A method of tuning a vibration absorber on a driving frequency, in which the absorber includes a damper block secured to a support having one end fixedly mounted in an orifice, includes the steps of:                a measurement step for estimating the offset between the tuned frequency of the absorber and the driving frequency in order to produce a reference value; and        an adjustment step of adjusting at least one adjustment value of the absorber to the reference value.

It is known that by the very principle on which they operate, helicopters are subject to high levels of vibration.
The various kinds of vibrations present, particularly when they are felt in the cabin, present numerous drawbacks, in particular in terms of crew and passenger comfort, and also in terms of fatigue of parts and equipment disposed in the cabin.
It is known that one of the main causes of such vibration is the force generated on the main lift and advance rotor by the rotation of its blades.
In particular, it is known that the fuselage of a helicopter is subjected to forces and moments (generated by the main rotor) having a reference driving frequency equal to the product of the number of blades of said rotor multiplied by its frequency of rotation. The response of the fuselage is very sensitive to the differences between the resonant frequencies of the helicopter and said driving frequency.
The vibrations as generated in this way are mainly due to the aerodynamic flow from the blades exciting resonant modes in the structure of the helicopter, and in particular the first mode in lateral bending of the helicopter tail. The vibration due to excitation of this first mode in lateral bending generally presents a frequency of a few hertz and it is extremely troublesome.
It is thus known to provide a passive vibration absorber which is generally embodied in the form of a resonator. Such an absorber is located at locations where it is desired to reduce vibrations, and it acts by being resonant at a predetermined frequency so as to reduce the amount of vibration presenting said frequency.
The vibration absorber is in the form of a damper block secured to a support such as a spring blade. One end of the support is engaged in an orifice formed in a suitable location on the structure of the helicopter, e.g. in the cabin.
Such an absorber can be adjusted by acting on the mass of the damper block, e.g. by means of washers which are added or removed by means of one or more screws secured to the block. It is also possible to adjust it by varying the distance between the block and its mount, for example by causing the block to slide along a groove provided in the support.
The absorber can be adjusted by positioning the helicopter on a vibrating bench driven at the driving frequency. A first sensor measures vibration, in other words acceleration, at the mount, and a second sensor measures acceleration at the damper block.
The phase difference between these two accelerations is measured, and when the absorber is tuned, said phase difference is equal to 90°. Otherwise, successive approximations are made by modifying the adjustment(s) of the absorber so as to come as close as possible to said desired value of 90°.
It is therefore necessary to proceed with a large number of tests on the vibrating bench before obtaining satisfactory adjustment, with the number of tests increasing with increasing precision required for the phase difference.
Documents FR 2 739 670 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,963 teach an improvement to the above-mentioned vibration absorber. The damper block is constituted by a main mass fixed on a spring blade having a fixed mount and an auxiliary mass whose position relative to the support is determined by a mechanical actuator such as a stepper motor. The actuator is controlled by a computer which servo-controls the position of the auxiliary mass to the phase difference between the two accelerations.
Such servo-control is relatively expensive since it requires special components. It can also present instabilities when the slope of the curve representing variation in phase difference as a function of frequency is very steep. These instabilities can lead to amplifying vibration at the driving frequency instead of reducing it.


A granular, biodegradable carrier made from a naturally occurring cellulose material such as corncobs, wood shavings or saw dust, rice hulls, peanut shells and pecan shells. A maximum density cellulose carrier product is produced in a wide variety of granule size ranges by the process of reducing the cellulose material to produce an intermediate pulverulent product, compressing the intermediate pulverulent product to produce pellets, shearing the pellets to produce the granular product, and classifying the granules to the desired size range. Critical control of a moisture addition to the intermediate pulverulent product before it is compressed or pelletized along with selective tempering of the pulverulent product before compression yields a maximum density pellet and a maximum density granular product.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to biodegradable carriers. More particularly, this invention relates to cellulosic carriers and methods of producing these carriers. The cellulosic carriers of this invention are used primarily for pesticides such as herbicides, insecticides, larvacides, rodenticides and diluents for biological agents.
2. State of the Art
It is well known that cellulose materials are good absorbents, and their use is desirable because they are biodegradable. Cellulose materials such as wood shavings or sawdust, rice hulls, corncobs, pecan shells and peanut shells can be densified by a compacting or a pelletizing process. When the final product is to be used as an absorbent, lower density and higher surface area is desirable. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,062,954 and 5,064,407, both assigned to The Andersons of Maumee, Ohio, the present assignee, set forth processes for making absorbent products from these materials with corncobs being a preferred material.
Approximately 60% of a corncob is made up of hard woody ring or grit. Corncob grit granules have long been used for a wide variety of pesticide carriers. A good listing of some 37 pesticides by their primary name and also various trade names, which pesticides have been formulated on granular grit carrier, is presented in Table 140 of the publication PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, CHEMICAL PROPERTIES, AND USES OF THE ANDERSONS' CORNCOB PRODUCTS published by The Andersons of Maumee, Ohio. For example, diazinon is currently being used in the eradication of fire ants. Another well known pesticide is known as Dursban.RTM..
It is also known that the lighter corncob components, which include coarse chaff, fine chaff and pith which constitute about 40% of the corncob by weight, tends to have a higher release rate than the hard woody ring when used as a carrier. This fact is utilized in the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,344 assigned to The Andersons. This patent teaches making an agglomerated carrier having a quicker releasing component and a slower releasing component of the soft corncob components and the hard corncob components respectively which are impregnated with different pesticides which are to be released at different rates.
There has been no attempt in the art to produce a dense cellulose carrier having a high resistance to attrition in a granular product in a variety of size ranges.


Systems and methods for analyzing energy usage are provided. In various embodiments, the systems and methods may receive weather information for a first set of geographical locations and correlate the weather information with energy demand information and economic information to generate one or more models indicating at least one energy usage pattern for a geographical location of interest based at least in part on the correlation of the weather information, the energy demand information, and the economic information.

Demand side management ("DSM") technology is increasing in its use and application for planning, implementing, and monitoring electrical utility activities. DSM technology advantageously analyzes energy demands and associated costs for electrical utilities. Utility providers may utilize the information to more efficiently generate power and/or supply power to the grid according to demand patterns. In addition, consumer-oriented systems (e.g., residential systems) may utilize DSM to more efficiently utilize supplied energy, such as when energy costs are lower, which may be determined based on the DSM models and analysis.
Accordingly, with the increasing use and reliance on DSM technology, there exists a need for improved systems and methods for analyzing energy usage.


A maintenance station of an inkjet printer mounted in a housing of the inkjet printer includes an ink cup rotationally and slidably coupled to the housing about/along an axis of rotation. The ink cup has a basic plate and a columnar rim around the basic plate. The columnar rim respectively defines a plurality of stopping ratchets and driving ratchets with the same gradient direction at a bottom and top thereof. A moving body is slidably disposed in the housing of the inkjet printer. An actuator movably disposed in the moving body moves together with the moving body, a tail of the actuator stretches out from the moving body for matching with the driving ratchets to rotate the ink cup. A plurality of housing ratchets are disposed in the housing of the inkjet printer and arranged into a ring for matching with the stopping ratchets to prevent the ink cup reversion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet printer, and more particularly to a maintenance station of an inkjet printer.
2.The Related Art
An inkjet printer requires experimental print before starting to print, and wiping the remnant ink of the printing head of the inkjet printer to keep the printing head clean and covering the printing head to avoid ink evaporating after print. So the inkjet printer is provided with a maintenance station for receiving the ink of the experimental print and cleaning the remnant ink of the printing head.
Reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a prior maintenance station is shown. The maintenance station has an ink cup 300′ adopted to receive the ink of the experimental print and a pivot 330′ configured in the inkjet printer. The ink cup 300+ is pivoted to the pivot 330′. An appropriate space is left between the ink cup 300′ and the pivot 330′. The ink cup 300′ has a plurality of ratchets 340′ extending outward from the edge thereof. An actuator 400′ is adopted to push the ratchets 340′ to rotate the ink cup 300′ so that the ink cup 300′ can receive the ink averagely. And a stopping block 430′ is adopted to abut to the ratchet 340′ of the ink cup 300′ to prevent the ink cup 300′ from reversing.
When the actuator 400′ pushes the ratchet 340′ along the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 2, the ink cup 300′ is pushed to the top left because of the space between the ink cup 300′ and the pivot 330′. In this process, the interface between the actuator 400′ and the ink cup 300′ increases gradually, the ink cup 300′ separates from the stopping block 430′ and is pushed to rotate. When the actuator 400′ moves oppositely along the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 3, the ink cup 300′ moves to the bottom right because of the space. At this time, the stopping block 430′ abuts the ink cup 300′ so that the ink cup 300′ cannot reverse.
However, the moving trace of the ink cup 300′ is not affirmatory because of the floating position of the ink cup 300′ and the changing position of the actuator 400′. Sometimes the interface between the ink cup 300′ and the actuator 400′ dose not increase or the ink cup 300′ does not move to the bottom right when the actuator 400′ moves oppositely. As the result, the actuator 400′ cannot drive the ink cup 300′ rotating effectively and steadily or the ink cup 300′ comes into reversing when the actuator 400′ withdraws to the initiative position.

Maintenance station of an inkjet printer


A method for testing slider/disk contact in a disk drive is described. The disk drive comprises a rotating disk and a head mounted by an actuator for selective positioning of the head over the disk, the head having a slider, and a flexure for attaching the head to the actuator. The method includes the steps of rotating the disk of the disk drive at a first preselected rotational velocity, using the head of the disk drive to write a signal having a substantially uniform pattern on the disk as it rotates, thereafter rotating the disk at a second preselected rotational velocity, while rotating the disk at the second preselected rotational velocity, using the head to read back the signal written at the first preselected rotational velocity, and performing an FM demodulation of the read back signal through a frequency range corresponding to a range of natural frequencies of vibration of the flexure caused by slider/disk contact.

Disk drives are commonly used in workstations, personal computers, laptops and other computer systems to store large amounts of data that are readily available to a user. In general, a disk drive comprises a magnetic disk that is rotated by a spindle motor. The surface of the disk is divided into a series of data tracks that extend circumferentially around the disk. Each data track can store data in the form of magnetic transitions on the disk surface.
The disk drive further comprises an interactive element, such as a magnetic transducer, that is used to sense the magnetic transitions to read data, or to conduct an electric current that causes a magnetic transition to write data. The magnetic transducer includes a read/write gap that positions the active elements of the transducer at a position suitable for interaction with the magnetic surface of the disk.
The disk drive also includes a slider that mounts the transducer to a rotary actuator arm, typically via a flexure element arranged between the slider and actuator arm to accommodate movement of the head during operation of the drive. The actuator arm operates to selectively position the head, including the transducer and slider, over a preselected data track of the disk to either read data from or write data to the preselected data track of the disk, as the disk rotates below the transducer.
In modern disk drives, the slider is configured to include an air bearing surface that causes the head, and thus the transducer, to fly above the data tracks of the disk surface due to interaction between the air bearing surface of the slider and fluid currents that result from the rotation of the disk. The amount of distance that the transducer flies above the disk surface is referred to as the "fly height." As should be understood, due to operation of the air bearing surface, the transducer does not physically contact the disk surface during normal read and write operation of the disk drive to minimize wear during operation of the drive.
The fly height for a slider refers to the height reached by the slider when the disk is rotating at its operational rotational velocity, i.e. the number of rotations per minute (rpm's) at which the disk drive was designed to operate. The fly height is designed to be at a level sufficient to insure that the transducer is spaced from the disk surface a distance suitable to maintain negligible contact between the head and disk surface during normal disk operation. In any disk drive product, the surfaces of the disks are typically not perfectly smooth and flat. There are peaks and valleys formed on the disk surface. The design fly height should be sufficient, e.g. to generally avoid head/disk contact, despite the passage of disk surface peaks below the head.
When the disk drive is not operating, the rotation of the storage disk is stopped, and the air bearing surface of the head does not act to cause the transducer to fly. Under such circumstances, the head, including the transducer, comes to rest on the disk surface. Typically, the actuator is operated prior to power down of the disk drive, to position the head over a landing zone provided on the disk surface at a location spaced away from any of the data tracks.
In a known contact stop operation of a disk drive, at power down of the drive, the fly height of the head gradually decreases as the rotational velocity slows, until the head comes into contact with the disk surface at the landing zone. The rotational velocity of the disk at which a head first contacts a disk surface is referred to as the "landing" velocity. Thereafter, the head remains in contact with the disk surface until and after rotation of the disk comes to a complete stop. The use of a landing zone prevents any damage to data tracks that may occur due to contact between the head and the disk surface. However, any contact between the head and the disk surface may result in damage to the transducer, and, in any event, contributes to wear of the head and disk surface.
This is also true when the disk drive is started again in a contact start operation. A contact start operation causes the commencement of rotation of the disk while the head is still in contact with the landing zone. The head remains in contact with the disk surface during acceleration of the disk, until the rotational velocity of the disk reaches a "take-off" velocity. The take-off velocity is the rotational velocity of the disk at which the air bearing surface first acts to lift the head from the disk surface such that contact between the slider and the disk surface is negligible. The take-off velocity is approximately equal to the landing velocity.
It is a goal of disk drive manufacturers to limit wear caused by contact between the head and disk surface, particularly during contact stop and start operations, to assure a more reliable mechanical performance of the disk drive. To that end, disk drive designs seek to accomplish disk drive operation wherein a head commences flying operation within an acceptable margin of rotational velocity measured from the operational rotational velocity for the disk.
For example, it has been determined that mechanical performance for a particular drive is likely to be acceptable for a relatively long work life when the head lifts off from and lands on the disk surface at a rotational velocity equal to approximately seventy per cent of the operational rotational velocity of the drive. In general, the fly height of a head is proportional to the rotational velocity of the disk, once the take-off velocity has been reached. In other words, the faster the disk is spinning, the higher the fly height of the head. It has been found that if flying operation (the take-off velocity) for a head is achieved by, e.g., seventy per cent of the operational velocity, the desired fly height should be reached by the head when the disk is accelerated up to the operational velocity. If the take-off velocity is greater than seventy per cent of the operational velocity, there is a significant likelihood that the head does not reach the desired fly height when the disk is accelerated to the operational velocity, leading to excessive wear and premature mechanical failure of the disk drive.
In addition, when the take-off or landing velocity is greater than seventy per cent of the operational velocity, the head remains in contact with the disk surface (i.e. the total sliding distance of the head on the disk surface during either a contact start or stop operation) for a total length of disk surface that is likely to result in excessive wear of the head/disk interface.
During manufacture of disk drives, it is desirable to be able to test each individual disk drive to determine the take-off and/or landing velocity for each head in the drive as a quality control procedure to insure that each head in the disk drive is operating to lift off from or land on the disk surface with a minimal sliding distance, and, in a contact start operation, is operating to reach the design fly height at the operational rotational velocity of the disk. However, there is not presently available a reliable and efficient system or method to determine take-off velocity values on a drive-by-drive basis, particularly for disk drives having multiple disks and heads.
Previous proposals involve recording a signal having a known frequency on a preselected track of the disk while the disk is rotating at a preselected rotational velocity and then reading back the signal at one or more different rotational velocities of the disk, including a rotational velocity corresponding to an expected take-off velocity. Contact between the slider and disk surface affects the signal read back from the disk. Knowledge of how the read back signal is affected can be applied to analyze the signal for evidence of slider/disk contact. The analysis can include frequency or amplitude demodulation of the read back signal for indications of slider/disk contact, and, e.g., measurement of the rotational velocity at which the read back signal first indicates slider/disk contact. Such a velocity measurement will generally correspond to the take-off velocity of the particular slider.
The methods and apparatuses described in the previous proposals suffer from shortcomings such as limited bandwidth for effective demodulation of the read back signal, time consuming procedures for implementation, particularly in disk drives having multiple heads and poor signal-to-noise ratios diminishing the accuracy and sensitivity of the detection process.


A flat triangular piece, usually of shatter resistant plastic, is formed with straight edges and is used in connection with a T-square for drawing perpendicular lines and geometric shapes. The outside peripheral corners are rounded for safety purposes and the intermediate portions of the legs are slotted or recessed to permit the utilitarian reproduction of triangular lines and shapes with sharp points.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to drafting instruments and more specifically to an improved triangle which has safety features that insure safe operations for children and beginning and other users of the instrument.
1. The Prior Art
Triangular drafting instruments are well known in the prior art and are customarily made of wood, plastic or metal in a generally flat configuration and shaped to provide three legs disposed in a triangular disposition. A particularly common form of triangle is a so-called right triangle wherein two of the legs are straight edges and intersect one another at a right angle, i.e., with an included angle of 90 degrees. The third leg then forms the hypotenuse of the triangle and may define with the other legs an included angle of selected size, usually 30, 45 or 60 degrees.
With such prior art devices, the included angle forms a sharp point, so sharp that a careless user may inflict serious harm to either the user or to others, whether intentionally, or accidentally. The sharp points, even on triangles made of a pliable plastic, may have such a potential for penetration, that even a casual contact with a resisting surface such as the skin of a person, may result in the infliction of a serious wound.
In the hands of a user bent on anti-social behavior, such a triangle could well function as a weapon. Yet, the elimination of the sharp corners seriously handicaps the legitimate use of the device in drawing triangular shapes and in the utilitarian exploitation of the triangle.


A system and method are provided for preserving spacial and temporal locality of sets of related objects when moving the sets within a storage hierarchy via a common server. The appropriate meta data is gathered to track the spacial and temporal locality of the sets of objects being moved within the storage hierarchy and the algorithm uses the meta data to preserve the spacial and temporal locality when moving the objects. A collection of logically clustered data objects is identified. The logical cluster is then moved down through the storage hierarchy together to be stored in less costly storage devices. The logical cluster of data objects is then retrievable more efficiently as a whole when requested.

As the number of personal computers, workstations and servers continues to grow, the amount of important business and technical data stored on these computers also increases. The need for increased data storage space within an enterprise grows continuously. One reason for the growth is that users want to keep many files at their fingertips, even those that are rarely used, but are nevertheless valuable.
Archival systems provide workstation users the ability to optionally delete seldom used files on their workstations after a copy has been archived. Users have the option of asking the system to archive a complete collection of files. In that way, users can free up valuable space on their workstations, but still easily and quickly retrieve archived files when needed. This helps users make more efficient and effective use of workstation storage.
Stand-alone back-up tools, that typically store copies of files that have been modified recently using disks or tapes, are often used for back-up storage to protect the data. An enterprise that automatically backs up all new and changed workstation files each evening, for example, has the added benefit of being able to recover a file that is accidentally lost.
Within a single enterprise, there can be a variety of types of workstations and computer systems that are used and need to be backed up to safeguard against loss. For example, engineers may be using UNIX on their workstations, the accounting group may be using DOS, and there may be LAN servers running Novell Netware. Workstations can be attached through a LAN where commonly used applications and critical data are stored on the file servers.
Storage management systems striving to reduce storage costs place back-up and archive data in storage hierarchies consisting of different kinds of storage devices. One such storage management system is the IBM Adstar Distributed Storage Manager (ADSM) product. In ADSM, all available storage is divided into storage pools where each storage pool is assigned a unique name. A storage pool can be mapped to any storage device. However, all devices in a storage pool must be the same type of device. Administrators can set up as many storage pools as their businesses require. Storage pools can be managed dynamically while the system is operational. A plurality of storage pools can be arranged into a storage hierarchy.
Typically, an installation defines a hierarchy based on the speed and availability of the storage devices. The highest level of the hierarchy has the faster direct access storage devices (DASDs), while the lowest level has the more economical removable and sequential access storage devices such as individual tapes, tape jukeboxes or optical jukeboxes. In a storage hierarchy based on the speed of the storage devices, both cost of storage and access speed increase towards the higher levels of the hierarchy.
When the amount of data in a storage pool reaches a high occupancy threshold specified by the administrator, data objects can be automatically moved to the next available storage pool level in the hierarchy. This movement of data is called migration. Migration continues until the storage pool from which the data is migrating reaches the low occupancy threshold specified by the administrator.
An object placement management system can be deployed as a server accessed by heterogeneous clients over a network of computers. The client can request that objects under its control be moved to the storage hierarchy. Additionally, the server can poll a client and then initiate the backup of objects under the control of the client. The storage server can be a multi-level storage hierarchy where objects moved to it are stored and archived. An example of a storage hierarchy in a file backup system is a set of DASDs to stage the files being backed up and a set of tape libraries to archive the files.
The server uses its higher speed storage devices to stage sets of objects being moved to it. In particular, when the server has magnetic disks in addition to optical devices or tape devices used for archival storage, the disks are used in combination with main memory to stage the objects being moved. In the presence of a disk at the server, an object is considered moved by the client when it has been copied from the client storage to the local disk of the server. In the absence of a local disk at the server, the object needs to be written out to the archival device of the server to be considered moved by the client.
Objects can have any arbitrary size, therefore, it may not always be possible to move a collection of objects into only one media instance. Collections and even individual objects may spill over several media instances. It is desirable in such situations that the number of media instances of a storage hierarchy in which collections of objects are moved, be minimized.
Objects may belong to named collections such as a file system or a directory containing individual files that are given a name by the system. A named collection also refers to files belonging to the same owner (from the same user ID). It is desirable that when named collections are moved, information about the objects in the named collection be maintained in order to keep the collections together. This preserves the logical clustering defined by a user through a named collection.
Standard back-up utilities in UNIX, back up large collections of network clients using time as the criterion for invoking the back-up service. However, these systems usually back up files in a time clustered way, placing together in tapes all the files backed up in a given session.
An example of a UNIX based file server that uses a storage hierarchy is 3DFS. "3DFS: A Time Oriented File Server", W. D. Roome, Proceedings of the Summer USENIX Conference, 1991, implements an extended file server system where versions of files are maintained indefinitely. 3DFS has the ability to display contents of directories as they existed on a given date. 3DFS can also retrieve all the versions that have ever existed of a file in a directory. However, 3DFS does not allow data to be stored according to users or to source devices. Thus, the retrieval of all files belonging to disk drive X on date Y is difficult to support efficiently, as many storage devices may need to be visited to retrieve the required files.
Enterprises need to be able to use co-location criteria to speed retrieval of sets of objects (such as data files) placed in a storage hierarchy. An example of a set of co-location properties for files includes the owner of the files, the node or device where the owner resides, the device where the files are stored, and the date the files were created or last used. In particular, it is desirable for file back-up services to make use of co-location criteria associated with files. Bulk retrievals are necessary, for example, when a disk of a client fails which needs to be recovered. Large installations can encounter client disk failures at a rate of one per day.
There is a need to preserve the spacial and temporal localities that exist in sets of objects being moved within a storage hierarchy. Sets of objects may be moved in their entirety or in increments according to pre-specified criteria. It can also be desirable to be able to keep together arbitrary clusters of objects in any storage hierarchy.
More particularly, there is a need to optimize the performance of the critical but rather infrequent operation of retrieving sets of objects from lower levels of the storage hierarchy without incurring a high performance penalty during the more common operation of moving sets of objects down the storage hierarchy. In a storage hierarchy, a cost of storing an object is higher at higher levels of the storage hierarchy, but time to access an object in a higher level of storage hierarchy is lower. There is a central tradeoff in all storage hierarchies between the monetary cost of storing an object at a given level of a storage hierarchy versus the performance cost of retrieving the object from that level.
There are a number of software systems that would benefit from administering the movement or migration of objects in a hierarchy of storage devices. Examples of such systems are network based client server file back-up systems; systems that store digital images, in particular, medical images; systems that store faxes in digital form; systems that store video in digital form; and systems that store digital multimedia data.
One or more of the foregoing problems are overcome, and one or more of the foregoing objects are achieved by the present invention.

System and method for managing a hierarchical storage system through improved data migration

International Business Machines Corporation


Techniques for compiling an integrated circuit (IC) design with a computer-aided design tool are provided. The IC design may include multiple dynamic configuration regions that may be updated during runtime without affecting other regions on the IC device. When an IC design is compiled for an IC device, dynamic configuration regions in the IC design are identified. The computer-aided design tool may generate a partial configuration file for each identified dynamic configuration region. Two or more partial reconfiguration files may be combined to obtain a single partial configuration file that may then be used to configure respective dynamic configuration regions on the IC device.

Programmable integrated circuit (IC) devices such as field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices may include logic elements that can be configured to perform any of a variety of functions. A common feature of most FPGA devices, known as partial reconfiguration, further allows a subset of logic elements in the FPGA to be dynamically reconfigured while the remaining logic elements continue to operate undisturbed. As such, predefined regions or logic elements in the device may be updated without disrupting applications running in other parts of the device.
Generally, a circuit designer may use an electronic design automation (EDA) or computer-aided design (CAD) tool to create a design for an IC device. If the IC device is a programmable device (e.g., an FPGA device), the circuit designer may specify specific regions on the device as partial reconfiguration regions. When the design is compiled, the EDA tool may generate a full-chip configuration bitstream and a partial configuration bitstream for each of the specified partial reconfiguration regions.
Typically, the circuit designer may perform an initial full-chip configuration by downloading the full-chip configuration bitstream to the device. The circuit designer may then use the partial configuration bitstream(s) generated by the EDA tool to reconfigure the predefined partial reconfiguration region(s) on the device at a later time without affecting other regions in the device (e.g., non-partial reconfiguration region in the device may continue to operate while the predefined regions are being reconfigured).
However, as a different partial configuration bitstream is generated for each partial reconfiguration region, the circuit designer may need to keep track of a high number of different partial configuration bitstream files. As an example, if there are ten partial reconfiguration regions in the design, the EDA tool may generate ten different partial configuration bitstream files. Additionally, the circuit designer may only reconfigure a single reconfiguration region in the device at any one time. As such, when multiple partial reconfiguration regions on the device need to be updated at a later time, each partial reconfiguration region needs to be updated individually using its own partial configuration bitstream.
It is within this context that the embodiments described herein arise.

Techniques for generating a single configuration file for multiple partial reconfiguration regions


Binoculars including an automatic focusing system with light entry windows on both sides of the binoculars provided outwardly of the objective lenses. Movable and fixed reflecting elements are disposed inwardly of the light entry windows both of which direct incoming light images onto a focusing detecting module. The movable reflector is oscillated back and forth scanning the image reflected thereby laterally with respect to the stationary image reflected by the fixed reflector. An output control signal is produced when the two images are in alignment with one another and the ocular lenses are moved in accordance with this signal to properly focus the binoculars.

The present invention relates to an optical system especially for use in binoculars. More particularly, the invention relates to an automatic focussing system for use with binoculars in which a pair of individual light entry windows for distance metering are provided near right and left objectives for introducing light rays via movable and fixed reflecting members into a focus detecting element module.
In most prior art binoculars constructions, the focus adjustment was carried out by manually turning an adjustment ring for the objectives to thereby make coincide a front focus of the oculars with a position of the focussing plane of the objectives.
However, it is time-consuming and somewhat inaccurate for the focussing operation to be carried out by moving the oculars in this manner. Therefore, the applicants previously proposed binoculars with an automatic focussing system in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 74,354 filed on Sept. 10, 1979 which is cited here not as prior art but is mentioned merely as disclosing a related device to aid in an explanation of the present invention. Binoculars as disclosed therein are shown in FIG. 5. In these binoculars, in the oculars, a fixed partially reflecting member b and a movable partially reflecting member b' made of semitransparent material are disposed following right and left objectives a and a'. Light rays passing through the partially reflecting member b and b' are introduced to oculars d and d' through prisms c and c' and simultaneously therewith the light rays reflected by the reflecting members b and b' are introduced to a focus detecting element module e. The movable reflecting member b' is so moved that a dual image formed by the reflecting member b and b' coincides on the focus detecting element module e while at the same time the oculars d and d' are moved, for example, by a step-up motors, cooperating with the movement of the movable reflecting member b' whereby automatic focussing is performed.
However, the above-described binoculars are somewhat disadvantageous in that, since a pair of objectives per se are used as light entry windows and the fixed and movable reflecting members are made of semitransparent reflex mirrors, the total light entering through the objectives a and a' is divided between the objective lenses and the focus detecting element module as a result of which the image through the objectives is reduced in intensity and in some cases an insufficient amount of light is supplied to the focus detecting element module. This leads to difficulties in obtaining good focussing accuracy if the light level is low.

Binoculars with automatic focusing system


Application behavior is analyzed to determine relationships between data. Database objects accessed by an application are identified. Then, one or more relationships between the identified database objects are determined based on one or more from a group comprising statements of the application referring to the identified database objects and sets of the identified database objects accessed by different modules of the application.

1. Technical Field
Present invention embodiments relate to determining relationships between data by analyzing application behavior, and more specifically, to accurately identifying data relationships by analyzing run time behavior of applications.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In order to improve the discovery of data relationships, various automated data discovery tools, such as IBM INFOSPHERE Discovery, have been developed. Automating the discovery of data relationships within and across heterogeneous systems allows a user to create a complete 360-degree view of various data assets. Automating this process may also reduce analysis time by up to 90%, improve accuracy, provide higher levels of visibility into potential data problems, and provide insight into business objects and transformation rules, which may speed time to value for critical initiatives, among other advantages. However, many current approaches to automatically discovering data relationships within data require extensive amounts of time and computing resources to determine data relationships, especially when a vast data set is being analyzed, and require significant user input in order to refine the accuracy of detected relationships.
More specifically, the work done by automated data discovery tools in examining data and detecting relationships is generally referred to as the discovery process and includes two phases: analysis and mapping. The analysis phase of the discovery process involves identifying data types, discovering the relationships within each data set (source and target), and using the identified data types and discovered relationships to discover the relationships between the source and target data sets. However, as relationships are discovered, most analysis tools require an analyst to review the discovered results to ensure accurate results. Typically, the analyst selects the most appropriate options to use in subsequent actions to determine which results would benefit from refinement or re-discovery. Usually, the best results are obtained when an analyst iteratively reviews the discovered results and approves only the most accurate relationships before proceeding.
In order to perform the aforementioned tasks, critical information must be obtained from subject matter experts ("SME's) to verify and validate the relationships discovered by the analysis tool. Specifically, since using data analysis tools to automatically derive relationships gives rise to a great number of false positives, SME validation is required to approve and filter the results. However, in many cases the required SME's might not exist, rendering validation impossible or at least impractical. For example, consider a corporate system that includes a number of data tables, including an employee table (with details relating to an employee's role in the corporation), an employee detail table (with details relating to the employee's personal information), a department table (with details relating to the employee's department), a manager table (with details relating to the employee's manager), and a store table (with details relating to the specific store that the employee works at). In such a situation, an automatic discovery tool may incorrectly automatically associate the employee's social security number with an employee and/or manager number, incorrectly automatically associate the store number with the manager and employee's zip code, and incorrectly automatically associate different phone numbers with each other simply because the form of the data is similar or because the data matches some other methodology followed by the analysis tool. Without the requisite SME's, these incorrect associations cannot be detected by the analysis tool and, thus, an analyst would be required to remove these incorrect relationships in order to ensure accurate discovery.
Moreover, typically, an automatic data analysis tool must compare each and every piece or segment of data in a data set with every piece or segment in data in another data set in order to determine where or if relationships exits. Thus, analyzing large data sets may take significantly more time due to the intensive nature of the work that must be performed. For example, if a data tool were used to determine any relationships between two two-column tables, each row from the first table may be compared to the row from the second table, similar to a database cross join, to derive potential relationships between the two tables. Thus, comparing even a two column, five row table with a two column, six row table may require at least 30 operations just to begin to determine relationships in the data. As the complexity of the analysis increases (e.g., by increasing the number of columns, tables, and/or records to be analyzed) resource consumption associated with the analysis increases exponentially. Consequently, using actual physical data analysis to derive potential relationships between various tables defined at the application level can be extremely time consuming and resource intensive.
The mapping phase of the discovery process uses the information discovered as a result of the analysis phase to discover the joins, bindings, and transformations that correctly derive the target data from the source data. Again, many data analysis tools may automatically complete this phase, however, in order to achieve the highest possible accuracy, an analyst reviews and analyzes the results and runs additional discovery and refinement steps (e.g., filters or aggregation) to obtain the most accurate and complete transformations.

Analyzing application behavior to determine relationships between data

International Business Machines Corporation


A pattern is formed by coating a first resist composition comprising a resin comprising recurring units having an acid labile group so that it may turn insoluble in organic solvent upon elimination of the acid labile group, a photoacid generator, and a first organic solvent, onto a processable substrate, prebaking, exposing, PEB, and developing in an organic solvent developer to form a first negative pattern; heating the negative pattern to render it resistant to a second organic solvent used in a second resist composition; coating the second resist composition, prebaking, exposing, PEB, and developing in an organic solvent developer to form a second negative pattern. The first and second negative patterns are simultaneously formed.

Currently, strong interest is directed to a double patterning process involving a first set of exposure and development to form a first pattern and a second set of exposure and development to form a pattern between the first pattern features. A number of double patterning processes are proposed. One exemplary process involves a first set of exposure and development to form a photoresist pattern having lines and spaces at intervals of 1:3, processing the underlying layer of hard mask by dry etching, applying another layer of hard mask thereon, a second set of exposure and development of a photoresist film to form a line pattern in the spaces of the first exposure, and processing the hard mask by dry etching, thereby forming a line-and-space pattern at a half pitch of the first pattern. An alternative process involves a first set of exposure and development to form a photoresist pattern having spaces and lines at intervals of 1:3, processing the underlying layer of hard mask by dry etching, applying a photoresist layer thereon, a second set of exposure and development to form a second space pattern on the remaining hard mask portion, and processing the hard mask by dry etching. In either process, the hard mask is processed by two dry etchings.
Patent Document 1 discloses a process involving forming a first pattern of a positive resist material through exposure and alkaline development, rendering the first pattern insoluble in organic solvent and alkaline developer with the aid of acid and heat, coating another positive resist material thereon, and forming a second pattern through exposure and alkaline development. Patent Document 2 discloses a process involving forming a first pattern of a positive resist material through exposure and alkaline development, rendering the first pattern insoluble in organic solvent and alkaline developer with the aid of light irradiation and heat, coating another positive resist material thereon, and forming a second pattern through exposure and alkaline development. These processes belong to a double patterning process involving the steps of insolubilizing a first positive resist pattern and combining it with a second positive pattern.
As compared with the line pattern, the trench or hole pattern is difficult to reduce its size. If an attempt is made to form fine holes according to the prior art method by combining a positive resist film with a hole pattern mask and effecting under-exposure, the exposure margin is extremely narrowed. It is then proposed to form holes of larger size and shrink the developed holes by thermal flow, RELACS® or other techniques. However, there is a substantial difference between the pattern size as developed and the pattern size as shrunk, giving rise to the problem that a greater shrinkage leads to a lower control accuracy. With the hole shrinking method, the hole size can be shrunk, but the pitch cannot be narrowed.
Holes can be shrunk using the direct self assembly (DSA) technology. A typical DSA material is a styrene-methacrylate block copolymer. The DSA technology can shrink a hole pattern if holes are of true circle. When the DSA technology is applied to elongated holes or trench patterns, juxtaposed holes are formed. It is a drawback that shrinkage occurs while the original shape is deformed.
Recently a highlight is put on the organic solvent development again. It would be desirable if a very fine hole pattern, which is not achievable with the positive tone, is resolvable through negative tone exposure. To this end, a positive resist composition featuring a high resolution is subjected to organic solvent development to form a negative pattern. An attempt to double a resolution by combining two developments, alkali development and organic solvent development is under study.
As the ArF resist composition for negative tone development with organic solvent, positive ArF resist compositions of the prior art design may be used. Such pattern forming process is described in Patent Document 3.
An attempt to form elongated holes via negative development results in elliptic shape. This is due to the influence of optical interference. The elliptic hole pattern is undesired when it is intended to form a rectangular hole pattern.
Non-Patent Document 1 proposes a process for reducing the pitch to one half by heating a first positive resist pattern for insolubilizing it in organic solvent and alkaline developer, coating a second resist material, and forming a second positive pattern between the first positive pattern features. If the second pattern is orthogonal to the first pattern, a hole pattern can be formed. If the pitch is changed between the first and second lines, rectangular holes can be formed. However, since both the first and second steps use positive resist materials, formation of a narrow trench pattern is disadvantageous from the standpoint of optical contrast. Additionally, the corner between orthogonally intersecting sides is rounded.
Patent Document 4 proposes an image reversal technology involving forming a positive resist pattern of positive resist material via alkaline development, heating the positive resist pattern for insolubilizing it in organic solvent while maintaining alkaline development capability, coating a film of low alkaline solubility, and effecting development to dissolve only the surface layer of the low alkaline solubility film while leaving the majority of film, and to dissolve the positive resist pattern in alkaline developer. The means of insolubilizing the film in organic solvent relies on a base polymer derived from a methacrylate monomer having 7-oxanorbornane.
When the super-resolution technology is applied to repeating dense patterns, the pattern density bias between dense and isolated patterns, known as proximity bias, becomes a problem. As the super-resolution technology used becomes stronger, the resolution of a dense pattern is more improved, but the proximity bias is exaggerated. In particular, an increase of proximity bias in a hole pattern poses a serious problem. One common approach taken to suppress the proximity bias is by biasing the size of a mask pattern. Since the proximity bias varies with properties of a photoresist composition, specifically dissolution contrast and acid diffusion, the proximity bias of a mask varies with the type of photoresist composition. For a particular type of photoresist composition, a mask having a different proximity bias must be used. This adds to the burden of mask manufacturing. Then the pack and unpack (PAU) method is proposed in Non-Patent Document 2: Proc. SPIE Vol. 5753, p 171 (2005), which involves strong super-resolution illumination of a first positive resist to resolve only a dense hole pattern, coating the first positive resist pattern with a negative resist film material in alcohol solvent which does not dissolve the first positive resist pattern, exposure and development of an unnecessary hole portion to close the corresponding holes, thereby forming both a dense pattern and an isolated pattern. One problem of the PAU method is misalignment between first and second exposures, as the authors point out in the report. The hole pattern which is not closed by the second development experiences two developments and thus undergoes a size change, which is another problem. While this method uses a positive resist material in the first exposure step, the use of a positive resist material to form hole patterns suffers from low resolution and poor dimensional control as discussed above.


A tray is adapted to be rotatably mounted on chemical analysis apparatus and to receive a plurality of cups of fluid samples for chemical analysis. The tray is formed of a plurality of discrete arcuate segments independently removable from, and replaceable onto the analysis apparatus to form a circular composite tray when all the segments are present. The tray is provided with a plurality of replaceable metering tips, one per fluid sample cup, which may be radially aligned with the cups. The tray segments are mounted on a carrier which can be removed from the chemical analysis apparatus with all the tray segments as a unit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for the chemical analysis of biological fluids, and more particularly to apparatus for holding and delivering fluid samples to the analysis apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, a number of automated systems have been developed for carrying out quantitative chemical analyses of fluid samples. Most of the commercially available systems utilize liquid reagents and require analyzer equipment having intricate solution handling and transport capabilities. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,308, to Matte, discloses liquid analysis apparatus in which a plurality of sample containers are carried on a circular support, a plurality of reagent cups are supported on a second circular support, and an aspirator is provided for transferring fluid from a sample container to a selected reagent cup. The bottom portions of the reagent cups are transparent to facilitate a photometric reading through the container.
As an alternative to liquid analysis systems, various essentially-dry analytical elements have been adopted for automated test procedures. Co-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,152, 390, granted May 1, 1979, discloses apparatus for the automatic continuous analysis of biological fluids in which a fluid sample is metered onto a test slide and is analyzed after incubation. Cups of biological fluid samples are carried on a linearly movable tray. Drops of sample fluid are dispensed onto test slides below the tray through metering tips in the bottom of each cup. The tray is incrementally advanced to align successive cups with the dispensing station.
When an entire tray has been run, it is removed and replaced with a new tray of fresh samples. During removal and replacement of a sample tray, the analysis apparatus operation is interrupted. No provision is made for substituting one or more so called STAT (a commonly used term in medical arts for immediately needed) tests without removing an entire tray.

Sample tray and carrier for chemical analyzer


A method of applying phosphor to an unpackaged Light-Emitting Diode (LED) die includes transferring the unpackaged LED die directly to a product substrate; disposing a coverlay on the product substrate to create a cavity around the unpackaged LED die; and applying phosphor to substantially fill the cavity around the unpackaged LED die, the applying including at least one of using a squeegee to place the phosphor into the cavity, spraying the cavity with the phosphor, or disposing the phosphor in a sheet form onto the unpackaged LED die.

Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are increasingly being used in today's society. Many implementations use LEDs that naturally emit blue light. To obtain a white light, which is desired in many applications, the LEDs may be coated with a yellow phosphor. The phosphor may be packaged as a powder and integrated into a carrier material that is applied to the LEDs. Through fluorescence, the phosphor absorbs some of the blue light emitted from the LEDs and emits light of a longer wavelength, ultimately producing white light. In many instances, current techniques for applying phosphor to LEDs are complicated, costly, and/or result in relatively large increases to the thickness of the LEDs.

Method for applying phosphor to light emitting diodes and apparatus thereof


A method of fabricating a ferrite for use in a resistivity logging tool includes mixing a ferrite powder with a binder to provide a mixture, and pressing the mixture into a mold to form the ferrite. The mold exhibits a specific geometry corresponding to a channel defined on an inner surface of a bobbin associated with the resistivity logging tool, and the channel is arcuate and extends at an angle offset from a central axis of the bobbin. At least one of a length, a width, and a thickness of the ferrite is then adjusted to manipulate a magnetic permeability of the ferrite in a direction of a magnetic field passing through the ferrite.

During drilling operations for the extraction of hydrocarbons, a variety of recording and transmission techniques are used to provide or record real-time data from the vicinity of a drill bit. Measurements of the surrounding subterranean formations may be made throughout drilling operations using downhole measurement and logging tools, such as measurement-while-drilling (MWD) and/or logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools, which help characterize the formations and aide in making operational decisions. Wellbore logging tools make measurements that may be used to determine the electrical resistivity (or its inverse conductivity) of the formations being penetrated, where the electrical resistivity indicates various features of the formations. Those measurements may be taken using one or more antennas coupled to the wellbore logging tools.
Logging tool antennas are often formed by positioning coil windings about an axial section of the logging tool, such as a drill collar. Ferrite materials or "ferrites" (or magnetic materials in general) are sometimes positioned beneath the coil windings to increase the efficiency and/or sensitivity of the antenna. The ferrites facilitate a higher magnetic permeability path (i.e., a flux conduit) for the magnetic field generated by the coil windings, and help shield the coil windings from the drill collar and associated losses (e.g., eddy currents generated on the drill collar). Since the ferrites have the capability of shaping and manipulating the generated magnetic field, great care must be taken when designing the ferrite geometry to prevent undesired effects. Due to the increased use of tilted or directional coil windings, however, the shape of the ferrites has become quite complex, and very difficult and/or cumbersome to machine.
As a result, ferrites are more recently being molded and/or pressed into desired geometric shapes and configurations. Briefly, molding ferrites includes mixing a powder iron/ferrite material with a binder, such as a silicone-based rubber, an elastomer, an RTV, a polymer (such as polyimide), a ceramic, or an epoxy. The mixture is then pressed into a mold, where it conforms to the intricate geometry of the mold. This molding process, however, can result in non-homogenous ferrites or ferrites that exhibit a large variance in relative permeability (i.e., non-homogeneity) even when molded from the same mixture. Such non-homogeneity and variance in permeability may adversely affect field roundness and/or symmetry, which is critical for logging tools.

Logging tool ferrites and methods of manufacture


A method of executing a self-test of an alternating current circuit breaker involves executing a self-test of the circuit breaker for each of a plurality of functional blocks, wherein a sequence and timing of the executing a self-test for each of the plurality of functional blocks is programmed in and executed under control of a processing unit, and entering a failure mode of the circuit breaker upon detection of a failure status in any one of the functional blocks. The alternating current circuit breaker includes a live line between a live supply connecting terminal and a live load connecting terminal, and a neutral line between a neutral supply connecting terminal and a neutral load connecting terminal, the plurality of functional blocks, and the processing unit, which is connected to the first and second galvanic separation switch, the bypass switch and the semiconductor switch element.

RCDs with a self-test capability are available on the market. These devices however are usually either large and expensive or only test a part of the functionality of the entire device. Mostly mechanical parts as contacts, trip-units, mechanisms are not tested. The most reliable known self-test RCD has a double mechanism and bridges the first RCD part by a second RCD while the first is tested including the contacts and mechanical parts. However this solution, as e.g. described in the European patent application EP-A-1 916 691 is an expensive solution that requires a large amount of space.
A further prior art circuit breaker is known from U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/181175, which discloses a digital fault interrupter (or Ground fault circuit interrupter GCFI) with self-testing capabilities. A controller is provided which periodically opens the contacts of the circuit breaker, and monitors a voltage over the load connected to the circuit breaker to check that the contacts have opened. However, further parts or functions of the GCFI are not tested.

Alternating current circuit breaker with self-test capability


Disclosed is a fluid catalytic cracking process employing a catalyst composition comprised of a monodispersed mesoporous aluminosilicate matrix material having pore diameters between about 100 and 500 Angstroms and alumina contents between about 5 and 40 wt. %, and a crystalline zeolite.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid catalytic cracking process using catalysts containing monodispersed mesoporous aluminosilicate matrix materials. The matrix materials have pore diameters between about 100 to 500 Angstroms (A) and alumina contents between about 5 to 40 wt. %. Zeolites are incorporated into the matrix materials to produce the catalyst compositions suitable for use in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) of hydrocarbons. The catalyst compositions produce less coke and therefore more liquids.
2. Background of the Invention
Fluid catalytic cracking catalysts generally contain crystalline aluminosilicate components such as zeolites, active porous inorganic oxide components such as aluminas, inert components such as clays of the kaolin type, and inorganic oxide matrices formed from amorphous gels or sols which, on drying bind the other components together. It is desirable that the matrix be active, attrition-resistant, selective with respect to the production of liquids, and not readily deactivated by metals. Until recently, the zeolite content of FCC catalysts was low enough that the pore structure of the matrix was tailored to favor activity and selectivity over strength, or attrition resistance. However, present FCC catalysts contain more zeolitic material, as much as 60 wt. %, thus requiring that the pore structure of the matrix be more attrition-resistant while remaining active and selective.
Matrices of early FCC catalysts were simply amorphorous gel catalysts, i.e., silica-alumina or silica-magnesia. With time, new matrices based on silica sols and alumina sols were developed. Catalysts bound together with these sols did not have as desirable a matrix pore structure as that found in the order amorphorous gel catalysts; however, they were significantly more attrition resistant.
As refiners sought to increase the profitability of their FCC units by increasing the feed rate and/or adding higher molecular weight feeds, they had to increase the reactor temperature and/or the activity of the catalyst to increase the reaction rate. This combination of factors (heavier feeds, more active catalysts, higher temperatures) eventually reduces the selectivity of the reaction to naphtha and increases the yield of coke as molecules begin to undergo secondary reactions before they diffuse out of the pore system of the catalyst.
Diffusional constraints in FCC reactions lower the yield of intermediate products such as naphtha and increase the yield of less valuable stable end-products such as coke and gas.
Further, at the time catalysts needed to be more porous to prevent diffusional constraints, they also needed a higher degree of attrition resistance to handle the increasingly abrasive and hydrothermally extreme environments found in commercial units. Because of the limitations of conventional amorphorous gels and sols in balancing these two incompatible objectives, it has been suggested to employ monodispersed (single size) pore size materials as matrices. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,217,240; 4,257,874; and 4,272,409 teach the preparation of porous aluminosilicate sols having a uniform pore size and uniform particle size. These porous aluminosilicate sols are prepared at a pH of about 9 to 12 by the addition of a solution of sodium silicate and sodium aluminate to a silica or silica-alumina sol so that the sol does not gel prior to drying. The resulting material has 80% of its pore volume within 40% of the median pore diameter which can vary between 45 and 250A. While the resulting monodispersed materials of these references have advantages over the more conventional amorphorous gels and sols used as matrix materials, there is still a need in the art for further optimization of the balance between porosity and strength, especially for relatively high-content zeolite FCC catalysts.
Several patents exist on the use of mesoporous catalysts in fluid catalytic cracking. Among these is U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,702 which teaches a catalyst which has a pore volume greater than 0.4 cc/g as determined by water titration with 40-70% of all pores in the 100-1000 Angstroms diameter region, less than 35% of the pores between 20-100 Angstroms in diameter and at least 10% of all pores with diameters greater than 1000 Angstroms. The zeolite content of this catalyst lies between 8 and 25% by weight. Another zeolite-containing silica-alumina hydrogel-based catalyst with mesoporosity is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,743. On steaming, this catalyst has a maximum in dS/dD (where dS is the change in surface area and dD is the change in pore diameter, which will be discussed in more detail later) of 2.5 m.sup.2 /g/Angstrom at a pore diameter of 30 Angstroms. dS/dD monotonically decreases from this point to ca. 0.4 at 100 Angstroms and <0.2 at 125 Angstroms.
Another series of mesoporous FCC catalysts based on silica-alumina matrices containing zeolite are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,215,015, 4,299,733, and 4,333,821. Nitrogen desorption analysis shows dV/dD (where dV is the incremental intrusion volume which will be discussed in more detail later) drops from 24 to 20.times.100 exp (-4) cc/Angstrom/g between 100 and 150 Angstroms and thereafter falls off sharply to a value less than 10.times.10 exp (-4) cc/A/g above 170 Angstroms for these materials. Also, a mesoporous silica alumina is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,441 which has more than 0.6 cc/g in pores between 20 and 600 Angstroms in diameter with less than 50% of the desorption volume between 20 and 600 Angstroms in pores with 20 to 50 Angstrom diameters. Further, this silica-alumina gel has more than 20% and less than 75% of the desorption pore volume of pores in the 20 to 600 Angstrom diameter region in pores of 50 to 200 Angstroms diameter. The silica/alumina mole ratio of this gel is between 1 and 3.
The catalysts of the present invention have zeolite contents of greater than 18%. The Si/Al ratio of matrices used to make catalysts of this invention is greater than 3. Pore volume of catalysts of this invention as determined by nitrogen adsorption at saturation are less than 0.55 cc/g for catalysts with 20% zeolite and less than 0.65 cc/g for catalysts with 40% zeolite by weight. All catalysts of this invention have more than 70% of their pore volume in the 100-1000 Angstrom region as measured by mercury intrusion when normalized with the pore volume obtained with nitrogen at saturation and its boiling point. Catalysts of this invention typically have values for dV/dD, as measured by mercury, of greater than 10.times.10 exp (-4) cc/Angstroms g above 200 Angstroms. Reasonable agreement between mercury intrusion and nitrogen desorption results have been reported in Langmuir 2,151-154 (1986). Further, the catalysts of this invention do not have a monotonic decrease in dV/dD as the pore size increases; rather they show a maximum in the dV/dD plot between 100 and 500 Angstroms. The catalysts of this invention also have a maximum in dS/dD as measured by mercury between 100 and 400 Angstroms of at least 0.18 m.sup.2 /g-Angstrom.

Fluid catalytic cracking using catalysts containing monodispersed mesoporous matrices


A voltage regulator controller having integral expansion ports. The expansion ports are provided by way of an I/O expansion chassis which is electrically coupled to the controller's microprocessor.

a. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to circuit protection devices and related control systems.
b. Related Art
A step-type voltage regulator is a circuit protection device which is used to maintain a relatively constant voltage level in a power distribution system. Without such a regulator, the voltage level of the power distribution system could fluxuate significantly and cause damage to electrically powered equipment.
A typical configuration for this type of regulator (such as the Siemens JFR Series) is shown in FIG. 1. The conventional step-type voltage regulator 102 of FIG. 1 includes a microprocessor based controller 104 which generates signals that cause regulator tap changes in accordance with user configured thresholds and setpoints. The windings and other internal components that form the transformer are mounted in an oil filled tank 106. A tap changing mechanism (not shown) is sealed in a separate chamber in lower portion of the tank 106. The various electrical signals generated by the transformer are brought out to a terminal block 108 and external bushings S, SL, L for access. An indicator 110 is provided so that the position of the tap as well as its minimum and maximum positions can be readily determined.
A cabinet 112 is secured to the tank to mount and protect the voltage regulator controller 104. The cabinet 112 includes a door (not shown) and is sealed in a manner sufficient to protect the voltage regulator controller 104 from the elements. Signals carried between the transformer or tap changing mechanism and the voltage regulator controller 104 are carried via an external conduit 114.
From time to time, a manufacturer will make enhancements to the controller 104. These enhancements are typically provided by way of replacement of one or more of the controllers internal parts, modification of the controller's resident program code or by replacement of the controller itself. Upgrading or enhancing the functionality of a controller in this manner can be expensive and time consuming. Further, a user may wish to pick and choose from a number of enhancements.

Expansion chassis for a voltage regulator controller


A system and method for generating user authentication challenges based at least in part on an account owner's social network activity information. A login request including an account owner's correct username and password as well as additional login information is received from a user. The login attempt is detected as a potentially fraudulent based on the additional login information from the user. The account owner's social network activity information is analyzed. An authentication challenge based at least in part on the account owner's social network activity information is generated and sent for display. The login request is allowed or denied based on the completion on the authentication challenge.

Many websites provide the capability for users to login to view their personal information, or other information that the user wants to keep private, or even access the functionality provided by the website. Oftentimes, an added level of security is established by generating a challenge to a user attempting to login. Most commonly the challenge is the generation of a secret question or the generation of a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computer and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) to guard against possible fraudulent login attempts, and login by bots and other automated devices. Additional techniques exist to challenge the user, including those based on the user's ability to identify the chronology of calendar activities (recalling appointment times) or e-mails (identifying e-mails as new or old). However, the existing authentication challenge technologies do not utilize the account owner's social network activity information to generate a challenge that is both secure, i.e., not easily completed by a fraudulent user, and imposes minimal burden to a non-fraudulent user, i.e., the account owner can quickly, easily, and successfully complete the authentication challenge.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Generating user authentication challenges based on social network activity information


Recovery of fluids from a subterranean formation during a well treatment operation is enhanced by injecting into the formation a treatment fluid comprising a sophorolipid.

Hydrocarbons are obtained from subterranean formations by drilling through a well that penetrates the formation. This provides a partial flow-path for the hydrocarbons to reach the surface. In order for the hydrocarbons to be produced, there must be a sufficiently unimpeded flowpath from the formation to the wellbore to be pumped to the surface. Some wells need to be stimulated due to insufficient porosity or permeability of the formation. Common stimulation techniques include hydraulic fracturing and acidizing operations. The efficiency in hydrocarbon recovery from such stimulation techniques is dependent on the development of sufficient channels for the flow of hydrocarbons from low permeability regions of the formation.
During hydraulic fracturing, a fracturing fluid, typically a gelled or thickened aqueous solution containing proppant is injected into the wellbore under high pressure and injection rates. Once natural reservoir pressures are exceeded, the fluid induces a fracture in the formation and transports the proppant into the fracture. The fracture generally continues to grow during pumping and the proppant remains in the fracture in the form of a permeable pack that serves to "prop" the fracture open. The fractures radiate outwardly from the wellbore and extend the surface area from which oil or gas drains into the well. The proppant pack forms a highly conductive pathway for hydrocarbons and/or other formation fluids to flow into the wellbore.
An efficient fracturing fluid should possess good proppant transport characteristics. Such characteristics are dependent on the viscosity of the fluid. Generally, the viscosity should be high in order to achieve wider and larger fractures. High viscosity is further generally desirable for more efficient transport of proppant into the fractured formation. The fracturing fluid therefore typically contains a viscosifying agent, such as a viscoelastic surfactant or a polymer. The polymer may be linear or crosslinked. In certain formations, aqueous acid solutions can be used to improve the permeability of the formation, thereby increasing hydrocarbon production. These acids are often combined with polymeric gels to provide an acid fracturing fluid.
A wide range of additives may be used to enhance the rheological properties and/or the chemical properties of the fluid. Such additives include viscosifiers, friction reducing agents, surface active agents and fluid loss control additives.
After the fracturing fluid is injected into the formation and fractures have been established, production of hydrocarbons is enhanced through the new fractures by removal of the viscous fluid. Generally, the viscosity of the fluid may be decreased by introducing breakers into the formation which degrade the polymer or break the emulsion. However, breakers often result in incomplete breaking of the fluid and/or premature breaking of the fluid before the fracturing process is complete.
Similar to stimulation fluids, other fluids used to treat wells must be removed following the completion of the treatment operation for which such fluids are used. For instance, polymeric viscosifying agents frequently used in drilling muds and well completion fluids have a damaging effect since they tend to interfere with other phases of drilling and/or completion operations, as well as production of the well after such operations are finished. For example, drilling fluids tend to seep into the surrounding formation forming a filter cake on the wall of the wellbore. The filter cake sometimes can prevent casing cement from properly bonding to the wall of the wellbore. It is important in such operations that the viscosifying agents and other components of the drilling mud be removed from the well in order to enhance the recovery of hydrocarbons. Oxidative breakers and enzymes are often used to degrade the polysaccharide-containing filter cakes and residual damaging materials which reduce their viscosity.
As an alternative to the use of breakers, or for use in conjunction with breakers, flowback additives are often introduced into the well to assist in the removal of well treatment fluids. Flowback additives are typically surfactants. Such surfactants reduce the surface tension between the treatment fluid and hydrocarbons. For instance, in the recovery of hydrocarbon gases, flowback additives enable the recovery of more fluid which restores the formation's relative permeability to gas. In addition to fracturing and acidizing operations, there is a need for such flowback additives for use in other treatment operations, such as sand control operations.
While conventional surfactants have been widely used as flowback additives for the removal of treatment fluids from the formation and well, such surfactants are not environmentally friendly. The need exists for alternative flowback additives which are biodegradable, non-toxic, and biocompatible and which are based on renewable resources.

Method of using sophorolipids in well treatment operations


The present invention includes molding additives and molded materials. This invention also includes machines or electronic apparatus using these aspects of the invention. The present invention also includes methods and processes for making and using these devices and systems. In a preferred embodiment, a dye that fluoresces via ultraviolet absorption is dispersed in an organic additive. The additive is mixed with a molding material that is then formed into a shaped article by compaction. The resultant shaped article is then observed under an ultraviolet lamp to determine fluorescence variation, such variation corresponding to density gradients in the article.

The present invention is in the field of die molding and compaction.
This invention relates to articles produced in a die molding process. More specifically, this invention relates to the determination of density gradients in molded components.
A variety of industries use compaction, as well as blow-molding, as a means of shaping material. This process is reasonably inexpensive and may be set up relatively easily. A problem exists with this procedure, however, in that density gradients are inevitable in all molding processes. These gradients can cause a host of processing problems downstream. These problems generally have an adverse effect on the cost of processing the molded parts. If the gradients are severe enough in a part, the least costly solution may be to reject or recycle the part, preferably prior to any thermal or other subsequent processing.
Unfortunately, density gradients are not detectable by the human eye. Expensive, sophisticated techniques are currently necessary to detect gradient variations in these parts, these techniques not being well. suited for a production environment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to develop an inexpensive method of easily determining gradient variation of molded products in a production environment.
Although described with respect to the field of article molding and compaction, it will be appreciated that similar advantages of easy density visualization, as well as other advantages, may obtain in other applications of the present invention. Such advantages may become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the present disclosure or through practice of the invention.
The present invention includes molding additives and molded materials. This invention also includes machines or electronic apparatus using these aspects of the invention. The present invention may also be used to upgrade, repair or retrofit existing machines or electronic devices or instruments of these types, using methods and components used in the art. The present invention also includes methods and processes for making and using these devices.
The present invention includes a method for detecting density gradients in molded articles of manufacture. The articles may be molded using any method known in the art, preferably compaction or blow molding. The method comprises, first, disbursing a fluorescence-capable dye in a molding additive, such as an organic-containing additive. It is preferred that the dye be capable of fluorescence due to infrared or ultraviolet absorption, most preferably due to ultraviolet absorption. The dye may be any appropriate such dye now known or subsequently discovered or developed.
The dye-containing additive is then disbursed or dissolved in a moldable material. If the moldable material is capable of properly dissolving or dispersing the dye alone, then the dye may be added directly to the moldable material and need not be added to a separate molding additive. The moldable material may be any appropriate material capable of being compacted or molded. The material is then molded into a shaped article.
The shaped article is then examined for fluorescence. The examination may be accomplished by any of several ways. A first method of examination involves directing a light source, preferably an ultraviolet or infrared light source, toward the shaped article. The light source should be capable of stimulating fluorescence in the fluorescence-capable dye. The shaped article is then visually inspected for variations in the resultant fluorescence of the article.
Another possible method of examination involves capturing at least one electronic image of the shaped article, the electronic image containing information regarding the fluorescence of the article. The electronic image is then analyzed. The image may be analyzed by any appropriate means, such as those involving quantitative determinations made by a computer or other processing device. These quantitative determinations preferably comprise density-fluorescence correlations.
Another method of examination involves passing a fluorescence detection device over the surface of the shaped article. The detection device is preferably connected to a feedback device, the feedback device adapted to signal when the fluorescence exceeds a threshold value. The signal may be any appropriate signal, such as a warning light, audible sound, or computer display. The fluorescence detection device may be moved over the article either manually or through the use of automation. Where automation is used, the automation apparatus may be adapted to remove from an assembly line or production process any articles wherein the fluorescence exceeds a predetermined threshold or where the variation in fluorescence exceeds a predetermined threshold.
An additional method of examination involves passing a microscope over the shaped article. The microscope may be any appropriate microscope adapted to detect fluorescence in a shaped article. The microscope may be a direct-view microscope or may utilize a camera connected to a computer or other display device. A user then views the shaped article using the microscope. The user may then make a determination as to whether the article passes inspection.

The Ohio State University Research Foundation


An object of the present invention is to provide modified IFN so that duration of IFN in blood is prolonged and IFN acts specifically on tissues having neovasculature, particularly tumors or ophthalmic tissues having neovasculature. The present invention provides an interferon-dextran complex obtained by mixing interferon with dextran having chelate ligands in the presence of a metal ion.

Interferon (IFN) is a drug having extensive biological effects such as an antiviral effect, an antitumor effect and an immune regulatory effect and is used for treatment of various malignant neoplasms, treatment of diseases owing to viral infection and the like. However, since IFN has a short in vivo half-life, administration of IFN alone does not give sufficient expected efficacy. At present, when IFN-β is used for treatment of chronic hepatitis C, it is administered once a day every day. In recent years, however, it was reported that efficacy of IFN-β is enhanced by administering IFN-β not once a day but twice a day in a half dose (Okushin et al., Liver, Vol. 36, p. 735, 1995). Accordingly, it is considered that it is important to maintain a blood concentration of IFN in order to develop the efficacy of IFN. Namely, it is desirable to increase in vivo stability of IFN and to maintain the blood concentration of IFN. Modification of IFN with macromolecular materials has been made so far for this purpose. For example, an IFN-polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugate having an enhanced in vivo half-life of IFN was reported (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 192300/1994). However, its clinical utility is unknown at the present time. Accordingly, an IFN preparation having increased in vivo stability and a maintained blood concentration is desired.
On the other hand, it is also important to make IFN act on a target site specifically for improving the efficacy of IFN (i.e. targeting of a drug). Modification of IFN with macromolecular materials has been made so far for this purpose. For example, an IFN-α-pullulan conjugate increasing accumulation (targeting) of IFN to a liver (Tabata, Y. et al., J. Interferon and Cytokine Research, 19, 287–292, 1999) was reported.
It was reported that IFN has an inhibitory effect on angiogenesis, and its effectiveness for tumor-induced neovasculature was also reported (Sidky, Y. A. et al., Cancer Res., 47, 5155–5161, 1987). Further, its effectiveness was reported for age-related macular degeneration (Fung, W. E., Am. J. Ophthalmol., 112, 349, 1991), neovascular glaucoma (Miller, J. W. et al., Ophthalmology, 100, 9, 1992), diabetic retinopathy (Wakelee-Lynch, J. and Banks, P., Diabetes Care, 15, 300, 1992) and the like in diseases in an ophthalmological field.
As mentioned above, however, since IFN has short duration in blood and has no organ specificity either, free IFN does not exhibit sufficient effects expected as an angiogenesis inhibitor. Accordingly, it is necessary to modify IFN in some degree so that the duration of IFN in blood is prolonged and IFN acts specifically on tissues having neovasculature, particularly tumors or ophthalmic tissues having neovasculature.
Though the above-mentioned IFN-α-pullulan conjugate increases the accumulation (targeting) of IFN in the liver, the conjugate is not formed so that IFN exhibits the inhibitory effect on angiogenesis sufficiently, namely IFN acts specifically on the tissues having neovasculature, particularly the tumors or theophthalmic tissues having neovasculature. Though pullulan increases in vivo half-life, it has short duration in blood since it tends to accumulate in a liver (Yamaoka, T. et al., Drug Delivery, 1, 75–82, 1993). However, this feature does not make IFN exhibit the inhibitory effect on angiogenesis sufficiently.
An object of the present invention is to provide modified IFN so that the duration of IFN in blood is prolonged and IFN acts specifically on the tissues having neovasculature, particularly the tumors or the ophthalmic tissues having neovasculature.

Interferon complex and medicinal use thereof


The present invention reveals a semiconductor dual damascene etching process, which uses a confined plasma etching chamber to integrate all dual damascene steps such as via hole etching, photoresist stripping and barrier layer removal which originally performed in various reactors as a continuous procedure in the confined plasma chamber. The confined plasma chamber including a confinement ring surrounding a wafer and an anti-etching upper electrode plate performs the steps mentioned above under clean mode. The present invention can not only reduce the time period required by the semiconductor dual damascene process but also greatly reduce the manufacturing cost.

(A) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor dual damascene etching process, and more specifically to a semiconductor dual damascene etching process employing a confined plasma chamber.
(B) Description of Related Art
With the increase of integrity for the integrated circuits, the distance between the metal lines of semiconductor devices is becoming smaller. RC delay caused by the resistance of the lines and the capacitance of the dielectric between the lines becomes the main reason of the delay of signal transmission and limits device speed. Therefore, copper (Cu) lines and the intermetal dielectric (IMD) are continuously being improved for the fabrication of deep sub-micron devices to overcome the increase of parasitic resistance and capacitance caused by narrower line width in advanced process.
The dual damascene process is used to replace the current Alxe2x80x94Cu metal line process, a process of Back-End of Line (BEOL) of the wafer manufacturing, which is used after forming the contact plug on the silicon substrate and may be repeated several times based on the designed number of metal line layers of device. Currently, most large semiconductor fabs in the world are investing substantial manpower and capital to develop the dual damascene process. Thus, the performance and stability of the process will significantly influence the competitiveness for each large semiconductor fab.
Because copper line is difficult to be etched by plasma, most of the copper lines are conducted with dual damascene process, in which the etching process has a very important role. The dual damascene etching process may be categorized by various forming sequences of dual damascene structure. FIG. 1(a) to FIG. 1(d) illustrate the most popular dual damascene etching process, in which a via hole is etched first and the other structures are formed afterward. Referring to FIG. 1(a), first of all, IMD 102, 104 and an etch stop layer 106 of a semiconductor device 10 are etched to form a via hole, i.e. the opening in the IMD 104, in contact with a barrier layer 108. A photoresist layer 114 is patterned as a mask for the following trench etching, and the hard mask 116 originally used to define the via hole exposed to the opening of the photoresist layer 114 is removed. In FIG. 1(b), the IMD 102 is etched until the etch stop layer 106 is reached to form a trench, i.e. the opening in the intermetal dielectric 102. In FIG. 1(c), the photoresist layer 114 is removed. In FIG. 1(d), the barrier layer 108 and the hard mask 116 are etched, inducing the via hole to be in contact with the metal line 112 under the barrier layer 108, and finally the dual damascene structure is completed.
Another dual damascene process shown in FIG. 2(a) to FIG. 2(d) is to form trenches first and then to conduct the following processes. Referring to FIG. 2(a), firstly, a semiconductor device 20 with a trench is provided, which comprises IMD 202, 204, an etch stop layer 206, a barrier layer 208, a metal line 212, and a photoresist layer 214, wherein the opening of the IMD 202 is a trench, and the opening in the photoresist layer 214 is for via hole etching. In FIG. 2(b), the etch stop layer 206 and the IMD 204 are etched until the barrier layer 208 is reached to form a via hole. In FIG. 2(c), the photoresist layer 214 is removed, and a hard mask 216 is formed as a mask for removing the barrier layer 208. In FIG. 2(d), the barrier layer 208 and the hard mask 216 are etched, and then the dual damascene structure is formed.
Besides the dual damascene processes mentioned above, a method that does not need the etch stop layers 106, 206 is shown in FIG. 3(a) to FIG. 3(e). Referring to FIG. 3(a), a semiconductor device 30 comprises an IMD 302, a barrier layer 304, a metal line 306, a hard mask 308 and a photoresist layer 312, wherein the opening in the IMD 302 is a via hole. In FIG. 3(b), the hard mask 308 is etched to define the pattern required by the trench. In FIG. 3(c), the IMD 302 is etched and stopped in the middle of the IMD 302 to form a trench in the upper portion of the IMD 302. In FIG. 3(d), the photoresist layer 312 is removed. In FIG. 3(e), the barrier layer 304 and the hard mask 308 are etched so that the via hole is in contact with the metal line 306.
Most conventional etching chambers employ xe2x80x9cpolymerized modexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdirty modexe2x80x9d during wafer processing, i.e. a polymer layer is deposited on the inner wall surface of the chamber prior to etching. Thus, the polymer layer can prevent the plasma contacting the inner wall of the chamber, so metal contamination from the inner wall can be avoided. In addition, high selectivity for the photoresist can be achieved. Because most of the photoresist in mass production is an organic substance, conventional methods employ a photoresist stripper with oxygen or oxygen plasma, or a mixture solution of thermal sulfuric acid and dioxide water to remove the photoresist. If oxygen plasma is used for photoresist stripping in the etching chamber, the polymer layer will be removed as well. Thus, the above-mentioned processing steps, such as via hole or trench etching, photoresist stripping, barrier layer etching and hard mask removal cannot be performed in the same etching chamber, and have to be conducted respectively in different tools. Normally, the etching process is conducted in vacuum, thus if a wafer have to change the tool, chamber venting, wafer transferring between different tools, chamber pumping and robot moving and wafer standby would cost much time and affect the production throughput.
The semiconductor dual damascene process in accordance with the present invention in a confined plasma chamber can integrate all the above-mentioned process steps as a continuous procedure, so as to effectively reduce the process time and manufacturing cost. Moreover, the dual damascene process of the present invention is under clean mode, reducing the process instability caused by the xe2x80x9cmemory effectxe2x80x9d of polymerized mode. Therefore, the dual damascene process in accordance with the present invention can mix-run in the same chamber. Also, because there is no polymer residue in the confined plasma chamber, the number of particle and the likelihood of particle occurrence can be minimized so that preventive maintenance (PM) period of the chamber can be extended.
The semiconductor dual damascene etching process of the present invention is applied in a confined plasma chamber, the confined plasma chamber comprising a confinement ring surrounding a wafer, and an anti-etching upper electrode plate. The semiconductor dual damascene etching process comprises the steps of etching at least one IMD layer, stripping a photoresist layer and etching a barrier layer. These steps are all continuously conducted under clean mode in the confined plasma chamber, so that other tools are not needed and the capitals of tool investment can be effectively reduced.
The confinement ring is made of quartz to prevent the inner wall of the chamber from being bombarded by plasma. The upper electrode plate is made of silicon. The quartz is a composition of SiO2, and a normal dielectric layer is a SiO2 also but with a different structure. Thus, during etching, the quartz confinement ring will generate volatile gas, such as CO and SiF4, etc., and the quartz ring is likely to release the oxygen in the SiO2 material, so as to effectively avoid polymer deposition. The Cxe2x80x94F based gases usually used in the dielectric etching are provided with relatively high selectivity to silicon, i.e. with very slow etching rate for silicon. Thus, the upper electrode plate is not easily damaged during etching. Moreover, the silicon plate may provide the function of combining the fluoride in the plasma to increase the selectivity during etching.
The present invention can also be applied in a wafer including a silicon-containing photoresist layer, which uses dry etching for patterning the trench as an alternative of the development step in the conventional lithography process and improves insufficient photoresist selectivity problem. Furthermore, if a hard mask is provided in the process, a hard mask removing step has to be added.

All dual damascene oxide etch process steps in one confined plasma chamber