A bolometer includes a membrane, a first spacer and a second spacer, the membrane including resistive and contact layers. At a side facing a foundation, the contact layer has a first contact region at which the first spacer electrically contacts the contact layer, and a second contact region at which the second spacer electrically contacts the contact layer. In this manner, the membrane is kept at a predetermined distance to the foundation. The contact layer is laterally interrupted by a gap, so that the contact layer is subdivided at least into two parts, the first part including the first contact region, and the second part including the second contact region, and no direct connection existing within the contact layer from the first contact region to the second contact region, and the resistive layer being in contact with the first and second parts of the contact layer.

A bolometer is a device for measuring the intensity of electromagnetic radiation of a specific wavelength range (approx. 3-15 μm). It comprises an absorber, which converts electromagnetic radiation to heat, and a device for measuring an increase in temperature. Depending on a thermal capacity of the material, there is a direct connection between an amount of radiation absorbed and the resulting increase in temperature. Thus, the increase in temperature may serve as a measure of an intensity of incident radiation. Of particular interest are bolometers for measuring infrared radiation, which is where most bolometers have a highest level of sensitivity.
A bolometer may be used, in technology, as an infrared sensor, an imager for a night-vision device or as a thermal imaging camera.
A bolometer serving as an infrared sensor comprises a thin layer which is arranged within the sensor in a thermally insulated manner, e.g. is suspended as a membrane. The infrared radiation is absorbed within this membrane, whose temperature increases as a result. If this membrane consists of a metallic or advantageously a semiconducting material, the electrical resistance will change depending on the increase in temperature and on the temperature coefficient of resistance of the material used. Exemplary values regarding various materials can be found in the paper R. A. Wood: "Monolithic silicon microbolometer arrays," Semiconductor Semimetals, vol. 47, pp. 43-121, 1997. Alternatively, the membrane is an insulator (silicon oxide or silicon nitride) onto which the resistor has been deposited as a further thin layer. In other implementations, insulating layers and an absorber layer are disposed in addition to the resistive layer.
The temperature dependence of metal layer resistances is linear, semiconductors as resistance material have an exponential dependence. A high level of dependence is also to be expected from diodes as thermal detectors with their current/voltage characteristic in accordance withID=I0*(Exp{eUD/kT}−1)wherein T is the temperature, k is the Boltzmann constant, e is the elementary electric charge, ID and UD designate a current intensity and voltage within the diode, and I0 is a constant which is independent of the voltage.
Bolometers may serve as individual sensors, but may also be designed as rows or 2D arrays. Rows and arrays nowadays are typically produced using Microsystems engineering methods in surface micromechanics on a silicon substrate. Such arrays are referred to as microbolometer arrays.
An advantageous wavelength of the infrared radiation to be detected is about 8-14 μm, since this wavelength range comprises radiation of matter which has approximately room temperature (300 K). The wavelength range of 3-5 μm is also of interest because of a permeable atmospheric window.
An essential advantage of thermal bolometers over other (photonic) IR detectors (IR=infrared) is that they may be operated at room temperature, i.e. uncooled.
The aim of further development is to arrange as many bolometer cells (pixels) as possible within one array. Thus, the array will have a higher number of pixels and will provide a better resolution of an image at the same total area (chip area) of the array. For example, an arrangement of 160×120 pixels is customary, 320×240 is also available, 640×480 pixels (VGA resolution) has been announced and will be available shortly, but only at considerable additional cost. At the same time it is useful to minimize the cost of the array so as to open up new markets, e.g. the field of motor vehicles.
The usual dimensions of a single pixel within the array comprise a pixel area of 35 ×35 μm2 to 50 ×50 μm2. With 320 ×240 pixels, a chip area thus is at least 12.2 ×8.4 mm2 =94 mm2 (pixel area alone) plus an area for a readout circuit (e.g. an additional 2 mm per edge), in total approx. 137 mm2. Since a yield (the number of good chips in relation to the total number on a disk, or wafer) sharply decreases as the chip area increases, economic production of such an array is hardly possible. Therefore, an increase in the number of pixels should entail a reduction of the pixel area. IR imagers of 35 ×35 μm2 have been commercially available for some time now. As is described in the paper Mottin; "Above IC Amorphous Silicon Imager Devices;" Leti 2005 Annual Review; Jul. 6, 2005, pp. 1-18, arrays of 25×25 μm2 are currently being developed. But even this surface area, which has already been scaled, leads to an unacceptably large chip area (estimated to be approx. 250 mm2) with imagers exhibiting VGA resolution. Further scaling of the pixel area is therefore absolutely essential. What is aimed at are pixels having pixel areas of approx. 15×15 μm2. Further reduction in size will then conflict with the fact that the optical systems which would be employed in such a case would have to be of very high quality, which, in turn, would only be feasible at very high cost.
Detection of infrared radiation within a microbolometer is based on the fact that the radiation heats a resistor which is thermally well insulated. Said resistor is temperature-dependent, and therefore it changes its resistance as a function of warm-up. A change in resistance is read out via an ROIC (read out integrated circuit). Typical increases in temperature occurring at the resistor are within the range of several millikelvin (mK) per degree of temperature change in a target observed. For this increase in temperature at the bolometer to become possible, the resistor must be very well insulated thermally. This is achieved by arranging the resistor on a membrane (or by configuring it as a membrane itself) which is arranged, at a distance of several μm, above a disk surface and is connected to the disk surface, or to a substrate, only at few points having low thermal conductivity.
FIG. 5 shows two bolometers in accordance with the prior art which are described in R. A. Wood: "Monolithic silicon microbolometer arrays," Semiconductor Semimetals, vol. 47, pp. 43-121, 1997. FIG. 5a depicts a single-level pixel which comprises a sensor 51, electronics 52 located on a substrate 54, and which has a pixel size 53. FIG. 5b shows a two-level pixel, wherein the electronics 52 are arranged below the sensor 51. This bolometer also corresponds to the prior art, and by comparison with the bolometer shown in FIG. 5a it comprises a higher fill factor (ratio of IR-sensitive area to the total area).
The membrane is generated, for example, in that the resistor or sensor 51 is produced on a disk surface 55, and in that subsequently, the region is undercut, so that a cavity 56 results. By locally removing silicon (Si), for example, the thermal resistance between the resistor on the membrane 51 and the substrate 54 will increase. A readout circuit 52 is integrated next to the membrane 51, and therefore takes up additional chip area. Therefore, a structure of FIG. 5b, wherein the resistor 51 is disposed in a second plane on a membrane above the readout circuit 52, is more advantageous.
For measuring the resistance, two contact points are necessary. They may be formed by arranging feed lines on portions of the membrane which incline in the upward direction. The inclinations at the same time serve as spacers for the membrane. FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a corresponding structure comprising a membrane 10, which consists of a support 35 and a resistive layer 18. Such an arrangement is described in FIG. 2 of U.S. patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,699 (Nov. 2, 1997; B. T. Cunningham, B. I. Patel: "Microbolometer"). The membrane 10 is supported by inclined support arms 20 comprising an electrically conducting layer 32 and a thermally insulating layer 22. A contact of the membrane 10 via the support arms 20 comprises an overlap 33, and the support arms 20 extend into an epitaxial layer 14, where the corresponding circuit (not shown in the figure) is located. The epitaxial layer 14 is positioned between a substrate 12 and an insulating layer 24.
If the membrane 10 is planar (has no inclinations), the signals are supplied via metallic plugs which at the same time serve as spacers. This structure is described in Tissot: "Uncooled Thermal Detectors for IR Applications;" Leti 5th Annual Review; 2003, 11 pages and FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of such a conventional structure having a membrane 10 on two contact plugs 26a and 26b, which is held at a distance 72 above a foundation 73. The membrane 10 having a size 75 comprises a thickness 74, and the foundation 73 comprises a reflector. Thermal insulation from the foundation 73 is established via the bridges 76a,b. The foundation 73 has an ROIC input pad 77 located thereon by means of which the bolometer is contacted. Contacting of the membrane 10 comprises an overlap 78 as compared to a diameter of the contact plugs 26a and 26b. This overlap 78 reduces the fill factor.
Optimum absorption of the IR radiation is achieved in that the membrane 10 comprises a layer resistance in accordance with a spreading resistance of an electromagnetic wave in air (377Ω/□), and is arranged at a height of λ/4 (approx. 2.5 μm at the advantageous wavelength λ of, e.g., 8-14 μm) above a reflector 73.
US patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,912,464 cites such a bolometer and a production method, and FIG. 8 shows a portion of it. FIG. 8a shows a cross section through a contacting of the membrane 10, the cross-sectional plane being shown by a dash-dotted line in FIG. 8b with a viewing direction 81.
The contact plug 26b contacts a terminal pad 77, and, at the same time, a contact layer 23. Further layers of the bolometers are a reflection layer 21, a sacrificial layer 22, the bolometer or resistive layer 27, and transition layers 24 and 25. The electrical contacting of the resistive layer 27 is established via the contact layer 23, and the transition layers 24 and 25 serve for improved contacting of the contact layer 23. The contact layer 23 extends in a meandering manner along the resistive layer 27 from a contact plug 26a to the contact plug 26b. The meandering implementation of the electrode layer 23 is shown by a dashed line in FIG. 8b. The meandering implementation of the electrode layer 23 serves to improve the absorption of the infrared radiation.
It is also in this bolometer in accordance with the prior art that the contact plug 26b and the membrane 10 comprise an overlap. In FIG. 8a, the overlap of the contact plug 26b is marked by x, and the overlap of the membrane 10 is marked by y. The sacrificial layer 22 is only present in the intermediate step shown here, and will be removed later on.
With corresponding processing, a sacrificial layer 22 of polyimide is applied as a spacer to a disk having an integrated circuit (e.g. in CMOS technology; not depicted in the figure). In the region of the contact plugs 26a,b, the sacrificial layer 22 is opened in the form of a contact hole. In one implementation, which is shown in FIG. 8a, a metallic contact layer 25 is deposited and patterned, and subsequently a contact metal for the contact plugs 26a,b is deposited. This metal is etched such that it will overlap an edge of the contact hole. The resistive layer 27 is deposited and patterned. At last, the sacrificial layer 22 underneath the membrane 10 is removed, so that said membrane, which is held by the contact plugs 26a,b, is suspended above the reflection layer 21, and, thus, a λ/4 absorber is formed.
FIG. 9 shows a conventional contacting as is also used in the example of FIG. 8. The contact plug 26b comprises an overlap x over a diameter z of the contact plug 26b, and the membrane 10 comprises an overlap by a value of y over the contact plug 26b.
All embodiments described in U.S. patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,912,464, but also the structures in accordance with U.S. patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,699 or of document Tissot: "Uncooled Thermal Detectors for IR Applications;" Leti 5th Annual Review; 2003, 11 pages have in common that the contact metal projects beyond the diameter z of the contact plug 26b (distance x in FIG. 9). The membrane 10 itself projects even further beyond (distance y in FIG. 9). The overlaps x and y represent a compensation for adjustment tolerances, they make sure that the region of the contact plug (the contact area in FIG. 7) is not etched.
FIG. 10 shows how the bolometers in accordance with the prior art scale when the pixel size 75 is reduced. FIG. 10a shows a top view of the membrane 10 with conventional contacting by means of the contact plugs 26a and 26b, the membrane 10 being connected to the contact plugs 26a,b via the bridges 76a,b. The bridges 76a,b act as thermal insulation. As is explained in FIG. 9, the membrane 10 overlaps the contact plug 26b by the value of y, and the contact plug 26b overlaps the diameter z of the contact plug 26b by the value of x. In case of a reduction (scaling) of the pixel size 75, as is shown in FIG. 10b, the size of the contact plugs is not scaled for technological reasons, and the fill factor decreases accordingly. A reason for this is that the conventional manufacturing process is based on photosensitive polyimide as the sacrificial layer 22, and is therefore limited to a minimum hole size which must be larger than approx. 3 μm (please see further comments below).
FIG. 10a also shows that, as is also visible in FIG. 7, the contact plugs 26a,b with their contact to the membrane 10 are indeed relatively large, but that with a pixel of an edge length of approx. 50 μm, the surface percentage thereof is relatively small. However, it may already be seen from FIG. 6 that the actual membrane area 35 only makes up for a relatively small proportion of the total area of the pixel, and that in this implementation, the fill factor is below 50%.
As may be seen in FIG. 6, FIG. 8b or FIG. 10a, the contact plug 26b is connected to the membrane 10 via a thin arm 20, or 76b. In addition to providing mechanical support and electrical supply, the arm 20, or 76b, also serves to thermally insulate the membrane 10 from the contact plug 26b. Its long length and its small cross-sectional area ensure a high thermal resistance between the membrane 10 and the substrate.
As was already described, it is desirable to make the pixels as small as possible. A direct comparison of FIGS. 10a and 10b shows that no satisfactory solution may be found for this issue with pixels of conventional technology. With the scaled pixel in FIG. 10b, the contact plugs 26a,b take up a disproportionately large share in the total pixel area. This is due to the fact that the metal of the plug projects beyond its opening through the membrane 10 by x, additionally, the membrane 10 is typically larger than the overlap x by a factor of y. With a predefined total area, the proportion of an active area on the membrane 10 becomes smaller, the fill factor decreases, and a sensitivity of the pixels to the IR radiation also decreases as a consequence.

Bolometer and method of producing a bolometer

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung e.v.


Systems and methods are disclosed for providing composite content, such as video content, by compositing. A template content may be received and may have one or more color blocks. One or more drop-in content sets may each have one or more drop-in content that correspond to the one or more colors of the template content color blocks. The one or more color blocks of the template content may be replaced with its corresponding drop-in content from one of the one or more drop-in content sets to generate a composite content. Furthermore, the composite content may have demographic, geographic, and/or behavioral parameters associated with it to enable targeting the composite content, such as in the form of advertisements and/or product or service recommendations, to one or more users.

Advertisements (ads) and/or product or service recommendations may be rendered to users on their user devices, such as electronic devices, mobile communications devices, or the like. These ads and/or product or service recommendations may be provided as standalone content or embedded in one or more web pages served to the user devices of the user. These ads and/or product or service recommendations, in some cases, may be video ads and/or product or service recommendations.

Video advertisement customization by compositing


A device for freeing an area of birds, insects, or other pests which simultaneously emits two separate audio frequencies which are shifted periodically. The device comprises two separate oscillators whose output signals are mixed together at the input of a power amplifier driving a loud speaker. The frequency of each oscillator can be independently adjusted. A resistive load is placed in the common power supply line of the two oscillators and is periodically shunted in order to shift the frequency of both oscillators. The periodical shunting of the load is accomplished by a SCR switch driven by a third oscillator having a very low frequency. The resulting dual frequency pulsating signal can be adjusted with wide ranges of frequencies in order to deter various types of animals from frequenting the area.

It has long been known that animals are sensitive to various audio frequencies within or without the range audible by man. Different species of animals are responsive to signals of widely different frequency ranges. The effects of audio signals on various species are also of widely different types. For instance, certain insects and in particular, moths, may be affected in their ability to fly. Certain animals lose their sense of direction. In the case of mosquitos, it is known that only the egg-laden female needing blood to feed her eggs will bite. Once mated, the female avoids the male. A device sending out a special audio signal which simulates the hum of a male mosquito can be very effective in clearing an area from the blood-thirsty female. Therefore, there is need for a versatile pest repelling apparatus which can be programmed to affect various types of pests by emitting simultaneously different audio signals directed toward different specific species of animals.


A catheter balloon is configured to improve its fold-in or collapsing behavior. The catheter balloon has a balloon body portion, a first tapered end portion and a second tapered end portion. The balloon body portion has a substantially cylindrical shape in an expanded state. The first tapered end portion is formed at a first end of the balloon body portion. The first tapered end portion includes a first predetermined embossment. The second tapered end portion is formed at a second end of the balloon body portion. The second tapered end portion includes a second predetermined embossment. The balloon body portion is formed free of a predetermined embossment. In other words, the balloon body portion is formed without folds so that there is only predetermined folding on the conical end portions for inducing the folding of the balloon body portion in a predetermined direction upon collapsing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a catheter balloon. More specifically, the present invention relates to a catheter balloon with improved collapsing or fold-in behavior.
2. Background Information
One example of a catheter balloon is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,389. The catheter balloon comprises a collapsible balloon body which must be placed on a catheter shaft such that it occupies as little space as possible prior to its expansion. To this end the catheter balloon, as well as its tapered end portions, are provided with foldings. Apart from the property that the catheter balloon should have a minimal profile in the area of the balloon in order to be guided, for example, through a stenoses in an easy way, tests performed within the scope of the invention have shown that when a folding is provided on the balloon body and on the tapered ends, the behavior during folding-in or collapsing is in need of improvement. In particular it has been found that the reversibility of the balloon into its folded condition poses a problem, for the balloon loses its memory behavior with respect to the original folding due to the cycle of inflation and deflation and the accompanying mechanical load. This may, for example, give rise to great difficulties when the balloon is guided through two successive stenoses. When the balloon is deflated after expansion of the first stenoses and if a different folding that is not identical with the first folding is created due to the loss in memory behavior, it may happen that the balloon in the second stenoses is blocked during retraction because the original folding that enables the passage through the stenoses is in fact not achieved anymore.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved catheter balloon. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises Limited


A stereoscopic viewer includes left and right lenses and sight blocks, all housed in the lightweight frame. A stereoscopic display, such as a computer monitor or a TV, includes left and right stereoscopic central images that are displayed side-by-side on the central portion of the display screen. The left and right central images have center spacings equivalent to normal interpupillary distances. However, the left central image is extended to the left to form a left peripheral zone and the right central image is extended to the right to form a right peripheral zone. A user employing the viewer integrates the central stereoscopic views with the left and right peripheral zones to form an apparent 3-dimensional image. Additional two-dimensional zones may be established outside of the stereoscopic central images for items such as menus, windows, tool icons, etc.

There are many techniques for viewing stereoscopic images. Techniques using polarized glasses, LCD glasses, lenticular screens, interleaved screens and two separate screens employ specialized processes that require additional hardware and expense. Anaglyphic methods using red/green glasses are inexpensive and simple to implement, but the filters distort the color images and can be difficult to use for extended periods of time.
Split images (adjacent side-by-side images on a screen) provide faithful color and image reproduction. Devices using side-by-side left and right images date back to the late 1800's. There are many patents on stereoscopic viewers using standard interpupillary distances, with left and right images viewed at short focal lengths in a hand held fixture. Other patents describe hand held viewers or glasses for viewing left and right stereoscopic images from greater distances. Some patents describing viewers or glasses include U.S. Pat. No. 1,520,311 (Ruth), U.S. Pat. No. 2,849,917 (Petri), U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,898 (Curtin), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,632 (Eckmann). The devices usually contain lenses or lens prisms, and some form of light block to separate the left and right images.
Left and right images formed on a single screen may also be viewed with glasses that contain mirrors that increase the center distance between left and right screen images. An extension to this concept is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,369 (Pilling et al) where mirrors are placed in a hood mounted on the display and rotate the image 90 degrees to fill the entire screen with the left and right images. U.S. Pat. No. 5,126,878 (Trumbull et al) presents another split screen approach which uses horizontal compression techniques and employs special glasses that expand the viewed image back to correct proportions.
There is a need for a stereoscopic viewing system that uses a standard display and, which can be viewed with glasses or a visor employing inexpensive and non-critical components. The system should achieve the largest viewing screen area possible for increased image resolution, while maintaining correct color and image proportions. Ideally, the system should also reduce image processing requirements by minimizing the image area containing overlapping visual information.


A micromachined ultrasonic transducer (MUT). The MUT includes: a substrate; a membrane suspending from the substrate; a bottom electrode disposed on the membrane; a piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode and an asymmetric top electrode is disposed on the piezoelectric layer. The areal density distribution of the asymmetric electrode along an axis has a plurality of local maxima, wherein locations of the plurality of local maxima coincide with locations where a plurality of anti-nodal points at a vibrational resonance frequency is located.

A. Technical Field
The present invention relates to imaging devices, and more particularly, to imaging devices having micromachined ultrasound transducers (MUTs).
B. Background of the Invention
A non-intrusive imaging system for imaging internal organs of a human body and displaying images of the internal organs transmits signals into the human body and receives signals reflected from the organs. Typically, transducers, such as capacitive transduction (cMUTs) or piezoelectric transduction (pMUTs), that are used in an imaging system are referred to as transceivers and some of the transceivers are based on photo-acoustic or ultrasonic effects.
In general, a MUT includes two or more electrodes and the topology of the electrodes affects both electrical and acoustic performances of the MUT. For instance, the amplitude of acoustic pressure generated by a pMUT increases as the size of the electrodes increase, to thereby improve the acoustic performance of the pMUT. However, as the size of the electrodes increases, the capacitance also increases to degrade the electrical performance of the pMUT. In another example, the amplitude of acoustic pressure at a vibrational resonance frequency of the pMUT is affected by the shape of the electrodes. As such, there is a need for methods for designing electrodes to enhance both acoustical and electrical performances of the transducers.

Imaging devices having piezoelectric transceivers


A method of pre-crash prediction of the severity of an imminent crash of road vehicles is disclosed using a pre-crash sensor, a computer system coupled with pre-crash vehicle condition signal sources and a vehicle communication system onboard each of two vehicles involved in a crash. The method includes the steps of determining that a collision of the vehicles is imminent, exchanging vehicle crash-related information between the vehicles when an imminent collision is determined, computing crash-defining information onboard each vehicle and predicting onboard each vehicle the severity of the imminent collision whereby occupant protection devices of the vehicles may be deployed in accordance with the predicted severity.

This invention relates to pre-crash warning systems for road vehicles. More particularly, it relates to a system for robustly assessing the expected severity of an impending crash of two vehicles.
In currently-available pre-crash warning systems for road vehicles, the safety benefits are limited because such systems do not provide sufficient information about the object in the path of the vehicle to reliably predict the severity of an imminent crash. For example, currently-available systems cannot distinguish between two vehicles which are about the same size but which have significantly different mass and hence have critically different crash characteristics. Consequently, the safety benefits of such pre-crash warning systems are limited to (1) pre-arming of non-resettable devices, such as airbags, so that they can be deployed more rapidly in cases where the subsequent collision is sufficiently severe to warrant deployment, and (2) triggering non-aggressive resettable safety devices that do not interfere with the vehicle driving function, such as extendible/retractable bumpers and extendible/retractable knee bolster systems. There is a need for pre-crash warning systems which not only give warning of an imminent crash but also predict the severity of the crash.
In the prior art, the Sekine U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,311 granted Aug. 13, 1996 describes an intercommunication system for vehicles which supplies speed and direction information for the purpose of collision avoidance.
Other prior art patents relating to collision avoidance systems are Blowney et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,097,354 granted Jul. 9, 1963; Gilon et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,684,474 granted Nov. 4, 1997 and Giovanni U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,367 granted Nov. 24, 1998.
The known prior art does not disclose a system for exchanging critical vehicle crash-defining information between two vehicles in an imminent crash situation, predicting the severity of the crash and controlling occupant protection devices in accordance with the prediction.
In accordance with this invention, a system is provided which predicts the severity of an imminent collision of two vehicles based upon robust crash-defining information about both vehicles.
Further, in accordance with the invention, the robust crash-defining information about both vehicles is developed after the collision becomes inevitable and imminent. Further, the prediction of crash severity is developed in time so that occupant safety devices can be deployed in accordance with the predicted crash severity.
Further, in accordance with this invention, road vehicles are provided with pre-crash warning systems with automatic means for exchanging critical vehicle crash information between two vehicles when a collision between the two vehicles is determined to be inevitable and imminent. The critical information is used to deploy non-reversible and reversible safety systems when a collision is imminent.
Further, in accordance with this invention, a method of predicting the severity of an imminent collision of two vehicles is provided whereby occupant protection devices of the vehicles may be deployed in accordance with the predicted severity. The method comprises the steps of determining that a collision of the vehicles is imminent, exchanging vehicle crash-related information between the vehicles, computing crash-defining information onboard each vehicle based upon the crash-related information and predicting onboard each vehicle the severity of the imminent collision based upon the computed crash-defining information.
Further, in accordance with this invention, apparatus for use onboard a road vehicle is provided for predicting the severity of an imminent collision and for controlling deployment of occupant protection devices in accordance with the prediction. The apparatus comprises means for determining whether the vehicle is closing on another vehicle and for producing a warning signal when a collision of the two vehicles is imminent, means responsive to the warning signal for transmitting crash-related information to the other vehicle, means for receiving crash-related information from the other vehicle, and computer means for processing said crash-related information from both vehicles and for predicting the severity of the collision, whereby the occupant protection devices may be deployed in accordance with the severity.
Further, in accordance with this invention, the critical information is exchanged between the two vehicles by means such as electromagnetic, optical or ultrasonic systems. Alternatively, the critical information is exchanged by use of satellite-based systems or by use of radio transceiver or transponder systems.
A complete understanding of this invention may be obtained from the detailed description that follows taken with the accompanying drawings.

Pre-crash assessment of crash severity for road vehicles


A stackable weight plate for an exercise machine weight stack has a front edge, a rear edge, opposite side edges, an upper face, a lower face, and an aperture extending between the upper and lower face for receiving a weight stack selector stem. The front and rear edges having a matching arcuate curvature with one edge being convex and the other edge being concave, and the side edges are tapered at an angle from the front edge to the rear edge.

The present invention relates generally to a stackable weight plate and weight stack apparatus employing a plurality of the weight plates for use in a weight lifting exercise machine.
There are two basic types of weight plate used in resistance training. The first type consists of free weights used on barbells and dumbbells, which are usually hand held but which can be loaded on a machine. The second type are generally known as selector weights, which are always attached to exercise machines.
Free weights are one of the earliest forms of weight plates used in resistance training or exercising. They are usually circular in shape, and have a central aperture which allows them to be fitted on a round, bar type handle or machine mounted receiver. They typically come in multiple weight increments, and can be loaded or unloaded by the user in order to increase or decrease the resistance during an exercise. This is dangerous, cumbersome, and requires repeated loading and unloading during the course of an exercise routine. It also requires the exerciser to have a quantity of free weight plates on hand. Often, in a health clubs, the weight plates will be moved from one station to another, and it can be hard to locate a specific plate when needed. U.S. Design Pat. No. 406,183 of Zovich illustrates a typical free weight plate of generally circular shape.
Selector weights are stacked one plate on top of another and are a permanent part of a weight lifting exercise machine. A typical weight stack consists of a series of stacked weight plates each with a central opening, and a selector stem engaging through the central openings of the stacked plates. The selector stem has a series of holes, one for each weight in the stack. The stem is attached to the top plate in the stack and protrudes downwards through the stack, and the top plate is linked via a cable and pulley assembly to one or more exercise stations. Each plate has a transverse opening extending from the front of the stack through to the central opening. A selector pin can be inserted through any selected weight in the stack and into the aligned hole in the selector stem. The selected weight and all weights above it in the stack will then be lifted. The amount of resistance can easily be adjusted by removing the pin and inserting it through a higher or lower weight in the stack, decreasing or increasing the resistance, respectively. The pin therefore selects the number of plates to be lifted.
Weight stacks usually travel up and down on a slide or guide rod system, and are connected to a movable exercise member by means of a linkage system such as a belt and pulley, cable and pulley, pivoting linkage, rigid lever arm, or the like.
The selector weights generally come only in relatively large increments of 5, 10, 15, and 20 lbs, for example. Thus, add-on or incremental weights are often provided to allow the exerciser to adjust the weight stack in smaller increments. Thus, if a person using a weight stack with ten pound increments could not make a ten pound step up in resistance, they could add a five pound add-on or incremental weight on top of the stack to increase the resistance by half a step. Normally, add-on weights are not connected in any way to the machine and must be placed on and off the weight stack by the user. These weights can shift during movement and rub against the weight stack guide rods. This will create friction or drag which can be felt by the user.
Selector weight plates are typically made from steel flat bar or cast iron. Steel plates are cut from flat bar stock into a generally rectangular shape. Cast iron plates are poured from molten iron and are also usually rectangular in shape. In all cases, the rear edge or face of the plate is straight and the side edges are at 90 degrees to the rear face. Weight stacks of rectangular weight plates are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,229 of Sencil, U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,304 of Habing, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,601 of Ish, III, for example. Some selector weight plates are provided with locating or nesting devices to keep the weights aligned with one another when stacked. One common nesting device is a button and hole device, in which one or two buttons on the top of one weight plate nest into holes located on the underside of another weight plate. Another nesting arrangement involves interlocking sleeves which engage in the central opening of a weight plate and which have a series of ridges and valleys which mate when one weight plate is placed on top of another. The purpose of such nesting arrangements is to help align the plates as they are stacked, and also to prevent shifting or twisting of one plate relative to another during use.
The problem with the button and hole type of nesting arrangement is that the shape and size of the buttons is such that they do not provide much help in preventing the weights from shifting or twisting from side to side. Because the buttons and holes are in line with the guide rods, any shifting will cause the guide rod holes to rub against the guide rods before the buttons can prevent it. This creates friction and causes the exerciser to feel drag in the exercise movement. Also, since the buttons must be cast or molded into the weights, the weight plates are not uniform in thickness. In a casting process, it is preferable for the molds to be a uniform thickness so that molten material is allowed to flow unobstructed through the mold cavity. Any variation could cause the molten iron not to fill the button-forming recess. A less than perfect pour could cause the buttons and holes not to align.

Weight stack apparatus for exercise machine


A method and apparatus for using a coated piezoelectric crystal to monitor and report corrosion in terms recognized as conforming to an industry standard is disclosed. The present invention provides a method of and system for monitoring corrosion in a corrosive atmosphere, comprising and carrying out the steps of exciting in the atmosphere a crystal, coated with a corrodible metallic substance and having a known vibration frequency; measuring the change in the frequency of vibration resulting from corrosion of the corrodible substance during each of a plurality of intervals of time, including a reference interval and at least one subsequent measurement interval; generating a thickness signal representing the thickness of corrosion corresponding to the measured change in frequency during the measurement interval; and converting the corrosion thickness signal for the measurement interval to a reference signal representing the thickness of corrosion accumulated during the reference interval. The invention also preferably includes correcting the measured frequency change during each interval to account for any deviation in the temperature in the atmosphere from a preset standard temperature. The present invention also preferably includes a humidity sensor, which serves as the impetus for providing an alarm to the user if the relative humidity is above a preset limit, or if the relative humidity changes during an interval by more than a preset limit. A corrosion monitor according to the present invention finds application in such environments as industrial process measurement and control rooms, motor control centers, electrical rooms, semiconductor clean rooms, electronic fabrication sites, commercial data centers, museums, libraries, and archival storage rooms.

Many metal-containing devices and structures must function in corrosive atmospheres which cause them to deteriorate over time. Corrosion may take the form of metal oxides resulting from reaction with oxygen in the air, or may by compounds formed with the effluent of industrial processes, such as hydrogen sulfide.
In the electronics industry, for example, approximately one-third of all warranty repair work is attributable to corrosion. Accordingly, the ability to accurately monitor corrosion and take appropriate measures to deter its spread are of utmost importance to the industry.
The standard method of monitoring corrosion has historically been accomplished using a reactivity monitoring procedure such as the so-called "coupon" method. Under this method, strips of copper are placed in the environment where corrosion is to be monitored. The coupons carry an initial copper oxide corrosion thickness of about 100 Angstroms (.ANG.). After a period of time in the environment, usually around thirty days, the change in thickness of corrosive buildup on the strips, or coupons, is measured using a complex coulometric reduction procedure, well known to those skilled in the art.
Using an accepted standard such as Standard No. ISA-S71.04-1985 set by the Instrument Society of America (ISA) of Research Triangle Park, N.C., this change in thickness is then projected over a chosen period of time. Other organizations, such as Battelle of Columbus, Ohio, have also developed such standards which, like the ISA standard, are based on reactivity monitoring techniques. Given a corrosive buildup after any number of days, the standard may be applied to project the weekly, monthly, or annual buildup of corrosion in the environment. Such information is vital to the electronics industry in determining the reliability and projected lifetime of equipment. It may affect the scope or duration of warranty coverage, particularly in limiting such coverage when the equipment will be used in corrosive environments. The reactivity monitoring method of corrosion monitoring using coupons is discussed in further detail in "Environmental Conditions and Process Measurement and Control Systems: Airborne Contaminants," a 1985 ISA publication; and Krumbein, Newell, and Pascucci, "Monitoring Environmental Tests by Coulometric Reduction of Metallic Control Samples," Journal of Testing and Evaluation, Vol. 17, No. 6, Nov. 1989 , pp. 357-67, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Althrough copper, silver, and nickel are part of the electronic circuitry, copper is the only metal addressed by the ISA standard. Accordingly, there is a need in the art to monitor the corrosion of electronics circuitry containing other corrodible metals, in addition to copper. References to corrodible metals herein include any corrodible metal, and also include such metals coated with gold. Examples of corrodible metals, without limitation thereto, are copper, silver, nickel, and laminates of such metals which may or may not be coated with gold.
One major disadvantage of the coupon method of reactivity monitoring, however, is the destructive nature of the measurement. Once the thickness of corrosion on the coupon has been measured, the coupon must be discarded and, although the measurement may be projected over a desired period of time, further actual corrosion measurements may only be taken with a new coupon. Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide a non-destructive method for measuring corrosion in terms of recognized reactivity monitoring standards.
One possible solution to this problem is to measure the corrosion buildup in terms of frequency change. Such a solution has been disclosed in the prior art writings of Lu and Czanderna, APPLICATIONS OF PIEZOELECTRIC QUARTZ CRYSTAL MICROBALANCES (Elsevier, 1984), pages 203-05; and Lee, Siegmann, and Eldridge, "A Comparison of the Mass and Resistance Change Techniques for Investigating Thin Film Corrosion Kinetics," 124 Journal of the Electrochemical Society (May 1977, pages 1744-47), which are both incorporated herein by reference. The use of a piezoelectric crystal to analyze corrosion is also generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,987, to Hager et al., also incorporated herein by reference. These references teach the use of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) which is attached to an oscillator, from which the frequency of vibration of the QCM is measured. As the metal layered on the quartz crystal corrodes over time, the frequency of the QCM changes, thus providing an indication of corrosion in terms of frequency change.
Measuring the change in frequency of the QCM enables one to conduct real-time measurements of corrosion. Unlike the reactivity monitoring coupon method, which requires a new, unblemished coupon each time the thickness of corrosion is measured, frequency measurements may be repeated time and time again as the corrosion continues to accumulate without destroying the QCM. However, an indication of frequency change does not allow comparison with specifications stated in terms of an accepted industry standard of corrosion measurement which is stated in terms of thickness.
It should be noted that a reactivity monitoring coupon prepared according to the ISA standard has a surface quite different from that of a coated crystal. The ISA standard requires that the coupon, a metal strip, be sanded or abraded. Thus, the coupon presents a rough surface to the corrosive atmosphere. In contrast, the metal layer on a coated crystal is vacuum deposited to form a shiny, smooth surface. Corrosion forms differently on such different surfaces. Therefore, finding a correlation between corrosion on a coated crystal detected by means of a change in the frequency of vibration of the crystal, and the corrosion that would have occurred under the same conditions on a new, unblemished coupon prepared according to a standardized reactivity monitoring procedure, is not a simple or obvious matter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,253,219, to Littler, describes the use of a piezoelectric crystal to measure the decrease in thickness over time of a test specimen, such as a vinyl acetate resin, which is adhered to the crystal. As the thickness of the specimen decreases, the frequency of vibration of the crystal increases. When a crystal with a 3.5 MHz oscillating frequency is utilized, a decrease in thickness of 1 .ANG. is said to be equivalent to an increase in frequency of 1 Hz. Littler, however, does not address the corrosion of metals, which are the subject of the electronic industry's concerns. Our tests have shown that Littler's teaching regarding the thickness change of eroding plastics does not hold true for corroding metals laminated on the vibrating crystals we have tested. Thus, there has been a need in the art for a corrosion monitor using a piezoelectric crystal that can report corrosion measurements in terms of an accepted reactivity monitoring standard. Furthermore, Littler does not suggest or disclose any means for monitoring, generating, or displaying the thickness of corrosion. Importantly, Littler does not address the impact of atmospheric factors, such as air temperature or relative humidity, on the ability to accurately monitor the buildup of corrosion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,874, to Falat, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a device which measures corrosion, taking into account atmospheric conditions such as temperature, pressure, and humidity by comparing existing conditions to present limits. However, in order to achieve accurate, useful results, Falat requires that the monitoring occur over an extended designated period of time, usually on the order of about six months. There is therefore a need in the art to provide a corrosion monitor that takes atmospheric conditions, such as temperature and humidity, into consideration and provides accurate, useful data on an as-needed basis, as frequently as daily.

Method and apparatus for monitoring corrosion


There are provided a surface light source having uniform and high brightness independently whether the light source is small or large while using semiconductor light emitting devices (LEDs), and an electrically illuminated signboard using the surface light source, which is thin and capable of uniform display and which operates with low electricity consumption. LEDs (12) of a dome type are arranged on four corners at a bottom surface of a box body (11) of a tray shape whose bottom surface is quadrilateral, whose upper side is open, on an inner surface of which a light reflection member (11b) is provided, and whose side walls (11c) are inclined outward. The LEDs (12) are arranged so as to mainly irradiate a region between a vertical plane on a diagonal line (N) of the bottom surface and one side wall (11c), and the region irradiated by each of the LEDs (12) of the dome type arranged on the four corners rotates individually and sequentially in a specific direction (same direction) in the box body (11). One or more of the surface light source units are arranged to construct an electrically illuminated signboard.

Electrically illuminated signboards used for advertisement in stations or the like have a structure, as shown for example in FIG. 8, in which several straight fluorescent lamps (hereinafter referred to as fluorescent lamps) 101 or the like are arranged in a light reflection casing (housing) 102 so as to irradiate a display panel 104 or the like through a light diffusion plate 103 or directly. The housing is formed of, for example, stainless steel, aluminum or the like in a shape of a box having an opening at a top surface side, and the fluorescent lamps 101 or the like are provided therein. Then, the housing is formed by coating a light reflection material inside so that light from the fluorescent lamps irradiates the display panel 104 provided at a front side without being wasted (cf. for example PATENT DOCUMENT 1 (FIG. 9)).
On the other hand, as a surface light source using semiconductor light emitting devices (hereinafter referred to as LEDs, too), there has been introduced the surface light source irradiating light from the LEDs to a front side by introducing from a side face of a light guide plate and reflecting by a reflection plate provided at a back surface of the light guide plate or the surface light source formed by arranging LEDs, directly under the light diffusion plate, on the back surface of the light guide plate or without using the light guide plate (cf. for example PATENT DOCUMENT 1 (FIG. 7)).    PATENT DOCUMENT 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-330394

Surface light source and electrically illuminated signboard


Indexable, double-sided turning inserts for turning operations and and a turning tool are provided with cutting edges at alternating corners on opposite sides of the insert. Chipbreaker structures can be provided without interfering with providing large supporting surfaces. When the insert is used in a cutting operation, chips from one of the cutting edges in use are unlikely to damage cutting edges that are not in use but are on adjacent corners.

The present invention relates generally to double-sided turning inserts for turning operations and, more particularly, to indexable double-sided turning inserts for turning operations and a turning tool.
It is known to provide multiple cutting edges on cutting inserts to permit the inserts to be indexed to use a different one of the cutting edges when one becomes worn or damaged. It is also known to provide chipbreakers on cutting inserts to facilitate breaking chips that are formed from the workpiece as the cutting edge performs its cutting operation. For heavy machining operations, it is typically necessary to have large support surfaces on the insert for stability. Consequently, it is typical that an insert intended for heavy machining applications will be single sided, i.e., have all of its cutting edges on one side of the insert, while the other side of the insert will be used as a support surface. If the cutting edges on the one side of the insert are too close to one another, chips formed from the workpiece by one cutting edge in use can damage adjacent cutting edges. For example, if a single-sided insert has four cutting edges at four corners of the insert, the two cutting edges adjacent the cutting edge that is performing a cutting operation are at a particularly increased risk of being damaged. The usefulness of having chipbreakers as well as large support surfaces imposes particular limitations on the number of cutting edges that can be provided on cutting inserts for use in heavy machining operations.
It is desirable to provide an indexable double-sided turning insert with chipbreakers, large supporting surfaces, and a large number of cutting edges that can be used with a reduced risk of damage to ones of the cutting edges that are not in use.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a double-sided turning insert having a square basic shape with first and second major surfaces, and a side surface between them, comprises exactly four cutting edges proximate exactly four respective chipbreaker structures, wherein each said cutting edge and respective chipbreaker structure is located only at corner portions of the turning insert and spaced from another cutting edge, the double-sided turning insert being provided with exactly two, diagonally located cutting edges on each major surface, the major surfaces being identical but rotated 90 degrees relative to each other.
According to the aspect of the present invention, a double-sided turning insert for turning operations comprises a first major surface having a square basic shape with first, second, third, and fourth corners, a second major surface having a square basic shape with first, second, third, and fourth corners, and a side surface between the first major surface and the second major surface, the side surface including first, second, third, and fourth corners between the first, second, third, and fourth corners of the first major surface and the first, second, third, and fourth corners of the second major surface, respectively, and first, second, third, and fourth side surface portions, each side surface portion of the first, second, third, and fourth side surface portions being disposed between a respective pair of the first, second, third, and fourth corners. A plane of the first major surface and a plane of the second major surface are parallel and are perpendicular to the side surface, the insert comprises first, second, third, and fourth cutting edges and first, second, third, and fourth non-cutting edges, the first cutting edge is formed by the first corner of the first major surface and first corner of the side surface, the second cutting edge is formed by the second corner of the second major surface and the second corner of the side surface, the third cutting edge is formed by the third corner of the first major surface and the third corner of the side surface, and the fourth cutting edge is formed by the fourth corner of the second major surface and the fourth corner of the side surface, and the first non-cutting edge is formed by the first corner of the second major surface and first corner of the side surface, the second non-cutting edge is formed by the second corner of the first major surface and the second corner of the side surface, the third non-cutting edge is formed by the third corner of the second major surface and the third corner of the side surface, and the fourth non-cutting edge is formed by the fourth corner of the first major surface and the fourth corner of the side surface.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a turning tool comprises a toolholder having a pocket and fastening means, a square and flat shim mounted in the pocket, said pocket having upstanding walls defining a bisector, a square and double-sided turning insert having chipbreaker structures and support surfaces on major surfaces thereof, the square turning insert being held against the flat shim by the fastening means, wherein the turning insert is provided with cutting edges only at alternating corners on opposite major surfaces, each chipbreaker structure at a major surface in contact with the flat shim is provided distant from the bisector.
With such an insert and tool it is possible to provide a sturdy indexable insert with four cutting edges that can each perform a turning operation with minimal risk of damage to the cutting edges that are not in use.

Double-sided, indexable turning insert and turning tool


An improved system and method for reducing the ambient noise experienced by a user listening to an earpiece without the use of a microphone is disclosed. An “ambient noise signal” created by the sound pressure wave of the ambient noise acting on the earpiece transducer is obtained. In some embodiments, the ambient noise signal is inverted and fed back, and the inverted signal is added to the intended audio signal being sent to the earpiece so that the ambient noise is cancelled. In other embodiments, a processor receives the ambient noise signal and predicts the modification to the intended audio signal needed to counteract the ambient noise. The ambient noise signal may be obtained by comparing the actual signal across the earpiece transducer to the intended audio signal, or by detecting variations in the current across the transducer from the current generated to drive the transducer.

It is often desirable to determine the impact of environmental effects on the operation of electrical devices, and in some cases to counteract such effects. For example, active noise cancellation (ANC) is a desirable feature in earpieces. (As used herein, "earpiece" encompasses any sound reproduction device worn over, on or in a user's ear, including headsets, headphones, or earbuds.) The effect of noise cancellation is to suppress ambient noise without changing an audio signal applied to the earpiece, so that the user is subjected to a lower level of the ambient noise, and the user's listening experience is thus improved. Noise cancellation is particularly useful where the level of ambient noise is substantial, for example in airplanes, trains and other similar environments.
There are three well-known types of ANC. In "feedforward" ANC, a microphone is placed away from the earpiece, and receives the ambient noise before the user does. In "feedback" embodiments of ANC, a microphone is placed near the earpiece, or even in the earpiece itself, and thus receives the ambient noise in substantially the same way as the user does. Those of skill in the art will be aware of the limitations of both feedforward and feedback ANC, and of the use of "hybrid" embodiments of ANC that include both feedforward and feedback techniques in an effort to achieve better noise cancellation.
The present application concerns feedback ANC. In feedback ANC, the microphone near or in the earpiece receives the ambient noise, resulting in an ambient noise signal. A signal that is an inverted copy of the ambient noise signal is added to the intended audio signal such that the addition of the inverted copy in the desired audio program cancels, to some degree, the perceived ambient noise. Thus, additional noise, i.e., the inverted copy, is added to the desired audio program to cancel the ambient noise, and the user perceives that the ambient noise level is lower.
The amplitude and phase of the inverted noise-cancelling signal is preferably selected so as to optimize this perceived reduction of ambient noise. This is typically accomplished by the use of an adaptive feedback loop of some kind; in some embodiments, a Finite Impulse Response Filter (FIR) is configured using a Least Mean Squares (LMS) algorithm to optimally remove the noise. Such techniques are well known in the art.
However, the need for a microphone to detect the ambient noise results in limitations on the ability to successfully perform active noise cancellation. One is that the proximity of the microphone and the earpiece driver is critical to performance; the speed of sound in air means that even small differences in position between the microphone and the earpiece transducer can cause a delay that prevents the noise cancellation loop from cancelling high frequency sounds.
Accordingly, it would be useful to be able to perform active noise cancellation without needing a microphone to detect the ambient noise.

Determination of environmental effects on electrical load devices


A drive device for driving a matrix-type LCD apparatus comprises a voltage signal supply means for outputting a plurality of voltage signals with different levels. The voltage signals have alternately positive and negative levels with respect to an AC reference voltage applied to a counter-electrode of the LCD apparatus. The AC reference voltage is approximately 180.degree. out-of-phase with the voltage signals. The drive device also comprises a signal electrode drive means which selects one of the voltage signals depending upon an input digital video signal, and which supplies the selected voltage signal to a signal electrode of the LCD apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a drive device for driving a display apparatus and a method of driving a display apparatus, and more particularly to a drive device for a display apparatus which is capable of gray-scale display by means of amplitude modulation and also to a method of driving such a display apparatus. In this specification, a display apparatus using a matrix liquid crystal display apparatus will be described as a typical example of a display apparatus, but this invention can also be applied to drive circuits for other types of display apparatuses such as electroluminescent (EL) display apparatus and plasma display apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 20 shows a matrix liquid crystal display apparatus of the prior art. The matrix liquid crystal display of FIG. 20 employs a TFT liquid crystal panel 100 comprising thin-film transistors (TFT) as the switching elements for driving pixel electrodes 103. The TFT liquid crystal panel 100 further comprises n (numbered from 0 to n-1) scanning electrodes 101 positioned parallel to each other and m (numbered from 0 to m-1) signal electrodes 102 positioned parallel to each other and perpendicularly intersecting the scanning electrodes 101. TFTs 104 for driving the pixel electrodes 103 are located in the vicinity of the intersections of the scanning electrodes 101 and the signal electrodes 102. One horizontal scanning line is composed of m pixel electrodes 103 arranged in a row. Counter electrodes 105 which are respectively opposite to the pixel electrodes 103 are formed. A plurality of counter electrodes are shown in FIG. 20, but actually they are consist of one conductive layer formed in common to all of the pixel electrodes 103. A fixed voltage v.sub.c is impressed on the counter electrodes 105.
The TFT liquid crystal panel 100 is driven by a drive device containing a source driver 200 and gate driver 300. The source driver 200 and gate driver 300 are connected to the signal electrodes 102 and the scanning electrodes 101, respectively, of the TFT panel 100. The source driver 200 samples an input analog video signal or video signal, and holds it. The held signal is supplied to the signal electrodes 102. The gate driver 300 outputs scanning pulses to the scanning electrodes 101 in sequence. The timing signal and other signals input to the gate driver 300 and source driver 200 are supplied from a control circuit 400.
With reference to FIG. 21, the source driver 200 will be described in more detail. The source driver 200 comprises a shift register 210, sample and hold circuits 220 and output buffers 230. In the shift register 210, shift pulses input from the control circuit 400 are shifted in accordance with the shift clock, and sampling pulses are output sequentially to lines B.sub.1, B.sub.2, ..., B.sub.i, ..., B.sub.m. In conjunction with this, analog switches ASW1(1), ..., ASW1(i), ..., ASW1(m) become closed in sequence, and sampling capacitors 221 are charged in sequence up to the instantaneous amplitude v(i, j) of the input analog video signal. Here, v(i, j) is the instantaneous amplitude of an analog video signal to be written to the pixel electrode 103 corresponding to the intersection of the ith signal electrode and jhe scanning electrode of the TFT liquid crystal panel 100. In this way, after video signals of one horizontal scanning period are sampled by the sample and hold circuit 220, an output pulse OE is input, and the video signals are transferred from the sampling capacitors 221 to the holding capacitors 222. The video signal held by the holding capacitors 222 are output to the signal electrodes 102 via the output buffers 230.
FIG. 22 diagrammatically shows waveforms of the input and output signals in the source driver 200. In FIG. 22, v(C.sub.SPL (i)), v(C.sub.H (i)) and v.sub.S (i) denote the voltage of the ith sampling capacitor 221, the voltage of the ith holding capacitor 222 and the output voltage of the ith output buffer 230, respectively.
FIG. 23 shows another matrix liquid crystal display device of the prior art in which a TFT liquid crystal panel 100 further comprises supplemental capacitance electrodes 106. The equivalent circuit of the pixels in the TFT liquid crystal panel 100 shown in FIG. 23 is illustrated in FIG. 24. As shown in FIG. 24, in addition to the pixel capacitance C.sub.LC formed between the pixel electrode 103 and the counter electrode 105, a supplemental capacitance C.sub.S is formed between the pixel electrode 103 and the supplemental capacitance electrode 106. In the TFT liquid crystal panel 100, the waveform of the AC signal applied to a liquid crystal pixel is asymmetric even when the signal electrodes 102 are AC-driven, and this results in the formation of polarized electric fields in the liquid crystal pixels, which results in the deterioration of the liquid crystal pixels and reduces their reliability. The addition of a supplemental capacitance is aimed at improving this kind of problem and reducing flicker.
Generally, one of the electrodes of the supplemental capacitance C.sub.S is formed by a part of the pixel electrode 103. The other electrode (i.e., supplemental capacitance electrodes 106) of the supplemental capacitance C.sub.S may be connected by either of the following two methods.
In the first method, as shown in FIG. 23, the supplemental capacitance electrode 106 corresponding to the jth scanning electrode 101 is connected electrically to the adjacent (j-1)th scanning electrode 101. The supplemental capacitance electrode 106 corresponding to the 0th (j=0) scanning electrode 101 is connected to the counter electrode 105. This method is referred to as the CS on-gate method.
In the second method, as shown in FIG. 25, the supplemental capacitance electrode 106 is connected electrically to the counter electrode 105. In this case, the voltage v.sub.x of the supplemental capacitance electrode 106 is equal to the voltage v.sub.c of the counter electrode 105.
In the second method, fetch bus lines for connecting the supplemental capacitance electrodes 106 to the counter electrodes 105 must be wired parallel to the scanning electrodes 101, thus causing a problem with reduced pixel areas. In the first method, however, such fetch bus lines can be realized by the gate electrodes, so this method is advantageous with respect to the improvement of pixel areas.
The so-called "analog video signal sampling method" drive circuits described above present the following problems (1) to (4) when attempts are made to increase the size or improve the resolution of a display panel such as the above-mentioned TFT liquid crystal panel 100.
(1) In a drive device which samples the amplitude of an analog video signal, the accuracy in the amplitude v(i, j ) of a sampled video signal is determined by the time constant established by the on-resistance R.sub.ON of the closed analog switch ASW1(i) and the capacitance C.sub.SPL of the sampling capacitor 221. Hence, the above-mentioned time constant must be selected so that the frequency band of the video signal is not narrowed by the sampling. More specifically, assuming the frequency at which the signal level drops by 3 dB is expressed as f(-3 dB) Hz in the frequency characteristic of the input analog video signal, then the condition in the following equation must be satisfied. ##EQU1##
As the capacity and resolution of display panels (TFT liquid crystal panel 100) are increased, the frequency band becomes wider, which requires faster sampling, so a low R.sub.ON and small C.sub.SPL are required to satisfy the equation above.
The charges in the sampling capacitors 221 are distributed to the holding capacitors 222 by the output pulse OE, and the voltage of the holding capacitor 222 of the capacitance C.sub.H becomes as follows. ##EQU2## When C.sub.H (i) <<C.sub.SPL (i), therefore, v(C.sub.H (i)) is approximately equal to v(i, j). It can be seen that there is a limit to the minimization of the capacitance C.sub.SPL in order to minimize amplitude attenuation due to charge distribution from the sampling capacitors 221 to the holding capacitors 222. Further, in order to suppress deterioration or irregularity of the input/output linearity due to dispersion during production in the on-resistance R.sub.ON as well as in the capacitances C.sub.SPL and C.sub.H, the capacitance C.sub.SPL cannot be made very small. As this indicates, there is a limit to the minimization of the capacitance of the sampling capacitors 221, so it is difficult to greatly widen the frequency band of the input video signal. This problem becomes an obstacle to increasing the capacity of a display panel.
(2) Analog video signals are supplied to the source driver 200 via the bus line as shown in FIG. 21, and as the capacity and resolution of a display panel are increased, the frequency band of the video signal becomes wider and the distribution capacity of the bus line increases. This results in the necessity of a wideband amplifier in the circuit supplying video signals, and increases the cost of production.
(3) When bus lines for supplying multiple analog video signals are arranged in a color display apparatus in which RGB video signals are used, as the capacity and resolution of the display panel are increased, the above-mentioned wideband amplifier is required to have extremely high signal quality in that there can be no phase differences between the multiple video signals and no dispersion in the amplitude characteristics or frequency characteristics.
(4) Unlike the displaying in a CRT, in drive circuits for matrix display devices, analog video signals are sampled according to a clock signal and displayed in pixels arranged in a matrix. Because delays in the drive device including delays in the bus lines cannot be avoided, it is extremely difficult to accurately establish the sampling position for the analog video signals. Particularly, when displaying on a matrix display apparatus a computer graphic image in which the relationship between video signals and pixel addresses is clearly defined, though in theory it should be possible to perfectly reproduce computer-generated images on the display panel, shift in the image display position, bleeding of the image, etc., due to delays in the drive system and deterioration of the frequency characteristics cannot be avoided in drive circuits using an analog video signal sampling method of the prior art.
Further, the operating voltage of the source driver in a drive device of the prior art presents problems concerning source drivers of the prior art which comprise shift registers, counters and other logic circuits which operate on low voltages, and sample and hold circuits, level shifters, output buffers and other intermediate-voltage circuits which operate at voltages higher than the logic circuits. The integration of such circuits with different operating voltages into a monolithic LSI device requires design rules and production processes suitable for the intermediate-voltage circuits. In the prior art, consequently, the increase of the operating speed of a logic circuitry is hindered, and it is difficult to attain high levels of large-scale integration, reduce costs and achieve low power consumption.

Drive device for driving a matrix-type LCD apparatus


An apparatus and method for synthesis and treatment of electrocatalyst particles in batch or continuous fashion is provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a sonication bath and a two-compartment chamber submerged in the sonication bath. The upper and lower compartments are separated by a microporous material surface. The upper compartment comprises a cover and a working electrode (WE) connected to a Pt foil contact, with the foil contact connected to the microporous material. The upper chamber further comprises reference counter electrodes. The lower compartment comprises an electrochemical cell containing a solution of metal ions. In one embodiment, the method for synthesis of electrocatalysts comprises introducing a plurality of particles into the apparatus and applying sonication and an electrical potential to the microporous material connected to the WE. After the non-noble metal ions are deposited onto the particles, the non-noble metal ions are displaced by noble-metal ions by galvanic displacement.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for controllable synthesis of noble metal monolayer electrocatalysts involving the redox displacement of an adlayer of a non-noble metal, such as Cu, by a noble-metal, such as Pt.
II. Background of the Related Art
Metals such as platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), ruthenium (Ru), and related alloys are known to be excellent catalysts. When incorporated in electrodes of an electrochemical device such as a fuel cell, these materials function as electrocatalysts since they accelerate electrochemical reactions at electrode surfaces yet are not themselves consumed by the overall reaction. Although noble metals have been shown to be some of the best electrocatalysts, their successful implementation in commercially available energy conversion devices is hindered by their high cost in combination with other factors such as a susceptibility to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, poor stability under cyclic loading, and the relatively slow kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
A variety of approaches has been employed in attempting to address these issues. One approach involves increasing the overall surface area available for reaction by forming particles with nanometer-scale dimensions. Loading of more expensive noble metals such as Pt has been further reduced by forming nanoparticles from alloys comprised of Pt and a low-cost component. Still further improvements have been attained by forming core-shell nanoparticles in which a core particle is coated with a thin shell of a different material which functions as the electrocatalyst. The core is usually a low cost material which is easily fabricated whereas the shell comprises a more catalytically active noble metal. An example is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 6,670,301 to Adzic, et al. which discloses a process for depositing a thin film of Pt on dispersed Ru nanoparticles supported by carbon (C) substrates. Another example is U.S. Patent Appl. Publ. No. 2006/0135359 to Adzic, et al. which discloses platinum- and platinum-alloy coated palladium and palladium alloy nanoparticles. Each of the aforementioned is incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth in this specification. Although these approaches have produced catalysts with a higher catalytic activity and reduced noble metal loading, realization of these enhancements on a commercial scale requires the development of large-scale and cost-effective manufacturing capabilities.
Practical synthesis of electrocatalyst particles with peak activity levels requires the development of commercially viable processes which are still capable of providing atomic-level control over the formation of ultrathin surface layers. Such a process must allow formation of uniform and conformal atomic-layer coatings of the desired material on a large number of three-dimensional particles having sizes as small as a few nanometers. One method of depositing a monolayer of Pt on particles of different metals involves the initial deposition of an atomic monolayer of a metal such as copper (Cu) by underpotential deposition (UPD). This is followed by galvanic displacement of the underlying Cu atoms by a more noble metal such as Pt as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publ. No. 2007/0264189 to Adzic, et al. Another method involves hydrogen adsorption-induced deposition of a monolayer of metal atoms on noble metal particles as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,507,495 to Wang, et al. Yet another mechanism involves an apparatus and method for the synthesis and treatment of metal monolayer electrocatalyst particles in batch or continuous fashion, as described in PCT Patent Publication No. WO/2011/119818 to Adzic et al. Each of the aforementioned is incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth in this specification.
Although these processes have been successful for small-scale experiments performed in the laboratory, their commercial realization will require the development of systems and methods capable of processing a large number of electrocatalyst particles to within very tight tolerances. There, therefore, is a continuing need in the art for the development of commercially viable systems and methods for synthesizing electrocatalyst particles.

Method and electrochemical cell for synthesis and treatment of metal monolayer electrocatalysts metal, carbon, and oxide nanoparticles ion batch, or in continuous fashion


A pipe choke for use in drilling and mining operations comprising a body including a first end and a second end configured to couple to a pipe, an opening extending through the body from the first end to the second end, and wherein the body includes a first phase comprising recrystallized silicon carbide and a second phase comprising silicon.

1. Field of Disclosure
The following is directed to a construction article, and particularly, a construction article having a composite structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many oil well facilities around the world operate under high pressure. In other words, the pressure within the well is sufficiently high (e.g., 3000 to 5000 psi) to carry the crude oil to the surface without pumping. Unless restricted, the crude oil flows to the surface at a high velocity and contains sand and other debris that can erode some of the oil well piping components. In order to control flow properties in the pipes, pressure reducing components may be used at particular intervals. Generally, pressure reducing devices are made of carbon steel. The devices may have tungsten carbide inserts to line the inside surfaces of the flow channel to reduce erosive effects of the fluid contained therein. Continuous erosion of the pressure reducer over time typically results in continuous loss of operating pressure until gross failure requires replacement. Since high pressure oil wells typically produce about 5,000 to 12,000 barrels of oil a day, the downtime associated with replacement of a pressure reducer can result in a significant loss of oil production. It is readily apparent that the present construction of oil well pressure reducing assemblies leaves something to be desired with respect to wear resistance and useful life.
Tungsten carbide is known to be one of the most wear-resistant materials currently available. Moreover, its combination as a coating on metal materials is well-known. Tungsten carbide is applied as a coating on a metal substrate to make the material more wear-resistant while saving costs and avoiding manufacturing constraints for making monolithic bodies of tungsten carbide. Other ceramic materials commercially available include oxides and carbides. Among the carbide materials, silicon carbide has been used in the refractories industry. Various types of silicon carbide exist, including for example, sintered silicon carbide, hot pressed silicon carbide, and recrystallized silicon carbide. Generally, porous silicon carbide materials such as nitride-bonded silicon carbide (known by acronyms such as NBSC and NSIC) have found practical use in refractory applications.

Construction articles and methods of forming same


A raft assembly in the roll forming art having a plurality of forming roll stands including a combined horizontal raft plate and first vertical stand formed together in an L-shaped single cast. The first vertical stand supports multiple station pairs of spindles at one end thereof and a plurality of second vertical stands each of which supports the opposite ends of a said pair of spindles on a single roll stand and bolts for attaching the second vertical stands to the raft plate oppositely positioned from said first vertical stand.

The forming rolls on a roll forming machine are arranged in pairs with each pair being supported on spindles or tooling arbors which in turn are supported at their ends by vertical stands. Initially the vertical stands were separate parts which were each releasably attached to a machine base. However, each time the tooling was changed there was required a total disassembly and reassembly of the vertical stands, their contained spindles and the forming rolls on those spindles. This was very time consuming and particularly the precise alignment of all of the re-assembled stands.
Designers then combined the two vertical stands in an integral u-shaped structure, next they provide a plurality of stands on a horizontal raft plate which allowed the total raft to be removed intact without any disassembly. The raft assembly now involved a u-shaped structure which supported the forming rolls and spindles which did not require disassembly each time they were removed from the roll forming line. The current prior art raft design includes three separate pieces, two vertical stands joined by a horizontal raft plate to which they are both bolted.


A two-part clamp-connected chimney flue tee. The tee includes an elongated main section which is detachably connected to a transversely extending bull, or snout section. The main section has flue pipe connection ends and an oval cut-out portion in its sidewall, generally midway between the connection ends. The periphery of the cut-out includes an outwardly flaring flange, for mating with a corresponding contoured end of the bull section. Hooks are mounted on the inner sidewall of the main section, on opposing sides of the cut-out. Lever-actuated clamps, having a U-shaped locking member, are mounted on opposing inner portions of the sidewalls of the contoured end of the bull section. In mating the two sections, the bull section is press-fitted over the flange surrounding the cut-out. A locking member on one side of the contoured end is engaged with a respective hook. Then, the lever on the clamp is snapped toward the adjacent sidewall, into a locked position. The process is repeated for the locking member, the hook, and the lever on the other side of the conjunction, to secure the two sections firmly together.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to flue pipe accessories, for interconnecting a flue pipe with a heating appliance. More specifically, the invention pertains to two-part chimney flue tees, typically employed when relining either unlined or tile-lined masonry chimneys, which vent stoves, fireplaces, fireplace inserts, or heating appliances fueled by oil, coal, or gas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For purposes of safety and improved heating performance, it is desirable to modernize old chimneys by relining them with a stainless steel chimney liner. Old chimneys are sometimes over-sized for the fire-box of the fireplace or heating appliance, so that an excessive amount of draft is produced. This results in an unnecessary loss of heat and a faster rate of fuel consumption. A certain number of old chimneys are unlined, as well. Unlined chimneys may have air leaks, and they do not provide the safety and efficiency that a lined chimney does. Even if a masonry chimney is tile-lined, an insulated stainless steel chimney liner provides upgraded safety and performance.
The difficulty lies in the proper installation of such chimney liners, given the fact that access to the interior volume of the old chimney is limited. This makes assembly of tubular sections of the liner, and the associated fittings and accessories, a challenge. Although techniques and processes have been developed for installing chimney liners, there are particular stages of assembly which remain time-consuming.
One such stage is the interconnection of the chimney flue line with the particular stove, fireplace, fireplace insert, or heating appliance being installed. Typically, a chimney flue tee is used, to redirect the horizontal output vent from the heating appliance 90 degrees, so it may be connected to the vertically oriented chimney flue line. The chimney flue liner is sequentially assembled immediately above the upper end of the chimney, where it is carefully fed downwardly until it reaches the area where the flue tee is to be located. Owing to limited lateral clearance, it is impossible to feed a fully assembled flue tee down the chimney, on the lowermost end of the flue liner. Therefore, two-part flue tees have been developed, so the elongated main section of the tee can be connected to the end of the flue liner and freely lowered into place. Then, a separate part, known in the trade as a tee bull or xe2x80x9csnoutxe2x80x9d, is pushed through an access hole in the side of the chimney to join the elongated section of the tee.
Several systems have been used to interconnect the tee bull with the main tee section. Probably the most common connection system is a screwdriver-adjustable band arrangement. This band arrangement is manufactured from stainless steel, and resembles a large hose clamp in construction. The band is connected to one side of the tee bull, extends around the back side of the main tee section, and then returns back to a length-adjustable connection on the other side of the tee bull. To install such a band, the screw adjustment is loosened a sufficient amount, so that the main tee section can be lowered within the loop formed by the band. Once the tee bull is aligned with the hole in the sidewall of the main tee section, and furnace cement is applied to the joint, a screwdriver is used to tighten the band and draw the two parts together.
Yet another prior art construction uses two pairs of threaded brackets. Two brackets, each with a threaded hole, extend from the inner sidewall of the main tee section, adjacent the hole in the sidewall. The complementary brackets, each rotatably supporting a long screw, are mounted to the inner sidewall of the tee bull section. When the tee bull is held in alignment with the hole in the main tee section, the installer aligns the screws with the threaded holes in the interior brackets, and screw tightens the two parts together.
Both of the above-described tee connection systems are difficult to use, and require tedious alignment of components and fasteners in dark and restricted areas. The connection components do not always align properly, particularly on the first try, and as a consequence, valuable labor is often wasted in assembling the flue tee.
Consequently, the need exists for a two-part chimney flue tee which which is simple to use and fast to connect, both for installation, and for system repair or modification.
The need further exists for a two-part chimney flue tee which may be site assembled without tools, eliminating the necessity of aligning the tool with an adjustable fastener.
The need also exists for a connection system for a two-part chimney flue tee which is self-aligning and positive in locking action.
The need further exists for a connection system for a two-part chimney flue tee which can withstand the corrosive elements and elevated temperatures encountered in a chimney flue.
These and other objects of the two-part chimney flue tee of the present will be discussed in the detailed description to follow.
The first part of the present chimney flue tee is a main section. The main section is elongated and tubular, terminating with flue pipe connection ends and including a cut-out portion in its sidewall. The cut-out portion is located generally mid-way, between the two connection ends. The cut-out portion includes a peripheral edge, provided with an outwardly flaring flange.
The main section also has an inner sidewall. Inwardly protruding hooks are mounted on the inner sidewall, on opposing sides of the cut-out portion.
The second part of the tee is a termed a bull, or snout section. The bull section is also tubular, and includes a contoured end, of appropriate size and configuration to fit snugly over the flange of the cut-out portion. The bull section has a pair of lever-actuated clamps mounted on inner opposing portions of the sidewall of the contoured end. Each clamp has a U-shaped locking member, a lever, and a mounting bracket. The open end of the U-shaped locking member is pivotally attached to the lever. The lever, in turn, is pivotally mounted to the mounting bracket. The closed end of the U-shaped locking member is sized to engage a respective hook inside the mouth of the cut-out portion.
When the contoured end of the bull section is slipped over the flange, the bull section is transversely positioned with respect to the main section, thus forming the tee assembly. The first locking member is placed over an adjacent hook and the lever is snapped shut, toward the inner sidewall of the bull section. The same operation is performed with the second locking member. The lever action of the clamps draws the main section and the bull section together, in perfect alignment.
Second and third embodiments of the chimney flue tee are also disclosed. In the second embodiment, the relative positions of the hooks and the lever-actuated clamps are simply reversed. In other words, the hooks are mounted on the inner opposing portions of the sidewall of the bull section, and the lever-actuated clamps are mounted on opposing sides of the cut-out portion, on the inner sidewall of the main section. In all respects of assembly and performance, the second embodiment is equivalent to that of the first embodiment.
In the third embodiment, one of the hook and lever-actuated clamp sets is replaced with a first and second connection fixture. The first connection fixture is disclosed as an aperture, extending through the sidewall of the main section. The second connection fixture is shown as a boss, extending inwardly from the contoured end of the bull section. When the contoured end is slipped over the flange, the boss passes through and engages the aperture, locking one side of the contoured end to one side of the cut-out portion. Then, when the locking member of the lever-actuated clamp is placed over an adjacent hook and the lever is snapped shut, the main section and the bull section are securely joined.

Two-part, clamp-connected chimney flue tee


A system for providing a shipping label and a packing list on a container is provided which enables rapid and automated sequential application of a packing list and a shipping label to the container. The shipping label is configured complemental to the packing list whereby the packing list may first be adhered directly to the container and then the shipping label may be placed thereover. The shipping label may be applied over the packing list while the container moves continuously down a conveyor. The invention further includes an apparatus for sequentially applying the packing list and then the shipping label, and a method for applying the packing list and shipping label in registry.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a two-part shipping and packing label system and method of making and applying the system which permits rapid placement of a shipping label over a packing list also provided as a label wherein both are applied to a substrate such as a container or the like. More particularly, it is concerned with a shipping and packing label system which may be sequentially applied to the container, wherein the shipping label is placed in registry over and around the packing list to conceal the latter until the shipping label is removed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The emergence of mail order sales through catalogs and online retail sites has greatly expanded the shipment of products through the mail and commercial delivery services. The shipper must have a shipping label which provides an address to which the package is directed. In addition, a packing list must be provided for inventory control and tracking by the shipper and to provide the recipient a way to check whether the contents of the package match the order as placed. An inherent requirement is that the packing list be concealed from external view or be tamper evident to quickly show if someone has attempted to discover the contents of the shipping carton during delivery. One way of accomplishing this is to insert a packing list into the carton along with the products to be shipped, and then to apply a separate shipping label on the exterior of the carton. However, this is time consuming, requires substantial manual work by the shipper, and requires substantial efforts to coordinate the activities of the packing list placement with the application of the shipping label when the two steps are performed at remote locations. More significantly, this activity results in slowed processing of the order at the time of shipping, and prevents substantial economies to be achieved by increasing the speed of the conveyor during the shipping process.
An alternative method of applying shipping labels and packing lists involves the use of clear plastic pouches which are adhered to the outside of the carton with the statement "PACKING LIST ENCLOSED" printed thereon. The use of such plastic pouches enables the shipper to place the packing list and the shipping label on the exterior of the carton at the same time, but such pouches are expensive and still require the insertion of the packing list into the pouch, sealing of the pouch, placement of the pouch, and placement of the shipping label, which steps may involve further expense in the form of additional machines and or increased human labor, may reduce the speed of the shipping conveyor, and still has the shipping label printed and applied separately from the packing list which may result in separation of the two.
Recently, I have developed an improved shipping and packing label as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,186,554 and 6,213,518, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. This shipping and packing label represents a substantial improvement over the prior art and permits automated printing and application of the shipping label. However, these shipping and packing labels require duplex printers to apply printing to both sides of the form simultaneously. These printers are not readily available and thus currently inhibit the use of such forms by many shippers. Moreover, the requirement for a duplex printer prevents the use of current printers and label applicators from their use. The forms of the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,186,554 and 6,213,518 patents are also designed for manual application to the container and do not lend themselves to high speed continuous application in an automated system which provides automated printing and application of the form in concert with automated matching of the shipping label to the container.
There has thus developed a need for a shipping label and packing list system which is economical, may be rapidly applied, and enables automated printing and application.

Sequentially placed shipping and packing label system


A method is performed by a mobile device having one or more processors and memory for updating information in an instant messenger application installed on the mobile device. The method includes: receiving an instant message from a remote server, the instant message including a first user actionable item; displaying the instant message including the first user actionable item in a graphical user interface corresponding to the instant messenger application; detecting a first user input through the first user actionable item; in accordance with the first user input: generating an information update request; sending the information update request to the remote server; receiving a response to the information update request from the remote server; and updating the instant message in the graphical user interface in accordance with the response from the remote server.

Instant Messenger (short for IM) refers to an application that can instantly send and receive the Internet messages, etc. With the development of the Internet technology, Instant Messenger is no longer a simple chat tool, Instant Messenger's function becomes increasingly abundant and is gradually integrated with numerous functions of email, blog, music, TV, game and search function, it has been developed to be an integrated information platform integrating communication, information, entertainment, search, e-commerce, office collaboration and enterprise customer service, etc. With the development of mobile Internet, Internet Instant Messenger becomes mobile too. At present, all the important Instant Messenger providers offer the businesses that access the Internet Instant Messenger through the mobile terminal, the user can send and receive the messages through the mobile terminals equipped with the corresponding client-side software, such as cell phone, tablets, vehicle terminal, etc.
The conventional IM message only supports the receiver to do the basic reading and view, two sides of Instant Messenger can interact with each other only through the function option that each client-side or the session interface of Instant Messenger carries, however, the function that the session interface of Instant Messenger carries is often restricted because of display screen size of mobile terminal, the function options that the client-side with different types or different version carries are also usually different, it is inconvenient for the interaction between two sides of Instant Messenger.

System and method for updating information in an instant messaging application

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED