A process for separating phosphatic materials from coastal beach sand and sand deposits used for beach renourishment. The steps include (a) suspending a mixture of beach sand and phosphatic material in water, (b) introducing compressed gas, preferably air, into the mixture or sparging to produce a bubble froth on the surface of the water, and (c) skimming or separating the bubble froth from the surface of or within the water to effect separation of the phosphatic material in the froth from the beach sand left in the water. The bubbles of the bubble froth attract and carry the phosphatic material on the surface of the bubbles during upward movement through the mixture. A conditioner added to the water which improves the tendency of the phosphatic material to “float” is preferred.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the aesthetic and environmental beneficiation of coastal sands. More specifically this invention relates to separation of phosphatic materials from coastal sands in existing beaches, or in marine and near shore sand deposit resources, by flotation processes.
2. Description of Related Art
Attractive beaches are valuable assets to coastal communities. Beaches are accumulations of loose sediment along the shoreline. Some beaches have rocks, but the most valuable beaches have sand particles in the range of about 0.1 mm to 1 mm.
The origin of sand is mineral fragments broken from coastal and inland rocks. Wave action and shifting coastal currents abrades the fragments as beaches, barrier islands, and marine and land deposits are formed and reformed over long periods of geologic time.
Most of the beaches along the southeastern and gulf coasts of the United States are desirable light colored to almost white. The rapid erosion that once brought fresh mineral material to the coasts slowed long ago, and only the exceptionally hard, water resistant, clear white quartz has survived eons of wear as rounded sand grains in the 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm diameter range.
Maintaining high quality beaches can be costly. Once polluted, a beach may take decades for natural forces to restore it. Wave and coastal currents, especially during storms, can seriously erode or even eliminate beaches that foster tourism and protected coastal construction. Beaches can be enlarged or restored through a process referred to as beach nourishment or renourishment, which may require importing hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of sand to the affected site. Locating such large deposits of acceptable quality sand is difficult. Because shifting coastal currents make beaches part of a dynamic process, mining some marine sand deposits may cause other beaches to erode. Poor quality sand used to renourish a beach may eventually be carried to other beaches in coastal currents.
Beaches and coastal sands frequently contain shells and shell fragments, and phosphatic materials. Intact shells are often attractive to beach goers, and small amounts of shell fragments are usually not objectionable. But the phosphatic material found in coastal sands on the west coast of Florida, some California beaches, and likely many beaches worldwide, can be objectionable because of its dark color, and high concentrations of phosphorus and fluorine. It is surprising that the benefits of removing these phosphatic materials from beach sands by processes such as flotation have not been recognized.
Phosphorus is the eighth most abundant element in the earth's crust, and deposits of minerals containing the element are widespread. Phosphorus has very limited solubility in seawater, and the element forms deposits in seawater called phosphorites in association with calcium and fluorine. The phosphorite typically contains about 15% of phosphorus (% P) and 2-3% of fluorine (% F). The phosphorite is brown to black in color because organic matter contaminants are present.
Much of the southern Florida peninsula is underlain by a shallow deposit of thick phosphorite that formed in ancient times. This deposit has been disturbed by natural river flow, as well as human activity. Other phosphorite may arrive on the coast from other land and marine deposits. Animals build the inorganic portion of their bones from the mineral hydroxyapatite, Ca (5) PO (4) (3) OH, and fossilized bone is common both onshore and offshore. Fossilized bone contains about 15% of phosphorus, and strongly absorbs fluorine from the environment until it contains about 1% of fluorine. Fossilized bone is also often dark from organic impurities.
Thus phosphorites and fossil bone have about identical negative effects on coastal sands, and both are included herein in the term "phosphatic material". The presence of small grains of phosphatic material darkens a beach: the presence of larger particles or pebbles of phosphatic material gives the appearance of contamination with charcoal or partially burned items. The phosphatic material contains potentially toxic concentrations of fluorine if ingested. When the phosphorus is solubilized, it can contribute to excessive growth of algae, and to the organisms that cause highly destructive coastal red tides.
Phosphatic materials are dissolved by acid in the stomach, but contain far too much fluorine for use as an animal feed phosphorus supplement. A ½ cm diameter pebble of phosphatic material contains about 7 mg of fluorine. The toxic dose of fluorine varies widely by animal species. The LD50 (the 50 percentile lethal dose for animals) for fluorine is about 32 mg per kg for humans. Adult humans would not be at risk, although a child ingesting an attractive shiny black pebble of phosphatic material could become ill. The LD 50 for dogs is only 4mg per kilogram, but ½ mg per kilogram causes visibly toxic effects. The LD50 for wild birds is estimated at about 50 mg per kilogram, but many birds must consume stones for grit to aid digestion, and such birds might be at risk of cumulative fluorine poisoning from phosphatic material.
The concentration of phosphorus in surface ocean water is very low, on the order of 0.01 mg per liter of water. The low concentration of phosphorus is often the limiting nutrient for growth, and the resulting small number of algae and other small organisms assures water clarity. An increase in the number of upper surface organisms can cause death of bottom life by shading, or by oxygen depletion if the organisms at the surface settle, die and decay. The deterioration of many coastal bays and estuaries has been blamed on increased phosphorus flows from farmlands and lawns, septic tanks and sewage. The increased flow of phosphorus from land sources is also suspected by many to be responsible for the increasing number of red tide incidents as well as their severity and duration.
Red tides occur on all coasts of the United States and many other regions of the world, but in Florida they are very frequent. The organism that causes the red tide reproduces rapidly and produces potent toxins that litter beaches with dead fish. If the wind is blowing toward shore, the toxin in the air causes severe respiratory problems for persons on or near the beach. The factors that cause the rapid growth of the red tide organisms are not well understood. Even if an increased phosphorus concentration is not the direct cause of a red tide incident, an increase in phosphorus is needed to sustain the rapid growth.
A red tide may involve a hundred or more square miles of sea surface, and a large quantity of phosphorus would be required to significantly increase phosphorus concentration in the top foot of sea surface. For example, to increase the phosphorus concentration from 0.01 mg per liter to 0.02 mg per liter in the top foot of 100 square miles of ocean would require about 1,740 pounds of phosphorus. Land sources of phosphorus are suspect because the red tides usually occur in summer when heavy rains cause runoff into coastal waters.
However, coastal sands containing phosphatic material could also release very large amounts of phosphorus during summer rains and storms. A mile of beach with a million cubic yards of sand containing a pound of phosphatic material per ton of sand contains about 225,000 pounds of phosphorus in 1.5 million tons of sand; that is the amount of phosphorus contained in more than 17 million pounds of a typical lawn fertilizer containing 3% of phosphorus reported as P205 (3% P205=1.32% P). Three of four sand samples from Florida west coast beaches examined contained more than one pound of phosphatic material per ton of sand.
The phosphatic material is poorly soluble in seawater, but yields solutions of about 1 mg of phosphorus per liter of rainwater or groundwater, and several ppm of phosphorus in water made acidic by decaying organic matter. In addition, the relatively soft phosphatic material is subject to abrasion by the hard silica sand by wave action and burrowing animal activity. The very fine abraded material may supply not only phosphorus to red tide organisms, but a supply of soluble iron as well. Coastal sands in offshore deposits and sand in coastal currents may also supply substantial phosphorus from phosphatic materials to seawater, especially when disturbed during violent storms.
Costly efforts to reduce phosphorus runoff from the land have been made in many coastal communities. Efforts to further restrict phosphorus fertilizer use may prove poorly cost effective and damage lawns and reduce crop yields. Net flow of phosphorus into offshore waters might be more economically achieved by removing phosphatic materials from coastal sands. Sand for renourishing beaches would be most economically freed of phosphatic material during needed handling and transportation, but existing beaches could also be processed. Possibly it would prove cost effective to remove phosphatic material from some marine sand deposits even if no immediate use of the sand was available. The recovered phosphatic material might have some value, for example in conventional fertilizer production or as a slow release phosphorus fertilizer. This disclosure demonstrates that the phosphatic materials can be separated from the sand by a froth flotation process.

Process for separation of phosphatic materials from coastal beach sand


A unified web-based voice messaging system provides voice application control between a web browser and an application server via an hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) connection on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The application server executes the voice-enabled web application by runtime execution of a first set of extensible markup language (XML) documents that define the voice-enabled web application to be executed. The application server generates an HTML form specifying selected application parameters from an XML document executable by the voice application. The HTML form is supplied to a browser, enabling a user of the browser to input or modify application parameters for the corresponding XML document into the form. The application server inserts the received input application parameters into the XML document, and stores the document.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to generating and executing voice enabled web applications within a hypertext markup language (HTML) and hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) framework.
2. Description of the Related Art
The evolution of the public switched telephone network has resulted in a variety of voice applications and services that can be provided to individual subscribers and business subscribers. Such services include voice messaging systems that enable landline or wireless subscribers to record, playback, and forward voice mail messages. However, the ability to provide enhanced services to subscribers of the public switched telephone network is directly affected by the limitations of the public switched telephone network. In particular, the public switched telephone network operates according to a protocol that is specifically designed for the transport of voice signals; hence any modifications necessary to provide enhanced services can only be done by switch vendors that have sufficient know-how of the existing public switched telephone network infrastructure.
An open standards-based Internet protocol (IP) network, such as the World Wide Web, the Internet, or a corporate intranet, provides client-server type application services for clients by enabling the clients to request application services from remote servers using standardized protocols, for example hypertext transport protocol (HTTP). The web server application environment can include web server software, such as Apache-based software available from The Apache Software Foundation, implemented on a computer system attached to the IP network. Web-based applications are composed of HTML pages, logic, and database functions. In addition, the web server may provide logging and monitoring capabilities.
In contrast to the public switched telephone network, the open standards-based IP network has enabled the proliferation of web based applications written by web application developers using ever increasing web development tools. Hence, the ever increasing popularity of web applications and web development tools provides substantial resources for application developers to develop robust web applications in a relatively short time and an economical manner. However, one important distinction between telephony-based applications and web-based applications is that telephony-based applications are state aware, whereas web-based applications are stateless.
In particular, telephony applications are state aware to ensure that prescribed operations between the telephony application servers and the user telephony devices occur in a prescribed sequence. For example, operations such as call processing operations, voicemail operations, call forwarding, etc., require that specific actions occur in a specific sequence to enable the multiple components of the public switched telephone network to complete the prescribed operations.
The web-based applications running in the IP network, however, are state-less and transient in nature, and do not maintain application state because application state requires an interactive communication between the browser and back-end database servers accessed by the browsers via a HTTP-based web server. However, an HTTP server provides asynchronous execution of HTML applications, where the web applications in response to reception of a specific request in the form of a URL from a client, instantiate a program configured for execution of the specific request, send an HTML web page back to the client, and terminate the program instance that executed the specific request. Storage of application state information in the form of a "cookie" is not practical because some users prefer not to enable cookies on their browser, and because the passing of a large amount of state information as would normally be required for voice-type applications between the browser and the web application would substantially reduce the bandwidth available for the client.
Commonly-assigned, copending application Ser. No. 09/480,485, filed Jan. 11, 2000, entitled Application Server Configured for Dynamically Generating Web Pages for Voice Enabled Web Applications, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference, discloses an application server that executes a voice-enabled web application by runtime execution of extensible markup language (XML) documents that define the voice-enabled web application to be executed. The application server includes a runtime environment that establishes an efficient, high-speed connection to a web server. The application server, in response to receiving a user request from a user, accesses a selected XML page that defines at least a part of the voice application to be executed for the user. The XML page may describe any one of a user interface such as dynamic generation of a menu of options or a prompt for a password, an application logic operation, or a function capability such as generating a function call to an external resource. The application server then parses the XML page, and executes the operation described by the XML page, for example dynamically generating an HTML page having voice application control content, or fetching another XML page to continue application processing. In addition, the application server may access an XML page that stores application state information, enabling the application server to be state-aware relative to the user interaction. Hence, the XML page, which can be written using a conventional editor or word processor, defines the application to be executed by the application server within the runtime environment, enabling voice enabled web applications to be generated and executed without the necessity of programming language environments.
Hence, web programmers can write voice-enabled web applications, using the teachings of the above-incorporated application Ser. No. 09/480,485, by writing XML pages that specify respective voice application operations to be performed. The XML documents have a distinct feature of having tags that allow a web browser (or other software) to identify information as being a specific kind or type of information. In particular, commonly-assigned, copending application Ser. No. 09/501,516, filed Feb. 1, 2000 entitled Arrangement for Defining and Processing Voice Enabled Web Applications Using Extensible Markup Language Documents, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference, discloses an arrangement for defining a voice-enabled web application using extensible markup language (XML) documents that define the voice application operations to be performed within the voice application. Each voice application operation can be defined as any one of a user interface operation, a logic operation, or a function operation. Each XML document includes XML tags that specify the user interface operation, the logic operation and/or the function operation to be performed within a corresponding voice application operation, the XML tags being based on prescribed rule sets that specify the executable functions to be performed by the application runtime environment. Each XML document may also reference another XML document to be executed based on the relative position of the XML document within the sequence of voice application operations to be performed. The XML documents are stored for execution of the voice application by an application server in an application runtime environment.
Hence, the XML document described in the above-incorporated application Ser. No. 09/501,516, which can be written using a conventional editor or word processor, defines the application to be executed by the application server within the runtime environment, enabling voice enabled web applications to be generated and executed without the necessity of programming language environments.
Conventional application development environments maintain a substantial distinction between application use and application development. In particular, most applications are developed either by writing source code using a conventional programming language and compiling the written code into executable format, or using a stand-alone development tool that generates the required application. After the application has been developed into executable code, the executable code is then executed by a processing system for testing prior to actual use by subscribers. The distinction between application use and application development hinders efficiency in application development, since a developer is unable to obtain immediate feedback from adding any changes to an application. Hence, an application developer having discovered an undesirable result in the application during execution typically needs to retrace the executable code to locate the cause of the undesirable result, slowing the application development process.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Browser-based arrangement for developing voice enabled web applications using extensible markup language documents


Techniques for providing an efficient NTB-based data transport in a highly available storage system. The techniques include performing an ordered transfer of a source data buffer from a primary storage node to a secondary storage node over a PCIe NTB, writing a “transfer ID value” for the ordered transfer over the NTB to a “received transfer ID register” of the secondary storage node, performing a remote procedure call (RPC) to send, over a side channel, the transfer ID value as a “sent transfer ID value” to the secondary storage node, and processing the RPC call to verify the value contained in the received transfer ID register against the sent transfer ID value. Having performed the verification, the secondary storage node determines a successful or unsuccessful status of the ordered transfer, and sends an RPC reply to acknowledge or inform the primary storage node of the successful or unsuccessful status.

Highly available storage systems include multiple storage processors (also referred to herein as "storage node(s)") that simultaneously have read/write input/output (IO) access to the same storage objects (e.g., volumes (VOLs), logical units (LUs), file systems). Such storage systems typically include at least two storage nodes for high availability, such as a primary storage node and a secondary storage node. Each storage node can receive storage IO requests (e.g., read IO requests, write IO requests) over a network from multiple host computers. In response to the storage IO requests, the storage nodes can perform storage IO operations (e.g., read/write IO operations) to read/write data blocks, data pages, data files, or any other suitable data elements from/to one or more storage objects. In response to a data transfer request, each storage node can transfer various amounts of storage data and/or other information to the other storage node over a point-to-point connection between the two storage nodes.

Efficient non-transparent bridge (NTB) based data transport


A waterski simulator is provided comprising a platform constructed and arranged to hold one practice skier and to rotate 180.degree. about a first pivot point, a pivoting arm constructed and arranged to rotate about 180.degree. about a second pivot point, the pivoting arm and the platform pivoting towards each other, a handle means connected to and extending from the pivoting arm and a resisting means associated with the pivoting arm providing resistance to the rotation thereof, said resistance being overcomeable by a practicing skier, whereby the practicing skier stands on the platform facing the pivoting arm and holds the handle means thereof, alternatively pivoting the platform and the pivoting arm, thereby simulating the movements associated with waterskiing.

This invention relates to apparatus for exercising and practicing slalom-style waterskiing. More particularly, it is directed to an improved apparatus for use indoors or outdoors as an exercise device while also giving the experience of slalom-type waterskiing.
The apparatus of the invention has been designed to simulate the balance and muscular exertion normally experienced in slalom-style waterskiing.
The apparatus enables a practicing alder to reach or maintain the muscular condition required for aggressive waterskiing. For the skier who is unable to ski as often as necessary to advance or maintain a high level of skill and endurance, the apparatus of this invention has particular applicability.
Working out on the apparatus is much simpler than actually engaging in waterskiing as such. There is no need for a boat operator and a spotter, nor is the time and expense of obtaining and operating a ski boat required. Neither does the weather affect scheduled practice sessions since the apparatus may be set up indoors and used year round. The apparatus is also small enough to be carried through a doorway and set up outdoors.


A technique of producing a semiconductor device or integrated circuit produces a planarized refill layer which has a more uniform thickness after etch back. In a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device, dummy active areas are inserted between the active areas in order to maintain the thickness of the refill layer between the mesas to insure proper isolation between the active devices. The technique is also applicable to non-SOI devices.

A known problem in semiconductor manufacturing is the lack of uniformity in the thickness of the layer of isolation material, that is grown or deposited between active areas of a semiconductor substrate, after etch back for planarizing the surface of the isolation material. The term "active area" is commonly used to describe that portion of the semiconductor substrate on which components are built, such as transistors, capacitors and resistors. As is well known in the art, in order to prevent crosstalk between active areas on a substrate, an electrical isolation material, commonly as a refill material, is placed between the active regions. In a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device, one common method for making space for the refill material is to etch the silicon material above the buried insulator layer to form islands of active material commonly known as mesas, by methods well known in the art. This space is then filled (refilled) with the isolation material. Common refill materials include silicon dioxide and TEOS.
FIG. 1A shows a SOI semiconductor device 100 both before and after the etch back process. The device 100 is built upon a silicon substrate 102 having a buried insulator layer 104. The silicon material above the buried insulator material has already been etched away to form a mesa having a active area 106. Active layer 106 is covered by an isolation layer 108 which is typically a pad oxide of silicon dioxide. On top of pad oxide 108 is an isolation layer 110 which is typically silicon nitride. The resulting structure is then covered with refill layer 112 which may be silicon dioxide or TEOS, for example. As can clearly be seen by FIG. 1A, refill layer 112 does not have a flat topography and the thickness is significantly higher above active area 106.
As is well known in the art, it is desirable to have a flat or planarized surface for the refill layer 112 in order that subsequent layers of the semiconductor device be built on a flat surface. In order to achieve this planarized effect, one technique that is commonly used is to etch back the refill layer 112 until it reaches the isolation layer 110. Dashed lines 114, 116 and 118 represent the refill layer 112 after the etch back process. Line 114 represents the ideal case in which the refill material 112 it etched back until the material just reaches the silicon nitride layer 110. Notice that the resulting layer provides significant refill material on either side of the active area 106 but that this refill material tapers off rapidly as the distance from the side of the active area increases. Thus, in areas where there are no active areas, only a thin layer of refill material remains. In order to make sure that the etch back process has been completed, that is that no refill material remains on the silicon nitride layer, it is common to over-etch the refill material, as shown by dashed line 116. This leaves adequate refill material on the sides of the active area 106 but the material still tapers off away from the active areas in the same manner as shown by dashed line 114. In this case, however, because the material is etched to a greater degree, the etching process will etch away part of the buried insulator region 104 in areas away from active areas of the substrate. This occurs because the refill material is one form of silicon dioxide and the buried insulator layer is typically made of silicon dioxide, so that both oxides will be etched by the same etchant. Process parameters may vary from one operation to the next and dashed line 118 shows the result of the etch back process running too long. Sufficient refill material still remains on either side of active area 106 since the material is above the top of the active area. However, in regions away from the active area, the buried oxide 104 has been significantly etched thereby leaving little or no insulating layer in this region. This results in increased polycrystalline silicon layer to substrate capacitance and crosstalk between the polycrystalline silicon lines.
FIG. 1B shows a SEM photograph of an SOI mesa isolation process using TEOS as the refill material. In this photograph the device has a 0.3 micrometer line and a 0.9 micrometer spacing. As can be seen, the active area has only small refill areas on either side of the mesa that provides only sidewall insulation. The silicon nitride layer above the active areas and the refill areas is there in order to protect the devices on the substrate when they are cleaved for taking the photograph. Thus the silicon nitride layer will not be present in the device. Looking at the bottom of the silicon nitride layer, it can be seen that there is no refill material in the spaces between devices and that the buried insulator layer has been significantly etched away leaving little or no isolation material to prevent crosstalk between devices.
Accordingly, there is a need for a low-cost and effective method for reducing this non-uniformity in the refill layer.

Increasing uniformity in a refill layer thickness for a semiconductor device


Electronic filters include an input, an output and a plurality of resonators series coupled between the input and the output. Each of the resonators is coupled to a tunable capacitance. In addition, a coupling means is provided between non-adjacent ones of the resonators. The resonators can include microstrip resonators, stripline resonators, resonant cavities, or other types of resonators. The tunable capacitance can be provided by tunable dielectric varactors or microelectromechanical variable capacitors. Another tunable capacitor can be included in the coupling means to provide a tunable notch response.

Wireless communications applications have increased to crowd the available spectrum and drive the need for high isolation between adjacent bands. Portability requirements of mobile communications additionally require a reduction in the size of communications equipment. Filters used in communications devices have been required to provide improved performance using smaller sized components. Efforts have been made to develop new types of resonators, new coupling structures, and new configurations to address these requirements.
Electrically tunable microwave filters have many applications in microwave systems. These applications include local multipoint distribution service (LMDS), personal communication systems (PCS), frequency hopping radio, satellite communications, and radar systems. There are three main kinds of microwave tunable filters, including mechanically, magnetically, and electrically tunable filters. Mechanically tunable filters suffer from slow tuning speed and large size. Compared to mechanically and magnetically tunable filters, electrically tunable filters have the important advantages of small size and fast tuning capability over relatively wide frequency bands. Electrically tunable filters include voltage-controlled tunable dielectric capacitor based tunable filters, and semiconductor varactor based tunable filters. Compared to semiconductor varactor based tunable filters, tunable dielectric capacitor based tunable filters have the merits of lower loss, higher power-handling, and higher IP3, especially at higher frequencies (>10 GHz).
Tunable filters offer communications service providers flexibility and scalability never before accessible. A single tunable filter can replace several fixed filters covering adjacent frequencies. This versatility provides transceiver front end RF tunability in real time applications and decreases deployment and maintenance costs through software controls and reduced component count. Also, fixed filters need to be wide band so that their count does not exceed reasonable numbers to cover the desired frequency plan. Tunable filters, however, are typically narrow band, but they can cover a larger frequency band than fixed filters by tuning the filters over a wide range. Additionally, narrowband filters at the front end are appreciated from the systems point of view, because they provide better selectivity and help reduce interference from nearby transmitters.
Commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/419,126, filed Oct. 15, 1999, and titled "Voltage Tunable Varactors And Tunable Devices Including Such Varactors", discloses voltage tunable dielectric varactors that operate at room temperature and various devices that include such varactors, and is hereby incorporated by reference.
Commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/457,943, filed Dec. 9, 1999, and titled "Electronic Tunable Filters With Dielectric Varactors", discloses microstrip filters including voltage tunable dielectric varactors that operate at room temperature, and is hereby incorporated by reference.
Commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/013,265, filed Dec. 10, 2001, and titled "Electrically Tunable Notch Filters" discloses electronically tunable notch filters, and is hereby incorporated by reference.
Combline filters are attractive for use in electronic communications devices. It is well known that combline filters, in general, have a natural transmission zero above its passband. One of the techniques used to reduce the number of resonators is to add cross couplings between non-adjacent resonators to provide transmission zeros. Examples of this approach are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,324 and 5,543,764.
In some filter applications, a tunable asymmetric response is desirable. There is a need for tunable filters with an asymmetric response.

Electronically tunable combine filter with asymmetric response


An electrode structure includes a first diffusion barrier layer, an aluminum reflective layer formed over the first diffusion barrier layer. The aluminum reflective layer has a thickness from about 500 angstroms (Å) to less than 2,000 Å, a second diffusion barrier layer formed over the aluminum reflective layer, and an electrode layer overlying the second diffusion barrier layer. The electrode structure is applicable in a light emitting diode device.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an electrode structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electrode having an aluminum reflective layer.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional electrode structure, a reflective layer is usually introduced under an electrode, which enables photon to escape from a LED die through multiple reflections so as to avoid the absorption of the photon by the electrode and the decrease in brightness of the device. As a result, the light emitting efficiency increases. However, for multiple metal layers in the electrode structure may exhibit various adhesive forces and material properties under an external force, the electrode structure may be broken and suffer peeling issue. For example, due to the silver electrode having different material property from that of the sapphire substrate, the vapor deposition of a silver electrode on a sapphire substrate is likely to have electrode peeling issue under the application of the external force, resulting in a low adherence to the sapphire substrate in the electrode structure.

Electrode structure and light emitting diode using the same


[Object] External leakage of laser light can be prevented in a reflective type light source device.

There has been advance in recent years regarding a technique where a member containing phosphor material is excited by laser light emitted from a semiconductor laser element, thereby yielding a white or monochromatic high-luminance light source. For example, white high-luminance high-luminous-flux light sources have been put into practical use as light sources for laser headlamps.
The technique described in PTL 1 enables a white light source unit and a light projecting unit that projects white light emitted from the white light source unit to be separated. Also, the technique described in PTL 2 has a configuration where a white light source unit is protected by a transparent window, and laser light is reflected once at the window portion and then excites a phosphor light-emitting section. The configurations disclosed in PTL 1 and PTL 2 are excellent from the point that the white light source and light projecting unit are separately prepared, can be independently designed and manufactured, and in a case where one of the white light source and light projecting unit malfunctions, the one alone can be easily replaced.
On the other hand, there are a configuration referred to as a reflective type and a configuration referred to as a transmissive type, as excitation methods for exciting a phosphor light-emitting section by laser light. In the reflective type, a first surface of the phosphor light-emitting section is irradiated with excitation laser light, and light emission (fluorescence) at the phosphor light-emitting section is mainly extracted from the same first surface. In the reflective type, a second surface of the phosphor light-emitting section often is in contact with a non-transparent reflecting material such as metal or the like, or a heat sink.
In the transmissive type, a first surface of a phosphor light-emitting section is irradiated with excitation laser light, and light emission (fluorescence) is mainly extracted from a second surface that is a surface on the rear side from the first surface. There are cases in the transmissive type where a transparent heat sink that transmits light is provided on the first surface or second surface of the phosphor light-emitting section.
Both the reflective type and transmissive type have a common problem, in that part of the laser light emitted for excitation of the phosphor light-emitting section exhibits specular reflection (also referred to as regular reflection) with the laser light being not completely absorbed at the phosphor light-emitting section. Particularly, in the case of the reflective type, the direction of specular reflection of the laser light is the same as the direction of extracting fluorescence, so there is a problem that specularly-reflected laser light becomes stray light and is externally emitted, or becomes mixed with the fluorescence and causes unevenness in the color distribution of the fluorescence (e.g., see PTL 3 and PTL 4).
Several measures have been proposed as configurations to keep laser light that has been specularly reflected in such reflective type configuration from being externally emitted (e.g., see PTL 5 and PTL 6). These techniques disclose configurations where laser light that has been specularly reflected at a phosphor light-emitting section is returned to the phosphor light-emitting section by a concave mirror or a flat mirror.

Abstract: [Solution] Laser light excites a first surface (21) of a phosphor light-emitting section. (20), and a window portion (30) formed of a transparent member disposed spaced away from the first surface (21) is provided. A light leakage prevention portion (600), which inhibits the laser light reflected at the first surface (21) of the phosphor light-emitting section (20) from leaking to the outside through the window portion (30) is provided to part of the window portion (30).


Techniques for providing an ID image on a print medium are disclosed. Commodity information on a commodity settled in a store is received from a store terminal installed at the store. ID images, defining ID information in a frequency domain and accompanied by attribute information that is used by the store terminal to decide whether or not each of the stored ID images is to be printed, are stored. A correspondence between the commodity information and the stored ID images is also stored. ID images corresponding to the received commodity information from the stored ID images using the stored correspondence are then retrieved. An attribute list, which registers the attribute information of the stored ID images that is used by the store terminal to decide whether or not each of the stored ID images is to be printed, is stored. Thereafter, only the retrieved ID images which have been decided to be printed based on the stored attribute list are transmitted. The transmitted ID images are then printed on a print medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ID image providing device, a store terminal, a connection information providing device, an ID image providing method, a printing method, and a connection information providing method, and more particularly, to an ID image providing device, a store terminal, a connection information providing device, an ID image providing method, a printing method, and a connection information providing method for printing advertising information on a receipt.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a store, a cash register issues a receipt during a checkout procedure.
On the receipt, contents of the settlement, a store logo, an address and a telephone number of the store, and a checkout date are printed for convenience of a customer.
Further, the receipt may even have information printed on a marginal space or on a reverse side thereof, thus making an effort to include information as much as possible in a limited space.
JP 2006-67482 A discloses a technique of providing an advertisement on a receipt as described above.
According to the above-mentioned technique, a uniform resource locator (URL) for connecting to an advertising website is embedded in the receipt in the form of a digital watermark.
When the digital watermark is photographed with a camera provided to a cellular phone, the cellular phone is automatically connected to the advertising website.
There is an established link between the receipt and a network as described above, which makes it possible to conduct an advertising campaign without being constrained by the limited space for advertising on the receipt.
However, the advertising website to be connected has been uniform irrespective of the customers or has been selected merely for profits of the store.
Therefore, it is not always possible to reliably provide a customer with a meaningful advertisement at an optimal timing.


A housing member for a power transmission device connected to a driving source via a torque converter housed in the housing member includes a torque converter side mating face closer to the torque converter. The torque converter side mating face has a single-wall structure and a double-wall structure, wherein two adjacent fastening regions are connected circumferentially by a wall in the single-wall structure, and wherein two adjacent fastening regions are connected circumferentially by each of two walls in the double-wall structure. The torque converter side mating face includes: an upper half region in which the double-wall structure has a greater proportion in area than the single-wall structure; and a lower half region in which the double-wall structure has a less proportion in area than the single-wall structure.

It is preferable that a mating face of a housing member of a power transmission device connected to a driving source side is highly rigid, so that the mating face is designed to have a certain thickness. However, increasing the thickness causes an increase in weight. In order to reduce the weight, it is conceivable to adopt a double-wall structure. Patent Document 1 discloses a housing member including a mating face based on the double-wall structure.
Although the double-wall structure contributes to weight reduction as compared with a single-wall structure being thick, it is desirable to further reduce the weight.

Housing member for power transmission device


Apparatus is provided for supporting a retractable roof. The support includes a support frame which supports the roof sections, and a follower wheel which moves along a rail formed in the retraction and expansion direction of the roof sections. The support frame has a base support having a spherical surface. Also included is a base capable of tolerating movement within a given range in the horizontal direction, substantially perpendicular to the rail and supported by the base support via a movement-limiting portion which limits the movement in the rail direction.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a structure in which a roof 1, a retractable roof of a stadium or arena comprises a plurality of roof sections 1a through 1d which are laid or telescoped over each other when they are retracted and which form a single unitary roof structure when expanded. Sliding roof sections 1a through 1c are supported at both ends on rails Ra through Rc formed on steps in the upper portion of the building. Sliding roof sections 1a through 1c are retracted by automating a movable support 50 or winching them with cables. It is evident that the roof is exposed to external stress from thermal expansion or thermal shrinkage due to the environmental temperature changes, causing displacement in the joint between rails Ra through Rc and movable support 50. As a result, the roof is exposed to external stresses from twisting, lifting, or tension forces, making a smooth drive movement of the roof sections difficult.
To lessen the influence from such various external stresses, the roof of conventional technology has a structure such as that shown in FIG. 5. In a front elevational view, support frame 56 is mounted with base 52, which supports sliding roof section 1a via a universal joint 55 connected by means of pins 53 and 54 arranged substantially parallel to a rail Ra and substantially perpendicular to the rail Ra. Support frame 56 also includes a drive wheel and follower wheel 57, which move along rail Ra. The support frame 56 also includes guide wheels 58, which move along side guide rails Rg.
In the movable support of FIG. 5, as is the case for a bogie car, the tolerance for absorbing the distortion due to the external stress is created by arranging pins 53 and 54 substantially parallel to rail Ra and substantially perpendicular to the rail Ra. Nevertheless, this level of tolerance is not sufficient to reduce the influence of external forces coming from different directions. This requires a larger tolerance for absorbing stress.
The apparatus incorporating the principles of the present invention resolves the problem and provides a movable support for the retractable roof which can transmit the movement of the movable support to the sliding roof sections with little tolerance. It also provides a movable support which is capable of reducing the influence from external forces coming from different directions and can tolerate a relatively larger distortion and displacement.


A motor vehicle has a driver assistance device to guide the motor vehicle in an automated manner during travel. The driver assistance device can be switched between a plurality of assistance modes. First, second and third control device differ in the actions the control. The first operating device directly drives the motor vehicle by the driver of the motor vehicle in a manual mode. The second operating device adjusts driving parameters for a partially automated assistance mode, and the third operating device serves as a user interface for the fully automated assistance mode. In a fully automated assistance mode, the driver assistance device provides independent lateral guidance and controls a wheel steering angle. In this case, an actuator adjusts a rotary position of the steering wheel to follow the wheel steering angle set by the driver assistance device.

The invention relates to a motor vehicle having a driver assistance device, which is designed to drive the motor vehicle independently during a journey of the motor vehicle and which in this case is switchable between at least two assistance modes which differ from one another in a degree of the independence of the driver assistance device during the driving of the motor vehicle.
Driving the motor vehicle denotes firstly the steering of the motor vehicle (following a course of a road, orienting the motor vehicle within a lane, lane change maneuver), which is also designated as transverse driving, and secondly the control of the driving speed of the motor vehicle (acceleration, braking, emergency braking, maintaining speed), which is also designated as longitudinal driving.
A driver assistance system of the type mentioned is known from DE 10 2010 022 433 A1. According to that, a driver assistance system in a fully automatic assistance mode can perform the driving of the vehicle completely independently. During the journey, the driver of the motor vehicle then does not have to operate either the steering wheel or the pedals of the motor vehicle and can therefore devote his/her attention to other things for a comparatively long period of time, such as the operation of an infotainment system, for example.
Independent driving of the motor vehicle should also be understood to mean a partly automatic assistance mode, in which the degree of the independence of the driver assistance system during the driving of the motor vehicle is reduced and which can then include, for example, merely the functionality of adjusting the driving speed of the motor vehicle to a setpoint or set speed that the driver predefines by setting a value of the corresponding driving parameter of the driver assistance system (driving speed control).
A further desirable assistance mode is the autonomous driving of the motor vehicle by a driver assistance device. In contrast to the fully automatic assistance mode, in the autonomous assistance mode, the driver assistance device also decides what values are to be implemented in the case of the driving parameters (setpoint distances, setpoint speed) for a driving maneuver currently being performed and/or what driving maneuvers (lane change, turning, parking and the like) are to be performed. In the fully automatic assistance mode, by contrast, provision is made for the driver to stipulate via a user interface what driving maneuvers are to be performed and/or what distances and speeds in the case of a driving maneuver currently being performed, by the driver assistance device, are intended to be adjusted when traveling in a lane. Another difference between the two assistance modes may be how the driver assistance device reacts in the event of an unforeseen development in the traffic situation, that is to say if safe driving by the driver assistance device is no longer ensured. In the fully automatic assistance mode, provision is then made for the driver assistance device to deactivate itself and to pass control of the motor vehicle to the driver, whereas in the autonomous assistance mode the motor vehicle is brought to a safe state by the driver assistance device itself by e.g. stopping the motor vehicle.
Depending on the instantaneously active assistance mode during the journey, a driver of the motor vehicle has the impression that specific driving tasks are carried out by the motor vehicle independently without said driver's control. In this case, for each assistance mode in which the driver assistance device can be operated, it must be ensured that it is always clear to the driver to what degree the driver assistance system monitors and drives the motor vehicle, what intervention possibilities are still provided for the driver himself/herself during the driving of the motor vehicle, and what driving tasks the driver must necessarily perform himself/herself. If the driver loses track here, the driver's safety can be jeopardized. By way of example, if the driver imagines that the driver assistance device is in the fully automatic assistance mode and the driver therefore releases the steering wheel in order to deal with the infotainment system, the vehicle may in this case leave the lane because the driver assistance device is e.g. not activated at all, that is to say that a fully manual manner of driving is demanded of the driver (therefore designated here as manual assistance mode).
The spectrum of the independence of the driver assistance device (automation spectrum) extending from manual travel through partial and full automation as far as autonomy, in terms of its complexity, in the future, is intended to be transparent to the user and operable in a comprehensible manner for the user. A manageable complexity of these four assistance modes mentioned, a clear delimitability of the individual assistance modes and characteristic operating modalities within the individual assistance modes are important properties of future operating concepts. While established operating elements such as buttons, steering wheel or levers are available for partial automation (e.g. driving speed control, active lane control, i.e. lane keeping assistance), to date there have only been conceptual approaches for the prototypical operation of full automation and autonomy. These approaches are often merely supplementations or extensions of existing operating concepts and constitute isolated standalone solutions. Such standalone solutions generally amount to nothing more than mere functional integration into existing operating elements, which leads to an increase in the functional density of the individual operating elements and is therefore not expedient owing to the diversity and complexity of the resultant operating devices. The handleability and functional diversity of current operating elements have already been exhausted.

Motor vehicle having a driver assistance device and method for operating a motor vehicle


A wheel assembly provides an expanded air-pressurization chamber to increase the load capacity of the mounted tire. The wheel assembly includes an axle shaft, including flange plates mounted at opposite ends of the shaft and a mounting disc attached to each flange plate. There is an annular-shaped locking ring attached to each mounting disc. A cylindrical insert assembly is mounted between the pair of locking rings. A central section is defined in the tubular body extending between a pair of annular flange wall portions and includes an array of holes. The tire bead at each inner edge of a tire is located within the annular bead-receiving channels formed between the locking ring and insert assembly. A dual air-pressurization chamber is formed, one radially outward and the other radially inward of the tubular body of the insert assembly.

Tire and wheel construction is a complex and technical field that many are unaware of. Heavy-duty vehicles designed to carry heavy loads, such as the highest payload capacity haul trucks BelAz, require wheels and tires that are strong enough to support the heavy loads and shear forces they are subjected to by the vehicle and terrain when in use.
The standard rim design for pneumatic tires has contributed significantly to the transportation and construction business over the past decades. The wheel and rim designs are simple, efficient, and dependable. Consequently, there has been a minimal progression in tire and wheel construction. If there are changes to the structure of wheels and tires, the changes are cosmetic or materialistic, i.e., adopting new materials to perform existing functions. Radical changes, however, to the standard wheel and tire construction are almost non-existent. That is because the complexity and cost of change greatly revolve around the technical manufacturing complexity involved in strengthening the walls of tires for large rigs and how the tires can be modified without affecting their functionality and performance. Nevertheless, there is still a substantial need in the industry for a wheel and tire construction that can sustain more efficiently the heavy loads and shear forces it is subjected to when performing.
Accordingly, there is an established need for a wheel design that features an expanded tire-inflating air compression chamber, increases the tires' load capacity, and has a shorter sidewall that improves the performance of the wheel construction.


A cable cutter mounted within an elongate tubular housing includes cutter blades at a first end of the housing and operative handles at the second end of the housing to permit access to restricted areas such as in motor vehicles and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to cutting tools, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved cable cutter apparatus wherein the same may be inserted through limited openings to sever cables such as battery cables for use by emergency personnel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art structure is indicated by the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,178,682; 4,524,549; 4,639,576; 4,558,584; and 4,779,342.
Subsequent to and coincident with accident, vehicular batteries, and more particularly their cables, must be severed inasmuch as short circuits, spilled fuel, and the like provides for accidental explosion, wherein the instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for a cable cutting structure of an elongate narrow construction to permit the severing of cables within confined quarters such as in motor vehicles and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


An apparatus for transferring workpieces to and from the chuck of a machine tool. A gripper arm is mounted to the machine frame for selectively axial and rotational movement on a shaft having helical and longitudinal threads on the surface thereof. A first nut is rotatably mounted to the machine frame for axial advancement of the shaft and a second nut is rotatably mounted for rotational advancement. The apparatus may also include a panel mounted to the machine frame between a transfer station and the chuck. An opening in the panel adjacent the transfer station has surfaces which mate with corresponding surfaces of the gripper arm so as to preclude the passage of debris to the transfer station. The apparatus may also include an apparatus for sequentially transferring a series of workpieces. The apparatus has a two gripper jaws and a compressible pusher plate therebetween which is compressed as it is moved towards an opening in an input chute so that a workpiece may roll between the jaws of the gripper.

In conventional machine tools, such as lathes, a workpiece is securely supported in a chuck during the machining operation. The chuck is mounted on one end of a spindle and the spindle is rotated so that a tool may be brought into contact with the rotating workpiece. The tool has a cutting edge which cuts into the workpiece to remove material so that the workpiece can be machined to the desired shape and size. The material thus cut from the workpiece by the tool may take the form of discrete chips. If desirable, a liquid coolant may be used to lubricate the cutting edge of the tool and to prevent heat buildup.
To automate the machining operation, it is desirable to provide an automatic chuck which can be controlled to selectively grip or release a workpiece disposed within the jaws of the chuck. To more fully automate the machining operation, however, it is also desirable to provide a workpiece transfer apparatus for loading workpieces into the chuck before the machining operation is performed and for unloading the workpieces from the chuck after the machining operation has been completed. The workpiece transfer apparatus may pick up unmachined workpieces from a loading station such as a chute or bin adjacent to the machine tool. In addition, the workpiece transfer apparatus may unload workpieces from the chuck and transfer them to an unloading station such as a chute or bin adjacent to the machine tool.
Conventional workpiece transfer devices may include a moveable shaft having a workpiece gripping mechanism mounted on one end thereof. Such shafts are typically moveable axially along the shaft axis, known in the art as the "Z direction", and may also be moveable rotationally about the shaft axis, known in the art as the "C direction". Such workpiece transfer devices may include a motor for providing the rotational movement in the C direction and a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder for advancing and withdrawing the shaft along its axis in the Z direction. These transfer devices therefore require both an electrical power source for the rotational motor and a separate hydraulic or pneumatic power source for moving the shaft axially.
Another type of workpiece transfer device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,422 to McMurtry. The device of the McMurtry patent comprises a transfer mechanism including a shaft supported at both ends for rotation thereof. An arm is supported on the shaft for movement along the axis of the shaft but is fixed against rotation relative to the shaft. A first motor rotates the shaft and a second motor rotates a threaded rod inside the shaft to move the arm in an axial direction along the shaft. The shaft, however, extends substantially between the tool and chuck of the machine and thus limits access to the machining area. In addition, the workpiece transfer mechanism is subjected to chips and coolant produced by the machining operation.
Another type of workpiece transfer device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,566 to Tajima. The Tajima patent discloses a device having an arm secured to the end of a moveable shaft. The shaft of the Tajima patent is moveable both axially and rotationally about its axis. However, rotational movement is provided by a threaded rod which is mounted perpendicularly to the arm axis and, as such, is limited to rotation through an arc determined in part by the length of the rod. Such limited rotational movement limits the loading and unloading capability of the arm.
The chips and coolant produced by the machining operation are often expelled from the vicinity of the tool in unpredictable trajectories. Moreover, errant chips and coolant can be detrimental to the machine tool. For example, chips may interfere with the operation of the gripper devices used for loading and unloading workpieces. Thus, it is desirable to confine chips and coolant to the immediate vicinity of the machining operation.
The workpiece gripping mechanisms of conventional workpiece transfer devices typically include a three-jawed chuck and a pusher plate spring-loaded between the jaws. The workpieces are picked up from an opening at the end of a declining input chute by the gripping mechanism and are transferred to the chuck. A workpiece is positioned at the opening of the chute and is restrained from falling through the opening by a moveable shutter. The gripping mechanism is moved towards the workpiece, the shutter is opened and the pusher plate engages the workpiece. The jaws are then closed and the workpiece can be removed from the chute.
More workpieces may be restrained further up the input chute so as not to interfere with the operation of the three jaws of the gripping mechanism. The workpieces may be restrained by two retractable gates operating in an escapement fashion so as to allow only one workpiece at a time to advance to the opening. Workpiece transfer devices of this type thus require the provision of a moveable shutter and two retractable gates which adds to the expense and complexity of the transfer apparatus.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved workpiece transfer apparatus for machine tools.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved workpiece transfer apparatus which allows full access to the machining area and which has improved mobility.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved machine tool which provides improved confinement of chips and coolant produced during the machining operation.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved work transfer apparatus having fewer actuated components.


In an embodiment, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) bidder negotiates with a VoIP provider and/or a VoIP access network to establish the VoIP provider as a preferred or default VoIP provider for the VoIP access network (e.g., a set of particular WiFi APs, a non-roaming cellular access network, etc.). As the preferred or default VoIP provider, the VoIP access network gives preferential performance and/or contract terms (or VoIP opportunities) for providing VoIP service to user equipments (UEs) via the VoIP provider as compared to one or more other VoIP providers that are also configured to provide VoIP service to the UEs over the VoIP access network. In a further embodiment, one of the UEs connects to the VoIP access network and advertises, to a user of the UE, the preferential performance and/or contract terms available to the UE via the VoIP provider over the VoIP access network.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to associating a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider with a set of VoIP networks as a preferred or default VoIP provider.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless communication systems have developed through various generations, including a first-generation analog wireless phone service (1G), a second-generation (2G) digital wireless phone service (including interim 2.5G and 2.75G networks), a third-generation (3G) high speed data, Internet-capable wireless service and a fourth-generation (4G) service (e.g., Long-Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax). There are presently many different types of wireless communication systems in use, including Cellular and Personal Communications Service (PCS) systems. Examples of known cellular systems include the cellular Analog Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), and digital cellular systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), the Global System for Mobile access (GSM) variation of TDMA, etc.
Currently, cellular carriers (e.g., Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, etc.) that provide service via any of the aforementioned wireless communication systems lose control of the communication experience when users choose to use VoIP providers (e.g., FaceTime on iOS, Google Voice on Android, Skype on Windows Phone, etc.) via their cellular provider's data network or choose to bypass the cellular network altogether by using VoIP providers over other IP networks that support VoIP services (e.g. WiFi hotspots, etc.). Similarly, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have little control over which VoIP providers are used on their devices.

Associating a VoIP provider with a set of VoIP networks as a preferred or default VoIP provider


An isothermal transcription based amplification assay for the detection of HTLV I RNA uses primers and probes for sequences within the tax gene, the pol gene, or the gag gene. An isothermal transcription based amplification assay for the detection of HTLV II uses primers and probes for sequences within the tax gene. Target specific primers and probes are also disclosed.

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV I) has been identified as the etiological agent responsible for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). It has also been associated with a chronic neurological disorder known as tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) or HTLV-associated myelopathy (HAM) (Reitz et al., 1983, J. Infect. Dis. 147:399-405; Gessain et al., 1985, Lancet, ii:407-410). The virus can be transmitted by blood transfusion, intravenous drug abuse, sexual contact and through breast feeding, and infection is endemic in southwestern Japan, Central Africa, and in parts of the Caribbean. The virus has also been found in North America and Europe.
The closely related human T-cell lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV II) is not definitely implicated in human disease, although it has been identified in two cases of atypical hairy cell leukemia (Kalyanaraman et al, 1982, Science, 218:571-573), HTLV II-like sequences have been detected in patients with chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS) (DeFreitas et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:2922-2926,1991) and an HTLV II virus has been isolated from cultured T cells of a patient with pancytopenia (Kalyanaraman et al, The EMBO Journal 4:6:1455-1460, 1985). The epidemiology of HTLV II infections is also distinct, being primarily associated with intravenous drug abuse and a focus of HTLV II endemicity has been reported among the native Guaymi Indians of Panama (Heneine et al, 1991, New Eng. J. Med. 324:565).
There is no viremia throughout the course of infection with HTLV I or II, i.e., the circulating viral genome (i.e., RNA) cannot be detected. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been shown to be capable of detecting proviral sequences and to distinguish between HTLV I and HTLV II proviruses (Tuke et al., J. Virological Methods, 40:163-174, 1992). While it is possible to detect the integrated provirus, it has been difficult to detect mRNA and therefore determine the role of viral gene expression in development and maintenance of the disease state. Screening of patient PBMC by RT/PCR has been used for the detection of the HTLV I tax transcript in the PBMC of asymptomatic patients as well as infected individuals displaying disease, but this assay did not detect HTLV II transcripts (Breneman et al, PNAS 89:3005-3009, 1992).
In view of the very different prognoses associated with HTLV I and HTLV II infection, it is important to be able to distinguish between the two viruses for the purposes of screening of blood donors, epidemiological studies, and routine clinical practice. Serological tests have been attempted, but because of high amino acid sequence homology, such tests have not been able to differentiate the two viruses with certainty (Kline et al, 1991, Lancet 337:30-33).
An isothermal amplification method for the detection of HTLV RNAs has not been described. The isothermal method of the present invention for HTLV I and II provides an effective method of screening for the presence of several viral transcripts or viral genome and is able to distinguish between the two viruses.

Isothermal transcription based assay for the detection of HTLV I and HTLV II RNA


For respective sampling data of waveform data of sounds to be coded, a prediction residual value is calculated as sampling residual data, and an effective bit length is calculated from this residual waveform data. Then, for the effective bit length data, a maximum effective bit length among processing targets is generated as common effective actual data, and coded data in which this common effective actual data and information indicating the common effective bit length are arranged in a predetermined configuration format are generated. The information included in the coded data is analyzed and each of the plurality of the common effective bit information is extracted. Then, waveform data of the sounds are decoded by performing inverse linear prediction processing from an analysis result on the residual waveform data decompressed by performing bit extension which adds a portion other than the common effective bit length.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to a coding device, a coding method, and a storage medium that can code sound data played by an electronic musical instrument, and to a decoding device, a decoding method, and a storage medium that can decode coded data of sound played by an electronic musical instrument.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, an electronic musical instrument stores, in memory in advance, waveform data for which a sound that is actually performed is recorded in PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) format (hereinafter, referred to as "PCM waveform data"), and when an operation of musical performance is made, it generates a sound by employing the PCM waveform data as a sound source.
Since such an electronic musical instrument may generate a sound in a plurality of channels simultaneously, semiconductor memory that can be accessed at a high speed is equipped as memory for PCM waveform data. Since such semiconductor memory increases in cost with its capacity increasing, it is necessary to save cost by decreasing its capacity. Therefore, PCM waveform data is not stored in semiconductor memory as it is, but rather is stored in semiconductor memory in a state in which the data is coded and its data volume is compressed.
Furthermore, such an electronic musical instrument generating a sound in a plurality of channels simultaneously leads to increase in processing load on hardware. Therefore, in regard to a coding method, although it is necessary to decrease processing load on hardware, a format in which sound quality deterioration occurs is not appropriate. That is to say, in regard to a coding method, a method that can achieve both a reduction in processing load on hardware as well as a decrease in sound quality deterioration has been demanded.
Furthermore, in addition to the curbing the memory capacity as stated above, another purpose of coding is to increase the number of channels generating a sound simultaneously in an electronic musical instrument. Memory has a maximum transfer data rate and this maximum transfer data rate determines the number of channels generating sound simultaneously. Therefore, for coding of PCM waveform data, if it is possible to decrease the data transfer amount per channel, it becomes possible to generate sound simultaneously in more channels.
In this regard, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H07-160267 discloses a waveform data coding device that expresses an amplitude value of a waveform or a differential value thereof with floating point data consisting of a fixed-point part and an exponent part, standardizes exponent parts corresponding to a predetermined number of consecutive fixed-point parts by a value of one exponent part, and embeds a compressed exponent part thus obtained or a differential compressed exponent part, which is a differential value thereof, as a portion of bit data of the fixed-point part and then outputs as coded data.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H07-199996 discloses a waveform data coding device that expresses an amplitude value of a waveform or a difference value thereof with floating point data consisting of a fixed-point part and an exponent part, standardizes exponent parts corresponding to a predetermined number of the consecutive fixed-point parts by a value of an exponent part as appropriate, and furthermore outputs a compressed exponent part or a difference compressed exponent part, which is a difference value of the exponent part, or a difference exponent part as data coded along with the fixed-point part.
The waveform data coding devices according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H07-160267 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H07-199996 store an exponent part of floating point data by finite difference and standardize exponent parts corresponding to a predetermined number of consecutive fixed-point parts by a value of one exponent part. The coding of these waveform data coding devices incur less processing load on hardware as well as less deterioration in sound quality.
Incidentally, there has been a need for electronic musical instruments with high-quality sound recently. Therefore, in terms of coding with a constant bit rate in which the bit rate is always constant, when a waveform of sound changes abruptly at an attack part of a piano sound, for example, the bit rate may not be sufficient in order to maintain a certain level of sound quality. This phenomenon may occur in the waveform data coding device according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H07-160267 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H07-199996. Therefore, there has been a need for realizing coding and decoding that can decrease processing load on hardware as well as can maintain high-quality sound even when a waveform of sound changes abruptly.

Coding device, coding method, decoding device, decoding method, and storage medium


A signal-strength enhancing structure for use in a mobile communication device, includes a mobile casing having an accommodation plate for receiving the mobile communication device thereon and a lateral portion extending outwardly from a periphery confining the accommodation plate to enclose the mobile communication device at least partially once placed on the accommodation plate; and a metal element connected to the mobile communication device via a gap-coupled device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for enhancing signal strength of a wireless signal, more particularly to a structure and method for enhancing signal strength of a wireless signal in a mobile communication device.
2. The Prior Arts
A mobile phone is generally used for communication with another person far away from the user. Due to rapid advance in the electronic technology, the mobile phone has exceeded the purpose of personal communication between two persons. The functions of mobile phone increase as day gone by, and the most distinct function with respect to the conventional mobile phone is that the mobile phone of nowadays can be connected wirelessly to the Internet so that the user can browse or surf a desired network via the mobile phone. Of course, the antenna unit of the mobile phone is used for transmitting and receiving wireless signals, which are later processed by a chip installed in the mobile phone in order to execute a task. In addition, some Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone can wirelessly transmit or receive data or messages using Bluetooth protocol. Hence, the signal reception quality of the antenna unit in one mobile phone determines the fast or slow surfing and transmission speed of the data.
Presently, several types of mobile phone protection shells are available in the market. Some simply provides protection against collision or wearing. Others provide not only protection but also aesthetic and beautiful appearance. However, the materials from which these protection shells are made or the designs more or less affect the signal transmission and reception quality of the antenna unit. Under such a condition, it is highly desirable to search a method for fabricating a phone protection shell, which can not only protect the mobile phone but can also enhance signal strength of a wireless signal in the mobile phone.

Method for enhancing signal strength in mobile communication device


A multifunction handler for handling drilling elements in a drilling rig includes a slide, which has a guide system and a lifting system. The slide is adapted to slide along a first axis parallel to the longitudinal extension of a drilling rig mast. An articulated arm, a robotic apparatus, and a handling head are adapted to seize, hold and release a drilling element. The articulated arm is fixed at a first end to the slide. A first end of the robotic apparatus is fixed to the second end of the articulated arm. The articulated arm allows moving the robotic apparatus along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. The handling head connects to the second end of the robotic apparatus. The robotic apparatus moves the handling head with at least three degrees of freedom and the handler moves the handling head with at least five degrees of freedom.

The present invention relates to a multifunction handler capable of handling drilling elements, such as drill pipes, drill collars, heavy weight drill pipes, or well protection elements, such as casings, in different operating configurations of the drilling rig.
The present invention further relates to a handling system for drilling rigs, which can eliminate the human component from the drill floor and from the fingerboard where drilling elements are racked.
The present invention further relates to an innovative drilling rig comprising the handler and/or the handling system according to the present invention.
The present invention further relates to innovative methods of moving drilling elements through the use of the handler according to the present invention.
Drilling rigs are known which comprise a plurality of handlers, each one specially designed to perform a specific function in a specific area of the drilling rig.
Patent application WO2010141231A2 describes a system for transferring pipes, including tubular elements such as drill pipes, drill collars and heavy weight drill pipes, or protection elements such as casings, from one location to another within the rig, in particular from the fingerboard towards the well centre.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,778A it is also known to employ two handlers, one of which is located in a specific position on the drill floor and the other is located on the fingerboard, which co-operate to move the pipes from the fingerboard towards the well centre.
Patent application WO2017087349 describes a plurality of different handlers adapted to appropriately handle a large number of pipes in a large fingerboard.
Patent application WO2016094022 describes a handling system comprising a movable column on the drill floor, whereto a plurality of handlers are connected which allow reducing the number of human operators on the drill floor and on the fingerboard.
The above-described solutions are costly solutions that only allow handling drill pipes through particular sections and/or for performing specific functions.
No handlers are known which can perform operations such as those referred to in technical jargon as "off-line" operations, i.e. during procedures not directly related to drilling, e.g. assembling or disassembling a stand of drill pipes from the ground up to the fingerboard or magazine, and also the feeding step during the drilling procedure, wherein drill pipes, e.g. in the form of a stand of pipes, are brought from the fingerboard or magazine to the well centre or to the mouse hole to be then picked up and used during the drilling phases, and vice versa.
The individual handlers currently in use in drilling rigs have a limited number of degrees of freedom, since they have been designed to perform only one specific function within the drilling rig. Excluding any degrees of freedom of a handling head, such handlers have three degrees of freedom at most.

Multifunction handler for handling drilling elements in a drilling rig, drilling rig and related methods for handling drilling elements


This invention relates to an improved process for synthesizing (±)-2-Amino-N-[2-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl]-2-hydroxyethyl acetamide monohydrochloride in good yield and in a cost effective manner from 1-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-bromoethanone by reacting the same with hexamine in the presence of novel solvent system comprising Tetrahydrofuran and water. The resulting aminoethanone is acylated with haloacetylchloride and sodium acetate in acetone-water solvent system. This product is reduced selectively first with sodium borohydride and subsequently with stannous chloride. This product is converted in situ to the corresponding hydrochloride salt immediately after reduction on its own.

Of the several reported prior art for the synthesis of Midodrine hydrochloride, German patent specification DE 2523735 describes the use of substituted acetophenone as the starting material which is converted into the azido intermediate and then to the title compound. German patent specification DE 2506110 uses the amino alcohol intermediate as the starting material and uses the same reaction sequence disclosed in German patent DE 2523735 with the reduction of the azido group to the amino group in the final step using sodium borohydride or lithium aluminum hydride with additives and catalysts. In these prior art synthetic processes, the first stage intermediate is obtained from disubstituted acetophenones through bromination, azidation and reduction with hazardous reducing agents such as lithium aluminium hydride. Further, the hitherto known processes for the synthesis of midodrine hydrochloride do not result in good yields. Yet another drawback of the existing processes is that they are not reproducible or consistent on larger scales with respect to selectivity, yield and purity.

Process for the synthesis of (±) 2-Amino-N-[2,(2,5-dimethoxy phenyl)-2-hydroxyethyl] acetamide monohydrochloride


A semiconductor memory having burst mode operation includes a memory cell array, a sense amplifier circuit determining data of memory cells, a latch circuit having first and second latch groups and latching data of a sense amplifier, an enable circuit provided with an chip enable signal and controlling readout operation the semiconductor. The enable circuit instructs the circuit for readout operation to activate until the latch circuit latches data even if the chip enable signal indicates stopping the readout operation of semiconductor memory to output data of memory cells correctly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor memory device having a burst access mode enabling fast reading for use in a memory card or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently an integration size of a semiconductor device has been increased by a progress of process technologies, thereby increasing an operation speed. Particularly it is remarkably increasing the operation speed of a CPU (central processing unit). According to increment of the operation speed of CPU, it is required to increase a readout operation speed of semiconductor memory.
Specifically music information or image information such as animation stored in a single semiconductor chip is reproduced by means of a speaker or by means of a display unit. If a read-out speed fluctuates during reading the music or image information, the reproduced music or image information becomes discontinuous, interfering with the user""s enjoyment.
Therefore, a high and constant speed operation is required for the readout processing of the music or image information.
In response to the request for a high-speed access to the semiconductor memory in the above, a burst mode is used for the operation of the semiconductor memory. In the burst mode, when a reference address is provided for the semiconductor memory, all of data corresponding to a page is previously latched. Subsequently, an internal circuit continuously generates addresses for burst mode, the latched data are readout in response to the addresses. That is, it is not necessary to read an address anew whenever data is read. Thus, a readout operation speed of semiconductor memory can be increased.
In other words, as shown in FIG. 5, 16-byte data of memory cells having byte 0 to byte 15 are read out during a latency period and subsequently 16-byte data of memory cells having byte 16 to byte 31 are read out while the data of the byte 0 to byte 15 are output. This readout operation is sequentially repeated.
In the burst mode, however, the semiconductor memory is provided with the next page address anew every readout operation of one page. Therefore, it is necessary to have time for decoding the next page address and reading page data from the memory cells by using a sense amplifier.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, when data is read from the middle of the 16 byte data, for example, from byte 15, only a readout period of a single byte data is allowed. However, the period is not sufficient to read the next page data (from byte 16 to byte 31) from memory cells, so that a continuous data output cannot be performed.
Therefore, in a method of latching a single-page data as described above, practically there is a limit to an improvement of an access time for a high-speed access. Accordingly a system with such a semiconductor memory cannot be improved in its processing speed.
To remove the above disadvantage, Japanese Kokai No. 9-106689 discloses an arrangment in which each bit line is connected to a sense amplifier and a latch so that a new address need not be inputted whenever a page is changed to the next one.
That is, data is read from all the bit lines all together and each data is stored in a latch. Thus, fast read/write page operation is performed without a new address, except for selecting a word line. Consequently, a system having such semiconductor memory does not need a page readout time for changing a page, thereby improving the speed of readout operation.
The above semiconductor memory, however, has to be equipped with sense amplifiers corresponding to all bit lines, and latches for storing data of these sense amplifiers. Although the speed of read-out operation increases, a chip size of such semiconductor memory is larger than that of a general semiconductor memory having the same capacity, since the sense amplifiers and the latches occupy a very large area of the chip area.
In addition, the semiconductor memory having the sense amplifiers corresponding to all bit lines has a very large power consumption in a data readout or other operations. If a portable information unit driven by a battery uses such semiconductor memory, the semiconductor memory reduces the operation time of the portable information unit.
Japanese Kokai No. 11-176185 discloses the semiconductor memory device including memory cell array divided into a plurality of blocks and a sense amplifiers shared between a plurality of columns in each of the blocks. The data of selected columns in the plurality of blocks is treated as a set of data.
According to such semiconductor memory device, after a first set of data is transferred from a sense amplifier to a shift register, a column address is incremented and the sense amplifier reads a second set of data. Then, the last data of the first set of data transferred to the shift register and the second set of data is transferred to the shift register. After the column address is incremented, the sense amplifier reads a third set of data.
This semiconductor memory device starts an output of data from the shift register after a predetermined random access time (for example, 1 xcexcsec). However, this semiconductor memory device is not provided with any means of detecting whether the second set of data is determined by the sense amplifier when all of the first set of data is output.
Therefore, if a random access time of an external circuit or an external unit is shorter than that of the semiconductor memory, the external circuit or the external unit reads out the second set of data from the shift register after outputting the first set of data, though all of the second set of data has not been determined yet. Accordingly, the external circuit and the external unit cannot receive accurate data.
In addition, after transferring the first set of data from the sense amplifier to the shift register, the column address is incremented, and the sense amplifier reads the second set of data. That is, the sense amplifier is always operating. Accordingly, the current always flows through the sense amplifier, thereby increasing the current consumption.
To resolve the above problems, a semiconductor memory device having a plurality of memory cell arrays divided into a plurality of blocks, each of sense amplifiers sharing a plurality of columns in each of the blocks, and two systems of latches for storing data from each of the sense amplifiers is considered.
In such semiconductor memory device, as shown in FIG. 7, during 16-byte data output, byte 0 to byte 15, stored in one latch, another 16-byte data, byte 16 to byte 31, is read out from memory cells and is stored in the other latch in response to a latch signal. In the timing chart shown in FIG. 7, when a chip select signal CE is at a High level, the semiconductor memory is available.
The semiconductor memory device sequentially repeats this reading and storing process for respective latches. The sense amplifier is assumed to be in an operating condition (signal SAEB is at a Low level) only for a period of reading data for latches.
The number of sense amplifiers can be decreased by performing the data output and the data storing alternately. Therefore, an access time improvement is achieved in the burst mode without any enlargement of a chip area and any increase of power consumption, since the sense amplifiers are driven only for reading data from the memory cells.
However, if the chip select signal CE changes to a Low level, all of the circuits in the memory are brought into an unavailable condition (standby condition), while the data outputting and the data storing are performed alternately. That is, the operation of the sense amplifier is interrupted and the latches which store next data cannot store accurate data.
In other words, as shown in FIG. 8, in the standby condition, the sense amplifier and a word line change from an active condition to an inactive condition. Thus, data read from the memory cells to the sense amplifier circuit vanish.
After that, even if the chip select signal CE changes to a High level and the semiconductor memory changes from the standby condition to the active condition, data cannot be read from the memory cell to the sense amplifier circuit, since a word line does not drop to a sufficiently low voltage level in a short time.
Consequently, the sense amplifier cannot accurately determine data of the memory cell and the latches cannot store accurate next data. After data from byte 0 to byte 15 is read out from one latch, data from byte 16 to byte 31 that is output from the other latch is not correct.
An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor memory device, which allows high and constant speed readout operation without enlargement of chip area.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor memory device, which outputs data of memory cells correctly.
A semiconductor memory device according to the present invention includes a memory cell array having a plurality of memory cells; a plurality of word lines connected to the memory cells; a row decoder connected to the word lines so as to selectively enable one of the word lines; a plurality of digit lines coupled to the memory cells; a sense amplifier circuit having a plurality of sense amplifiers, each of the sense amplifiers being coupled to a respective one of the digit lines; a first latch circuit connected to the sense amplifier circuit so as to latch data of the digit lines; and a control circuit coupled to the row decoder and provided with a chip enable signal which is indicative of an operation mode of the semiconductor memory device so as to inactivate the row decoder when both the first latch circuit finishes latching the data of the digit lines and the chip enable signal is indicative of standby mode of the semiconductor memory device.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the appended claims when read in light of the following specification and accompanying figures.

Semiconductor memory device having burst readout mode and data readout method


An apparatus for ejecting liquids includes a liquid ejection head including a nozzle, the nozzle ejecting the liquids; and an ejection detector to detect whether the liquids are ejected from the nozzle of the liquid ejection head, the ejection detector including an insulated receiver having an adhering face to receive and adhere the liquids ejected from the nozzle and an electrode disposed on an opposite side of the adhering face of the receiver. The ejection detector detects electrical change generated when the liquids adhere to the adhering face of the receiver while generating a potential difference between the liquid ejection head and the electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosures herein generally relate to an apparatus for ejecting liquids, an ejection detection apparatus, and an ejection detector.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus for ejecting liquids including an ejection detection apparatus which detects ejection status of a liquid ejection head (liquid droplet ejection head) is known in the related art.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-097642 discloses an ejection detection apparatus which ejects liquid droplets onto an electrode board from a head in order to detect ejection Or non-ejection by measuring electrical change when the liquid droplets land on the electrode board.
In the above described ejection detection apparatus, when detecting the ejection status by landing the liquid droplets onto the electrode board, a short circuit may occur via columnar liquids (liquid column) between the electrode board and the head due to fluctuation of a gap between the electrode board and the head, and a length of the liquids (droplets) ejected from a nozzle.
When the short circuit of the head and the electrode board occurs, a high voltage supplied to the electrode board is applied to the head. As a result, ejection abnormality occurs and reliability of the ejection detection decreases.

Apparatus for ejecting liquids, ejection detection apparatus, and ejection detector


A security module detects and remediates malware from suspicious hosts. A file arrives at an endpoint from a host. The security module detects the arrival of the file and determines the host from which the file arrived. The security module also determines whether the host is suspicious. If the host is suspicious, the security module observes the operation of the file and identifies a set of files dropped by the received file. The security module monitors the files in the set using heuristics to detect whether any of the files engage in malicious behavior. If a file engages in malicious behavior, the security module responds to the malware detection by remediating the malware, which may include removing system changes caused by the set.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains in general to computer security and in particular to detection of malicious software ("malware").
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern computer systems are often susceptible to a number of different problems, problems which are exacerbated by the increasing complexity of computer systems. One such problem relates to system security. There exists a wide variety of security threats posed by malicious software—collectively referred to as "malware"— that secretly performs operations not desired by the computer user. Such operations include theft of important data (e.g. financial records), modification or destruction of system or user files, execution of "backdoor" programs, and the like.
Unfortunately, malware proves difficult to detect. Conventional solutions may track and monitor the behavior of each and every file in a computer system to identify malicious activity. However, this brute force approach to detecting malware is inefficient and consumes a tremendous amount of system resources.

Detecting and remediating malware dropped by files