A pattern processing system which comprises a main memory (3) and an outline data extractor (4) and a stroke setter (5). The outline data extractor (4) extracts a plurality of pairs of opposing segments on an outline of a pattern, obtain a position of a segment in one side of the segments in each pair, and also obtains a width between the segments in each pair on the basis of outline font data stored in the main memory (3). The stroke setter (5), when the obtained widths between the segments in the pairs are equal to each other, calculates an average distance between the segments on the basis of the positions of segments in one side in the pairs, selects one of the positions of the segments in one side and using a selected position as a reference position, corrects the remaining positions of the segments in one side other than the selected position on the basis of the average distance and the reference position and obtaining respective correction positions therefor, and adds the width to the reference position of the segments in one side and the correction positions to thereby obtain correction positions of the segments in another side in the pairs of segments.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pattern processing system which corrects an outline of a pattern indicative of a character, a symbol etc. to perform reducing operation over the outline, and a method therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As known, in desk top publishing (electronic publishing by personal computers), an outline font system is becoming a commonly adopted system in which a pattern of a character, a symbol, etc. is generated based on an outline font data. In the outline font system, the coordinates of a plurality of control points located on the outline of a pattern are held as data, and when it is desired to develop the pattern on a bit map, straight lines and/or curves passing through these control coordinate points are generated to form the outline and then fill dots in the inside area of the outline. According to this system, when enlarging or reducing a pattern, first the outline of the pattern is enlarged or reduced and then it is converted to a dot pattern. This is advantageous over a method for directly performing enlargement or reduction processing to the dot pattern in that this system causes less deterioration in the quality of the resultant character.
When an outline of a character is subjected to a reduction, it is not always preferable to reduce every portions of the outline proportionally. For example, when it is desired to reduce the outline of a pattern as shown in FIG. 10, two spacings t1 and t2 in the outline are originally different from each other. In the reduced outline, however, it is preferable to make the two spacings to be equal to each other because the pattern reduced in that manner, when developed on a bit map, can easily hold its quality. The pattern reduced in that manner can avoid such a situation as shown in FIG. 11 in which the slight difference between the spacings t1 and t2 is expressed in a difference of one picture element on the bit map. The reduced pattern in FIG. 11 is largely changed when compared with the original pattern. In conventional systems, however, the above-described correction processing to make equal the spacings in the reduced outline is not performed. Accordingly, the quality of a character may sometimes deteriorated when the character is reduced.
Laid-Open Publication No. 1-303489 of Japanese Patent Application proposes a character output system for solving a problem caused by a character pattern having unequal line widths. In this system, it is determined that each pair of opposing segments on the outline of a character pattern comprises a reference segment and a segment to be corrected and distance between the opposing segments in each pair is determined to be a reference width. When reducing the character pattern, the position of the reference segment is determined by reducing it and making it an integer value, while the position of the segment to be corrected is determined firstly by reducing its reference width and making it an integer value and then by positioning the segment to be corrected spaced from the position obtained based on the reference segment by the integer value obtained based on the reference width.
The character output system of the Laid-Open Publication can avoid a situation in which spacings between the opposing segments in each pair become unequal by the reduction processing of the pairs of segments. However, although the system can solve a problem that each pair of segments has unequal line width in a reduced character pattern, the system cannot perform such a correction for making uniform spacings between adjacent pairs of segments in an outline as shown in FIG. 10.


A device (1) for cutting an ophthalmic lens (L1) to be mounted onto a spectacle frame, includes: elements (10) for locking and rotating the ophthalmic lens about a locking axis (A1); a tool holder which supports at least one first tool (60) rotatable about a rotational axis (A2) and a second tool (80) rotatable about a finishing axis (A6) and which has a spacing mobility (ESC) for the spacing apart thereof from the locking axis, a shifting mobility (TRA) for the axial positioning thereof along the locking axis, and a pivoting mobility (PIV) for adjusting the orientation of the rotational axis relative to the locking axis; and elements for controlling the three mobilities of the tool holder. The rotational and finishing axes are separate from one another.

Document EP 1 679 153 discloses a trimming device of the aforementioned type, in which the rotation clamping and driving means for clamping and driving the rotation of the lens comprise two coaxial shafts designed to sandwich the ophthalmic lens.
The trimming device described in that document comprises a set of grinding wheels for roughing and chamfering the lens and two feeler rods respectively intended to come into contact with the front and rear optical faces of the lens in order to measure the geometry thereof.
The set of grinding wheels and the two feeler rods are for that reason each equipped with drive means and with measurement means which are specific to them.
In that document, the tool holder of the trimming device comprises a support flanked, on one side, by a grooving wheel (the "first tool") and, on the other side, by a drill bit (the "second tool"). These two finishing tools can therefore be selected by causing the support to pivot through 180 degrees about the axis of pivoting using drive means specific to it.
One disadvantage of this device is that it comprises a great many drive means, to the detriment of its cost of manufacture and assembly and to the detriment of its bulk.
The major disadvantage of this device is that the tool holder is of such a bulk that the grooving wheel and the drill bit cannot be brought as close as would be desired to the ophthalmic lens clamping shafts. As a result, when the lens is of small height, it may prove to be impossible to groove the lens around its entire contour or to drill a hole in it, because the tool holder comes into contact with the clamping shafts.
The applicant company has also observed that, even when the bulkiness of these tool holders is reduced, it might not be possible to bring the drill bit as close as might be desired to the lens clamping shafts. Specifically, since the diameter of the grooving wheel is greater than that of the drill bit it may happen that the grooving wheel comes into contact with the clamping shafts before the drill bit reaches the desired position.

ESSILOR INTERNATIONAL (COMPAGNIE GENERALE D'OPTIQUE)


A semiconductor optical amplifier having various ratios of TE/TM polarization in a multiple quantum well structure on a substrate formed by growing a certain number of quantum wells under compressive strain and others under tensile strain, as well as buffers. The gain coefficients of the respective well layers are chosen such that the overall TE and TM gains are matched over the whole spontaneous emission spectrum so that the semiconductor optical amplifier is polarization-independent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical amplifiers, and more particularly, to a polarization-independent semiconductor optical amplifier obtained by growing on the same substrate two individually addressable angled-stripe strained layer structures with different TE-TM characteristics.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In optical communication systems, amplifiers are often used to boost or distribute optical signals in fibers. Because the fiber can support any optical polarization, it is desirable that the gain of the optical amplifier be polarization-independent. A major problem with such semiconductor optical amplifiers is an undesirable difference in optical gain for different polarizations. In other words, a semiconductor optical amplifier typically has a difference of several dB in gain between TE and TM (transverse electric and transverse magnetic) input waves. This can result in output distortion which impairs system performance. This is particularly important for analog signals for which the TE/TM gains are expected to be within a fraction of a dB.
It is well known that any optical polarization can be viewed as a linear combination of two independent polarizations, such as TE and TM waves, with a phase difference between them which may vary with time. Thus, an optical amplifier that has equal gain for the two independent polarizations will have equal gain for all polarizations.
It is also known that compressive strain in a quantum well active layer results in enhanced TE polarization, and that tensile strain results in enhanced TM polarization. These two gains have different spectral characteristics. Thus, without special care, the gain spectra of TE and TM are not the same over the full spectrum of a semiconductor optical amplifier.
FIGS. 1(a)-1(c) show the gain spectra for prior art multiquantum well structures of semiconductor lasers and amplifiers (MQW-SLAs) around 1300 nm. This data is taken from Thijs et al. in IEEE J. Quant. Electron., Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 477-498 (February 1994). FIG. 1(a) illustrates the polarization-resolved gain spectra at 100 mA drive current of a MQW-SLA with four compressively strained wells (4C) and two tensile strained wells (2T). Similarly, FIGS. 1(b) and 1(c) show the polarization-resolved gain spectra at 100 mA drive current of a MQW-SLA with four compressively strained wells (4C) and three tensile strained wells (3T) and four tensile strained wells (4T), respectively. FIG. 1(a) has two layers in tension and four layers in compression and shows TE to have about a 4 dB gain larger than TM. On the other hand, FIG. 1(c) has four layers in tension and four layers in compression and shows TM to be larger than TE by about 5 dB. In FIG. 1(b), for three layers in tension and four layers in compression, the TE and TM curves differ by about 2 dB. The wells in tensile strain (T) have 1% strain and a thickness of 110 .ANG., while the wells in compression (C) have 1% strain and a thickness of 45 .ANG.. Such differences in gain for TE and TM are unacceptably large for current applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,818, entitled "Semiconductor Optical Amplifier" and issued to Thijs et al. describes a polarization-independent semiconductor optical amplifier that has two active layer portions in series. One portion is under tensile stress, and the other portion is under compressive stress. Polarization-independence is claimed to be achieved by adjusting the current through each portion. However, this is not satisfactory because the TE component of the signal is blocked by the TM section, and vice versa. This limits the amount of gain adjustment that can be realized. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1(d), the TE and TM curves merely intersect at one point A, thus giving polarization-independent gain B at one wavelength C, not throughout a range of wavelengths. This intersection point is difficult to reproduce reliably and varies from device to device, limiting the usefulness of the device.
It is desired to combine the characteristics of compressive strain and tensile strain in quantum wells to create a semiconductor optical amplifier which is polarization-independent over a wide range of wavelengths. The present invention has been developed for this purpose.

Polarization-independent semiconductor optical amplifier


A conveying system provides a cassette accommodating workpieces; a container containing the cassette; a transferring device for conveying the cassette while supporting it or conveying the container which is empty or contains the cassette while supporting it, the transferring device having a supporting device for supporting the cassette. In the conveying system, a handle is provided on the upper surface of the container so that it is supported by the supporting device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a conveying system provided in a device of manufacturing electronic substrates such as semiconductor wafers, liquid crystal substrates and semiconductor disk to convey workpieces such as semiconductor wafers set in a container.
2. Background
For instance, semiconductor devices are manufactured in a clean room in which the atmosphere has been cleaned. As for a conveying system of conveying semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to merely as "wafers", when applicable) between processing stations in the clean room or stores them in a stocker, a technique is known in the art that, in order to prevent the wafers from being contaminated by dust, a wafer cassette containing the wafers is hermetically set in a portable container, and the wafer cassette thus set is conveyed or stored.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a semiconductor stocker 1 of this type, and FIG. 5 is a front view showing the inside of the semiconductor stocker 1. The stocker 1 has a cassette entrance 1A and a container entrance 1B (shown only in FIG. 4). The stocker 1 has a workpiece transferring chamber 1C on the side of the cassette entrance 1A, and a container storing chamber 1D on the side of the container entrance 1B. FIG. 6a is a diagram showing a cassette 2, FIG. 6b is a diagram showing a container body 3A, and FIG. 6c is a diagram showing a bottom lid 4 engaged with the container body 3A. A container 3 is formed by combining the bottom lid 4 with the container body 3A.
The cassette 2 is in the form of a box with one end opened. A plurality of wafers W (usually twenty-five (25) wafers) are stacked in the cassette 2 in such a manner that they are spaced from one another. The container body 3A is in the form of a box with no bottom. A pair of handles 3B and 3B are secured to right and left side walls of the container body 3A, and a handle 3C is secured to the top wall of the container body 3A. The handles 3B are to be held by a robot 10 (described later), and the handle 3A is to be held by an operator. The bottom lid 4 is engaged with the bottom of the container body 3A. More specifically, the bottom lid 4 is detachably engaged with the container body 3A as follows: The bottom lid 4 has lock arms (not shown) inside it, and holes 4A in the side surfaces through which the end portions of the lock arms are extended outside. The end portions of the lock arms extended through the holes 4A are inserted into recesses (not shown) formed in the inner surfaces of the side walls of the container body 3A. Thus, the bottom lid 4 is detachably engaged with the container body 3A. The arrangements of those structures will be described with reference to an embodiment of the invention in detail.
The cassette 2 is accommodated in the container 3 as follows: First, the cassette 2 is positioned on the bottom lid 4 as required. For this purpose, a positioning piece (not shown) is provided on the upper surface of the bottom lid 4, and a guide (not shown) is provided on the bottom of the cassette 2. The guide of the cassette 2 is engaged with the positioning piece of the bottom lid 4 so that the cassette 2 is correctly positioned on the bottom lid 4. Under this condition, the cassette 2 is covered with the container body 3A from above, and then the end portions of the lock arms are protruded through the holes 4A from the bottom lid 4, so that the latter 4 is fixedly secured to the container body 3A to form the container 3. The container 3 thus formed is moved into the container storing chamber 1D. As the case may be, the container 3 is taken out of the container storing chamber 1D and moved out of the stocker 1 through the container entrance 1B. The above-described operations are carried out by a robot 10 provided inside the stocker 1.
In FIG. 5, reference numeral 11 designates a Y-axis guide rail for the vertical movement of the robot 10. The Y-axis guide rail 11 is supported by a slider (not shown) in such a manner that it together with the slider is movable in a direction (Z-axis) perpendicular to the surface of the drawing. A first slider 12 is supported by the Y-axis guide rail 11 in such a manner that it is vertically movable. An X-axis guide rail 13 is secured to the Y-axis guide rail 11. A second slider 14 is supported by the X-axis guide rail 13 in such a manner that it is movable longitudinally of the latter 13. The robot 10 is coupled through a turning shaft 15 to the bottom of the second slider 14.
The robot 10 is shown in FIG. 7 in detail. The robot 10 includes a hand 18 which has a pair of finger members 16 on both sides thereof. Both end portions of each of the finger members 16 are formed into fingers 16B and 16C, respectively. The hand 18 is a gear box for changing a turning movement of the turning shaft 15 to an opening and closing movement of the fingers 16B and 16C, shafts 16A provided on both sides of the hand 18 have a function to communicate a motive power from the hand 18 to the fingers 16B and 16C, respectively. Thus the fingers 16B and 16C are movable to and from each other. The fingers 16B are to hold the cassette 2. The fingers 16C are to hold the container 3 or to support the handles 3B from below. The distance between the fingers 16C is larger than that between the fingers 16B. Switching the use of the fingers 16B over to the use of the fingers 16B and vice versa is achieved by turning the hand 18 about the turning shaft 15. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 20 designates a lock/unlock device which drives the lock arms of the bottom lid 4 to connect the latter 14 to the container body 3A or to disconnect the bottom lid 4 from the latter 3A; and 21, a controller for controlling all the internal elements in the stocker 1. Further in FIG. 5, reference character 1E designates a temporary container stand; 1F, a cassette stand; and 1G, shelves on which containers 3 are placed. In the above-described stocker, one robot is provided, and its fingers 16B and 16C are selectively used. On the other hand, a stocker is known in the art in which a robot is provided for handling cassettes, and another robot is provided for handling containers; more specifically, the former robot has fingers for handling cassettes only, and the latter robot has fingers for handling containers only.
In the case of the above-described stocker 1, the cassette 2 containing wafers W is handled as follows: That is, the cassette 2 is carried in the stocker 1, and stored therein, and carried out of the stocker 1 as follows: First, the robot 10 holds an empty container 3 in the container storing chamber 1D, and takes it out of the container storing chamber 1D and places it on the lock/unlock device 20. Under this condition, the lock/unlock device 20 drives the lock arms provided in the bottom lid 4 to disengage the latter 4 from the container body 3A. Next, the robot 10 places the container body 3A on the temporary container stand 1E leaving the bottom lid 4 on the lock/unlock device 20. There-after, the robot 10 switches the fingers 16C over to the fingers 16B; that is, it uses the fingers 16B to move a cassette 2 from the cassette stand 1F, and places it on the bottom lid 4. Next, the robot 10 switches the fingers 16B over to the fingers 16C; that is, the robot 10 uses the fingers 16C to pick up the container body 3A from the temporary container stand 1E and places it on the upper surface of the lock/unlock device 20 in such a manner that the container body 3A covers the cassette 2 from above. In this operation, the bottom lid 4 is engaged with the bottom of the container body 3A. Under this condition, the lock/unlock device 20 drives the lock arms in the bottom lid 4 to secure the latter 4 to the container body 3A. Thus, the cassette has been accommodated in the container 3. Thereafter, the robot 10 moves the container 3 containing the cassette 2 to the container storing chamber 1D, and places it on a predetermined shelf in the container storing chamber. On the other hand, when requested, the robot 10 picks up a container 3 containing a cassette 2 with the fingers 16C, and takes it out of the stocker through the container entrance 1B.
In the above-described conveying system for the stocker, depending on the item (the cassette or the container) to be moved by the robot, two kinds of fingers are selectively used by turning them 180 degrees. Hence, the system suffers from the following difficulties:
(1) The hand and finger members of the robot are unavoidably intricate and bulky, and therefore it is impossible for the robot to make sharp turns; that is, the robot is limited in the range of movement. PA1 (2) The movable weight including the weight of the finger members of the robot is limited. Therefore, if the hand is increased in weight, the movable weight is limited as much. PA1 (3) Since the hand and finger members of the robot are intricate, bulky and heavy, the conveying system including the robot is relatively high in manufacturing cost.


The present invention provides a nanocomposite of an elastomer, a polymer or oligomer functionalized with a polar group, and a clay. The nanocomposite can be a mixture of a halogenated elastomer, an acid or acid anhydride modified polymer, and a clay, desirably an exfoliated clay, suitable for use as an air barrier. Also disclosed is a nanocomposite that can be a mixture of a halogenated elastomer, a polymer modified with a carboxylic acid, and an organoclay.

Nanocomposites are polymer systems containing inorganic particles with at least one dimension in the nanometer range. Some examples of these are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,060,549, 6,103,817, 6,034,164, 5,973,053, 5,936,023, 5,883,173, 5,807,629, 5,665,183, 5,576,373, and 5,576,372. Common types of inorganic particles used in nanocomposites are phyllosilicates, an inorganic substance from the general class of so called "nano-clays" or "clays." Ideally, intercalation should take place in the nanocomposite, wherein the polymer inserts into the space or gallery between the clay surfaces. Ultimately, it is desirable to have exfoliation, wherein the polymer is fully dispersed with the individual nanometer-size clay platelets. Due to the general enhancement in air barrier qualities of various polymer blends when clays are present, there is a desire for a nanocomposite with low air permeability; especially a dynamically vulcanized elastomer nanocomposite such as used in the manufacture of tires.
The preparation of nanocomposites uses a number of methods to generate exfoliated clays. One of the most common methods relies upon the use of organically modified montmorillonite clays. Organoclays are typically produced through solution based ion-exchange reactions that replace sodium ions that exist on the surface of sodium montmorillonite with organic molecules such as alkyl or aryl ammonium compounds and typically known in the industry as swelling or exfoliating agents. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,629, WO 02/100935, and WO 02/100936. Other background references include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,576,373, 5,665,183, 5,807,629, 5,936,023, 6,121,361, WO 94/22680, WO 01/85831, and WO 04/058874.
One method to improve the organoclay performance is to use functionalized polymers to treat the clay. This approach uses materials that are soluble in water or materials that can be incorporated into the polymerization reaction. This approach has been used to prepare nylon nanocomposites, using for example, oligomeric and monomeric caprolactam as the modifier. Polyolefin nanocomposites, such as polypropylene nanocomposites, have utilized maleic anhydride grafted polypropylenes to achieve some success in the formation of nanocomposites.
For example, it is known to utilize exfoliated-clay filled nylon as a high impact plastic matrix, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,549 to Li et al. In particular, Li et al. disclose a blend of a thermoplastic resin such as nylon; a copolymer of a C4 to C7 isoolefin, a para-methylstyrene and a para-(halomethylstyrene); and exfoliated clays that are used as a high impact material. Further, Japanese Unexamined Application P2000-160024 to Yuichi et al. discloses a thermoplastic elastomer composition which can be used as an air barrier, including a blend similar to that disclosed in Li et al.
Elastomeric nanocomposite innerliners and innertubes have also been formed using a complexing agent and a rubber, where the agent is a reactive rubber having positively charged groups and a layered silicate uniformly dispersed therein. See, for example, Kresge et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,665,183 and 5,576,373. This approach uses pre-formed positively charged reactive rubber components.
Nanocomposites have also been formed using non-ionic, brominated copolymers of isobutylene and para-methylstyrene, and blends of these copolymers with other polymers. See, for example, Elspass et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,807,629, and 6,034,164.
As described above, these nanocomposites are made by mixing of elastomers and organoclays either at melt state or in solution; and, due to the hydrophobic nature of the polymer, the organoclays are typically modified to provide better interaction between the clays and the polymers. The modification process typically involves exchange of Na+ cations in the inorganic clay with organic modifiers such as tetra alkyl ammonium salts. The process is expensive and most modified clays are not exfoliated in polymers or in organic solvent.

Elastomer nanocomposites comprising isobutylene and multifunctional oligomers


Exhausted Cr.sup.+6 oxidizing solutions containing Cu.sup.+2 values are electrolyzed by placing an exhausted Cr.sup.+6 etching or oxidizing solution containing copper ion and Cr.sup.+3 ions in an electrolytic cell containing at least one pair of carbon particle electrodes, and forcefully flowing the exhausted solution through the electrodes and simultaneously impressing a direct current across the electrodes such that at the cathode divalent copper is reduced to copper metal and Cr.sup.+6 values are reduced to trivalent chromium and at the anode water is oxidized to oxygen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the treatment of exhausted Cr.sup.+6 oxidizing solutions by electrolysis. More particularly, the present invention relates to the electrolysis of exhausted Cr.sup.+6 solutions which contain divalent copper ions in an electrolysis cell containing carbon particle electrodes such that Cr.sup.+6 and Cu.sup.+2 and simultaneously reduced to Cr.sup.+3 and copper metal respectively.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Oxidizing solutions based upon hexavalent chromium in aqueous sulfuric acid have been employed in cleaning and etching operations in the treatment of plastics for plating, in brass finishing, in printed circuit board etching, in anodizing and in other surface treatments. As the oxidizing solutions are used, Cr.sup.+6 is reduced to Cr.sup.+3 and the dissolved solids content increases while the effective acid concentration diminishes. However, after use of such cleaning solutions, the problem which remains is disposal of the spent etching solutions, i.e. solutions whose etching rate is less than that required for a given operation.
In the past substantial quantities of chromium values have been lost through discard of the solutions. Moreover, the technology for the ultimate disposal of chromium wastes usually requires the reduction of remaining Cr.sup.+6 to Cr.sup.+3. The solution containing trivalent chromium is then treated with a base to precipitate chromium values and other extraneous metals present as the hydroxides. The solid sludge obtained has been used as a landfill material which represents a substantial waste of valuable chromium values.
The use of chromic acid-sulfuric acid etchants in the fashion described above poses significant problems for the recovery of secondary resources and for pollution control. It is significant that the entire U.S. production of primary chromium is achieved from imported ores. In fact, more than 30,000 tons of chromium are employed annually for the oxidizing treatment of various surfaces and for corrosion control measures. Because of minimal recovery technology and because of the practices of the finishing industry which utilize Cr.sup.+6 oxidizing solutions, substantial quantities of valuable secondary chromium materials are lost. Furthermore, waste chromium has long been recognized as a major pollution problem. In fact, the prevailing EPA regulations prevent the discharge of waste water containing more than 0.25 ppm Cr.sup.+6 into sewers by plants discharging more than 10,000 gal/day of aqueous chromium wastes. Still further, suitable landfill areas for chromium hydroxide sludge materials are becoming increasingly scarce, and the collection, treatment and disposal of chromium waste by contractors is expensive.
In the past one method of treating exhausted hexavalent chromium oxidizing solutions as shown by Tarjanji et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,238 has involved the electrolysis of such solutions in electrolysis cells containing anode and a cathode under conditions in which the hexavalent chromium is reduced to trivalent chromium. The electrolysis is conducted in a cell which contains a bed of particles having a porosity ranging from about 40% to 80%. The particles can be electrically non-conductive, conductive or semiductive and function by facilitating the reduction process. While the reference shows the reduction of chromium values in solution it does not show a technique whereby Cr.sup.+6 and Cu.sup.+2 values in solution can be simultaneously reduced without resorting to addition of chemicals to the electrolysis bath or to separation of the anolyte from the catholyte.
Another prior art technique of reducing Cr.sup.+6 values in spent oxidizing solutions is shown by Gilby et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,557. In this technique spent Cr.sup.+6 solutions are electrolyzed in a cell equipped with a carbon particle cathode and a noble metal anode thereby achieving the reduction of Cr.sup.+6 to Cr.sup.+3. While an apparently high rate of Cr.sup.+6 reduction can be achieved, the reference does not show or suggest a method by which Cr.sup.+6 and Cu.sup.+2 can both be simultaneously reduced in the same cell from solution so that copper can be electrowon and chromium can be reduced to a form suitable for disposal.
In a departure from the disclosures of the above discussed references, Bennion et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,733 shows a technique of electrowinning copper from solutions also containing other impurity ions. In the technique the solution to be treated is passed through the cathode which is a carbon particle electrode while a reference electrolyte solution is passed through a carbon particle anode. The porous anode is provided with copper in ionizable form. As a direct current is impressed across the electrodes, copper in the solution to be treated is reduced to the metal while copper is oxidized to solution soluble form at the anode. Upon saturation of the cathode with reduced metal, the potential impressed across the electrode is reversed and the cell is regenerated. However, the reference provides no disclosure that an exhausted Cr.sup.+6 oxidizing solution can be treated such that Cr.sup.+6 values are reduced to Cr.sup.+3 and that divalent copper is simultaneously electrowon. Therefore, a need continues to exist for a method in which exhausted hexavalent chromium solutions containing copper ions can be electrolytically treated in order to simultaneously remove copper ion and Cr.sup.+6 values therefrom.

Copper electrowinning and Cr.sup.+6 reduction in spent etchants using porous fixed bed coke electrodes

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


A power adapter includes an insulation casing. A plug module has at least one plug pin which defines a plug end protruding out of the insulation casing and an inserting end opposite to the plug end received in the insulation casing. The insulation casing receives a printed circuit board, at least one connecting member and conductive member therein. The conductive member is fixed on the printed circuit board and defines a receiving space. The connecting member has a contact portion received in the receiving space of the conductive member for electrical connection therebetween and a retaining portion connecting with the inserting end of the plug module. The assembly structure of the power adapter is simplification.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a power adapter, and more particularly to a power adapter capable of stably connecting a plug module with a printed circuit board thereof.
2. The Related Art
A conventional power adapter includes an insulation casing, plugs, a printed circuit board (PCB) and electric wires. The insulation casing includes a first insulation casing and a second insulation casing coupled to the first insulation casing to form a closed space to receive the PCB and the electric wires therein. The plugs are exposed out of the first insulation casing. The electric wires are used to connect the plugs with the PCB, and thereby the PCB can receive external power via the plugs and the electric wires to perform functions of the power adapter.
Nowadays, that various electronic devices including the power adapters are miniaturized becomes a tendency. However, because the conventional power adapter employs the electric wires to connect the plugs with the PCB, the electric wires must be long enough to let both ends of the electric wires be welded on the plugs and the PCB. In this condition, the electric wires take up a lot of space of the power adapter. It results in the limitation of miniaturizing the power adapter.
In order to overcome the disadvantage of the conventional power adapter, a power adapter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,982 which includes a first housing disposing plug pins thereon, a second housing disposing conducting pieces thereon, a PCB positioned between the first housing and the second housing, and a connector having first connecting elements and second connecting elements both mounted on the PCB. The PCB defines two holes for enabling the conducting pieces disposed on the second housing to protrude therethrough to connect with the second connecting elements of the connector. The plug pins disposed on the first housing are connected with the first connecting elements of the connector. Therefore, the power adapter can transmit external power to electronic devices through the conducting pieces, the connector and the plug pins.
However, in the assembly of above mentioned power adapter, it is difficult to aim the conducting pieces disposed on the second housing at the holes defined on the PCB to connect with the second connecting elements of the connector. As a result, the assembly of the power adapter becomes complicated and the connecting reliability between the plug pins and the PCB will probably be affected.


A radioactive compound having the formula:

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are involved in a range of disorders involving reduced cholinergic function such as Alzheimer's disease, cognitive or attention disorders, anxiety, depression, smoking cessation, neuroprotection, schizophrenia, analgesia, Tourette's syndrome, and Parkinson's disease as is discussed in: McDonald et al., (1995) "Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: Molecular Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacology", Chapter 5 in Annual Reports in Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 30, pp. 41-50, Academic Press Inc., San Diego, Calif.; Williams et al., (1994) "Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors," Drug News & Perspectives, vol. 7, pp. 205-223, and Holladay et al., (1997) J. Med. Chem. 40(26), 4169-4194; Arneric and Brioni (Eds.) (1998) "Neuronal Nicotinic Receptors: Pharmacology and Therapeutic Opportunities", John Wiley & Sons, New York; Levin (Ed.) (2001) "Nicotinic Receptors in the Nervous System" CRC Press.
Radio-labeled compounds that bind selectively to a receptor are useful because sensitive and quantitative techniques are available for the detection of the radioactivity which allow the interaction of a compound with its receptor to be detected and measured.
One method of discovering compounds which bind to a receptor is to perform a binding assay where the degree of displacement of a radio-labeled compound by another compound is measured. Thus, radio-labeled forms of compounds that potently bind receptors are useful to screen for novel medicinal compounds which bind to receptors. Such novel medicinal compounds may modulate the activity of those receptors by agonism, partial-agonism, or antagonism.
The ability of analogue compounds to bind to localized receptors within the body makes it possible to utilize such compounds for in situ imaging by PET, SPECT and similar imaging methods. PET imaging is accomplished with the aid of tracer compounds labeled with a positron-emitting isotope: Goodman, M. M. Clinical Positron Emission Tomography, Mosby Yearbook, 1992, K. F. Hubner et al., Chapter 14. For most biological targets, few isotopes are suitable. The carbon isotope, 11C, has been used for PET, but its short half-life of 20.5 minutes limits its usefulness to compounds that can be synthesized and purified quickly, and to facilities that are proximate to a cyclotron where the precursor 11C starting material is generated. Other more energetic isotopes have even shorter half-lives, 13N has a half-life of 10 minutes and 15O has a half-life of two minutes. Nevertheless, PET studies have been carried out with these isotopes as described by Hubner, K. F., in Clinical Positron Emission Tomography, Mosby Year Book, 1992, K F. Hubner, et al., Chapter 2. [18F]-labeled compounds have been used in PET studies, but their use is limited by the 110-minute half-life of the isotope. Most notably, [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose has been widely used in studies of glucose metabolism and localization of glucose uptake associated with brain activity. [18F]-L-fluorodopa and other dopamine receptor analogs have also been used in mapping dopamine receptor distribution.
SPECT imaging employs isotope tracers that emit high energy photons (γ-emitters). The range of useful isotopes is greater than for PET, but SPECT provides lower three-dimensional resolution. Nevertheless, SPECT is widely used to obtain clinically significant information about analogue binding, localization and clearance rates. A isotope used for SPECT imaging is 123I, a γ-emitter with a 13.3 hour half life. Compounds labeled with 123I can be shipped up to about 1000 miles from the manufacturing site, or the isotope itself can be transported for on-site synthesis. Eighty-five percent of the isotope's emissions are 159 KeV photons, which is readily measured by SPECT instrumentation currently in use.
Increasingly, the precise location and distribution of receptors in the brain and other tissues is of interest to clinical researchers, clinicians and diagnosticians. The distribution of nAChR's in the brains of individuals having disorders involving reduced cholinergic function such as Alzheimer's disease, cognitive or attention disorders, anxiety, depression, smoking cessation, neuroprotection, schizophrenia, analgesia, Tourette's syndrome, and Parkinson's disease is of growing interest as the molecular bases of these conditions is being discovered. The precise location and distribution of nAChRs in the brain and other tissues is also of importance in assessing the relevance of animal models of these conditions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Abstract: and pharmaceutically-acceptable salts thereof, wherein R1 and Ar are as defined in the specification, enantiomers, in vivo-hydrolysable precursors, pharmaceutical compositions and formulations containing them, methods of using them to treat diseases and conditions either alone or in combination with other therapeutically-active compounds or substances, processes and intermediates used to prepare them and uses of them for diagnostic and analytic purposes.


The present technique relates particularly to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program which can improve sleep efficiency. The information processing device according to one aspect of the present technique has: an acquisition unit which acquires information which indicates an action schedule of a user; and a first determination unit which determines whether the user needs to wake up or sleep, and determines the degree of necessity of waking up when determining that the user needs to wake up and the degree of necessity of sleeping when determining the user needs to sleep, according to the action schedule of the user. The present technique is applicable to a mobile device such as a mobile telephone, a PDA and a digital camera.

Importance of sleep is being recognized. It is known that chronic lack of sleep causes a physical influence such as a decrease in physical strength and a decrease in immune strength, and is likely to cause a metal influence such as depression.
Although people understand the importance of sleep, people cannot secure a sufficient sleep time or have quality sleep due to various situations.

Information processing to improve sleep efficiency


A filtering arrangement is provided for effluent from a septic tank prior to passage to a drain field or other disposal. The filtering arrangement makes use of an open-top, U-shaped filter means into which the septic effluent is conducted from the top, preferably through a T-fitting providing an open-topped channel leading into the U-shaped filter. The filter may be formed of an outer perforated casing and an inner lining of an open-cell-type polymeric material which effects the filtering of the effluent. The U-shaped filter is preferably suspended from the T-fitting. A preferred filter includes an inner and outer casing with a fibrous filter material between. The filter also preferably has an imperforate lower portion to retain a permanent body of liquid in the bottom of the filter. The arrangement provides fail-safe filtering automatically adjustable for varying flow rates and conditions of the filter. The polymeric filter medium is changed periodically to maintain efficiency.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sewage treatment and more particularly to septic tank sewage treatment systems. More particularly still, the invention relates broadly to filtering the effluent from a septic tank system and to a filter arrangement and method for filtering septic tank discharge prior to passage of such effluent to a drain field or other ground disposal system to prevent clogging or plugging of such drain field or system. More particularly still the present invention relates to an improved filter for use in the filtering arrangement of the previous application.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Municipal treatment systems usually comprise widespread pipe collection systems capped by large scale treatment facilities including settling, coarse and fine filtering and possible other treatments, denoted usually as primary, secondary and, less frequently, tertiary treatment of the sewage. Not unexpectedly, private sewage treatment systems are usually relatively simple. One of the most widespread presently used private treatment arrangements involves the use of septic holding tanks in which solids originally discharged from a waste source with the liquid portion of the sewage or waste are allowed to settle in a large tank or tanks. The overflow from the septic tank is directed into either a so-called dry well from which it percolates into the ground, where passage through rock and ground strata further purifies the waste water and removes harmful bacteria and other noxious components, or into a so-called drain field comprised of a series of perforated ceramic pipes or drains laid into shallow trenches in the ground from which the liquid portion of the sewage is absorbed or percolates into the ground where it is likewise purified by passage through the ground strata.
With the widespread exodus from city environments to suburban and semirural environments, the use of septic systems, so called because of the use of a "septic tank" into which septic or bacteria-laden liquid and included solid or semisolid materials are discharged for temporary holding and settling of the solids from the liquid material discharged into the tank, has been growing at a rapid rate. Such widespread use of septic tank systems results from the fact that only a limited number of suburban and substantially no rural areas have municipal or public sewage collection and treatment systems. Other individual treatment systems such as basic cesspools or holding tanks, dry systems and the like are also available, but none has become popular because of various problems, expenses and other inconveniences. Consequently, while the trend for some years in the past was away from the use of the "septic" and other localized or private sewage treatment arrangements, as cities and large towns converted their residents' sewage disposal systems from private systems to large public systems, with the recent exodus of city residents to suburban and semirural environments surrounding most cities beginning soon after the second world war, the trend to municipal systems has substantially reversed. Septic-type systems are presently growing apace. Furthermore, with the burgeoning suburban and semirural population and the increasing environmental consciousness of such population, efficient and effective sewage treatment on a small scale within the confines of a residential property or small business or industrial environment has assumed more and more importance.
Typically the overflow from a septic tank passes first into a distribution box before it is distributed into a drain field. The well regulated septic tank may ordinarily discharge suspended solids in an amount of about 125 to 175 parts per million of the effluent waste water after it leaves the septic or sewage tank, although this will vary depending upon the amount of flow from the tank and other factors including the level of solids maintained or accumulated in the bottom of the tank. The amount of suspended solids in the supernatent liquid tends to increase or decrease in inverse ratio with distance from the accumulated solids at the bottom of the septic tank. When the solids reach an unacceptable level in the tank, an excessive amount of solids tends to be discharged with the effluent. Consequently, when the level of solids becomes too high or the rate of included solid overflow excessive, the tank must be "pumped" or discharged into a tank truck and the contents disposed of. Various schemes for deciding when the amount of solids passing to the drain field is excessive have been devised, including the use of filters to catch the solids and estimate how much is escaping into the drain field. The escape of solids into a drain field is highly undesirable because it tends to clog up such drain field, which, when clogged, is almost impossible to unclog and must usually be replaced at considerable expense. In order to get penetration of the effluent into the drain field pipe, it is desirable that the overflow vary in intensity so that it will flow through the pipe towards its end and be distributed along the length of the pipe rather than being retarded and collecting at one point, possibly quickly clogging the system at that point. So-called "dribble systems" in which the sewage overflows or continuously flows in a "dribble" into the drain field are usually not favored, but instead, the effluent is preferably "dosed" into the field with a slight "head" or force behind the flow. It is difficult to arrange for reliable alternating flow, however, particularly as the flow rate by the time it has been distributed into a large drain field may be very low.
The drain field trenches, which typically include a trench having a depth of about 2 to 3 feet and two-and-a-half feet in width in which a ceramic pipe having perforations or openings therein of about one-half inch in diameter is laid, are filled usually with gravel or crushed rock and covered over by soil and back filled to grade level. Some systems involve only a single trench leaving room for later adjacent construction of additional trenches when the first drain field pipe eventually clogs. Other systems can include a series of trenches with provision to switch the effluent from one to another via a distribution junction box to prevent saturation of any one trench. The drain trenches in these systems are provided with time between "dosings" to regenerate by decomposing and generally disposing of liquids and small solid particulates between use. Since a drain field is normally continuously receiving a small amount of overflow solids from its disposal or waste tank, which is usually in the form of a septic tank, and the internal spaces of the drain pipes and external surrounding spaces within the trench cannot expand, the drain field must inevitably become too clogged to continue in operation and must be shut down and replaced. Such inevitable shutdown can be delayed by proper operation of the system to either (a) prevent as much as possible the escape of solid materials into the drain field and/or (b) by increasing the decomposition of the solids within the drain field to encourage liquefaction of the solid materials into a form that can be flushed away. It has been reported in some cases, in fact, that it is desirable to have very small particulates escape into the drain field as this tends to provide general decomposition therein, actually tending to decrease or even reverse solid buildup.
In recent years the use of so-called sand mounds has become popular or even mandated in some areas. Sand mounds, as indicated by the name, are mounds of sand placed upon the normal surface of the ground. Smaller than normal drain pipes are incorporated into such mounds. The drain pipes are usually one-and-one-half inches in diameter and have three-sixteenth inch drain openings spaced at about six-foot intervals. The pipes are surrounded by crushed rock placed upon varying depths of sand and the entire mound is then covered with soil and planted or landscaped. The septic effluent is frequently pumped to the sand mound because of its higher surface location with respect to the usual location of a septic tank. The pump is normally run intermittently in order to dose the drains and obtain better liquid penetration. Also a cleanout pipe or connection is frequently provided at the top of the mound. This pipe may be connected to a hose to flush out the drain field pipe or pipes. While the pipes are usually, in fact, flushed out, unfortunately the pipe orifices as well as the drain field frequently remain largely or partially blocked. In fact, the flushing itself may serve to force solid particulates compactly into the sand mound reducing its permeability.
It has been recognized that it might be advantageous to filter solid material from the overflow from a septic tank system (a) to decrease, or even completely eliminate, the usual small amount of solids passing to the drain field and/or (b) to prevent the escape of too large an amount of solids from the septic tank to the drain field during excess flow from the septic tank or (c) to prevent the escape of solids to the drain field as a result of excess buildup of solids in the septic tank. While attractive in theory, such filter arrangements have largely not proved to be practical or effective in preventing the clogging of drain fields. This has been because the filter either interfered with the normal flow of liquid effluent to the drain field, was not easily replaced, did not effectively filter very small particles from the effluent liquid or was impractically complicated or expensive.
Among the more notable proposals for the use of filters to strain or treat the overflow from a septic tank are the disclosures of the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,454,723 issued May 8, 1923 to W. T. Burtis broadly discloses the use of a filter arrangement with a septic tank system. A removable filter is comprised of a removable basket filled with alternate layers of sand and gravel to effect initial filtering of waste water received from a cesspool, septic tank or grease trap. The filtering system in the Burtis arrangement is not located between a cesspool and a drain field, but is located at the end of the system over a dry well into which the effluent is discharged.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,552 issued Jul. 25, 1967 to R. L. Zabel discloses a filter for placement directly in a septic tank. The filter is attached to the overflow from such septic tank and is made in a tubular shape with a series of dam and weir units in a stacked arrangement. The inlet to the septic tank is in a T-shape conducting the liquid to a lower portion of the tank about at the level of the bottom of the dam and weir filter arrangement at the overflow side of the septic tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,460,675 issued Aug. 12, 1969 to R. M. Hicks et al. discloses a septic tank inspection arrangement. Hicks discloses that it is desirable to prevent solid material from escaping from the septic tank and penetrating into the leach or drain field area, stopping up the leach field and destroying the operation of the field. Hicks provides a separate trap between the septic tank and the drain field into which solid materials tend to flow and are collected in a receptacle in the trap. The receptacle is provided with a handle which extends to the surface of the trap and after removal of a cover, the receptacle can be lifted up and examined to determine how much solid material is flowing from the septic tank to the drain field or into the trap. If no solids are collected in the trap, the homeowner knows that none are flowing to the drain field, while if there are solids in the trap, he knows that some may be flowing to the drain field and that the septic tank should be cleaned to lower the level of solids before the drain field is plugged up and ruined. The trap is in the form of a removable bucket or container rather than a filter. Since the test applied is qualitative rather than quantitative it is not important that all solids are not caught.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,138 issued Feb. 15, 1972 to R. F. Sheda discloses a filtering tank for use with a septic system. The filtering tank has an inlet and an outlet and a series of filters formed from, for example, chopped spagnum moss as a natural filtering material. The moss is retained in cages which may be lowered by a hook into position in the bottom of the filtering chamber. A removable insulation panel is also disclosed across the top of the filter units to prevent the filtering unit from becoming too warm during hot weather.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,166 issued Aug. 1, 1978 to J. LaRaus discloses a purification tank which may be used between a septic tank and a drain field. The purification tank in which the sewage or effluent from the septic tank is treated with oxygen or ozone includes a multi-part filter in the bottom through which the material flows or is pumped to the drain field. The filter is provided with a bail on the top so that it may be removed by means of a hook from the surface by opening the top of the purification chamber. There is also an arrangement for backwashing the filter if necessary. The filter has a screen on the bottom over which there is a layer of peat gravel, covered by a layer of anthrofil, or granulated coal, with a surmounting layer of the fine sand. Other filter arrangements may be used. It is said that the filtered fluid is so clear that it may be used for certain low-grade purposes such as irrigation, toilet use, lawn sprinkling or the like. It is also stated that because the cleaned effluent contains no solids, it requires a smaller leach field than the ordinary septic tank system. The filter is removed for cleaning or replacement periodically as it becomes contaminated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,998 issued Mar. 16, 1982 to J. D. Anderson discloses a monitor for an effluent system used between a septic tank and a disposal field. A separate monitor chamber is provided between the septic tank and the field in which there is a screen. The screen is arranged in the monitor chamber with a vertical orientation so that when the screen is clean, liquid flows through it unobstructed while when the screen becomes partially occluded by solid materials, the liquid backs up on the feed side of the screen. A suitable detector is arranged to detect any such backup of liquid, thus warning that the screen has become clogged due presumably to an excessive of solid materials overflowing from the septic tank. This then, in effect, warns the user that the septic tank should be cleaned.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,323 issued Mar. 27, 1984 to H. L. Ball discloses a method for filtering waste water from a septic tank. Ball discloses that mechanical filtering devices placed within septic tanks have generally been unsuccessful because the filter quickly became clogged by the solids present in the tank. Various expedients for avoiding such clogging have been used. Ball provides a hollow screen within a housing within the septic tank with the inlet arranged in the area of relatively particle-free liquid. The filter is also protected from solid materials floating on the surface of the water by the external wall of the filter chamber within the septic tank. The result is that Ball is able to use a large filter area with a feed taken from a fairly restricted level within the septic tank within which few solids are found which might otherwise tend to quickly clog up the filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,584 issued Sep. 30, 1986 to M. B. Di Duca discloses a distribution box for a drain field receiving effluent from a septic tank. The distribution box is provided with a horizontal screen through which the effluent from the septic tank seeps downwardly and is directed through suitable piping to the drain field. The filter screen, which is basically a flat horizontal perforated plate or screen, has handles so that it may be conveniently lifted from the distribution box when the top of the box is removed for cleaning and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,295 issued Dec. 1, 1987 to R. Zabel discloses a septic tank filter basically similar to the earlier Zabel filter disclosed in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,552. The improvement includes a bottom cone arrangement on the filter unit which tends to collect solid materials and allow them to escape through a hole in the bottom of the conical bottom cap where they collect on the bottom of the septic tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,045 issued Nov. 21, 1989 to R. J. Bergh et al. discloses a selective distribution to various selected drainage field trenches making use of a special distribution box. The distribution box enables an operator to change the distribution from one drainage field trench to another when a first trench becomes saturated. Along with the distribution arrangement, Bergh et al. uses a filter arrangement on his distribution unit which filter arrangement prevents excess solids from passing from the septic or sewage tank to the drain field trenches. The core of the distribution unit can be removed together with the filter from the top for cleaning. Bergh et al. also discloses the use of a sensor within the distribution box to determine when the unit may be clogged.
While some of the foregoing patents may disclose operative filter arrangements for filtering the effluent from a septic tank before it is distributed to a drain field for further treatment and disposal, none has proved to be the simple, effective arrangement which is required to prevent drain fields from becoming clogged. In general, the filters of the prior art have either been inefficient, too difficult to change or interfere with dosing of the drain field system. The filters, furthermore, have themselves clogged too easily and quickly. The present inventor has unexpectedly discovered and developed, by careful testing and experimentation, a filter and filter arrangement which largely obviates the various defects of the previous arrangements.

Septic system filter assembly, filter arrangement and method of using


In a device for dispensing sheet material having at least one storage container for a stack of said sheet material, a withdrawal device associated with said storage container consisting of withdrawal rollers for removing sheets of said sheet material from said storage container, a plurality of spaced transporting rollers for conveying removed sheets along a path, spaced contra-rotating rollers which can be adjusted between said transporting rollers to obtain optimum detention of duplicate sheets thereby preventing the simultaneous passage of a plurality of sheets along said path and a dispensing station arranged at the end of the conveying path, the improvement comprising said contra-rotating rollers being formed of an inherently stable material, at least some of the transporting rollers being formed of an elastically yielding material preferably having a cellular or porous surface for good adhesion to said sheets, and at least some of the transporting rollers being formed of an inherently stable unyielding material to prevent a stack of said sheets from compressing said elastically yielding material and passing between said contra-rotating rollers and said elastic transporting rollers.

The invention refers to a withdrawal or dispensing arrangement for sheet material, specifically a paper money dispenser, with at least one storage container for the stack-wise accommodation of the sheet material and a withdrawal device associated with the storage container wherein the withdrawal device consists of motor-driven transporting rollers arranged in the way of a drum-like roller mechanism forming a conveying path and of contra-rotating rollers which preferably can be dipped or inserted between the transporting rollers or roller sections which are arranged like the tines of a comb spaced from each other and a deposition or dispensing station arranged at the end of the conveying path.
In the case of known paper money dispensers, the withdrawal device consists of several motor-driven withdrawal rollers that slightly dip or penetrate into the storage containers which are partly open toward the side of withdrawal and which possess a surface exhibiting good adhesion to the paper money in the storage container. Also included is a combination of motor-driven transporting rollers and counter-pressure rollers. The transporting rollers as well as the counter-pressure rollers are mounted on bearing shafts which are parallel to one another and each of which possesses a multiplicity of roller sections at intervals to or spaced from one another which together yield a comb-like profile (sectional shape). With respect to the motor-driven transporting rollers, the counter-pressure rollers (which are likewise motor-driven, but in the opposite direction) are positioned in such a way that the roller sections or the individual counter-pressure rollers are capable of dipping or penetrating in an elastic (springy or resilient) manner into the gaps between the roller sections of the transporting rollers so that the possibility exists of adapting the dipping or penetrating depth and thereby varying the withdrawal forces applied to the different paper money qualities (denominations) or generally to obtain an optimum detention or hold-back action of the contra-rotating rollers. A very good transporting action, in regard to the transporting rollers, is obtained when the transporting rollers consist of an elastically yielding material which exhibits good adhesion in regard to the paper money. Tests have shown, however, that on trying to separate a plurality of undesired money bills having been simultaneously withdrawn from the storage container and which adhere to each other, errors can result. For instance, when 6 to 10 money bills adhere to each other, this stack of money bills is carried into the elastically yielding material of the transporting rollers and passes through the withdrawal and separation device without being separated from each other. Such an error occurs especially during the transportation of new, stiff "value bills", for instance paper money, firmly hanging together at the edge due to the cutting seam and which arrive in the transporting path and/or at the withdrawal and separation device in the form of a stack.

Method and arrangement for dispensing sheet material


A removable cutterhead insert for use in a helical cutterhead for an industrial woodworking machine, the helical cutterhead including a generally cylindrical portion, a plurality of circumferential, spaced grooves extending into the cutterhead body from the periphery of the cylindrical portion and adapted to receive the removable cutterhead inserts, and fasteners for removably securing the cutterhead inserts in the grooves; the cutterhead insert includes a mild steel insert body and two blade units; the insert body having raised portions having triangular pockets formed therein so as to have two inwardly-facing flat portions, a hole to receive the fasteners for removably securing the cutterhead insert in the grooves between the inwardly-facing flat portions and two bolt holes to secure the two blade units to the insert body; and the blade units are triangular with cut-off corners each including a blade edge and configured so as not to occlude the countersunk hole and to have the blades edges disposed to align with the blade edges of other blade units in other insert bodies to form a substantially helical blade when the blade units are secured to the insert body in a cutterhead.

The present invention relates to improvements in helical cutterheads, particularly cutterheads such as those shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,737, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
My prior patent discloses a helical cutterhead for a planer having a particular pitch arrangement to reduce the noise generated by the cutterhead while planing a workpiece. The cutterhead has a plurality of segmented cutterhead inserts, each of which includes a cutting blade mounted in cooperating or receiving grooves in the cutterhead body. In a typical arrangement, the cutterhead inserts span about one inch along the cutterhead length. The cutterhead inserts are securely mounted in the grooves to form a substantially continuous cutting edge. As set forth in that patent, the contour of the actual cutting edge of the blades preferably follows the contour of the helical groove in the cutterhead.
In one embodiment described in the '737 patent, the cutterhead inserts have carbide cutting blades brazed or welded to them. The carbide blade, after brazing to the cutterhead insert, is subsequently ground to obtain a helical geometry in keeping with the entire helix of the cutterhead. When the cutting blade is worn out, the entire cutterhead insert must be replaced or returned to a toolshop for retipping and regrinding.
In the prior art cutterheads, the brazing method of attachment limits the materials which can be used as the cutting blades to those that can withstand brazing, such as conventional carbide. However, more advanced cutting materials including diamonds, ceramics, coated materials, etc. would be difficult to braze and impractical to use as the entire cutterhead insert.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a cutterhead insert that permits other blade materials to be used to form the cutting edge, as well as increases the flexibility and ease of replacement of blades as they are worn or damaged.

Removable cutting blades for a helical cutterhead


A method of delivering oil from an off-shore well to the shore is provided which comprises the steps of (a) supplying oil from the well to a floating storage vessel stationed close to the well; and (b) transferring oil by means of a flexible pipeline from the floating storage vessel to a service tanker which plies between the shore and the floating storage vessel. An oil storage vessel is also provided which has (a) a flexible hose for delivery of oil, one end of said hose being adapted for connection to the oil storage capacity of the vessel; and (b) a support system over which a hose selected from said flexible hose and a further hose connected to said flexible hose may be carried so as to extend from the stern of the oil storage vessel towards another vessel. Apparatus for and methods of mooring such a vessel are also provided.

At present, off-shore oil wells generally feed their output into a crude oil pipeline which stretches along the sea bed to a suitable point on the shore. Oil from the pipeline is then generally stored in large capacity storage facilities at or near the coast. The construction of land-based oil storage facilities and, more particularly, the construction of submerged crude oil pipelines involves very large capital expenditure. An aim of the present invention is to provide means for delivering oil from an off-shore well or wells (field) which do not require the construction of large sea bed pipelines to shore and which may obviate, or at least reduce, the requirement for construction of land based storage facilities.

Oil storage vessel, mooring apparatus and oil delivery for the off-shore production of oil


There is disclosed a circuit and method for providing a reference voltage to a matrix array of video DAC cells. The circuit is located substantially within a center of the matrix array in order to minimize any effects upon the delivered reference voltage that process variations within the integrated circuit supporting the video DAC may produce. The center location minimizes the average distance between the voltage reference circuit and each of the DAC cells within the matrix array. In a preferred embodiment, the circuit is divided so that a reference voltage supplied by one portion of the circuit is unaffected by inherent capacitances within the MOSFET devices utilized within the circuit coupling that voltage reference to the other reference voltages supplied by the second portion of the circuit. In another preferred embodiment, the circuit is supplied with a current from an external current source, the external current produced by an external voltage and an external precision resistor whereby the external current is regulated by comparing the external voltage to a second reference voltage produced by the external current, wherein the regulation of the external circuit is accomplished with a circuit utilizing an N-channel device in order to reference the external current to ground and not to a noisy voltage supply.

The technology for producing integrated circuits ("ICs") continues to rapidly advance resulting in increasing circuit miniaturization and an increasing number of devices per chip ("chip density"). These devices commonly require steady current and voltage sources in order to operate effectively.
In certain prior art devices, constant reference voltages and currents are provided to devices on the IC through use of an external voltage source and an external precision resistor to supply a current to a reference circuit on the IC, which subsequently provides a constant current for each of the devices on the IC. The ideal result is steady voltages and currents supplied to each and every device within the IC that are equal to precisely the voltages and currents required by each one of these devices.
One problem with such a configuration is that with the currently available processes utilized to produce integrated circuits, such as with MOS technology, processing variations result in inconsistencies between devices located on different areas of the same IC. Thus, a reference circuit produced on one part of the IC may end up supplying different current and voltage magnitudes to different portions of the IC because of variations within the IC structure that result from the particular process that produced the IC. Furthermore, as the chip density increases and the devices become smaller and smaller, processing variations become a greater factor in the operation of the devices in conjunction with each other.
Other factors that may result in variations across the same IC are the different processes utilized to construct the different layers, or sections, of the IC (e.g. evaporation, deposition, etc.), differing angles within the wafer and the differing temperatures utilized in the various processes.
A separate problem that may arise is chip noise. Often, the major implementation within the IC is for digital circuitry, which commonly generates an immense amount of noise. The reference circuits utilized within the IC are analog circuits which require power supplies which are very quiet. Thus, noise from the digital circuitry often interferes with the function of the analog circuits constructed on the same chip.
The above problems are compounded within the implementation of a digital to analog circuit ("DAC"), since a DAC requires a plurality of energy (commonly, current) sources that produce the analog signal that is outputted from the DAC. Precision within the DAC is necessary so that the outputted analog signal is uniform and smooth throughout the digital to analog conversion process. Thus, it is necessary that the various energy sources utilized throughout the DAC and located throughout the IC on which the DAC is implemented are supplied with steady and uniform reference voltages and currents. In other words, an energy source residing in one portion of the DAC must be supplied with the same reference voltages and currents as are supplied to an energy source in another "distant" portion of the DAC.
Thus, there is a need for an implementation of reference voltage and current sources within an IC that are able to supply stable and uniform reference voltages and currents to all portions of the IC despite process variations within the IC.
There is also a need for a reference source within an IC that is immune to the noise produced by digital circuitry within the IC.
There is yet a further need for steady uniform reference voltages and currents to be supplied to all energy sources within a DAC.

Voltage reference and current source for video DAC


A thin layer of liquid phase epitaxial melt material (26) is formed on a wafer (15,16). The thin melt layer (26) is held in contact with the wafer (15,16) while the temperature of the thin melt layer (26) and the wafer (15,16) are reduced to crystallize a portion of the melt material thereby producing thin and accurately controlled epitaxial layers on the wafer (15,16).

The present invention relates, in general, to semiconductor processing methods, and more particularly, to a novel way of forming thin epitaxial layers from a liquid phase solution.
The semiconductor industry has long used crystallization of semiconductor material from a heated liquid phase solution to form epitaxial layers on semiconductor wafers. One particular use was to grow P-type and N-type epitaxial layers on gallium arsenide (GaAs) wafers. The epitaxial layers typically were grown by using a graphite boat which exposed a number of wafers to a melt that contained a solvent of melted semiconductor material such as gallium (Ga), into which was dissolved solutes, such as melted gallium arsenide, and dopants, such as melted silicon. The wafers were pushed into the melt thereby covering them with a thick layer, generally greater than 1000 microns, of the melt. While the wafers were covered, the temperature of the boat and melt was decreased which caused crystallization of material from the melt onto the wafers thereby growing epitaxial layers of the melt material onto the wafers. Cooling of the boat continued until it was cool enough for unloading the wafers. These techniques produced thick epitaxial layers, generally 200 microns or greater, which was thicker than the desired layers. Consequently, the wafers were polished by mechanical and/or chemical means to obtain the desired thin epitaxial layers. Such polishing was time consuming and increased the costs of producing liquid phase epitaxial layers. Polishing operations often broke the brittle gallium arsenide wafers which resulted in reduced yield of the manufacturing process and further increased manufacturing costs. Polishing of the wafers also roughened the epitaxial layer's surface thereby reducing the yield of subsequent processing operations which further increased manufacturing costs. Additionally, wafer polishing can produce stress on the semiconductor material's surface thereby reducing semiconductor device performance and reliability.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a liquid phase epitaxial process that produces thin epitaxial layers, that reduces wafer breakage, that produces thin epitaxial layers having surfaces suitable for subsequent processing operations, and that reduces the manufacturing costs of producing thin epitaxial layers.

Forming thin liquid phase epitaxial layers


A radio access network node and methods are described herein for signaling an indication of a network restart to wireless devices within a cellular network. In one embodiment, the radio access network node is operable to: (1) signal, to the wireless devices, an indication that a network restart has occurred in a core network node in a pool of core network nodes in the cellular network; and (2) receive, from at least one of the wireless devices, a re-registration message in response to the signaling of the indication that the network restart has occurred. The wireless device and methods implemented by the same are also described herein.

The following abbreviations and terms are herewith defined, at least some of which are referred to within the following description of the present disclosure.    3GPP 3rd-Generation Partnership Project    AGCH Access Grant Channel    ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit    BCCH Broadcast Control Channel    BLER Block Error Rate    BSS Base Station Subsystem    BTS Base Transceiver Station    CC Coverage Class    CCCH Common Control Channel    CN Core Network    CRC Cyclic Redundancy Check    DRX Discontinuous Receive Cycle    EC-GSM Extended Coverage Global System for Mobile Communications    EC-PCH Extended Coverage Paging Channel    EC-SCH Extended Coverage Synchronization Channel    eDRX Extended Discontinuous Receive Cycle    eNB Evolved Node B    DSP Digital Signal Processor    EDGE Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution    EGPRS Enhanced General Packet Radio Service    FCCH Frequency Correction Channel    GSM Global System for Mobile Communications    GERAN GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network    GMSK Gaussian Minimum Phase Shift Keying    GP GERAN Plenary    GPC GERAN Plenary Cellular    GPRS General Packet Radio Service    HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request    HLR Home Location Register    IE Information Element    IMSI International Mobile Subscriber Identity    IoT Internet of Things    LTE Long-Term Evolution    M2M Machine-to-Machine    MBMS Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service    MME Mobility Management Entity    MS Mobile Station    MTC Machine Type Communications    NAS Non-Access Stratum    NB Node B    NRI Network Resource Identifier    PCH Paging Channel    PDP Packet Data Protocol    PDN Packet Data Network    PDTCH Packet Data Traffic Channel    PSM Power Saving Mode    P-TMSI Packet Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity    RA Routing Area    RACH Random Access Channel    RAN Radio Access Network    RAU Routing Area Update    RNC Radio Network Controller    SCH Synchronization Channel    SGSN Serving GPRS Support Node    SI System Information    TAU Tracking Area Update    TDMA Time Division Multiple Access    TS Timeslot    TSC Timing Sequence Code    TSG Technical Specifications Group    UE User Equipment    VLR Visitor Location Register    WCDMA Wideband Code Division Multiple Access    WiMAX Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access    Coverage Class (CC): At any point in time a wireless device belongs to a specific uplink/downlink coverage class that corresponds to either the legacy radio interface performance attributes that serve as the reference coverage for legacy cell planning (e.g., a Block Error Rate of 10% after a single radio block transmission on the PDTCH) or a range of radio interface performance attributes degraded compared to the reference coverage (e.g., up to 20 dB lower performance than that of the reference coverage). Coverage class determines the total number of blind transmissions to be used when transmitting/receiving radio blocks. An uplink/downlink coverage class applicable at any point in time can differ between different logical channels. Upon initiating a system access a wireless device determines the uplink/downlink coverage class applicable to the RACH/AGCH based on estimating the number of blind transmissions of a radio block needed by the BSS (radio access network node) receiver/wireless device receiver to experience a BLER (block error rate) of approximately 10%. The BSS determines the uplink/downlink coverage class to be used by a wireless device on the assigned packet channel resources based on estimating the number of blind transmissions of a radio block needed to satisfy a target BLER and considering the number of HARQ retransmissions (of a radio block) that will, on average, be needed for successful reception of a radio block using that target BLER. Note: a wireless device operating with radio interface performance attributes corresponding to the reference coverage (normal coverage) is considered to be in the best coverage class (i.e., coverage class 1) and therefore does not make blind transmissions. In this case, the wireless device may be referred to as a normal coverage wireless device. In contrast, a wireless device operating with radio interface performance attributes corresponding to an extended coverage (i.e., coverage class greater than 1) makes blind transmissions. In this case, the wireless device may be referred to as an extended coverage wireless device.    eDRX cycle: eDiscontinuous reception (eDRX) is a process of a wireless device disabling its ability to receive when it does not expect to receive incoming messages and enabling its ability to receive during a period of reachability when it anticipates the possibility of message reception. For eDRX to operate, the network coordinates with the wireless device regarding when instances of reachability are to occur. The wireless device will therefore wake up and enable message reception only during pre-scheduled periods of reachability. This process reduces the power consumption which extends the battery life of the wireless device and is sometimes called (deep) sleep mode.    Nominal Paging Group: The specific set of EC-PCH blocks a device monitors once per eDRX cycle. The device determines this specific set of EC-PCH blocks using an algorithm that takes into account its IMSI, its eDRX cycle length and its downlink coverage class.
Today it is common to use Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Nodes (SGSNs) in a pool. The benefit of pooling multiple SGSNs is that the service area is larger than the service area of one SGSN. The larger service area results in reduced inter-SGSN RA updates, and it reduces the Home Location Register (HLR) update traffic. Currently, when one of the SGSNs in a pool recovers from an error (e.g., a power failure where an SGSN restarts and therefore loses with respect to the registered wireless devices all knowledge of Packet Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (P-TMSI) to International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associations), the SGSN may initiate individual paging for each of the currently registered wireless devices using the wireless device's IMSI. For example, the SGSN can request the IMSIs from the HLR and the Visitor Location Register (VLR) to understand which wireless devices are currently registered in the network. Then, with the knowledge of the IMSIs and the cell level Discontinuous Receive (DRX) cycle that is common to all of the wireless devices in the same cell, the SGSN can transmit paging indications to request the wireless devices (e.g., mobile stations (MSs)) to re-register to the network.
Upon reception of paging indications for GPRS services which use the wireless device's IMSI (instead of the wireless device's assigned P-TMSI), the wireless devices will locally deactivate any active packed data protocol (PDP) context(s) and Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) context(s), and locally detach from the GPRS. After performing the local detach, the wireless devices perform a GPRS attach or perform a GPRS attach procedure as well as activate PDP context(s) to replace any previously active PDP context(s). This will re-establish a Non-Access-Stratum (NAS) connection between the wireless devices and the core network (SGSNs), and thereby, the wireless devices will receive new P-TMSI assignments. Though this mechanism will work to notify all wireless devices served by a given core network node (SGSN) that the wireless devices need to perform a RAU procedure, it is undesirable because this mechanism will take a significant period of time in order to complete the notification process, during which there may be a substantial reduction in paging capacity due to the transmission of IMSI-based pages (i.e., a P-TMSI-based page requires 32 bits, whereas an IMSI-based page requires 64 bits). As discussed next, this IMSI-based paging mechanism is also a problem when wireless devices implement the new Extended DRX (eDRX) feature.
Extended DRX (eDRX) is a new feature under development that extends the paging cycles up to the hour range while the legacy paging cycle range is in the order of 1-10 seconds (see 3GPP TSG-GERAN Meeting #64 Tdoc GP-140910, entitled "MS Energy Consumption Evaluation, PSM vs. eDRX"—the contents of this document are hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes). In the legacy DRX operation, a DRX cycle, defined as the time between instances where the wireless device wakes up to monitor its Paging Channel (PCH), occurs on the order of once every few seconds and the same DRX cycle applies to all wireless devices in the same cell (i.e., the legacy DRX cycle lengths are cell specific). However, when the DRX cycle is extended, the eDRX cycle will be set per wireless device connection, and not per cell. Hence, an eDRX cycle will be determined for a specific wireless device suitable for the wireless device's service, e.g., a wireless device that needs to be contacted every 30 min to see that the wireless device is still operable.
However, when the core network (SGSN) requires a restart such as after a power failure, all information on the wireless device-specific eDRX cycles will be lost, and hence, the wireless devices will wake up according to their last registered eDRX cycle and monitor the PCH. In this case, the core network (SGSN) will no longer know when each wireless device wakes up, and therefore, all wireless devices will effectively become unreachable until the next registration event (e.g., until the next periodic registration event which may occur only once every 24 hours). Accordingly, there is a need to address these problems and other problems associated with a network restart in a pool of core network (CN) nodes.

Signaling of core network restart to wireless devices


A hot combustion chamber (CC) is designed to completely extend the combustion process over 80% to 90% of the cycle period of an internal combustion engine. The long time period combustion (LTPC) provides a large period of time for control of required fuel/air requests and ignition. The CC is supplied with variable quantities of high pressure air from an energy conserving air compressor (AC) through a combustion chamber supply (CCS) and exhales precisely timed expandable combustion products to a two cycle piston (TCP) or rotary drive. The invention solves past problems associated with ignition timing, inefficient combustion, mechanical efficiency and pollution. This CC design makes possible an engine-system for use in transportation vehicles that provides energy storage in a hybrid configuration.

The combustion process has received broad areas of research commitment. In the Physics Today, November 2008 feature article "Research Needs for Future Internal Combustion Engines" by D K Manley, A Mcllroy and C A Taatjes, a large array of theoretical and experimental efforts detail the problems and partial solutions. The primary focus of the research detailed, is on providing homogeneous charge combustion ignition (HCCI).
In some engines the idea of fuel stratification is used to allow high compression ratios for lean burn piston engines. Introducing lean low octane number (ON) fuel to begin the burn and the high octane number (ON) fuel to resist the knocking allowed high compression ratios, low temperature in the burn and low production of NOx and CO2. This procedure reported indicates that the coefficient of variation (COV) in "indicated mean effective pressure" (IMEP) may be minimized by maintaining an air/fuel ratio near 23-27. These procedures are required for the standard piston engine due to the lack of combustion tailoring time period and the immediate expansion requirements.
A considerable interest has evolved in HCCI combustion technology. The chemical kinetics of combustion depends on the control of all of the fuel-air parameters including reaction rates. Therefore the isolation of the combustion chamber and the extension of the combustion time period will determine the final outcomes for the combustion and are uniquely incorporated in this invention.
All approaches to HCCI thus far require significant variations in the mechanical systems in order to provide precise timing of events within the combustion cycle, including the use of pre-combustion chambers and variable valve and ignition timing. Although each such scheme has provided HCCI conditions in some operating regions, the lean low power and extreme load regions have imperfections leading to poor efficiency or undesirable combustion product contaminants. The mechanical simplicity in this isolated combustion chamber requires none of these complicated and inadequate mechanical systems.

Long time period combustion chamber system with engine applications