A method of manufacturing an intraocular lens for restoring visual function to an eye. The lens includes a convex lens optic for receiving and focusing light rays, a prismatic wedge adjacent to the convex lens optic for receiving and directing light rays to a functional portion of a retina of the eye, and structure for fixing the lens optic and the prismatic wedge in the eye so that the lens optic is angularly oriented with respect to an optic axis of the eye and is posterior to the prismatic wedge. The lens optic includes an aspheric surface having a geometry determined according to a specific formula.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to prismatic intraocular lenses for restoring vision in patients with macular degeneration. More particularly, the present invention relates to prismatic intraocular lenses having aspheric surface geometry and related methods of their manufacture.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 1, a normal eye 10 includes a cornea 12, an aqueous solution called the aqueous humor 14 behind cornea 12, an iris 16, a natural lens 18, ciliary sulcus 20, retina 22, macula 24 at the center of the retina, and fovea 26 at the center of macula 24. The cornea 12 and lens 18 cause an image 30 to form at fovea 26. Fovea 26 is a circular zone approximately 0.2-0.5 mm.sup.2 in area. The image 30 formed at fovea 26 corresponds to a locus of fixation for providing acute vision. This locus of fixation helps to coordinate voluntary and involuntary head and eye movements required for daily activities, such as reading, driving, and dressing. Peripheral images are located around this locus of fixation.
A common cause of blindness in adults is macular degeneration. This retinal disease involves damage to the fovea so that the fovea is unable to process images. The damage spreads over time into the macula and beyond, causing a blind spot at the center of a patient's visual field. The patient is thus unable to read, drive, or perform other tasks that require the brain to reference the locus of fixation.
In most patients, even in those with advanced macular degeneration, the macula is not completely damaged, but retains healthy areas. However, the loss of the locus of fixation caused by the central blind zone leads to severe visual impairment and often to legal blindness, defined as visual acuity of 20/200 or less. The number of patients diagnosed with such severe visual impairment in the United States alone exceeds 2 million.
Intraocular lens implants have been devised to replace the natural lens of the eye and restore sight to damaged or diseased eyes. The intraocular implant directs image forming light rays to a healthy portion of the macula. One such implant is an intraocular lens which forms part of a telescopic optic. Such an implant includes a convex lens forming the eye piece of a Galelian optic. The objective lens of the telescope is provided by another plus lens which may be provided in the form of a contact lens or a spectacle lens.
Compound intraocular lenses that combine different optical elements also have been proposed. In such proposals, a diffractive/refractive lens implant includes a diffractive lens profile covering about half the effective lens area. Such a configuration allows about half of the incident light from distant objects and half of the incident light from near objects to enter the eye. Such a compound optic provides an ability to form on the retina a focused image of both distant objects and near objects.
Although both images are formed on the fovea, the brightness of the image in each case is reduced by about 50%, or the ratio of the light intensity assigned to each image. In certain cases, such a lens can be used to treat macular degeneration by providing sufficient image magnification so as to project the image over a retinal area more than that damaged by macular degeneration. Such an approach, however, does not shift the image to healthy portions of the retina.
Similar multifocal intraocular lenses incorporating two refractive zones also have been disclosed. For example, the use of a pair of bifocal intraocular lenses has been disclosed in which each of the pair of bifocal intraocular lenses incorporates a refractive element and a diffractive element. One of the lenses provides greater image intensity for the image of near objects, while the other lens provides greater image intensity for the image of distant objects. This approach has the advantage that the incident light can be apportioned or split between the two images in a continuous manner between the two lenses. The disadvantage is that the image is processed by two optical elements, each of which introduces its own aberrations and loss of image contrast so that the performance of the compound lens can be worse than either a diffractive or refractive lens.
Intraocular lenses incorporating a single refractive element also have been devised to shift the image from a damaged portion of the retina to a healthy area. One such example is a prismatic intraocular lens that includes a convex spherical lens portion for focusing light rays and a prism posterior to the convex lens for deflecting light away from the diseased center of the retina to a functional point. This amount of deflection provided by the prism depends upon the prism vector, i.e. the prism wedge angle and the orientation of the prism with respect to the nasal-temporal axis of the retina.
Such prismatic intraocular lenses restore the central field vision to a patient. Prior prismatic intraocular implants, however, do not provide any means for correcting optical aberrations such as astigmatism, coma, and spherical aberration introduced by the prismatic portion. Consequently, the quality of the image delivered by prior prismatic intraocular lenses is poor, and may not provide significant benefit to patients implanted with such devices. Thus, there is a continuing need to improve the image quality provided by such lenses.

Method for manufacturing an intraocular lens


A microprocessor architecture including a finite state machine in combination with a microcode instruction cache for executing microinstructions. Microinstructions which would normally result in small sequences of high-repetition looped operations are implemented in a finite state machine (FSM). The use of the FSM is more energy-efficient than looping instructions in a cache or register set. In addition, the flexibility of a cache, or other memory oriented approach, in executing microcode instructions is still available. A microinstruction is identified as an FSM operation (as opposed to a cache operation) by an ID tag. Other fields of the microinstruction can be used to identify the type of FSM circuitry to use, direct configuration of a FSM to implement the microinstruction, indicate that certain fields are to be implemented in one or more FSMs and/or in memory-oriented operations such as in a cache or register.

This application relates in general to digital processing and more specifically to a digital processor microarchitecture for reducing power consumption in processors.
Reducing power consumption in microprocessor design is becoming more important as increasing numbers of portable digital processing applications, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), pocketbook computers, etc., become more popular. Also, as digital processors become faster, and as process technologies allow for increasingly dense designs, the effective capacitance, Ceff, encountered in new processor designs increases. The increased Ceff can require prohibitive amounts of power to achieve desired speeds. Recent projections indicate that traditional processor architectures that include significant random-access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM) in the processor's microstore, cache, buffers, registers and other areas; requires much more power due to fast signal switching requirements encumbered by high Ceff.
Traditionally, the liberal use of memory at the processor level has been desirable. The program store allows the processor to be re-configured with updated instruction set functionality. The design of microprocessor instructions, or the "instruction set," can be changed to a degree without greatly affecting hardware design. The use of a microinstruction cache allows instructions that need to be repeated many times to be more quickly accessed by placing instructions within the loop to be executed in the fast cache. However, the use of large memories and memory caches also require cell arrays, control lines, decode logic, etc., whose operations are highly affected by Ceff. In general, storage accessing has a significant overhead at speeds desired for central processing unit (CPU) instruction execution.
The prior art has tried to minimize the use of memory devices in modem processor architecture designs by making the microinstruction or instruction cache extremely small, and by using large, complex instructions, e.g., very long instruction word (VLIW) or complex instruction set computer (CISC) approaches. These approaches use large instruction words, that can perform one or more functions that would otherwise require multiple, simpler, instructions. At an extreme, a single complex microinstruction might be the entirety of a loop so that frequently-executed loops and functions can be performed by keeping the single microinstruction in a small, single-word cache and executing the same microinstruction many times. However, the mere operation of looping a register, memory or cache, requires high switching speeds of signals in many transistors in the register memory, control memory and associated support circuitry. Such an approach is prohibitive where Ceff is large. The trend of denser numbers of transistors to control more and more circuitry and chip designs is causing a rapid increase in Ceff. Other aspects of microprocessor design can further thwart register and memory oriented approaches.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a system that alleviates one or more shortcomings in the prior art.

Configurable finite state machine for operation of microinstruction providing execution enable control value


An airbag apparatus for safety includes an airbag inflating in response to a signal, and a sensor sensing a movement and generating the signal in response to the movement. A controller is configured to issue a command for squibbing a squib based on the signal. The airbag apparatus also includes a plurality of drivers operating in response to the command and a plurality of independent channels connecting the controller and the drivers to transmit the command from the controller to the drivers and a plurality of switching elements to squib the squib for inflating the airbag, for example, in a vehicle.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an on-vehicle airbag system for protecting occupants by inflating an airbag in a car upon collision.
2. Background Art
Cars are essential to modem life, and an airbag has also become essential for protecting an occupant. A circuitry of a related airbag system (Japanese Patent First Publication No. 9-240416) is shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the airbag system 100 comprises a Cpu (Central Processing Unit) 101, am IC (Integral Circuit) 102 having a first switching element 106 and a second switching element 107, a mechanical sating sensor 103, an acceleration sensor 104 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "G-sensor"), a safing switching element 105, and a squib 120.
A series of operation procedures upon collision is described below. A signal from the mechanical safing sensor 103 is sent to the CPU 101 through an I/O circuit 108. If the CPU decides to choose ON, an approval signal is issued, and sent to an AND gate 110 through a signal line L100. The approval signal is also sent to an AND gate 111 through a signal line L101.
On the other hand, a detected signal from the G-sensor 104 is sent to the CPU 101 through an A/D (Analog to Digital) converter 109. If the CPU 101 chooses to squib, a driving signal is issued and sent to the AND gate 111 through a signal line L102. If both of the driving signal and the approval signal are sent to the AND gate 111, an AND signal is sent to a SCI (Serial Communication Interface) 112 from the AND gate 111. The AND signal is sent to the SPI (Serial Parallel Interface) 113 through a serial transmission channel 119, and the AND signal is sent to the AND gate 110 through a signal line L104. If both of the AND signal and the approval signal are sent to the AND gate 110, a safing switching element 105 is activated.
The driving signal is also sent to a SCI 114 through a signal line L103. The driving signal is sent to a SPI 116 in the IC 102 through a serial transmission channel 115. The driving signal from the SPI 116 is sent to a driving circuit 117 through a signal line L105. The first switching element 106 is driven by the driving circuit 117. The driving signal from the SPI 116 is also sent to a driving circuit 118 through a signal line L106. The second switching element 107 is driven by the driving circuit 118. If the safing switching element 105, the first switching element 106, and the second switching element 107 are all driven (that is, all of the elements are made ON), an electric current flows in an electric power line L107. A squib 120 generates heat on account of the electric current, and an inflator is fired up, resulting in inflation of an airbag in a car.
However, the airbag system 100 has only one channel 115 to connect the CPU 101 and the switching elements 106 and 107 in the IC 102. (The channel 119 connects only the CPU 101 and the AND gate 110.)
Because there is only one channel 115, if the channel 115 is effected by, for example, an external noise, it is likely to cause a problem on both of the first switching element 106 and the second switching element 107 simultaneously. Thus, an operation reliability of the airbag system is low.

Noise-resistant circuit and apparatus using same


A hemodialysis apparatus includes a dialyzer, a quantitative vessel including a displaceable partition wall which partitions the inside of the quantitative vessel into a first chamber and a second chamber, a storage vessel which stores a dialysate, a dialysate exchange circuit which supplies the dialysate to the first chamber, and discharges a waste dialysate in the second chamber to the outside by the consequent displacement of the partition wall to the second chamber side, a dialysate supply circuit which supplies the dialysate in the first chamber to the dialyzer, and discharges the waste dialysate from the dialyzer to the second chamber by the displacement of the partition wall to the first chamber side, and a dialysate storage circuit which supplies the dialysate in the first chamber to the storage vessel by the displacement of the partition wall to the first chamber side.

For instance, a hemodialysis apparatus includes a dialysis circuit which supplies and discharges a dialysate to and from a dialyzer. This dialysis circuit is provided with a quantitative vessel which houses a dialysate of a fixed quantity to be supplied to the dialyzer, and houses a waste dialysate of a fixed quantity that was discharged from the dialyzer. With a dialysis circuit, in a state where blood is caused to flow to a primary side of a dialysis membrane of the dialyzer, by discharging the dialysate from a secondary side of the dialyzer to the quantitative vessel while supplying the dialysate from the quantitative vessel to the secondary side of the dialysis membrane of the dialyzer, the dialysate is passed through the dialyzer, waste products contained in the blood are introduced into the dialysate, and the patient's blood is thereby subject to dialytic treatment (refer to Patent Document 1).
Moreover, in order to remove the excess water content contained in the patient's body, ultrafiltration treatment is performed in the foregoing dialytic treatment. In order to perform this ultrafiltration treatment, normally, an ultrafiltration line for removing the water content from the blood is connected to the waste fluid line that is more downstream than the dialyzer of the dialysis circuit. The ultrafiltration line is provided with, for instance, a pump, and the water content is sucked and removed from the blood inside the dialyzer by operating the pump (refer to Patent Document 1). Moreover, as another means for removing the water content from the blood, proposed is a method of providing a constant-pressure valve to a waste fluid line, maintaining a branch point of the waste fluid line and an ultrafiltration line to a positive pressure by the constant-pressure valve, and removing the water content of the blood in the dialysate through the ultrafiltration line (refer to Patent Document 2).    [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication JP-A-H5-146506    [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication JP-A-2000-126284
Meanwhile, in order to strictly management the amount of fluid contained in the patient's body, for instance, it is necessary to strictly control the fluid removal that is discharged from the ultrafiltration line. Thus, a quantitative pump is used as the pump of the ultrafiltration pump of foregoing Patent Document 1, and strictly controlled. Consequently, the control and the like of the hemodialysis apparatus become complicated and, for example, this causes the hemodialysis apparatus to become expensive. Moreover, with the constant-pressure valve of the dialysis circuit of foregoing Patent Document 2, not only does the control of the apparatus become difficult due to the control of the constant-pressure valve and the like, but also there is a possibility that the positive pressure at the branch point cannot be sufficiently maintained since the branch point of the waste fluid line and the ultrafiltration line is downstream of the dialyzer, and there may be cases where the fluid removal cannot be controlled with high precision.

Hemodialysis apparatus, method of operating hemodialysis apparatus, and water content removal system


An adjustable scope mounting device for adjusting a scope mounted on a gun. The scope utilizes opposite threaded screws for elevational adjustment and further includes a windage adjustment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to external adjustable telescopic scope devices. For various reasons it is necessary to make adjustments when firing a rifle. The present invention relates to adjustments made to telescopic scopes for firearms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Telescopic scope devices are commonly used on firearms. Typically the scope devices have external adjustment only on the windage axis (left-right variation). When firing a firearm, minute adjustments can substantially impact the ability to target or sight a target since the target is often a substantial distance away and any small variations are magnified greatly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,915 discloses using two bases for use in adjustment of a telescopic sight. Theses bases have spaced detents holes which provide for three positions of vertical adjustment. The front based holes are horizontally aligned and parallel with the bore. The rear based holes are angularly positioned relative to the bore. This angularity provides the elevation adjustment. The adjustment for elevation is made as follows: First the screws that secure the scope through the rings must be loosened sufficiently to allow for the sliding of the scope within the rings. The loosening of one clamp front or rear may be necessary. Secondly four ring to base screws must be loosened sufficiently to disengage screws from the detent holes. Thirdly the adjustment choices are rear (upper), center (center) or front (lower). The scope must be aligned with front based holes and rear based detents screws. The screws must be tightened securely.
It is an object of the current invention to simplify the ease of making both left to right and elevational adjustments. It is a further object of the present invention to minimize any error that can be incurred in adjusting the scope device.

External adjustable telescopic scope device


A process and a device for producing sausage casings which bear a coating of spice particles on the inside are distinguished in that the inside of the sausage casing is provided with an adhesive coating which hardens from the liquid state and the spice particles are projected against the adhesive coating while it remains adhesive. The production of the spice particle coating can be interrupted in sections, that is to say in the sections predetermined for tying off individual sausage casings.

It is known to provide sausage with a spice coating on the outside, for example pepper salami. For this purpose, the sausage is freed from the casing and, after coating with an adhesive liquid, is covered with the ground spice in an airstream (DE-A 31 35 493). Since this process is laborious, it has also been proposed to provide the sausage casing on the inside with an edible coating which contains the spices (DE-A 41 23 745, EP-B 408 164, DD-A-140 196, Chemical Abstracts JP 49075746, JP 3010660 Abstract, JP 52070039 Abstract). However, in this process the spice becomes part of a relatively thick binder layer containing the spice, which binder layer remains on the sausage after the casing has been removed. This impairs the appearance of the sausage in comparison with conventional products, for example pepper salami. It is also undesirable if the spicecontaining coating including spices is removed from the sausage together with the sausage casing. The production of the known spice-containing sausage casings is also relatively laborious.
EP-B-408 164 discloses providing the sausage casing on the inside with spice particles, by providing the inside with an adhesive layer and dusting the spice particles onto this adhesive layer. Only the treatment of planar casing material is disclosed, tubular material must be cut open in advance.
It is a further disadvantage that the casing material, when the sausage ends are tied off by means of a cord or wire clip, is subjected to great stress, which can lead to tearing of the same if a sharp spice fragment is situated on the inside at the tying-off point.

Process and device for producing sausage skins and sausage skin produced thereby


A method for breaking an emulsion of oil and water comprising contacting the emulsion with a demulsifier comprising a terpene alkoxylate is disclosed.

The present invention generally relates to water-in-oil demulsifiers having low toxicity for use in breaking emulsions in crude oil.
Natural resources such as gas, oil, minerals, and water residing in subterranean formations can be recovered by drilling wells in the formations. Emulsions comprising oil and water commonly occur in the extraction, production, and processing and refining of oil. It is often necessary to separate the water from the oil in order to effectively prepare the oil for further processing or refinement. Numerous demulsifiers are known in the art for removing water from such emulsions. Demulsifiers are typically composed of one or more surfactants dispersed in a solvent system and may be derived, for example, from alcohols, fatty acids, fatty amines, glycols, and alkylphenol condensation products.
Among the crude oil demulsification methods in use today, electrostatic separation, gravity separation, centrifugation, and hydrocyclone-assisted separation are frequently used. In such methods, wash water is added until the crude oil's water content is in the range of about 4% to about 15% by volume, and a chemical demulsifier formulation is added so that the oil and the aqueous phases can be separated by separation methods known in the art.
Effective demulsification requires addition a chemical demulsifier to the wash water or to the crude prior to application of an electrostatic field or centrifugal force to the crude oil emulsion. Crude oils that contain high amounts of asphaltenes and naphthenic acids are generally called heavy crude oils and are difficult to demulsify. These crude oils require specifically tailored demulsifiers for demulsification to be effective. Many demulsifiers have phenolic groups in their chemical structure. In some cases, demulsifiers that do not contain phenolic groups and are effective on crude oils containing asphaltenes and naphthenic acids are desired.
The ecological impact of offshore crude oil extraction increasingly receives attention and is the subject of scrutiny by regulatory agencies as well as the public. Environmental regulatory agencies, both national and international, have determined that demulsifiers containing nonylphenyl alkoxylates and related compounds have a deleterious effect on the marine environment. Therefore, a need exists for crude oil demulsifiers that will less adversely impact the environment, such as by having lower toxicity levels, especially in the marine environment. There is also a need for demulsifiers for crude oil emulsions which have lower toxicity levels, especially when used in a marine environment. In addition to the needs for demulsifiers for separating crude oil which have low toxicity and are environmentally friendly, there is a need for demulsifier formulations containing low levels of surfactants.

Method for spearation crude oil emulsions


Systems and methods for collecting biometrically secured financial form data from a user are described. A user input device may receive biometric data from the user. The user may be presented with a visual medium. The visual medium may contain a plurality of fields for information necessary to conduct a financial transaction. Handwriting data may be received from the user. At least a portion of the handwriting may represent information corresponding to the plurality of fields for information necessary to conduct the financial transaction. At least a portion of the information corresponding to the plurality of fields for information necessary to conduct the financial transaction may be transmitted from the user input device to a computer system.

People are requested to complete forms for various reasons. For example, a patient may use a form to provide a doctor with the patient's medical history. As another example, a person may need to complete a form to conduct a money transfer transaction using a money transfer service provider, such as WESTERN UNION. Also, in many instances, a job application may include a standard form that must be filled out with the applicant's biographical information. Of course, many other forms are possible.
The use of forms to collect data may present several problems. First, it may not be possible to accurately determine if the person providing the information on the form is who the person has identified himself to be. One solution may be to have someone else manually verify an identification card (such as a government-issued driver's license) of the person completing the form. However, this may require someone to manually inspect the identification card. Also, a manual inspection of an identification card may result in human error. A person posing as someone else may be a significant problem in a situation where a criminal act is being furthered using the form, such as a transfer of money to fund terrorist activities or complete illegal drug sales.
Another problem possibly created by collecting information using forms is that the information handwritten on the form may need to be transcribed into a computer system to be electronically readable. For example, a doctor may want the medical history provided by a patient to be loaded to a database. If the patient provides his medical history on a form, someone may need to manually transcribe the information into a database using a computer. Such a process may be time consuming and, thus, costly. Such a manual transcription may also result in errors being introduced to the person's medical history.
Further, it may be impractical for a person to personally type his or her information directly into an electronic form via a computer (or any other computerized device, such as an tablet computer, netbook, laptop, smartphone, etc.) with a standard input device, such as a keyboard. For example, a particular form may need to be filled out by dozens of people in a short span of time. Having multiple computers available to allow people to simultaneously complete the form may be impractical.
The invention described herein addresses these and other problems.

Biometrically secured user input for forms


Several process flows are proposed for achieving suitable wafer backside structures for integrated RTP-based device processing. The wafer backside conditions proposed here can be adapted for integrated fabrication process flows based on multiple integrated single-wafer and rapid thermal processing (RTP) cycles. These backside conditions ensure repeatable RTP uniformity and accurate pyrometry calibrations and measurements. The use of a highly doped layer near the wafer backside ensures negligible infrared transmission and repeatable RTP-based process uniformity, both for the high-temperature and the lower temperature RTP-based processes such as low-pressure chemical-vapor deposition of silicon. Two backside layers are used (oxide and nitride) to prevent dopant outdiffusion and backside oxide growth due to thermal oxidation. Moreover, the backside silicon nitride layer preserves uniform backside emissivity throughout the entire flow. This is due to the oxidation resistance and also etch resistance of silicon nitride. The backside structures disclosed prevent emissivity variations/drift during RTP and other device fabrication steps throughout an integrated flow.

Single-wafer rapid thermal processing (RTP) has become an important fabrication technology for various applications such as thermal oxidation and nitridation, epitaxial growth, junction annealing, silicide formation/anneal, CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) well formation, rapid thermal chemical-vapor deposition (RTCVC), and others. Major efforts have been made on full-flow single-wafer integrated processing such as in semiconductor minifactory and conventional factory environments. One important requirement in RTP is repeatable and accurate temperature measurement and control for uniform and repeatable RTP-based fabrication processes. To eliminate the wafer pattern and process-related effects on temperature measurement and controls, one approach has been to perform multi-point wafer temperature measurement via light pipes inserted into RTP illuminators and probing the wafer backside. Therefore, the condition of the wafer backside and any change in the backside characteristics during RTP can have strong effects on wafer temperature measurement accuracy and repeatability. Moreover, uniformity of the wafer backside emissivity and surface conditions usually have a strong impact on the pyrometry temperature measurement and therefore a strong impact on the RTP uniformity and wafer-to-wafer process repeatability. In an integrated semiconductor device fabrication flow, multiple RTP fabrication steps may be used. The conventional process integration technique, result in numerous changes in the wafer backside structure and emissivity due to deposition, growth, and etch processes. As a result, there is a need for proper pre-conditioning of the semiconductor wafer backsides to ensure repeatable and uniform backside emissivity with negligible variations and drifts during the integrated process steps. Wafers having a single silicon dioxide layer on the wafer backside can be purchased from commercial vendors. However, the single oxide layer only serves to prevent dopant outdiffusion (and therefore process and wafer cross-contamination) and does not address the other foregoing described needs of to produce uniform backside emissivity and surface conditions for RTP-based integrated processing.

Conditioning of semiconductor wafers for uniform and repeatable rapid thermal processing


According to aspects illustrated herein, a method of printing a document is disclosed. The method includes receiving a request for printing a document and one or more print parameters, the one or more print parameters include at least a primary media size selected by a user for printing. While submitting the document for printing, an option is provided to the user to select an alternate media size to be used for printing the document. The document, the one or more print parameters along with the alternate media size as selected by the user are sent to a printer. Before printing the document, a count of the primary media size sheets available with the printer is estimated. Based on the estimated count, the document is printed with the alternate media size sheets.

When a user submits a document for printing via his computing device, a number of print parameters needs to be provided by the user. Few examples are paper size, custom margins, print single side or both sides, black & white print, color print, media type, and so on. The computing device creates a print ticket, includes all print parameters in the print ticket and sends to a printer for printing. The printer prints the document in accordance with the print parameters as included in the print ticket. There are scenarios when the user has submitted the print job with a paper size, for example, A3 and the number of A3 size papers available with the printer are less, i.e., tray level of the printer is low. In such cases, the print job is printed partially and is put in held state for resources status. As a result, the user either sends the print job again to another printer having sufficient paper availability as required. Or the user reaches the printer, fills the printer with the required paper sizes, i.e., A3. This approach requires manual effort and time of the user. Moreover, the print job is put on hold for the time being. Currently, there are no solutions available in the market to print the job of the user without any intervention from the user when such scenarios occur, i.e., when the required paper to print the job is finished/less/unavailable etc. Hence, there arises a need for methods and systems for solving the above mentioned problems.

Methods and systems for providing an alternate media size option for a print job and handling the same


A method for producing battery cathodes comprises mixing a cathode active material and a conductive polymer such as polyaniline or poly(ethylenedioxythiophene). The conductive polymers are used in lieu of or in addition to conventional conductive additives and binder materials and significantly reduces or even eliminates the need for such conductive additives or binder materials. The resulting cathodes have a greater weight percentage of the active material and a larger volumetric energy density.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method for producing highly conductive battery electrodes. The present invention also relates to a battery electrode produced by the process of the invention, an electrochemical cell or battery incorporating this battery electrode, and an implantable medical device, such as an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), incorporating an electrochemical cell having this battery electrode.
2. Related Art
In an effort to make a smaller, thinner implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), considerable efforts have been made to miniaturize the electronic components of a device. The chip sets for operating the device have shrunk considerably, as have the high voltage capacitors, due to an increase of energy density by a factor of 2 to 3. The battery for an ICD, on the other hand, still utilizes very similar technology to what has been available over the last 20 years with very slight incremental improvements over time.
Electrochemical cells or batteries are used as the power source in many applications, including implantable medical devices. These electrochemical cells are designed for high current pulse discharge and low or no voltage delay. This design requirement is particularly important in an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), also referred to as an implantable defibrillator, since an ICD must deliver high voltage shocks to the heart immediately after the detection of arrhythmia. The cells must also have a high energy density to allow for the small size of implantable medical devices.
Typically, such an electrochemical cell or battery comprises a casing housing a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator between the positive and negative electrodes, and a conductive electrolyte. The casing of the electrochemical cell is typically of metal, preferably stainless steel. The positive electrode is the cathode during discharge and the negative electrode is the anode during discharge. The cathode is usually a solid having a body of active material comprising carbon fluoride, a transition metal oxide such as silver vanadium oxide (SVO), or other suitable materials known in the art. The cathode active material typically has a high energy density. The anode may comprise an alkali metal such as lithium or compounds and alloys thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,940 to Keister et al. discloses a non-aqueous lithium battery with a solid cathode which includes silver vanadium oxide (SVO) as the active material. SVO has high volumetric capacity and high rate capability. SVO shows good current pulsing behavior at various levels of discharge and has a sloping discharge curve in a lithium cell that enables the prediction of end of life of the battery. SVO is also a semiconductor which allows cathodes to require less conductive material, such as carbon, to be added, thereby resulting in higher volumetric energy density. Thus, to increase the volumetric energy density of the cell, it is desirable to have a high percentage of SVO active material in the cathode and a low percentage of conductive material.
One of the limitations of the present silver vanadium oxide technology is in the fabrication of electrodes. The silver vanadium oxide is a ceramic powder that decomposes to other phases rather than reversibly melting, so it is not possible to melt cast the material onto a current collector for electrode fabrication. It is also difficult to sinter the SVO adequately due to the low melting/decomposition temperature. Furthermore, particularly at the early stages of discharge, the SVO is not particularly conductive, which would not allow for good migration of electrons from the current collector to the periphery of the electrode.
In order to overcome this last limitation, as well as the difficulty in sintering the material, a mixture of conductive additives and binders are generally employed to fabricate the cathode into a manufacturable form. U.S. Pat. No. 6,566,007 to Takeuchi et al. describes using acetylene black, carbon black, and/or graphite, as well as metal powders as the conducting additive, and using polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) in powder form as a binder material. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,680 to Takeuchi et al., an exemplary claim indicates that the mixture of active cathode material should be 94% by weight, mixed with 3% by weight binder, and 3% by weight conductive additive. However, the volume fraction is impacted significantly as SVO is considerably denser than either binder or the carbonaceous conductive additive.
Another preferred cathode active material comprises fluorinated carbon represented by the formula CFx, where x is typically between about 0.1 to about 1.9, preferably between about 0.5 to about 1.2. These active materials typically comprise carbon and fluorine, and include graphitic and non-graphitic forms of carbon, such as coke, charcoal, or activated carbon. Fluorinated carbons are particularly preferred cathode active materials in cells intended to be discharged under a light load for extended periods of time, such as for routine monitoring of cardiac functions by an implantable cardiac defibrillator. Like SVO, fluorinated carbons are capable of high volumetric energy density, thereby allowing for small sized implantable medical devices.
For low voltage batteries appropriate for pacemakers utilizing CFx technology, there is also need for binders and conductive additives. The binders and additives are highly similar as those for SVO batteries, and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,451,483 to Probst et al., with 91% active material and 5% conductive additives and 4% PTFE binder. While this is not as high a volume fraction as for SVO batteries, there is still room for improvement with the addition of greater amounts of active material.
Accordingly, what is needed is a method for fabricating silver vanadium oxide and fluorinated carbon electrodes having higher concentrations of active material.

Method for producing highly conductive battery electrodes


A device or computer program that takes the data and/or video from separate sensory devices and then combines this information for display in a standardized, but user configurable Graphical User Interface. Since each input device is paired with a device driver to properly parse the data for the input device, new devices may be added by writing new device drivers. The GUI has a standard set of elements that the individual user can modify to suit their personal preferences and needs. Since the Graphical User Interface is standardized, the user knows where to look for the data that they need no matter which sensory device is attached.

There is a need for a GUI video overlay to provide users the ability to use original equipment manufacturers (OEM) generated GUIs. OEM purchasers utilize a vast and varying inventory of electro-optic (EO) devices for every service and mission. It has proven most cost effective to utilize contractor equipment to fulfill the requirement of the sponsors and operators. Each OEM develops unique methods and implementations of displaying necessary system information to the user. Sponsors, users, or government representatives rarely dictate the design, format or characteristics of required display information. Usually only specific data required by the operator to effectively complete their mission is captured in requirements, but not the placement and characteristics of this information.
Operational effectiveness is affected in many ways including: too much or too little on-screen information; varying needs of the operators based on roles or missions (ex: gunner versus officer in charge); over-engineered overlays causing option overload; design without operator input; text readability and un-intuitive symbology; and minimal or no capability to configure the display for varying mission requirements.
Existing EO device video interfaces cause multiple training issues. When new EO systems are introduced, there is a learning curve in order to be proficient in the operation of the system due to the GUI. When operators are required to operate multiple, unique EO devices, each has distinct placement and characteristics that, at times, cause confusion. Training curriculum is required to be developed for each unique system. Changes to the display interface require additional funds in order for the OEM to implement required changes.
During operation within a system of systems environment, multiple hardware displays can be required to be co-located in order to provide the operator with necessary information to complete their objectives. This increases the cost and decreases the effectiveness of information processing required of the operator.

Cognitive load reduction and field of view enhancing standardized graphical user interface (GUI) overlay generating system or systems that include elements that correlate various device, event, or operation inputs with common GUI overlay generation modules and group related GUI elements across overlays along with associated methods

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


An external defibrillator with a microprocessor for testing the integrity of an output circuit prior to and during the delivery of a multiphasic defibrillation pulse from an energy storage capacitor coupled to the output circuit is disclosed. The output circuit contains a plurality of switches. The integrity of the output circuit and the output switches is determined by selectively monitoring the changes in the voltage level on the energy storage capacitor while certain tests or functions are being performed. A scaling circuit steps down the voltage level of the high-energy storage device so that it can be measured and monitored by the microprocessor. The microprocessor may compensate for the failure of an output switch by locating a usable set of output switches and using them to provide a discharge path through the output circuit for application of a monophasic pulse.

One of the most common and life-threatening medical conditions is ventricular fibrillation, a condition where the human heart is unable to pump the volume of blood required by the human body. The usual way of restoring a normal rhythm to a heart experiencing ventricular fibrillation is to apply a strong electric pulse to the heart using an external cardiac defibrillator. External cardiac defibrillators have been successfully used for many years in hospitals by doctors and nurses, and in the field by emergency treatment personnel, e.g., paramedics.
Conventional external cardiac defibrillators first accumulate a high-energy electric charge on an energy storage capacitor. When a switching mechanism is closed, the stored energy is transferred to a patient in the form of a large current pulse. The current pulse is applied to the patient via a pair of electrodes positioned on the patient's chest. The switching mechanism used in most contemporary external defibrillators is a high-energy transfer relay. A discharge control signal causes the relay to complete an electrical circuit between the storage capacitor and a wave shaping circuit whose output is connected to the electrodes attached to the patient.
Although the high-energy transfer relays used in external cardiac defibrillators have performed satisfactorily, they have a variety of disadvantages. One of the major disadvantages is the electromagnetic interference (EMI) that is caused when the relay is closed. EMI can be detrimental to the signals used by nearby control circuits and makes the use of EMI-sensitive circuitry impractical during the application of the defibrillation pulse. Due to the EMI interference, external defibrillators typically temporarily place all control circuitry in an "inactive" state while a defibrillation pulse is applied. External defibrillators are therefore unable to verify that the switching mechanism or relay is working properly because a limited amount of circuitry is operational during the application of the defibrillation pulse.
An additional disadvantage of using a relay is that prior to the application of the defibrillation pulse, it may be impractical to test the integrity of the relay. For example, one method for testing the relay requires discharging the energy storage capacitor into a test load. This and similar methods require not only discharging most of the energy in the energy storage capacitor during each test, but also require extra circuitry including a test load.
The present invention is directed to providing a method and apparatus that overcome the foregoing and other disadvantages. More specifically, the present invention is directed to providing a method and apparatus for verifying the integrity of an output circuit before and during the application of a defibrillation pulse.

Method and apparatus for verifying the integrity of an output circuit before and during application of a defibrillation pulse


Described herein are various technologies pertaining to a computing system architecture that facilitates construction of virtual motherboards and virtual storage devices. A computing system includes a plurality of computing nodes and a plurality of storage nodes, where the computing nodes are disaggregated from the storage nodes. The computing nodes include respective system on chip modules. The computing nodes and the storage nodes are communicatively coupled by way of a full bisection bandwidth network, where each storage node is allocated network bandwidth that at least matches the maximum input/output speed of the storage node. Responsive to receipt of a client request, computing nodes are allocated to the client and exposed to an application of the client as a motherboard. Likewise, storage nodes are allocated to the client and exposed to the application of the client as a larger storage device.

Cloud operators lease computational resources to clients of the cloud operators, and the clients execute applications using the leased computational resources. This arrangement tends to be mutually beneficial for the cloud operators and the clients. For example, a client has access to relatively high-end computing equipment, which may be prohibitively expensive for the client to purchase and may further be cumbersome for the client to maintain. The cloud operator, due to economies of scale, may be able to purchase a server computing device at a lower price compared to a price the client would have to pay for the server computing device. Furthermore, the cloud operator can employ professionals to maintain the servers and other hardware.
Typically, a client of a cloud operator will set forth a request indicating the computational resources desired by the client when executing a particular application of the client. Oftentimes, the client or the application itself will request "X" amount of processing resources (e.g., a certain number of microprocessor cores or a particular amount of processing capability) and "Y" amount of persistent storage.
To service such requests from multiple clients, cloud operators use data centers, which conventionally comprise several racks of server devices that are communicatively coupled over a local area network (LAN). Each server device comprises a respective central processing unit (CPU), and each CPU has at least one microprocessor core. Each server device additionally includes a respective persistent storage unit, such as hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD). A CPU of a server device resides on a motherboard, and a storage unit of the server device is coupled to the motherboard by way of a bus (e.g., via the Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Serial Attached SCSI (SAS), Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), or other suitable interface).
There are numerous deficiencies associated with conventional data centers used by cloud operators to service clients thereof. First, cloud operators have traditionally allocated computational and storage resources in units of physical server devices. A client, however, may request computational resources at a more granular level. Traditionally, the cloud operator has handled such a request by under-utilizing computing resources on server devices in the data center. For example, a client may request processing resources associated with six microprocessor cores of a CPU in a server device of the data center, where the CPU comprises eight cores. Traditionally, the cloud operator allocates the entirety of the server device to the client, which may cause two of the eight microprocessor cores to be fallow.
Second, conventional server devices utilized in data centers include CPUs that consume relatively large amounts of power (about 1000 Watts of thermal dissipation per CPU). This further causes the data center to have cooling costs to maintain an appropriate temperature. Third, componentry of a conventional server device used in a data center is relatively expensive and complex. For example, the server device includes a motherboard, where the motherboard has a CPU thereon that must be connected to additional hardware componentry (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), memory, . . . ). Due to the relatively high cost of the motherboard and componentry thereon, if an individual component of the motherboard (such as the graphics processing unit (GPU)) malfunctions, maintenance costs are incurred by removing the server from the rack, removing the motherboard from the server, removing the faulty GPU from the motherboard, placing a new GPU on the motherboard, testing the motherboard, inserting the motherboard back into the server device, repositioning the server device in the rack, and reconnecting the server device to a local area network (LAN).

Constructing virtual motherboards and virtual storage devices


An oil temperature responsive hydraulic control system for an automatic transmission includes a hydraulic servo for applying/releasing a frictional engagement element; a pressure regulator valve for regulating oil pressure fed to the hydraulic servo; and a signal pressure oil passage for applying a pressure regulating signal pressure to the pressure regulator valve. A control valve is arranged in the signal pressure oil passage for changing the effective diameter of the signal pressure oil passage responsive to change in oil temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a temperature-responsive hydraulic control system for an automatic transmission and, more particularly, to a control system for hydraulic servos to apply/release frictional engagement elements in the transmission mechanism of an automatic transmission.
2. Related Art
In an automatic transmission, the feed of oil pressure to the hydraulic servos for applying/releasing the frictional engagement elements is controlled by the hydraulic control system. Specifically, the oil pressure, i.e., the line pressure, as fed through a manual valve, is raised by the pressure regulator valve and fed to the hydraulic servo in accordance with predetermined application characteristics, i.e. raised from the initial state of zero oil pressure to the application pressure, ultimately to the line pressure. For the control of this application pressure, an accumulator is usually used together with the pressure regulator valve. However, the accumulator must have a large capacity and, accordingly, occupies a large space in the hydraulic control system. For this reason, our Japanese Application Laid-Open No. 142203/1994, discloses controlling the application pressure exclusively by the pressure regulator valve. In this system, a signal pressure from an electronically controlled solenoid valve is applied to the pressure regulator valve for controlling the feed of the oil pressure to the hydraulic servos which actuate the frictional engagement elements. In this manner the application pressure is directly controlled by the pressure regulator valve.
In our previous system, described above, if the signal pressure is applied directly to the spool (valve member) of the pressure regulator valve abutting the plunger, the spool exhibits "vibration," in which it repeatedly overshoots and falls short of the desired pressure regulating position, so that the pressure, as regulated by the pressure regulating valve, pulsates. In order to suppress this pulsation, an orifice, having an opening sized to suppress the pulsation of the oil pressure, is usually arranged in the oil passage which feeds the signal pressure to the pressure regulating valve. A similar construction is disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese published application.
The orifice (throttle) arrangement described above is effective for the case in which the flow resistance (viscosity) of the oil is substantially constant. As a matter of fact, however, the viscosity of the oil changes with temperature so that the velocity of the oil flowing through the orifice drops with lower oil temperatures as the viscosity increases. If the oil passage is throttled by an orifice of predetermined size, as in the aforementioned construction, the response of the spool to a change in the signal pressure is excessively delayed at lower oil temperatures, thus causing a response delay in the oil pressure to be regulated. In a serious case, shift shock may result from the delay in the timing of application of the frictional engagement element. The prior art has failed to give special consideration to the change in the pressure regulating characteristics of the pressure regulator valve deriving from a change in temperature.

Oil temperature responsive hydraulic control system for an automatic transmission

25-5, Aza Arata, Oaza Hishiike, Kota-cho


An image sensing system is provided with a fluorescent lamp which performs AC lighting to irradiate an object, an inverter power source which supplies currents to the fluorescent lamp, a lighting frequency changing circuit which changes the frequency of the current supply, a lens which images an image onto a film, and a CCD image sensing device which is capable of changing the period of exposure by the formed image and which outputs the image of the object as an electric signal through photoelectric conversion. The exposure period of the CCD image sensing device is controlled by a microcomputer and a timing generator. The lighting frequency changing circuit is controlled so that the phase of the exposure period and the phase of the current supply to the fluorescent lamp are in synchronism with each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensing system including a light source, and more specifically, to an image sensing system such as an image scanner including a light source.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An image sensing system using a light source (chiefly, a fluorescent lamp) of a type which performs AC lighting and a solid-state image sensing device which accumulates charges for a predetermined period of time to output signals in time sequence presents a problem in that the output signal is unstable. This is because the charge accumulation amount of the solid-state image sensing device is not constant due to the non-uniformity of the lighting by the light source.
In an image sensing system such as a scanner including a light source shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,365, since the selection of a light source can be made, even when a fluorescent lamp is used, this problem can be solved by increasing the lighting frequency (i.e. by using an inverter type fluorescent lamp).
Referring now to a block diagram of FIG. 1, a conventional image sensing system including a light source will be described. This conventional system is a film scanner including a fluorescent lamp 1, an inverter power source 2, a film holder 3, a lens 5, a CCD (change coupled device) image sensing device 6, a timing generator 7, a microcomputer 9 and a processing circuit 12.
The fluorescent lamp 1 is driven by the inverter power source 2 and irradiates light to a film 4 attached to the film holder 3. Also, the fluorescent lamp 1 performs self-excited oscillation for the lighting so as to operate independently of the system. The light transmitted by the film 4 is condensed by the lens 5 and formed into an image on a cell surface of the CCD image sensing device 6. The CCD image sensing device 6 performs photoelectric conversion according to a pulse supplied from the timing generator 7 and outputs an electric signal in accordance with the formed image. The signal outputted from the CCD image sensing device 6 is processed as a video signal by the processing circuit 12 and outputted to an external apparatus (not shown). To obtain a two-dimensional image of the film 4, the film 4 is moved by a motor 8 vertically to the line of pixels of the CCD image sensing device 6.
The level of the output signal of the CCD image sensing device 6 varies according to the depth of the image of the film 4. Since the level of the video signal of the processing circuit 12 varies if the level of the output signal of the CCD image sensing device 6 varies, it is necessary to perform exposure control. In this conventional system, a so-called electronic shutter is provided where the CCD image sensing device 6 is capable of changing the exposure period based on a control signal from an external apparatus and the microcomputer 9 controls the exposure period of the CCD image sensing device 6 to perform exposure control. That is, since the level of the video signal supplied from the processing circuit 12 varies according to the depth of the image of the film 4, the microcomputer 9 detects the level of the output of the processing circuit 12 and controls a timing pulse outputted from the timing generator 7 based on the detection output to control the exposure period of the CCD image sensing device 6. Thus, in the recent image sensing system, exposure control is performed by changing the exposure period (i.e. signal charge accumulation period) of the solid state image sensing device by the electronic shutter without using any mechanical aperture stop or ND filter.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show correspondence relationships among the exposure period of the CCD image sensing device 6, the lighting pulse (current waveform from the inverter power source 2) of the fluorescent lamp 1 and the output signal of the CCD image sensing device 6 when normal exposure is performed (FIG. 2) and when the exposure period is controlled (i.e. when the electronic shutter is used) (FIG. 3). In this case, it is assumed that the film 4 transmits light uniformly, and the shading of the fluorescent lamp 1 serving as a light source, the lens 5, etc. is not considered.
In FIG. 2, the integration values of the lighting pulses of the fluorescent lamp 1 shown by hatched portions a, b and c correspond to the charge accumulation amounts in exposure periods e.sub.1, e.sub.2 and e.sub.3 (e.sub.1 =e.sub.2 =e.sub.3) and correspond to the level of the output signal of the CCD image sensing device 6. In FIG. 3, the integration values of the lighting pulses of the fluorescent lamp 1 shown by hatched portions a', b' and c' correspond to the change accumulation amount in exposure periods E.sub.1, E.sub.2 and E.sub.3 (E.sub.1 =E.sub.2 =E.sub.3) and correspond to the level of the signal of the CCD image sensing device 6 outputted at that time. The periods e.sub.1, e.sub.2 and e.sub.3 and the periods E.sub.1, E.sub.2 and E.sub.3 are also electronic shutter periods.
Pulses P.sub.1, P.sub.2, P.sub.3, . . . in FIG. 3 are timing pulses for the electronic shutter of the CCD image sensing device 6. The electronic shutter is activated in the periods from the fall of the pulses P.sub.1, P.sub.3, P.sub.5, . . . , and P.sub.2n+1 to the rise of the next pulses P.sub.2, P.sub.4, P.sub.6, . . . , and P.sub.2n (exposure period), and the electronic shutter is deactivated in other periods (non-exposure period). The pulses P.sub.1, P.sub.3, P.sub.5, . . . , and P.sub.2n+1 are also used as shift gate pulses (pulses for supplying the charges accumulated by a charge accumulator of the CCD image sensing device 6 to a transferring unit).
When a number of lighting pulses are present in one exposure period as shown in FIG. 2, even if there is a difference in phases of the lighting pulses among exposure periods e.sub.1, e.sub.2 and e.sub.3, the difference in integration values of the lighting pulses among the exposure periods is substantially zero (a=b=c), so that the level of the output signal of the CCD image sensing device 6 is substantially constant.
However, when the exposure period is reduced by performing the exposure control by the electronic shutter as described above, the number of lighting pulses in one exposure periods decreases. In this case, if there is a difference between the phase of the lighting pulse and the phase of exposure, the integration values of the lighting pulses differ among the exposure periods E.sub.1, E.sub.2 and E.sub.3 (a'.noteq.b'.noteq.c') as shown in FIG. 3, so that the level of the output signal of the CCD image sensing device 6 varies. The variation in level of the output signal causes non-uniformity or longitudinal stripes in the image. Such a problem may be solved by further increasing the lighting frequency of the fluorescent lamp 1 as described above. However, the increase in lighting frequency has its limit in view of the cost.

Image sensing system including a light source


The present invention relates to a bra strap retainer that is in the form of an elongated flexible string-like retainer that is adapted to be attached to the shoulder portion of an upper garment or to an upper garment accessory such as a shoulder pad. In a fully attached mode the string-like brassiere strap retainer forms a closed loop and the brassiere strap is threaded through the formed loop and is securely confined within that loop assuring that the bra strap does not fall down the sleeve of the subject wearing the same.

It is not uncommon for a brassiere strap to slide down the shoulder and arm of a women wearing the same. Often this happens while the women is wearing a short sleeve blouse or upper garment and consequently the bra strap is left exposed dangling down around the upper arm area just above the elbow. This is indeed unsightly and even embarrassing.
It is known, however, to provide a structure about the shoulder area of an upper garment for retaining bra straps. For example, see the disclosures in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,953,233; 5,060,348; 2,719,303; 2,121,513; 1,632,424; 1,797,200; 1,942,734; 1,741,628; and 1,492,361.
Although there have been attempts to provide an efficient, practical and effective brassiere strap retainer, such as those disclosed in the above patents, to a great extent these past designs are not totally satisfactory and have many disadvantages and drawbacks. For example, the bra strap retainers of the prior art have little, if any, flexibility. Such bra straps are closely constructed to the upper garment and the bra strap is effectively fixed or closely confined to the upper garment and there is very little room for the bra strap to move back and forth on the shoulder. This can obviously lead to a very confining and uncomfortable situation.
Beyond that, many brassiere strap retainers of the prior art are hard to use and difficult to manipulate. In this regard, it is found that many such brassiere strap retainers are hard to open and close and it is difficult to effectively thread or confine the brassiere strap within the bra strap retainer.
In addition, the bra strap retainers known tend to have little or no versatility. As pointed out above they are generally fixed to an upper garment and consequently remain attached to that upper garment at all times and cannot be used unless the person is wearing that particular upper garment. Finally, bra strap retainers of the prior art are expensive and difficult to manufacture.
Therefore, there is a need for a new bra strap retainer design that overcomes the drawbacks and disadvantages referred to above that is found in bra strap retainers of the prior art.


Novel polymeric adamantane analogues are disclosed comprising adamantane linked by means of a spacer group to an anionogenic polymeric carrier which creates a membranotropic composition. The compounds are nontoxic and possess potent anti-viral activity against HIV-1. Methods of preparation as well as pharmaceutical compositions are also disclosed.

Adamantane (Tricyclo3,3,1,1.sup.3,7 !decane) has the following structural formula: ##STR1## As can be seen from the structure, each of the carbon atoms is a member of at least two of the four-ring systems, all of which are equivalent. Consequently this structure is exceptionally rigid and allows virtually no movement of the individual atoms. This feature and the symmetry of the molecule are responsible for a great extent of unusual physical and chemical properties exhibited by adamantane.
First uses of this compound included modifications with an amino group (termed amantadine or adamantanamine) (Tricyclo3,3,1,1.sup.3,7 !decan-1-amine). Amantadine was shown to have utility as an anti-viral agent against certain strains of influenza A virus. Other amino-substituted derivatives have included amantadine hydrochloride(1-adamantanamine hydrochloride) inhibitors of influenza virus replication in cell culture and influenza infection in humans (Hay, A. G. et al (1985) Molecular basis of the specific anti influenza action of amantadine. EMBO J4:3021-3024. Other related derivatives of amantadine have also been developed. See generally U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,512, adamantanamine derivatives, processes for the preparation and drugs in which they are present. These amino-substituted derivatives have generally been touted for use as anti-viral agents against various strains of influenza A virus.
To date very little has been investigated for the base compound, non-amine substituted adamantane, as an antiviral agent. There is always a need for development of antiviral substances which may be administered safely without toxic side effects. With the advent of the viral disease Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) the need only increases further.
It is an object of the present invention to provide novel polymeric adamantane analogues which have been shown to have potent anti-viral activity against Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1), processes for their preparation and drugs in which they are present.

The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska


A composition of matter comprising at least 2% by weight of a fibrous material and at least 30% by weight of a binding material such that the composition can be melt-molded into articles which have mechanical strength sufficient for their intended uses and which are biodegradable. The binding material is formed of natural substance and may also include up to 30% by weight synthetic, water-soluble polymer. The fibrous material may be cellulose and/or mineral fibers which provide the attributes of reinforcement and degradability. The composition may further include up to 20% by weight liquid or solid plasticizer which serves to lower melt viscosity and add toughness to the composite material.

Many different plastic and composite materials have been used for molding useful articles. Most commercial plastics are intentionally insoluble in water and slow to biodegrade. Water-soluble plastics have been used for many years in special applications. Some natural water-soluble gums such as gum arabic, xanthan and tragacanth gums have been used in food products to give a soft consistency. Some synthetic water-soluble polymers have been used as binders and as films. Polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide and alkyl celluloses are examples of such materials. These polymers may be fully water-soluble, but they are slow to dissolve.
Fibrous materials with a high ratio of length to diameter have been used for reinforcing composites, and the fibers are most effective if they are strong in the long direction. Mineral fibers, such as glass and asbestos, have been used for many composites, but they are not biodegradable. Natural cellulose fibers, such as fibers from wood, cotton, sisal, and linen, provide the attributes of reinforcement and degradability. Viscose rayon is a synthesized cellulose fiber that provides these same attributes. Cellulose is known to be a biodegradable material, weakened but not dissolved by water, decomposed by ultraviolet light and attacked by microorganisms in the air and soil. Cellulosic fibers are particularly susceptible to such degradation by virtue of a large surface area per volume.
Golf tees are conventionally made of wood or a moldable plastic. Tees made of such materials must be removed from the driving tee areas of golf courses, where they are often allowed to lie after the golfer has completed a drive. Tees of wood and plastic, when broken during the drive, are unsightly, are a hazard during mowing when struck by a mower blade and can damage the blades. The tees, being effectively water insoluble, must be physically picked up. Other products which are conventionally made of wood such as golf pencils and tongue depressors also present some disposal problems and thus requiring relatively short life-spans in the presence of moisture.
Efforts have been made to develop golf tees which are water soluble or degradable, and in some instances, are also beneficial to the turf. Such tees have been made of water-degradable and biodegradable materials, and often incorporate grass seed and fertilizers. A number of patents disclose such tees. U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,438, issued Nov. 21, 1978, to J. Bruno et al., discloses a disintegradable golf tee comprised of clay, grass seed and a soil conditioner, such as a fertilizer, insecticide, herbicide, fungicide, or larvacide. Humus may be added to the composition as an optional ingredient. The tee thus produced can be shattered upon impact with a club head or it can be impressed into the ground. In either event, it decomposes upon contact with moisture to impart beneficial properties to the grass and soil.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,541, issued Mar. 29, 1977, to A. Desmarais, discloses a golf tee composed of a water-soluble thermoplastic material having a fertilizer dispersed therein. The golf tee is produced by injection molding. U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,479 issued May 20, 1975 to A. Gordos, discloses a golf tee which will shatter or disintegrate when struck by the driver employed by the player. The golf tee has a ball support section formed of a plastic material and a shank formed from grass seed and a water soluble binder. The shank is provided with a centrally located elongated rigid reinforcing member. U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,508, issued Mar. 20, 1990, to P. Franshan et al., discloses a golf tee made from peat moss admixed with a water soluble lignosulphonate binder in an amount sufficient to bond the peat moss together in a coherent and rigid body by cold or hot pressure forming.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a melt-moldable composition of matter which can be shaped into useful articles which are biodegradable. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a composition which gives an article molded thereof a mechanical strength and rigidity sufficient for its intended use and allows said article to disintegrate and decompose after it is broken.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a composition of the foregoing character which gives an article molded thereof the look and feel of conventional wooden or plastic products. A further object of the invention is to provide an article of the foregoing character which is also competitive in strength and economics with conventional wooden and plastic products.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a composition which comprises readily available, non-polluting materials.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.


There is disclosed a sector protecting circuit for a flash memory device. In order to prevent loss of data from a cell for sector protection, the sector protecting circuit for a flash memory device according to the present invention prevents loss of data by enabling a cell for sector protection to be erased or programmed along with a cell for normal sector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sector protection circuit for a flash memory device. In particular, the present invention relates to a sector protection circuit for a flash memory device which enables a cell for sector protection to be erased or programmed along with a cell for normal sector thereby to compensate for data loss against the cell for sector protection whenever a normal chip erasure operation or a programming operation is performed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, cell arrays are consisted of a number of memory blocks 80 through 110, as shown in FIG. 1. Word lines W/L0! through W/LN! of cell arrays 120 are selected by a word line decoder 70, to which a word line voltage generator 60 is connected. Bit lines B/L0! through B/LN! of the cell arrays are selected by a bit line multiplexer 50. In other words, transistors Q1 through QN within the bit line multiplexer 50 are selectively turned on in response to control signals from logic blocks 130, and thereby voltage from a bit line voltage generator 40 is supplied to the memory cells through the turned-on transistor.
A number of protection blocks 10 through 30 are connected to the logic blocks 130 via inverters so that they can perform a programming or erasure operation only for the remaining blocks after once programing any one of the number of memory blocks. For example, in order to protect the first memory block 80, the transistor Q1 is turned off. At this time, signals to control the transistors Q1 through Qn are generated by the logic blocks 130.
FIG. 2 is a detailed circuit diagram of a protection block shown in FIG. 1. A sector protection circuit is required to protect a specific block of a flash memory device against a programming operation or an erasure operation. A sector protection function is performed by programming or erasing a cell S1 for sector protection. The cell S1 for sector protection is programmed or erased in response to output signal of the multiplexer M1. As shown in FIG. 3, when a protect signal PROTECT is a logic 1, an unprotect signal UNPROTECT is a logic 0 and a first control signal (PROGRAM+ERASE) is a logic 0, a program gate of the cell S1 for sector protection is supplied with a positive high voltage. As a second control signal (PROTECT+UNPROTECT) is a logic 0, a PMOS transistor P2 is turned on while a PMOS transistor P1 and a NMOS transistor N1 are turned off. Therefore, the drain of the cell S1 for sector protection is supplied with a supply voltage Vdd, and thus the cell S1 for sector protection is programmed. When the protect signal PROTECT is a logic 0, the unprotect signal UNPROTECT is a logic 1 and the first control signal (PROGRAM+ERASE) is a logic 0, the program gate of the cell S1 for sector protection is supplied with a negative high voltage. As the second control signal (PROTECT+UNPROTECT) is a logic 0, the PMOS transistor P2 is turned on while the PMOS transistor P1 and the NMOS transistor N1 are turned off. Therefore, the drain of the cell S1 for sector protection is supplied with a supply voltage Vdd, and thus data stored at the cell S1 for sector protection is erased. In case that the flash memory device is programmed or erased, the protect signal PROTECT, the unprotect signal UNPROTECT, and the second control signal (PROTECT+UNPROTECT) is a logic 0 while the first control signal (PROGRAM+ERASE) is a logic 1, the PMOS transistor P2 is turned off while the PMOS transistor P1 and the NMOS transistor N1 are turned on. Therefore, the program gate of the cell S1 for sector protection is supplied with a read-out voltage. As a result, data stored at the cell S1 for sector protection are output to an output terminal PROTOUT via inverters I1 and I2. This data protects a specific sector. In this conventional protection circuit, there is a problem that the protect cell could not protect the sector for which protection is required regardless of lapse of time in case that the initially programmed data are not kept in time. There is also another problem that a specified sector could not be protected when data stored at the cell for sector protection are lost by means of stress.

Sector protection circuit for a flash memory device


A lens system includes a body member holding at least one micro lens array. The micro lens array has a first surface with a plurality of micro lenses arranged in a row and a second surface opposing the first surface. The second surface is under an angle towards the first surface. Furthermore the lens system comprises either: (i) a plurality of ferrules enclosing end-portions of light waveguides, or (ii) a plurality of light waveguides without ferrules, wherein the ferrules or light waveguides are adhesively fastened in a spaced relationship from each other to the second surface of the micro lens array preferably by means of an adhesive, by bonding or by welding.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fiber optic collimator array particularly for use in optical rotary joints, optical rotary joints and a method for manufacturing a fiber collimator array.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Various transmission systems are known for transmission of optical signals between units that are rotatable relative to each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,814 discloses an optical rotary joint for a plurality of channels, having a Dove prism. An arrangement having a plurality of GRIN lenses is provided for coupling light into or out of glass fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,721 discloses another optical rotary joint having bundled collimators assemblies.

Two dimensional fiber collimator array with high return loss


Single phase microemulsions improve the removal of filter cakes formed during drilling with invert emulsions. The single phase microemulsion removes oil and solids from the deposited filter cake. Optionally, an acid capable of solubilizing the filter cake bridging particles may also be used with the microemulsion. In one non-limiting embodiment the acid may be a polyamino carboxylic acid. Skin damage removal from internal and external filter cake deposition can be reduced.

Drilling fluids used in the drilling of subterranean oil and gas wells along with other drilling fluid applications and drilling procedures are known. In rotary drilling there are a variety of functions and characteristics that are expected of drilling fluids, also known as drilling muds, or simply "muds". The drilling fluid should carry cuttings from beneath the bit, transport them through the annulus, and allow their separation at the surface while at the same time the rotary bit is cooled and cleaned. A drilling mud is also intended to reduce friction between the drill string and the sides of the hole while maintaining the stability of uncased sections of the borehole. The drilling fluid is formulated to prevent unwanted influxes of formation fluids from permeable rocks penetrated and also often to form a thin, low permeability filter cake which temporarily seals pores, other openings and formations penetrated by the bit. The drilling fluid may also be used to collect and interpret information available from drill cuttings, cores and electrical logs. It will be appreciated that within the scope of the claimed invention herein, the term "drilling fluid" also encompasses "drill-in fluids" and "completion fluids".
Drilling fluids are typically classified according to their base fluid. In water-based muds, solid particles are suspended in water or brine. Oil can be emulsified in the water. Nonetheless, the water is the continuous phase. Oil-based muds are the opposite or inverse. Solid particles are suspended in oil, and water or brine is emulsified in the oil and therefore the oil is the continuous phase. Oil-based muds which are water-in-oil macroemulsions are also called invert emulsions. The oil in oil-based (invert emulsion) mud can consist of any oil that may include diesel, mineral oil, esters, or alpha olefins. Brine-based drilling fluids, of course are a water-based mud in which the aqueous component is brine.
It is apparent to those selecting or using a drilling fluid for oil and/or gas exploration that an essential component of a selected fluid is that it be properly balanced to achieve the necessary characteristics for the specific end application. Because drilling fluids are called upon to perform a number of tasks simultaneously, this desirable balance is not always easy to achieve.
Filter cakes are the residue deposited on a permeable medium such as a formation surface when a slurry or suspension, such as a drilling fluid, is forced against the medium under pressure. Filtrate is the liquid that passes through the medium, leaving the cake on the medium. Cake properties such as cake thickness, toughness, slickness and permeability are important because the cake that forms on permeable zones in a wellbore can cause stuck pipe and other drilling problems. Reduced hydrocarbon production can result from reservoir or skin damage when a poor filter cake allows deep filtrate invasion. In some cases, a certain degree of cake buildup is desirable to isolate formations from drilling fluids. In open hole completions in high-angle or horizontal holes, the formation of an external filter cake is preferable to a cake that forms partly inside the formation (internal). The latter has a higher potential for formation damage. It will be appreciated that in the context of this invention the term "filter cake" includes any emulsion or invert emulsion part of the filter cake, and that the filter cake is defined as a combination of any added solids, if any, and drilled solids. It will also be understood that the drilling fluid, e.g. invert emulsion fluid, is concentrated at the bore hole face and partially inside the formation.
Many operators are interested in improving formation clean up after drilling into reservoirs with invert emulsion drilling fluids. More efficient filter cake and formation clean up is desired for a number of open hole completions, including stand-alone and expandable sand screens as well as for gravel pack applications for both production and water injection wells. Skin damage removal from internal and external filter cake deposition during oil well reservoir drilling with invert emulsion drill-in and drilling fluids is desirable to maximize hydrocarbon recovery, particularly in open hole completions.
It would be desirable if compositions and methods could be devised to aid and improve the ability to clean up filter cake, and to remove it more completely, without causing additional formation damage.

Method of removing an invert emulsion filter cake after the drilling process using a single phase microemulsion


The purpose of the present invention is to provide a catalyst for exhaust gas purification, which is capable of effectively processing an exhaust gas, particularly carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) in the exhaust gas at a low temperature, and a method for producing the catalyst for exhaust gas purification. The purpose is achieved by a catalyst for exhaust gas purification, which is obtained by having a carrier that contains Al2O3 and one or more metal oxides selected from the group consisting of zirconium oxide (ZrO2), cerium oxide (CeO2), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), neodymium oxide (Nd2O3), silicon oxide (SiO2) and titanium oxide (TiO2) support one or more catalyst components selected from the group consisting of gold (Au), silver (Ag), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru) and osmium (Os). The metal oxides have particle diameters of less than 10 nm.

A large number of techniques for purifying an exhaust gas generated from internal combustions have been conventionally proposed. In particular, various techniques for purifying an exhaust gas from diesel engine have been proposed for the purpose of reduction of discharge of particulate materials (PM) and NOx contained in an exhaust gas. For example, as catalysts for purifying an exhaust gas, oxidation catalysts which oxidize carbon monoxide (hereinafter also referred to as "CO") and hydrocarbon (hereinafter also referred to as "HC") into CO2 and H2O, NOx storage catalysts which store nitrogen oxides (hereinafter also referred to as "NOx"), three-way catalysts which simultaneously remove NOx, Colo. and HC, and the like have been proposed.
A catalyst for exhaust gas purification is required to have high thermal durability because it is exposed to exhaust gas at a high temperature. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses fine mixed oxide powder obtained by uniformly dispersing Zr oxide and oxide of a metal M, which does not form a solid solution with the Zr oxide, in the nm scale. Patent Literature 1 discloses that the fine mixed oxide powder has a high specific surface area and a high pore volume, and therefore, when it supports a precious metal to form a catalyst, growth of particles of the precious metal is suppressed after aging at a high temperature.
Patent Literature 2 discloses an inorganic oxide powder containing secondary particles, which contain primary particles made of Al2O3, primary particles made of metal oxides of one or at least two of ZrO2, SiO2 and TiO2, and rare earth elements and/or rare earth oxides. The inorganic oxide powder is secondary particles obtained by dispersing primary particles made of Al2O3 and primary particles made of the above described metal oxides in a state of intervening each other and has thermal durability.

Catalyst for exhaust gas purification, method for producing the same, and exhaust gas purification method using the same


The safety device, especially in an electronic motor vehicle control system, protects external circuit branches supplied with current from an engine/motor vehicle control unit so that a single short circuit results in failure of only that circuit branch in which the short circuit is located, so that an emergency operation of the electronic motor vehicle control system is possible. The respective reference grounds of the external circuit branches are connected to a common ground conductor (11) via an interface (3) including respective reference ground connectors (d, k, m). Each reference ground connector includes a safety device in the form of thin wire plug bonds, whose maximum current load sets the maximum current load of the respective external circuit branches. Then, if there is a short circuit to the reference ground of the concerned external circuit branch to a main supply voltage, the remaining circuit branches remain unaffected and operational.

The present invention relates to a safety device for linking reference grounds and analog reference voltages in integrated circuits, especially in electronic motor vehicle control systems, with an interface for connection of external circuit branches, e.g. adjusting and sensor systems, with a power supply network conducting a supply voltage derived from a main voltage and a common ground conductor. It also relates to an improved electronic motor vehicle control system including this safety device.
The control system in its entirety must not fail in the event of short circuits, especially at the battery voltage, particularly because of safety reasons, in connections of sensors and actuators with an electronic system in a motor vehicle. This is especially true for connection of reference grounds in hybrid circuits, micro-hybrid circuits or circuits of other substrate technologies. Failure of the entire ground branch of the reference grounds because of a short circuit to the battery voltage can occur in the known motor vehicle control systems.

Safety device for linking reference grounds in an integrated circuit


A circuit that senses a current signal in a secondary winding of a transformer by monitoring a current signal in a primary winding of the transformer. The monitored current signal contains an effective current component and a magnetization current component. The magnitude of the effective current signal is related to the magnitude of the current signal in the secondary winding by the turns ratio of the transformer. The magnetization current signal produces flux in the transformer core and does not contribute to producing current in the secondary winding of the transformer. In addition, the magnetization current is 90 degrees out of phase with the effective current signal in the primary winding. The effective current signal in the primary winding is in phase with the voltage signal applied to the primary winding. The invention integrates the monitored current signal over 0 degrees to 180 degrees of the effective current signal waveform. Since the magnetization current signal is 90 degrees out of phase with the effective current signal, the magnetization current signal component is cancelled from the monitored current signal by the integration operation. Therefore, the result of the integration operation is representative of a current signal in the secondary winding of the transformer and does not contain error caused by the magnetization current of the transformer. The result of the integration operation is used in a feedback loop to control the current in the secondary winding. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a fluorescent lamp is coupled to the secondary winding of the transformer.

Fluorescent lamps have "negative resistance." This means that the operating voltage decreases as power dissipation in the lamp increases. Therefore, a circuit for supplying power to a fluorescent lamp requires a controllable alternating current power supply and a feedback loop that accurately monitors a current signal in the lamp in order to maintain operating stability of the circuit and to have an ability to control the lamp brightness. Such a circuit for supplying power to a fluorescent lamp may comprise a transformer wherein the lamp is coupled to a secondary winding of the transformer and is isolated from the rest of the circuit, including the sensing circuit, by the transformer. This makes directly sensing the lamp current signal difficult. Therefore, what is needed is a circuit for accurately sensing the current in a fluorescent lamp that is isolated from the sensing circuit by a transformer.
One such known circuit utilizes a resistor coupled in series with the transformer primary winding. During operation, a voltage signal across the resistor is monitored for utilization by the feedback loop. This voltage signal is multiplied by the resistance value to determine the current signal in the primary winding of the transformer. The current signal in the secondary winding is assumed to relate to the current signal in the primary winding by the ratio of turns between the primary and secondary windings. Therefore, the current signal in the secondary winding of the transformer is sensed indirectly by sensing the voltage signal across the resistor coupled in series with the primary winding.
Transformers, however, suffer from an operational characteristic that the above-described current sensing technique does not take into account. A Magnetization current of a transformer is the current required to produce magnetic flux in the transformer core. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an approximate equivalent transformer circuit which takes into account the magnetization current. In FIG. 1, the transformer comprises a primary winding Lp and a secondary winding Ls. An inductor Lm coupled in parallel with the primary winding Lp models the effects of the magnetization current Im. It can be seen from FIG. 1 that when an ac voltage signal Vp is applied to the primary winding Lp, the resulting current signal Ip is divided into the magnetization current signal Im and the effective current signal Ie. The magnetization current signal Im lags the voltage signal Vp by 90 degrees. In addition, the magnetization current signal Ie does not directly contribute to inducing current to flow in the secondary winding Ls. Therefore, the above-described technique of sensing current in a secondary winding of a transformer suffers from error caused by not taking the magnetization current into account.
Therefore, what is needed is a circuit for sensing a current signal in a secondary winding of a transformer by monitoring a current signal in a primary winding of the transformer which accounts for the magnetization current of the transformer.

Transformer primary side lamp current sense circuit


One embodiment of the invention includes a system for changing a bus configuration of a computing device. The system includes a first bus of the computing device, a second bus, and a third bus. Additionally, a multiplexing module is coupled with the first, second, and third buses. As such, the multiplexing module can selectively couple the first bus with the second bus or the third bus. A configuration module is coupled with the multiplexing module and controls its operation.

Some computer systems currently include one or more input/output (I/O) slots, each for receiving an add-in I/O card, which can also be referred to as an interface card. Typically, each of these I/O card slots is connected to a controller adapter chip by an industry standard bus for peripheral add-in cards. The adapter chip controls this add-in card's bus. Each adapter chip is usually connected to the rest of its associated computer system with an internal I/O mid-bus thereby enabling an add-in I/O card connected to its corresponding I/O slot to access the computer system's CPU (central processor unit) and memory, and vice versa.
However, there are disadvantages associated with this type of configuration for a computer system. For example, one of the disadvantages is that once the computer system's I/O configuration has been physically implemented, there is usually not much flexibility with that configuration. For example, an I/O configuration may be physically implemented with several add-in card slots that support a particular communication bandwidth. However, when a new and improved interface card is introduced to the market that utilizes a communication bandwidth greater than that supported by any of the add-in card slots of the I/O configuration, the computer system is unable to utilize the new interface card. As such, the computer user typically either has to live with the limitations of their computer system or buy a more current computer system with the desired features.

Device bandwidth management using a bus configuration multiplexer

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.