more.

Programmable memory mapping scheme with interleave properties

International Business Machines Corporation


A semiconductor light emitting device including a plurality of light emitting elements can be miniaturized while enabling to emit light with high luminance. The semiconductor light emitting device can include a mounting substrate, and a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements mounted on the mounting substrate side by side, each of the semiconductor light emitting elements having a semiconductor structure layer that can include a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, which are layered in that order. Each of the semiconductor light emitting elements can have a resonator constituted by end surfaces of the semiconductor structure layer opposite to each other, and also has a recessed portion recessed from the surface of the second semiconductor layer toward the active layer.

General semiconductor light emitting elements can include a growth substrate; a semiconductor structure layer formed on the growth substrate and including an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer; and an n electrode and a p electrode configured to apply a voltage to the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer, respectively. Furthermore, there has been known a semiconductor light emitting element that improves its heat dissipation performance. Specifically, in the semiconductor light emitting element, a semiconductor structure layer is bonded to a support substrate different from a growth substrate, and after that the growth substrate is removed to complete the semiconductor light emitting element. Then, the resulting semiconductor light emitting elements can be secured to a mounting substrate and a phosphor layer for wavelength converting light can be formed thereon. The resulting product can be sealed with a resin to complete a semiconductor light emitting device. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-065726 (or US 2014/191258A1 corresponding to this Japanese publication) discloses a semiconductor light emitting device which has a plurality of chips in a packaging structure and in which some of chips are connected in parallel.
Semiconductor light emitting devices have been widely used as a light source for high-intensity illumination such as for an automobile headlight, a projector, etc. Many of such semiconductor light emitting devices can have a structure in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged.
Furthermore, attention has been attracted on a technology for an automobile headlight to control the light distribution shape in real time depending on the situation ahead, specifically, the presence and the positions of oncoming vehicles, preceding vehicles, and the like. With this technology, it would be possible to control the light distribution shape by the automobile headlight, for example, to eliminate the irradiated area where an oncoming vehicle is present from the area irradiated with light from the headlight in real time when the oncoming vehicle is detected during its driving with a high-beam light distribution. This technology can provide a wider field of view to a driver just like when a high beam light distribution is used while it can prevent a glare beam to the oncoming vehicle. This type of light-distribution variable headlight system can be achieved by preparing a semiconductor light emitting device including a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements arranged in an array shape, and controlling the respective semiconductor light emitting elements to be turned ON/OFF in real time.
When, however, such a light emitting device including a plurality of light emitting elements arranged side by side is produced, the size of the device may increase by the number of the light emitting elements in general. Furthermore, when the size of the light emitting element is decreased in consideration of the size of the light emitting device, the luminance of light emitted from a single element may be decreased to give insufficient amount of light. These disadvantages may hinder the achievement of a high-definition light distribution pattern by a vehicle headlight as described above.


It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display panel having a high contrast ratio. A liquid crystal panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell; a first polarizing plate placed on a viewer side of the liquid crystal cell; and a second polarizing plate placed on an opposite side of the liquid crystal cell with respect to the viewer side. A light transmittance (T2) of the second polarizing plate is larger than a light transmittance (T1) of the first polarizing plate. Such a liquid crystal panel has a remarkably high contrast ratio and shows excellent display properties, compared to conventional liquid crystal panel.

A liquid crystal display apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as "LCD") is a device for displaying characters and images, using electrooptical properties of liquid crystal molecules, and has been widely used for cell phones, laptop computers, liquid crystal televisions, and the like. The LCD generally uses a liquid crystal panel, in which polarizing plates are arranged on both sides of a liquid crystal cell, and can display a black image under no voltage application, for example, in a normally black mode (e.g., see Patent Document 1). Recently, as the definition of the LCD has been increased, and the range of applications thereof has been enlarged, there is a demand for a liquid crystal panel exhibiting a high contrast ratio, capable of drawing characters and images more vividly.    Patent Document 1: JP 9-269504 A

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Liquid crystal panel and liquid crystal display apparatus


A push-push microwave oscillator has two branch oscillators fabricated of a transistor and transmission line elements extending from terminals of the transistor, and a resonator which is fabricated of an annulus of superconductor material and serves to phase lock oscillations of the two branch oscillators. The superconductor material is a composite of a rare earth element and copper oxide such as yttrium-barium-copper oxide. A first transmission line in each of the branch oscillators extends past the resonator with a spacing to provide for electromagnetic coupling between the branch oscillator and the resonator. A second transmission line in each of the branch oscillators has a length equal to approximately one-quarter wavelength of the oscillation frequency to tune the branch oscillator to a common oscillation frequency. A third transmission line in each of the branch oscillators extends towards a junction point to form a summing unit for summing oscillations of the two branch oscillators to provide an output signal of the oscillator. The oscillator is constructed in stripline or microstrip form wherein components of the branch oscillators are coplanar with the resonator and are spaced apart from a ground plane by a dielectric layer of alumina or lanthanum aluminate. Power is extracted at an even multiple of the fundamental frequency, and has a improved accuracy of frequency and reduced phase noise, the latter arising because of a characteristic of the superconductor material wherein its microwave surface resistance increase proportionally with a square of an increase in frequency.

This invention relates to push-push oscillator circuits constructed in microstrip or stripline form and, more particularly, to a push-push microwave oscillator circuit having two active branches stabilized by a common ring resonator of superconducting material.
Push-push microwave oscillators are constructed of two active branches, each of which comprises an active element and transmission line sections, plus some form of resonator which locks the oscillations of the two branches to produce a stable output signal. One such circuit, disclosed in Pavio, Jr. et al., U. S. Pat. No. 4,763,084, employs a circular disk of dielectric material to serve as a common resonator for the two branches. Dielectric resonator stabilized oscillators (DRO's) are described also in an article entitled "DRO State of the Art" by Chen Y. Ho et al., appearing in the journal APPLIED MICROWAVE, Spring 1990, Pages 69-80. The dielectric resonator is constructed of a ceramic material which is specially prepared for use at the microwave frequencies, and is subsequently inserted into the oscillator circuit and precisely positioned near a transmission line to provide a desired amount of coupling for stabilizing the oscillator frequency.
A problem arises in that the foregoing type of oscillator circuitry does not provide as high a frequency stability as may be desired for certain signal processing applications such as for satellite communication systems. A further problem arises because the foregoing type of resonator must be fabricated separately from the oscillator circuit, and has a thickness which is larger than that of components of a stripline or microstrip circuit, both of these considerations militating against automated manufacture of the oscillator circuit in large quantities.


A process for removing cyanide from liquid waste by electrolysis is disclosed. The method includes combining waste water and NaCl to an electrolyser cell, the cell having positive and negative electrode plates. The NaCl concentration in the cell is maintained at about 180 g/l. HCl and NaOH are added to maintain the pH at about 10.5. The liquids are agitated, and a current is applied to the electrode plates. The cyanide is decomposed, and the heavy metals are separated out. The waste gasses are sent through a purifying tower where CO.sub.2 and N.sub.2 are released. A decyanation apparatus comprising an electrolyser and a gas purifier is also disclosed.

It is well known that hypertoxic cyanides exist in liquid waste from existing production processes of ore dressing, metallurgy, coking and electroplating etc. and methods universally adopted for removing cyanide such as ionic exchange, ozonization or direct electrolytic oxidation are not efficient. For example, in electrolytic oxidiation the current efficiency is not stable, therefore harmful gases are generated in the process and the processing cost is high. During the operation of the niobium anode cyanide processor, explosive gases such as hydrogen and chloramine as well as toxic gases such a nitrogen trichloride, cyanhydrin and chloride acid escaped may cause secondary pollution. In alkaline chlorine process, a chloric oxidant (chlorine, liquid chlorine sodium subchlorate, or bleaching power etc.) is added to the cyanide containing water so as to oxidize and decompose cyanides under alkaline condition. Since availibe chlorine may degrade during the storage of chloric oxidants, it reacts chemically with cyanic ions in the process, generating harmful gases such as cyanic acid and cyanogen chloride. In addition, chloric oxidants are easy to leak out during the transportation, therefore, secondary pollution might be caused. The chlorinecyanogen equivalent weight is not easy to control in the process, which may produce excessive chlorine or cause the cyanogen content to exceed discharge standard. Meanwhile the cost is high.
Ionic exchange is usually used in the desalination of drinking water, and the processing of heavy metal ions and radioactive elements. It is effective in processing liquid waste containing less than 50 PPM of cyanogen and not suitable to process liquid waste containing more than 200 PPM of cyanogen.

Process of removing cyanide from waste water


The present invention relates to a quick quantitative analysis method and analyzer for mixture concentration information. A quick quantitative analysis method for a mixture based on spectral information includes: collecting a sample of a mixture solution, and injecting into a DAD to obtain DAD data; then, calculating a spectral library by a quick qualitative analysis method based on a vector error algorithm to obtain a spectral error vector; determining a spectral curve of a component included in the data corresponding to the sample, according to a value of the error vector; and calculating a content flag value of each component in the sample and concentration information of each substance.

Chromatography first appeared in 1905. After more than a century of development, chromatography has become a universal technology for mixture separation/analysis, and has been widely used in quality control and sample preparation of Chinese herbal medicine, wine, agricultural products and petroleum etc. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of jointing the currently popular technology of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the device of diode array detector (DAD). In analysis, a solvent (also referred to as a mobile phase) is stored in a solvent reservoir 'a', and pressed into a chromatography column 'c' (also referred to as a stationary phase) by an infusion pump 'b'. The sample solution to be analyzed enters into an analysis system through an injector 'd', and follows the solvent through the chromatography column. Due to the difference in the residence time in the chromatography column of different substances in the solution, different substances will flow out from the end of the chromatography column successively under certain analysis conditions (solvent, chromatography column, and process control). A DAD is installed at the end of the chromatography column to detect and record the substances flowing out of the chromatography column. Based on the recorded results, an experimenter performs qualitative and quantitative analysis of the composition of the solution through a computer system e. The time (residence time) for the substances to flow out of the chromatography column under the set analysis conditions can be used as a basis for qualitative analysis. When the substances flow out, the signal strength obtained by the detector can be used as a basis for quantitative analysis.
In can be seem from FIG. 1 that the analysis of the liquid chromatography takes a long time because it takes a long time for the solution to completely flow through the chromatography column. This is also the working principle that the liquid chromatography performs separation. However, in many projects, the information of the mixture needs to be measured quickly, so that the project can be controlled in a timely manner. Previously, a method was proposed for quantitatively analyzing a specific component of a solution without passing through a chromatography column, that is, by removing the time-consuming unit of the chromatography column in FIG. 1. This method also reduces the performance requirements on the infusion pump. However, this method requires an effective analysis algorithm to strengthen the analysis.

Quick quantitative analysis method and analyzer for mixture based on spectral information


A method for fast inverse planning of IMRT treatment plans is disclosed. The method relies on a computationally efficient algorithm for evaluating the gradient of a general class of objective functions, and also on the efficient optimization that is realized due to the directional conjugacy of the objective functions. Several types of clinically relevant objective functions that belong to this class are described. The computational evaluation relies on operations that are commonly used for signal- and image-processing, and so can benefit from a number of well-known acceleration techniques.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the planning and delivery of radiation for the clinical treatment of disease.
2. Description of Prior Art
Radiation treatment is an established technique that is one of the major treatment modalities for cancer, along with surgery and chemotherapy. Conventional techniques for external beam radiation therapy have required a human planner to first define the parameters of the radiation beams, such as position, direction, and shape. Then the radiation delivered by the resulting beam configuration is simulated, and the resulting radiation dose is evaluated for clinical acceptability. If not acceptable, the beam parameters are modified and the process iterates. This process is referred to as forward planning.
Intensity Modulate Radiation Treatment (IMRT) is a more advanced technique that has been developed as a means of achieving better coverage over the tumor (target) and better sparing of nearby critical organs (organs-at-risk). The beams that are delivered in IMRT treatments are defined in terms of a 2-dimensional modulated intensity map across the beam profile. Each pixel in the intensity map is associated with a distinct beamlet, which is the part of the beam's fluence that is passing through that pixel. Each beamlet has an intensity value proportional to the amount of fluence passing through that pixel. FIG. 7 graphically depicts a single beam with sixty-four beamlets having various modulated intensity values. The intensity values are represented in the figure by grayscale shading within the intensity map pixels.
A human planner can in some simple cases directly define the intensity map, in a process similar to forward planning. However, it is generally recognized that an automated algorithm for determining an optimal intensity map, given a set of clinical constraints (such as radiation dose prescription information), is the most robust approach to IMRT planning. This is referred to as inverse planning.
The workflow for inverse planning of an IMRT plan is given in FIG. 1. This follows the process from acquiring planning CT scans 101 and defining target volumes and organs-at-risk using the planning scans 102. Then the parameters for all treatment beams are determined by the user 103. The dose that would be delivered by all beamlets comprising the beams is simulated 104 using radiation dose computation algorithms that are well known in the art.
Then the prescription and other parameters for the optimization objective function are specified by the user 105, and these are used in the actual optimization algorithm 106 to generate the optimal plan. The resulting plan is evaluated by the user 107. If the resulting plan is not acceptable, the optimization parameters are modified and the process repeats 108. Once the resulting plan is acceptable, the plan parameters are sent to the radiation delivery system 109 for delivery to the patient.
As can be seen, the human planner must still generally iterate with the inverse planning algorithm, as there is no guarantee that the algorithm will generate a clinically acceptable plan. However, the iterations are hoped to be both less complex and fewer in number than that which would be expected for a forward planning scenario. It is highly desirable for the inverse planning algorithm to be as fast and accurate as possible, as this allows the human planner to quickly modify parameters and then evaluate the resulting optimized plan.
Inverse Planning and Optimization
An IMRT inverse planning algorithm essentially works by determining the optimal set of beam parameters satisfying a figure of merit for the plan. If the figure of merit can be expressed as a computable function possessing certain properties, the inverse planning problem can be formulated as a general optimization problem with the figure-of-merit function serving as the optimization's objective function.
In the case of IMRT plans, each beam has a unique intensity map that varies across the two dimensional plane parallel to the beam's central axis. The intensity map is typically represented as a set of sample values on a two-dimensional grid. Each pixel on this intensity map grid then corresponds to the intensity of an individual beamlet. The total beam is comprised of all of the weighted beamlets. FIG. 7 graphically depicts the relationship between beamlets and a treatment beam. All beamlets within the beam originate from a common source point 701. Each beamlet has an intensity value, with some being delivered with a high intensity 702, some with a moderate intensity 703, and some with a low intensity 704.
The dimensionality of such an objective function can be very large. Depending on the resolution of the beamlet representation, it can be hundreds or thousands of dimensions for a clinically realistic plan.
Optimization and the Objective Function
The generalized optimization problem involves determining the input parameters for a specified scalar-valued objective function such that the function assumes a globally minimum (maximum) value. A number of robust algorithms have been developed that can be applied to the general optimization problem [Press et. al. (1993)]. Each of these algorithms has strengths and weaknesses, and the effectiveness of a particular algorithm depends, at least partially, on the properties of the objective function.
The objective function acts as a map for the optimization algorithm, guiding it either to a global optimum or, if acceptable, a local optimum which is suitably close to the global. The number of iterations needed to find the optimum, and the quality of the optimum if sub-global, again often depends on properties of the objective function.
One property of the objective function that can play a significant role in the performance of the optimization algorithm is the ability to efficiently evaluate the mathematical gradient of the objective function. The gradient of a function at a point is the direction of steepest ascent at that point. Knowing the gradient for a high-dimensional objective function can significantly reduce the time needed to search for an optimum, because it specifies the direction along which an optimum may be found. Without gradient information, the optimization may spend an inordinate amount of time searching in "useless" directions.
A second important property of the objective function is referred to as directional conjugacy. This is also a significant issue for problems with large input parameter dimensionality. Directional conjugacy becomes an issue when the objective function has a large number of long, narrow valleys that are not orthogonal to the parameter coordinate axes, or to each other. As the optimization proceeds, each of the iterations is typically carried out along a particular direction. If the objective function is not directionally conjugate, the optimization along a particular direction may "spoil" previous optimizations along other directions. Thus the optimization algorithm has to re-optimize along the previous directions, resulting in wasted iterations.
Clearly an advantageous objective function for inverse planning would possess both of these properties: an efficiently computable gradient, and good directional conjugacy. Of course, the objective function also would need to do a good job as a figure of merit for treatment plans—i.e. clinically more desirable treatment plans would need to be scored better by the objective function than less desirable ones.
Linear Programming Approaches
The linear programming approaches are based on the observation that the sum of weighted beamlets to form total dose can be formulated as a (possibly large) matrix problem. In this case, the matrix relates beamlets to particular voxels, so the matrix is a linear transformation from beamlet weight state vector to dose matrix state vector.
Then, if a target dose matrix can be formed, the corresponding beamlet weights can be computed by multiplying by the inverse of the matrix. In the general case where the matrix is not square, this becomes a matrix pseudoinverse problem. Such a problem is a type of least squares optimization with a purely quadratic objective function. A quadratic objective function is ideal with respect to the aforementioned criteria: efficiently computable gradient and directional conjugacy.
However, this approach immediately leads to problems with respect to the clinical acceptability (and physical plausibility) of the solution, because the resulting beamlet weight vector is likely to contain physically unrealizable negative weights.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,882,702 to Luo (2005) proposes a solution for this issue. The disclosed invention uses iterations that gradually remove negative weights from the problem. This is based on a modified objective function that includes a term to penalize negative beamlet weights. The iterations continue until the contribution to the total radiation dose due to negative beamlet weights is minimize. This alteration in the objective function still allows efficient gradient calculation, but compromises directional conjugacy.
Furthermore, one of the requirements of this approach is that an initial "ideal" radiation dose distribution in 3-dimensions be synthesized as an input to the objective function. In many clinical situations, specifying the relevant statistical characteristics of the desired dose distribution, such as min/max dose to volumes-of-interest (VOIs), is preferable to physically spelling out the intended target distribution in 3-dimensions.
Quadratic Objective Functions
One of earliest methods of specifying the statistical characteristics of the desired dose distribution is using quadratic dose-based objective functions [Bortfeld et. al. (1997)]. The gradient for these objective functions are easy to compute, and they possess good directional conjugacy as the quadratic terms are often nearly orthogonal to each other. The resulting optimizations can be implemented readily using a standard gradient-based algorithm, such as the steepest descent or conjugate gradient algorithms.
However, the clinical acceptability of the simple quadratic objective functions is an issue. For the target regions, the quadratic objective function can express the desirability of a minimum target dose, with high dose homogeneity. For organs-at-risk, however, it is more difficult to effectively capture the clinically desirable dose distribution. This is because organs-at-risk can often be partially irradiated without significant side effects. Thus it is often advantageous to allow partial volume irradiation of organs-at-risk in order to increase target coverage. Specifying that partial volume irradiation is allowable for organs-at-risk is difficult using quadratic dose-based objective functions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,311 to Shepard et. al. (2003) uses a quadratic dose-based objective function as the first preferred embodiments. In the described optimization process, at each iteration the parameter values (e.g. beamlet weights) are changed and the objective function is re-evaluated. The new parameter values are kept only if the new objective function value is better than the previous parameter values. This optimization approach is intrinsically less efficient than utilizing gradient information to first choose the direction of optimization.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,277 to McNutt et. al. (2004) also specifies a preferred embodiment with a quadratic objective function. The preferred optimization is a quasi-Newton gradient-based optimization. The disclosed invention is a method of dividing the beamlet weights into independent groups, and optimization each group in succession. This is equivalent to partitioning the original high-dimensional objective function in to a set of independent lower-dimensional objective functions. Then, after finding the optimum of all of the lower-dimensional objective functions, these subordinate solutions are recombined into a single solution. This solution is hoped to approximate an optimum for the original problem. The sufficiency of this approximation depends upon the extent of interdependencies among the beamlet weight parameters, which may be extensive for complex target geometries.
Partial Volume Constraints
In order to represent the partial volume effects for organs-at-risk, the quadratic objective functions have been extended by various authors to include partial volume constraints [Starckschall et. al. (2001)]. Whereas a typical quadratic term might express the constraint "deliver at least 80 Gy to the target region", a partial volume constraint might express "deliver no more than 40 Gy to no more than 25% of the organ-at-risk". By combining multiple terms of this form, it becomes possible to describe the expected shape of the distribution of radiation dose to the target or organ-at-risk. This distribution is typically depicted for clinical purposes as the dose-volume histogram (DVH). In its differential, relative form, the dose-volume histogram is the curve that shows the percent volume of the region of interest that receives a certain amount of radiation dose.
Starckschall et. al. (2001) combined the concept of partial volume constraints with a gradient-based optimization algorithm. In order to evaluate the gradient, however, they numerically evaluate the partial derivatives of the objective function. This is a computationally costly approach that involves evaluating the objective function for a given set of parameters, and then changing each parameter one-by-one by a small amount and re-evaluating the objective function. By doing this for all dimensions, it is possible to evaluate the gradient for the entire parameter space. However, for a beamlet weight-based objective function the amount of time needed to numerically evaluate the gradient can be quite large.
Also, the proliferation of terms in the objective function as more partial volume points are added results in an increasingly complex objective function. However, limiting the partial volume points to a small number can degrade the directional conjugacy of the objective function, as the partial volume constraints correspond to components of the objective function that are often not orthogonal to each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,311 to Shepard et. al. (2003) also specifies an alternative embodiment using an objective function with partial volume constraints, based on formulae disclosed by Bortfeld et. al. 1997. There is no disclosure of an efficient method of evaluating the gradient of the enhanced objective function, and the iterative optimization algorithm does not make use of gradient information.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,283 to Carol et. al. (2000) uses a objective function based on the cumulative dose-volume histogram (CDVH). The method of formulating the CDVH, by division into piecewise-linear regions and then assigning weights for each region, appears to be equivalent to the partial volume constraint approach. The optimization method disclosed, simulated annealing, is a stochastic iterative optimization algorithm that provides no opportunity to take advantage of explicitly computed gradient information.
Direct Gradient Evaluation with Partial Volume Constraints
Hristov et. al. (2002) builds on the Starckschall method and demonstrates that, in theory, it is possible to directly evaluate the gradient of an objective function that incorporates partial volume constraints. To do this, they build up an analytical expression for the objective function using the Heaviside function (unit step function). The use of the Heaviside function follows from their expression of the partial volume constraints in terms of the cumulative dose-volume histogram (CDVH). This follows the practice of Starkschall and others, and is consistent with the clinical practice of using the cumulative forms of the DVH for evaluating plans.
There is a significant theoretical issue with using Heaviside functions in the construction of an objective function. The derivative of the Heaviside function is the Dirac mass, which is a generalized function that assumes a value of zero everywhere except at the origin (where its value is undefined). Because the objective function is intended to act as a map to guide the optimization algorithm, it is desirable for its gradient to yield useful information about the direction that the optimization should proceed. However, in the pure theoretical case, a gradient built up from Dirac masses is unable to point in any direction at all (as it is always zero everywhere except at a finite number of infinitesimal points, where it is undefined).
To address this problem Hristov et. al. uses a discrete approximation to the Dirac mass, the discrete impulse function. This provides some guidance to the optimizer, but it results in an objective function that is piece-wise linear. Such an objective function can be highly fragmented and suffers from serious directional conjugacy problems. This would only be exacerbated by the addition of more partial volume points.
PDF-Based Optimization
Lian et. al. (2003) pursues a conceptually distinct approach by proposing that the target DVH for a particular structure could be well-represented using probability density functions (PDFs). They recognize the value of formulating the objective function using the differential form of the DVH over the cumulative form. The advantage is that the differential DVH (when normalized) is essentially a PDF for dose distribution. This is more consistent with a statistical analysis approach, and provides benefits in the formulation of the objective function over the Heaviside-based objective function that Hristov et. al. employed.
Their approach begins with unimodal gaussian distributions as the target differential DVH (PDF), so that the corresponding target cumulative DVH was the error function shifted to the expected dose for the structure. This has advantages for both target and organ-at-risk, as in reality both types of structures never achieve perfect Heaviside-like distributions. By varying the sigma of the gaussian PDF, different effective slopes can be modeled, which is useful for representing the partial volume effects of an organ-at-risk provided that the set of corresponding partial-volume constraint points lie roughly on a sigmoidal curve.
Additionally, they explore more sophisticated target PDFs, with puzzling results. This included the peculiar asymmetrical under-dosing problem, which could have been due to problems in the method by which they were sampling their prior distribution. It is difficult to ascertain the underlying cause of this problem, as there is an absence of information disclosed about the exact form of the optimization employed.
It is not clear whether any attempt is made to explicitly incorporate gradient information, and no description is given as to how the gradient could be calculated given the PDF formulation. It appears that the approach utilizes a stochastic, Monte-Carlo-like optimization that randomly samples from the possible plan states and then computes the corresponding objective function value. This would probably suffer considerably from scalability problems (moving from 2D to 3D, for instance).

Information theoretic inverse planning technique for radiation treatment


A unique iron base alloy for wear resistant applications, characterized in one aspect by its hardening ability when exposed to a certain temperature range, is useful for valve seat insert applications. The alloy also possesses excellent wear resistance, hot hardness and oxidation resistance. The alloy comprises less than 0.1 wt % carbon; about 18 to about 32 wt % molybdenum, about 6 to about 15 wt % chromium, about 1.5 to about 3% silicon, about 8 to about 15 wt % cobalt and at least 40% iron, with less than 0.5 wt % nickel. In another aspect, for lower temperature applications, the cobalt is optional, the nickel content can be up to 14 wt %, but the molybdenum must be in the range of about 29% to about 36%. In one further aspect, for higher temperature applications, the cobalt is optional, but may be used up to 15 wt %, nickel must be used at a level of between about 3 and about 14 wt %, and the molybdenum will be in the range of about 26 to about 36 wt %.

The present invention relates to iron base alloys with improved wear resistance and hot hardness, and also relates to iron base alloys containing primary intermetallic compounds as hard phases. Such alloys are particularly useful for internal combustion engine components, such as valve seat inserts, etc. In a further aspect, this invention relates to components made from such alloys, either cast or hardfaced. An example is a hardfacing for a valve for an internal combustion engine. Alternatively, components made of such alloys may be made by conventional powder metallurgy methods, either by cold pressing and sintering, or by hot pressing at elevated pressures for wear resistant applications.
The development of dry fuel internal combustion engines and tighter emission standards for diesel fuel internal combustion engines require better wear resistant alloys for valve seat insert applications. M2 tool steel (by AISI designation) and high carbon, high chromium type steels are commercially available alloys for valve seat inserts. However, often these alloys experience severe wear in such applications. Stellite(copyright) and cobalt base Tribaloy(copyright) are alternative alloys used in these situations in the industry.1 Unfortunately, these alloys are expensive due to the high cost of the cobalt included in the alloys.
1 (copyright)Registered Trademark of Deloro Stellite Company Inc.
Increasing the hardness of iron base alloys can effectively improve wear resistance of valve seat inserts in many instances. However, this approach also increases machining difficulties and therefore manufacturing cost of valve seat inserts. It would be desirable to have an alloy that increases its hot hardness and wear resistance at working conditions, to avoid machining difficulties associated with conventional high hardness alloys.
Many patents disclose alloy steel or tool steel-type iron base alloys for wear resistant applications. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,778,522 and 4,844,024 disclose a few examples of tool steel-type wear resistant alloys, where a certain amount of carbon is required to form alloy carbides for better wear resistance. Therefore, carbon is an essential element and is normally higher than 0.1 wt % in these alloys.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,257,178, 3,361,560 and 3,410,732 disclose another type of wear resistant alloys which include intermetallic compounds, such as Laves phase, as hard phases for wear resistant applications. Many alloy systems, such as Wxe2x80x94Nixe2x80x94Si, Moxe2x80x94Nixe2x80x94Si, Wxe2x80x94Coxe2x80x94Si and Moxe2x80x94Crxe2x80x94Nixe2x80x94Si, were tested as protective coatings (U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,178). Cobalt base alloys, composed of 14-30 wt % molybdenum, 6-12 wt % chromium, 0.54 wt % silicon, and at least 50 wt % cobalt, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,732.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,008 discloses sintered iron base alloys comprised of a high speed tool steel matrix powder and a hard alloy powder. The two types of powders were mixed and sintered to form wear resistant alloys. The hard alloys are composed of 0.02-0.2 wt % carbon, 3-30 wt % silicon, 0.05-0.7 wt % manganese, 10-60 wt % molybdenum, 1-7 wt % titanium, 0.5-2 wt % boron, 1.0-10 wt % nickel, and the balance being iron and impurities. Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-112206 discloses additional sintered iron base alloys with additions of 540 wt % of hard alloy to increase wear resistance of the powder metallurgy alloy. The hard alloys have the following chemical compositions: less than 0.01 wt % carbon, 0.5-1.0 wt % silicon, less than 0.4 wt % manganese, 10-50 wt % molybdenum, and less than 40 wt % combined total of nickel, chromium and/or cobalt.
These last two references describe the method of making the alloys by adding a certain amount of hard alloy powder to a matrix alloy to make wear resistant materials through a powder metallurgy process. The powder metallurgy process makes it possible to use high molybdenum (up to 50 wt %) and high silicon (up to 30 wt %) to form very fine alloy particles without a cracking problem. However, it is very difficult for conventional casting methods to use such compositions as casting alloys to produce engine components, because silicon and molybdenum contents in such high levels make the components extremely brittle.
It would be beneficial if an iron-based composition could be developed for internal combustion engine components because it would have a low cost compared to nickel and cobalt alloys. An intermetallic-type iron base casting alloy for wear resistant application is thus highly desirable. An alloy with precipitation hardening ability at exhaust working temperatures to improve the service life of valve seat inserts would be a further significant improvement.
Iron base alloys have been invented that have good wear resistance. One aspect of the invention includes alloys that have a unique feature of hardening when exposed to working temperatures of exhaust valve seat inserts, which in turn improves wear resistance and hot hardness of the alloys. The hardening of the alloys is achieved through controlling chemical compositions of the alloys to promote precipitation of secondary intermetallic compounds at relatively low temperatures. The alloys also have high sliding wear resistance and high hardness at elevated temperatures, and the cost of the alloys is significantly lower than commercially available cobalt base alloys, such as Stellite(copyright) and Tribaloy(copyright). In one aspect, the present invention is an alloy with the following composition:
Optionally, the inventive alloys do not need to contain cobalt when they are to be used for applications where the working temperature is too low to generate any hardening effect in the alloy, such as 600xc2x0 F. (316xc2x0 C.). For this use, the inventive alloys preferably have the following composition:
Further optionally, the inventive alloys contain nickel in an amount of 3-14 wt % to totally or partially replace cobalt for applications where the working temperature is too high (over 1000xc2x0 F.) (538xc2x0 C.) to keep the hardening effect promoted by cobalt in the alloy. Under such conditions, molybdenum content should be limited to 26-36 wt % in order to achieve maximum wear resistance of the inventive alloys. In this aspect, the preferred inventive alloys have the following composition:
In another aspect of the invention, metal components are either made of the alloys, such as by casting, or using powder metallurgy methods, such as by forming the component from a powder and sintering. Furthermore, the alloys may be used to hardface components as a protective coating.


A multi-purpose pinless attachment system includes a first structure having oppositely facing recesses separated by a web region. Pairs of recesses form pivot bar bearing surfaces, and a transverse pivot axis passes through the web region at a midpoint between these pairs of bearing surfaces. A second structure defines an interior pivot channel between its distal tip and a proximal shank. The tip is separated from the shank by a gap to allow the web region of the first structure to pass through the gap while the interior pivot channel is brought into bearing registration with the pivot bar. The pivot channel receives the portion of the web region separating the first and second recesses. Surface portions of the pivot channel frictionally engage at least a portion of a pivot bar bearing surface while the second structure is pivoted relative to the first structure about the transverse pivot axis.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to systems and methods for enabling one structure to be attached and/or pivotably moved relative to another structure and, more particularly, to attachment assemblies of the pinless hinge type configured to both pivotably and releasably couple such structures.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
In its most familiar form, a hinge includes a pair of hinge halves with each hinge half including a wing section and a half channel coupled to the wing section. When the half channels of the hinge halves are aligned, the half channels form a pivot channel for receiving a separate pivoting pin. When the wing sections are attached to respective objects or structures, such as a door and a door frame, an awning and wall structure, a lid and container, or even a picture frame strut to a picture frame, the structures are able to move pivotably with respect to each other about the pivoting pin. There are a number of disadvantages associated with the "standard" pin-type or three-piece hinge. These include the relatively high cost of forming accurately aligned and well-fitted openings for receiving the pin, susceptibility to malfunction from dirt or corrosion, and the fact that the pin itself may be broken, displaced or lost altogether.
A further disadvantage of the pin-type hinge is most readily appreciated in certain contexts, such as when one (or each) of the wing sections is attached to a large, heavy, and/or unwieldy structure. When a conventional hinge is used for such situations, it is difficult to align the two hinge halves long enough to insert the pin. An individual working alone with pin-type hinges may find the task of pivotably coupling such cumbersome structures to be very difficult or even impossible. The process of detaching one structure from another can be equally laborious to an individual working alone.
A number of alternatives to the conventional three-piece (pin-type) hinge have been developed over the years. To simplify the coupling and decoupling of two pivotably attached structures, for example, a variety of so-called "pinless" hinge arrangements have been proposed. While these arrangements vary widely in their configuration and intended applications, they can nonetheless be classified into at least three general categories.
One of the earliest categories of pinless hinge arrangements is the "integral pivot pin" type exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 678,701 issued to J. B. Tuor on Jul. 16, 1901 and entitled "Separable Hinge". The two-piece hinge assembly described by Tuor is configured for operation in a substantially vertical plane, and has particular applicability to the hanging of storm sashes and other structures over a framed window opening. An upper wing section has an upper flange section securable to the window frame proximate a lower edge thereof. Downwardly depending from the upper flange section are two channel-forming hooks open at their upper end and laterally separated from one another. The cavities formed by the two hooks define a transverse pivot channel. A lower wing section of the hinge has a lower flange section for attachment to a storm sash or other structure, an integral shank extending upwardly from the lower flange section, and a transverse pivot bar integrally formed at the end of the shank. The integral pivot bar of the second wing section functions as a pivot pin, and the width of the gap formed between the two hooks of the first wing section is such that the shank can move freely within it while leaving the pivot bar supported at both ends by one of its hooks. Removal requires lifting the sash to bring the pivot bar out of registration with the hooks.
One of the principal deficiencies of the Tuor arrangement is that its lower wing section, with its integral shank and transverse pivot bar structure, is complex and expensive to manufacture. Another is that it is difficult to adapt this arrangement to the pivotable coupling of one or more cumbersome objects such, for example, as long shelves or awnings, where alignments of the respective wing sections must be achieved across much wider distances. More substantial deficiencies reside in the fact that the hinge assembly is not self-locking (e.g., the lower wing section of Tuor may easily work loose or become dislodged out of registration with the open channel defined by the upper wing section). Finally, the respective wing sections are strictly adapted for attachment to coplanar vertical surfaces.
Another category of pinless hinge arrangements is the "stationary pivot pin" type exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,644,192 issued to R. E. McClellan on Jul. 7, 1953 and entitled "Detachable Hinge". The two piece hinge assembly described by McClellan is more or less an adaptation of the Tuor arrangement wherein a first wing section defining the pivot bar is stationary and oriented in a horizontal, rather than a vertical plane, while the pivot channel defined by the second wing section extends from an offset shank attached to the flange. As in Tuor, the pivot axis defined by the pivot bar is oriented in a horizontal axis. A planar structure such as a drop leaf for a desk or table has two of the second wing sections attached two its lower face proximate a lateral peripheral edge. A space, between the desk or table and the fixed pivot axis defined by the pivot bar of respective first wing sections, enables the pivot channel and offset shank of the second wing section to pass through and under the desk surface while the leaf is held inserted at an angle. The leaf is then lowered into a horizontal position and pushed forward so that the surfaces of each pivot bar and each offset shank prevent rotation of the leaf. A locking detent and aperture system prevents lateral translation of the leaf while it is in use. When not needed, the McClellan structure is pivoted slightly to release the locking detent from the aperture, and then the leaf is pulled far enough to bring the respective pivot channels into registration with corresponding pivot bars and fully into the gap. In this position, the leaf can be rotated about the horizontal pivot axis into a vertical position suitable for storage.
The McClellan pinless hinge arrangement suffers from deficiencies similar to the ones noted in connection with Tuor. For example, the McClellan structure is limited to situations in which one of the two pivotably connected structures remains disposed in a horizontal plane. Like Tuor, the McClellan device is not self-aligning but instead requires all mating hinge components to be precisely aligned for proper operation. Also like Tuor, the McClellan device does not permit relative adjustment of the hinge components or associated structures once the hinge components are attached. Neither are the Tuor or McClellan structures well adapted for use by a single installer where large structures are to be pivotably coupled. This is because the spacing between hinge sections secured to one structure is often so great that these sections cannot be aligned with complementary sections on the other structure without help. Finally, the absence of an intrinsically stable locking system means that the drop leaf hinge assembly taught by McClellan cannot be safely adapted to heavier duty applications such, for example, as those where a heavily loaded ancillary structure might pull away from the primary working surface to which it is pivotably secured. If such a structure were to drop down unexpectedly, it could seriously injure workers in the area and/or damage adjacent structures and equipment.
Yet another type of pinless hinge, which may be thought of as the "telescoping" or "extruded" type hinge, includes a first wing section. At one end of the first wing section, a flange is formed, the flange being attachable to a first structure. At the other end of the first wing section is a transverse slotted tube defining both an internal pivot channel and an axial slot. A second wing section has at one end a flange attachable to a second structure and, at the other end, a tubular transverse pivot bar dimensioned and arranged so that it can be inserted laterally in telescoping fashion into the pivot channel while a web region connecting the flange and pivot bar is aligned with the axial slot. The edges of the axial slot act as "stops", wherein the width of the slot determines the degree to which the second wing section can be rotated about the pivot axis defined by the pivot channel of the first wing section. Representative examples of the telescoping or extruded type of pinless hinge are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,834,072 issued to Miller on May 13, 1958 and entitled "Awning Structure; in U.S. Pat. No. 3,263,369 issued to Siegal et al. on Aug. 2, 1996 and entitled "Awning Structure"; in U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,667 issued to Erskine on Jul. 19, 1994 and entitled "Pinless Hinge"; in U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,617 issued to Harris et al. on Sep. 22, 1998 and entitled "Mounting for Movable Members"; and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,941,616 issued to Roy on Sep. 13, 2005 and entitled "Pinless Hinge".
While the extruded or telescoping variety of pinless hinge is less susceptible to unexpected separation than the other categories of hinges described above, certain deficiencies do persist. One disadvantage of the telescoping hinge design is that it is not adaptable to the pivotable connection of large heavy structures. Another is the difficulty of aligning and inserting the smaller of the pivot tubes within the larger one, a problem whose magnitude increases exponentially as the length of the pivot axis increases—especially where lateral clearance and accessibility are limited. Even where lateral access does not impose a constraint, a structure to be pivotable secured relative to another may be so long that an individual installer may be unable to keep the two pivot tubes in alignment long enough to bring them into telescoping alignment. Finally, extrusion is a manufacturing technique well adapted to plastic materials or to softer, ductile metals and metal alloys (e.g., aluminum and brass), its application. However, the application of extrusion processes to materials having requiring greater load bearing ability, strength, wear resistance, and other mechanical properties—may require expensive post-extrusion processes such as annealing, quenching and the like.
Common to all of the aforementioned hinge structures are susceptibility to wear and corrosion, as well as a vulnerability to accidental separation where the objects attached to each hinge section are rotated together to some degree about an axis. Even a three-part hinge is vulnerable, in that the hinge pin can fall out when the entire hinge assembly is inverted (or subjected to centrifugal forces).
A need therefore exists for pinless hinge structures which can quickly self align, self-lock, and self-release, permitting a solo operator to easily actuate any locking mechanism located beyond his or her reach.
A further need exists for pinless hinge structures which can accommodate fail-safe locking structures which are not prone or susceptible to accidental release or separation once engaged.
Another need exists for pinless hinge structures which are impervious to malfunctions commonly caused by corrosion, dirt and debris.
Yet another need exists for pinless hinge structures which can be readily configured and adapted to pivotably couple a wide variety of objects and structures over a range of relative orientations and in a manner which permits the relative positions of these objects to be quickly and easily adjusted.
Still another need exists for an attachment assembly incorporating a pinless hinge structure wherein the hinge structure remains securely locked even when the entire assembly is rotated together to any degree and with respect to any axis of rotation, or when subjected to centrifugal force(s).

Pinless attachment systems and methods of using the same


A multi-directional, bendable light extension device for use with exterior floodlight fixtures which comprises a first extension arm that can be bent into a plurality of orientations and retains a given orientation without change until it is reconfigured, as well as a lamp housing connected to one end of the first extension arm, the other end of the first extension arm being configured for threaded connection to the standard size of light socket commonly used in commercial and residential construction for exterior lighting purposes. The device further comprises a bendable second extension arm that also holds a given orientation without change until it is reconfigured, the second extension arm being detachably connected on one it its ends to the lamp housing with its other end being connected to a secondary housing having a motion detector sensor, a light sensor, and an audible alarm. Individual activator/disabler switches permit selective use of the motion detector sensor, the light sensor, and the audible alarm for special needs. Applications may include, but are not limited to, use by homeowners to provide more versatile and precise direction of exterior lighting and motion detection apparatus for enhanced security of their premises.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to lighting fixtures, specifically to a multi-directional, bendable light extension device for use with exterior floodlight fixtures which comprises a first extension arm that can be bent into a plurality of orientations and retains a given orientation without change until it is reconfigured, a lamp housing connected to one end of the first extension arm, the other end of the first extension arm being configured for threaded connection to the standard size of light socket commonly used in commercial and residential construction for exterior lighting purposes, and which further comprises a second bendable extension arm that holds a given orientation without change until it is reconfigured, the second extension arm being detachably connected on one it its ends to the lamp housing with its other end being connected to a secondary housing containing a motion detector sensor, a light sensor, and an audible alarm. Applications may include, but are not limited to, use by homeowners to provide more versatile and precisely directed exterior lighting and motion detection apparatus for enhanced security of their premises.
2. Description of Prior Art
Rising crime rates have prompted homeowners to become increasingly aware of home security. As a result, growing numbers of homeowners have installed outdoor lighting with motion detector sensors attached thereto that automatically turn on spotlights when movement within a targeted area is encountered. However, the designs of many buildings contain features, such gutter down spouts, which limit the amount of directional aiming possible for prior art spotlights and motion detectors positioned close thereto. Thus, homeowners may be required to accept less than the desired amount of security coverage for areas immediately surrounding their residence. Should the motion detectors be adjusted to target an expanded area around the home in attempts to gain an a desired level of lighting coverage, the homeowners run the risk of unnecessary activation of the spotlights by passing neighborhood animals and motor vehicles. Unnecessary activation can cause undue alarm to occupants of a building, but it can also become a nuisance when it dilutes the effectiveness of its ability to warning building occupants of possible danger. In limiting the targeted area of the motion detectors to reduce unnecessary activation, the homeowners again run the risk excessive limitation beyond the point where the premises are effectively secured. Consequently, due to the limited mobility and extension of currently available exterior lighting fixtures and motion detection sensors, many homeowners presently have exterior lighting which is either excessively activated, or is insufficiently positioned to provide the level of security for which it was intended.
Generally, lighting fixtures with elongated adjustable support arms are known. A variety of desk lamps have base members which can be positioned near to the edge of the desk top and which are connected to elongated support arms that can position a light source over the central portion of a desk, the base member remaining in an out-of-the-way position to maximize the amount of working space available on the desk top surface. Also exterior lighting fixtures are currently available which comprise motion detectors to activate spotlights when movement within a targeted area is detected. However, it is not known, and it would be useful to have, a device comprising exterior lighting and motion detecting units each suspended on an elongated bendable component which would permit nearly unlimited directional orientation thereof, including positioning of light and motion detecting sensors around corners and around gutter down spouts, to provide more precisely directed, and thereby more complete, lighting coverage in the immediate area of a building to minimize its desirability as a target of crime.
The prior art believed to be most closely related to the present invention is the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,323 to Osteen (1995) which comprises a proximity sensor remotely positioned from a lampholder so that the heat build-up from the lamp does not prematurely cause the sensor to fail. The Osteen invention comprises a base member which can be attached to a solid surface and provides electrical connections for the lamp; a lampholder for receiving at least one lamp; attachment means for connecting the lampholder to the base member and which permits manual positioning of the lampholder in different positions relative to the base; an adjustable mast arm also attached to the base member and positioned with its distal end remotely located from the lampholder; and a sensor housing attached to the distal end of the mast arm. Movement of the Osteen mast arm is accomplished by two pivot joints and a swivel joint connected between the two pivot joints. In contrast, the present invention has its lamp housing mounted on the end of a first elongated bendable extension arm for more versatile positioning of its light source than is possible with the Osteen invention. The present invention also has threaded connection means on the end of the first extension arm remote from the lamp housing connection for quick and easy use of the present invention with the sockets of existing spotlight fixtures. Further, the present invention has a secondary housing attached to the lamp housing and electrically connected thereto through a second extension arm. The bendable extension arms attached to each allow both the lamp housing and the secondary housing to be oriented into almost any position required for effective security in a targeted area, including use around restrictive design features of a building such as gutter down spouts. Thus more complete lighting coverage can be provided by the present invention without a need for setting a motion detector to scan an expanded target area that in turn causes unnecessary activation of its light and/or alarm to the point where it becomes a distraction or a nuisance. Activator/disabler switches are also provided for the lamp housing, the motion detecting sensor, the light sensor, and the audible alarm to permit varying combinations of use among such components to satisfy differing use requirements. It is not known in the field of lighting fixtures to have a multi-directional, bendable light extension device for attachment to existing exterior lighting fixtures which comprises a first extension arm that can be bent into an unlimited variety of orientations and which retains a given orientation without change until it is reconfigured, a lamp housing connected to one end of the first extension arm, the other end of the first extension arm being configured for threaded connection to the standard size of light socket commonly used in commercial and residential construction, and which further comprises at least one additional bendable extension arm that also holds a given orientation without change until it is reconfigured, the second extension arm being detachably connected on one of its ends to the lamp housing with its other end being connected to a secondary housing having a motion detector, a light sensor, and an audible alarm to provide a virtually unlimited number of positions into which the spotlight and motion detection sensors connected thereto can be placed for more thorough security coverage in and around buildings than is possible with prior art security devices, with a concomitant minimization of unnecessary activation.

Multi-directional security light with elongated extension arm