The flexible projectile arresting device is used typically in the playing or practicing of a ball game such as baseball, golf or soccer to restrict the flight of the ball to a limited area. The elements of the device include side and roof panels of flexible material, such as netting, loosely suspended by cord or rope between rigid compression struts or poles at corners. The struts are inclined so as to be located behind the panels out of the path of the ball or projectile. The tops of the struts are restrained by tension guys secured at the ground. The device moves upon impact by the projectile thereby absorbing and dissipating kinetic energy and preventing dangerous rebound. The device returns to its original shape after impact.

Many ball games either require or are enhanced by devices which restrict the movement of the ball. For example, most baseball playing fields include a backstop located behind home plate consisting of a vertical screen, commonly extending toward first and third base for some distance, and often with an overhead roof component. The purpose is to prevent the ball from leaving the immediate area of play when thrown or struck into the backstop. The result is one of both utility and safety since spectators may locate behind the backstop for protection. In most instances these barriers are permanent structures consisting of steel chain link or wire screens supported by steel or wood frames. Although this type of construction is generally durable, it is also relatively expensive. Furthermore, the barrier normally must be utilized where originally built since relocation is difficult. The fields on which they are constructed often may not be utilized for other sports or activities due to the physical restrictions which they impose. For example, permanent baseball backstops can impede the seasonal use of otherwise large open areas for soccer or football. Semi-portable devices are known, such as backstops and cages with wheels attached thereto. Other relatively small devices have been built without permanent attachment to the ground to allow for manual relocation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,295 to Roberts (1976) discloses a foldable, transportable backstop. However, the ease and speed of relocation of such existing devices is arguable.
The practice of many ball games is also aided by the use of projectile arresting devices. Baseball pitchers can practice without a catcher by throwing balls into a backstop or screen. Similarly, a batter may hit balls off a tee into such devices. Pitchers and batters often practice together in a cage-like enclosure which restricts the flight of the ball to a predetermined limited area. Many such practice devices are at least semi-portable. The most common construction consists of netting suspended between rigid support posts or frames which are in turn often stabilized by tension guys to the ground plane. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,997 to Boehner (1971) discloses a batting cage of this type of construction. In actual use this type of construction imposes several disadvantages. Balls may strike the rigid material resulting in damage over the long term. The rigid materials can also cause high energy rebounding of the ball resulting in a safety hazard or other undesirable performance characteristics. High energy rebounding can also be caused by the tautness of the screen or its supporting ropes or cords. Such construction can be difficult to assemble and adjust to the desired shape. Also, these structures can tend to lose shape and stability with use. U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,267 to Bay and DiMarco (1977) discloses a device with improved energy absorbing capability over previous devices. This is accomplished by removing rigid materials from the path of the projectiles and by hanging the netting relatively loosely from its supporting frame. This device also returns to its proper shape by gravity after impact by the projectile. These improvements, however, are the result of a collapsible support which is relatively complicated, heavy, and expensive to manufacture.
The primary disadvantages of currently known projectile arresting devices utilized as screens, backstops, nets, and cages for the purpose of restricting the flight of a game ball during the playing or practicing of sports such as baseball, soccer, golf and tennis are summarized as follows:
1. They are often permanent structures which are difficult to relocate and expensive to construct. PA0 2. Portable devices are often heavy and otherwise difficult to assemble and transport. PA0 3. Many devices tend to loose their shape and stability after use. PA0 4. Rigid elements are subject to damage when struck by projectiles. PA0 5. Rigid elements tend to reflect projectiles without dissipating kinetic energy leading to potentially unsafe operating conditions. PA0 6. Taut screens and highly tensioned support ropes and cords tend to reflect projectiles without dissipating kinetic energy leading to potentially unsafe operating conditions. PA0 7. Devices which address some of the previously mentioned disadvantages are expensive to manufacture. PA0 1. All rigid materials are located outside of the potential path of the projectiles. PA0 2. The barrier which arrests the flight of the projectiles is completely flexible. PA0 3. The potential for high energy rebound of the projectile is minimized. PA0 4. The kinetic energy of the projectile is absorbed and dissipated safely by the response of the device to the impact of the projectile. PA0 5. The device retains its original shape after repeated use. PA0 6. Assembly and disassembly of the device is easy and does not require skilled labor, special tools, or equipment. PA0 7. The device can quickly and easily relocated. PA0 8. The materials of construction for the device may be extremely light in weight. PA0 9. The materials of construction are commonly available; the manufacture does not require skilled labor nor sophisticated equipment or processes; and, consequently, the device is very inexpensive.


A floatable on water, translucent laminated plastic sheet material having a plastic embossed film with a plurality of embossments dispersed thereon except at the longitudinal edges thereof. The embossments are spaced apart and separated by land areas and a plastic backing film is laminated to the embossed film at the said longitudinal edges and at the land areas. Thus air containing buoyant cells are formed by the embossments of the embossed film and the backing film. The improvement comprise a fibrous material laminated to the sheet material at least at the longitudinal edges thereof, whereby the edges are reinforced by the fibrous material and the edges may be attached to correspondingly reinforced edges of another of the sheet material without substantially weakening the attached sheets of material at the attachments thereof.

Floatable sheet material has been used in the art for covering swimming pools so that during the cooler part of the swimming season, the floatable sheet material will retain the heat in the swimming pool water and, additionally, allow the water to be heated by sunlight. These covers are normally made of a translucent plastic which has been rendered buoyant so that the covers float on the swimming pool water but will allow the sun's rays to pass through the covers and heat the water in the pool. During cooler periods, these covers prevent loss of heat from the water in the swimming pools. The covers are not normally secured to the sides of the pool, but are originally manufactured, or cut, to substantially cover the water in the pool. When the pool is to be used, the covers are removed, often by rolling onto a reel system near the pool, and are again replaced on the pool when the pool is not in use.
The pool covers experience substantial stress when being removed from the pool or replaced thereon. Not only are the covers often of considerable size, and hence weight, e.g. 20 ft..times.40 ft., but especially when removing the covers from the pool, the covers will be wet and will entrain some water, thereby increasing the weight. Thus, the covers can be quite heavy, and correspondingly substantial strain is placed on the covers when removing from or placing on the pool. In addition, strong winds can move the covers about the pool, since they are free floating on the water, and that wind action can place additional stress on the covers.
As can be therefore appreciated, the covers must be strong and be able to withstand considerable stress, or otherwise the covers will deteriorate with use and begin to tear. Once the covers tear, they are, of course, more difficult to remove and replace on the pool and the stress during such removal and replacement increases the likelihood of causing greater tears.
Such pool covers may be made by a variety of methods, but by far most of the pool covers are made by attaching sections of floatable on water (buoyant), translucent laminated plastic sheet material. This sheet material is produced by laminating an embossed film with a plurality of embossments dispersed thereon to a backing film whereby air containing buoyant cells are formed by the embossments of the embossed film and the backing film. The laminated sheet material is usually made in widths of about 4 or 6 feet, and in continuous running lengths. The edges of the continuous running lengths (the longitudinal edges) are not embossed and do not, therefore, contain the buoyant cells. The running lengths of the sheet material are cut to appropriate lengths for a particular pool length and the width of the pool cover is achieved by attaching, one to the other, the appropriately cut running lengths. For example, for a 20 ft. wide and 40 ft. long pool cover, 4 feet wide running lengths are cut to sections of approximately 40 feet in length, and five of these 4 feet wide sections are attached, edge to edge, in order to provide the required 20 foot width of the pool cover.
The edges are attached, one to the other, by a variety of methods, but unfortunately all of these methods weaken the edges at the points of attachment. For example, when the edges are attached, one to the other, by heat sealing, that heat sealing weakens the attached edges. In addition heat sealing distorts the films and the pool cover will not lie flat on the water, resulting in an unsightly appearance. Similarly, when the edges are attached by adhesives or the like, the adhesives will likewise weaken and distort those attached edges, since an adhesive, in order to be effective, must in part dissolve the plastic of the sheet material. The strongest means of attachment of the edges are by sewing, but here again, the needle punctures of the edges during the sewing operation weakens the attached edges.
Thus, generally speaking, the weakest points of the pool cover are along the attachments of the edges of the sheet material. With continued use of the pool cover, as explained above, these weakest points begin to give way and the pool cover will tear and become unserviceable.
It would therefore be of substantial advantage to the art to provide such sheet material, where sections of the sheet material can be attached, edge to edge, without substantially weakening the attached sheets of materials at the attachments thereof. Correspondingly, it would be of decided advantage to the art to provide pool covers where the attachments of the sheet material do not substantially weaken the sheet material at the attachments thereof. Finally, it would also be a substantial advantage to the art to provide methods for producing such improved sheet materials and pool covers.

Floatable sheet material and method of making


Methods for the removal of anti-reflective layers during fabrication of integrated circuits are disclosed. In particular, an anti-reflective pattern or layer can be removed using a solution that includes a fluorine containing compound, an oxidant, and water. The fluorine containing compound in the solution can be hydrogen fluorine containing compound. Preferably, the oxidant in the solution is H2O2. The oxidant in the solution can also be ozone water. Related compositions are also disclosed.

This application claims priority to Korean Application No. 00-41427, filed Jul. 19, 2000, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to the field of integrated circuit fabrication in general and, more particularly, to the removal of anti-reflective layers during integrated circuit fabrication.
As the density of integrated circuits increase, so may the need for forming fine patterns therein. For example, integrated circuit memory devices with a capacity of 1-Gigabit or more may need a pattern size having a design rule of about 0.2 xcexcm or less. However, it may be difficult to use conventional i-line photoresists to form such fine patterns. Thus, a photolithography technique using Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) photoresist has been suggested.
It is known to deposit a photoresist layer on multiple material layers of an integrated circuit device and expose a portion of the photoresist layer to light develop the photoresist layer into photoresist patterns. An anti-reflective layer may be formed under the photoresist layer to prevent diffusion reflection from the underlying layers during exposure and thereby achieve higher resolution photolithography.
In particular, it is known to use a silicon oxynitride layer as the anti-reflective layer with a DUV photoresist. The silicon oxynitride layer can suppress diffusion reflection from the underlying layers. Furthermore, the silicon oxynitride layer may reduce undesirable effects that may occur during patterning of the photoresist layer. For example, the silicon oxynitride layer may help avoid a phenomenon referred to as photoresist poisoning, which can lead to a footing phenomenon after development of the photoresist layer.
FIGS. 1A through 1D are cross-sectional views that illustrate a conventional method for fabricating integrated circuits. In particular, FIGS. 1A through 1D illustrate a photolithography process in which a silicon oxynitride layer can be used as an anti-reflective film in forming a gate electrode of a transistor.
First, according to FIG. 1A, a doped polysilicon layer and an anti-reflective layer, such as a silicon oxynitride layer, are sequentially deposited on an integrated circuit substrate 10 having an isolation region 12 and an oxide layer. After forming a photoresist pattern 28 on the resultant structure, the anti-reflective layer, the doped polysilicon layer and the oxide layer are sequentially etched using the photoresist pattern 28 as an etching mask, thereby resulting in an anti-reflective pattern 26, a gate electrode 24 and a gate oxide layer 22 as shown in FIG. 1A.
Next, the photoresist pattern 28 is removed to expose the anti-reflective pattern 26 on the gate electrode 14, as shown in FIG. 1B. The exposed anti-reflective pattern 26 can have a thickness of about 300 to 400 Angstroms. According to some conventional techniques, the anti-reflective pattern 26 can be removed during a cleaning process that uses a mixture of NH4OH, H2O2 and deionized water in a ratio of 1:4:20 by volume (hereinafter, referred to as xe2x80x9cSC-1xe2x80x9d) as the cleaning solution. In other conventional processes an HF solution can be used as the cleaning solution. The cleaning process can be followed by a rinsing process using deionized water.
Unfortunately, when SC-1 is used to etch the anti-reflective pattern 26, the underlying polysilicon layer of the gate electrode 24 may also be etched. On the other hand, if an HF solution is used to remove the anti-reflective pattern 26, the anti-reflective pattern 26 may not be fully removed, such that a remnant anti-reflective pattern 26a may remain on the gate electrode 24. Moreover, the remnant anti-reflective pattern 26a may include semi-spherical defects (or seeds).
The defects can be caused by the porous nature of the silicon oxynitride layer. In particular, when an unstable porous structure, such as the silicon oxynitride layer, is present on a hydrophobic layer, such as the polysilicon layer, a portion of the unstable porous structure (i.e., the silicon oxynitride layer) may remain on the surface of hydrophobic layer (i.e., the polysilicon layer) after cleaning. Seeds may have an increased tendency to form on a hydrophobic layer compared to a hydrophilic layer, due to the presence of dangling bonds on its surface.
The remaining portion of the silicon oxynitride layer may react with silica (SixOy) in the deionized water that is used in the rinsing process to cause the semi-spherical defects. The remnant anti-reflective pattern 26a may act as a barrier in subsequent ion implantation or metal silicide formation, thereby increasing the probability of a device failure.
The remnant anti-reflective pattern 26a, including the semi-spherical defects which remains on the gate electrode 24, may be removed by increasing the amount of etching during the a chemical cleaning process. However, as shown in FIG. 1D, the isolation region 12 may be unacceptably recessed or an undercut 22a may be formed in the gate oxide layer 22 by increased etching. Thus, it can be difficult to provide processing margins sufficient to remove the anti-reflective pattern 26 while reducing over etching of other portions of the integrated circuit.
Embodiments according to the present invention can provide methods and compositions for the removal of anti-reflective layers during fabrication of integrated circuits. Pursuant to these embodiments, an anti-reflective pattern or layer can be removed from an integrated circuit using a solution that includes a fluorine containing compound, an oxidant, and water. In some embodiments, the fluorine containing compound in the solution is Hydrogen Fluoride (HF). Preferably, the oxidant in the solution is H2O2. In some embodiments, the oxidant in the solution is ozone water. The water can be deionized water.
In some embodiments according to the present invention, the solution can be about 50% or more oxidant by volume. In some embodiments according to the present invention, a ratio of the fluorine containing compound to the oxidant in the solution can be in a range between about 14:800 and 14:1000 by volume. In some embodiments according to the present invention, the fluorine containing compound can be an HF solution that is 49% pure.
In other embodiments according to the present invention, the oxidant can be 30% pure H2O2 that is in a range between about 50% and 80% of the solution by volume. In other embodiments according to the present invention, a ratio of the fluorine containing compound to the oxidant to the deionized water in the solution can be in a range between about 14:1100:300 to 14:1000:400 by volume.
In other embodiments according to the present invention, an integrated circuit can be fabricated by forming a conductive layer on an integrated circuit substrate. An anti-reflective layer can be formed on the conductive layer. A photoresist pattern can be formed on the anti-reflective layer. The anti-reflective layer and the conductive layer can be etched using the photoresist pattern as an etching mask to provide an anti-reflective pattern and a gate electrode. The anti-reflective pattern can be removed using a solution containing a fluorine containing compound and an oxidant.
In some embodiments according to the present invention, an anti-reflective layer removal composition can include a solution of a fluorine containing compound, an oxidant, and water. The solution can about 50% or more oxidant by volume. In some embodiments according to the present invention, a ratio of the fluorine containing compound to the oxidant in the solution can be in a range between about 14:800 and 14:1000 by volume. In other embodiments, the solution can be less than about 80% oxidant by volume. In some embodiments according to the present invention, the water can be deionized water.
In some embodiments according to the present invention, the conductive layer can be polysilicon. In some embodiments according to the present invention, the anti-reflective layer can be a silicon oxynitride layer. In some embodiments according to the present invention, the anti-reflective layer can be formed by one of a chemical vapor deposition and a physical vapor deposition.

Methods and compositions for removal of anti-reflective layers using fluorine containing compounds, oxidants, and water


A coming and going personnel control system having a high security level by prohibiting a coming person who has dealt with a dangerous substance from entering a facility through a control area is disclosed. Whether a person coming into the control area carries a dangerous substance such as explosive material with him or has dealt with such dangerous substance can be checked by the steps of: ionizing air which has been contacted with the person coming into a control area by a discharging device; the ionized air is detected by a mass spectrometer as a molecular weight; the molecular weight is input into a control processor; and if the detected molecular weight is matched with a molecular weight of dangerous substance which have been registered previously into the control processor, the door in a direction forward to the coming person is closed.

The present invention relates to a system for controlling coming and going personnel at an important facility such as a nuclear power plant and the like.
A conventional gate for controlling the coming and going personnel is operated only for checking whether a person is qualified to enter a control area or not. For instance, in order to check the qualification of a coming person, various personal information are stored in the system; the coming person makes the system read his ID card and the like in order to make the system identify his personal information; and the system judges whether the person is qualified to enter the control area or not by retrieving his personal information based on the input from his ID card and the like.
The gate for controlling the coming and going personnel is at least provided with a card reader for reading the ID card and a gate to control passage of the coming and going personnel. Whether the coming person carries a dangerous substance with him or not is checked by a metal detector and the like used in air ports and other various places other than the gate for controlling the coming and going personnel, and the passage of the coming person is manually controlled. An example of prior art of a facility to control the coming and going personnel is disclosed in JP-A-11-352032 (1999).
In accordance with the prior art, only a metallic product is detected as a dangerous substance. If the control area is a power station, for instance, metallic tools and the like are brought in frequently, and the coming person has to bring in the tools through another gate than a gate for controlling the coming person. Moreover, because only a metallic product is detected, the prior art is not effective when dangerous explosives are brought in. Accordingly, a gate for controlling the coming and going personnel, which can readily detect dangerous explosives in addition to control coming and going personnel, is required.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for controlling coming and going personnel, and a system thereof


A steam ironing and/or smoothing appliance including an ironing board against which a garment to be ironed can be placed for a steam treatment, the ironing board being mounted with the ability to pivot by a hinge device enabling the ironing board to be immobilized in various tilted positions, the hinge device including a first part which is mobile in rotation in relation to a second part, the first part including at least one notch in which is engaged at least one locking element carried by the second part in order to prevent the hinge device from rotating, wherein the second part is mobile in translation in relation to the first part according to a course and a direction enabling the locking element to engage and disengage in the notch.

From the patent application WO2016116298, a steam ironing appliance is known comprising a base containing a steam generator connected by a pipe to a smoothing head comprising steam outlet openings. In that document, the base comprises two telescopic poles which support an ironing board on which the garment to be ironed may rest during the steam treatment of the garment, the ironing board being mounted with the ability to pivot by means of a hinge device enabling the ironing board to be immobilized in various tilted positions.
Such a steam ironing/smoothing appliance has the advantage of having an ironing board whose tilt can be changed by means of a hinge device, for better ergonomics of use.
However, such an appliance has the disadvantage of having a hinge device equipped with a spring locking system which is relatively costly to manufacture. In addition, to unlock the hinge device and enable the ironing board to pivot, the user must actuate the unlocking button while grasping the ironing board in order to change its tilt. Such a manipulation is not easy, because the unlocking button is found on the hinge device, that is, at a location which is both distant from the ironing board and hidden by the latter. Finally, there is a risk that the user's finger may be pinched by the return of the unlocking button under the effect of its return spring.

Steam ironing and/or smoothing appliance comprising an ironing board that can be immobilized in various tilted positions


A carry look ahead circuit is implemented such that only one gate delay is incurred in calculating the carry output after the carry input becomes valid. The carry input and the carry output have opposite logical polarities. "Odd" carry look ahead stages are defined to have a positive logic carry input and a negative logic carry output, while "even" stages are defined to have a negative logic carry input and a positive logic carry output. Using "alternating polarity" in this manner simplifies the logic design of both odd and even stages. In a first embodiment, the generate and propagate computations are performed by a separate logic block. As the level of look ahead increases, the complexity of the generate and propagate block increases, but the remainder of the circuitry is unaffected. In a second embodiment, the generate and propagate signal computations are integrated into a complex gate which produces the carry output of each stage. In this manner, a reduction in the number of transistors used and circuit complexity is achieved over the first embodiment. Using more stages with less latency per stage reduces the total hardware required to accomplish a fixed latency. The minimum achievable propagation delay is reduced because the delay from carry input to carry output in each alternating polarity carry look ahead stage is less.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to binary adders for integrated circuits. Specifically, the present invention relates to carry look ahead adders in which propagation delay and hardware costs are minimized.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a standard ripple carry adder structure. The ripple carry adder takes two binary numbers, A and B, as inputs, and produces a single binary number, S, as output. In the example shown in FIG. 1, A, B, and S are each six bits in length. The ripple carry adder in FIG. 1 is made of six full adder cells 100. Although the ripple carry adder is implemented with a minimal amount of hardware, its propagation delay is relatively large. Each full adder 100 takes a carry input C.sub.in which is necessary to compute its sum output and carry output C.sub.out. The amount of time necessary for the most significant bit S.sub.5 of the output S and the carry output C.sub.6 to become valid is constrained by the possibility of an asserted carry signal rippling through the row of adders from C.sub.0 to C.sub.6. If each full adder cell 100 requires a time t.sub.c to compute the C.sub.out output after the C.sub.in input has become valid, then the total propagation delay of the adder shown in FIG. 1 is 6*t.sub.c. Generally, the propagation delay is approximately n*t.sub.c for a ripple carry adder, where n is the number of full adders in the circuit. Therefore, the growth of the propagation delay of the ripple carry adder is a linear function of the number of bits in the addends.
The linear growth of a ripple carry adder's propagation delay is improved by calculating the carries to each stage in parallel with the sum computations for that stage. Carry look ahead is a technique for reducing the carry propagation delay by computing the output carry signal for several bits in parallel with the sum computations for those same bits. FIG. 2 shows the structure of a 6-bit carry look ahead adder. The 6-bit adder in FIG. 2 has two stages 200 and 201 of three-level look ahead circuits. Each three-level look ahead circuit 200 and 201 directly computes its C.sub.out output based upon the appropriate six bits of the addends--three bits from A and three bits from B--and its carry input C.sub.in. A carry look ahead adder is typically designed so that the latency of the computation of C.sub.out after its C.sub.in input becomes valid has the same order of latency as each full adder cell 203. In this manner, the full adder cells 204 computing the more significant bits of the adder's output receive their carry inputs earlier than in a similar ripple carry adder so that the most latent outputs, S.sub.5 and C.sub.6, become valid with less latency.
In order to implement a carry look ahead circuit, the carry output C.sub.i from the i.sup.th level is written in terms of the necessary inputs required for its computation. The carry output from the i.sup.th level, C.sub.i, can be expressed as follows. EQU C.sub.i =G.sub.i +P.sub.i .multidot.C.sub.i-1 ( 1)
where EQU G.sub.i =A.sub.i .multidot.B.sub.i ( 2)
and EQU P.sub.i =A.sub.i +B.sub.i ( 3)
Here, G.sub.i is the generate signal, which indicates that the addition of A.sub.i and B.sub.i will generate a carry output from the i.sup.th full adder. P.sub.i is the propagate signal, which indicates that any carry input to the i.sup.th full adder cell will be propagated to the carry output.
By recursive substitution, the carry output of the i.sup.th level, C.sub.i, can be written as: EQU C.sub.i =G.sub.i +P.sub.i .multidot.G.sub.i-1 +P.sub.i P.sub.i-1 .multidot.G.sub.i-2 + . . . +P.sub.i . . . P.sub.1 .multidot.C.sub.0( 4)
For three levels of look ahead, each carry look ahead circuit implements the following equation: EQU C.sub.out =G.sub.2 +P.sub.2 .multidot.G.sub.1 +P.sub.2 .multidot.P.sub.1 .multidot.G.sub.0 +P.sub.2 .multidot.P.sub.1 .multidot.P.sub.0 .multidot.C.sub.in ( 5)
There is a limit to the timing benefit which can be achieved by using a large carry look ahead circuits. When the number of levels of look ahead becomes too large, the number of inputs to the gates necessary to compute the outputs increases such that the delay through the carry look ahead circuit becomes disproportionately large. Thus, there is a limit to the speed improvement which can be achieved from the use of carry look ahead techniques.
The amount of hardware necessary to implement m stages of a k-level carry look ahead circuit is always less than the amount of hardware necessary to implement a single stage of k*m-level carry look ahead circuit. This inequality is a result of the fact that the complexity of the computation of C.sub.out increases polynomially as k increases. Therefore, the amount of hardware necessary to make a k-level carry look ahead circuit can clearly get out of hand when k becomes too large. As a result, the number of levels of look ahead is usually limited to about six.
One way to implement a carry look ahead circuit with very little delay through the critical path from carry in to carry out is the carry add select circuit. In the carry add select circuit, as shown in FIG. 3, two separate carry computation circuits 300 and 301 are used to speculatively calculate both possible carry outputs C.sub.out0 and C.sub.out1 based upon the two possible carry input values, zero or one. The advantage to this approach is that the speculative computations of the two possible carry outputs C.sub.out0 and C.sub.out1 begin before the carry input C.sub.in 302 has been computed by the preceding look ahead stage. When the preceding look ahead stage has computed its output, which is the carry input 302 of the present look ahead stage, the correct output 303 is selected from among the two speculatively computed possibilities. C.sub.out0 and C.sub.out1, by the multiplexor 304. Therefore, the propagation delay for the carry look ahead stage is merely the delay from the select input 305 to the output 303 of the multiplexor. Any given multiplexor implementation requires at least two logic levels; therefore, a minimum of two gate delays are required to implement a multiplexor. A multiplexor circuit employs either two inverting gates or two transmission gates. FIGS. 4A and 4B show two alternative implementations of the multiplexor 304 shown in FIG. 3. Either implementation has substantially larger delays than a single inverting gate.
For a k-bit carry look ahead adder circuit, the fundamental Equation 4 can be written in the following form. EQU C.sub.k =G+P.multidot.C.sub.0 ( 6)
where EQU P=P.sub.k . . . P.sub.1 ( 7)
and EQU G=G.sub.k +P.sub.k .multidot.G.sub.k-1 +P.sub.k .multidot.P.sub.k-1 .multidot.G.sub.k-2 + . . . +P.sub.k . . . P.sub.2 .multidot.G.sub.1( 8)
C.sub.k is the carry output of the k-bit carry look ahead adder circuit, while C.sub.0 is the carry input. Previous implementations of a carry look ahead circuit preserve the polarity from the carry input C.sub.0, to the carry output C.sub.k, as indicated in Equation 6. In other words, both the carry input C.sub.0 and the carry output C.sub.k are represented using positive logic according to the prior art.
FIGS. 5A and 5B show typical logic circuits which performs the computation of C.sub.k from C.sub.0, P, and G as described by Equation 6. Similar to the carry add select circuit, the typical logic circuit shown in FIGS. 5B attempt to minimize the delay from the input C.sub.0 to the output C.sub.k. Depending upon the number of levels of look ahead (k), the generation of P and G can become complex computations involving only k bits of A and k bits of B, but not involving carry information from previous stages. Therefore, the computations of P and G in any given carry look ahead stage begin immediately, and are designed so as to finish before C.sub.0 becomes valid, so that the path from C.sub.0 to C.sub.k is the critical path. The logic implementation shown in FIG. 5B clearly requires two gate delays.

Alternating polarity carry look ahead adder circuit


Various inventive methods and apparatus disclosed herein relate to associating state machines with touch event profiles, and to initiating state machines in response to touch events detected at home appliances. In some embodiments, a touch event may be detected at a touch sensor associated with a home appliance (102, 102a). The home appliance may be operated to perform its primary function in response to the detected touch event. It may be determined whether the touch event satisfies a predetermined touch event profile. A state machine may be operated at a computing device (102a, 112, 330) remote from the home appliance in response to the determining.

Networked home appliances such as luminaires and/or lighting units may be controlled with mobile computing devices such as smart phones, tablet computers and/or wearable computing devices such as smart glasses, smart watches, and so forth. However, a user may not always have her mobile computing devices handy when she wishes to change a lighting setting of a luminaire. Additionally, the fact that many home appliances are (at least in some fashion) capable of communication opens up myriad possibilities for potential applications that could be tied to operation of those home appliances. Thus, there is a need in the art to leverage the communication capabilities of various home appliances to perform a variety of tasks and applications, including lighting control.

Methods for initiating state machines in response to touch events detected at home appliances


A method of forming or creating a formulation for a compound to be delivered includes creating a carrier agent by conjugating at least one hydrophobic domain or hydrophobic compound with at least one hydrophilic domain or hydrophilic compound and associating the compound to be delivered with the carrier agent to create the formulation. The at least one hydrophobic compound has the formula:

The following information is provided to assist the reader in understanding technologies disclosed below and the environment in which such technologies may typically be used. The terms used herein are not intended to be limited to any particular narrow interpretation unless clearly stated otherwise in this document. References set forth herein may facilitate understanding of the technologies or the background thereof. The disclosure of all references cited herein are incorporated by reference.
Poor water solubility is one of the major hurdles for the advancement of drug candidates into clinical applications. Most drug companies focus on orally deliverable drugs. Not all drugs are orally bioavailable, however. Bioavailability may, for example, be defined as the fraction of an administered dose of unchanged drug that reaches, for example, the systemic circulation. Some compounds/drugs may be degraded in the digest tract, while some may be too harmful for the epithelial lining. In many cases, the duration of the free drug in blood once absorbed is very short. Any one or combination of these problems for a drug candidate may result in the elimination or cessation of drug development (as a general practice in the pharmaceutical industry).
The current drug discovery process is costly and inefficient. Many promising drug candidates have failed to reach the market primarily as a result of poor water solubility, low bioavailability and toxicity issues. Formulation development thus represents an important strategy to maximize the success of drug discovery. In addition, formulations can improve the therapeutic index of existing drugs. Among various types of delivery systems studied, polymeric micelles have gained considerable attention due to their simplicity, small sizes (10-100 nm), and the ability to solubilize water-insoluble drugs and accumulate specifically at the tumors. Most of the carrier materials in polymeric drug delivery systems (including lipid-core micellar systems) utilize "inert" excipients that lack therapeutic effect. The use of excess amounts of carrier materials may, for example, add to cost and potentially impose safety issues.

Formulations and carrier systems including farnesylthiosalycylic moities

Abstract: wherein R1 is a farnesyl group, a geranyl group or geranyl-geranyl group, X is O, S, SO, SO2, NH or Se, Z is C—R2 or N, R2 is H, CN, CO2R7, SO3R7, CONR7R8 or SO2NR7R8, wherein R7 and R8 are each independently H, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, CO2M or SO3M, wherein M is a cation and R3, R4, and R5 are independently H, a carboxyl group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aminoalkyl group, a nitroalkyl group, a nitro group, a halo atom, an amino group, a mono-alkylamino group, a di-alkylamino group, mercapto group, a mercaptoalkyl group, an azido group or a thiocyanato group. A plurality of the carrier agents are adapted to assemble into a structure. The hydrophobic compound is cleavably conjugated to the at least one hydrophilic compound via a linkage which is labile in vivo.

University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education


An electrooptic device has a first substrate 10 and a second substrate 20 disposed to oppose each other, and liquid crystal 35 provided between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20. This electrooptic device has a sealing material 30 surrounding the liquid crystal 35 and wires 16 continuously extending along one side of the first substrate 10 to another side intersecting said one side. The wires 16 each have a first wire layer which is continuously formed in the inside region of the sealing material 30 and the outside region of the sealing material 30 or which is continuously formed in the region overlapping the sealing material 30 and the outside region of the sealing material 30; and a second wire layer 182 which is formed in the inside region of the sealing material 30 or the region overlapping the sealing material 30. Since being not exposed to outside air, the second wire layer 182 is not corroded.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrooptic devices, such as a liquid crystal device, an EL (Electro Luminescent) device, and an electrophoretic device, to methods for manufacturing the electrooptic devices, and to electronic apparatuses provided with these electrooptic devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in electronic apparatuses such as mobile phones, portable information terminal apparatuses, and personal computers, liquid crystal devices have been widely used as, for example, a display portion for displaying information. In addition, it has been considered that an EL device will also be used in the future.
The liquid crystal device described above generally comprises a pair of substrates bonded together with a sealing material provided therebetween, liquid crystal enclosed between the substrates, and electrodes applying a voltage to the liquid crystal. In addition, the structure has been widely known in which wires are formed on a region of one substrate protruding from the other substrate (that is, a protruding region), terminals of various surface-mount components are connected to ends of the wires, and a voltage is applied to the electrodes described above.
In this structure, as the surface-mount components, for example, IC chips mounted on the protruding region by using a COG technique (Chip On Glass), or an FPC for connecting an external apparatus such as a circuit substrate to a liquid crystal device may be mentioned.
However, since wires formed on the protruding region are exposed to outside air, moisture or the like in the outside air is likely to adhere to the wires, and hence, the wires are liable to corrode. In addition, when corrosion of the wires occurs as described above, the conduction between the wires and the surface-mount components described above becomes insufficient, and as a result, a problem may arise in that the reliability as the liquid crystal device is degraded.
On the other hand, when decrease in wiring resistance of the wires is considered, the wires are preferably formed of a low resistance metal such as aluminum or chromium; however, since these metals have high ionicity and are susceptible to corrosion, the problem described above becomes more significant.
In consideration of the problem described above, the present invention was made, and an object thereof is to suppress the corrosion of the wires formed on the substrate.

Electrooptic device, method for manufacturing the same, and electronic apparatus


A device for machining a plurality of workpieces. The device having a plurality of identical independent machining assemblies attached on a rotating carousel plate such that one operator can unload and load a workpiece at one machining assembly while the other machining assemblies are machining the workpiece therein such that when a machining assembly returns from rotation on the carousel plate it is finished machining.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for machining, milling or cutting a plurality of workpieces, using only one operator, where each workpiece is on one of a plurality of independent machining assemblies.
Indexing, rotary plates carrying parts past a plurality of different machining assemblies at stations around the plate are known. The workpieces that are placed on and carried by the rotating plate are indexed, and at each indexed station the work piece has an operation performed so a part is machined completely during a full revolution of the indexing plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,732,700 issued Oct. 12, 1925, to Sommer et al describes a series of machining units that are mounted on a rotary turret to travel in an endless path, where each of the machining units moves past the operator's station. As each of the units moves past the operator's station the operator removes the finished workpiece or article and inserts a blank or unfinished workpiece onto a shaft or chuck. The machining of each blank occurs during the rotation of that individual machining unit about the endless path.
In more detail, the Sommer's patent comprises a base with a post attached at the center thereof, where the series of machining units are mounted about the post and suspended downward therefrom. Each workpiece, which is shown as a spindle, is inserted into a tapered socket chuck so that it can be machined. The machining occurs during the rotation of the turret relative to an annular cam track which rises throughout the rotation. The cam controls moving the workpiece into and out of contact with the cutter. At the point where the operator loads and unloads the workpieces, the annular cam track has a depressed portion such that the finished workpiece can be removed from the cutter and a new blank or unfinished workpiece can be inserted. The machining action in the Sommer invention is dependent upon the rotation of the machining device on the annular cam track such that the workpiece will be initially forced into contact with the cutter at a shoulder and movement of the workpiece results from the contour of the annular cam track, which completes the machining action. Thus, the workpiece can not be machined without rotation of the machining tool relative to the annular cam track.


A first super-resolution enlarger (103) works on moving pictures input with a standard resolution, implementing a process for a super-resolution enlargement including information on frequency components in the spatial and temporal directions that has been potentially contained in the input moving pictures but unable to express to a sufficient degree by the standard resolution, and provides super-resolution enlarged signals, which are returned to the standard resolution at a first resolution converter (104). The super-resolution enlarged signals as returned to the standard resolution are encoded at a second encoder (107). A first encoder (102) encodes moving pictures input with the standard resolution, and a multiplexer (109) multiplexes a sequence of encoded bits from a first encoder (102), a sequence of encoded bits from the second encoder (107), and the like. The second encoder (107) employs local decoded signals in the first encoder (102) or processed signals thereof, as reference signals.

As conventional techniques to attain a spatial resolution scalability of pictures, there have been those implementing, in a hierarchical encoding system with two layers being a base layer and an enhancement layer, for instance, processing signals of pictures input with the same spatial resolution as the enhancement layer, for a decimation into a spatial resolution of the base layer, followed by an encoding at the base layer, making a prediction using a correlation between those signals decoded along with the base layer encoding and spatially interpolated as signals having the same spatial resolution as the enhancement layer and those signals of pictures input with the same spatial resolution as the enhancement layer, encoding signals of errors in the prediction, and having a combination of encoded bit streams obtained there and bit streams obtained by the base layer encoding, multiplexed and transmitted to a decoding system, the multiplexed combination of encoded bit streams being decoded in reverse at the decoding system. (Refer to Patent Literature 1.)

Moving picture encoding system, moving picture encoding method, moving picture encoding program, moving picture decoding system, moving picture decoding method, moving picture decoding program, moving picture reencoding system, moving picture reencoding method, moving picture reencoding program


According to one embodiment, a server apparatus includes a memory which stores a control table respectively showing correspondence relations between user ID of the first data terminal and listener information indicating that the first data terminal is in operation in a pseudo manner, when the first data terminal contained in the call information event is out of operation, and a controller which refers the control table based on the user ID of the first data terminal, when the first data terminal which is out of operation is started, and establishes a communication connection between the first data terminal and the second data terminal based on a reference result.

1. Field
One embodiment of the present invention relates to improvements in server apparatus in visual communication systems in which, for example, the server apparatus are connected to telephone exchange apparatuses via communication paths to allow video signals, computer data, and the like to be handled in addition to sound signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Local network systems are used in offices and business establishments. The local network system accommodates telephone sets as extension terminals in a telephone exchange apparatus such as a private branch exchange (PBX) or a key telephone apparatus. The extension terminals are exchangeably connected to an external communication network such as a public network and extension terminals are exchangeably connected together, by the telephone exchange apparatus to enable calls.
Video conference systems have been proposed which connect a server to which data terminals such as personal computers are connected, to a telephone exchange apparatus via transmission paths.
For the video conference system, a technique has also been proposed by which a telephone exchange apparatus performs control on the basis of a control table containing integrated call connection information on immediate call connections and reserved call connections between terminals involved in the conference to controllably connect target terminals (for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. H5-236132).
However, this system is not applicable to VCSs (Visual Communication Systems) in which data communication connections among data terminals are linked to the call statuses of telephone terminals.
Further, to realize VCS, the following measures need to be considered.
To allow a VCS server to correctly perform video communication control on data terminals when, for example, a two-party call is to be made such that visual clients associated with extension terminals involved in the two-party call make video communications with each other, the visual clients must perform a log-on operation on the VCS server before they can make a call (listener registration).
That is, it is assumed that a two-party call is started with one of the visual clients associated with the extension terminals for the two-party call, in a log-on status and the other in a log-off status. Then, the VCS server receives a call information event (outgoing DN, incoming DN) transmitted by a telephone exchange apparatus. However, since one of the visual clients is in the log-off status, the connection status between the extension terminals based on the received information is not registered in the call connection information table in the VCS server. Subsequently, if the logged off visual client performs a log-on operation, then at this timing of the log-on operation, the VCS server does not receive the call information event (outgoing DN, incoming DN). No information associating the two parties with each other is present in the call connection information table in the VCS server. Thus, no video communication is started even with the logon statuses of both visual clients associated with the extensions for the two-party call.
It is possible to pre-register all visual clients registered in VCS as listeners regardless of whether or not the visual clients associated with extension terminals are in the log-on status. However, with this method, when, for example, 500 visual clients are already registered in VCS, even if only 100 visual clients are in the log-on status, the 500 visual clients are always registered as listeners, always imposing a heavy system load on the VCS server. This makes the operation of the VCS server unstable.


A 360 degree panorama can capture a view of a real world environment. The view can be a 360 panorama which can conform to a stereographic projection. The capturing can be performed by a one shot panoramic video capture device lacking a display. A 360 degree arc frame can be analyzed to determine a one-to-one mapping to a target projection. The target projection can be a cylindrical or an equirectangular projection. The stereographic projection can be mapped to the target projection in real-time without performing a digital stitching operation within the device. Distortion in the target projection resulting from the mapping can be corrected. The target projection can be conveyed in real-time wirelessly to a display of a communicatively linked computing device.

The present invention relates to the field of real-time streaming and, more particularly, to providing a real-time view via a wireless communication channel associated with a panoramic video capture device.
Providing high quality optics in a panoramic camera is challenging. Different approaches have been taken for this problem. One approach is to move a lens and to capture a set of images as the lens moves, which cover a field of view over time. The images from the moved lens are combined to form a panoramic scene. Another approach is to form an array of multiple different camera lenses and to combine the image results captured by the array of lenses into a single image. In this approach each lense captures a portion of the panoramic scene which is computationally composited together to form a panoramic image. Still another is to utilize an ultra-wide angle lens (e.g., a fish-eye lens) to capture a scene with a wider-than-normal field of view. Yet another is to use a panoramic optical device to create a 360 degree horizontal field of view using a single shot (a discrete point of time using a single lens). This later approach is sometimes referred to as a "one-shot" panoramic device, which captures a panoramic scene in a single point in time using a single lens. Each of these approaches has benefits and drawbacks depending on use cases.
Within one-shot solutions that use panoramic optical components, a number of approaches have been taken depending on situation. Frequently, these components permit a single 360 degree image of an environment to be captured. Images captured by this technique often conform to projections (e.g., spherical, fish eye) which distort perspective, shapes, and sizes of objects within the environment and the environment itself. Frequently, software correct using digital signal processing (DSP) techniques is employed to decrease distortion and increase image viewability. However, software correction distortion correction can be limited and often time consuming resulting in high latency between image capture and image display.

Providing a real-time via a wireless communication channel associated with a panoramic video capture device


A database development system is provided. The system includes a current-state source representation of a database that can be captured in a model of the database and a metadata component that preserves user intentions describing when a user interacts with the system to perform a refactoring operation (or other code enhancement) for use in subsequent operations by the system. A deployment component is provided that utilizes the preserved user intentions to optimize behavioral upgrades to the system, where simulations can be run against the model to facilitate efficient and automated deployments.

The state-of-the-art of iterative development tooling for database development is inadequate as compared to the tooling available for application development. Since the general concepts embodied in application development tools (such as source code control, unit testing, or debugging) are well-understood by the software development community, it is perplexing why equivalent capabilities for database development have not similarly emerged. One reason may stem from the different techniques in which production software (applications and databases) are developed, managed, and enhanced.
In the application world, code is written, a binary is produced, and the binary is put into service. The source code for the product provides an accurate current-state representation of the machine code being executed within the binary. When it is time to modify the product, the source code is appropriately changed and a new binary is produced. Execution of the previous binary is stopped or shutdown, the new binary is inserted in place of the old representation, and execution is restarted. This process has two important characteristics: First, the source code for the modified product still provides an accurate present-state representation of the machine code being executed within the binary (i.e., the source code directly shows the amalgam of the old and new code contained in the binary). Secondly, the upgrade process is a direct "cut and replace" of the old binary with the new.
In contrast, databases represent a class of software that can continue to run even while changes are being applied. Database developers and administrators can take advantage of this capability to modify database systems while running so as to minimize the impact of database availability on users. Initially, database code is written and, when executed, the code creates the first version of the operational database system. At the moment of creation, the database source code provides an accurate offline representation of the system being executed. Since changes to database software are performed while the system is running, updated database systems are seldom produced by creating a new database from scratch that replaces the old database. Most commonly, new code is written that modifies the old database system to the desired new state. At this point, the database source code (the original creation code plus the modification code) no longer provides a direct current-state representation of the database system being executed. As a result, the source code-based tooling concepts used in application development, which depend on the source code declaring the present state of the executing system, cannot be readily applied to database software development.
To enable the ability to modify a database system while it is running, the database management system (DBMS) itself must provide a means of changing the system. For instance, the use of ALTER statements typifies the support provided in common systems. More-advanced support for limited refactoring operations may also be provided, where refactoring is the process of updating the behavioral aspects of the database system. For example, one style of SQL Server enables the ability to rename a table column in an existing system by making a call to a rename function. In this example, the degree of refactoring support is limited and does not update references to the renamed object by programmability objects. Nonetheless, the system function enables an otherwise-impossible action, which in this example is the preservation of the data represented by the column. Tools can significantly improve upon the built-in refactoring facilities of a DBMS. Improvements include finding other objects impacted by the refactoring, and appropriately updating them to reflect the change. This type of support is still inadequate however for modern systems that evolves over time.

Method of refactoring a running database system


A method and system for simulating defects in conduits, where the defects are detected using long-range guided-wave inspection techniques. The guided wave interaction with a defect is treated as a one-dimensional problem of plane wave reflection from a boundary of different acoustic impedances. The defect waveform is simulated using an electrical transmission line model and inverse fast Fourier transformation.

Long-range guided-wave inspection is an effective method for rapidly surveying long structures for defects such as cracks and corrosion pits. Using this method, a short pulse of guided waves at a typical frequency of below 100 kHz is launched within a structure being tested. This incident pulse is reflected from a geometric irregularity in the structure. The reflected signals are detected in a pulse-echo mode.
This method of inspection is presently in practical use for inspection of piping networks in processing plants, and oil and gas transmission pipelines. When applied to piping, the guided wave technique can typically detect defects as small as 2-3% relative to the pipe wall cross sectional area, over a length of 30 meters on either side of a test probe position. In addition to detecting the presence or absence of defects, the defect signals resulting from long-range guided-wave inspection can be used to characterize defects. For example, defects can be characterized in terms of planar or volumetric, depth, axial extent, and circumferential extent.
In order to characterize defects from the defect signals, it is necessary to understand how defect signal waveforms relate to defect characteristics. When the waveform-defect characteristic relationship is established, algorithms relating these relationships may be developed. Modeling simulation of waveforms of defect signals from arbitrary-shaped defects is necessary for establishing relationships between the defect signal characteristics and the defect characteristics.
There are several known techniques for modeling guided-wave interaction with defects, such as finite element analysis, boundary element analysis, and related hybrid methods. Because these methods are tedious and computationally intensive, their use has been limited to two-dimensional modeling of guided wave interactions with simple geometry defects, such as a notch that is infinitely long in a plate or completely circumferential in a pipe. Presently, complex and expensive three-dimensional modeling is required to handle interactions with finite-sized and arbitrary-shaped defects and to simulate defect waveforms.

Simulation of guided wave reflection signals representing defects in conduits


A backup washer for the cylindrical scalpel of an intraluminal surgical stapling instrument of the type used to join tubular body organs. The washer comprises an annular member of semi-rigid material having an annular groove formed therein extending from the distal surface of the washer inwardly toward the proximal surface of the washer facing the scalpel. As a result, the washer comprises two spaced annular walls joined at their proximal ends by a thin web providing a backup surface for the scalpel. When the scalpel is advanced by the surgical stapling instrument it will abut and cut through the thin web of the backup washer. When the scalpel cuts through the backup washer web the force required to further advance the scalpel abruptly and noticeably diminishes giving the surgeon clear tactile indication that the surgical staples have been implanted and clinched in the tissue of the tubular body organs being joined and that the scalpel has completely severed the excess tissue.

While the principles of the present invention can be applied to many types of surgical stapling instruments provided with scalpel means, for purposes of an exemplary showing, the invention will be described in terms of an annular, washer-like backup means for a surgical stapling instrument having a cylindrical scalpel. In recent years there has been an ever increasing use of surgical staples, in lieu of conventional sutures, in many internal organ and intestinal procedures ranging from the esophagus to the rectum. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,193,165; 3,388,847; 3,552,626, together with copending application Ser. No. 124,954, filed Feb. 26, 1980,; in the name of Robert G. Rothfuss and entitled INTRALUMENAL ANASTOMOSIS SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT teach exemplary types of surgical stapling instruments devised by prior art workers for such procedures. The use of surgical staples and such surgical stapling instruments has made many difficult procedures much simpler and has significantly reduced the time required for such procedures. This is of importance in that it significantly reduces the length of time for which the patient must be maintained under anesthetic.
Each of the exemplary above mentioned patents and copending application teaches a surgical stapling instrument provided with a cylindrical scalpel and a washer-like backup element for the scalpel made of semi-rigid material. Each of these instruments has a casing or head containing at least one annular array of surgical staples. The cylindrical scalpel and a driver for the surgical staples are normally located within the head. The staple driver and the cylindrical scalpel are actuated by a manually operable lever.
These instruments all have the disadvantage of requiring a high force to embed the cylindrical scalpel into the semi-rigid backup washer. The actual force required is proportional to the depth of penetration of the cylindrical scalpel into the washer. The deeper the scalpel penetrates the washer, the more force is required and this prevents any tactile feed back to the surgeon. As a result, the surgeon never knows from the "feel" of the instrument whether or not the staples have been implanted and clinched or the excess tissue of the tubular organs being joined has been completely excised since the lever of the instrument is usually squeezed to refusal.
The present invention is directed to a cut-through backup washer, the proximal end of which faces the cylindrical scalpel. The cut-through washer comprises inner and outer annular walls joined together at their proximal ends by a thin web providing a backup surface for the cylindrical scalpel. This structure has the advantage that minimal force is used to excise the tissue and as the thin web of the cut-through washer is thereafter severed by the cylindrical scalpel, the force required at the lever of the instrument is abruptly reduced. This abrupt reduction of lever force gives the surgeon a clear and unmistakable tactile signal that the surgical staples have been formed and that the excess tissue of the tubular body organs being joined has been excised by the cylindrical scalpel. Thus, in addition to this tactile signal, the backup washer of the present invention reduces the peak force and work required for the tissue cutting portion of the anastomotic procedure.
The above mentioned copending application teaches an intraluminal anastomosis surgical stapling instrument which will adequately and reliably clinch surgical staples of a predetermined leg length over a working gap between the staple containing casing and the anvil of at least two millimeters. The cut-through backup washer of the present invention is particularly advantageous in such a surgical stapling instrument since the depth of penetration of the backup washer by the cylindrical scalpel required particularly at the minimum end of the working gap of the instrument is considerable. This, in turn, would require considerable force at the lever of the instrument. When this instrument is provided with the cut-through backup washer of the present invention the force required at the lever is greatly reduced and is the same throughout the working gap of the instrument, as will be described hereinafter.

Cut-through backup washer for the scalpel of an intraluminal surgical stapling instrument


An apparatus and method for roughing surfaces of concrete casted blocks are provided. A horizontally disposed surface roughing device, having impacting elements secured thereto, is driven to impact on blocks supported thereunder on a support table. The support table has a flat support upper surface. Block tilt support pins project from the upper surface at predetermined locations for supporting some of the blocks tilted at a predetermined angle. The block tilt support pins are displaceable from a retracted position below the upper surface to a projecting block tilting position above the upper surface. A displacement mechanism imparts translationary displacement between the impacting elements and the support table to abrade the blocks.

The present invention relates to casted concrete block manufacturing and, more particularly, to an apparatus for roughing blocks to give them a worn or rough appearance.
The concrete block casting industry is well developed and is highly automated in its process operations for manufacturing conventional rectangular blocks and the like. The casted blocks have a geometrically uniform rectangular prism configuration in which the surfaces thereof are substantially planar with adjacent surfaces delimited by sharp edges.
It has been known to treat the concrete blocks in order to get a more natural rough look. As antique stone blocks were known to have rounded edges and irregular shaped surfaces, systems have been provided in order to produce such effect on the concrete blocks. However, the equipment used in order to treat these blocks has been incompatible with the fully automated handling equipment used in the other operations of the concrete block producing process. Substantial amount of manual labor and high costs are inherent with the presently used block roughing systems.
For instance, a known method consists in disposing the casted blocks in large tumbling drums. These tumbling drums are rotated about their longitudinal axis in order for the concrete blocks to tumble therein and to collide in order to get damaged. This method, although producing a generally satisfying look, entails substantial costs due to unrepairable damages to concrete blocks. Some blocks are damaged to a point where they may no longer be used and are thus thrown away or recycled. Also, some concrete block patterns may contain blocks of different sizes and these must be stored, which is very time consuming. Also, if a particular one of the blocks in pattern is destroyed more than other blocks, then often the other blocks are no longer useful as a ratio of blocks must be kept. By its nature, the tumbling drum requires frequent repairs. Furthermore, the personnel used for these purposes must deal with a noisy environment due to the tumbling action, and injuries are frequent due to the hazardous operations and handling required thereby. It is difficult to maintain a stable labour force for this work.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,915, issued on Jul. 28, 1992 to Metten et al., discloses a surface upon which a plurality of concrete blocks are disposed in a spaced apart relationship. A roller brush translates over the surface of concrete blocks in a reciprocating manner, thereby stripping and roughing the surface of the concrete blocks. Although this method provides substantial advantages over the tumbling drum method described above, it requires that the concrete blocks are spaced apart in order for the sharp edges thereof to be treated. Otherwise, only the top surface would be abraded. Furthermore, the brush type roller provides a relatively uniform abrasion of the concrete blocks, which is not a desired result for use with paving blocks. Finally, as the concrete blocks are spaced apart, the brush can only strike them at a certain velocity in order not to displace them. If they are displaced, they may end up in abutment with one another, whereby only the top surfaces will be abraded, leaving the sharp edges of the block intact. These blocks are usually treated before concrete is cured.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a concrete block roughing apparatus which substantially overcomes the disadvantages of the above mentioned prior art.
According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for roughing surfaces of concrete casted blocks. The apparatus comprises a horizontally disposed surface roughing device having a plurality of impacting elements secured thereto and driven for impacting on a plurality of concrete casted blocks supported thereunder on a support table. The support table has a fiat support upper surface. A plurality of holes extends through the support table. A plurality of support pins are displaceable in associated ones of the boles and projectable above the upper surface at predetermined locations for supporting at least some of the plurality of said blocks tilted at a predetermined angle. Each of the pins is associated with a displaceable mechanism to axially displace the pins from a retracted position below the upper surface of the table to a projecting block tilting position above the upper surface, whereby to tilt selected ones of casted concrete blocks disposed on the support surface. Displacement means is provided to impart translationary displacement between the impacting elements and the support table to abrade the blocks by the impacting elements.

Apparatus for roughing surfaces of concrete casted blocks


An image converting apparatus for converting an image of an input video signal into an image with a metallic luster and representing the metallic luster with parameters designated corresponding to the input image. The apparatus is based on the concept that a model of reflected light can represented with a model of reflected light of diffusion reflection and mirror-surface reflection and that even though the resultant model of reflected light is three-dimensional data, assuming that the brightness of an input video signal linearly varies, the model can be represented with brightness data. A color correction circuit 5 has a look-up table with which calculations for generating an image with a metallic luster are performed with the brightness data and the designated parameters. A matrix calculating circuit extracts a luminous signal component from the input video signal. A pre-modifying circuit adjusts the amplitude. The color correction circuit performs calculations for generating an image with a metallic luster. Mix circuits mix output signals of the color correction circuit with an input video signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image converting apparatus suitable for a special effect image editing apparatus for performing various processes for an image of an input video signal, in particular, to an image converting apparatus for converting an input video image into an image with various metallic lusters.
2. Related Prior Art
A special effect image editing apparatus performs various processes for an image of an input video signal. Typical special effect processes performed by a conventional special effect editing image apparatus include enlarging an image, reducing an image, moving an image, rotating an image, emphasizing the contour of an image, shading off an image, color-inverting an image, and color- converting an image. Such a special effect image editing apparatus is used to generate an impressive image.
In addition, a special effect process for changing the texture of a substance is desired. In other words, assuming that there is a doll made of ceramic, even if the colors of the image of the doll are changed, the contour thereof is emphasized, or the image is shaded off, the texture of the ceramic is not substantially changed. When reflected light of a metal can be represented for such an image, the image of the doll made of ceramics can be converted into an image of a doll made of gold or silver. Thus, when a special effect process for changing the texture of a substance can be performed, an image that has a completely different impression from the original image can be reproduced. Consequently, a very interesting image can be generated.
A special effect process for converting an input image into an image with various metallic lusters requires calculations for the image conversion. It is necessary to analyze reflected light of the metal and perform calculations corresponding to the analyzed results. To do that, a model of reflected light for metallic lusters is created. With the model, the calculation process for generating metallic lusters is considered. However, a model of reflected light is represented in three dimensions. On the other hand, a conventional video signal is represented in two dimensions rather than three dimensions. Thus, it is difficult to perform a process for converting a video signal into an image with a metallic luster using the model of the conventional reflected light.
In addition, since there are various patterns as input images, even if the process for generating a metallic luster is performed for an input image, a proper effect may not take place. In addition, in the case that the variations in the brightness of the input image is small, the image may be equally colored. Thus, in this case, a metallic luster may not take place. In contrast, when the variations in the brightness of the input image is large, the resultant image glares and thereby appears as an unsmooth image. Consequently, when the input signal is a video signal, it should be processed corresponding to the pattern.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image converting apparatus for converting an image of an input video signal into an image with a metallic luster and representing a metallic luster with parameters designated corresponding to the input image.

Image converting apparatus and image converting method


An electrolysis mechanism for deployment in a reservoir of water, the electrolysis system having at least one rotating cathode mounted on an axle and configured to rotate during an electrolysis process, at least one stationary cathode cleaning element deployed so as to contact a face of the rotating cathode such that during the electrolysis process as the rotating cathode, rotates scale buildup on the rotating cathode is removed and at least one stationary anode deployed adjacent to the rotating cathode. A preferred embodiment of which includes a plurality of spaced apart rotating cathodes; a plurality of stationary cathode cleaning elements with one stationary cathode cleaning element deployed in each space between the rotating cathodes so as to contact a face of each of the rotating cathodes it is deployed between; and a plurality of stationary anodes such that at least one of stationary anode is deployed in each of the spaces between the rotating cathodes.

The present invention relates to devices used in the electrolysis of water and, in particular, it concerns a system for the electrolysis of water having rotating disc cathodes and an automated cathode cleaner.
The system of the present invention is particularly well suited for use with a water purification and disinfection system for treating water in a substantially closed circulating water system that uses electrolysis to produce free chlorine and other oxidants such as, but not limited to ozone (O3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), in which all of the water in the system is exposed to the electrolysis process.

System for the electrolysis of water having rotating disc cathodes and an automated cathode cleaner


A weld fixture for receiving and aligning the fuel rod contact points of a nuclear fuel bundle spacer grid. Two plates are provided with intersecting unequally spaced slots that define polygons on one side of each plate. Both plates have bores therethrough substantially at the slot intersections and in the slots adjacent the outer edges of the plates. Bores are provided through both plates in polygons that correspond to fuel assembly guide tube and instrument tube locations. These positions receive guide cell pins during use, some of which are hollow and are used to bolt the plates together over the spacer grid strips. Bores in each plate through the defined polygons receive alignment pins. Guide rods receive and align the plates through corner bores in each plate. The slots and pins in the facing plates align the critical fuel rod contact points in the spacer grid during the intersection welding process.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to nuclear fuel assemblies and particularly to the fabrication of spacer grids used in nuclear fuel assemblies.
2. General Background
Fuel assemblies for nuclear reactors are formed from a number of fuel rods held in position radially by spacer grids located along the length of the fuel rods. The spacer grids are formed from slotted metal strips containing stamped features, which are crisscrossed on edge to define individual cells for each fuel rod. The crossing metal strips are aligned at approximate right angles to each other and then welded together. The alignment method currently used is generally known as the pinning and framing process. After the metal strips are placed in the crisscross pattern, the next step is the insertion of pins into the individual cells of the egg crate. The "egg crate" is used to refer to the unwelded spacer grid inner structure comprised of intersecting, slotted strips that form a checkerboard-like array of cell locations. A tooling pin is then inserted into each cell. The pin interfaces with the base strip areas, as opposed to the contact points in each cell, to position and hold the strips in the proper orientation. The pinned egg crate is then placed into a welding frame that contains pressure pads which secure the egg crate to the frame. Pressure applied directly to the outer tooling pins is transferred to the inner locations through each strip and the adjacent pins. The load is repeatedly applied and released to act as a settling process to remove any tiny gaps or misalignments that may be present. The grid is then ready to be welded. This leaves a need for an improved fixturing system that can be used to align the egg crate with a minimum of steps and equipment, and provide greater dimensional control.


Disclosed is a flexible display device that includes a backplane substrate having an active area and a non-display area outside the display area, the active area having a plurality of pixels defined with a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines, wherein the backplane substrate is defined with a folding axis with reference to which the display device is folded or bended and a folding area in which a radius of curvature remains substantially the same as a radius of curvature at the folding axis located at a center of the folding area when the display device is folded or bended; a plurality of embedded drivers on the backplane substrate in the non-display area, wherein two of the embedded drivers are spaced apart from each other outside the folding area with the folding area therebetween; and a plurality of link wires between the plurality of embedded drivers and the active area, electrically connecting the plurality of embedded drivers and one of the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of data lines.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a backplane substrate for a flexible display device and a method of manufacturing the same.
Discussion of the Related Art
Examples of flat display devices are a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting display, a plasma display panel (PDP), a quantum dot display, a field emission display (FED), and an electrophoretic display (EPD). These displays commonly have a flat display panel on which an image is displayed. Such a flat display panel includes a pair of transparent insulated substrates coupled to each other while an optical material layer such as an inherent luminous material or polarizing material is disposed therebetween.
In recent years, there has been increasing demand for flat display devices occupying a small space as the size of display devices increases. The thickness of flexible displays continues to decrease, and foldable flexibly displays have been manufactured. In a conventional flexible display, the folding portions of the flexible display may be damaged when the flexible display is repeatedly folded, causing various problems.
In particular, in a case in which gate drivers are embedded in the edge of an active area in a panel, wires and circuits are concentrated in the gate driver regions, which have a lower resistance to folding stress, whereby cracks may occur or the wires may be broken. As a result, the pixels electrically connected to the wires, which are broken due to such a repeated folding, may not be turned on.

Backplane substrate and flexible display using the same


A sewing machine can accept a plurality of presser feet for specific stitching applications. The invention adjusts lateral movement of the needle, feed dog operation, and needle hole size at the needle plate to conform with the presser foot used, and to thereby prevent needle breakage and skipped stitches.

Various kinds of stitches can be produced by a modern sewing machine, but it is necessary to carefully adjust the parts of the machine to correspond with the stitches to be made. For example, a zigzag stitch requires a lateral movement of the machine needle in addition to a vertical movement, and the needle requires adjustment from its maximum lateral amplitude for zigzag stitches to a zero amplitude for straight stiches. In this type of sewing machine, the needle hole in a needle plate and a corresponding hole in the presser foot are in general laterally elongated to meet the maximum amplitude required by a zigzag stitch. When the needle drops into the centers of these holes, stitches are often skipped, particularly when straight stitching such difficult materials as tricot, crepe de Chine and the like, since the needle holes are large and the effect of the presser foot is weak in their centers. In modern machines, such skipped stitches are eliminated by a mechanism which reduces the laterllay elongated needle hole of the needle plate to a small circular hole for straight or chain stitches, and this mechanism must be manually operated to correspond to the stitch type desired. Additionally, a straight stitch presser foot must be installed in order to press the part of the cloth nearest the needle. However, the machine operator often forgets such operations. For example, if the presser foot is changed for the straight stitch, the lateral movement mechanism for the needle may not be readjusted out of the zigzag setting. Here, when the sewing machine is driven, the needle will move laterally, onto a surface of the presser foot, and will break. If, on the other hand, the presser foot is changed for zigzag stitches, the needle hole in the needle plate may still be set for straight stitches and the needle will again be dropped onto a surface of the needle plate, and will likewise break.

Sewing machine with stitch type identifying device


A light source generates probe light to be radiated on a sample. An optical probe has a pin hole at its distal end and selectively supplies the probe light to the sample through the pin hole. An optical detecting unit detects light emerging from the sample and converts it to an electrical signal. The light source generates the probe light whose intensity changes in the pulse-like manner. The optical detecting unit detects the light emerging from the sample in synchronism with an increase in probe light which changes in the pulse-like manner and converts it to the electric signal. Therefore, noise which is conventionally converted to an electrical signal can be decreased even when the probe light which changes in the pulse-like manner is decreased, and measurement can be performed at a high S/N ratio even if the pin hole diameter is small. As a result, the resolution of a near field scanning optical microscope can be improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a near field scanning optical microscope for imaging a surface of a sample to be examined.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional near field scanning optical microscope, a microscope is known in which light from a light source is radiated onto a sample to be examined through a pin hole or aperture formed in the distal end of an optical probe, and light transmitted through the surface of the sample or fluorescence generated by the sample itself is focused by an objective lens of the microscope (refer to O plus E by S. Okazaki, September 1989, pp. 110-116 and so on). It is known that, in a near field scanning optical microscope of this type, the limit of its resolution substantially corresponds to the diameter of the pin hole or aperture.
When the diameter of the pin hole is decreased in order to improve the resolution, however, the energy radiated on its near or far field is abruptly decreased.
In comparison to a case in which the pin hole diameter is 5 nm, when the diameter is decreased to 1/2, the amount of light reaching a photodetector is calculated to be decreased to about 1/60. That is, when the pin hole diameter is decreased in order to improve the resolution, the amount of light reaching the photodetector is abruptly decreased, separation of signal and noise becomes difficult, and the lower limit of signal detection is restricted. In practice, the resolution is restricted in accordance with the lower limit of detection.


Therapeutic patches are presented including: a non-permeable sealing layer; a pressure sensitive adhesive layer bonded along the non-permeable sealing layer, where the pressure sensitive adhesive layer includes a formulation of a pressure sensitive adhesive and a heat sensitive homeopathic formulation, where the pressure sensitive adhesive layer is processed at a temperature less than approximately 1000 F; and a releasable layer attached along the pressure sensitive adhesive layer. In some embodiments, the therapeutic patch detectably reduces nausea associated symptoms and menstrual cramping. In some embodiments, the pressure sensitive adhesive layer includes at least approximately 15% by weight of the heat sensitive homeopathic formulation. In some embodiments, the pressure sensitive adhesive layer includes at least approximately 5 to 20% by weight of the heat sensitive homeopathic formulation.

Nausea associated symptoms can severely disrupt daily normal activity. In modern societies, a hectic lifestyle is common. Dealing with a disruption in that lifestyle may lower quality of life and may induce many other ailments such as for example, anxiety and stress. In addition, nausea associated symptoms may occur with or without the urge to vomit. In cases where the urge to vomit is induced, patients may not feel hungry and may further suffer from lack of sufficient nutrition. Because nausea can be unpredictable and sudden, carrying appropriate medications may not always be convenient. Furthermore, some medications may adversely affect concentration or impair the ability to operate machinery which may exacerbate the problem. In recent years, conventional medicine has turned to alternative means to accomplish effective treatments. Herbal formulations, acupressure, acupuncture, and chiropractics are a few alternative solutions that conventional medicine has begun, not only to recognize, but advocate as well. As such, therapeutic patches are presented herein.


A microwave heating oven comprises an inner casing or particles as an inner casing which is made of a material being heated by microwave in which a material being heated is placed; an intermediate casing made of a refractory insulator which causes less microwave loss and which covers said inner casing or particles; and means for applying the microwave from outside of the intermediate casing into the inner casing or particles.. The microwave heating furnace can be used for uniformly heating the material at high temperature with small electric power. A ceramic and a porcelain can be prepared by a household microwave oven as one of the microwave heating furnaces.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave heating oven which heats a material by applying microwave. More particularly, it relates to an improvement for heating uniformly a material at high temperature.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
A microwave heating oven has been used for preparing a sintered product of ceramic, earthen ware or a metal oxide having zinc oxide as a main component, etc.
The oven shown in FIG. 1 has been known as said microwave heating oven.
In FIG. 1, a microwave generator (1) is coupled through a waveguide (2) to a microwave oven (3). A heating material (4) is placed on a supporting bed (7) in the microwave oven (3).
In said structure, the microwave generated by the microwave generator (1) is applied through the waveguide (2) to the microwave oven (3). Resonance electromagnetic field having various modes is formed in the microwave oven (3). When a material being heated (4) is placed in the microwave oven (3), the material (4) is heated by dielectric heating caused by the microwave.
Thus, uneven heating is caused for the material (4) in the conventional microwave oven because of uneven electromagnetic field. Moreover, it has been difficult to heat the material (4) at a temperature required for sintering a ceramic such as higher than 1000.degree. C. because of heat radiation caused by radiation and natural convection. For example, a black sperical ball having a diameter of 7 cm is used as the material (4). The heat radiation caused by radiation at 1000.degree. C. is given by the equation: ##EQU1## The heat radiation caused by natural convection is given by the equation: ##EQU2## wherein the heat transfer coefficient is 10 k cal/m.sup.2 .multidot.hr.multidot.deg.
Therefore, the microwave input having greater than 2 kW has been required.
When the material (4) is a solid, it has been difficult to perform suitable impedance matching whereby heating efficiency has been disadvantageously low.


An apparatus comprising a processor configured to obtain one or more plant conditions regarding at least one of a plurality of customer premises equipment (CPEs) remotely coupled to the apparatus via electrical lines, and divide the plurality of coupled CPEs into a number of profile groups based on the one or more plant conditions, wherein each profile group comprises at least one CPE and supports one or more modulation orders.

A passive optical network (PON) is a system for providing network access over "the last mile." In a downstream direction, the PON may be a point-to-multi-point (P2MP) network comprising an optical line terminal (OLT) at a central office, an optical distribution network (ODN), and a plurality of optical network units (ONUs) at customer premises. Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) is a PON standard developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and specified in IEEE 802.3ah, which is incorporated herein by reference as if reproduced in its entirety. EPON may provide a simple and flexible way of using optical fiber for broadband service in the last mile.
In EPON, a fiber may be used for both upstream and downstream transmissions with different wavelengths. The optical line terminal (OLT) may implement an EPON media access control (MAC) layer for transmission of Ethernet frames. A multi-point control protocol (MPCP) may perform various services such as bandwidth assignment, bandwidth polling, auto-discovery, and ranging. Ethernet frames may be broadcasted downstream based on a logical link identifier (LLID) embedded in a preamble of each frame. On the other hand, upstream bandwidth may be assigned based on the exchange of Gate and Report messages between messages between an OLT and an ONU.
Recently, hybrid access networks employing both EPON and other network types have attracted growing attention. For example, Ethernet over Coax (EoC) may be a generic name used to describe all technologies that transmit Ethernet frames over a unified optical-coaxial (coax) network. Examples of EoC technologies may include EPON over coax (EPoC), data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS), multimedia over coax alliance (MoCA), G.hn (a common name for a home network technology family of standards developed under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and promoted by the HomeGrid Forum), home phoneline networking alliance (HPNA), and home plug audio/visual (A/V). EoC technologies may have been adapted to run outdoor coax access from an ONU to an EoC head end with connected customer premises equipment (CPEs) located in subscriber homes.
There is a rising demand to use EPON as an access system to interconnect with multiple coax cables to terminate coax network units (CNUs) located in a subscriber's home with an EPoC architecture. However, in a traditional EPoC system, a coaxial line terminal (CLT) may modulate all downstream data using a common quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) order, and then broadcast modulated symbols to all CNUs remotely coupled to the CLT, regardless of their respective channel conditions. Similarly, in other hybrid access networks, such as a traditional DOCSIS system, a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) may modulate all downstream data using the same QAM order and broadcast all symbols to all cable modems (CMs) remotely coupled to the HFC. Thus, to improve channel efficiency, it is desirable to modulate and transmit downstream data adaptively based on channel conditions of CPEs.

Delivering downstream data in ethernet PON over coax network