The present invention provides a water piping system wherein when a predetermined time elapses after the flow of the water in a hose has stopped, the water is drawn out of the hose, thereby preventing proliferation of various bacteria in the water standing stagnant in the hose and when the temperature of the water drops, the water is completely drawn out of the hose, thereby preventing a water pipe from rupturing or cracking in the wintertime. The water pipe including a reducing valve which is at a position higher than a waterstop valve is connected with a hose through a first electromagnetic valve. The required number of second electromagnetic valves are located intermediate on the hose. When a predetermined time elapses after the flow of the water through the hose has stopped, the first valve is temporalily closed while the second valves are opened. When a water-temperature sensor incorporated into one of the second valve senses that the temperature of the water has dropped to a predetermined lever, the first valve is closed while the second valves are put open.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water piping system.
2. Prior Art
City water is more or less sterilized in water disposal installations, but various bacteria tend to proliferate when water stands stagnant. This takes place whether in the summer period or in the wintertime. But especially at constantly high temperatures, like in the summer period, various bacteria proliferate vigorously or, sometimes proliferate even in a very short span of time. Such proliferation is often found in the vicinity of the ends of water hoses, and this is one of the leading causes of bacteria-induced gastroenteric disorder suffered by many people especially during the summer period. This is particularly true for places closer to or on the equator, where daytime temperatures are extremely high.
At low temperatures, especially in cold districts, water pipes often rupture or crack during the winter period. This is because the water standing stagnant in the water pipes is chilled and frozen.
In order to cope with this, it has been proposed and practiced to cover water pipes with heat-insulating materials such as foamed styrol, thereby making the freezing of the water therein less likely to occur.
However, this proposal incurs too much labor and expense and, besides, water often freezes even if the pipes are covered.
In view of the above problems, this invention seeks to provide a water piping system designed such that after a certain period of time has elapsed after the flow of water through a hose has stopped, the water is drawn out of the hose, thereby preventing proliferation of various bacteria in the water standing stagnant in the hose. Also when the temperature of the water drops to a predetermined level, the water is completely removed from the hose, thereby preventing the water pipe from rupturing or cracking in winter.


A process for the conversion of plastic to produce a synthetic crude oil by means of contacting the plastic with a hydrocarbonaceous recycle stream in a liquefying zone operated at liquefying conditions to produce a liquefied stream of plastic containing non-distillable particulate matter and at least a portion thereof is filtered. The filtered stream having a reduced concentration of finely divided particulate matter and the balance, if any, of the original liquefied stream together with hydrogen is contacted with a hydro-demetallization catalyst in a hydro-demetallization zone at hydro-demetallization conditions to produce gaseous, water-soluble inorganic compounds. The effluent from the hydro-demetallization zone is contacted with a hydrocracking catalyst in a hydrocracking zone to produce lower boiling hydrocarbons suitable for use as a synthetic crude oil. A recovered hydrogen-rich gaseous stream is preferably recycled to the hydro-demetallization zone. The gaseous, water-soluble inorganic compounds are removed by scrubbing the hydrocracking zone effluent with an aqueous stream. A portion of the hydrocarbons recovered from the hydrocracking zone effluent is recycled to the liquefying zone.

There is a steadily increasing demand for technology which is capable of the conversion and recovery of useful products from discarded and unwanted materials such as post-consumer waste plastic. With the increased environmental emphasis for the conversion and recycle of unwanted and potentially environmentally damaging organic waste streams, there is an increased need for improved processes to convert organic waste streams to produce synthetic crude oils which may then subsequently be used to produce valuable, finished products such as petrochemical feedstocks, specialty oils and liquid transportation fuels. Desirable fuels include gasoline, diesel fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Petrochemical feedstocks include feed to an ethylene plant and specialty oils include lubricating oil blendstocks. For example, during the disposal or recycle of non-biodegradable organic waste streams, an important step in the total solution to the problem is to produce an organic stream or hydrocarbon which facilitates the ultimate resolution to produce product streams which may subsequently be handled in an environmentally acceptable manner. Therefore, those skilled in the art have sought to find feasible and economical techniques to convert plastic including post-consumer waste plastic to produce synthetic crude oils containing hydrocarbonaceous compounds.

Process for the conversion of plastic to produce a synthetic crude oil


A bicycle handlebar clamp assembly has a handlebar clamp, a fixing nut, and a fixing bolt. The fixing nut includes a threaded bore having a bolt entrance opening and a bolt exit opening. The fixing nut defines a bolt shaft receiving space disposed adjacent the bolt exit opening. The fixing bolt includes a head and a shaft extending from the head. The shaft has a non-threaded portion disposed between two threaded portions. One of threaded portions is disposed closer to the head of the fixing bolt than the other threaded portion. The threaded portions are dimensioned to threadedly engage the threaded bore of the fixing nut. The non-threaded portion has a axial length that is greater than the axial length of the threaded bore of the fixing nut.

Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a bicycle handlebar clamp assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bicycle handlebar clamp assembly a mounting arrangement for attaching a bicycle component thereto.
Background Information
Bicycles are often provided with one or more bicycle component operating devices or controllers that are mounted on the handlebar of the bicycle for the rider to easily operate the bicycle component operating device or controller. For example, typically, a brake lever is mounted on each end of the handlebar near the handgrip for operating a brake device that apply braking forces to stop rotation of a wheel. These brake levers are typically mounted by a bracket having a band clamp. Similar, for example, a shifter (e.g., a gear shifting operation device) is often mounted adjacent each of the brake levers for shifting the gears by operating an operating member in the form of a lever, for example. A conventional gear shifting operation device either has its own band clamp that mounts directly on the handlebar, or is mounted on a mounting bracket on one of the brake levers. In conventional practice, in cases in which a shift operating device is provided separately from a brake lever, normally, the gear shifting operation device is attached to the handlebar inside the bracket of the brake lever. If the gear shifting operation device is attached to the handlebar within the brake lever, then the shifter may be difficult to operate, depending on the shape(s) of the operating member(s) of the gear shifting operation device. Thus, the gear shifting operation device is often mounted on the mounting bracket on one of the brake levers.


A method is disclosed for preventing compressed keys from being aliased across multiple hash tables. A special hashing technique is used to produce hash keys and compressed keys that make such aliasing avoidable. Given a first input key K, a second and different input key K′, a first hash function H0 that produces a first hash key as an index into a first hash table, a second hash function H1 that produces a second hash key as an index into a second hash table, a first compression function L0 that produces a first compressed key for the first hash table, and a second compression function L1 that produces a second compressed key for the second hash table, functions H0, H1, L0, and L1 are selected in such a way that H0(K)=H0(K′) and L0(K)=L0(K′) if and only if H1(K)=H1(K′) and L1(K)=L1 (K′).

The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Network elements, such as routers and switches, are capable of performing operations relative to packet flows that pass through those network elements. A packet flow is defined by a set of specified attributes; all data packets that possess the specified attributes belong to the packet flow. For example, if a particular packet flow is defined by a particular source Internet Protocol (IP) address and a particular destination IP address, then all IP data packets containing both the specified source IP address and the specified destination IP address in their packet headers belong to the particular packet flow. Only data packets that possess a packet flow's specified attributes belong to that packet flow.
Typically, when a network element receives a data packet, the network element classifies the data packet into a packet flow by reading specified attributes of the data packet (e.g., source IP address and destination (IP address) and combining the specified attributes into an input key that is provided as input into a hash function. Based on this input key, the hash function produces an output value that is called a hash key. The quantity of unique hash keys that the hash function can produce is less than the quantity of unique input keys that the hash function can accept. In fact, the hash function may produce the same hash key from two or more different input keys. For example, if the hash function produces a hash key by dividing an input key by 6 and then outputting the integer remainder of that division, then the hash function will produce a hash key of 1 for all input keys that are one more than a multiple of 6.
Once the hash function has produced the hash key for a particular data packet, the network element uses the hash key as an index into a multi-entry hash table. For example, if the hash key is N, then the hash table entry that corresponds to the hash key typically is the Nth entry in the hash table. Each entry of the hash table may contain a pointer or reference to a corresponding entry of a separate multi-entry data structure called a flow table. After the network element has located the hash table entry that corresponds to the hash key, the network element follows the hash table entry's pointer or reference to locate a corresponding flow table entry.
Each populated entry of the flow table contains, among other information, an identifier. Assuming that the network element has located a populated flow table entry referenced by the hash table entry, the network element compares the flow table entry's identifier with the input key that was provided to the hash function to generate the hash key. If the identifier matches the input key, then the network element performs operations that are associated with, and possibly specified within, the flow table entry. For example, the network element may increment a counter that is contained in the flow table entry to keep a tally of the number of a particular flow's data packets that have been received by the network element.
However, because the hash function may produce the same hash key for multiple different input keys, the identifier might differ from the input key. Under these circumstances, a hash collision has occurred, and the operations associated with the flow table entry should not be performed. To compensate for hash collisions, a technique called "paging" may be employed.
Each hash table entry may be visualized as a row of the hash table. Employing the paging technique, each hash table entry may contain multiple columns called pages. Each page of a hash table entry may contain a separate pointer or reference to a different flow table entry. Using the paging technique, after the network element has located the hash table entry that corresponds to the hash key, the network element follows the hash table entry's first page's pointer or reference to locate a flow table entry. If the identifier contained in that flow table entry does not match the input key, then the network element follows the hash table entry's second page's pointer or reference to locate a different flow table entry. The process continues for each successive page of the hash table entry until the network element locates either a flow table entry that contains an identifier that matches the input key (making that flow table entry the "matching" flow table entry) or, if there are no matching identifiers, an unused page that does not yet contain a reference to any flow table entry. If the network element locates an unused page, then the network element sets that page to refer to a currently unpopulated flow table entry, and populates that flow table entry. As part of populating a flow table entry, the network element assigns the input key to the flow table entry's identifier.
The number of pages per hash table entry is configurable. For any given hash function, as the number of pages per hash table entry increases, the average time required to perform the above process also increases.
Where there are many pages per hash table entry, it might take a long time to locate a matching page within a particular hash table entry. To reduce the average time required to locate a matching page, multiple separate hash tables may be used. Each hash table corresponds to a different hash function. Using this multiple hash table approach, the network element inputs the input key into each hash function. Each hash function produces a separate hash key, and each hash key corresponds to an entry in a separate hash table. For example, given the same input key, a first hash function might produce a first hash key that corresponds to an entry in a first hash table, and a second hash function might produce a second hash key that corresponds to an entry in a second hash table. In a manner similar to that described above in relation to a single hash table entry, the network element determines whether any of the several corresponding hash table entries contains a page that refers to a matching flow table entry. If the network element determines that none of the corresponding hash table entries contains a page that refers to a matching flow table entry, then the network element selects the hash table entry that has the most unused pages, and sets an unused page of that hash table entry to refer to a flow table entry as described above.
For practical and economic reasons, the hash tables typically are stored within smaller, faster memory, while the flow table typically is stored within larger, slower memory. Reading an identifier from the flow table to determine whether the identifier matches the input key is a relatively expensive operation in terms of computing resources. Consequently, it is desirable to minimize the number of times that an identifier is read from the flow table.
Under one theoretical approach, the identifier might be stored in a hash table entry. Because the memory in which the hash tables are stored typically is faster than the memory in which the flow table is stored, identifiers could be obtained from the hash tables more rapidly. However, identifiers often are quite large; an identifier might comprise 389 bits, for example. Because the memory in which the hash tables are stored typically is smaller than the memory in which the flow table is stored, storing such large identifiers in hash table entries often is not feasible.
According to another approach, compression mechanisms are used in order to generate and store compressed keys, rather than the full identifiers, in the hash tables. Compression may be accomplished by hashing the full identifiers, for example. This compression-based approach allows a network element to compress an input key and compare it with the compressed keys that are stored in the pages of a hash table entry. The network element does not need to read a full identifier from a flow table entry unless the compressed key that is stored in a page that refers to the flow table entry matches the compressed input key. Because it is possible for different input keys to be compressed into the same compressed input key, it is still necessary to check the full identifier from the flow table entry at least once to ensure that a "compression collision" has not occurred.
Thus, applying the compression-based approach to the multiple hash table approach described above, a network element determines whether any of the several corresponding hash table entries (one in each hash table) discussed above contains a page that contains a compressed key that matches the compressed input key. Unfortunately, when more than one such hash table entry, in separate hash tables, contains a page that contains the matching compressed input key, the network element has to read multiple identifiers from the flow table and compare each with the input key. Each read and compare operation degrades the network element's performance.
As described above, a network element may input a first input key into two different hash functions to obtain two different hash keys. The network element can use a first hash key to locate a first hash table entry in a first hash table, and the network element can use a second hash key to locate a second hash table entry in a second hash table. If the network element cannot find, among the pages of the first and second hash table entries, a compressed key that matches the compressed input key, then the network element may insert the compressed input key into an unused page of either the first or second hash table entries. Unfortunately, even if the network element checks all of the populated pages of the first and second hash table entries for a matching compressed key prior to inserting the compressed input key into an unused page of the first hash table entry, there still exists a possibility that the compressed input key already exists in a third hash table entry that corresponds to a second input key which, like the first input key, also corresponds to the first hash table entry.
For example, given two input keys K1 and K2, K1 might hash to entry X in the first hash table and entry Y in the second hash table, and K2 might hash to entry X in the first hash table and entry Z in the second hash table. Furthermore, due to the "lossiness" of compression, the compressed versions of input keys K1 and K2 might be identical. Checking to make sure that neither entry X nor entry Y contains the compressed key before inserting the compressed key into entry X does not protect against the possibility that entry Z already contains the compressed key. If the compressed key is inserted into entry X, then the compressed key ends up being aliased, undesirably, across entry X in the first hash table and entry Z in the second hash table; both entries correspond to input key K2.
If more than one compressed key matches in both the first and second hash entries discussed above, then the correct flow table entry may be determined by comparing each of the full identifiers from the corresponding flow entries with the original input key. However, this requires multiple flow table lookups, which complicates algorithms and impacts performance adversely. If there are N hash tables, then, in the worst-case scenario, N flow table lookups might need to be performed in order to determine the correct flow table entry. Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need for a solution that can ensure that the above scenario does not occur.

Preventing aliasing of compressed keys across multiple hash tables


A level shifter circuit includes a level shifting unit configured to receive signals that may vary in a first range via a positive input terminal and a negative input terminal, respectively and to output signals that may vary in a second range to a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal, respectively, where the second range is larger than the first range, a first pre-charging unit configured to pre-charge the positive output terminal to a predetermined level when a clock is in a first level, and a second pre-charging unit configured to pre-charge the negative output terminal to the predetermined level when the clock is in the first level.

1. Field
Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a level shifter and a parallel-to-serial converter including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many electronic circuits having various functions may be integrated in a single integrated circuit. Often, the various electronic circuits may operate at different voltages, in which case, an interface circuit may be required to shift the voltage levels of signals transmitted between the circuits. Such an interface circuit is generally referred to as a level shifter circuit or a level shifter.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating a conventional level shifter.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional level shifter may be configured to receive signals that may vary between a ground voltage level and a first power source voltage level VDD1 through an input terminal IN and a complementary input terminal INB, to generate signals that may vary between the ground voltage level and VDD2 (a second power source voltage having a level higher than that of VDD1) level, and to output the generated signals to an output terminal OUT and a complementary output terminal OUTB.
In a conventional level shifter, an error may be generated when the input signals to the input terminals IN and INB are transient.
For example, when a signal inputted to the input terminal IN is transitioning from a ground voltage level to a VDD1 level, a fighting may occur between the P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) transistor 101, which is already turned on, and the N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistor 103. If the NMOS transistor 103 may be sufficiently turned on, the voltage level of the complementary output terminal OUTB may be decreased, while a voltage level of the output terminal OUT may be increased, causing the PMOS transistor 102 to turn on and the PMOS transistor 101 to turn off, so that eventually the fighting between the PMOS transistor 101 and the NMOS transistor 103 may be settled. However, when the difference of the voltage levels of VDD1 and VDD2 is large, the NMOS transistor 103 may not be turned on sufficiently, generating an error wherein the fighting phenomenon between the two transistors may continue for a substantial amount of time negatively impacting the operation of the level shifter.

Level shifter and parallel-to-serial converter including the same


A display device includes a substrate, a display unit formed on the substrate, a sealing substrate bonded to the substrate by a bonding layer surrounding the display unit, the sealing substrate comprising a complex member and an insulating member, wherein the complex member has a resin matrix and a plurality of carbon fibers and the insulator is connected to an edge of the complex member and comprises a penetration hole, a metal layer disposed at one side of the sealing substrate wherein the one side faces the substrate, and a conductive connection unit filling in the penetration hole and contacting the metal layer. The complex member and the insulator may be coupled by tongue and groove coupling along a thickness direction of the sealing substrate where the protrusion-groove coupling structure is top-to-bottom symmetric and the insulator may have a thickness identical to that of the complex member.

Field
The present disclosure relates a display device. More particularly, the described technology relates to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display and a sealing substrate for sealing a display unit.
Description of the Related Technology
Among various display devices, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display is a flat panel, self light emitting display device.
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display displays an image through the organic light emitting elements. A display unit typically includes a plurality of organic light emitting elements. If such a display unit is exposed to moisture and oxygen, the performance thereof becomes deteriorated. Accordingly, it is desired to protect the display device using a technology for suppressing the penetration of moisture and oxygen by sealing the display unit.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Display device and organic light emitting diode display


A motor driven bell for producing a sound of a bell in a manner that a hammer member hits a gong through the use of a driving force of a motor. The motor driven bell comprises a supporting shaft A1 born on a front side between a pair of opposed frames, a forward and backward swingable shaft A2 suspended by a suspending arm A3 under the supporting arm A1, a supporting shaft B1 born at a rear portion between the pair of frames, and a forward and backward swingable shaft B2 suspended by a suspending arm B3 under the supporting shaft B1, a forward and backward swingable hammer member held by the swingable shafts A2, B2, and a gong to be hit with the hammer member. A crank mechanism is provided for converting rotation of a shaft of the drive motor into a swinging motion of the swingable shaft B2, thereby hitting the gong by the hammer member to produce the bell sound.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor driven bell for producing a sound of a bell (sounding a bell) in a manner that a hammer member hits a gong through the use of driving force of a motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views showing a motor driven bell disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. H3-69199.
In the illustrations, numeral 31 represents a gong, and numeral 32 designates a hammer member fixed at right angles to a portion adjacent to a tip portion 33a of a plate spring 33. Further, numeral 34 denotes a support for fixing the proximal portion of the plate spring 33, with the plate spring 33 being held at right angles with respect to a drive shaft 36 of a motor 35. The tip portion 33a of the plate spring 33 is inclined with respect to the drive shaft 36 of the motor 35 to further separate from a circumferential wall 31a of the gong 31 as it becomes closer to its tip, and a cam member 37 is formed to have a disc-like configuration and is supported by the motor shaft 36 in a state of being in an eccentric condition. Besides, the aforesaid tip portion 33a is located to face the interior of the locus of a circumferential portion 37a of a large-diameter section of the cam member 37. With this arrangement, when the motor 35 is driven in the FIG. 7 state to rotate the cam member 37, the circumferential portion 37a of its large-diameter section gradually approaches the tip portion 33a of the plate spring 33 so that as shown in FIG. 8 the circumferential portion 37a of the large-diameter section finally comes into contact with the tip portion 33a of the plate spring 33 to push the tip portion 33a of the plate spring 33 toward its proximal portion 33b. At this time, since the tip portion 33a is in the inclined condition with respect to the drive shaft 36, the force of pushing toward the proximal portion 33b is converted into a force to be applied in a direction of separating from a circumferential wall 31a of the gong 31, so that the plate spring 33 is deflected in a direction of separating from the gong 31 in a state where the aforesaid proximal portion 33b works as a supporting point and the hammer member 32 separates from the circumferential wall 31a of the gong 31, while a returning force F occurs in the plate spring 33. Thereafter, as the cam member 37 further rotates to cause the cam member 37 to disconnect from the tip portion 33a of the plate spring 33 as shown in FIG. 7, the plate spring 33 returns to the snap condition due to its own returning force F so that the hammer member 32 hits the gong 31 to ring a bell.
With the arrangement mentioned above, in the prior motor driven bell, the abrasion of the cam member and the plate spring is little because the cam member intermittently comes into contact with the plate spring, but on the other hand there are problems such that the power consumption increases because the cam member necessarily once comes into contact with the plate spring per one revolution of the drive shaft and slides against the repulsion of the plate spring, and further that the natural frequency of the plate spring differs from the frequency of the plate spring occurring when being forcibly moved by the cam member, causing the plate spring and the cam member to act against each other to offset the hitting force of the hammer member to the gong.


A disposable diaper includes a liquid-impermeable topsheet, a liquid-permeable backsheet and an absorbent core therebetween. A pair of barrier cuffs which are elastically extendable in a longitudinal direction of the diaper are provided along transversely opposite side flaps of the diaper. Front and rear ends of the barrier cuffs are bonded to the diaper at longitudinally opposite ends thereof. Outer side edges of the barrier cuffs are bonded to outer edges of the flaps and inner side edges of the barrier cuffs are bonded to the flaps along lines defined between the outer side edges and transversely opposite side edges of the core.

This invention relates to a disposable diaper having a high ventilation property.
A disposable diaper described in Japanese Utility Model Application Disclosure Gazette (Kokai) No. Sho64-18105 includes a pair of air-permeable and liquid-resistant barrier flaps formed on a pair of transversely opposite side flaps so as to elastically extend in a longitudinal direction of the diaper.
Japanese Patent Publication Gazette (Kokai) No. Hei4-55072 discloses a method for making a backsheet used in a disposable diaper, particularly to obtain such backsheet made of an air-permeable and liquid-impermeable plastic film.
In these Gazettes, the term "air-permeable and liquid-resistant" and the term "air-permeable and liquid-impermeable" are synonymously used. These known techniques may be adopted to improve a ventilation property of the foregoing barrier flaps and portions of a diaper backsheet in the proximity of the barrier flaps intended to surround the wearer's legs and thereby to alleviate undesirable stuffiness during use of the diaper.
The diaper proposed by the above-mentioned techniques will necessarily enlarge a diameter of each aperture formed in the barrier flaps and/or the backsheet in order to improve the air-permeability in these barrier flaps and/or backsheet. However, such measure may cause the desirable liquid-impermeability required for the barrier flaps and/or the backsheet. In other words, the conventional techniques have an antimonic relationship between improvement of the air-permeability and improvement of the liquid-impermeability.


A dielectric antenna module (1) includes an antenna element unit (50) having an antenna element (5) consisting of a radiation electrode (3) and a signal line (4) formed on a dielectric substrate (2), and a module substrate unit (60) having a signal processing circuit formed on a module substrate (6). The substrate (2,6) are arranged and connected to each other so that their bottom surfaces form a single plane. The antenna element unit (50) and the module substrate unit (60) are connected to each other by fitting a projection (8) to a recess (9) formed on and in the opposing faces of the substrates (2,6). On the projection (8) and in the recess (9), signal lines (4,4a) are formed, respectively, and on the opposing faces of the substrates (2,6), ground electrodes (11,11a) are formed. When the projection and recesses are engaged, the signal lines (4,4a) are connected to each other and the ground electrodes (11,11a) are connected to each other. A base film (10) where a ground electrode is formed is attached to the bottom surface of the substrates (2,6).

In recent years, in addition to mobile communication systems, in particular, communication systems using mobile phones or mobile terminals, systems for dealing with information communication such as Bluetooth is being rapidly put to practical use. Particularly in Bluetooth, because a communication module constituting a communication system is added to a conventional device, the communication module is requested to be compact, light in weight, and high in performance in order to maintain the original design of the device. On the other hand, in case of card-shaped communication modules and the like used for data communication using mobile phones or personal computers, there is a tendency that they are made thinner and smaller.
In general, as shown in FIG. 10, such a communication module is formed in such a manner that an antenna element 205 in which a radiation electrode 203 is formed on a surface of a dielectric substrate 202, is mounted at a predetermined position on the upper face of a module substrate 206 on which a signal processing circuit is formed.
In this communication module, in order to meet the above-described request of reducing the size of the communication module, in the module substrate 206, the integration of a high frequency circuit unit IC, a baseband unit IC, and so on, for processing signals to be transmitted to the antenna element 205 and signals received from the antenna element 205, has been improved, and the circuit substrate has been made smaller and thinner by forming passive elements in a laminated substrate, which elements were conventionally arranged on the substrate.
On the other hand, for the antenna element, there are various forms such as a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, an inverted F-type antenna, and a microstrip antenna. Of them, there is a tendency of adopting the monopole antenna or microstrip antenna, in which a radiation electrode made of conductive material is formed on a dielectric substrate. This is because that they are antennas utilizing radiation loss of an open type resonance circuit; they are low in profile and light in weight and suitable for reduction in size; they are easy to manufacture; and so on. The monopole antenna is suitable for operation in broader band frequencies than a microstrip antenna. Such antennas are disclosed in JP-A-9-153734, JP-A-11-112221, etc.
As described above, such a dielectric antenna module is requested to have the optimum construction that enable to obtain sufficient transmission/reception characteristics in the combination of the antenna element 205 and the module substrate 206, and further to be made compact, light in weight, and high in performance. In the conventional dielectric antenna module as shown in FIG. 10, however, the antenna element 205, an IC chip 207, etc., are disposed on the upper face of the module substrate 206. Thus, in order to meet the request of reducing the thickness of the module, the thickness of the antenna element 205 must be set to a value corresponding to the height of the peripheral parts such as IC chips so that the antenna element 205 does not protrude upward. However, in the antenna element 205, differently from the other parts, a free space provided in the vicinity of the radiation electrode 203 for stabilizing the transmission/reception characteristics. Thus, in practice, there is a restriction that the height of the antenna element must be somewhat lower than the peripheral parts.
However, it is known in general that reducing the thickness of such an antenna element may bring about a reduction in band width (an increase in unloaded Q) and thus a reduction in radiation efficiency. The thickness of the dielectric antenna element mounted on such a module is in general very small as 1/10 or less of the electric signal wavelength. Therefore, the reduction rates of the band width and radiation efficiency by reducing the thickness of the antenna element are high. Thus, in case that an antenna for broad band communication such as Bluetooth is reduced in size, designing for broad band had to be done at the sacrifice of gain or radiation efficiency. Because the thicker antenna element brings about the less sacrifice of gain or radiation efficiency, it is advantageous on the point of broad band. Thus, in case of attaching great importance to the antenna performance, the antenna element may be mounted as the tallest part on the module substrate.
In addition, because electric signal loss occurs in the connecting portion between the antenna element unit and the module substrate unit and in the transmission line, it is desired that the number of connecting portions is reduced as much as possible and the transmission line is shortened as much as possible. In case that the antenna element is adjacent to the module substrate to shorten the transmission line, the interference may occur between the respective electromagnetic components generated therein. There is a necessity of suppressing the interference.


A roof-mounted sensor includes two rows of intersecting electrodes that are placed across an area of the vehicle's roof and a method to determine the position and motion of an occupant. This is accomplished by measuring physical values, which depend on the distance between the highest point of an occupant's body to each electrode in the row. Analysis of the physical values is used to derive an occupant's position relative to each row and the distance between the highest point of an occupant's body and the vehicle's roof. By analyzing the change in distances with respect to time, the occupant's motion can be tracked.

The present invention relates to vehicle occupant safety systems, and more particularly, to a vehicle occupant proximity sensor for use with a vehicle occupant safety system.
Vehicle occupant safety systems that are activated in response to a vehicle crash for purpose of mitigating occupant injury are well known in the art. A vehicle may contain automatic safety restraint actuators such as front and side air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and deployable knee bolsters. The occupant protection system may further include a collision/crash sensor for sensing the occurrence of a vehicle crash and for providing an electrical signal indicative of the crash severity.
Several known occupant protection systems include an occupant position sensor that senses the position of the occupant with respect to an associated inflatable protection module. The occupant position sensor for such a system could be an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, and a capacitive sensor, and/or a weight sensor. A controller, which is connected to the sensors, controls the inflatable protection module in response to the sensed position of the occupant. In response to the sensed occupant position, one or more deployment aspects of the air bag may be adjusted. A protection system with adjustable aspects of deployment is commonly referred to as an "adaptive" protection system. Specifically, if the occupant is positioned in a position such that deploying the air bag will not enhance protection of the occupant, it may be desirable to suppress actuation of the occupant protection module. An occupant who is very near the protection module is referred to as being within an occupant out-of-position zone. Deploying the air bag for an occupant who is within the occupant out-of-position zone may not enhance protection of the occupant.
In any case the determination of occupant's position is an important part of adaptive occupant protection system. There are several types of proximity sensors, such as ultrasonic sensor, a video sensor, a capacitive sensor, and an infrared sensor. Different obstacles such as a map, a book, or a newspaper could occlude signals from ultrasonic and video sensors. A lighter or cigarette could blind an infrared sensor.
This invention is based on the conductivity of the human body. This phenomenon allows the occupant to be used as a transmitting antenna, determining his/her position within a defined space by measurement of electromagnetic values induced on a set of receivers.

Three dimensional occupant position sensor


An x-ray optical device delivers an x-ray beam with variable convergence. The convergence or the divergence of the x-ray beams varies over different parts of the reflector. The device may include an adjustable aperture to further select the convergence or divergence. The adjustable aperture selects the convergence angle by selectively occluding a portion of the x-ray beams.

The present invention relates to x-ray optical systems.
Researchers have long employed focusing x-ray optics in x-ray diffraction experiments to increase the flux incident on the sample and to thereby increase the signal to noise ratio. A focusing optic increases the flux by directing a large number of photons through the sample. Moreover, by positioning a detector near or at the focus of the optic, resolution of the system can be greatly improved.
However, the focusing nature of a focusing multilayer optic limits its applicability, since for each application, a different convergence angle, and thus a different optic, is often needed. Thus, a plurality of optics with different focal lengths are used to accommodate the needs of different applications. However, changing the optical elements is costly and time consuming.
Another issue with the focusing optic is that beam intensity is not uniform since the portion of the optic far from the source corresponds to a smaller capture angle. By varying the focal position of the optic, one can design an optic that delivers a uniform beam at a specific location, such as sample location or detector location.
Traditional bending total reflection mirrors have been used to adjust the focal distance to adapt the optic for different applications. However, the alignment and adjustment of bending total reflection mirrors is time consuming and difficult to perform, and any imperfection in the alignment or adjustment of the optic degrades the overall system performance. Further, this approach cannot be used for multilayer optics because of its inability to satisfy both Bragg and geometric conditions.


A method of processing a disk-shaped substrate, or wafer, during a chemical vapor process includes a backside purge of the substrate with a purge gas. The backside purge is obtained by spinning the substrate about a central axis, directing a flow of the purge gas over the backside of the spinning substrate, and causing the purge gas to flow in an outward radial direction with the spinning substrate. An apparatus in a vapor processing system structured for conducting the backside purge includes a support mechanism structured and arranged to support the substrate and spin the substrate about a central axis, and a conduit coupled to a source of purge gas, structured and arranged to direct a flow of the purge gas over a backside of the substrate while the substrate is spinning such that the spinning substrate causes the purge gas to flow radially outward.

The invention relates to chemical vapor deposition systems.
Chemical vapor processes for thin film fabrication pass a vapor over a substrate to either grow a film on the substrate, etch the substrate, or otherwise react with a material on the substrate to change the character of the substrate surface. For example, in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process for fabricating semiconductor devices, a flow of a reactive vapor is directed to an exposed side of a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer. The wafer is sometimes supported around the periphery of its bottom side on an annular-shaped ledge of an edge ring. The wafer's peripheral edge is left exposed. The substrate is sometimes rapidly heated to facilitate or speed the vapor processing, for example, in rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) processes, rapid thermal oxidation processes (RTO), and rapid thermal nitridation (RTN) processes.
In such a system, the reactive gases can spill over the edge of the wafer and edge ring, depositing a non-uniform film on the peripheral edge of the wafer and on its backside. Non-uniform depositions on the edge or backside of the wafer can flake off and thereby generate particles that contaminate the process chamber. Also, non-uniform depositions are undesirable for subsequent wafer processing.
One approach to inhibit the process gases from depositing on the edge or backside is to use an edge ring that covers a portion of the upper surface of the wafer. Another approach is to coat the entire backside uniformly to produce a more stable film less likely to flake. To this end, the wafer is supported on pins so that the process gases can easily deposit on the backside. In those cases where depositing on the backside is undesirable, one or another of a variety of edge-specific purges with inert gases are used to prevent reactive gases from reaching the edge and backside areas. One type of such a system uses a susceptor with built-in channels for directing purge gas flows to the edge of the wafer.
Current schemes for providing effective edge purging may incompletely isolate the backside from reactive gases if the flow of purge gas is too weak. If the purge gas is flowed more strongly, it can spill over the front side of the wafer and mix with the process gas at the periphery of the wafer by diffusion or by convection. The resulting dilution of reactive gases over the front side of the wafer leads to incomplete film deposition near the periphery of the front side, thereby reducing the usable area having a uniform film on the wafer.

Method and apparatus for purging the back side of a substrate during chemical vapor processing


A reversible image display panel which comprises a pair of substrates one of which is transparent and a group of particles charged with single polarity, a group of particles with single color charged with single polarity, a group of particles having portions with different colors and different charge characteristics, or two groups of particles with different charge characteristics each enclosed between the substrates, characterized in applying an electric field across the substrates, and displaying images by flying and moving the particles. The reversible image display panel and the image display device in accordance with the invention have fast response speed and simple structure, being superior in stability and vividity. In an occasion of driving, generation of the strong electric field is unnecessary for them and accordingly, electric circuits can be assembled employing general purpose electronic materials.

As an image display device substitutable for liquid crystal device (LCD), image display devices (displays) with the use of technology such as an electrophoresis method, an electrochromic method, a thermal method, dichroic-particles-rotary method are proposed.
As for these image display device, it is conceivable as inexpensive visual display device of the next generation from a merit having wide field of vision close to normal printed matter, having smaller consumption power, and having a memory capability in comparison with LCD, spreading out to a display for portable device, and an electronic paper is expected.
Recently, electrophoresis method is proposed that micro-encapsulate dispersion liquid made up with dispersion particles and coloration solution and dispose the liquid between faced substrates. However, in the electrophoresis method, there is a problem that a response speed is slow by the reason of viscosity resistance because the particles migrate among the electrophoresis solution. Further, there is a problem of lacking imaging repetition stability, because particles with high specific gravity of titanium oxide is scattered within solution of low specific gravity, it is easy to subside, difficult to maintain a stability of dispersion state. Even in the case of micro-encapsulation, cell size is diminished to a microcapsule level in order to make it hard to appear, however, an essential problem was not overcome at all.
Besides the electrophoresis method using behavior in the solution as above-mentioned, recently, a dry visual display system (device) for displaying reversible images wherein two kinds of particles which are different in color and charging polarity are placed between a pair of substrates, and an electric field is given to fly and fix the particles to the substrates in different direction without using solution is proposed. [The Imaging Society of Japan "Japan Hardcopy'99" (Jul. 21-23, 1999) Transaction Pages 249-252, etc.]
Movement mechanism of such a dry visual display device employs as display device with material mixed two kinds in color and charging polarity are an electrode substrate and apply the voltage to generate an electric field between electrode substrates for flying the charged particle which have different polarity to a different direction.
In this system (device), an attracting force caused by Coulomb force between particles each other, an electric imaging force with an electrode plate, an intermolecular force, further, a solution cross-linking force, gravities and so on are considered as the force applied on the particles. The flight of the particles starts when the force working on the particles by an electric field exceeds those total forces. Then, each particles form patterns and contrasts by differences of the hue resulting in making viewers recognize the patterns. The higher the contrast, the better the visibility of the displaying means.
Further, this system has advantages that the migration resistance of the particles is small, and that the response speed is fast because it is not electrophoresis method but dry visual display system.
However, with such a dry visual display device, there were the problems as the following:    (1) The structure becomes complicated because a charge transport layer and a charge generation layer are disposed.    (2) It is difficult to constantly dissipate charges from electroconductive particles, therefore two kinds of particles electrostatically aggregate while repeating display thereby not respond to electrostatic field, resulting in short longevity and lack of stability.    (3) Colors become indistinct and lack luminance because the system utilizes the reflected-light from the particles for the display, resulting in the degradation of a vivid image display.    (4) Because a generation of strong electric field is necessary in an occasion of driving, and because a design of the electric circuit that can bear the strong electric field, general purpose electronic materials are not employable.

Reversible image display sheet and image display


An air-fuel ratio control system controls the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to an internal combustion engine. An exhaust gas purifying-device arranged in the exhaust system of the engine accommodates a nitrogen oxide absorbent for absorbing nitrogen oxides in exhaust gases emitted from the engine. Nitrogen oxides absorbed by the nitrogen oxide absorbent is reduced by enriching the air-fuel ratio of the mixture supplied to the engine. The degree of the enriching of the air-fuel ratio is set to a larger value as a flow rate or flow velocity of the exhaust gases increases.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air-fuel ratio control system for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to an air-fuel ratio control system for an international combustion engine which has an exhaust gas-purifying device with an absorbent for absorbing nitrogen oxides, arranged in the exhaust system.
2. Prior Art
When an internal combustion engine operates in a condition where the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine is set to a leaner value than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio to carry out so-called lean-burn control, it is likely that an increased amount of nitrogen oxides (hereinafter referred to as "NOx") is emitted from the engine. To overcome this disadvantage, it is conventionally employed to provide an exhaust gas-purifying device accommodating a NOx absorbent for absorbing NOx arranged in the exhaust system of the engine, to thereby carry out purification of exhaust gases emitted from the engine. The NOx absorbent has such a characteristic that it absorbs NOx when the air-fuel ratio is leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and accordingly the concentration of oxygen present in exhaust gases is relatively high, i.e. the amount of NOx is large (hereinafter referred to as "the exhaust gas lean state"), whereas it desorbs the absorbed NOx when the air-fuel ratio is richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and accordingly the concentration of oxygen present in exhaust gases is low, i.e. the amount of HC and CO is large (hereinafter referred to as "the exhaust gas rich state"). Therefore, in the exhaust gas rich state, the exhaust gas-purifying device with the NOx absorbent functions to reduce NOx desorbed from the NOx absorbent to a nitrogen gas by reaction with HC and CO, which is emitted into the air, and oxidize HC and CO into steam and carbon dioxide, which are also emitted into the air.
The NOx absorbent, however, has a limited capacity for absorbing NOx, and therefore the lean-burn control cannot be continued over a long time period. To cope with this inconvenience, there is conventionally known an air-fuel ratio control method, for example, from Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-294319, which temporarily enriches the air-fuel ratio in order to desorb NOx which has been absorbed by the NOx absorbent, for reduction of the thus desorbed NOx. In the present specification, this temporary enrichment of the air-fuel ratio for desorbing NOx will be referred to as "reduction enrichment".
According to this air-fuel ratio control method, the degree of reduction enrichment is set to a larger value as the amount of exhaust gases emitted per unit time is smaller. In other words, the degree of reduction enrichment is set to a smaller value as the amount of exhaust gases is larger. This setting is based on the ground that when the amount of exhaust gases emitted per unit time is smaller and accordingly the amount of HC and CO present in the exhaust gases is smaller, NOx desorbed from the NOx absorbent cannot be reduced to a sufficient degree if the degree of reduction enrichment or enrichment of a mixture supplied to the engine is constant.
Further, there is conventionally known a control method, for example, from Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-54695, which, in changing the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to an internal combustion engine with a three-way catalyst arranged in the exhaust system, from a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio to a leaner value, temporarily sets the air-fuel ratio to a richer value than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and then changes the air-fuel ratio to a leaner value, to thereby reduce the emission amount of NOx immediately after the change of the air-fuel ratio to the leaner value. According to this method, by temporarily enriching the air-fuel ratio, oxygen stored in the three-way catalyst is released to enhance the oxygen storage capacity of the three-way catalyst, to thereby reduce the emission amount of NOx immediately after the change of the air-fuel ratio to a leaner value.
The method according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-294319, however, has the following inconvenience: That is, when a large amount of exhaust gases per unit time is emitted from the engine, the temperature of the NOx absorbent rises, which leads to an increase in the amount of NOx desorbed from the NOx absorbent. If the degree of enrichment is then set to a smaller value, NOx cannot be reduced to a sufficient degree. Further, a larger amount of exhaust gases emitted per unit time, i.e. a larger exhaust gas flow rate (volume/time) means a higher exhaust gas flow velocity (volume/(time.times.cross sectional area)), which results in insufficient contact between HC and CO and the NOx absorbent (catalyst). This also leads to insufficient reduction of NOx. As a result, the emission amount of NOx unfavorably increases as the exhaust gas flow rate increases.
Further, if the method according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-54695 is applied to the air-fuel ratio control of an internal combustion engine provided with the exhaust gas-purifying device accommodating the NOx absorbent, to change the air-fuel ratio from a stoichiometric value to a leaner value, a similar inconvenience to that mentioned above can occur. That is, when the reduction enrichment is first carried out and then the air-fuel ratio is controlled to a leaner value, if the degree of reduction enrichment is made constant irrespective of the exhaust gas flow rate or the degree of reduction enrichment is made smaller as the exhaust gas flow rate increases, the emission amount of NOx unfavorably increases.

Air-fuel ratio control system for internal combustion engines


A method and apparatus for completing and backside pressure testing petroleum product wells for production, with one or more differential pressure valves being present at spaced intervals within a tubing string and with a well fluid transfer device being located in the tubing string. Either after or preferably before well casing perforation, after setting of the tubing string, casing pressure is elevated to a backside test pressure, above differential pressure causing closure of the differential pressure responsive valves to ensure the integrity of seals and packers. Casing pressure is then increased to a transfer valve opening pressure, above backside test pressure, to open unidirectional flow communication of well fluid from the well casing to the production tubing. After the casing annulus has been unloaded of standing fluid to a desired level and with all regulating valves closed by differential pressure or has been balanced with formation pressure, the casing is perforated for immediate start up of well fluid production by formation pressure or other suitable production operations.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to completion of wells for the production of fluid therefrom and more particularly concerns a method and apparatus for accomplishing pressure testing of packers seals and other pressure containing components of a well during completion activities. More particularly, the present invention concerns the method for installing a production system within a well and, prior to initiating production operations, increasing casing pressure to a level for differential pressure closure of one or more differential valves of the production tubing string, further increasing casing pressure to test the integrity of all pressure containing components such as seals, packers, etc. After the pressure testing procedure has been completed, a fluid transfer valve is opened to permit transfer of well fluid from the casing annulus into the production tubing for unloading the casing of standing well fluid in preparation for production of the well. To accommodate the problem of potential kicking of the well caused by sudden release of formation pressure into the well casing during backside pressure testing, the fluid transfer valve incorporates a unidirectional valve for blocking reverse flow of well fluid from the well bore into the production tubing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When typical well production systems are installed within wells, after the production tubing string has been landed it is desirable to accomplish pressure testing from the casing side, or backside of the installation, so that the sealing integrity of seals, packers and other pressure containing components can be assured. Otherwise, if a condition of seal or packer leakage should exist, the abrasive condition of the well fluid can cause erosion of or other damage to well components which can require the well to be reworked to ensure efficient production of well fluid. Seal integrity is highly desirable to ensure against well blowout resulting from seal and packer leakage. Where a well is being completed for gas-lift production or is adapted for unloading by gas-lift valves, many types of gas-lift valves will prevent casing pressure testing of this nature because the valves will open and prevent desired test pressure from being reached and held so as to confirm the integrity of the seals and packers. In such case, the mandrels of the production tubing string are typically equipped with dummy valves to isolate the production tubing from casing pressure while the well casing pressure is increased to test pressure. The casing or backside pressure test is then conducted to the desired pressure and for the desired duration to ensure the sealing integrity of the sealing components of the system. After pressure testing has been completed, wireline equipment is then used to replace the dummy valves of the mandrels with pressure responsive valves or valves that are otherwise controlled. This of course is a time consuming and expensive procedure because of the significant rig time and labor requirements that are involved.
In cases where the well casing is perforated at the production zone prior to backside pressure testing, the presence of elevated fluid pressure within the casing, which is necessary for backside pressure testing, can cause casing fluid to be forced into the producing formation surrounding the well casing. When this occurs, the formation can be damaged to the point that production from the well can be severely diminished. If, as in many cases, the well fluid is drilling fluid having a liquid carrier and containing fine, dense particulate such as barite and perhaps also containing contaminant particulate such as pipe scale, drill cuttings, metal fragments from the firing of perforating charges, etc., this liquid, slurry-like material can be forced into the formation and can block its fluid flow interstices. At times a formation seal can be developed by this material which interferes with flow of formation fluid, oil, water, natural gas, into the well bore. To prevent damage to the formation by backside pressure testing procedures it is desirable to conduct pressure testing activities prior to perforation of the well casing.
One of the principal problems with this type of pressure testing procedure is the possibility that the well can begin to kick, i.e., receive pressure from the earth formation in communication with the wellbore, at a point in the procedure where a dummy valve has been removed, but has not yet been replaced with a gas-lift regulating valve. In this case it could become necessary to kill the well by injecting fluid at a pressure exceeding formation pressure. This procedure can seriously damage the well and interfere with its subsequent production. Obviously, there is a significant risk of well blowout if the well begins to kick at a time when a valve is missing from one of the mandrel valve pockets. Also, since wireline equipment is required for retrieving dummy valves from the mandrels and replacing them with gas-lift valves, the expense of the wireline equipment and the wireline specialist personnel that are needed for wireline service activities adds significantly to the cost of the well completion procedure.
Another disadvantage of well completion activities that require wire line equipment for valve replacement is the cost of rig downtime. This is especially disadvantageous in the marine environment where rig costs and well servicing costs are prohibitive. It is desirable therefore to complete wells for production in such manner that eliminates the need for dummy valve installation and replacement and ensures, after backside pressure testing has been completed, that the well is immediately ready to begin production activities.

Method and apparatus for completing and backside pressure testing of wells


Embodiments of the invention provide a filter vessel including a housing with an inlet and an outlet, a toroidal-shaped inlet manifold, and a plurality of inlet channels. The toroidal-shaped inlet manifold is in fluid communication with the inlet and is positioned along a circumference of the housing, and the plurality of inlet channels are in fluid communication with the toroidal-shaped inlet manifold.

Conventional in-line filter vessel designs provide in-line nozzles at the same elevation or at different elevations. As shown in FIG. 1A, a conventional filter vessel 10 with in-line inlet and outlet nozzles 12, 14 positioned at the same elevation allow for a straight line arrangement of the filter vessel 10 within a process or system and requires no deviation of the process piping from its original elevation. Typically, this design requires that an inlet pipe 16 protrude through the tube sheet 18 of the filter vessel 10. Thus, the inlet pipe 16 occupies space which could otherwise be occupied by a filter element 20. As a result of the inlet pipe 16 requiring the displacement of at least one filter element 20, larger filter vessel diameters are needed for a given number of filter elements 20. In small diameter vessels, in particular, this significantly diminishes the filter capacity for a given filter vessel diameter or requires a larger diameter filter vessel 10 to achieve a given capacity, requiring both greater vessel space (which is often at a premium in process designs) and greater fabrication cost. In packaged process systems, minimization of space can be an important design element in terms of minimizing material costs as well as overall system costs. These effects are particularly acute in applications where footprint and/or weight are extremely costly, such as offshore oil and gas production platforms. Depending on the design pressure of the filter vessel 10, a larger vessel diameter may also require a greater shell thickness in order to conform to design codes, further increasing material requirements, vessel weight, and fabrication costs.
FIG. 1B shows a conventional filter vessel 10 with in-line nozzles 12, 14 positioned at different elevations. This can allow maximization of filter elements 20 within the filter vessel 10, but does so at the expense of the nozzle elevation. More specifically, to afford an inlet that does not protrude through the tube sheet 18 and occupy filter space, the inlet nozzle 12 is elevated relative to the outlet nozzle 14. This arrangement requires additional piping complexity (such as elbows and risers) and additional piping space around the filter vessel 10, increasing its overall footprint. Additionally, fabrication code requirements may necessitate spacing between welds, closures, etc., which results in further additional height accommodations. The added height typically does not allow personnel to access the filter elements 20 when standing at grade, necessitating access platforms 19, ladders, etc. (as shown in FIG. 2). Additionally, the vessel design of FIGS. 1B and 2 places the filter elements 20 well below the vessel closure 21. By most process plant safety requirements, placing any part of the body below the vessel closure 21 constitutes a confined space vessel entry, requiring additional safety procedures and insertion of blinds into the process piping. This may add considerable operational burden and time required to replace filter elements 20, diminishing plant productivity. The vessel arrangement also results in a large liquid hold-up volume above the tube sheet 18. In the event that the liquid being filtered is a high value product, this may lead to unacceptable product losses. If the liquid being filtered is hazardous or contains volatile, poisonous components (such as hydrogen sulfide gas), this may lead to significant personnel exposure to dangerous materials when opening the filter vessel.


The present disclosure includes a method for processing a beer stream for the recovery of oil. The method include a step of extracting oil from a beer stream into an organic phase comprising an organic solvent to provide in the organic phase at least a portion of the oil. In general, a beer stream refers to a composition containing alcohol, water, oil, and particulates, and can be a result of a fermentation process. When the beer stream is a beer stream from a fermentation process, it can be referred to as a fermentation broth even if it is no longer being subjected to fermentation. The beer stream can contain other components commonly found in a stream coming off a fermentation process such as, for example, glycerol and acetic acid. A method for producing ethanol, and an ethanol production facility are provided.

Extraction of oil from edible items, such as grains (including corn), seeds, nuts, and legumes is common. Often, the item is ground, cracked, milled or otherwise processed to increase its surface area. Oil is then extracted from the ground item using various methods. Other materials are also commonly extracted from other vegetative materials.
One common method for extracting corn oil from corn is by using ethanol. Prior to contact with the ethanol, the corn kernels are crushed, flaked, milled, or otherwise modified into smaller pieces than the whole kernel. Because the majority of the oil is found in the germ of the kernel, the germ is often separated from the rest of the kernel. Ethanol is passed over, through, and otherwise around the corn pieces, and the oil leaches from the corn into the ethanol, where it is carried away from the remaining corn solids. The oil is then recovered from the ethanol. This process, however, can be costly, due to the high amounts of energy needed to separate the ethanol from the solids.
The recovery of oils from materials used in the fermentation process is desirable. Efforts have been made for the recovery of oils from seed germ prior to fermentation. For example, see Cao et al., Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Corn Starch After Extraction of Corn Oil with Ethanol, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Vol. 57/58, pages 39-47, 1996, and Hojilla-Evangelist et al., Sequential Extraction Processing of Flaked Whole Corn: Alternative Corn Fractionation Technology for Ethanol Production, Cereal Chemistry, 1992.

Method for extracting oil from a water and solids composition, method for the production of ethanol, and ethanol production facility


If a forced convection is generated by a cooling fan, there is generated a problem that a natural convection is prevented and a cooling effect in a region of the natural convection is lowered. The invention provides a structure in which an air flow generated by a forced convection does not come into contact with an air flow generated by a natural convection, by setting a partition all between a forced convection path in which the air flows on the basis of a forced convection generated by a cooling fan, and a natural convection path in which the air flows on the basis of a natural convection. Further, the partition wall is not provided near an upper end so as to draw in the air flowing through the natural convection path to a side of the forced convection path, thereby promoting the natural convection of the natural convection path.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device having a cooling mechanism.
(2) Description of Related Art
In recent years, as a display device, a luminous type plasma display panel or a non-luminous type liquid crystal display device have been frequently used in place of a cathode ray tube (CRT).
Among them, the liquid crystal display device employs a liquid crystal panel as a transmission type light modulation element, and is provided with a lighting device (also called as a back light) on a back surface of the liquid crystal panel so as to irradiate a light onto the liquid crystal panel. Further, the liquid crystal panel forms an image by controlling a transmission rate of the light irradiated from the back light.
One of the features of the liquid crystal display device exists in a point that an outer shape can be structured thinner than the CRT. However, a further thinner liquid crystal display device is desired in recent years. If the liquid crystal display device is made thinner, it becomes hard to secure an air flow path for cooling an inner portion of a casing constructing an outer shape of the liquid crystal device. Accordingly, there generated a problem that a cooling efficiency is lowered. In this connection, for example, patent document 1 (JP-A-2006-189850 (refer to FIGS. 5 to 7)) discloses a technique in which a transverse flow fan for exhausting is provided in an upper portion of a rear surface so as to forcibly generate a convection current in an inner portion of a casing and increase an amount of an air flowing in the inner portion of the casing, thereby cooling the inner portion of the casing.
However, in the technique disclosed in the patent document 1, it is necessary to set a rotating space for rotating the transverse flow fan around a shaft provided in a lateral direction of the liquid crystal display device, and a space for arranging a rotating mechanism rotating the transverse flow fan, and there is generated an obstructing factor against the desire for making the liquid crystal display device thin.
In this connection, there is considered a structure in which a blower device taking an air from a rear surface of the liquid crystal display device so as to exhaust the air to an upper side is installed near a lower end of the liquid crystal display device, for making the liquid crystal device thin. This structure is structured such as to cool the inner portion of the casing by using both a forced convection generated by the blower device and a natural convection generated in the inner portion of the casing, however, if the blower device is installed near the lower end of the liquid crystal display device, the natural convection is disturbed by the flow of the forced convection generated by the blower device, and there is a problem that a whole of the inner portion of the casing of the liquid crystal display device can not be efficiently cooled.


A unified query building system generates a source structure comprising nodes from a data structure input of an identified data source, displays the generated source structure in a logical view, adds a selected node or element from the nodes to a design query canvas, generates a query object from the selected node based on a source type of the selected node, presents a logical view of a query function of a selected query object, and generates a unified query comprising the generated query objects. The logical view is displayed in a graphical user interface comprising a design query canvas comprising grids corresponding to functions in a query language such as SQL or XML. The generated unified query is displayed in an actual query view and is outlined in a query outline view.

Conventional databases store data in tables with columns and rows. In a relational database, tables are related or linked to one another. A new paradigm for databases comprises adding XML data to cells within a relational database. With the addition of native XML support in databases, the queries required to find, manipulate, and publish data stored in a conventional database have become more complex. Not only has the structure of the data changed, the language used to query and publish this data has also changed to support this new database paradigm.
A conventional query language comprises either XQuery to support XML or SQL to support relational databases. To query data in this new database paradigm, XQuery is added to query the XML portions of the relational database. XQuery is capable of querying hierarchical XML data. For a conventional database that is primarily a relational store, the existing SQL querying capabilities remain intact. Besides allowing the ability to publish relational data as XML, additional SQUXML functionality decomposes XML data and publishes the decomposed XML data as a relational table. Added to this functionality, this database paradigm also supports functions that can perform XSL transformations to publish XML data in another XML format.
In general, this new database paradigm can support relational and XML mapping capabilities in querying and publishing language such as, for example, relational structure mapped to XML structure and vice versa, XML structure mapped to XML structure, and relational structure mapped to relational structure.
Conventional databases typically use a conventional query builder to aid a developer or user in the generation of complex queries for a relational database. Although this technology has proven to be useful, it would be desirable to present additional improvements. These conventional query builders are designed for only relational to relational querying and publishing cannot build queries over data structured in the new database paradigm. Users currently build queries that combine aspects of XML and relational searches by bringing up an XQuery builder and a SQL query builder, cutting and pasting partial queries from the XQuery builder and the SQL query builder, and manually integrating the partial queries. Neither the XQuery builder nor the SQL query builder is able to publish relational data as XML or decompose XML data as relational data. Publishing relational data as XML or decomposing XML data as relational data requires a separate mapping tool. Consequently, the process of querying over XML data and relational data is cumbersome; a user is required to build combined queries using more than one tool, each with a different user experience.
What is needed is a unified query builder that queries and publishes across relational data and XML data in a transparent manner such that the development experience of the user does not change with respect to the type of data being queried. The user should be able to store both relational and XML data in a database without understanding the internal storage mechanism. Similarly, the user should be able to query the data and publish the results without having to understand semantic changes in the querying and publishing languages. Provided the user understands the structure of the data, the user should be able to identify any data or any part of the data to query, publish, and modify the data. The present method for building a unified query spans heterogeneous environments from any data source such as, for example, relational databases, XML data stores, web-based data, data feeds, a file system, etc. The need for such a solution has heretofore remained unsatisfied.

Building a unified query that spans heterogeneous environments

International Business Machines Corporation


A display device with an integrated touch screen including a display panel including electrodes divided into a plurality of block type groups and a plurality of data lines; a display driver IC configured to apply a common voltage to the electrodes when a driving mode of the panel is a display driving mode, sequentially apply a touch scan signal to each block type group when the driving mode of the panel is a touch driving mode, and apply a data signal to the data lines associated with a corresponding block type group when the touch scan signal is applied to the corresponding block type group; and a touch IC configured to generate the touch scan signal and apply the touch scan signal to the display driver IC.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to a display device with an integrated touch screen.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A touch screen is an input device included in image display devices such as Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), Field Emission Displays (FEDs), Plasma Display Panel (PDPs), Electroluminescent Displays (ELDs), and Electrophoretic Display (EPDs), and allows a user to input information by applying a pressure (i.e., pressing or touching) to a touch sensor of a touch screen. The demand of display devices with integrated touch screens such as smart phones and tablet Personal Computers (PCs) is increasing.
Hereinafter, a related art display device with an integrated in-cell type touch screen will be described with reference to FIG. 1. In particular, FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a related art display device with an integrated self-capacitive touch screen having an in-cell type.
As shown, the related art display device includes a panel 10 with a plurality of built-in electrodes 12, a display driver IC (DD-IC) 20 connected to an external system and controlling a plurality of data lines 13 inside the panel 10, and a touch IC 30 that drives the electrodes 12 inside the panel 10. Further, the panel 10 is alternately driven in a display driving mode and a touch driving mode, and thereby performs a touch function and a display function.
When the driving mode of the panel 10 is the display driving mode, the electrodes 12 receive a common voltage through a connection line 23 to act as a plurality of common electrodes for display driving, and the data lines 13 receive a floating voltage or a ground voltage from the display driver IC 20 for driving the liquid crystal display device.
Moreover, when the driving mode of the panel 10 is the touch driving mode, the electrodes 12 receive a touch scan signal through the connection line 23 to act as a plurality of touch electrodes. As shown in FIG. 1, the connection line 23 is connected to the electrodes 12.
Thus, in the related art display device, an initial capacitance is generated between a touch electrode and a data line, and the higher the initial capacitance, the lower the touch sensation. The reason is as follows.
A touch sensation corresponds to a size of a signal to noise ratio (SNR), which is a value obtained by dividing an average value of a signal (which is generated when a touch is not performed) and a signal (which is generated when a touch is performed) by the maximum value of noise caused when a touch is not performed. Therefore, the greater the noise, the less the size of an SNR, and thus the higher the initial capacitance and the lower the touch sensation. Further, the noise value is the initial capacitance value.
Hereinafter, an initial capacitance that lowers a touch sensation as described above will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2. In particular, FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagram of a portion A of FIG. 1 illustrating the related art display device.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, an initial capacitance of 2.85 pF is formed between electrodes 12, and an initial capacitance of 1.6 pF is formed between data lines 13. Also, an initial capacitance of 98.5 pF is formed between an electrode 12 and a data line 13 that is formed not to overlap the electrodes 12, and an initial capacitance of 25.3 pF is formed between an electrode 12 and a data line 13 that is formed to overlap the lower portion of the electrode 12.
As shown in FIG. 2, an initial capacitance formed between an electrode 12 and a data line 13 is relatively greater than an initial capacitance formed between electrodes 12 or an initial capacitance formed between data lines 13. Therefore, an initial capacitance formed between an electrode 12 and a data line 13 causes relatively greater noise compared to an initial capacitance formed between electrodes 12 or an initial capacitance formed between data lines 13. Thus, a touch sensation is lowered.
Therefore, even though the floating voltage or the ground voltage is applied to a data line in the touch driving mode, a touch malfunction can occur when the floating voltage is applied to a data line in the touch driving mode, and an initial capacitance increases when the ground voltage is applied to a data line in the touch driving mode, causing an increase in noise. Further, a touch sensation and the accuracy of a touch are lowered due to an initial capacitance formed between an electrode and a data line.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Display device with integrated touch screen and method for driving the same


A nonvolatile memory device includes a plurality of memory banks, each including a plurality of nonvolatile resistive memory cells (e.g. PRAM cells). The device also includes a write global bitline shared by the memory banks and a read global bitline shared by the memory banks. The device further includes a control circuit configured to write data to a selected nonvolatile memory cell in a first memory bank using the write global bitline while reading data from a selected nonvolatile memory cell in a second memory bank using the read global bitline such that a discharge time period of the write global bitline is longer than a quenching time period of a write current which flows through the nonvolatile memory cell of the first memory bank.

The present invention relates to memory devices and, more particularly, to nonvolatile memory devices using resistive material cells. Nonvolatile memories using resistive materials include phase-change random access memories (PRAMs), resistive RAMs (RRAMs), and magnetic RAMs (MRAMs). While dynamic RAMs (DRAMs) or flash memories typically store data using charge storage, nonvolatile memories having resistive materials typically store data by controlling a state of a phase-change material, such as chalcogenide alloy (in the case of PRAMs), the resistance of a variable resistive material (in the case of RRAMs), or the resistance of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) thin film according to the magnetization state of a ferromagnetic material (in the case of MRAMs).
In particular, the phase-change material of a typical PRAM becomes crystalline or amorphous as it is cooled after being heated. The phase-change material typically has a low resistance in the crystalline state and has a high resistance in the amorphous state. Therefore, the crystalline state may be defined as "set" (or "0"), and the amorphous state may be defined as "reset" (or "1"). As nonvolatile memories have greater storage capacity and become more highly integrated, bitlines of some nonvolatile memories are being implemented using a hierarchical bitline structure having global bitlines and local bitlines. In particular, the global bitlines may be divided into read global bitlines for reading data from nonvolatile memory cells and write global bitlines for writing data to the nonvolatile memory cells. Using such structures, the storage capacity and integration density of the nonvolatile memories may be further increased. Recently, methods of accurately reading data from each nonvolatile memory cell of nonvolatile memories structured as described above are being researched and developed.

Resistive memory devices using assymetrical bitline charging and discharging


The present invention relates to compositions and methods for cancer diagnostics, including but not limited to, cancer markers. In particular, the present invention provides methods and compositions for phage microarray profiling of cancer (e.g., prostate, lung, or breast cancer). The present invention further provides novel markers useful for the diagnosis, characterization, and treatment of cancers.

Afflicting one out of nine men over age 65, prostate cancer (PCA) is a leading cause of male cancer-related death, second only to lung cancer (Abate-Shen and Shen, Genes Dev 14:2410 [2000]; Ruijter et al., Endocr Rev, 20:22 [1999]). The American Cancer Society estimates that about 184,500 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 39,200 will die in 2001.
Prostate cancer is typically diagnosed with a digital rectal exam and/or prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening. An elevated serum PSA level can indicate the presence of PCA. PSA is used as a marker for prostate cancer because it is secreted only by prostate cells. A healthy prostate will produce a stable amount—typically below 4 nanograms per milliliter, or a PSA reading of "4" or less—whereas cancer cells produce escalating amounts that correspond with the severity of the cancer. A level between 4 and 10 may raise a doctor's suspicion that a patient has prostate cancer, while amounts above 50 may show that the tumor has spread elsewhere in the body.
When PSA or digital tests indicate a strong likelihood that cancer is present, a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is used to map the prostate and show any suspicious areas. Biopsies of various sectors of the prostate are used to determine if prostate cancer is present. Treatment options depend on the stage of the cancer. Men with a 10-year life expectancy or less who have a low Gleason number and whose tumor has not spread beyond the prostate are often treated with watchful waiting (no treatment). Treatment options for more aggressive cancers include surgical treatments such as radical prostatectomy (RP), in which the prostate is completely removed (with or without nerve sparing techniques) and radiation, applied through an external beam that directs the dose to the prostate from outside the body or via low-dose radioactive seeds that are implanted within the prostate to kill cancer cells locally. Anti-androgen hormone therapy is also used, alone or in conjunction with surgery or radiation. Hormone therapy uses luteinizing hormone-releasing hormones (LH-RH) analogs, which block the pituitary from producing hormones that stimulate testosterone production. Patients must have injections of LH-RH analogs for the rest of their lives.
While surgical and hormonal treatments are often effective for localized PCA, advanced disease remains essentially incurable. Androgen ablation is the most common therapy for advanced PCA, leading to massive apoptosis of androgen-dependent malignant cells and temporary tumor regression. In most cases, however, the tumor reemerges with a vengeance and can proliferate independent of androgen signals.
The advent of prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening has led to earlier detection of PCA and significantly reduced PCA-associated fatalities. However, the impact of PSA screening on cancer-specific mortality is still unknown pending the results of prospective randomized screening studies (Etzioni et al., J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 91:1033 [1999]; Maattanen et al., Br. J. Cancer 79:1210 [1999]; Schroder et al., J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 90:1817 [1998]). A major limitation of the serum PSA test is a lack of prostate cancer sensitivity and specificity especially in the intermediate range of PSA detection (4-10 ng/ml). Elevated serum PSA levels are often detected in patients with non-malignant conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis, and provide little information about the aggressiveness of the cancer detected. Coincident with increased serum PSA testing, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of prostate needle biopsies performed (Jacobsen et al., JAMA 274:1445 [1995]). This has resulted in a surge of equivocal prostate needle biopsies (Epstein and Potter J. Urol., 166:402 [2001]). Thus, development of additional serum and tissue biomarkers to supplement or replace PSA screening is needed.

Phage microarray profiling of the humoral response to disease

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN


A ceiling or overhead air conditioner unit is configured to fit into a standard space, e.g., two-foot by four-foot, in a dropped ceiling. The unit can be a self-contained air conditioning unit with HEPA filter, or an air conditioner attachment adapted to fit onto a blower and filter assembly. The positions of the condenser air intake and outlet can be field-selected at either the end, the top, or the side, e.g., using a movable plate. The evaporator return inlet can similarly be field-selected at the top, side, or end. The return bypass inlet can be field-selected at the side or top. The room air intake can be connected by a duct either to outside air or to an intake air grille in the ceiling. The air conditioning attachment unit that fits an existing or available ceiling mounted filter and blower assembly has its condenser section on one side of the unit, and its evaporator section at the other side, guiding conditioned air into a centrally situated cool air plenum. Bypass air is supplied to the plenum to mix with the conditioned air. Dampers and ducting permit the environment to be maintained at overpressure or underpressure, as needed for a given application. The unit can be coupled to additional client filter and blower assemblies.

The invention concerns a ceiling or overhead air conditioner unit that is configured to fit into an available ceiling space, e.g., a two-foot by four-foot dropped ceiling space. The invention is more particularly concerned with a self-contained ceiling mounted unit that has its interior configured so that the inside (evaporator) air and the exhaust heat (condenser) air are moved in separate paths in the unit. The indoor discharge air, conditioned for temperature and humidity, is directed downward through a filter of suitable grade for the application. In some cases, this can be a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, and in other applications the filter can be a so-called "absolute" filter, or a chemical-absorptive filter, such as a carbon or carbon-impregnated filter.
Conventional ceiling mounted air conditioner units typically incorporate only the evaporator side of the refrigeration circuit, and employ a separate outdoor condenser unit. This arrangement is referred to as a split system. Conventional ceiling mounted HEPA air filtration units typically involve air handling only, and do not heat or cool the air, nor do they control humidity. While it is sometimes advantageous to create an underpressure in a given space (so that contaminants do not leak out from the space) or to create an overpressure (so that contaminants are forced out, and do not migrate into the space), ceiling mounted self-contained air handling or air conditioning units have not had the capability for either.
There are also several ceiling-mounted filter and blower assemblies available, which are dimensioned to fit into a 2' by 4' ceiling space for providing clean air to a workplace.
Leader et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,363 describes a compact filter and blower assembly with an air intake at the top center of the housing or cabinet, where the intake air encounters a centrifugal blower. A baffle system directs the air downward through a HEPA filter into the room space. The air is not cooled, dehumidified, or otherwise conditioned than by filtering it. Davis U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,395 describes another compact centrifugal fan and blower assembly. Garay et al. Pat. No. 5,053,065 describes a low-profile blower arrangement with a pair of air inlets and twin backward-curved centrifugal impellers. None of these systems employs an air conditioner, either integrated with the blower and filter unit, or piggy-backed onto the unit in the ceiling space.
Candeloro U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,687 is typical of a modular air conditioning system that fits above a suspended ceiling and directs air through channeling in the space above the suspended ceiling. Nelson U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,814 relates to a blower unit for use in isolating patents having contagious respiratory disease. The blower draws air from the patient's room and filters the discharged air to maintain the room at a negative pressure. Again, none of these deals with the problem of providing all the required equipment for conditioning and filtering room air in the geometry of a standard 2' by 4' ceiling space.
The equipment now available or known is not well adapted for ganging units together, either side by side or end to end, and does not provide for field selecting condenser-side intake and outlet at either the end, the side, or the top, as may be required for a given installation.

Self-contained air conditioner with discharge-air filter