A system, method and apparatus for demodulating a received signal using a configurable receiver. The receiver performs the demodulation of a signal according to a selected interference cancellation demodulation scheme. The same receiver can be configured, by setting certain parameters, to behave as a successive interference cancellation (SIC) scheme receiver, a parallel interference cancellation (PIC) scheme receiver, or a hybrid interference cancellation (HIC) scheme receiver. In another aspect of the present invention, the receiver performs its demodulation operation using a single interference cancellation unit (ICU). In addition, the ICU's despreading and respreading functions may be performed by the same processing element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system and particularly to complexity reduction of linear interference cancellation schemes for CDMA systems.
2. Background of the Present Invention
In a CDMA system, several data sequences can be sent in parallel using different spreading codes. The spreading codes are preferably orthogonal to each other to enable better detection by the receiver. The receiver detects a desired signal from several data sequences by a despreading process using the spreading code associated with the desired received signal. The spreading codes used for a CDMA system are chosen to have a relatively low cross-correlation between any two sequences in the set. Each user in a CDMA system can in parallel be sending several different data sequences, where each data sequence is part of different signals, each signal being associated with a specific spreading code. In an ideal case, the spreading codes are orthogonal to illuminate the cross-correlation between the signals. However, in a non-ideal world, interference nonetheless occurs in the CDMA system due to cross correlation between the spreading codes assigned to users, but should be sufficiently low to provide fairly good performance. In the downlink channel, orthogonality is lost due to various distortion aspects affecting the transmitted signal, such as multipath propagation. Hence, the spreading codes lose their orthogonality with each other which results in performance degradation.
In uplink communication, the codes will never be orthogonal in view of the lack of synchronization between different data streams since there is no control on the propagation delay from individual users which is required to ensure orthogonality. Therefore, the transmitted data sequences can not be perfectly recovered by a RAKE receiver. As is well known in the art, there are techniques to improve the receiver performance, such as interference cancellation techniques, interference suppression techniques and/or multiuser detection techniques.
As is well known to those skilled in the art, Interference Cancellation (IC) is performed to cancel the interference caused by other data streams on the data streams of interest. Most commonly, the interference cancellation techniques used are successive interference cancellation (SIC) and parallel interference cancellation (PIC) or combinations thereof.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional successive interference cancellation (SIC) receiver unit for three codes (k) (i.e., three user signals) and two stages (110, 130): i.e., interference canceled twice. Symbols for a data stream are detected and used to cancel their influence on the received symbols of other data streams before detecting the next data stream symbols. User data streams' influence are preferably canceled in order of their descending signal strength, since the strongest data stream contributes the most to the multiple access interference (MAI) in the system. Thus, the influence of the strongest signal received for a data stream is canceled from all other data streams. Another reason for canceling the strongest signal first is that the data estimate in that signal usually is the most reliable one. The interference cancellation process can be repeated several times e.g., two stages as shown in FIG. 1, to improve the reliability of the data estimation.
Considering the first stage of the SIC scheme, the data sequence r is received 102 by the receiver and supplied to an Interference Cancellation Unit (ICU) 110a associated with the first spreading code, shown within dashed lines. The data sequence 102, received by the ICU is despread 112a by a spreading code convolved with the channel estimate of user channel (hereinafter referred to as convolution sequence and denoted SK), and is preferably normalized such that Sk′Sk=1, where Sk′ is the complex conjugate of Sk. As shown In FIG. 1, the received data sequence is despread 112a by Sk′, RAKE receiver function, and added 120a to the previously detected soft values (previously stored RAKE receiver result) 122a to form the estimate symbol of the user 124a. However, in the first stage there is no previous detected soft values, and the soft values of the despread sequence (X11) are the same as the soft values of the despread sequence (Y11) after the addition operation 120a. The despread sequence (Y11) is stored to be used in later stages. Meanwhile, the soft values (result of RAKE receiver function 112a) are respread 116a to enable subtraction 126a from the received data sequence r (102) used for the second code. After subtracting the respread soft values from the received data sequence, the result is used in a similar process as described above for the second user code using the ICU 110b. Specifically, the output respread signal of the second ICU 110b is subtracted 126b from the data sequence r1 to produce data sequence r2 having the first and second user estimate influence removed therefrom. A further similar process is used for a third user using ICU 110c. After all users' symbol estimates have been removed from the received signal, the remainder (r3) is employed to perform the whole interference cancellation operation described above, a determined number of stages thereafter. As shown in FIG. 1, a second stage 130 is employed which performs the same operations as the previous stage. The second stage is mainly used to correct the inaccuracy of each user's symbol estimate, which is due to the non-orthogonality between the codes. The non-orthogonality between the codes prevents the precise contribution of a user's signal to be extracted exactly while ignoring the contribution of other users signals. However, the contribution detected in the second stage is added to the contribution extracted in the first stage and used to provide a better estimation. Processing delays 128a, 128b and 128c are introduced in the system to delay the data sequence before the subtraction operations 126a, 126b and 126c for each code interference cancellation operation and at each stage (iteration). These delays account for the time used in the despreading and the respreading operations in the ICU. The despread data sequences within the ICUs for each user and at each stage are soft values, and there is no hard decision (discrete values) or other mapping function applied inside the ICUs. It should be understood that despite the fact that the ICUs do not perform a hard decision, after the last stage, a hard decision should be performed to transform the last accumulated estimate into a symbol decision. This can be performed by a hard-decision device (not shown in the figure).
FIG. 2A illustrates a similar receiver implementing a parallel interference cancellation (PIC) scheme. The PIC scheme is similar to the SIC scheme with minor differences. The received data sequence r 202 is supplied to all the ICUs (210a-c) corresponding to all the users's at a specific stage, which reduces the processing delay in the receiver compared to the SIC scheme. The received data sequence r 202 is despread (212a-c) and respread (216a-c), as explained above, by all user's codes before the influence/contribution of all the user's codes signals are subtracted (226a-c) concurrently from the received data sequence r 202. In other words, all the ICUs, at each stage, despread the same data sequence before their contribution is subtracted. Consequently, the processing delay 228 introduced to compensate for the delay in the despreading and respreading operations is reduced to only one delay for all the users at each stage compared to multiple delays in the SIC scheme.
As is understood by those skilled in the art, both the SIC and the PIC can be combined to form a hybrid interference cancellation (HIC) scheme which performs detection of groups of users signals successively. Within each group, the detection is performed in parallel. FIG. 2B illustrates a conventional receiver implementing the HIC scheme. The data sequence is received and detected for the first two spreading codes using the two ICUs 260a and 260b in a similar way as the PIC. The estimate of the first two users' symbols are added together using adders 275a and 275b. This result is the combination of the effect of the two users' symbols on the data sequence. This result is then subtracted 276a to remove the contribution of these two users' symbols. The modified data sequence r2 is then used by the third ICU 260c to estimate the third user's symbol and subtract/remove the estimated influence from the modified data sequence r2. The process is repeated depending on the number of stages implemented. The HIC unit shown in FIG. 2B detects and removes the influence of the first two users in parallel and then detects and removes the influence of the third user.
The SIC, PIC and HIC schemes, described above, have several disadvantages and limitations when implemented in a receiver. One of the disadvantages is that for every user in the system, there has to be at least one ICU. This increases the hardware requirements in a receiver system with multi-users and/or multi-stages. Another shortcoming of the above described conventional schemes is that all detected data sequences are propagated and stored, which is not required in downlink communication in which only one or a few data sequence streams are of interest at one terminal. A further disadvantage is the inflexibility of the presented implementation of the schemes, as different receiver structures are required to realize the SIC, PIC and HIC schemes. Yet another disadvantage is the use of different blocks (processing elements) within the ICU to perform the despreading and the respreading operations, thus requiring a greater amount of hardware.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages and shortcomings described above in addition to providing other novel features described and shown hereinafter.

Reduction of linear interference canceling scheme


A disk chucking device for use in a disk player, in which the supporting shafts of clamping members are held in holding portions of a hinge provided on the top-surface side of a turntable in such a manner as to be coaxial with a cylinder and to slide along therewith, so that each of the supporting shafts is in opposed contact with the inner side surface of a center boss and a corresponding cam provided thereabove. Moreover, the clamping members, each of which has a chuck end portion formed on the top end thereof, are adapted to be able to vertically slide and radially swing. The clamping members are pushed by first and second spring members in the downward direction and in the direction of the outer circumference of a disk. When a disk installed in the device is detached therefrom, the clamping members are raised. Pins attached to the clamping members abut against the cams provided in the center boss. Then, the clamping members are inwardly tilted. Thus, the disk is detached from the device. Subsequently, the clamping members automatically return to initial positions thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a disk chucking device for chucking a disk placed on a turntable of a disk player such as an optical disk player or a magnetooptical disk player. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disk chucking device suitable for reducing the thickness of the disk player.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, a disk chucking device illustrated in, for example, FIGS. 5, 6A and 6B has been used for chucking an optical disk, such as a compact disk (trade name), on a turntable.
As shown in FIG. 5, this chucking device 10 has a center boss 12 that is disposed above a turntable 11 in such a manner as to be coaxial therewith. Three pressing pieces 13 and three steel balls 14 are disposed under this center boss 12. Each of the pressing pieces 13 and the steel balls 14 is partly exposed therefrom. The pressing pieces 13 are arranged at an angular interval of 120.degree., and the steel balls 14 are arranged at the same angular interval.
Further, the chucking device 10 is connected to a spindle motor 1 mounted on a chassis (not shown), and is driven by the motor 1 to rotate.
As illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B, an O-shaped ring (hereunder referred to as an O-ring) 16 made of an elastic material is mounted on the outer surface of a sleeve 15 coaxially connected to a central portion in the center boss 12. This O-ring 16 outwardly pushes the pressing pieces 13 and the steel balls 14 (namely, in the directions of arrows a and b shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B).
Further, each of the pressing pieces 13 is connected to the bottom portion of a corresponding sleeve 15 through a corresponding elastic piece 13s formed on the bottom portion thereof.
In the case of the aforementioned chucking device 10, when a disk D, whose central hole has engaged the center boss 12 as shown in FIG. 6A, is downwardly moved, the pressing pieces 13 inwardly move (namely, in the direction of an arrow a'). Thus, the inner edge of the central hole of the disk D is pressed outwardly (namely, in the direction of the arrow a) by an elastic restoring force of the O-ring 16. Consequently, the disk D is centered on the turntable 11.
Further, when the disk D is downwardly moved, the inner edge of the central hole of the disk D surmounts the steel balls 14 pushed outwardly (namely, in the direction of the arrow b) by the O-ring 16, as illustrated in FIG. 6B. The steel balls 14 push down the inner edge portion of the disk D (in the direction of an arrow C), so that the disk D is caught on the balls 14 and held by the turntable 11.
Namely, the chucking of the disk D is performed by the steel balls 14.
The steel balls 14, however, push the inner edge portion of the disk D from an upwardly slanting direction, as illustrated in FIG. 6B. Thus, the aforementioned conventional chucking device 10 has drawbacks in that the pressing forces of the steel balls 14 against the disk D vary with the shape of the chamfered inner edge thereof and that the adjustment of the pressing forces is difficult.
Moreover, the disk D is installed therein against the pressing forces of the steel balls 14. Thus, the conventional disk chucking device 10 has another drawback in that, if the pressing forces of the steel balls 14 against the disk D are increased, a large force is needed when the disk D is inserted thereinto or removed therefrom.
To eliminate this drawback, there has been proposed a disk chucking device adapted to optionally set a clamping force by pressing down the edge portion of the central hole of a disk at an end of a clamping lever pushed by a tension spring.
(Configuration of the Proposed Disk Chuck Device)
As shown in FIG. 7, this proposed disk chucking device 20A comprises a turntable 21A, a center boss 31C coaxially engaging therewith, and holding members 71 each of which includes a .GAMMA.-shaped clamping member 61 for chucking a disk and which accommodates and holds this clamping member 61.
Three notches (or openings) 22 are disposed at an angular interval of 120.degree. in an intervening portion between the outer and inner edges of the turntable 21A. A cylinder 23 is disposed in a central portion of the turntable 21A. Further, three catching bosses 29 are disposed on the bottom side of the turntable 21A at an angular interval of 120.degree. so that each of the catching bosses 29 is aligned with a corresponding one of the openings 22.
Three notches (or openings) 32 are arranged at an angular interval of 120.degree. in the center boss 31C, which engages the cylinder 23, in such a manner that each of the openings 32 is aligned with a corresponding one of the openings 22 of the turntable 21A. Each of three projection pieces 33 for centering a disk D is disposed between a corresponding pair of the openings 32.
In this proposed device, a cam 34 is provided on the inner surface of each of the openings 32 of the center boss 31C in such a manner as to be in opposed contact with a pin 64 of a corresponding one of the clamping members 61, as will be described later.
A chuck end portion 62 for chucking a disk is formed at the top portion of each of the clamping members 61 in such a manner as to project in the direction of the outer circumference of the turntable 21A and as to have upper and lower inclined surfaces. The pin 64 is disposed under this chucking portion 62. Further, a supporting shaft 63 is disposed at the bottom portion of each of the clamping members 61.
Each of the clamping members 61 is coupled to a corresponding one of the catching bosses 29 through a tension spring 66 and is inserted into a corresponding one of the holding members 71 provided on the bottom side of the turntable 21A.
The holding members 71 are mounted on the side surface of the cylinder 23 at an angular interval of 120.degree. so that each of the members 71 is aligned with and partly exposed from a corresponding one of the openings 22 of the turntable 21A.
Further, each of the clamping members 61 respectively inserted into the holding members 71 is disposed in such a way as to be able to be partly exposed from a corresponding one of the openings 32 of the center boss 31C.
Incidentally, the chucking device 20A illustrated in FIG. 7 is connected to the spindle motor 1 mounted on the chassis (not shown), and is driven by the motor 1 to rotate.
With the aforesaid configuration, the proposed chucking device 20A is adapted so that, when no disk is installed therein, the chuck end portion 62 of each of the clamping members 61 is exposed from the corresponding opening 32 of the center boss 31C in the direction of the outer periphery of the turntable 21A, as illustrated in FIG. 8A.
Further, each of the clamping members 61 is pushed downwardly (namely, in the direction of an arrow d shown in FIG. 8A) by the resilient force of the corresponding tension spring 66 stretched between the corresponding one of the catching bosses 29 provided on the bottom side of the turntable 21A and a catching hole 65 of a corresponding one of the clamping members 61. The corresponding supporting shaft 63 abuts against the bottom end of a guide groove 75 of a corresponding one of the holding members 71. The corresponding one of the clamping members 61 is pushed clockwise (namely, in the direction of an arrow e), so that the corresponding pin 64 abuts against the catching portion 73 of the corresponding holding member 71.
Incidentally, in FIGS. 8A to 8C and 9A to 9C, the supporting shaft 63 of the corresponding clamping member 61 is denoted by a mark "+" indicating the center of rotation. The pin 64 is designated by a mark ".times." indicating that the pin 64 is movable.
Further, for simplicity of drawing, only parts needed for describing the displacement of the clamping member 61 are denoted by reference characters in FIGS. 8B, 8C, 9B and 9C.
As illustrated in FIG. 8B, when a disk D is installed therein, the inner edge portion thereof pushes the top surface 62A of the chuck end portion 62 of each of the clamping members 61 in the inner circumference of the turntable 21A with the descent of the disk D (in the direction of the arrow d). Thus, each of the clamping members 61 is turned counterclockwise as viewed in this figure, so that each of the pins 64 is detached from the catching portion 73 of the corresponding holding member 71.
In a state of the device illustrated in FIG. 8B, each of the clamping members 61 remains pushed downwardly by the elastic force of the corresponding tension spring 66. Thus, the corresponding supporting shaft 63 abuts against the bottom end of the guide groove 75 of the corresponding holding member 71.
This state lasts until the disk D descends still more to a position where the inner edge of the top surface thereof surmounts the edge of the chuck end portion 62 of each of the clamping members 61.
Then, as illustrated in FIG. 8C, when the disk D descends still more and the disk D is put on the turntable 21A, the top surface of the disk D abuts against the inclined lower surface 62B of each of the clamping members 61.
In a state illustrated in FIG. 8C, each of the clamping members 61 remains pushed downwardly by the resilient force of the corresponding tension spring 66. Thus, the corresponding supporting shaft 63 abuts against the bottom end of the guide groove 75 of the corresponding holding member 71. Moreover, the supporting shaft 63 is pushed counterclockwise as viewed in this figure, so that the corresponding pin 64 abuts against the catching portion 73 of the corresponding holding member 71 again.
Thus, the inclined lower surface of the chuck end portion 62 of each of the clamping members 61 abuts against the inner edge portion of the disk D from above and pushes and clamps the disk D. Namely, the disk D is chucked.
Therefore, the setting of the elastic force of the tension springs 66 ensures a stable pressing force of each of the clamping members 61 when a disk D is installed in this proposed chucking device 20A.
Moreover, the relatively simple structure of each of the clamping members 61 and the holding members 71 results in decrease in the cost of components and in the number of man-hours to fabricate the device 20A.
Additionally, the supporting shaft 63 of each of the clamping members 61 is vertically rockably held in the guide groove 75 of the corresponding holding member 71. Thus, even when, for instance, a mechanical shock causes the disk D to move in the direction in which the chuck end portion 62 of each of the clamping members 61 engages therewith, the chuck end portion 62 thereof rises with the result that the pressing force against the disk D is constant.
In the case that a disk D is released from the chucking device 20A which is in the state where the disk is chucked as illustrated in FIGS. 8C and 9A, the bottom surface 62B of the chuck end portion 62 of each of the clamping members 61 is upwardly pushed by the inner edge of the top surface of the disk D with ascent thereof.
Further, as illustrated in FIG. 9B, each of the clamping members 61 is raised against the resilient force of the tension springs 66. The supporting shaft 63 thereof upwardly slides in the guide groove 75 of the corresponding holding member 71. Moreover, the pin 64 of each of the clamping members 61 is detached from the catching portion 73 of the corresponding holding member 71 and then abuts against the inner slope of the corresponding cam 34 of the center boss 32.
In the state of the device illustrated in FIG. 9B, the pin 64 of each of the clamping members 61 slides on the inner slope of the corresponding cam 34 of the center boss 32. Thus, each of the clamping members 61 rotates counterclockwise, as viewed in this figure.
The amount of rotation of each of the clamping members 61 reaches a maximum value when the disk D rises still more to a position where the inner edge of the top surface thereof surmounts the edge of the chuck end portion 62 thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 9C.
In the state of the device illustrated in FIGS. 9B and 9C, the chuck end portion 62 of each of the clamping members 61 is upwardly exposed from the corresponding opening 32 of the center boss 31C.
When the disk D rises still more from the position thereof shown in FIG. 9C to a position where the inner edge of the bottom surface thereof abuts against the top surface of the chuck end portion 62 of each of the clamping members 61, the engagement of the disk D with the chucking portion 62 is canceled.
Then, the supporting shaft 63 of each of the clamping members 61 downwardly slides in the guide groove 75 of the corresponding holding member 71 and finally abuts against the bottom end thereof because the clamping members 61 are pushed clockwise (namely, in the direction of the arrow e) and downwardly (namely, in the direction of the arrow d) by the resilient force of the tension springs 66. Moreover, each of the pins 64 abuts against the catching portion 73 of the corresponding holding member 71 again. Thus, the device 20A automatically returns to the initial state where no disk is installed therein as illustrated in FIG. 8A.
The aforementioned chucking device 20A, however, cannot be applied to a slim disk apparatus, because the holding members 71 are placed under the turntable 21A, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9C.


Heat insulating flashing for building walls, curtain walls, windows and the like includes an inner metal element having an outer edge, an outer metal element having an inner edge in spaced apart relation with said outer edge of said inner metal element, and a joining element of heat insulating material continuously interconnecting the metal elements between the spaced apart edges thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved, heat insulating, flashing and more particularly to a new and improved heat insulating flashing of the type especially adapted for use in building walls, curtain walls, windows and the like of the type having framing members with a heat insulating thermal barrier between the inner and outer metal elements thereof to minimize heat loss and to minimize or eliminate moisture, condensation or frost from forming on the inner member during periods of cold weather.
The heat insulating flashing of the present invention is especially adapted for use in building curtain wall structures and windows, etc. of the type employing elongated framing elements of the heat insulating type such as those shown in copending U.S. Patent Applications, Ser. Nos. 880,710, filed Feb. 23, 1978 and 007,883 filed Jan. 31, 1979 and 907,305, filed May 18, 1978, which applications are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, with the advent of energy shortages, it has been increasingly more economical to provide building walls, curtain wall systems, windows and the like with heat insulating thermal barriers between the inside and outside elements for reducing heat transfer between these elements during heating and cooling seasons. In addition to the use of multiple pane type insulating glass and/or insulating type panels having improved heat insulating characteristics, it has also been desirable to provide heat insulating type, structural frame elements for supporting the panels so that heat losses through the entire wall areas are minimized and the problems of moisture condensation or frost formation on the inside members of a building wall structure are eliminated or greatly reduced.
As far as is known, none of the existing heat insulating building wall and window systems proposed or constructed have included a flashing member, which itself is provided with a thermal barrier or heat insulating element therein for reducing heat losses and preventing the formation of condensation or frost on the interior portion of the flashing.


A laser emitting visual display for a music system including a housing with a hollow interior and transparent window. A plurality of lasers are coupled within the housing and disposed to emit high intensity light beams generally towards the transparent window when actuated. Also included is a control mechanism situated within the housing and coupled to a current source, an output of a music system, and each of the lasers. The mechanism is adapted to actuate different lasers depending on the frequency and volume of a signal received via the output of the music system thereby effecting a coincident visual and audio spectacle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved laser emitting visual device for a music system and, more particularly, pertains to a visual device working in conjunction with a music system to effect a coincident visual and audio spectacle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of music responsive lighting devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, music responsive devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of controlling light through the use of music are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The prior art discloses a large number of music responsive lighting devices. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,317 to Robinson discloses a musically responsive lighting system which incorporates a unique display glasses arrangement. U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,435 to Chen discloses an acoustic control circuit for sequencing the flashing of Christmas lights according to the rhythm and volume of ambient sound. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,603,195 to Williams discloses a music-responsive light display formed by a series of mirrors suspended in front of a speaker.
In this respect, the laser emitting visual device for a music system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of working in direct conjunction with a music system to effect a coincident visual and audio spectacle.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved laser emitting visual device for a music system which can be used for working in direct conjunction with a music system to effect a coincident visual and audio display. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Laser emitting visual display for a music system


In accordance with this invention, a waste gas containing toxic NF.sub.3 gas is contacted with a honeycomb structure of a carbonaceous material to thereby convert NF.sub.3 into nontoxic CF.sub.4 and H.sub.2 gases with high efficiency.

NF.sub.3 gas is generally used as the dry etching gas or the cleaning gas in the manufacture of semiconductors. Thus, the etching of silicon with an ionized reactive gas in NF.sub.3 discharge gives volatile reaction products and this is an advantage because, unlike the earlier method of etching in a fluorocarbon plasma, chances for fouling of wafer surfaces with reaction by products, e.g. carbon (C) and sulfur (S), are eliminated and accordingly the etching speed is expedited. For this reason, NF.sub.3 gas is used more often in these days but since this gas is highly stable at ordinary temperature, it is not decomposed in the atmosphere, thus, causing various adverse effects on living matter. Moreover, although it is not inflammable, NF.sub.3 gas is toxic with a maximum allowable concentration of 10 ppm. Therefore, disposal of the waste gas presents a major problem.
The applicant of the present invention already proposed a method for treating NF.sub.3 gas which comprises reacting a NF.sub.3 -containing waste gas with a mass of carbon, such as charcoal, at a high temperature to convert NF.sub.3 into non-toxic CF.sub.4 and N.sub.2 gases Japanese Patent Application No. 78863/1986). For carrying this method into practice, granular carbon as the mass of carbon is packed into a cylindrical reactor and said NF.sub.3 -containing waste gas is passed through the layer of granular carbon so as to convert NF.sub.3 to non-toxic CF.sub.4 and N.sub.2 gases in the process. This method is advantageous in that NF.sub.3 is converted to non-toxic CF.sub.4 and N.sub.2 and that even if O.sub.2 is contained in the NF.sub.3 waste gas, it is converted to CO.sub.2 gas. Another known technique for treating a NF.sub.3 -containing waste gas comprises the use of silicon as a catalyst. However, this method has the disadvantage that it requires an additional step for treatment of poisonous SiF.sub.4. Recently, O.sub.2 has been used in combination with NF.sub. 3 for enhanced cleaning effect but when this silicon catalyst method is applied in such cases, O.sub.2 reacts with silicon to give SiO.sub.2, which is a solid, and this SiO.sub.2 tends to plug the piping. In the abovementioned method employing a mass of carbon as a catalyst as previously proposed by the present applicant, NF.sub.3 is directly converted to non-toxic CF.sub.4 and N.sub.2 gases and even if O.sub.2 is contained in the NF.sub.3 -containing waste gas, O.sub.2 reacts with carbon to give CO.sub.2 gas, thus causing no such troubles as plugged piping. However, when a production-scale plant was constructed and operated, the following disadvantage was discovered. As the grain size of granular carbon is gradually decreased as the reaction continues, the intergrain gaps are progressively narrowed to increase the flow resistance of the NF.sub.3 -containing waste gas, with the result that the pressure differential between the inlet and outlet ends of the reactor is also progressively increased. Therefore, the back pressure (pressure at the outlet end) of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment connected to reactor through a pipeline is also increased and accordingly the internal pressure of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment is also increased to interfere with stable operation. In the above apparatus, the degree of consumption of granular carbon is ascertained by detecting the top level of the carbon packing in the cylindrical reactor with a level gauge utilizing a laser beam and the reactor is refilled with granular carbon when the top level falls below a reference level. In this apparatus, the above refilling results in an increased thickness of the carbon layer and the intergrain gaps are decreased (dust carbon enters into the gaps between grains) so that the flow resistance of the NF.sub.3 -containing waste gas is sharply increased to cause a rapid elevation of the back pressure of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, thus interfering with stable operation.

Method and apparatus for treatment of NF.sub.3 gas


A reactor 20 includes a shield 50 which prevents the deposition of materials along a line-of-sight path from a wafer 26 toward and onto an electrode 32, or a window 38 which couples an electrode 32 to a reaction chamber of the reactor 20. The shield can be comprised of a conductor and/or an insulator. The shield can affect the character of a plasma generated in the reactor.

During semiconductor fabrication processes including but not limited to etch processes, material from a wafer may have a tendency to sputter therefrom and deposit on various surfaces, including but not limited to cooler surfaces, of a reactor such as the walls of a reactor. Inductively coupled plasma reactors generally have a first power electrode which can be in the shape of a inductive coil which is coupled to the reactor chamber through a window which is generally comprised of quartz. In such an arrangement, material sputtered from a wafer and traveling in a direct line-of-sight, can strike and build-up on the various surfaces of the reactor including the walls and the window. Such deposits caused by sputtering and other mechanisms can adversely affect the operation of the reactor. The build-up of such materials means that the reactor must be periodically shut down and the various surfaces are either cleaned or replaced. Accordingly, there is a need to minimize the effect of material sputtered from the wafer surface, which is deposited on the walls and window of the reactor. Further, there is a need to minimize the effect of materials deposited by any mechanism on the walls, windows, and other surfaces of a reactor.


Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication. The method may include determining, at a wireless device, a logical identifier (ID) as a pseudo-random function of a physical device ID of the wireless device and a synchronization channel index, where the synchronization channel index corresponds to an instance of a periodically repeating synchronization channel in a radio frame. The wireless device may be a base station in a serving cell, such that the synchronization channel may be to synchronize a downlink to communicate with a user equipment (UE) operating in a narrow-band cellular internet of things. The method may also include generating a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) for each instance of the periodically repeating synchronization channel in the frame based at least in part on the logical ID and the corresponding synchronization channel index, and transmitting the frame from the wireless device.

The following relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to generating secondary synchronization signals for a synchronization channel in a cellular internet of things (CIoT) system.
Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, (e.g., a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system). A wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of base stations, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE). Some of these UEs may be wireless devices that are part of a CIoT system, including those wireless devices implementing Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication or Machine Type Communication (MTC).
Wireless devices in a CIoT system generally synchronize with another wireless device in order to communicate with that device. A synchronization channel, which may be transmitted periodically in a frame, may be used for such synchronization between the wireless devices. For example a base station, operating as a serving cell, may periodically transmit a synchronization channel that is intended for receipt by a UE that intends to synchronize with the base station. The UE may then determine synchronization information from the synchronization channel, for example to achieve frame, subframe, slot, and/or symbol synchronization with the base station. However, a wireless device attempting to detect a synchronization channel may misdetect a synchronization channel, for example where overlapping synchronization channel transmissions are received from neighboring wireless devices. For example, two neighboring base stations may transmit overlapping synchronization channels when received by the UE, resulting in a misdetection of all or a portion of the synchronization channel by the UE. Misdetection of all or portions of the synchronization channel may result in performance degradation, for example due to synchronization latency.

Secondary synchronization signals for a synchronization channel


A motorized golf car includes a sing-sheet thermoplastic sunroof having a plurality of hollow stiffener channels formed therein to stiffen the canopy. A first, hollow stiffener channel is formed at the perimeter of the canopy edges, along the front and side perimeters. A plurality of second stiffener channels are formed in the sheet in-board of the first stiffener channel. A first drain gutter, sloped back-to-front, is provided in the canopy, and a second drain gutter, sloped front-to-back, is provided in the canopy to drain water from the top surface of the canopy.

This invention relates generally to motorized golf cars and particularly to sunroof canopies mounted on such golf cars.
A motorized golf car usually includes a sunroof canopy. Prior art canopies can be constructed from a single or multiple sheets of thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene.
When constructed from a single, thin sheet of thermoplastic material, prior art canopies lack rigidity, causing vibration and early failure. Also, they present sharp edges at the canopy perimeter against which a passenger's head might strike, causing injury.
When constructed from multiple sheets of thermoplastic material, prior art canopies can become unacceptably heavy. They may also present relatively sharp or unrounded edges at the canopy perimeter.
The foregoing illustrates limitations know to exist in prior art sunroof canopies. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of theses limitations set forth above.
Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including the features more fully disclosed hereinafter.


Provided is a work vehicle which is capable of appropriately setting the height of a work tool as a control threshold value for a ride control device or an automatic transmission control device, and which is excellent in operability, travel stability, and work efficiency. A value detected by an angle sensor (39) when a signal import switch (46) is operated by an operator is stored in a height position storage unit (35b) of a main controller (35) as height position information about a bucket (13) for excavation work. In the height position storage unit (35b), the height position of the bucket (13) for hauling work and the height position of the bucket (13) for loading work are stored in advance as offset values from the height position information about the bucket (13) for excavation work. In this way, the ride control device or the automatic transmission control device can be appropriately controlled regardless of the preference or habit of the operator.

In the background art, there has been known a work vehicle provided with a travel vibration suppression device which is called a ride control device. The ride control device is a device in which a hydraulic pressure accumulator is connected through a control valve to a lift cylinder hydraulic circuit which supplies hydraulic oil to a lift cylinder for driving a work tool. In the ride control device, the hydraulic oil is allowed to circulate between the lift cylinder and the hydraulic pressure accumulator when the control valve is opened. The fluctuation of bottom pressure generated in the lift cylinder due to the vertical motion of the work vehicle which is travelling can be absorbed to the hydraulic pressure accumulator so as to reduce the impact acting on the vehicle body. The control valve is fundamentally changed over by manual operation performed on a ride control switch by an operator. In the background art, in order to automatically change over the control valve in accordance with the operation situation of the work vehicle, there has been also known a technique in which the control valve is changed over from a closed state to an open state automatically when the vehicle speed reaches a predetermined set speed or higher (for example, see Patent Literature 1).
However, in the configuration in which the control valve is opened and closed automatically in accordance with only the vehicle speed, the control valve may be opened and closed in a state which is not intended by the operator. As a result, a sense of discomfort or a sense of insecurity in operation may be easily given to the operator. For example, description will be made by way of example in the case where in which a bucket is provided as a work tool for performing excavation work, hauling work and loading work onto a dump truck or the like. When the vehicle speed is higher than a set speed, the control valve is automatically changed over from the closed state to the open state in spite of the excavation work. Thus, the force acting on the bucket escapes to the hydraulic pressure accumulator through the lift cylinder due to the damper effect of the hydraulic pressure accumulator, so as to give the operator a sense of discomfort as if the start timing of excavation has been delayed. In addition, when the vehicle speed is higher than the set speed during the loading work, the control valve is automatically changed over from the closed state to the open state. As a result, the oscillation of the bucket increases due to the damper effect of the hydraulic pressure accumulator, so as to give a needless sense of insecurity to the operator. In order to solve such problems, the applicant of the present application has already made a proposal in which a position of excavation, a position of hauling and a position of loading are set in a controller in advance, and a control valve is kept in a closed state in spite of a vehicle speed not lower than a set speed when a bucket is in a position not higher than the set position of excavation or not lower than the set position of loading (Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-56644). In this manner, the bucket can be prevented from oscillating during excavation work or during loading work, so that the sense of discomfort or the sense of insecurity can be removed from the operator.
In addition, in the background art, a work vehicle such as a wheel loader is also mounted with a transmission control device which automatically changes a speed stage of a transmission when the vehicle speed reaches a set speed. However, in the configuration in which the speed stage of the transmission is automatically changed in accordance with only the vehicle speed, shift-up operation may be performed against the operator's intention to accelerate the work vehicle when the vehicle speed is higher than the set speed. Thus, the work efficiency may deteriorate instead. For example, the following work is performed when soil etc. fully loaded on the bucket is loaded onto a dump truck. That is, the work vehicle is moved forward from the position of excavation toward the stop position of the dump truck. As soon as the work vehicle comes close up to a predetermined position from the dump truck, the amount of accelerator pedal depression is reduced to lower the vehicle speed. The bucket is lifted up to the loading height onto the dump truck while the work vehicle is moved forward due to an inertia force. The work vehicle is stopped in the loading position of the soil etc. However, when the vehicle speed is high, shift-up operation is carried out in spite of a small amount of accelerator pedal depression. Thus, the work vehicle may be accelerated. On this occasion, the operator must brake and stop the work vehicle in the loading position of the soil etc. Thus, the work efficiency deteriorates. In order to solve such a problem, the applicant of the present application has already proposed a transmission control device in which a loading position is set in a controller in advance, and shift-up operation by a transmission device is inhibited when the vehicle speed reaches a set speed or higher as long as a bucket is not lower than the set loading position (for example, see Patent Literature 2). In this manner, needless braking operation can be avoided so that the work efficiency of the work vehicle can be improved.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.


A burner for range covers or similar, to allow a broad range of calorific capacities, and a better burner distribution in the cover, with a generally semi-rectangular form, and containing a plurality of ports and a plurality of manners to ignite it, wherein the burner is capable of interacting with other burners at determined length and height distances, creating discontinuous flames between the burners.

Range, grate, stove, grill, cooker or cook tops covers that include one or more burners in the same axis are known in the art. It is common that a main burner may have a maximum thermal capacity of about 4,229 kilojoules (4,000 BTU) to about 10,600 kilojoules (10,000 BTU) an hour in its highest position. The minimum thermal capacity of a burner may be reduced to about 633 kilojoules (600 BTU) an hour without flame extinguishment. It is logical that the ring diameter of the flame, determines the heat output coefficient of the burner.
A higher output coefficient, may be solved by the multiplicity of burners, or by orbital burners, such as star or concentric ring burners, which have several heat outputs in the same burner.
Examples of the above exist in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,849 discloses a gas burner includes a base member to which a plurality of nozzles is disposed and a disk is mounted to the base member with a plurality of gas supplying tubes connected between the disk and the base member. A central head member and a plurality of chambers are respectively mounted to the disk and communicate with the gas supplying tubes respectively. Each of the chambers and the central head member has a plurality of openings defined therethrough.
Mexican Patent No. 191876 discloses that by means of burner design in the form of an oval, and by means of port design, a greater space to the average space of a burner may be burnt, providing greater thermal capacity (BTU's).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,205 incorporates a multi-ring burner assembly utilizing at least two flame rings to gently and evenly warm food and a third flame ring in conjunction with the first two flame rings for cooking food. This design has the further advantages of easy replacement of both the igniters and the gas jets from the top of the appliance without having to remove the unit from the appliance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,619 discloses gas burner with multiple gas rings comprising: a burner body mountable underneath a top plate, with a cut-out section, of an appliance and incorporating a first, upwardly directed gas injector and a second gas injector followed by a horizontal tubular Venturi opening into a vertical well; an outer burner head seated on the body through the cut-out section and spaced at a distance above the plate and provided with an annular chamber open above the well and having one or two rows of orifices for flames; and an inner burner head shaped so as to have a radial divergent coaxially supplied by the first injector through a recess located at the center of the head, ports being provided in the head so that all the primary air and the secondary air needed to operate the multiple burner arrives from the top of the top plate of the appliance.
Another manner by which to provide greater heat than that of a normal burner, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,460, wherein a gas burner assembly particularly for incorporated cooking hobs in a gas cooker, has at least two nozzles selectively feedable to form corresponding gas/air mixtures in two separate mixing chambers provided with flame orifices, said flame orifices being positioned on two different levels. The burner assembly is selectively operable to provide a full range of gas cooking powers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,173, discloses a combined burner and grate structure for use in connection with a gas range includes one or more burner elements. Each burner element has one or more fuel inlets, one or more fuel outlets disposed on one or more side surfaces, and a top surface. A horizontal planar support for a cooking vessel is made up of the top surface of each burner element. A gas rangetop can include one or more of these combined burner and grate structures.
Another patent disclosing ring burners is U.S. Pat. No. 7,001,176, which discloses a burner for cookers, suitable for burning gas, comprising at least two gas crowns, of which one central one and at least one circumferential one, a mixing chamber with Venturi effect, ducts for entry of the primary air and radial ducts for feeding the gas/primary air mixture to the said at least one circumferential crown, comprising a body, a head and a separation element that breaks up the internal space into ducts for entry of the primary air and ducts for distribution of the gas/primary air mixture.
Finally, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/967,537 with publication No. US 2005/0142511 discloses another manner by which to supply greater thermal or calorific capacity to a burner. Said publication discloses multiple gas burner assembly has two burners spaced apart by a bridge burner. An axis extending through the first and third burner intersects the perimeter of the bridging second burner. The second burner provides a means for providing a substantially continuous flame perimeter and continuous heating intermediate the first burner and third burner when the three burners are lit. This publication is the closest state of the art found. However, one of the differences between said publication and the invention, is that the distance between the main burner, the secondary burner and the satellite burner, has such a distance, that allows lighting the satellite burner through the main burner, avoiding that the flames of both burners have interference, causing a bad appearance in the flame and greater carbon monoxide production. In FIG. 12 of said application, a similar figure to that of the present invention is disclosed. However, it should be noted from the specification of the application, specifically in page 4, paragraphs 45 and 46, that the invention in this embodiment was not carried out. It should be noted that the intermediate burner in the embodiments of FIGS. 10 through 13 of the application, do not have a proper form of ignition, nor do they have an adequate form of burning.


Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for determining successful practices of insurance representatives. In one embodiment, this may include identifying one or more successful insurance representatives and determining the business practices they use that are correlated to success.

Many insurance carriers rely on insurance agents or agencies to promote and sell their insurance policies. It is not uncommon for a single insurance agent and/or insurance agency representative (e.g., insurance agency employee) to promote and sell insurance policies from a number of insurance carriers. The approaches used for promoting insurance policies may vary greatly from insurance representative to insurance representative. In some cases, a single insurance representative may even vary the approach to promoting insurance policies from insurance carrier to insurance carrier. In many instances, the approaches selected by an insurance agent and/or insurance agency representative (e.g., insurance agency employee) may be related to his/her preferred style of doing business. As a result, an insurance representative having a particular business style may only be interested in utilizing certain types of approaches.
It is often difficult for an insurance agent and/or insurance agency representative (e.g., insurance agency employee) to determine which approaches result in the greatest success for promoting and selling the policies of any given insurance carrier. The insurance agent and/or insurance agency representative (e.g., insurance agency employee) may further be unaware of the approaches taken by other insurance agents and/or insurance agency representatives (e.g., insurance agency employees) and the relative success of those agents/representatives or approaches. It may also be difficult for an insurance agent and/or insurance agency representative (e.g., insurance agency employee) to identify new or different approaches that may be in line with his/her preferred style of doing business.
Because an insurance carrier relies to an extent on insurance agents and/or insurance agency representatives (e.g., insurance agency employees) for promoting its products and services, an insurance carrier has an interest in increasing the success of the insurance agents and/or insurance agency representatives (e.g., insurance agency employees). Thus, there is a need in the art for methods, apparatus, systems, and computer program products for recommending tools and/or business practices to an insurance agent and/or insurance agency representative (e.g., insurance agency employee) for increasing success based at least in part on the agent's and/or representative's behavioral style.


An intensity modulated radio therapy (IMRT) dosimeter measuring a three-dimensional absorption dose distribution in a transparent plastic phantom readily and accurately. In the IMRT dosimeter, radiation beams are directed to a phantom assembly having a scintillation fiber block sandwiched between two blocks of the phantom. As an intensity of light proportional to the radiation beam is emitted from one side of the scintillation fiber block, its profile is measured by an image sensor. Then, the three-dimensional absorption dose distribution is obtained from the light intensity distribution data. By summing the three-dimensional absorption dose distribution data measured with the radiation beam at different angles, an integrated three-dimensional absorption dose distribution in the phantom can be calculated readily and accurately.

This application is based on the application No. 2001-072172 filed in Japan, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an absorption dose measuring apparatus for intensity modulated radio therapy (referred to as xe2x80x9cIMRTxe2x80x9d hereinafter), which is used for measuring or evaluating an integrated three-dimensional absorption dose distribution of an X-ray or a particle beam such as an electron beam in a phantom, in the IMRT process for treating cancers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
IMRT is well known as one of radiation therapy processes. In the IMRT, because a radiation beam is applied to a patient while variously changing the shape of the radiation field of the beam and further variously changing the incident direction of the radiation beam, the integrated absorption dose of the radiation may be set so as to match the shape of the affected part to be treated. Accordingly, the radiation therapy process can be effectively carried out with the radiation accurately focused onto the affected part to be treated.
When the IMRT described above is carried out, a treatment plan is made at first. In the treatment plan, there may be set a condition for accurately applying the radiation onto the affected part to be treated, with a predetermined absorption dose distribution of the radiation. The treatment plan must be then examined or verified through experiments whether it is appropriate to the patient. For the verification, in general, an absorption dose measuring apparatus for IMRT (referred to xe2x80x9cIMRT dosimeterxe2x80x9d hereinafter) is used.
Hereinafter, there will be described a process for measuring an absorption dose distribution in a conventional IMRT dosimeter.
FIG. 6 illustrates a process for measuring an absorption dose distribution in a conventional typical IMRT dosimeter. As shown in FIG. 6, the conventional IMRT dosimeter has a construction that a plurality of X-ray films 103 are interposed at a plurality of positions in a phantom 102 made of a plastic.
In the conventional IMRT dosimeter having the above-mentioned construction, radiation beams 110a and 101b such as X-rays, particle beams such as electron beams or the like are applied to the phantom 102. In consequence, each of the X-ray films 103 interposed in the phantom 102 is exposed (sensitized) due to interactions with the radiation beams. Then, there may be obtained a two-dimensional absorption dose distribution at each of the positions corresponding to the X-ray films 103 by measuring the distribution pattern of darkening degree in the X-ray film 103. Thus, on the basis of the two-dimensional absorption dose distributions of all of the X-ray films 103, a three-dimensional absorption dose distribution in the phantom 102 may be obtained.
In the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 9-230053, 10-153662 or 10-153663, there is disclosed a depth dose measuring apparatus which can measure an absorption dose distribution in a phantom in a short duration of time without using X-ray films.
FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic arrangement of a depth dose measuring apparatus, disclosed in the above-mentioned Publication 10-153663, for inspection and verification of a radiation emitter for cancer treatment. As shown in FIG. 7, in the depth dose measuring apparatus, a detecting unit 111 is composed of a plastic-made scintillation fiber block 113 substantially equivalent to the human organism and transparent-plastic blocks 114 sandwiching the fiber block 113. Also, provided is an image sensor 112 for measuring a light intensity distribution on one end of the scintillation fiber block 113.
In the depth dose measuring apparatus, the radiation beam is applied onto the upper surface of the detecting unit 111 in the direction perpendicular to the upper surface from above. Because the detecting unit 111 is substantially equivalent to the human organism, its properties for absorbing the radiation are substantially equal to those of the human organism. Therefore, it can correctly measure the absorption dose distribution. In this case, if the detecting unit 111 and the image measuring device 112 are rotated or linearly moved as one body, a three-dimensional absorption dose distribution in the detecting unit 111 may be measured using a steady radiation beam emitted from a radiation emitter.
However, the conventional IMRT dosimeter using X-ray films, for example shown in FIG. 6, may fail to measure the absorption dose distribution at a desired level of accuracy, because the X-ray film is significantly different in absorbing radiation from the human organism. Also, the X-ray film may vary in output depending on production lot or the conditions of development, even if the absorption dose is uniform. Accordingly, the result of the measurement will hardly be consistent in accuracy. The steps of developing the X-ray film and measuring a pattern of the darkening are time and labor intensive.
On the other hand, in the conventional depth dose measuring apparatus, for example shown in FIG. 7, there exists such a problem that it is applicable to the IMRT with much difficulty, even though it is generally capable of measuring the absorption dose distribution accurately and readily. That is, because the IMRT generally measures or evaluates the integrated absorption dose while variously changing the shape of the radiation field and the incident direction of the radiation beams, the above-mentioned conventional depth dose measuring apparatus, which is to use only a steady radiation beam, may hardly provide appropriate measurement or evaluation of the integrated absorption dose distribution for the IMRT process.
The present invention has been achieved to solve the conventional problems described above, and has an object to provide an IMRT dosimeter which can accurately measure or evaluate a three-dimensional absorption dose distribution in a phantom in a short duration of time for the IMRT process.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, which has been achieved to solve the above-mentioned problems, there is provided an IMRT dosimeter (i.e. absorption dose measuring apparatus for IMRT) which measures (or evaluates) a absorption dose distribution in a phantom for the IMRT, including (i) a detecting section composed of a plastic scintillator and arranged so that its strike is vertical to an incident direction of a radiation beam, (ii) a phantom composed of a transparent plastic and formed (or disposed) to sandwich the detecting section from both sides along a direction parallel with the strike of the plastic scintillator, (iii) an image measuring device for measuring a distribution of intensity of light emitted from one side of the detecting section along the direction parallel with the strike of the plastic scintillator, (iv) an assembly driver for moving an assembly including the detecting section, the phantom and the image measuring device in the direction parallel with the strike of the plastic scintillator, or for rotating the assembly about a rotation axis which extends vertically across a center of the detecting section, and (v) a data processor for processing a data measured by the image measuring device. Hereupon, (vi) the data processor picks (or gathers) a three-dimensional absorption dose distribution data in the phantom when the assembly driver moves the assembly in the direction parallel with the strike of the plastic scintillator or rotates the assembly about the rotation axis, at each of plural radiation beam applications each of which is performed under a predetermined condition. Further, (vii) the data processor obtains an integrated three-dimensional absorption dose distribution in the phantom by summing (or combining, or synthesizing) the three-dimensional absorption dose distribution data for each of the radiation beam applications.
In the IMRT dosimeter of the first aspect of the present invention, the data processor, for example composed of a computer or the like, picks (or gathers) the three-dimensional absorption dose distribution data in the phantom in each of the plural applications of the radiation beams. Further, the data processor obtains the integrated three-dimensional absorption dose distribution for the IMRT by summing the three-dimensional absorption dose distribution for the plural applications of the radiation beams. Because the integrated three-dimensional absorption dose distribution is obtained by the data processing using the computer or the like, the absorption dose distribution may be measured with a higher accuracy in a short period.
In an IMRT dosimeter of a second aspect of the present invention, the IMRT dosimeter of the first aspect is modified so that the detecting section is composed of a plastic scintillator which is formed by bundling plastic scintillation fibers in a block shape.
According to the IMRT dosimeter of the second aspect of the present invention, at first, there may be obtained advantages similar to those of the IMRT dosimeter of the first aspect of the present invention. In addition, because the plastic scintillator formed by bundling the plastic scintillation fibers in the block shape is used, the light produced in the detecting section by the radiation beam can be certainly guided by the scintillation fibers to reach the end surface of the detecting section. In consequence, the distribution of the light intensity in the detecting section can accurately appear at the end surface of the detecting section so that the accuracy of measuring the integrated three-dimensional absorption dose distribution may be improved.
In an IMRT dosimeter of a third aspect of the present invention, the IMRT dosimeter of the first aspect is modified so that the detecting section is composed of a plastic scintillator of a thin plate shape (or form).
According to the IMRT dosimeter of the third aspect of the present invention, at first, there may be obtained advantages similar to those of the IMRT dosimeter of the first aspect of the present invention. In addition, because the detecting section is formed of the plastic scintillator of the thin plate shape, diffusion of the light produced in the detecting section by the radiation beam is reduced so that the accuracy of measuring the integrated three-dimensional absorption dose distribution may be improved. Moreover, the cost for producing the detecting section or the IMRT dosimeter may be reduced.
In an IMRT dosimeter of a fourth aspect of the present invention, the IMRT dosimeter of the second or third aspect is modified so that a cross section of an assembly composed of the phantom and the detecting section has a shape similar to a shape of a cross section of a human body.
According to the IMRT dosimeter of the fourth aspect of the present invention, at first, there may be obtained advantages similar to those of the IMRT dosimeter of the second or third aspect of the present invention. In addition, because the shape of the cross section of the assembly composed of the phantom and the detecting section is similar to that of the human body, the absorption dose distribution in the human body for the IMRT may be correctly evaluated, before the patient is actually exposed to the radiation beam in accordance with the treatment plan.
In an IMRT dosimeter of a fifth aspect of the present invention, the IMRT dosimeter of any one of the first to fourth aspects is modified so that (i) the incident direction of the radiation beam is fixed to a direction perpendicular to an upper surface of an (or the) assembly composed of the phantom and the detecting section when the integrated three-dimensional absorption dose distribution is measured, (ii) while the integrated three-dimensional absorption dose distribution in the phantom is obtained by summing (or combining, or synthesizing) the three-dimensional absorption dose distribution data in consideration of an incident angle of a radiation which has been planed for the IMRT.
According to the IMRT dosimeter of the fifth aspect of the present invention, at first, there may be obtained advantages similar to those of the IMRT dosimeter of any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention. In addition, the three-dimensional absorption dose distribution data can be measured without changing the incident direction of the radiation beam toward the phantom and the detecting section, when the radiation beams are applied in various incident directions. Accordingly, the integrated three-dimensional absorption dose distribution for the IMRT can be accurately measured in a short period while simplifying the construction of the radiation generator or the IMRT dosimeter.

Absorption dose measuring apparatus for intensity modulated radio therapy


In a modulator supplied with an input digital signal for outputting an output signal therefrom in accordance with the input digital signal, the modulator has a first producing section for producing a phase information signal on the basis of the input digital signal. The phase information signal is representative of phase information of the input digital signal. A memory section memorizes an impulse response data of the phase information that has a predetermined data length. An accessing section accesses the memory section to produce impulse response values of the impulse response data in accordance with the phase information signal. A second producing section produces a modulated signal on the basis of the impulse response values. A shaping section shapes the modulated signal into a shaped modulated signal in accordance with a predetermined window function to produce the shaped modulated signal as the output signal.

This invention relates to a modulator for use in a mobile telecommunication system.
In general, a mobile telecommunication system comprises a plurality of radio telephone terminals and at least one base station. Each of the radio telephone terminals has a quadrature modulator for quadrature modulating an input digital signal into a transmitting signal which is transmitted to the base station. The transmitting signal may be transmitted to the base station through one of channels. The input digital signal may be, for example, a digital speech signal.
Such a quadrature modulator is disclosed in a title of "Digital Implementation of Orthogonal Modulator for FM" contributed by H. Suzuki et al to IEICE Technical Report, No. CS79-250, 1979, pages 31 to 36. The quadrature modulator disclosed by H. Suzuki et al comprises a complex vector modulator section, a radio frequency (RF) section, and a combining section. The complex vector modulator section will be merely called a modulator hereinunder. The modulator is supplied with the input digital signal and produces an inphase component signal and a quadrature component signal on the basis of the input digital signal. The inphase and the quadrature component signals may be collectively called an output signal. The RF section frequency converts the inphase component signal and the quadrature component signal into a converted inphase component signal and a converted quadrature component signal, respectively. The combining section combines the converted inphase component signal and the converted quadrature component signal to produce the transmitting signal.
The input digital signal is composed of a plurality of symbols. In order to restrict a band width which the transmitting signal occupies and in order to minimize intersymbol interference and inter-channel interference, the modulator carries out Nyquist waveform shaping process of an impulse response of each symbol on producing the inphase component signal and the quadrature component signal as well known in the art.
By the way, it is known in the art that time division multiple access (TDMA) is used in the mobile telecommunication system. In TDMA, one of time slots is assigned as a specific time slot to a specific one of the radio telephone terminals. When the specific radio telephone terminal transmits the transmitting signal to the base station in the specific time slot, the specific radio telephone terminal transmits the transmitting signal as a burst signal to the base station.
On transmitting the burst signal, the inter-channel interference inevitably occurs at a start of the burst signal and an end of the burst signal because a spectrum becomes wide in the burst signal. In addition, inter-slot interference inevitably occurs in the base station because the spectrum becomes wide in the burst signal by a receiving filter of the base station.
In order to decrease the inter-channel interference and the inter-slot interference, it is known in the art to carry out a wave shaping of the burst signal at the start and the end of the burst signal by a predetermined window function. The predetermined window function may be, for example, Hanning window function.
A conventional modulator comprises a read-only-memory (ROM) for memorizing first through N-th impulse response data each of which is defined by an impulse response of phase information of the input digital signal, where N represents a positive integer which is not less than one. Namely, each of the first through the N-th impulse response data is defined by an impulse response function. More particularly, the first impulse response data is produced by multiplying the impulse response and a first coefficient which is weighted by the use of the predetermined window function. Similarly, the N-th shaping data is produced by multiplying the impulse response and an N-th coefficient which is weighted by the use of the predetermined window function.
In order to carry out the wave shaping of the burst signal at the start and the end of the burst signal, the first through the N-th impulse response data are selectively read as a read impulse response data out of the ROM in accordance with the input digital signal. Namely, the conventional modulator produces the output signal by the use of the read impulse response data.
However, it is necessary for the conventional modulator to make the ROM have a large capacity inasmuch as the ROM memorizes the first through the N-th impulse response data. Namely, the ROM itself becomes large.
As a result, the conventional modulator becomes large inasmuch as the ROM itself becomes large. Furthermore, the ROM is frequently accessed inasmuch as the ROM memorizes first through the N-th impulse response data. Accordingly, consumption of an electric power increases in the conventional modulator.

Modulator capable of decreasing consumption of electric power


A waste gas treatment system having a burner part and a combustion chamber provided at a downstream side of the burner part. Combustion flames are formed from the burner part toward the combustion chamber, and a waste gas is introduced into the combustion flames, thereby oxidatively decomposing the waste gas. The combustion chamber is formed from an inner wall made of a fiber-reinforced ceramic material. Therefore, the wear of the inner wall due to heat and corrosion is minimized, and thermal stress cracking is also reduced. Consequently, the lifetime of the system increases, and the cost of equipment and the availability factor can be improved. In addition, because the inner wall exhibits no catalytic effect, the formation of thermal NOx is suppressed, and it is possible to achieve environmental preservation and to simplify the treatment equipment.

Waste gases that are likely to generate dust when treated by combustion include those which contain hazardous and combustible gases, e.g., silane (SiH4) and disilane (Si2H6) discharged from semiconductor manufacturing systems or liquid crystal panel manufacturing systems. Further, waste gases containing scarcely decomposable, global warming gases (PFCs) are also likely to generate dust when treated by combustion. Such waste gases cannot be emitted into the atmosphere as they are because they would have adverse effects upon the human body and change the global environment. Therefore, the common practice is to introduce such waste gases into a pretreatment system where the waste gas is made harmless by oxidation through combustion. For this treatment, a method is widely employed in which flames are formed in a furnace by using an auxiliary burning gas and the waste gas is burned in the flames.
In such a combustion type waste gas treatment system, the auxiliary burning gas uses hydrogen, city (natural) gas, LPG or the like as a fuel gas, and oxygen or air is usually used as an oxidizing agent. The greater part of the running cost of the system is the cost for consumption of the fuel gas and the oxidizing agent. Accordingly, how much hazardous waste gas is decomposed at high efficiency with a minimum amount of auxiliary burning gas is a measure for evaluating the performance of this type of system.
A general arrangement of a combustor used in a conventional waste gas treatment system of the above-described combustion type is shown in FIGS. 27 and 28. The illustrated combustor has a burner part 101 and a combustion reaction part (combustion chamber) 102 for oxidatively decomposing waste gas under heating at a stage subsequent to the burner part 101. The burner part 101 has a waste gas nozzle 103 opened in the center of the ceiling of the combustion reaction part 102 to introduce a waste gas G1 to be treated into the combustion reaction part 102. The burner part 101 further has a plurality of auxiliary burning gas nozzles 104 opened in the outer periphery of the waste gas nozzle 103 to introduce an auxiliary burning gas G2 into the combustion reaction part 102. A combustion gas outlet 105 is integrally connected to the lower end of the combustion reaction part 102. Thus, the waste gas G1 is passed through the center of flames annularly formed by the auxiliary burning gas G2 blown off from the auxiliary burning gas nozzles 104. While passing through the center of the flames, the waste gas G1 is mixed with the flames and thus burned. Combustion gas resulting from the burning of the waste gas Gi is discharged to the outside from the combustion gas outlet 105.
In general, the combustion reaction part 102 is defined and formed by an inner wall surface 106a of a cylindrical furnace body 106 made of a metal, e.g., a stainless steel. According to need, a thermal insulator for heat insulation is installed on the outer peripheral surface of the furnace body 106. Alternatively, a water-cooling structure is employed.
Meanwhile, the mainstream method of decomposition-treating gases containing fluorocarbons, which are considered to be causes of global warming, is heat decomposition in a high-temperature environment or -decomposition in a plasma for the time being. To use these techniques, decomposition treatment of fluorocarbon-containing gases is carried out under application of an enormous amount of energy for heating and plasma generation in decomposition treatment equipment having a complicated control mechanism for controlling a heating device, e.g., a heater, a plasma generator, a safety device, etc.
However, in the conventional example as shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the combustion reaction part 102 is formed by the metallic furnace body 106, and the furnace body 106 is exposed to a high-temperature atmosphere of 1300° C. or more when combustion flames are formed (during operation). Therefore, the furnace body 106 wears out rapidly and cannot withstand long-term operation. In particular, when a halogen-containing gas is decomposition-treated by this system, the furnace body is etched or corroded under high temperature by a halogen gas (HCl, HF, etc.) produced after the treatment reaction and hence wears out rapidly.
When the furnace body 106 wears out in a short period of time as stated above, it is necessary to replace the furnace body 106 frequently. This causes the cost of equipment to increase. Further, when the metallic furnace body wears out, there is a danger that wear may develop in the surrounding structures (the thermal insulator, the water-cooled vessel, etc.). Therefore, it is necessary to inspect the furnace body for the degree of wear by disassembling it frequently. This causes the availability for use of the equipment to be reduced markedly and gives rise to an increase in the running cost.
Further, because the inner wall surface of the metallic furnace body 106 is heated to a high temperature by combustion flames in the combustion reaction part 102, the formation of thermal NOx is undesirably promoted by the catalytic effect of the metal. For example, this type of waste gas combustion equipment in semiconductor industry facilities is generally designed on the assumption that it will be installed in a clean room. Therefore, the equipment needs to be made compact in size. However, if a large amount of NOx is produced, it becomes necessary to separately provide a special-purpose treatment mechanism for treating the NOx. Consequently, the equipment cannot be made compact in size.
Further, in a combustor that forms combustion flames as stated above, flames are formed at the lower end of the burner part 101, resulting in a rise in temperature in the vicinity of the opening portion of the burner part 101, which is made of a stainless steel or the like. Therefore, there is a danger that the auxiliary burning gas G2 supplied to the burner part 101 may ignite and explode.
Further, when gases such as SiH4 used in semiconductor device manufacturing processes, particularly CVD processes or the like, are made harmless by a heat decomposition type waste gas treatment system, dust, e.g. SiO2, is generated. Such dust flows, together with waste gas, and adheres to the inner wall surfaces of piping and so forth, causing the exhaust pressure loss to increase. As methods of preventing the adhesion of dust to the inner wall surfaces of piping and so forth, the following methods have heretofore been available: a method wherein dust is blown off with a cleaning gas; a method wherein dust is scraped off with an intermittent manual scraper; and a method wherein a cleaning gas is always supplied through a porous inner wall to prevent adhesion of dust.
With the blow-off method using a cleaning gas, a fixed nozzle is provided over the circumferential area of piping to blow off a cleaning gas constantly or intermittently to remove dust. This method involves the problem that if the position of the nozzle is away from where dust may adhere, the dust removal effect is lessened. If a large amount of cleaning gas is supplied to maintain the dust removal effect, the cost of cleaning gas increases. In addition, because a large amount of gas flows, it is necessary to increase the diameter of piping in order to minimize the pressure loss.
With the method using an intermittent manual scraper, scraping is performed after an amount of accumulated dust has grown large. Therefore, the method requires a tank for storing large lumps of scraped dust.
With the prevention of adhesion of dust by constantly supplying a cleaning gas through a porous inner wall, it is necessary to supply a large amount of cleaning gas in order to maintain the flow velocity of cleaning gas through the inner wall throughout the piping so as to prevent adhesion of dust. Accordingly, it is necessary to increase the diameter of the piping in order to minimize the pressure loss due to the flow of a large amount of gas.
Further, the cost of cleaning gas is increasing, and it is necessary to increase the size of equipment such as a duct for exhausting the gas discharged from the pretreatment system in a building to the outside of the building.
The present invention was made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a waste gas treatment system designed so that the wear of an inner wall constituting a combustion reaction part exposed to a high temperature is minimized to increase the working life, reduce the cost of equipment and improve the work availability, and the formation of NOx can be suppressed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a waste gas treatment system designed to suppress a rise in temperature due to flames in the vicinity of the opening of a combustion burner so as to be free from the danger of explosion of an auxiliary burning gas or the like.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a waste gas treatment system capable of reliably removing dust from the inner wall surface of piping and requiring a minimum amount of cleaning gas when it is injected.


A coaxial transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) including a ball lens may be used in an optical transceiver for transmitting an optical signal at a channel wavelength. The coaxial TOSA includes a laser package with a ball lens holder section defining a lens holder cavity that receives the ball lens. The lens holder cavity is dimensioned such that the ball lens is positioned in substantial alignment with the laser diode for optically coupling a laser output from the laser diode into an optical waveguide at an optical coupling end of the TOSA. The coaxial TOSA is thus configured to allow the less expensive ball lens to be used in a relatively small package when a lower coupling efficiency and power is desired and without substantial redesign of the TOSA.

Optical transceivers are used to transmit and receive optical signals for various applications including, without limitation, internet data center, cable TV broadband, and fiber to the home (FTTH) applications. Optical transceivers provide higher speeds and bandwidth over longer distances, for example, as compared to transmission over copper cables. The desire to provide higher speeds in smaller optical transceiver modules for a lower cost has presented challenges, for example, with respect to thermal management, insertion loss, and manufacturing yield.
Optical transceiver modules generally include one or more transmitter optical subassemblies (TOSAs) for transmitting optical signals. A TOSA generally includes a laser package for housing a laser diode and a lens optically coupling the laser diode to an optical fiber. In at least one type of TOSA, an aspherical lens is used to provide a relatively high coupling efficiency and the aspherical lens has a square perimeter shape to fit within the laser package. These lenses, however, are often more expensive. Moreover, a lower power output may be desired in some applications without having to redesign the TOSA with a different laser. Thus, the higher coupling efficiency of the aspherical, square lenses may provide a power output that is too high and at a cost that is too high. The design and space restrictions within a TOSA also present challenges with respect to using different lenses.

Coaxial transmitter optical subassembly (TOSA) including ball lens


A process for the preparation of a catalyst or catalyst precursor, comprising the steps of: (a) admixing: (i) a catalytically active metal or metal compound (ii) a carrier material (iii) a gluing agent; and (iv) optionally one or more promoters, and/or one or more co-catalysts; (b) forming the mixture of step (a); and (c) drying the product of step (b) for more than 5 hours at a temperature up to 100 C to form the catalyst or catalyst precursor. The catalyst material mixture does not need to be calcined after forming to achieve the required minimum strength for use in a suitable reaction, such as Fischer Tropsch.

Many documents are known describing processes for the catalytic conversion of (gaseous) hydrocarbonaceous feedstocks, especially methane, natural gas and/or associated gas, into liquid products, especially methanol and liquid hydrocarbons, particularly paraffinic hydrocarbons. In this respect often reference is made to remote locations and/or off-shore locations, where no direct use of the gas, e.g. through a pipeline or in the form of liquefied natural gas, is not always practical. This holds even more in the case of relatively small gas production rates and/or fields. Reinjection of gas will add to the costs of oil production, and may, in the case of associated gas, result in undesired effects on the crude oil production. Burning of associated gas has become an undesired option in view of depletion of hydrocarbon sources and air pollution.
The Fischer Tropsch process can be used for the conversion of hydrocarbonaceous feed stocks into liquid and/or solid hydrocarbons. Generally the feed stock (e.g. natural gas, associates gas and/or coal-bed methane, coal) is converted in a first step into a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide (this mixture is often referred to as synthesis gas or syngas). The synthesis gas is then fed into a reactor where it is converted in one or more steps over a suitable catalyst at elevated temperature and pressure into paraffinic compounds ranging from methane to high molecular weight modules comprising up to 200 carbon atoms, or, under particular circumstances, even more.
Catalysts used in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis often comprise a carrier based support material and one or more metals from Group VIII of the Periodic Table, especially from the iron group, optionally in combination with one or more metal oxides and/or metals as promoters selected from zirconium, titanium, chromium, vanadium and manganese, especially manganese. Such catalysts are known in the art and have been described for example, in the specifications of WO 9700231A and U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,703.
Catalysts can be prepared by obtaining a metal hydroxide, carefully oxidising it to the metal oxide and then placing it in the appropriate reactor where it is reduced to the metal in situ.
One catalyst or catalyst precursor for Fischer-Tropsch reactions is a shaped catalyst or catalyst precursor comprising cobalt and titania. To prepare the catalyst, cobalt hydroxide (CO(OH)2) can be used as a starting material. This material is usually mixed with one or more co-catalysts, promoters, titania, etc, shaped, for example formed into mm sized particles by means of extrusion, and then calcined. During the calcination Co3O4 is formed. After calcination the catalyst or catalyst precursor is placed in a Fischer-Tropsch reactor. In the reactor the cobalt compound(s) is (are) reduced to cobalt.
Sometimes a mixture of a catalytically active metal or metal compound and a carrier material, a shaped mixture and a calcined (shaped) mixture are referred to as catalyst precursor or catalyst. Sometimes a shaped mixture and a calcined shaped mixture are referred to as catalyst preformer. In this specification a mixture comprising catalytically active metal or metal compound and carrier material will be referred to as "catalyst or catalyst precursor", irrespective of any shaping or forming, for example spray-drying and especially extrudation, calcination, reduction, and/or any other process step it may have been subjected to.
Hitherto, there has been no consideration of the process for combining and calcining the catalytically active metal and promoter(s) etc. Calcination is carried out at a temperature generally from 350 to 750° C., preferably a temperature in the range of from 450 to 650° C. The effect of the calcination treatment is to remove (crystal) water, to decompose volatile decomposition products and to convert organic and inorganic compounds to their respective oxides.
However, calcination naturally involves some cost both in terms of the process and equipment. Moreover, there is possibly uncontrolled cracking and tension in the shaped catalyst or catalyst precursor which is undesired. There is also the problem of formation of unwanted compounds such as cobalt titanate. All these factors limit the range and types of compounds that can be used in catalyst formation, as well as reducing the activity of the catalyst formed.
WO 2005/030680 indicates that the calcination step is optional in the preparation of a titania comprising catalyst or catalyst precursor wherein at least 50 wt % of the crystalline titania is present as brookite. This document does not elaborate on a process for preparing such a catalyst or catalyst precursor in which the calcination step is omitted.
It is one object of the present invention to improve the process for preparing a catalyst or catalyst precursor.

Process for preparing a hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst


Apparatus and methods relate to a pneumatic compression therapy device configured to suggest content to the patient based on a determined disease state, the content pertaining to suggested changes in lifestyle based on a standard of care. In an illustrative embodiment, the suggested changes may include modifications to treatment location, treatment time, diet, eating habits, or sleeping schedule. Various examples may further sample the patient's health and automatically adjust a treatment parameter within a predetermined parameter range based on a history of measured parameters, such as limb volume, for example. In coordination with the therapeutic treatment, the therapy device may deliver suggested content to guide the patient to make more healthful lifestyle choices to reduce recovery time and improve patient health outcomes.

Compression therapy and/or massage therapy is used in treating various diseases and injuries. Compression therapy may be a non-invasive mechanical method used for a variety of therapies and treatments. Compression therapy may be used to aid in the healing of wounds. Injuries that require portions of the body to be stabilized during recovery may use compression therapy to aid in such stabilization. Compression therapy may be used in the treatment of venous leg ulcers. Various forms of compression therapy may be used to treat different types of Edema, including lymphedema. Lymphedema is a chronic form of Edema that results from inadequate functioning of the lymphatic system, leading to accumulation of lymph fluid. Compression therapy for treatment of Lymphedema may be adjusted according to a patient's disease state. Deep vein thrombosis may involve compression therapy in a treatment regime.
Compression therapy may be performed using active methods and/or passive methods. Passive methods may include the use of compression bandages and compression garments. Compression garments may be garments that have an elastic that provides compression to a location on the body. Tight-fitting leggings may be worn to provide compression of the legs, for example. Tight-fitting sleeves may be worn to provide compression of an arm, for example. Active methods may include the use of pneumatic pumps and inflatable chambers configured to provide pressure to parts of the human body.

Responsive whole patient care compression therapy and treatment system


The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for generating a test suite comprising test cases. In one embodiment, the method generates the test cases based on functional requirements, service requirements and performance requirements received from a user such as a quality engineer associated with a software product or application. The method analyzes the interdependencies among the received requirements, generates sequences of the requirements based on the interdependencies and generates intermediate test cases based on the sequences. Further, the method deploys a test modeling tool on the intermediate test cases to generate final test cases which are then tested to evaluate the performance of the software product or the application. The test suite comprising the final test cases thus generated is rigid and provides a new dimension to the quality engineer to avoid the production failures and defect slippages and sustain the quality assurance (QA) of the business.

Generally, to build any software product or application, needs of its users are captured as requirements and defined in a requirements specification. In particular, requirements include functional, business and technical requirements which are gathered to generate test cases used for testing the software product or application for compliance with the users' needs. Testing has always been a crucial part in development of any software product. Typically, agile software development methodologies involve rapid software development with shorter development lifecycle and greater collaboration between various stakeholders. The shorter development life cycle is ensured by developing an application in various logical and coherent units of functionalities, also referred to as iterations and testing the iterations in less time.
Conventionally, test cases drafted from the functional perspective helps to achieve the business goals however the underlying data validations, related web services, performance parameters and product regression is a challenge to achieve them through a single medium due to various impediments. Therefore, collaborative test case coverage is becoming a major challenge in the current industry due to agile methods and quick to market targets. Further, defects in service layers and performance affects business largely and in turn the cost of rework of the product/feature. In addition, poor response times and services not responding appropriately due to lack of test case coverages and time constraints also affect the business to a large extent.
Although, various collaboration tools exist, such tools fail to effectively and efficiently capture the user requirements and generate the test cases.

Method and system for generating a test suite