A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a surface in which cleaning solution is dispensed to the surface and substantially simultaneously extracted along with the dirt on the surface in a continuous operation is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes a housing and a recovery tank removably mounted to the housing. A liquid distribution system is operatively associated with the housing for distributing the cleaning solution to the surface. A suction nozzle is secured to the housing and in fluid communication with the recovery tank. A suction source is in fluid communication with the suction nozzle for generating suction to draw dirt and liquid through the suction nozzle and into the recovery tank. The suction nozzle includes a front nozzle portion removably mounted to a rear nozzle portion.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a suction nozzle assembly for a cleaning apparatus.
2. Background Information
It is known to have a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a surface such as a carpet extractor in which cleaning solution is dispensed to the surface and substantially simultaneously extracted along with the dirt through a suction nozzle and into a recovery tank in a continuous operation. Often, after several uses, dirt collects within the suction nozzle thereby impeding the flow of dirt and cleaning solution in the suction nozzle resulting in loss of suction power. Cleaning the suction nozzle is usually difficult, since the suction nozzle is fixedly mounted to the unit, requiring manipulation of the whole unit to clean the inner portions of the suction nozzle as well as the outer portion of the suction nozzle.
Hence, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning apparatus with a suction nozzle that can be easily cleaned.

Suction nozzle assembly for a cleaning apparatus


One website mining embodiment is for characterizing first time users of a website, collecting user session data of the users visiting the website and identifying first time visitors, determining features of the first time visitors utilizing the user session data, determining rules utilizing the features of the first time visitors, monitoring actions of the first time visitors on the website, updating the rules utilizing the monitored actions of the first time visitors and recommending web content utilizing the rules to the first time visitor.

Web usage mining refers to an application of data mining techniques to determine user access patterns from web usage data. Web usage mining typically involves tracking browsing activities using a variety of measures such as individual mouse clicks and time spent on a portion of a webpage in order to have a user's browsing footprint available at the web server. Generally, website mining results include features such as number of page views, number of unique users, browser and operating system information, user's website view pattern, widely viewed pages, browser and operating system information.
The ability to track the website usage information is useful to assess the impact of website content which can result in enhancement of business opportunities and metrics for cost benefits analysis. Tracking usage patterns is also useful for identifying which content on the website is being heavily used (and therefore should be kept) and which content is not being heavily used (and may be a candidate for archiving). In addition, it helps to improve the website design by rearranging the content on the pages so that the end users have a more convenient experience while exploring the website. In addition, website usage statistics can also keep track of how much storage space the web pages on a website are taking, which content on the website is important, and the level of activity for particular website pages or websites.
The enhancement of business opportunities, for example, include increasing the number of visits on the website. One way of increasing the number of visits is by increasing number of loyal users or by converting first time visitors to loyal users. The number of first time visitors can be increased by monitoring the web usage patterns and suggesting certain web content to first time visitors. Accordingly, it is desired to discover and act upon the various patterns of website usage to provide a more enjoyable experience to its first time visitors, which also help to increase the chances of converting these visitors into loyal users.


Systems and methods for efficiently loading interactive media guide data based on user history are provided. A plurality of asset descriptions associated with a first media asset is received. A second media asset related to the first media asset is identified. An asset description is selected form the plurality of asset descriptions based on user history of accessing the second media asset. Data for the first media asset is loaded. Data for the first media asset comprises the selected asset description.

Traditional systems load media guidance data and generate user interface elements for media assets based on fixed rules. For example, cover art, title and a brief description may be loaded and generated for display for all user interface elements in a media guidance display screen, including those user interface elements that are associated with media assets the user has accessed in the past. Thus, traditional systems fail to maximize available bandwidth for transmission of media asset descriptions, present only relevant functionality and efficiently generate a media guidance display screen.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for loading interactive media guide data based on user history


A method for optimally selecting a subset of decisions from a first plurality of decisions related to management of a chaotic event. The first plurality of decisions related to the chaotic event is received. A heuristic algorithm is used to eliminate a first subset of decisions. The first subset of decisions is in the first plurality of decisions. A second plurality of decisions is formed. The second plurality of decisions comprises the first plurality of decisions less the first subset of decisions. A mathematical optimization algorithm is then used to select a second subset of decisions. The second subset of decisions is within the second plurality of decisions. The mathematical optimization algorithm takes as input at least one constraint and chaotic event information. The second subset of decisions is stored.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing a chaotic event.
2. Description of the Related Art
Major chaotic events are, by definition, times of great difficulty. Chaotic events are events that cause an interruption in routines normally performed by people in everyday activities because of damage inflicted to individuals and infrastructure. For example, there is great potential for episodes of profound chaos during hurricanes, earthquakes, tidal waves, solar flares, flooding, terrorism, war, and pandemics to name a few. Even when the chaotic event is statistically predictable, the results are often still shocking. Chaotic events do not occur frequently, but the results may be long lasting and unexpected.
Human beings, by nature, are generally very ill prepared at a mental level for planning for and dealing with these chaotic events. Leaders and other planners tend to only concentrate on a small number of obvious situations. Additionally, various chaotic events are difficult to plan for because of how rarely they occur and because of the unknowable. The unknowable effects may include the severity and geographic range of the affected area and the reaction to the event. Plans often have political or economic groundings rather than being empirically driven.
Further complicating chaotic events are the disruption to the lives of staff members, leaders of organizations, and individuals that may be expected to provide support, services, or leadership during and after the chaotic event. Unfortunately, during chaotic events, the people most needed may have been killed, injured, assisting family members, fleeing, or otherwise inaccessible. Standard contingency planning, especially for expert support, is necessary but insufficient because chaotic events are rare, catastrophic, and dynamic in nature.
The exact skills and quantities of each skill needed are unknowable. The availability of the necessary skill pool is problematic because trying to lock in additional skills in advance of a chaotic event is financially and organizationally infeasible. Providing the logistics necessary in advance to provide expert support for all potentially catastrophes is impossible. As a result, people, corporations, governments, enterprises, and agencies have great difficulty in finding necessary expert skills during chaotic events.
Additionally, the presentation of data to decision makers during a chaotic effect can have a major impact on the effectiveness of the decision makers. For example, during chaotic events decision makers can have great difficulty making optimal decisions, from a mathematically verifiable perspective, even when theoretically optimal information is available. The decision maker can be overwhelmed or confused by the way information is presented. The decision maker may also be unable to easily find important and relevant pieces of information in a sea of data. These problems may be further compounded when decisions are made by multiple decision makers.

System and method for managing a chaotic event by optimizing decision subdivisions subject to multidimensional constraints

International Business Machines Corporation


Connecting a new node to a double ring network or establishing a new network having a double ring network is greatly simplified by automatic mapping of logical interfaces to physical interfaces to conform to a mapping or polarity observed by other nodes in the network. A node may discover the network polarity via a message received from an adjacent node and, if necessary, invert the mapping between its two logical interfaces and two physical interfaces. This facilitates installation by relaxing the requirement that the correct media pair be connected to the correct node physical interface. Nodes equipped with this automatic side selection capability may interoperate with nodes that are not so-equipped.

The present invention relates to digital communication networks and more particularly, to the configuration of network nodes interconnected in ring topologies.
Increasingly, fiber optic technology is being deployed to answer the need to accommodate increasing volumes of Internet traffic including web-based electronic commerce, voice over IP, (VoIP), video over IP, and virtual private networking (VPN). In many cases, fiber optic technology has been adapted for use on the Internet by exploiting network topologies and protocols that were themselves originally developed for use in carrying multiple streams of telephony traffic using time domain multiplexing (TDM) technology.
In particular, many metropolitan and backbone networks providing IP data communication services rely on the SONET protocol developed for voice telephony traffic to provide transport services through optical fiber-based networking equipment. To provide reliability, SONET nodes are often arranged in a ring configuration where one or more rings interconnect a series of fiber optic nodes. The ring configuration provides survivability and robustness in that if a ring segment between two nodes fails, traffic may be sent the other way around the ring, or shifted to a different parallel ring if necessary.
This architecture is, however, not ideal for modern Internet traffic requirements. The multiplexed SONET data streams each have fixed bandwidth and there is no opportunity to take full advantage of statistical multiplexing, i.e., allocate bandwidth currently left unused by some services to other services experiencing peak requirements. SONET architecture therefore does not fully exploit the advantages of packet-based network networking. Furthermore, a very large percentage of the bandwidth in a SONET ring is left unused in order to implement the ring self-healing capabilities described above.
In order to address these concerns and provide other capabilities, Cisco Systems, Inc., has developed Dynamic Packet Transport (DPT) and Spatial Reuse Protocol (SRP) for use with ring-based media. These solutions combine the bandwidth efficiency and ready compatibility with Internet services of IP routing techniques with the very large bandwidth and self-healing capabilities of fiber rings. Although SONET framing may be used, TDM timeslots are not reserved for particular services or connections. Instead, DPT and SRP divide the available bandwidth among nodes and services on a real-time basis in an optimal and fair fashion. Furthermore, instead of reserving an entire ring for protection, both rings of a pair may be concurrently utilized to pass working traffic.
A DPT ring pair consists of two counter-rotating fibers, each of which can be concurrently utilized to pass both data and control packets. To distinguish between the two rings, one is referred to as the "inner" and the other "outer" ring. Data packets for a particular bi-directional connection travel on one ring and corresponding control packets travel in the opposite direction on the other ring. Packets are stripped from the ring by the destination station.
FIG. 1 depicts a simplified representation of a network employing a bi-directional dual counter-rotating ring topology such as employed by DPT/SRP. Six nodes, numbered I-VI are interconnected. Each of the six depicted nodes has two sides labeled "A" and "B." Each A side is equipped with an input for the outer ring and an output for the inner ring whereas each B side is equipped with an input for the inner ring and an output for the outer ring.
A practical difficulty arises in connecting a new node to this network in that there will be two fiber pairs available at the node site and the installer will have to determine which pair to connect to the A side and which pair to connect to the B side. Unless this is done to match the existing connections in the ring, the ring will not operate properly.
In effect, a node may be said to have one of two "polarities." The polarity identifies which ring is "inner" and which ring is "outer" according to the DPT/SRP protocol. In FIG. 1, the polarity can be reversed by flipping each node's B side and A side. When a new double ring network is set up, a polarity must somehow be determined and observed by all the nodes. When a new node joins an existing ring, it must adopt a polarity that will match the polarities of the other nodes on the ring. In, for example, a metropolitan network, the nodes will be widely dispersed and it may be difficult to determine which fiber pair should be connected to which side of the node to establish or conform to network polarity.
What is needed are systems and methods for simplifying the establishment and maintenance of network polarity in double ringed topologies.

Automatic side selection in double-ring topologies


The memory device of this invention includes a plurality of memory cell blocks each having a plurality of memory cells disposed in a matrix form. A memory cell selector selects a predetermined number of the memory cells in each memory cell block in accordance with external address signals. A sense amplifier unit amplifies data read from the selected memory cells for data read. A data output unit outputs the data amplified by the sense amplifier unit. A block selector selects a desired one or more of the memory cell blocks as data write blocks for data write. A data write unit writes data in the selected memory cells in the selected blocks. A sense amplifier controller supplies, during the data write, a signal to the sense amplifier unit to make the sense amplifier unit inactive, and during the data read supplies a signal to the sense amplifier unit to make the sense amplifier unit active.

A semiconductor memory device is known in which a memory cell array is divided into a plurality of blocks, sense amplifiers used for reading data are provided independently for each divided block of the memory cell array, and data can be written in memory cells of only all the divided blocks or of some of selected blocks. With such a semiconductor memory device, during a data write, sense amplifiers of the block not pertaining to the data write are made active, the same as during data read. Therefore, steady current will flow through sense amplifiers not pertaining to the essential operation.
As described above, with a conventional semiconductor memory device, during data write, sense amplifiers not pertaining to data write are made active, the same as during data read, allowing current to flow steadily. Power consumption will, therefore, increase. As the number of blocks increases, power consumption will increase correspondingly.

Memory cell array divided type semiconductor memory device


A drive device for a front-loading washing machine having a washing liquid-container with a rear wall, an at least substantially horizontal shaft with an outer end, and a laundry drum supported overhung on the shaft, includes a flat motor for directly driving the shaft. The flat motor has a rotor fastened at the outer end of the shaft and a stator rigidly attached to the rear wall of the washing liquid container and having exciter windings, an integrated flange with an inner periphery and a central bearing sleeve for the shaft. Lamination stacks receive the exciter windings and are distributed at the inner periphery of the flange. The rotor has circumferentially distributed magnetizable poles disposed opposite and across a minimum air gap from the lamination stacks.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a drive device for a front-loading washing machine having a laundry drum which is supported overhung by an at least substantially horizontal shaft within a bearing sleeve of a stiff carrier part mounted at a rear-wall of a washing liquid container, which is driven directly by a flat motor that is likewise mounted at the rear wall of the washing liquid container.
Such drive devices are known from German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Applications DE 39 27 426 A1 and the DE 43 41 832 A1. In those devices, the stator of the motor which is constructed as a collectorless external rotor direct current motor, is fastened directly on the bearing sleeve of the stiff carrier part. The shaft is supported in the bearing sleeve and connected at its outer end with the rotor of the motor so as to be secure against rotation. The rotor therein is a so-called external rotor which engages over the stator windings like a pot and carries poles constructed as permanent magnets. In automatic washing machines according to German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 43 41 832 A1, the motor is additionally surrounded by an insulating rod which attenuates noises radiated directly from the motor to the surrounding atmosphere.
In the known drive devices, the stator is exposed to an appreciable temperature loading in its windings due to heat flow. The stator is encapsulated by a rotor having a pot-shaped structure (and additionally by a sound-insulating hood in the case of German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 43 41 832 A1) so strongly that cooling of the motor does not take place at all. That is also enhanced above all by a direct driving motor of the type that is hardly able to reach self-cooling by virtue of the running rotor, because of its necessarily low inherent rpm. Therefore, the known drive devices are practically only usable when they are protected against rapid overheating by external cooling.

Drive device for a front-loading washing machine


A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), suitable for use in a frequency shift keying (FSK) system. The VCO device comprises a switching varactor unit, having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the switching varactor unit produces a capacitance, according to a frequency-selection voltage. A VCO core has a first output terminal, a second output terminal complementary to the first output terminal, and an input terminal. Wherein, the switching varactor unit is coupled in parallel with the VCO core at the first output terminal and the second output terminal to produce a capacitance effect with respect to the capacitance, so as to adjust a frequency constant √{square root over (LC)} of the VCO core.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a frequency shift keying (FSK) modulator. More particularly, the present invention relates to a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) suitable for use in a FSK system.
2. Description of Related Art
An oscillator is an electric or electronic circuit that produces an output signal that oscillates at a principal oscillation frequency and, in some instances, contains harmonic frequency signals (i.e., signals having frequencies that are multiples of the principal oscillation frequency). Some oscillators have a principal oscillation frequency that may be varied by the application of a suitable control voltage. Oscillators of this type, called voltage-controlled oscillators or VCO's, are used in many communication and other signal-processing applications. Because suppression or reduction of higher-order harmonics of the principal oscillation frequency and other noise in the output signal of a VCO is often desirable.
In a VCO for switching oscillation frequency bands by supplying a band switching signal to an LC resonator circuit that is connected in a phase locked loop having a phase comparator and a loop filter and sets oscillation frequencies, the LC resonator circuit includes at least one inductor and one capacitor, the connection and non-connection of a part of which are switched in response to a band switching signal and a capacitor element. Wherein, a voltage variable capacitor, or called varactor, element whose capacitance value is adjusted in response to the control voltage from the loop filter is connected in series to impedance elements acting as a composite element that exhibits a capacitance value in oscillation frequency ranges. With this arrangement, when an oscillation signal is selectively output in a high or low frequency band by switching the LC resonator circuit, the voltage controlled oscillator can increase the difference between the rates of change in the high and low frequency bands.
In communication system, the VCO is implemented in a FSK modulator. FIG. 1 is a block diagram, schematically illustrating the conventional FSK modulator. In FIG. 1, a conventional FSK modulator includes a VCO 20, a frequency divider 22, a low pass filter (LF) 24, and a frequency mixer 26. The VCO 20 further includes an oscillator for producing a fosc ∝1/√{square root over (LC)}, where C contains all related capacitance at VCO output. The frequency divider 22 is used for dividing the oscillation output. The mixer 26 is used for synthesizing frequency of the divided output with that of a reference wave signal. The LF 24 is used for removing high-frequency components of this output. The input data (DATA) is, for example, a no-return-zero (NRZ). In addition, it is assumed that a data row of the input data is temporarily at a 0 or 1 in voltage signal level.
In wireless communication, the digital binary data is carried by a central frequency f0 for transmission. FIG. 2 is a drawing, schematically the typical frequency spectrum of FSK. In order to represent the digital value 0 and digital value 1, a positive frequency shift +fm and a negative frequency shift −fm are used. In the configuration of FIG. 1, the frequency of the reference signal which is an output of a reference signal generator which is not shown is synthesized with that of a divided output of the frequency divider 22 by means of the mixer 26 so as to output a desired frequency f0. The VCO 20 detects an output of the mixer 26 and converts it to a voltage so as to synthesize it with a voltage level (0 [V] or 1 [V]) of a data row. For example, an output frequency of the VCO 20 becomes a frequency f1 (f1=f0−fm1) when a voltage level of a data row is at level 0 [V] and it becomes a frequency f4 (f2=f0+fm4) when it is at level 1 [V], so that there is a difference of fm1+fm4 between these frequencies. As described above, the FSK modulation is achieved by shifting a frequency from the intermediate frequency f0 by ±fm. Since the actual frequency being used is not a fixed value, and can be varied. Therefore, various frequency shifts are necessary to be set, in order to have the optimal frequency to transmit data without errors.
Conventionally, the frequency fi can be selected by setting different voltage Vi. The desired frequency spacing between digital level 0 [V] and 1 [V] can be obtained by selecting a pair of frequency [fi, fj] with the desired frequency spacing.
However, in the conventional FSK modulator, the frequency spacing is fixed. There is no way to further adjust the frequency spacing to get more precise frequency spacing. If the frequency is more precise, the data error is less. Therefore, it is an issue about how to get more precise frequency spacing to represent the binary data.

Voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) suitable for use in frequency shift keying (FSK) system


The present invention provides devices for safely closing an opening in tissue using suture. In one embodiment, the device includes an elongated main body constructed to permit visualization longitudinally through the main body from the proximal end to the distal end, the distal end defining a support surface to support the suture and protect distal body structures. A flange is connect to the main body adjacent the proximal end and projects laterally therefrom in first and second lateral directions. First and second guide holes extend longitudinally through the flange, and are structured to direct a suturing instrument longitudinally towards the support surface for passing the suture.

Among the most significant advances in medical surgical techniques has been the adoption, and now-routine performance, of a variety of minimally invasive procedures. These minimally invasive procedures are distinguishable from conventional open surgical procedures in that access to a body cavity of a patient is achieved through a relatively small incision through the tissue, such as the skin and underlying fascia layers. A tubular medical device (or tubular portion of a device) may be inserted or introduced through the incision into the body cavity for carrying out a medical procedure. Laparoscopy is one such procedure and is commonly used to treat a variety of internal bodily structures. Many other types of external percutaneous connections also provide a patient or medical staff with access to an internal organ or bodily lumen. For example, semi-permanent connections are made through the skin for placement of IV lines, catheters, dialysis lines, colostomy bags in the like. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes, commonly known as PEG tubes, are used as a means of feeding when a person is unable to eat. Gastropexy is a procedure to suture the stomach to the skin around and access site, e.g. for longer term placement of such connection tubes.
The puncture at the access site is typically closed by suturing, or by manually providing pressure on the site until clotting and/or wound sealing occurs. Suturing is more often utilized for larger punctures, whereas manual pressure is more often utilized in connection with smaller punctures. The manual method, however, can take half an hour or more, and requires the patient to remain substantially immobilized for at least that period of time while pressure is applied by medical personnel to the access site. In addition, it may be necessary for the patient to remain in the hospital for a period of time thereafter for observation. Furthermore, there may be a possibility of clot formation at the puncture site.
Utilizing sutures to close the opening may have procedure variability, which may require additional time to close the vessel. When sutures are utilized to close a larger vascular access site, they typically are of the "purse-string" type. In this type of suture, a single thread is stitched to surround the access site, and then pulled tight (like a purse-string) to close the access site. Performing this suture typically requires a good deal of skill and practice on the part of the physician. It also may be difficult to perform this type of suturing in a key-hole type procedure, or in other types of surgery where there is limited access to the wound site. Damage to the underlying body structures is also a concern when suturing such openings, as is the proper suturing of the fascia layers beneath the skin.


The present invention is directed to technology for determining the set of groups of which a user is a member. A user can be a static member, dynamic member or nested member of a group. A user is a nested member of a first group if that user is a member of a second group and the second group is a member of the first group. There can be multiple levels of nesting. For example, an entity can be a nested member of a first group if that entity is a member of a second group, which is a member of a third group, which is a member of a fourth group, which is a member of the first group. The present invention can determine the groups of which the user is a static member, dynamic member or nested member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to technology for determining the set of groups that a user is a member of.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the growth of the Internet, the use of networks and other information technologies, Identity Systems have become more popular. In general, an Identity System provides for the creation, removal, editing and other managing of identity information stored in various types of data stores. The identity information pertains to users, groups, organizations and/or things. For each entry in the data store, a set of attributes are stored. For example, the attributes stored for a user may include a name, an address, an employee number, a telephone number, an email address, a user ID and a password. The Identity System can also manage access privileges that govern what an entity can view, create, modify or use in the Identity System. Often, this management of access privileges is based on one or more attributes.
Groups can be very useful for managing access privileges and other items. For example, if five persons at a company have similar job responsibilities, they are likely to need similar access privileges. Rather than configure each person separately, a group can be created and each of the five persons can be added to the group. An administrator then only needs to configure the system for the single group's access privileges, instead of five separate persons. Groups can be used for any subset of access privileges. Groups are also popular for mailing lists.
A user can be a member of a group by explicitly identifying that user as a member. This is referred to as static membership. There are at least two additional means for a user to become a member of a group. First, a rule can be set up that defines who can become a member of the group. A user who is a member of a group based on a rule is referred to as a dynamic member. Additionally, a first group can be a member of a second group, causing all of the members of the first group to be members of the second group. The members of the first group are said to be nested members of the second group, while the first group is said to be a group member of the second group.
One service of an Identity System that can be useful to a user is to provide, on demand or automatically, an identification of the groups that a user is a member of. This identification of groups should report those groups that include the user as a static member, dynamic member or nested member.


A control panel for automatic beverage machines includes a touch screen that visually represents icons saved in a memory unit as the displayed basic setting as a first selector mechanism used for choosing a desired beverage and by which a predetermined preparation process is triggered. The steps of the selected beverage preparation process may be visually represented on the touch screen. Alternatively, the touch screen is used as a second selector mechanism for choosing a desired preparation setting after a beverage is chosen by actuating the first selector mechanism. When a preparation setting is selected, the touch screen displays the icon for the selected beverage in addition to setting key icons that allow an operator to select and save a desired setting.

The invention refers to a control panel for hot beverage dispensing machines, whereby the hot beverage dispensing machine is adapted to prepare and dispense several different beverages, selectable by means of the control panel, which is designed as a touch screen on which icons corresponding to a beverage can be visually displayed.
By means of known control panels for hot beverage dispensing machine, an operator can select a beverage, which in turn is prepared by the hot beverage dispensing machine and thereafter dispensed. Thereby, the preparation is often performed according to a default or pre-selected setting. The control panel can be coupled with a display device showing the selection simultaneously as text or symbol and icon, respectively, resulting in the possibility for the operator to check his input for selecting a beverage or for an individual setting of preparing a beverage. Particularly preferred for this purpose are control panels with integrated display unit, by means of which the operation of a machine is possible by simply actuating of buttons and subsequent display of a result of the input on the screen on the display unit.
In such control panels already in practical use, often symbols, so-called icons representing the beverage, like a cup of coffee, to be prepared by a hot beverage dispensing machine are used as a display for such a time until the beverage is dispensed by the machine, to subsequently being ready for preparing a further or another beverage.
Even in the case of an individual preparation setting selected by an operator, an icon for a certain beverage can be displayed, which can be selected by an operator from a group of preset selection possibilities. Thus, for example, default settings possibilities can be provided as key icons at the edge of the screen; by touching them, an operator selects a setting whereafter an icon corresponding to the touched key icon is displayed in the center of the screen.
The publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,072, for example, discloses a networked beverage dispensing machine having a touch screen, on which data can be displayed that have been recalled by an operator from the network and which serves also as a control panel for the beverage dispensing machine. In this case, upon a corresponding activation, icons saved in a storage device are read and visually displayed on the touch screen. Thereby, the icons refer to selection possibilities, preparation processes and/or characteristics of mixed beverages and/or of the beverage dispensing machine and/or of the touch screen.

Control panel for hot beverage dispensing machines


An image detector for X-ray technology enables different image resolutions in a simple way. In an a-Si:H detector matrix, several pixels can be fixed via a row lead and a column lead, and these pixels can be interrogated together or, by the use of voltage impulses of different levels or polarity, can be interrogated separately.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an image detector suitable for generating electrical signals corresponding to a light image incident on the detector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In systems for generating X-ray images, in practice a spatial resolution matched to the particular diagnostic task at hand is required. Thus, for a survey exposure a low resolution is sufficient, while for details a high resolution is often required. For the production of individual exposures, it is known to use films, film/foil combinations or storage foils having different resolutions. For fluoroscopy, there are X-ray image amplifiers whose image enlargement, as well as the resolution connected therewith, is selectable.

Image detector with selective readout of pixels in groups or individually


A technique is disclosed for automatically implementing item substitutions for unavailable items in a customer order. According to one embodiment, line item orders from selected customer orders may be aggregated and processed for substitution analysis. Substitutions for unavailable items of selected customer orders may then be automatically implemented based upon substitution instructions, business rules, and/or other predefined criteria.

The present invention pertains to order substitution methods and systems that automatically perform substitutions for unavailable items in a customer order. More specifically, the invention allows for the substitution of unavailable items based upon predetermined criteria and set processes, so that the substitutions are made in a manner that optimizes efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Substitution methods in the current art typically use non-systematic and inefficient procedures in order to provide substitute items for unavailable items in a customer order. For example, some Internet-based grocery shoppers, (such as, for example, Peapod Inc., of Skokie, Ill.), send human buyers to one or more stores in order to fulfill customer orders. If a buyer is trying to fulfill an order for Brand A 64 oz. Ketchup, for example, and it is out of stock at the store, the buyer can make a substitution in order to approximate the product that the customer ordered. However, the substituted item may only be chosen from available items on the grocery shelf, which are typically adjacent to the unavailable items on the shelf space. Thus, for example, the buyer might substitute the same brand ketchup in a different size or variety, or a different brand in a similar size or variety, assuming that either is available at the store.
There are several problems with conventional order substitution methods. For one, the buyer's guess often does not result in a satisfactory substitute, particularly since they buyer is typically not an expert on all types of products. Also, the buyer does not have a procedure by which to consider all of his or her or her customer orders in the aggregate in order to make decisions that better maximize customer satisfaction. Further, no procedures exist for aggregating the orders of one buyer with that of other buyers in order to make larger aggregate decisions. Additionally, the buyer also does not have access to data concerning the available inventory of the store before attempting to fulfill his or her orders, and therefore is only able to make ad hoc decisions at the time of fulfillment.
For these, and other reasons, an efficient, automatic system architecture and method is desired to implement substitutions for unavailable items in customer orders.

Technique for implementing item substitution for unavailable items relating to a customer order


Provided are novel multidimensional electrode structures containing high capacity active materials for use in rechargeable electrochemical cells. These structures include main support structures and multiple nanowires attached to the support structures and extending into different directions away from these supports. The active material may be deposited as a layer (uniform or non-uniform) surrounding the nanowires and, in certain embodiments, the main supports and even substrate. The active material layer may be sufficiently thin to prevent pulverization of the layer at given operating conditions. Interconnections between the electrode structures and/or substrate may be provided by overlaps formed during deposition of the active layer. Silicide-based nano wires structures may be formed on the main supports in a fluidized bed reactor by suspending the metal-containing main supports in a silicon-containing process gas. A layer of silicon may be then deposited over these silicide nanowires.

High capacity electrochemically active materials are very desirable for battery applications. However, these materials exhibit substantial volume changes during battery cycling, such as swelling during lithiation and contracting during delithiation. For example, silicon swells as much as 400% during lithiation to its theoretical capacity of about 4200 mAh/g or Li4.4Si structure. Volume changes of this magnitude cause pulverization of active materials structures, losses of electrical connections, and capacity fading.
Providing high capacity materials as nanostructures can address some of these issues. Small dimensions of nanostructures cause less overall dimensional changes, which may be less mechanically destructive. However, integrating nanostructures into commercially-scaled battery electrodes layers has been challenging difficult. For example, nanofilms deposited on conventional flat substrates, such as metal foils, generally do not provide adequate loading. Furthermore, many processes proposed for fabricating nanostructures are slow and often involve expensive materials. For example, etching silicon nanowires from bulk particles requires silver catalysts and expensive etching solution. Growing long crystalline silicon structures can also be a relative slow process and may involve expensive catalysts, such as gold.

Multidimensional electrochemically active structures for battery electrodes


A method for measuring a change between two values for one or more data elements over time uses a “delta” value to indicate the significance of the change. The delta value is the difference between the two values, added to the ratio between those values multiplied by an asymptote. Experimental data sets with known values may be used to create data sets to which selection criteria are applied in order to calculate an optimal asymptote for the application of the delta values. This optimal asymptote may then be used for calculating delta values across an entire population for predictive purposes.

The art includes a number of computerized systems and methods for calculating values representing the magnitude of change (or difference between values) based on their relative strength or significance in various applications. Three of the most common methods are the difference between two numbers, index, and Z-scores.
In an absolute value comparison, the change in value is used to rank values without any modifications to the absolute value of the change. For example, suppose that it is desirable for marketing purposes to track changes in the income of a consumer over time. If a consumer's income increases from $25,000 per year to $50,000 per year, this has an absolute value change of $25,000 during that timeframe. The use of absolute values is of limited utility in many applications, including marketing, because the absolute value of the change may or may not correlate to an event of marketing significance. In the case of the consumer whose income changed from $25,000 to $50,000, a significant change has indeed occurred, and marketing efforts should be redirected accordingly. Consider, however, the case of a consumer whose income changes from $1,025,000 to $1,050,000 over the same time period. While the absolute value of income change is the same as in the previous example, this change is likely insignificant for marketing purposes. Thus measuring the absolute value of a change, such as change in income, is not a useful measure of significance for marketing and many other purposes.
An index ranking measures the relative strength of a relationship as a percentage. Using the example above, the consumer whose income changed from $25,000 to $50,000 experienced a 100% increase in income over the time period. The consumer who experienced a change from $1,025,000 to $1,050,000 experienced only a 2% change in income. The use of an index ranking thus better captures the significance of the change in this case. The use of index ranking, however, also presents a number of drawbacks. A doubling of income may represent the same percentage change, but may have a different significance for persons earning $5,000, $50,000, or $5,000,000. Indexes contain no information about sample size, or whether the index is statistically significant. Thus insignificant changes may be ranked very highly if index ranking is used. In addition, index measures are not necessarily symmetric, that is, they not scale equally in both directions; a percentage index can increase by any amount, such as for example a 300% increase, but the most that an index percentage can decrease by is 100%.
A Z-score (also referred to as a "standard" score) measures the number of standard deviations an observed data point varies from a mean data value. The Z-score is calculated by subtracting the mean from an individual raw (absolute) score, and then dividing the difference by the standard deviation for the overall data set. Z-scores are useful for showing statistical significance, but the simple fact that a particular value has statistical significance does not necessarily mean it is predictive of behavior, which is desirable for many applications, including marketing. Also, Z-scores can only be used on sets of different samples; they cannot be used longitudinally on the same sample. They are thus of limited utility for many such applications.
Given the limitations in the various ranking systems described above for finding significance and for ranking, an improved ranking method that better identifies significance, scales equally high or low, and has positives values for increases and negative values for decreases, is desirable. In particular, it would be desirable to develop a ranking method that combines the predictive qualities of index ranking with the quality of Z-scores of only showing large values when coverage is significant.
The inventors have recognized that databases that include a measure of change may be useful in the improvement of systems that use historical data. Historical data is difficult to compile into an easy-to-use and "lightweight" data structure. This is especially true when tracking many data elements at the same time. For example, in a database containing information about a large number of households or consumers in a particular geographic area, a move, marriage, new birth, automobile purchase, and other such occurrences each create a new record with multiple details regarding each event. The result is a common problem in "big data" where there are very many records across time, to the extent that at some point the data becomes unmanageable even for more advanced and powerful computing systems. For some parties that maintain such databases, the sheer size of historical or "longitudinal" data becomes so large that it must be archived, and is thus no longer effectively used in marketing, business analytics, or other desirable applications. It would be desirable to transform this data from a set of previous state values and new state values into change values, since the result would be a much smaller footprint that would be more manageable.
References mentioned in this background section are not admitted to be prior art with respect to the present invention.

System and method for representing change values


A method for processing a semiconductor device includes providing the semiconductor device including a deep trench transistor in an array area and a shallow trench isolation oxide in a support area, wherein a pad oxide and pad nitride are sequentially formed on a semiconductor substrate. The method includes stripping the pad nitride, depositing an array top oxide layer over the pad oxide formed on the semiconductor substrate in the array area and the support area, and planarizing the array top oxide to a top of the shallow trench isolation oxide in the support area and to a deep trench poly stud of the deep trench transistor in the array area. The method further includes forming a wordline stack comprising a nitride layer, a gate conductor and an insulator, and etching the array top oxide, forming a passing wordline bridge through the array area supported on the shallow trench isolation oxide.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the manufacture of semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a gate conductor isolation process of a vertical DRAM cell.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The manufacture and design of integrated circuits has greatly increased in sophistication, including the isolation of gate conductors. Increased integration density leads to economic advantages as increased numbers of devices and circuits may be placed on a single chip and/or within a single package (which may include a plurality of chips). Performance improvements such as achieved as integration density is increased may be due to a reduction in length of signal paths, capacitance between connections and the like. The performance gain is important in integrated circuits.
Integrated circuits such as dynamic access memories (DRAMs) can have millions of similar devices on a single chip, collectively referred to as an array or array portion of the chip design. The devices are controlled throughout the chip or partitions thereof by circuits such as addressing circuits, sense amplifiers and the like, referred to as support circuits.
Circuit requirements may be different for the array and support regions of the chip, and may need different processes during manufacture. For example, the current integration process for vertical array DRAM results in an insufficient process window for the formation of an array top oxide needed for the isolation of passing wordline to an active area.
In view of the foregoing and other problems of chip architecture, a need exists for a method for a gate conductor isolation process for a semiconductor memory device, the memory device including an array area and a support area.

Gate conductor isolation and method for manufacturing same


A wagering game that allows the player and/or the dealer a redeal. If the player doesn't like his or her hand, the player can discard the player's hand and receive a new set of cards. If the dealer doesn't like his or her hand, according to predetermined dealer criteria, then the dealer can discard the dealer's hand and receive a new set of cards. The highest hand wins. The player can also have the opportunity to make a bonus bet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present inventive concept relates to a wagering game, and more particularly to a game which allows the player and/or the dealer to have redeals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Casino table games related to poker are a currently a hot industry. Casinos are always looking for new and exciting table games which can increase the casino's revenue and also provide a more exciting game for the players then the current set of games.


An information processing method and apparatus employing a pointing device, such as a mouse, as an input device. A cursor and one or more objects are displayed on a display device of an information processing apparatus, and the position of the cursor is moved in the picture based on coordinate data entered to the information processing apparatus for displaying the cursor thus moved on the display device. If, when the cursor is positioned on one of the objects, data instructing execution of processing is entered to the apparatus, a pre-set processing defined for each object is executed. If, as a result of cursor movement, the cursor enters a pre-set area defined for the object, the cursor is moved to near the center of the object and displayed on the display device. The cursor may be moved easily by the pointing device and the information processing apparatus is improved in operability.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information processing apparatus employing a pointing device, such as a mouse, as an entry device, and an information processing method employing such pointing device, such as a mouse, as an entry device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent information processing apparatuses, a pointing device, such as a mouse, is occasionally employed as an entry device.
In such information processing apparatuses, a cursor position in a picture displayed on a display is shifted depending on coordinate data entered from a pointing device and represented by on X and Y coordinates. A command for executing the processing is then entered whilst the cursor is positioned on a particular object, after which pre-set processing defined on the object is executed.
Up to now, mice or trackballs have been widely employed as pointing devices. Such pointing devices include a ball and a detection unit for detecting the direction and the amount of rotation of the ball and coordinate data is outputted based on the direction and the amount of rotation of the ball.
Recently, a pointing device having a main body portion which is moved in a three-dimensional space for entering coordinate data, or a so-called air mouse, has been developed. This air mouse has a detection unit for detecting the acceleration of movement of the main body portion and coordinate data is outputted based on the detected acceleration.
Such air mouse has a merit that, since coordinate data can be entered on simply moving the main body portion in a three-dimensional space, a ball supporting surface, such as a desk surface, as is required in a mouse, is not required, and coordinate data can be entered in a completely contact-free manner with respect to another surface. An example of such a pointing device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,758. However, acceleration with this air mouse cannot be detected accurately with ease, the air mouse is not excellent at present in input precision. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to shift the cursor correctly to a desired position.
A wireless type pointing device also has come into use. When the wireless type pointing device is in use, coordinate data is transmitted from the pointing device to the main body portion of the information processing apparatus over a radio route and cursor movement on the display device occurs based on the transmitted coordinate data.
Such a wireless type pointing device is effective in particular if the user is at some distance from the screen of the display device since there is no space limitation imposed by a cable interconnecting the information processing apparatus and the pointing device. Therefore, it may be presumed that, as the use of the wireless type pointing device becomes popular, the chance of using a pointing device under a condition in which the user is at some distance from the screen of the display device is increased. However, if the user is at some distance from the screen of the display device, the pointing device becomes difficult to manipulate such that it becomes difficult for the user to shift the cursor correctly to a desired position.
As described above, a variety of pointing devices are used under various situations such that a problem has been presented wherein a cursor cannot be moved precisely to desired places without difficulties.

Information processing method and apparatus


The invention features a method of identifying a compound that inhibits (a) the physical interaction (binding) between MUC1 and tumor progressors (e.g., β-catenin, c-Src, EGF-R, p120ctn, or PKCδ) and/or (b) phosphorylation of MUC1 by tumor progressors with kinase activity (e.g., c-Src, EGF-R, or PKCδ). The invention also includes a method of inhibiting an interaction between MUC1 and β-catenin and a method of inhibiting expression of MUC1 or a tumor progressor in a cell.

The DF3/MUC1 gene encodes a high molecular weight membrane-associated glycoprotein with a mucin-like external domain. The MUC1 glycoprotein is expressed on the apical borders of secretory epithelial cells and aberrantly at high levels over the entire surface of breast, prostate, lung and other types of carcinoma cells [Kufe et al.(1984) Hybridoma 3:223-232; Perey et al. (1992) Cancer Res. 52:2563-2568]. Estimates indicate that over 500,000 new tumors overexpressing MUC1 are diagnosed each year.


This disclosure relates a water pump, a system for cooling internal combustion engine components including a water pump, and a method for operating an internal combustion engine including a water pump. The water pump, system and method provide protection of the pump impeller during dry pump operation, such as when a watercraft engine is started while the watercraft is out of water, by dispensing fluid from a reservoir to the pump's impeller chamber. The fluid enters the chamber via a controllable flow path and interacts with the impeller and chamber walls to cool and lubricate the impeller.

Marine engines typically draw water from the operating environment to perform heat exchange with elements of a watercraft. For example, sea water can be drawn in via a seacock in the hull of a watercraft to cool engine components and provide air conditioning of the watercraft quarters. To create a sufficient flow of water for such applications, an engine crankshaft drives a raw water pump of an open loop system mounted on or near the engine to pump water directly through water jackets of the engine or through a heat exchanger including piping of a closed loop cooling system.

Water pump and water pump system and method


A microchannel amplifier includes an insulating substrate that defines at least one microchannel pore through the substrate from an input surface to an output surface. A conductive layer is formed on an outer surface of the at least one microchannel pore that has a non-uniform resistance as a function of distance through the at least one microchannel pore. The non-uniform resistance is selected to simulate saturation by reducing gain as a function of input current and bias voltage compared with uniform resistance. A first and second electrode is deposited on a respective one of the input and the output surfaces of the insulating substrate. The microchannel amplifier amplifying emissions propagating through the at least one microchannel pore when the first and second electrodes are biased.

The present invention relates to microchannel plates (MCPs) and microchannel amplifiers (MCAs). A microchannel amplifier typically includes a large array of microchannel plate electron multipliers that are closely spaced. Each of the microchannel plate electron multipliers is a continuous dynode particle multiplier. Microchannel amplifiers can be formed into virtually any shape and size to provide the desired electron flux and amplification.
Microchannel plate electron multipliers operate on the principle of secondary electron emission. Electrons are spontaneously generated and amplified inside the microchannel plate electron multipliers when the electron multipliers are properly biased. An electron, charged particle, fast neutral particle, or photon entering the electron multipliers with sufficient energy causes a cascade of secondary electron emissions down the electron multiplier that ultimately exits the output of the electron multiplier.
Microchannel amplifiers are routinely used in many systems, such as mass spectrometry systems, to detect and amplify weak ion signals. Recently microchannel amplifiers have been used for electron beam sources, such as electron beam sources suitable for electron beam lithography applications.

Microchannel amplifier with tailored pore resistance


A transit system includes a road, a plurality of pavement markers spaced apart along a lane line of the road, and a plurality of RF devices carried by the pavement markers. The RF devices are configured to transmit RF navigation signals to motor vehicles traveling along the road.

A self-driving vehicle is capable of controlling steering, acceleration, and braking without direct driver input. The input is provided by sensors such as radar, lidar, GPS, odometry, and computer vision.
However, GPS and computer vision have certain drawbacks. Thick fog, smoky conditions, and snow may make it difficult for the computer vision to generate an accurate view of roads and other surroundings. As for GPS, it has accuracy problems for moving vehicles (especially at high speeds) and vehicles in certain locations (e.g., downtown cities, and canyons). In addition, GPS is vulnerable to "spoofing" attacks, which generate false GPS signals. Spoofing attacks can create security and safety issues for self-driving vehicles.

Navigation infrastructure for motor vehicles


A method for writing repeatable run-out (RRO) data, to surfaces of a rotating magnetic storage medium in a storage device having two read channels, includes detecting, with a first head, using a first read channel, a servo sync mark (SSM) on a first track on a first surface, establishing a recurring servo-gating signal at a successive fixed interval from the SSM, detecting, with the first head, servo signals from the first track on occurrence of the recurring servo-gating signal, processing the servo signals from the first track, to generate first positioning signals for positioning the first head relative to the first track, following a similar procedure with a second read channel having a second head to generate second positioning signals for the second read head, and writing first and second RRO data to servo wedges of the first and second tracks according to the respective positioning signals.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the inventors hereof, to the extent that that work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted to be prior art against the subject matter of the present disclosure.
In magnetic recording, as one example, reading and writing are performed by one or more heads that move relative to the surface of a storage medium. Magnetic disk drives, for example, include a one or more individual disks, or "platters," which may be two-sided—i.e., each platter can store data on each of its two sides. Therefore, such a disk drive would have at least two heads for each platter. Indeed, for each platter, there is normally at least one write head and at least one separate read head, so that such a disk drive normally has at least four heads per platter.
In a common configuration, all of the heads in a given disk drive may be mounted on arms attached to a common actuator that controls the radial position of the heads (an angular, tangential or circumferential component of motion is provided by the rotation of the platters relative to the heads). This is true whether there is one or many platters, and one or multiple heads per platter. In alternative configurations, there may be multiple (e.g., two) actuators, each of which bears multiple arms, of which all normally carry respective read and write heads.
In order to control the radial position selected by the actuator, each surface of each platter has distributed upon it positional information referred to as "servo" data. The servo data are commonly distributed in spaced-apart servo "wedges" (generally spaced equiangularly) on the platter surface. By reading the servo data as each servo wedge passes under the read head, the disk drive controller can determine the precise radial (and angular) position of the head and can feed back that determination to control the position of the read head or the write head, depending on the required operation. One component of servo data is a "repeatable run-out," or RRO, field, which characterizes repeatable contributions to error, so that it can be factored into position determinations.
Servo wedge information typically is recorded on a storage medium at the time of manufacture. One technique for recording servo wedge information is "self-servo write" ("SSW"), in which the storage device's own read/write mechanisms, including data channel controllers and read/write heads, are used to write the servo wedge information, possibly under control of an external processor.
Self-servo-write operations typically begin with writing of initial or "coarse" reference spirals. The coarse reference spirals are sets of time data written in highly ramped spirals between the outer and inner diameter of the disk by sweeping the disk read/write head radially at a relatively high rate as the disk rotates. The coarse reference spirals may not be regularly or evenly spaced. After coarse reference spirals have been written, the read/write mechanism reads and "learns" the locations of the coarse reference spirals. The coarse reference spiral locations are then referenced to allow the writing of more refined location data as "intermediate" reference spirals. The intermediate reference spirals are less ramped than the coarse spirals and contain more precise time data. After the intermediate spirals have been written, the read/write mechanism reads and "learns" the locations of the intermediate spirals. From this finer location data, the read/write mechanism writes final servo control signal patterns as "servo wedges" along concentric arcs at varying radii (i.e., in tracks).
The quality of the spiral data and the servo wedge data is affected by the frequency at which the spiral data and the servo wedge data are processed. In typical implementations, both the spiral data and the servo wedge data are processed at frequencies derived from a common reference frequency, but using separate time base generators.
After the self-servo write operations, the aforementioned RRO data also must be written to each servo wedge.
As described, self-servo-write operations and RRO-write operations each utilize both the read-data channel (RDC) and the write-data channel (WDC) of a disk drive, and both the RDC and the WDC are typically limited to operating on only one disk surface at any one time. In a typical disk drive having multiple platters, each with hundreds of thousands of tracks, but only one RDC and one WDC, self-servo-write and RRO-write operations may require days or weeks to complete, adding to the time and cost of manufacturing the disk drive. Indeed, up to 40% of the time required to manufacture a high-performance disk drive is consumed by the self-servo-write and RRO-write processes.

Dual-surface RRO write in a storage device servo system


A glove particularly useful for cycling includes a plurality of finger elements a thumb element a dorsal side panel and a palmar side panel. The finger elements cover the fingers the thumb elements cover a thumb the dorsal side panel covers a back or dorsal side of the hand and the palmar side panel covers a palm of the hand. Shock absorbing pads are provided on the palmar side of the glove to extend along opposed sides of the ulnar nerve when in a use condition. Moreover one of the ulnar protective pads is placed generally between the ulnar and the median nerves and thereby off loads the stress on the ulnar nerve in the wrist area of the wearer when a wearer is gripping objects such as the handle bars of a bicycle or the like.

(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to gloves for the human hand and particularly for the protection of the ulnar and median nerves in the wrist area of the human hand. More particularly, this invention relates to a protective glove for use in sports for applications where the hands of the wearer are exposed to high impact or stress over prolonged periods of time such as, for example, as in the sport of long distance cycling.
(b) Description of Prior Art
Glove construction for protection of the human hand is well known. In addition, there are a number of patents which teach gloves claimed to be particularly useful in the playing of sports. Moreover, there are a number of patents which teach gloves claimed to be particularly useful for long distance cycling and in the protection for the median and ulnar nerves of the human hand. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,704,939; 6,216,276; and 5,581,809 teach padding used in the palm areas of the hand which are conducive for use in weight lifting and cycling.
The median and ulnar nerves in the hand pass through separate canals within the wrist area of the hands and when the wrist area of the hand is subjected to stress on these nerves over an extended period of time, the nerves can become involved and potentially suffer a condition such as carpal tunnel syndrome. This prolonged exposure to stress is prevalent in long distance cycling.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,751 is directed to a glove for allegedly preventing carpal tunnel syndrome and teaches resilient protective padding which extends along opposed sides of the median nerve along the wrist area and into the palm of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,514 is directed to a glove with pads for protecting the median and ulnar nerve of the hand and teaches devices to hold these pads in place in relation to the median and ulnar nerves. Specifically, the protective pads are positioned so that one of the pads extends along the metacarpals of the thumb in an area distal to the scaphoid and along the metacarpal of the index finger. A second pad extends along the metacarpal of the small finger along the ulnar nerve terminating at the pisiform.
However, there is a continued need for protective gloves which are specifically designed for off loading the stress exerted upon the ulnar and median nerves in the wrist area.


A groove cutting tool has a groove insert and a tool holder. The groove insert can be replaced by using a lever tool. The lever tool penetrates into a slot by way of an ejector portion and is able to assume several positions in the slot either in order to contact the groove insert and to push it out of its receiving means or in order to push away a clamping jaw and to open the receiving means for the groove insert.

Groove inserts are built into rotary cutters or also milling cutters as a replaceable unit in order to be replaced when worn. Groove inserts are extremely small in size such that their secure fastening in the tool holder has to be ensured, also in the case of a lateral feed.
The groove inserts have lateral faces which are exposed in the tool, i.e. the groove inserts are received in a positively locking manner in the receiving means between their top surface and their bottom surface, possibly also their rear surface and are held by means of a clamping force. The opening of the receiving means for replacing the cutting insert is effected by means of a separate lever tool which is to be placed in position laterally and has a bearing continuation which penetrates into an opening in the tool holder and an ejector continuation which penetrates into a rear slot which proceeds from the receiving means. By pivoting the lever tool, the ejector continuation slips along a path and impacts against the bottom surface of the clamping jaw in order to raise said clamping jaw and to spread open the receiving means. As an alternative to this, the ejector continuation can be pressed against the rear surface of the groove insert in order to push said groove insert in the clamped state out of the receiving means.
As an alternative to this, there are solutions where the ejector continuation is able to penetrate into an opening of the clamping jaw and the clamping jaw is able to be moved directly upward.
DE 197 39 855 A1 shows a groove cutting tool having a tool holder where there is a slot on the rear surface proceeding from the receiving means. Said slot has a portion which is greater in cross section and into which the ejector continuation penetrates when inserted, and a connecting portion which tapers toward the receiving means and into which the ejector continuation is pressed when the tool holder is opened. When pivoting the lever tool in the direction of the groove insert, the clamping jaw is pressed upward and the groove insert is able to be pulled out.

Tool holder for groove cutting tool, groove insert and groove cutting tool


Machine learning systems and methods are disclosed for prediction of wound healing, such as for diabetic foot ulcers or other wounds, and for assessment implementations such as segmentation of images into wound regions and non-wound regions. Systems for assessing or predicting wound healing can include a light detection element configured to collect light of at least a first wavelength reflected from a tissue region including a wound, and one or more processors configured to generate an image based on a signal from the light detection element having pixels depicting the tissue region, determine reflectance intensity values for at least a subset of the pixels, determine one or more quantitative features of the subset of the plurality of pixels based on the reflectance intensity values, and generate a predicted or assessed healing parameter associated with the wound over a predetermined time interval.

Optical imaging is an emerging technology with potential for improving disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment at the scene of an emergency, in the medical office, at the bedside, or in the operating room. Optical imaging technologies can noninvasively differentiate among tissues, and between native tissues and tissue labeled with either endogenous or exogenous contrast media, measuring their different photon absorption or scattering profiles at different wavelengths. Such photon absorption and scattering differences offers potential for providing specific tissue contrasts, and enables studying functional and molecular level activities that are the basis for health and disease.
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of wavelengths or frequencies over which electromagnetic radiation (e.g., light) extends. In order from longer wavelengths to shorter wavelengths, the electromagnetic spectrum includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared (IR) light, visible light (that is, light that is detectable by the structures of the human eye), ultraviolet (UV) light, x-rays, and gamma rays. Spectral imaging refers to a branch of spectroscopy and photography in which some spectral information or a complete spectrum is collected at locations in an image plane. Some spectral imaging systems can capture one or more spectral bands. Multispectral imaging systems can capture multiple spectral bands (on the order of a dozen or less and typically at discrete spectral regions), for which spectral band measurements are collected at each pixel, and can refer to bandwidths of about tens of nanometers per spectral channel. Hyperspectral imaging systems measure a greater number of spectral bands, for example as many as 200 or more, with some providing a continuous sampling of narrow bands (e.g., spectral bandwidths on the order of nanometers or less) along a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Machine learning systems and methods for assessment, healing prediction, and treatment of wounds


A liquid crystal lens includes a plurality of first stripe-shaped electrodes, a plurality of second stripe-shaped electrodes, and a plurality of third stripe-shaped electrodes. Each first stripe-shaped electrode is disposed between any two of the second stripe-shaped electrodes that are adjacent to each other, and each second stripe-shaped electrode and each first stripe-shaped electrode are arranged along a first direction alternately. The third stripe-shaped electrodes are arranged along a second direction sequentially and interlaced with the first stripe-shaped electrodes and the second stripe-shaped electrodes. Any two of the second stripe-shaped electrodes and two opposite sides of each third stripe-shaped electrode perpendicular to the second direction define a lens region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal lens, a stereoscopic display device and a displaying method thereof, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal lens and a stereoscopic display device adapted to display a frame having a two-dimensional (2D) image and a three-dimensional (3D) image simultaneously, as well as to a displaying method of stereoscopic display device displaying the two-dimensional (2D) image and the three-dimensional (3D) image simultaneously.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The displaying methods of conventional auto-stereoscopic display device for the 3D image can be divided into two different types, including using a parallax-barrier liquid crystal panel and using a liquid crystal lens. In the method of using the liquid crystal lens, the display device of the stereoscopic display device displays a left eye image and a right eye image, and the liquid crystal lens refracts the left eye image to the left eye of the user and refracts the right eye image to the right eye of the user. Therefore, the user can observe the 3D image. However, the structure of the conventional liquid crystal lens only can switch between two modes that are to present an entire liquid crystal lens and to be entirely transparent respectively, thus that, the conventional stereoscopic display device can only display the entire screen as the 2D image or the 3D image and fails to display the screen having the 2D image and the 3D image together in a part thereof. As a result, while the conventional stereoscopic display device displays text and video in the same screen, the text and the video will be displayed in 3D manner. However, the text displayed in 3D manner is easy to cause use's discomfort, due to the parallax between the left eye and the right eye. Also, the resolution of the text displayed in 3D manner is poor, in comparison with the text displayed in 2D manner, thereby making the text more blurred. Hence, there is an urgent need in the art to provide a stereoscopic display device which is capable of displaying the 2D image and the 3D image simultaneously in a screen.

Displaying method of stereoscopic display device


In a method of forming a glass to metal seal between one end of a glass lamp tube (for, for example, a flash lamp or laser lamp), a metal rod which is terminated by the electrode is heated, and has molten glass sealing material applied thereto to form a beaded sleeve. The tube to which the electrode is to be attached is heated, and further sealing material is applied to the end of the tube so as to create a dome of material which closes off that end. Excess sealing material is then removed from the dome so as to leave an annulus of sealing material around the end wall of the, now open, tube. The electrode and rod can then be inserted into the tube until the bead on the rod is near the annulus at the end of the tube, and the tube can be worked, while being rotated, down to form a frusto-conical end such that movement of the bead relative to the annulus then brings the two into contact while a positive gas pressure is maintained within the tube. The pressure between the inside and outside of the tube is then balanced while the tube is worked down onto the bead to cause the bead in the annulus to become completely fused. The tube is then pressurized so that the sealing material conforms to a smooth internal concave shape. Since the annulus of material is formed by removing excess material from the dome, it is possible to avoid the need to bring a carbon tool into contact with the annulus, thus avoiding possible contamination of the sealing material.

Flash and laser lamps are generally constructed from a tube of fused silica/quartz opposite ends of which contain metal electrodes to which electrical operating power is supplied via conductive supports, which also serve to mount the lamp in a lamp holder, when in use.
Due to the different co-efficients of expansion of metal and fused silica/quartz, special materials have been developed, to interpose between the metal conductive supports for the electrodes and the tube wall of such lamps, to accommodate the differential rates of expansion, as the lamp increases and decreases in temperature in use. Typically the electrodes are constructed from Tungsten and an intermediate sleeve of a glass like material having an appropriate coefficient of expansion, such as a seal glass such as GS10, is formed around the Tungsten rod before it is introduced into and sealed to an end of the lamp tube. Sealing glass is supplied inter alia by GB Glass Ltd., and GS10 sealing glass as supplied by GB Glass has been used with quartz and tungsten combinations.
As used herein the expression GS is intended to mean any suitable material which can be bonded to a metal electrode and likewise fused to fused silica/quartz materials and whose coefficient of expansion is such as to accommodate the generally greater expansion of metal (for a given temperature rise), than is produced in fused silica/quartz by the same rise in temperature. GS10 seal glass is an example of a GS material.
The constructional steps of the known method leading to the formation of a glass to metal seal at an end of a fused silica/quartz tube are as follows:
(1) A Tungsten electrode is prepared to receive a sleeve of GS seal glass, by heating and rotation about its length axis PA1 (2) A stick of GS is also heated and as the end becomes molten, it is brought into contact with the rotating heated Tungsten rod support which extends axially from the Tungsten electrode so that molten glass becomes attached to and "smeared" over the surface of the rod to form a relatively uniform thickness sleeve over approximately 1-2 cms of the length of the rod; PA1 (3) The central region of the sleeve is increased in thickness by reheating it and a GS stick, and while the sleeved rod is rotated, touching the end of the glass stick against the central region of the sleeve to cause an annular build-up of GS to occur. The step is commonly referred to as "spinning a bead" onto the sleeve; PA1 (4) Next a length of fused silica/quartz tube, cut to the desired length of the lamp housing, is heated at one end whilst being rotated around its length axis, and the heated end is closed by spinning a bead of molten GS into and over the heated end of the tube. (The GS10 stick is of course heated before it is brought into contact with the heated end of the tube); PA1 (5) One end of a smaller diameter tube of fused silica/quartz is then heated, the interior of the lamp tube is pressurized with a non-oxidising gas, typically and usually nitrogen, and a region of the wall thereof is heated until soft to permit the heated end of the smaller diameter tube to be pushed therethrough and fused thereto, so as to extend radially as a side tube therefrom. By pushing the end of the smaller diameter side tube through the locally heated, softened region of the lamp tube wall, the interior of the latter communicates with the interior of the side tube, and this communication is maintained by maintaining a positive gas pressure in the lamp tube whilst the fusing is completed. After this the heating is removed; PA1 (6) The end of the radially protruding side tube which has just beep added is now closed by heating the outboard end thereof to collapse the side tube wall; PA1 (7) The previously closed end of the fused silica/quartz lamp tube is now reheated, and the internal pressure of the assembly of tubes is increased, so as to cause the GS10 dome which has closed the heated lamp tube end, to balloon axially and puncture. PA1 (8) Whilst rotating the lamp tube and keeping the punctured end hot and near molten, a carbon tool is introduced into the punctured end and the diameter of the opening in the GS dome is made concentric with the lamp tube axis and enlarged so as to be capable of receiving the electrode; PA1 (9) The electrode and its integral sleeved rod is now introduced axially into the opened end of the lamp tube whilst the latter is rotated, until the annular bead makes contact with the end of the lamp tube. Both are reheated until the GS becomes molten and can be worked, using a carbon tool, so as to cause the ring of GS defining the open end of the lamp tube to become merged with the GS10 bead on the Tungsten rod, and the GS material to become fused into a uniform annular seal. PA1 (1) reheat the GS dome closing off the end of the tube and remove the excess GS material so as to leave an annulus of GS around the end wall of the opening in the quartz tube; PA1 (2) insert the electrode and protruding Tungsten rod until the GS bead previously spun around the rod is near to the GS annulus at the end of the quartz tube; PA1 (3) heat the quartz tube and work the end thereof down to form a frusto-conical end so that the annulus of GS is now only just greater in diameter than the GS sleeve around the Tungsten rod protruding therethrough; PA1 (4) axially move the electrode and rod so as to bring the GS bead on the rod into contact with the annulus of GS around the now frusto-conical end whilst maintaining a positive gas pressure within the lamp tube at least until the bead touches the annulus; PA1 (5) momentarily balancing the pressure between the inside and outside of the lamp tube after the bead has fused to the annulus whilst using a carbon tool to work the quartz tube down onto the bead and cause it and the annulus of GS material to become more completely fused; PA1 (6) increasing the internal gas pressure within the lamp tube assembly to obtain a smooth internal concave surface to the fused GS material, and PA1 (7) allow the assembly to cool and then locally reheat the assembly using a movable, local source of heat, and move the heat source axially along the tube, to stress relieve the assembly. PA1 (1) fitting the partially completed lamp tube into a rotatable chuck with the closed end inside the chuck; PA1 (2) fitting to the side tube protruding from the lamp tube a gas line communicating between it and a rotatable manifold, to convey gas to the inside of the lamp tube via the side tube; PA1 (3) closing off the open end of the lamp tube in the manner previously described by means of a dome of GS material; PA1 (4) reheating the GS dome and removing excess material to leave an annular ring of GS material around the end of the lamp tube; PA1 (5) introducing a Tungsten electrode having an integral axial support rod into the open end, having a previously formed GS bead around the rod, in manner known per se; PA1 (6) heating the end of the lamp tube and, using a carbon tool, working the tube end down to form a frusto-conical end so that with axial movement of the rod relative to the tube to facilitate the merging of the bead and the annulus of GS, the latter can become fused to the bead of CS on the rod; PA1 (7) momentarily balancing the pressure as between the inside and outside of the now closed tube and, using a carbon tool, working the external surface of the lamp tube down onto the bead to cause the GS material to more completely fuse and form a good glass to metal seal between the rod and the lamp tube; PA1 (8) increasing the internal gas pressure within the tube to ensure a smooth internal concave surface to the GS seal at the end of the lamp tube; and PA1 (9) cooling the assembly and thereafter applying a source of heat locally at spaced apart positions along the length of the assembly to stress relieve the tube and the region of the GS seal.
A lamp requires a similar arrangement at the opposite end, and the appropriate steps may be repeated at the opposite end of the lamp tube to enable a second electrode to be sealed in a similar manner into the said opposite end.
Final assembly of a lamp involves evacuation of the lamp tube assembly and usually the introduction of a specific gas usually at low pressure, via the side tube, which is then finally closed off and sealed by heating.
Lamps constructed in accordance with the above method have been found to possess a weakness in the end regions thereof where a GS to GS seal has been formed. Investigations have indicated possible reasons for this weakness and it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method which reduces the chance of weakness being introduced into the structure by the manufacturing process.

Lamp construction and method for forming


Provided is a redundant amplifier, including: a first switch for connecting, on a one-to-one basis, inputs P1 to Pm to m of outputs Q1 to Qn, where m and n are natural numbers and m<n is satisfied; a second switch for connecting, on a one-to-one basis, m of inputs R1 to Rn to m outputs S1 to Sm; and amplifiers A1 to An connected on a one-to-one basis between the outputs Q1 to Qn and the inputs R1 to Rn. Signal paths L1 to Lm are formed in accordance with a connection state between an input and an output of each of the first switch and the second switch, the signal paths L1 to Lm connecting the input P1 and the output S1, the input P2 and the output S2, . . . , and the input Pm and the output Sm, respectively, via any one of the amplifiers A1 to An. The connection state has at least two types in which the signal paths L1 to Lm each have the same length.

An MPA is an amplifier that enables output of several hundred to several thousand watts by combining high-frequency signals amplified by a plurality of amplifiers, and is used in systems for transmitting radio waves, such as an electrical communication system and a radar system. The MPA is mounted also on "KIZUNA (WINDS)" satellite, which is in service on orbit as of 2011. By mounting the MPA on a satellite, an antenna beam may be spread without a drive portion. In such satellites and spacecraft, however, high reliability is particularly required for the MPA. Further, the number of redundant amplifiers is limited in view of resource problems.
When high reliability is required for the MPA, it is important to secure reliability in an amplifier part constituting the MPA. Redundancy is one method for improving the reliability. In a system including a plurality of devices of a similar type, such as the MPA, it may be considered to design the devices to have a redundant configuration so that, even when a problem occurs in any of active devices, switching to a stand-by device is perforated to maintain the function of the system. As a simple redundant configuration, one that prepares stand-by devices for all of the active devices may be considered, but such a configuration requires twice as many devices as the active devices, which is not preferred considering resource problems.
Besides, there may be considered a configuration in which stand-by devices fewer than active devices are prepared and connection to an active device having a problem is switched to connection to a stand-by device. In this case, because the active device having a problem cannot be specified before the problem occurs, the stand-by device is required to be substitutable no matter which active device fails.
On the other hand, there is considered a case where an RF signal is divided into a plurality of RF signals by a divider or the like, and the respective divided RF signals are amplified by the MPA and combined by a combiner. At this time, the plurality of RF signals, which has input to the combiner, are each required to have the same amplitude and phase. When the amplifiers are designed to have a redundant configuration, the outputs are each required to have the same amplitude and phase not only when the outputs of the active amplifiers are compared to each other, but also even after a part of the active amplifiers is switched to the stand-by amplifier.
Patent Literature 1 describes a technology involving appropriately determining the electric length of a connection path so as to match a phase obtained through passage of a connection path passing through an active system amplifier with a phase obtained through passage of a connection path passing through a stand-by system amplifier. In this technology, the path length is determined based on the electric length, and hence the effect can be obtained only when a signal having a specific wavelength is input. The effect cannot be obtained when a signal having a wavelength other than the specific wavelength is input.

Redundant amplifier and switching method thereof


An arrangement of a wheelchair with a movable seat and leg rest and a bed equipped with transfer apparatus including rollers, a movable sheet, a lift member, and a control system for transporting an invalid comfortably across the bed to a sitting position on the wheelchair.

The process of transferring an invalid person from a bed to a wheelchair or commode often requires the help of two or more assistants. The task frequently requires considerable strength and is a common source of injury to the person being transferred or to the nurse (s) or attendant (s) doing the transfer. These problems often are the major factors that require a patient to be hospitalized or moved to a nursing home, rather than being cared for at home. They also increase the cost of caring for persons in hospitals and nursing homes.


A seatbelt system for automatically detecting damage to a seatbelt webbing includes a strip of seatbelt webbing, a sensor, and processing circuitry. The strip of seatbelt webbing includes an embedded conductive material that extends through the strip of seatbelt webbing. The sensor is connected to the seatbelt webbing and is configured to measure electrical flow through the embedded conductive material. The processing circuitry is configured to receive the measurement of electrical flow from the sensor and to generate an alert based on the measurement.

Seatbelts are a key component of occupant safety in vehicles. In conventional vehicles, human drivers and passengers using the seatbelts can identify damage to the seatbelts during their use of the vehicle. If a seatbelt is damaged, the driver or owner of the vehicle arranges for repair or replacement of the seatbelt.
In autonomous driving contexts, a human driver is not present within an autonomous vehicle (AV) to regularly inspect seatbelts or receive passenger feedback about seatbelts. If a seatbelt is damaged or missing, a passenger in an AV may choose a different seat, without reporting the issue to a fleet manager, leaving the fleet manager in the dark. Maintenance staff may perform routine inspections of seatbelts, e.g., on a daily or weekly basis. However, such inspections are time-consuming, and they do not immediately detect issues, such as a if a seatbelt is damaged or cut between inspections.

Automated detection of seatbelt webbing damage