A method and device for measuring the wall thickness of a pipe in a pipe-rolling mill wherein a Fabry-Pérot interfero-meter has its mirror spacing set by providing an input to a linear activity for one of the mirrors from a controller receiving an input from a photodiode at the output side of the interferometer. A second control circuit regulates the amplification of that photodiode with at least one parameter derived from the rolling system, for example, the input optical signal to the interferometer or a disturbance value representing for example the temperature of the rolled product and obtained through an optical pyrometer. The incoming optical signal may be tapped to another photodiode also with a variable amplification amplifier and both amplifiers may be controlled by a second controller.

In the rolling of a pipe in a pipe-rolling mill, the measurement of wall thickness is important to determine the uniformity of the product and the achievement of the particular rolling requirements.
For this reason a laser ultrasonic method has been developed for measuring the wall thickness, both for the purposes of controlling the rolling mill and for the purpose of determining the quality of the rolled product.
In this laser ultrasonic process, an excitation laser trains a beam of laser radiation against the surface of the pipe to launch an ultrasonic pulse through the thickness of the pipe. The ultrasonic signal is reflected on the opposite wall of the pipe and the reflected ultrasonic signal returns to the surface at which the exciting laser was effected. Using an illumination laser to detect the ultrasonic signal and an interferometer for analyzing the ultrasonic-modulated laser carrier beam, an output can be provided to an evaluating unit or computer which can determine the transit time for the ultrasonic wave to cross the thickness of the pipe and calculate from that transit time and the speed of sound in the material of the pipe, the wall thickness.
In earlier systems the interferometer consisted of two mirrors which could be positioned by means of a linear actuator or effector relative to one anther at a predetermined distance. For control of this distance and the spacing of the mirrors, a photodiode measured the light transmitted by the mirror and from the measured signal a signal was applied directly or indirectly to a controller which, in turn, operated the linear actuator.
In many fields, seamless pipe of steel is required and to manufacture such pipe a cylindrical billet is pierced in an inclined roll mill by an axial piercing mandrel. The pierced billet is then rolled in pipe-rolling mill stands in a rolling line to a seamless pipe in part over the piercing mandrel at least in an early stage and subsequently without the piercing mandrel in later stages. Such a method is described, for example, in EP 0 940 193 A2.
Using stretch-reduction rolling and reducing rolling and rolling to size, seamless steel pipe can be produced with desired wall thicknesses in a plurality of such mill stands. In each of the mill stands, rolls are journaled so that each engages the periphery of the pipe over a certain limited peripheral segment and thus, for example, a roll stand can include a multiplicity of rolls, for example, three, positioned so that the pipe is contacted over the entire periphery by the rolls. The pipe is then rolled to a reduced diameter in each mill and given a true pipe shape.
The pipe following the rolling operation should have an ideal shape, that is the cylindrical outer contour and the cylindrical inner contour should form two concentric circles in each cross section through the pipe taken axially along the length of the pipe. In practice however, there are tolerances in the finished pipe so that a certain eccentricity of the circular contour of the inner periphery relative to the circular contour of the outer periphery always occurs.
A defining quality parameter for the production of the pipe by rolling is the pipe wall thickness which is measured in the course of the production process as has been described, for example, and is monitored. Around the periphery the variation in such thickness should not exceed a certain limit and along the length of the pipe, the same limit in the deviation of the wall thickness should apply.
The laser ultrasonic thickness measurement system mentioned previously is described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,361 and WO 00/63,641. The interferometer there described is a confocal Fabry-Pérot interferometer and the evaluation unit, e.g. the computer, calculates the transit time through the thickness of the wall of the pipe from the time spacing between the applied and reflected ultrasonic signal or between two echoes of the echo sequence which is produced, using the known speed of sound in the material from which the pipe is composed.
The Fabry-Pérot interferometer has two mirrors which are positioned relative to one another at a predetermined spacing and can be adjusted in this spacing by a piezo linear actuator, i.e. a crystal which displaces one of the mirrors linearly in response to an electrical signal applied to that crystal. Since it is important that the spacing of the two mirrors be exact (in the nm range), so that an effective measurement can be made of the wall thickness, the control of the spacing must use the steep flank of the intensity curve in the intensity versus frequency plot of the light signal. For this purpose, in the system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,361, a control circuit is provided for applying a control signal to the piezo actuator, using two photo diodes, one of which measures the light supplied to the interferometer and the other of which measures the light transmitted thereby.
It has been found in practice that this approach does not always provide a satisfactory wall thickness measurement of a pipe under the rough conditions which prevail in a pipe-rolling mill. Generally the earlier systems have not only failed to stabilize the Fabry-Pérot interferometer sufficiently, but they have also not been able to satisfactorily guarantee a reproducible result in rolling mill applications.

Method and device for measuring wall thickness of a pipe in a pipe-rolling mill


A light source including a ballast characterized by a resonant frequency and including a reference bus and a transformer having a secondary winding. The fluorescent lamp is partially covered by a shield, connected to the reference bus and coupled to the secondary winding. The ballast further includes a current sensor connected between the secondary winding and reference bus for sensing current flow through at least the lamp including that portion of lamp current attributable to parasitic capacitances affecting the resonant frequency.

This invention relates generally to a fluorescent lamp ballast and, more particularly, to a scheme for sensing ballast lamp current.
Conventional liquid crystal display (LCD) backlighting for a laptop computer is provided by a fluorescent lamp partially covered by a shield. The shield serves, in part, to redirect light produced by the lamp toward the LCD. The lamp is powered by a dimmable cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) ballast which includes a transformer. Since the shield can come into contact with various parts of the laptop including, but not limited to, the ballast inverter, the shield is connected to a reference bus (hereinafter referred to as "ground") for safety purposes.
The CCFL ballast typically includes circuitry for sensing of lamp current to monitor lamp current conditions. The sensing circuitry, which includes a sensing element between the lamp and ground, should sense lamp current under all lamp conditions to ensure stable lamp operation, free of flicker. The sensed lamp current serves as a feedback signal to a controller for driving the ballast inverter.
Parasitic capacitances associated with the shield and transformer make such sensing difficult. More particularly, current can flow from the high voltage terminal of the lamp through the lamp glass to the shield and ground so as to bypass the sensing element. Under such conditions, lower than actual lamp current is sensed making lamp control far more difficult.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a CCFL ballast which operates the lamp under more stable, flicker free conditions. The improved lamp sense circuitry should particularly address the parasitic capacitance affect attributable to the shield and transformer.

Philips Electronics North America Corporation


An optical pickup records data in or reproduces data from optical recording media respectively having recording faces at different heights, and includes a semiconductor laser diode array having light emitting portions for respectively emitting laser beams of different wavelengths. A finite conjugate type object lens used in this optical pickup is designed so that the numerical aperture of the object lens can be controlled to be changed in accordance with switching between the different wavelengths for allowing a laser beam to be focused on each optical recording medium.

The present invention relates to an object lens used for recording/reproducing data in/from an optical recording medium, and more particularly, it relates to an object lens for use in an optical pickup of finite conjugate type that can attain good focusing characteristics in accordance with any of two kinds of optical recording media different in the substrate thickness, and a method for designing the object lens.
A general DVD reproducing apparatus needs not only a reproducing function for a DVD but also a reproducing function for a compact disk (CD) and a reproducing or recording function for a write once CD (CD-R) that has recently been rapidly spread. Reproducing light used for reproducing data from a DVD is red laser of a wavelength of a 650 nm band, and reproducing light used for reproducing data from a CD or CD-R is infrared laser of a wavelength of a 780 nm band. Accordingly, a current DVD reproducing apparatus includes two semiconductor laser diodes, that is, a red semiconductor laser diode for generating a red laser beam and an infrared semiconductor laser diode for generating an infrared laser beam.
Also, in accordance with demands for downsizing of information equipment such as a personal computer, it is necessary to downsize a DVD reproducing apparatus. In order to downsize a DVD reproducing apparatus, it is indispensable to reduce the size and the thickness of an optical pickup. For reducing the size and the thickness of an optical pickup, the optical system of the optical pickup is simplified. As one of the methods for simplifying the optical system, compatibility between a DVD and a CD is attained by using a single object lens. Specifically, although there are differences, such as the thickness of the disk substrate, the wavelength of laser used for irradiation and the numerical aperture NA of an object lens used in the irradiation with the laser, between a DVD and a CD, a system for attaining compatibility between a DVD and a CD by using a single object lens has been proposed.
For example, according to the description of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-96585, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, first luminous flux Sd1 passing in the vicinity of the optical axis of an object lens is used for the recording/reproducing in a first focusing position and for the recording/reproducing in a second focusing position, second luminous flux Sd2 passing outside the first luminous flux Sd1 is mainly used for the recording/reproducing in the second focusing position, and third luminous flux Sd3 passing outside the second luminous flux Sd2 is mainly used for the recording/reproducing in the first focusing position.
In this case, a collimating lens is inserted between the object lens and laser used as the light source, so that parallel rays can enter the object lens. Therefore, the lens can be easily designed so that the numerical aperture NA and the focusing position of the object lens can be changed in accordance with any of different thicknesses of a disk substrate and different wavelengths of the laser.
However, in order to make parallel rays always enter the object lens displaced in accordance with the variation of the disk, it is necessary to use a collimating lens sufficiently large as compared with the displacement of the object lens. As a result, even when a single object lens is used, the optical system is infinite and hence the optical path is long because the collimating lens is large, which disadvantageously prevents the downsizing of the whole apparatus.
Also, for reducing the size and the thickness of an optical pickup, a finite conjugate type object lens that can be singly used in an optical system is preferably used. However, with respect to divergent rays, the angle of the light entering the object lens displaced in accordance with the variation of the disk is always changed, and therefore, in the case where the wavelength of the used light is also changed, such a lens is very difficult to design and has not been realized yet.
On the other hand, with respect to semiconductor laser diodes, integration of a red semiconductor laser diode and an infrared semiconductor laser diode has been started to realize. A current DVD reproducing apparatus includes two optical components respectively for a red semiconductor laser diode and an infrared semiconductor diode. Therefore, when the two laser diodes, that is, the red semiconductor laser diode and the infrared semiconductor laser diode, are integrated, an optical component can be shared between them, so that the size and the thickness of the optical pickup can be reduced.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-186651 discloses a monolithic semiconductor laser diode array integrated on one substrate as shown in FIG. 17 as the integration of a red semiconductor laser diode and an infrared semiconductor laser diode.
In this case, a distance between the light emitting portion of the infrared semiconductor laser diode and the light emitting portion of the red semiconductor laser diode can be controlled in accordance with the accuracy in photolithography performed in semiconductor diffusion process. Therefore, as compared with the case where laser chips are assembled in a hybrid manner, each light emitting portion can be very accurately provided, so that the distance between the light emitting portions can be set to 270 μm or less.

Object lens for optical pickup and method for designing the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method for operating a plurality of stockers, comprises the steps of: monitoring utilization of the plurality of stockers, each stocker capable of storing a plurality of wafer, LCD or reticle containers; and automatically transferring a first wafer, LCD or reticle container from a first one of the stockers to a second one of the stockers if the utilization of the first stocker is greater than a predetermined thereshold.

AMHS's have been used extensively in the semiconductor fabrication field. The typical system includes a plurality of bays (rows) of storage areas. Each bay has a stocker, which includes bins for holding a plurality of containers, such as standard mechanical interface (SMIF) containers for loading 200 mm (8 inch) wafers, or front opening unified pods (FOUPs), which may be used to load 300 mm (12 inch) wafers. The stocker holds the SMIFs or FOUPs in preparation for transporting a SMIF or FOUP to the loadport of a processing tool. An overhead hoist transport (OHT) associated with each bay transports the SMIF or FOUP with wafers from the stocker to a loadport for processing in one of the tools (fabrication process machines).
Because the availability of wafers to process at the time the equipment is ready to perform the processing has a major impact on the overall production rate, it is important to operate the AMHS in a manner that supplies wafers quickly as soon as they are needed. A frequently used measure of the AMHS performance is the Operator Service Time (OST). The OST is an efficiency index of the AMHS that measures the period of time between issuance of a retrieval command for a lot of wafers (by the load port of the processing tool) and the time when the wafers are available to the operator at the tool. Two significant components of the OST include: (1) the stocker output port time, which is the period between issuance of a retrieval command by the load port of the processing tool and the time when the wafers are transferred to the stocker output port, and (2) the tool load port time, which is the period between issuance of a retrieval command by the load port of the processing tool and the time when the wafers are transferred to the load port of the equipment.
OST is heavily influenced by the way in which the stockers are controlled. One aspect of stocker control is the way in which the utilization of each stocker was managed. If one stocker has all of its bins full, while another stocker is empty, then the stockers cannot efficiently supply wafers when they are needed, and processing will be delayed. High stocker utilization leads to low stocker hit ratio (i.e., the wafers are less likely to be stored in the stocker nearest the tool where they are needed). This results in greater OST, reducing the tool efficiency (because the tool cannot be used 100% of the time when it is not constantly supplied with wafers).
Typically, when the utilization of the stocker exceeded a maximum utilization specification, an alarm system sent a message to an on-duty operator. The on-duty operator would trigger a command to move one or more appropriate FOUPs using an materials control system (MCS) server graphical user interface (GUI), until the utilization again was within the specification. One or more FOUPs would be moved from the stocker with excess utilization to a stocker with lower utilization. The on-duty operator required time to decide which FOUPs to move, and to which destination stocker the FOUPs should be relocated. Thus, balancing the stocker utilization manually required time and manpower.
It would be desirable to provide a method and system that improves the stocker output port time, and thus improves the OST.

Stocker utilization self-balancing system and method

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


The instant invention relates to a novel process for the hydrolysis of the by-products produced during the manufacture of methyldichlorosilanes comprising combining the by-products with an aqueous medium, optionally comprising a surfactant, at a pH range of at least about 7 and at a temperature of above about 0.degree. C. to produce a solid material in which copper and other metals are retained in a solid phase thereby resulting in a product with a high copper content.

The present invention relates to the hydrolysis of by-products generated during the manufacture of methyl chlorosilanes. The basic process for the manufacture of such silane compounds is well known and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,380,995. Such a process generates by-products which at the present time have little or no commercial value. These by-products can present serious problems in their safe and environmentally acceptable ultimate disposal. The by-product streams of immediate interest are those consisting of high-boiling liquids (>75.degree. C.); suspended silicon powder; elevated levels of copper, zinc and tin; as well as, a variety of other metals. Upon uncontrolled exposure to moisture and air, these materials may be easily ignited and/or form strong acid mists and liquid streams.
Procedures for the disposal of these by-products, and similar ones, are reported in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,221,691; 4,408,030; 4,758,352; and 4,960,523; and in German patent DE3523541A1.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,691 discloses a method of hydrolyzing polyfunctional chlorosilicon compositions which involves adding a hydrocarbon oil to the chlorosilicon composition, prior to hydrolysis in an aqueous medium containing concentrated HCl and/or CaCl.sub.2. Hydrolysis of the comparable streams from the methylchlorosilane process is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,030. This process utilizes concentrated HCl to hydrolyze the waste stream containing silicon chlorides. The other patents disclose similar processes but do not address the disposition of copper present in the original by-product stream.
There is thus a need to develop a process that can hydrolyze the methylchlorosilane by-products to produce a solid material containing the copper and other metals. Among other benefits, such a product has value as a source of copper for recovery. This process has the additional advantage of minimizing the concentration of heavy metals in the resultant liquid stream thereby reducing any waste treatment problems.
An effective hydrolysis process should produce a final passivated solid that has a high flash point, little or no gas evolution, non-sticky, free-flowing and non-dusting material that can be readily handled and transported.

Process for treating methylchlorosilanes by-products


A photovoltaic apparatus includes: a power generation part; an angle changeable mechanism configured to support the power generation part so as to be able to change an elevation of the power generation part; a post configured to support the power generation part and the angle changeable mechanism; and a hinge mechanism configured to support the post so as to be able to change an angle of the post relative to an installation surface for the photovoltaic apparatus.

As one example of a photovoltaic apparatus, PATENT LITERATURE 1 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-108854) discloses the following technology, for example. That is, disclosed is an installation structure of a photovoltaic apparatus including a solar cell panel provided at an upper part of a post standing on the ground, the solar cell panel having a light receiving surface thereof oriented to the sun, the solar cell panel being provided such that the angle thereof can be changed so as to cause the solar cell panel to take a substantially horizontal attitude when the wind speed value has exceeded a predetermined value, the installation structure including: an embedded structure body located below the post; and a fastener which couples an upper portion of the embedded structure body and a lower portion of the post. The embedded structure body is formed as a support cylinder being open at the upper end and the bottom end thereof. The embedded structure body has the outer periphery side thereof being embedded in the ground with concrete interposed therebetween. The embedded structure body has concrete provided also inside the support cylinder.
PATENT LITERATURE 2 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-322418) discloses the following technology. That is, disclosed is a concentrating/tracking-type photovoltaic and hot-water supplying apparatus including a concentrating board and a support base portion, wherein the concentrating board includes: a frame bottom plate; a water-flowing frame laid on the upper face of the frame bottom plate; a solar cell sheet laid on the upper face of the water-flowing frame; an air-flowing frame laid on the upper face of the solar cell sheet; and a lens plate laid on upper face of the air-flowing frame. The concentrating/tracking-type photovoltaic and hot-water supplying apparatus is configured such that water or a cooling medium is supplied to the water-flowing frame for heat generated from cells of the solar cell sheet. The concentrating/tracking-type photovoltaic and hot-water supplying apparatus is also configured such that heat generated from the cells of the solar cell sheet is cooled by outside air in the air-flowing frame. The support base portion is configured to support the concentrating board so as to be always oriented to the sun.

Solar power generation device, method for installing solar power generation device, and method for operating solar power generation device


A surface light-emitting device includes: a light guide plate including a notch; a reflection sheet including a notch; a point light source; a light-source substrate; a first chassis covering and extending along the light-source substrate and the lower surface of the light guide plate; a second chassis formed to fit with the first chassis; a liquid crystal panel put on the second chassis; and a third chassis covering the liquid crystal panel and a part of the first chassis on which the light-source substrate is put, and formed to fit with the first chassis on the part. The light-source substrate is fixed on the first chassis. The first chassis includes a protrusion to be engaged with the notches so as to be moved together with the light guide plate and the reflection sheet in response to a movement of the first chassis along the light guide plate.

Liquid crystal display apparatuses employ, as their light source such as a backlight unit, a surface light-emitting device which uses light coming from one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) as a point light source and emits two-dimensionally-distributed light. Such a surface light-emitting device has a structure that there is provided a light guide plate with opposing main surfaces (upper surface and lower surface), light coming from one or more light emitting diodes enters one edge surface of the light guide plate, and the light outgoes out from one of the main surfaces (upper surface) of the light guide plate.
As a technology relating to the surface light-emitting device, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2003-029262 discloses a surface light-emitting device having the following structure. In the structure, a protrusion is formed on a lower chassis (made of metal), and there is provided a notch on each of a reflection sheet and a light guide plate so as to be fitted with the protrusion. The reflection sheet and the light guide plate are mounted on the lower chassis in this order, and then, a light source is mounted on the lower chassis to be covered with the reflection sheet.
As for a surface light-emitting device of side light type using point light sources as its light source, JP-A 2007-311327 discloses a surface light-emitting device having the following structure. In the structure, point light sources are attached on a light-source substrate, the light-source substrate is fixed on an L-shaped substrate-fixing member with adhesive, and the L-shaped substrate-fixing member is fixed on a lower chassis with a screw. In this surface light-emitting device, when the screw is removed, the light-source substrate and the substrate-fixing member can be detached from the surface light-emitting device by being pulled out through the lower surface of the surface light-emitting device.
Further, JP-A No. 2011-108366 discloses a surface light-emitting device having the following structure. In the structure, point light sources are attached on a light-source substrate, the light-source substrate is fixed to a lower chassis by being pressed by a light guide plate toward the lower chassis, and the light guide plate is fixed to an inner chassis with a light-guide-fixing member. In this surface light-emitting device, when the light-guide-fixing member is removed, the light guide plate becomes movable and the light-source substrate can be taken out through an opening formed on a side surface of the surface light-emitting device.
In order to increase the display-screen brightness of the above-described surface light-emitting devices, it is required to increase the number of light emitting elements for increasing the density of the elements, or to increase the current to be supplied to each of the point light sources for enlarging the light fluxes emitted from the light sources. However, the both methods make the temperature around the point light sources high because of heat generated when the point light sources emit light, which results in a decrease in the light fluxes emitted from the point light sources and a decrease in the life of the point light sources, and further results in a decrease in the brightness and reliability of the surface light-emitting device.
In view of this matter, there have been proposed various methods to enhance the heat radiation of the devices. However, those methods provide various problems. For example, a device using such a method does not have a structure that light sources can be replaced easily. As another example, a greater space is required between a light guide plate and point light sources in order to make the replacement of light sources easier, which results in deterioration of the brightness. As another example, the thickness of the surface light-emitting device increases in order to make the replacement of light sources easier. Further, because the point light sources emit light in various directions at light-emitting angles from 0° to 180°, an increase of a space between the light guide plate and the point light sources enlarges the amount of light which does not enter the light guide plate but enters there after the light has been reflected by members located above or below the light guide plate. Therefore, such a structure can make a problem that a loss of reflection light is caused and the loss results in reduced brightness of the device.
For example, the surface light-emitting device disclosed in JP-A No. 2003-029262 has an advantage in heat radiation because the light source is directly attached to the lower chassis, but the replacement of the light sources is difficult because the light source is covered with a reflection sheet.
Further, problems which can be caused in JP-A Nos. 2007-311327 and 2011-108366 are described with reference to FIGS. 16A, 16B and 17A to 17D below. FIGS. 16A and 16B are a perspective view and a sectional view illustrating a structure of a conventional surface light-emitting device disclosed in JP-A No. 2007-311327. FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrate upper chassis 102, lower chassis 103, second lower chassis 104, point light sources 106, light-source substrate 107, light guide plate 108, reflection sheet 109, optical sheet 110 and screw 111. FIGS. 17A to 17D are a front view, a side view, a sectional view taken along the XVIIA-XVIIA line and a sectional view taken along the XVIIB-XVIIB line, illustrating a structure of a conventional surface light-emitting device disclosed in JP-A No. 2011-108366. FIGS. 17A to 17D illustrate lower chassis 103, inner chassis 105, point light sources 106, light-source substrate 107, light guide plate 108, reflection sheet 109, optical sheet 110, screws 111, light-emitting aperture 112, light-guide-plate-fixing member 113, and light-source-substrate-ejecting hole 114.
The surface light-emitting device disclosed in JP-A No. 2007-311327 has an advantage in heat radiation of point light sources 106 because light-source substrate 107 is directly attached to lower chassis 103 as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, but upper chassis 102 or lower chassis 103 can be deformed when light-source substrate 107 and upper chassis 102 which have fitted together are being separated, which makes deterioration of the workability. Further, the fitted members can be separated by moving the lower chassis 103, but the increased space between light guide plate 108 and point light sources is required, which results in deterioration of the brightness. The surface light-emitting device disclosed in JP-A No. 2011-108366 has an advantage in heat radiation of point light sources 106 because light-source substrate 107 is directly attached to lower chassis 103 and has an advantage in workability because light-source substrate 107 can be taken out through the hole of the side surface of surface light-emitting device 101 only by detaching light-guide-plate-fixing member 113 as shown in FIGS. 17A to 17D, but such a device has the structure that light-source substrate 107 is fixed by being pressed (in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 17D) with light guide plate 108, and requires a surface extending in the thickness direction of the device so as to make light-source substrate 107 and light guide plate 108 touch to each other on the surface. Therefore, it is difficult to decrease the thickness of the surface light-emitting device 101.
Consequently, there have been provided surface light-emitting devices not to satisfy all of the desired properties: an excellent workability, high brightness, long life, and reduced thickness.
The present invention seeks to solve the problem.


The present invention is directed to the art of treating waste using laser technology. Industrial and toxic waste materials are irradiated with a laser inside a spherical reactor chamber such that they are heated to high temperatures. Organic compounds are thermally destroyed and chemical bonds are broken. Cool oxygen is pumped into the reactor to provide a refractory protective shield. Silica is added into the vessel at the high temperatures and encapsulates any heavy metals into its crystal matrix. The resulting solidified product may have a hardness of at least 8 on the Knoops scale of hardness and may be used as tooling, road material, oven lining, building materials and the like.

Much of today's industrial and municipal waste is processed in incinerators, rotary kilns and/or placed in land fills. As land fills reach their capacities, consideration must be given to providing environmentally sound alternative means to treating waste. Also, while incinerators and rotary kilns serve to reduce the overall volume of waste which must be discarded, they do not provide for the destruction of toxins and dioxins which lead to air and water pollution. In addition, prior methods of disposing waste are often expensive, call for long distance transport, and are considered to be blights on the landscape due to their large smokestacks and the significant amounts of acreage which they require. The present invention uses laser technology to overcome these drawbacks of the prior art.
The laser has been known for years as a worthwhile means for separating isotopes and for enriching material for uses other than those directed to waste conversion as described herein. When a material is irradiated by a laser of sufficient density, a highly ionized gas or plasma is formed by vaporizing the material into a semi-solid mass. In the plasma state, matter can be renewed or stripped apart into individual components. Thus, by exciting a particular mass to its upper energy state, several things happen. Electrons from the material are driven to this upper state and emit photons before returning to ground state. Although the photons have no mass, they have kinetic energy which is released during this transition. As a result, free radicals are caused to bombard the waste material being irradiated, causing the material to separate and bond to other materials to form a new element or compound. Any toxins or dioxins which are released in the plasma field and by irradiation are completely destroyed.
The present invention is directed to reducing, destroying or transforming municipal and industrial waste by using a laser in a reactor vessel. This laser reactor unit is unlike incinerators and rotary kilns of the prior art. The preexisting incinerators and rotary kilns do not generate temperatures above about 2000.degree. F. This temperature is not sufficiently high to destroy toxins and dioxins present in or generated by waste. The laser reactor of the present invention is capable of achieving temperatures as high as 20,000.degree. F., but generally operates in the range of about 6000.degree. F. to about 10,000.degree. F. Toxins and dioxins subjected to these temperatures are destroyed.
The high temperatures attained in the reactor, coupled with the laser's ability to break apart compounds, make the laser reactor system of the present invention ideal for reducing solid or liquid waste into a usable compound by completely sterilizing and reducing waste into a usable factor.
Poisonous gases such as dioxins, toxins and heavy metals are released into the atmosphere during the combustion process employed by incinerators and rotary kilns. These gases are unhealthy for human, plant and animal consumption as they adversely affect most forms of organic life. In addition, the poisonous gases adversely affect inorganic compounds.
The laser reactor of the present invention converts any gases which may be poisonous primarily to oxygen and also to carbon dioxide. The process is concealed from the atmosphere to reduce the risk for any undesirable NOX or sulfide emissions.

Method and apparatus for treating waste and for obtaining usable by-product


A robotic system includes a surgical manipulator and a force/torque sensor. The surgical manipulator operates in a first operating mode in which a user applies forces and torques to the surgical instrument to cause movement of the energy applicator. The surgical manipulator also operates in a second operating mode in which the surgical manipulator moves the energy applicator along a tool path. A controller monitors the output of the force/torque sensor as the energy applicator is being moved along the tool path in the second operating mode and transitions from the second operating mode to the first operating mode in response to the output exceeding associated limits.

Recently, medical practitioners have found it useful to use robotic devices to assist in the performance of surgical procedures. A robotic device typically includes a moveable arm that comprises one or more linkages. The arm has a free, distal end that can be placed with a very high degree of accuracy. A surgical instrument designed to be applied to the surgical site is attached to the free end of the arm. The practitioner is able to precisely position the arm so as to by extrapolation, precisely position the surgical instrument at the site on the patient at which the instrument is to perform a medical or surgical procedure. One advantage of using a robotic system to hold the instrument is that the system arm, unlike the arms and hands of a surgeon, are not subjected to muscle strain or neurological actions like twitching. Thus, in comparison to when an instrument is hand held and therefore hand positioned, using a medical robotic system it is possible to hold an instrument steady, or move the instrument along a defined path with a higher degree of accuracy.
Further some robotic surgical systems are designed to be used with surgical navigation systems. A surgical navigation system is a system that is able to generate data that provides a relatively precise indication of the surgical instrument relative to the location of the patient against which the instrument is applied. When a surgical robotic system is provided with the data indicating the position of the instrument relative to the patient, the robotic system may be able to position the instrument to ensure that it is applied to the tissue of the patient against which the instrument is supposed to be applied. This substantially eliminates the likelihood that the instrument will be applied to tissue against which the instrument should not be applied.
Some medical robotic systems are designed to work in what is referred to as a "semi-autonomous" mode. In this mode of operation, the robotic system actuates the arm so as to cause the instrument to move against the patient's tissue in a preprogrammed path. This is useful if, for example, the instrument is some sort of cutting device and the goal of the particular procedure is to remove a pre-defined section of the patient's tissue. By way of reference, if a robotic system operates in an "autonomous" mode of operation, the robot, once actuated, performs the procedure with essentially no input from the surgeon. In a "semi-autonomous" mode of operation, the practitioner is able to assert commands to control the operation of the robot. For example, some semi-autonomous robots are constructed so that, in order for the robot to displace the instrument, the practitioner must actuate a command by continually depressing a control button or switch associated with the robot. Upon the negation of the actuate command by the practitioner, the advancement of the instrument by the robot at least temporarily stops.
Some robotic systems are not traditional robots in that once activated, they do not automatically move the attached instrument along a pre-programmed path of travel. These systems include control systems through which the practitioner enters commands indicating where the attached instrument is to be positioned. Based on these practitioner-entered commands, this type of system actuates the system's arm/arms to cause the essentially simultaneous, real time, movement of the instrument. These robotics systems are considered to operate in a manual mode.
To date though, it has been difficult to provide a robotic system able to, during the performance of a single procedure, switch between semi-autonomous and manual modes of operation. For example, it is believed that many times a surgeon may want to initially manually operate the instrument in order to remove a large mass of tissue. This part of the procedure is sometimes referred to as debulking. Then, to remove tissue to define the surfaces of the remaining tissue, the surgeon may want the robotic system to semi-autonomously perform fine positioning of the instrument. This part of the procedure is sometimes known as the finishing cut.
Moreover, there are times when it may be desirable to switch from semi-autonomous positioning of the instrument back to manual positioning. For example, in an orthopedic joint replacement procedure, the practitioner may want the instrument, a cutting tool, to move in a programmed path in order to precisely shape the bone to which the instrument is applied. This precise bone shaping facilitates the precise fitting of the implant to the face of the bone exposed by the cutting tool. However, there may be a situation in which, after the procedure begins, it becomes apparent that the instrument may collide with an object at the surgical site against which such contact is undesirable. This object may be tissue that has moved into the surgical site or a second instrument positioned at the site. In this situation, it should be possible for the practitioner to momentarily interrupt the programmed movement of the tool, manually control the tool to reposition the instrument, and then return the tool to the programmed movement.

Robotic system and method for transitioning between operating modes


A chemochromic H2 sensor includes supports including a plurality of metal oxide particles exclusive of titania, and a platinum group metal (PGM) compound on the supports. The PGM compound is an oxide, hydroxide hydrated oxide, PGM salt or a PGM complex. When the PGM compound is a PGM salt or a PGM complex, the supports can include titania particles.

One of the future alternatives to current fossil-based transportation fuels has been centered on hydrogen gas (H2). Currently, H2 is the primary energy source of today's space exploration projects (e.g., as rocket propellant). It is also used in fuel cells that power a variety of machinery including automobiles. Furthermore, H2 is an important industrial commodity produced and used in many industries. For example, it is used for the reduction of metal oxides (e.g. iron ore), ammonia synthesis, and production of hydrochloric acid, methanol and higher alcohols, aldehydes, hydrogenation of various petroleum, coal, oil shale and edible oils, among others. However, H2 is a colorless, odorless gas, and is also a flammable gas with a lower explosive limit of about 4% in air. Therefore reliable H2 sensors are required to detect H2 leaks wherever H2 is produced, stored, or used.
To detect H2, sensors comprising a palladium alloy Schottky diode formed on a silicon substrate are known. These sensors are based on metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) technology that is used in the semiconductor industry. The gas sensing MOS structures comprise a H2-sensitive metal (palladium or its alloy) on a dielectric (e.g., an oxide) adherent to a semiconductor. This H2 sensor has been commercialized and exploited for detecting H2 leaks during pre-launches of space vehicles. Others have also used palladium or the like as a sensing element for detecting H2. A H2 sensor containing an array of micromachined cantilever beams coated with palladium/nickel has also been disclosed.
Semiconductors with wide band-gap (e.g. gallium nitride) have also been used to make diodes for H2 detection. One of the concerns for all of these types of sensors using palladium or the like is the requirement of a high operating temperature (greater than 200° C.) and further elevated temperatures (greater than 500° C.) to reactivate the sensing element, bringing about lengthy analysis. Another issue is sensitivity of the sensing element to unintended compounds that are commonly found in the atmosphere, including water vapor, various hydrocarbons, and various reducing gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide.
Although not conventionally used, chemochromic H2 sensors are known. Some chemochromic H2 sensors lack field stability and have a tendency to crack and peel and some can be washed off by precipitation and/or condensation. Moreover, some chemochromic H2 sensors do not show selectivity to H2. Thus, there remains a need for an improved, reliable and durable chemochromic H2 sensor for a variety of applications, including space, transportation, oil refineries, and chemical plants.

University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


A method for distributing messages among a group of member computing entities, which are mutually-linked in a distributed computing system. The members communicate in accordance with a communication protocol, which delivers a sequence of full-group multicast messages to all of the members in the group in an order that is uniform among all of the members. A sub-group is defined from among the members in the group, and a sub-group message is distributed to the members in the sub-group, such that the sub-group message is delivered to all of the sub-ground members in a uniform position with respect to the order of the full-group multicast messages, as well as with respect to other sub-group messages.

The present invention relates generally to distributed computing systems, and specifically to management of communications among computing entities in distributed computing applications.
Computer clusters are widely used to enable high availability of computing resources, coupled with the possibility of horizontal growth, at reduced cost by comparison with collections of independent systems. Clustering is also useful in disaster recovery. A wide range of clustering solutions are currently available, including 390 Sysplex, RS/6000 SP, HACMP, PC Netfinity and AS/400 Cluster, all offered by IBM Corporation, as well as Tandem Himalaya, Hewlett-Packard Mission Critical Server, Compaq TruCluster, Microsoft MSCS, NCR LifeKeeper and Sun Microsystems Project Cascade. An AS/400 Cluster, for example, supports up to 128 computing nodes, connected via any Internet Protocol (IP) network. A developer of a software application can define and use groups of physical computing entities (such as computing nodes or other devices) or logical computing entities (such as files or processes) to run the application within the cluster environment. In the context of the present patent application and in the claims, such entities are also referred to as group members.
Distributed group communication systems (GCSs) enable applications to exchange messages reliably within a group of entities in a cluster. For example, the OS/400 operating system kernel for the above-mentioned S/400 Cluster includes a GCS in the form of middleware for use by cluster applications. This GCS is described in an article by Goft et al., entitled xe2x80x9cThe AS/400 Cluster Engine: A Case Study,xe2x80x9d presented at the International Group Communications Conference IGCC 99 (Aizu, Japan, 1999), which is incorporated herein by reference. The GCS allows messages to be multicast to all of the members of a group and assigns a uniform ordering to all of the broadcast messages. Failure to deliver a multicast message to one or more of the members, or even delivery out of order, can cause failures and bugs in software applications running in the cluster. To avoid such problems, the GCS ensures that if a multicast message is delivered to one of the group members, it will also be delivered to all other live and connected members of the group in the same order.
Other Group Communication Systems share this feature of uniform ordering of multicast messages among the group members. One example is xe2x80x9cEnsemble,xe2x80x9d a GCS that was developed at Cornell University, as were its predecessors xe2x80x9cISISxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cHorus.xe2x80x9d Ensemble is described in the xe2x80x9cEnsemble Reference Manual,xe2x80x9d by Hayden (Cornell University, 1997), which is incorporated herein by reference. Another example is the IBM Phoenix system, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,958, whose disclosure is likewise incorporated herein by reference.
Some of the names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.
It is an object of some aspects of the present invention to provide methods for convenient and reliable distribution of messages to sub-groups in a group computing environment.
It is a further object of some aspects of the present invention to provide GCS middleware offering ordered sub-group messaging capability.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, a group communication system (GCS) for use in a group of computing entities allows a software application to define sub-groups that contain subsets of the members of the group. The GCS enables the application not only to convey multicast messages to all of the members of the group, but also to distribute sub-group messages to and among the sub-group members in a manner analogous to the distribution of the full-group multicast messages. The sub-group messages are uniformly ordered with respect to one another and to the full-group multicast messages.
The present invention thus overcomes a limitation of group communication systems known in the art, such as the above-mentioned AS/400 Cluster Engine and Ensemble, which enable developers of group computing applications to define multicast and point-to-point messages, but have no mechanism for handling sub-group messaging. In these existing systems, sub-group messages may be sent as multicast messages to all of the group members, but this method is wasteful of computing resources. Alternatively, point-to-point messages may be sent to all of the members who are identified as belonging to a given sub-group, but managing these messages at the application level is complicated and prone to error, particularly in terms of maintaining correct message ordering. Although it is theoretically also possible to define each sub-group as a new group, with its own message ordering, this solution raises the even more difficult problem of guaranteeing relative ordering between the messages in the new group and the original, larger group.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the GCS is provided to the software application developer as a middleware package. The package preferably includes an application program interface (API), which enables sub-group messages to be defined simply and conveniently. Messages to be conveyed by the software application between group members are processed by a GCS protocol layer. This GCS layer interacts with lower network communication layers linking the members, such as IP (Internet Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol) layers, and assigns a uniform ordering to all multicast messages.
The GCS layer also includes a filter layer (or sub-layer), which receives a target list of sub-group members who are to receive each sub-group message and inserts an identification of the target sub-group in the message. Such sub-group messages are transmitted by the GCS using its normal, ordered multicast mechanism. When the sub-ground message reaches each of the members, the respective filter layer passes the message on to the member for processing only if the member is on the target list inserted in the message. In this manner, proper message ordering is maintained, both within the sub-group and with respect to general multicast messages. Meanwhile, the members who are not sub-group members, and are therefore not required to take any action on the sub-ground messages, are relieved of the overhead of processing them.
Although preferred embodiments described herein are based on a GCS, it will be appreciated that the principles of the present invention may similarly be implemented in substantially any distributed computing environment in which there is a mechanism for ordered conveyance of multicast messages in a computing group or cluster.
There is therefore provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for distributing messages among a group of member computing entities, which are mutually-linked in a distributed computing system and communicate in accordance with a communication protocol that delivers a sequence of full-group multicast messages to all of the members in the group in an order that is uniform among all of the members, the method including:
defining a sub-group from among the members in the group; and
distributing a sub-group message to the members in the sub-group, such that the sub-group message is delivered to all of the sub-group members in a uniform position with respect to the order of the full-group multicast messages.
Preferably, the communication protocol includes group communication system middleware, to which the members of the group convey the full-group multicast messages to be delivered, and which assigns the uniform order to the full-group multicast messages.
Further preferably, distributing the sub-group message includes adding an identification of the sub-group to a corresponding one of the full-group multicast messages conveyed to the group communication system for delivery to all of the members of the group, and including filtering the corresponding full-group multicast message upon delivery to the members responsive to the identification of the sub-group. Most preferably, the sub-group message is included as a full-group multicast message in the uniform order assigned by the group communication system. Alternatively or additionally, filtering the corresponding full-group multicast messages includes, for each of the members, discarding the sub-group message if the member does not belong to the identified sub-group.
Preferably, the group communication system middleware includes a filter sub-layer, added to a group communication protocol layer, which adds the identification of the sub-group to the message when one of the group members sends the sub-group message and which filters the sub-group message upon its delivery to the group members. Most preferably, defining the sub-group includes receiving a target list of the sub-group members, and wherein adding the identification includes adding an indication of the target list to a header of the corresponding full-group multicast message.
Preferably, distributing the sub-group message includes distributing a plurality of sub-group messages, each having a respective, uniform position with respect to the order of the full-group multicast messages and with respect to the other sub-group messages. In a preferred embodiment, defining the sub-group includes defining multiple sub-groups within the group, such that at least some of the different ones of the plurality of sub-group messages are directed to different, respective sub-groups.
In another preferred embodiment, distributing the sub-group message includes delivering a full version of the message to the members of the sub-group and delivering a placeholder message to the members that are not in the sub-group so as to maintain the uniform position of the sub-group message with respect to the order of the full-group multicast messages.
In still another preferred embodiment, one of the group members is assigned to be a leader of the group, and distributing the sub-group message includes sending the message to the leader and receiving an order message from the leader, responsive to which the uniform position of the sub-group message is maintained with respect to the order of the full-group multicast messages.
There is also provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, distributed computing apparatus, including:
a computer network; and
a group of computer nodes, mutually-linked by the network using a communication protocol that delivers a sequence of full-group multicast messages to all of the nodes in the group in an order that is uniform among all of the nodes, wherein the protocol is configured to accept a definition of a sub-group of the nodes and to distribute a sub-group message to the nodes in the sub-ground, such that the sub-group message is delivered to all of the nodes in the sub-group in a uniform position with respect to the order of the full-group multicast messages.
In a preferred embodiment, a subnet of the computer network is defined corresponding to the definition of the sub-group.
There is further provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a computer software product for distributing messages among a group of member computing entities, which are mutually-linked in a distributed computing system, the product including a computer-readable medium in which computer program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by the member computing entities, cause the entities to carry out a communication protocol such that a sequence of full-group multicast messages sent by one or more of the member entities are delivered to all of the members in the group in an order that is uniform among all of the members, and further enable an application running on at least one of the entities to define a sub-group from among the members in the group and to distribute a sub-ground message to the members in the sub-group, such that the sub-group message is delivered to all of the sub-ground members in a uniform position with respect to the order of the full-group multicast messages.
The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, taken together with the drawings in which:

Ordered sub-group messaging in a group communications system

International Business Machines Corporation


A system for displaying information on distributed automated transaction devices (2) is described. The information which is to be displayed is stored in a central unit (4), and is transferred to a local unit (1) for display on a screen (11) in an automated transaction device (2) under the control of the local unit (1). Which of a plurality of information messages should be displayed is decided on the basis of a number of criteria determined by the person who wishes to distribute the information message. By means of the system pauses are detected in the automated transaction devices (2), and a message is displayed on the automated transaction device""s screen (11) for the duration of the pause. The local unit (1) updates the central unit (4) frequently with regard to the number of exposures, and criteria such as the priority given to the various messages are altered as a result of these updatings. For their part the local units (1) are updated by the central unit (4) when new priorities are calculated, or when new messages or criteria are specified.

The invention concerns a system for displaying information on distributed automated transaction machines.
The information which is to be displayed is stored in a central unit and is transferred to a local unit for display on a screen in an automated transaction machine under the control of the local unit. Which of a plurality of information messages is to be displayed is decided on the basis of a number of criteria determined by the person who wishes to distribute the information message.
Local data processing stations which comprise a screen for displaying information are already widespread in the form of cash dispensers. Other similar stations also exist, and will become more and more common in the future, for example in the form of automated ordering machines for air tickets, information columns for tourist information, timetables for trains and buses, as well as publicly accessible terminals for connection to the Internet. A common feature of all of these will be that pauses will always arise, for example while a request from the user is being processed, while data are being transferred, while information is printed out, for example in the form of a receipt, etc. During these pauses it is possible to utilize the station""s screen for displaying a message. It will also be possible to utilize a part of the screen display to convey the message, for example in the form of a banner running along the top or bottom edge of the screen while the rest of the screen display is employed by the local station.
A number of these data processing stations, hereinafter called automated transaction machines, will often be linked to one another and to one or more central data units via a communication network. This network may be a dedicated data network or telephone network.
It is already known to use the screen on a cash dispenser for presenting information concerning payment cards, loans and other services offered by the owner bank. However, these messages are mainly displayed between transactions, while no user is watching the screen, and the messages cannot be effectively adapted to the automated transaction device""s geographical location, time of day and the like. Nor is it possible to keep track in an efficient manner of the number of presentations of a given message for invoicing to a specific customer, viz. the person behind the presentation of the message.
It is therefore an object by means of this system to allow a customer who wishes to have his message exposed to specify under which conditions the information message has to be displayed on the screen of an automated transaction machine. Such conditions may be geographical location of the automated transaction machine, owner of the automated transaction machine, the environment in which the automated transaction machine is located (in a shopping centre, eating-house, petrol station, airport, etc.), time of day, day of the week, etc., type of user access to the automated transaction machine (type of account with which a bank card is associated, form of payment for service, etc.), or what kind of target group the message is intended for (sex, age, etc.). The customer must also be able to specify a lowest and a desired number of exposures per day for a given information message.
It is a further object of the present invention to be able to invoice each exposure of an information message to a specific customer.
Moreover, it is an object to be able to store as comprehensive information as possible concerning the exposures, in order to be able to produce sophisticated invoicing mechanisms, analyses of user groups and user patterns.
It is also an object of the present invention to indicate how the activity in an automated transaction machine can be monitored, thus enabling pauses in a transaction to be detected and the information message displayed in the most effective manner possible.
These and further objects are achieved by means of the features which are stated in the patent claims.
It is not possible in every case to guarantee a desired number of exposures. However, by means of statistical material on the use of the automated transaction machines, it is possible to indicate with a high degree of certainty a probable exposure result. In competition with other media it can be important to safeguard the advantage offered by electronic exposure, viz. the ability to monitor every single exposure. As an example a cash dispenser located in the vicinity of an eating-house may be envisaged. The cash dispenser has on average 100 users per day. The standard deviation, however, is 50, so it is difficult to guarantee a high number of exposures per day. Per week an average of 700 use the cash dispenser, but the standard deviation is still 50, so it is easier to guarantee a certain number of exposures per week. This is natural since the standard deviation normally drops for longer periods of time, but this is not always the case. Since the cash dispenser in the example is located in the vicinity of an eating-house, on Fridays and Saturdays it has on average 200 users, with a standard deviation of 30. Even though this is a shorter period it is possible to guarantee a larger number of exposures than the average number of exposures per day might indicate.
The collection and application of such information is nothing new, but to build database products which support this is complicated. In order to collect the necessary information one generally has to turn to user surveys. In the system according to the invention all such information is available and it is sufficient to process the information in order to be able to use it.

System for displaying information on distributed automated transaction machines


In a flash light amount control device capable of operating according to multiple methods, the flash light control method alternates according to the detected AF mode setting, the camera panning status, or the reliability of the detected object distance. For example, if AF lock is on, control is performed by flash light adjustment, but if AF lock is not on, control is performed by flashmatic. If panning is performed after AF lock, the method of control alternates between flash light adjustment and flashmatic in response to the amount of panning movement.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flash light amount controlling apparatus which controls to an appropriate level, the amount of light emitted by an electronic flash toward the main object to be photographed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, cameras having an automatic focus detection (hereinafter referred to as autofocus, or AF) function, and further having the ability to perform automatic exposure while automatically controlling the amount of light emitted from the electronic flash, have been provided. FIG. 25 shows a basic outline of the construction of the optical system of a single lens reflex camera comprising one example of this type of camera. In this camera, when focus detection is performed, the beam of light of the object to be photographed that passes through photo-taking lens 2 is, after it passes through a transparent member of main mirror 12, reflected toward the bottom of camera body B by sub-mirror 14, whereupon it is led to focus detection module 18. On the other hand, when exposure is performed via shutter release operation, main mirror 12 and sub-mirror 14 are pushed together toward the top of camera body B, and the beam of light that passes through photo-taking lens 2 forms an image on film surface F0. At this point, the light reflected from the film surface is led to element 36 of the flash light amount controlling apparatus as the beam of light used for the control of the flash light amount.
The principle of performing focus detection based on the beam of light reflected toward the bottom of camera body B is the TTL phase differential method. FIG. 26 is a type view of an optical system for performing focus detection using the phase differential method. Condenser lens 4 is located in the vicinity of intended image forming plane FS of photo-taking lens 2. This intended image forming plane FS is located in a position equivalent to film surface F0 (FIG. 25). A pair of re-imaging lenses 6 and 8 are located symmetrically with respect to optical axis AX of photo-taking lens 2 at the rear portion of intended image forming plane FS. The image formed on intended image forming plane FS via photo-taking lens 2 is re-formed by this pair of re-imaging lenses 6 and 8. A0, B0 and C0 indicate front-focus, in-focus and rear-focus images, respectively, formed by photo-taking lens 2. Image re-formation lenses 6 and 8 form first and second images A1 and A2, B1 and B2 and C1 and C2, corresponding to front-focus image A0, in-focus image B0 and rear-focus image C0, respectively.
Where front-focus image A0, in-focus image B0 and rear-focus image C0 are formed as images indicated by upward-pointing arrows, the first and second images corresponding to them are formed as images indicated by downward-pointing arrows, and the space between the first image and second image varies in accordance with the focus adjustment status of photo-taking lens 2. Therefore, if, with regard to re-imaging lenses 6 and 8, photoreceptor element arrays are located either at a conjugate position with respect to intended image forming plane FS or in the vicinity thereof, and if the positions of the first image and second image are determined from the output of these photoreceptor element arrays, the focus adjustment status of photo-taking lens 2 may be detected. Incidentally, aperture masks 10-1 and 10-2 are located in front of re-imaging lenses 6 and 8. In this way, the defocus amount may be detected via the space between the first image and second image based on the output from the photoreceptor element arrays.
Incidentally, in FIG. 25, L is an exchangeable lens, 12a is a transparent member of main mirror 12, 10 is an aperture mask, 16 is a mirror box, 16a is an aperture that conveys light to the AF module, 18a is a basket body that fixes and holds all parts of the AF module, 20 is a photoreceptor element package, 22 is a viewfinder mask, 24 is an optical path refracting mirror, 26 is an infrared cut filter, 28 is a Fresnel lens, 35 is a condenser lens, 30 is a pentagonal roof prism, 32 is an eyepiece, 33 is an optical path refracting lens, and 34 is a light measurement element.
FIG. 27 is a type view of the case in which the lengths of all optical paths in the optical system in FIG. 26 are extended. Where the optical path lengths are extended, front-focus image A0 and rear-focus image C0 are re-formed by re-imaging lenses 6 and 8 under the same conditions of the photo-taking lens, and images A1 and A2 and B1 and B2 are formed. When this happens, the distances between images A1 and A2, B1 and B2 and C1 and C2 on the photoreceptor element are wider than in FIG. 26. In other words, the discrepancy in the positions of the re-formed images on the photoreceptor surface vis-a-vis the discrepancy in the same defocus amount becomes larger. Therefore, a small defocus amount discrepancy may be detected by the photoreceptor element, and the accuracy of focus detection may be increased.
However, in the construction shown in FIG. 25, the optical path length of focus detection module 18 is limited by the part housing flash light amount controlling element 36, which limits the accuracy of focus detection. Therefore, there are models in which either the AF photo-electric conversion element or the light amount monitoring element may serve as the flash light amount controlling element, which improves space efficiency, lowers the cost, and improves autofocus performance, but limits the control area for autofocusing and for flash light adjustment. In other words, where the main object to be photographed is within the control area, if flash light adjustment is performed using the element for that area, flash light adjustment appropriate for the main object to be photographed may be performed, but where the main object to be photographed leaves the control area, for example during panning, control of the flash light amount can no longer be performed properly.
Incidentally, it is known that in order to obtain a proper exposure of the main object to be photographed with a camera having an autofocus function, the photo-taking screen is divided into multiple areas, for each of which light measurement and focus detection are performed, and flash light adjustment is carried out, with an emphasis on the area containing the main object to be photographed, based on the measurement information obtained from the multiple areas.
In addition, in a camera with various AF modes (continuous AF, AF lock), because the focus detection information becomes inaccurate if camera shake occurs, a method to change the AF mode to an appropriate setting based on a determination that the camera is shaking is known (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 3-161722).
Furthermore, in a camera in which AF lock is performed at the time of focusing, and in which the exposure amount setting to control exposure is simultaneously locked (AE lock), the AE lock is released in order to obtain an appropriate exposure, even where the object to be photographed is a moving object (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 1-288818).
However, in none of the above devices is it concretely shown how control of flash light adjustment is performed when the object to be photographed leaves the autofocusing and flash light adjustment control areas.
In addition, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,966, in a contrast detection type AF camera, a single member serves as an AF sensor and as a photoreceptor element for flash light adjustment, and light adjustment of the flash light is performed using an AF sensor array.
Moreover, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,446, fixed light measurement is performed using an AF sensor integral time control monitoring element, but this monitoring element is not used to perform flash light adjustment. The AF sensor and the monitoring element are on the same chip, and there is no photoreceptor element located elsewhere other than on this chip.
Furthermore, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,005, both AF lock and AE lock are provided; when AF lock is on, AE lock is activated as well, and if it is subsequently determined that the object to be photographed is a moving object, AE lock is released. However, there is no disclosure regarding flash light adjustment.
In addition, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,850, control of the flash light amount alternates between flashmatic (FM) and flash light adjustment in accordance with the focal length of the photo-taking lens. However, it does not alternate between FM and flash light adjustment in accordance with the AF mode. Moreover, where the object distance is unreliable, it alternates between FM and flash light adjustment.
Furthermore, the camera in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,447 changes the priority of multiple flash light adjustment areas depending on whether the AF mode is continuous AF or single AF. However, switching of the flash light amount control method does not occur in accordance with the AF mode. Moreover, there is no disclosure that the flash light adjustment area changes when panning is occurring.

Flash light amount controlling apparatus


A method is described for checking a value document, wherein measuring values of the value document are detected in spatially resolved fashion. The measuring value detected in the respective measuring point is allocated to a node corresponding to this measuring point, and a two-dimensional network of nodes is formed therefrom. A network is formed from the two-dimensional network of the nodes and a source node and a sink node. By means of the maximally possible flow through the network, the value document is classified as suspected of forgery or not suspected of forgery. The maximally possible flow through the network is a measure for the degree of probability of the value document having a continuous object along a direction transverse to the direction of the network, said object indicating a manipulation of the value document, such as e.g. an adhesive strip or a separating line of a composed forgery.

The present invention relates to a method for checking a value document and a corresponding checking device.
Value documents are understood to be sheet-shaped objects that represent for example a monetary value or an authorization and hence should not be producible arbitrarily by unauthorized persons. Hence, they have features that are not easily produced, in particular copied, whose presence is an indication of authenticity, i.e. production by an authorized body. Important examples of such value documents are chip cards, coupons, vouchers, checks and in particular banknotes. The value documents can differ respectively with regard to their type, for example in the case of banknotes with regard to their denomination or the nominal value and the currency or in the case of checks with regard to a type of check form determined by the issuer of the check.
Torn or torn-apart value documents are frequently "repaired" with the aid of adhesive strips. The value documents provided with adhesive strips are to be recognized and sorted out upon the checking of the value documents. In the methods so far for recognizing adhesive strips, the thickness of the value documents is checked. However, the detection of adhesive strips is impaired by variations of the detected thickness measuring values. When the adhesive strip is very thin in addition and/or the value document itself already has a pronounced thickness profile, the hitherto recognition of adhesive strips is limited.


An online concierge system trains a user interaction model to predict a probability of a user performing an interaction after one or more content items are displayed to the user. This provides a measure of an effect of displaying content items to the user on the user performing one or more interactions. The user interaction model is trained from displaying content items to certain users of the online concierge system and withholding display of the content items to other users of the online concierge system. To train the user interaction model, the user interaction model is applied to labeled examples identifying a user and value based on interactions the user performed after one or more content items were displayed to the user and interactions the user performed when one or more content items were not used.

This disclosure relates generally to displaying content items to users, and more specifically to training a model to predict a likelihood of a user performing an action after displaying a content item to a user.
In current online concierge systems, shoppers (or "pickers") fulfill orders at a physical warehouse, such as a retailer, on behalf of users as part of an online shopping concierge service. An online concierge system provides an interface to a user identifying items offered by a physical warehouse and receives selections of one or more items for an order from the user. In current online concierge systems, the shoppers may be sent to various warehouses with instructions to fulfill orders for items, and the shoppers then find the items included in the user order in a warehouse.
Additionally, an online concierge system may display content items to its users to encourage or to entice the users to perform various interactions. For example, an online concierge system displays content items describing items offered by one or more warehouses to users to encourage the users to include the items in orders placed through the online concierge system. However, displaying content items to users often has varying levels of effectiveness in encouraging users to subsequently perform one or more interactions. These varying levels of effectiveness in encouraging user interactions may result in inefficient use of resources for displaying content items to users by displaying content items to users that have low likelihoods of encouraging user interactions. Further, such display of content items to users who are unlikely to be enticed to perform interactions by the content items may discourage subsequent interactions with the online concierge system by the users to whom the content items were displayed.

Training a model to predict likelihoods of users performing an action after being presented with a content item


Provided is a blow-molded container exhibiting inhibited coloring, odor, and generation of defects such as gelation and streaks which are caused on melt molding, and having a superior appearance. Also provided is a blow-molded container that has a favorable self-purge feature in production and satisfactory qualities such as strength, and can be produced at low cost. The blow-molded container includes a first layer containing an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (I), wherein the first layer contains a saturated carbonyl compound (II) having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, the saturated carbonyl compound (II) is a saturated aldehyde (II-1), a saturated ketone (II-2) or a combination thereof, and the content of the saturated carbonyl compound (II) in the first layer is 0.01 ppm or greater and 100 ppm or less.

Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as "EVOH(s)") are polymeric materials that are superior in gas barrier properties against gases such as oxygen, oil resistance, antistatic properties, and the like. Thus, EVOH-containing resin compositions are molded into containers, films, sheets and the like, which have been widely used as blow-molded containers such as fuel containers and bottle containers as well as packaging materials, etc. In particular, as the blow-molded containers, multilayer structures have been widely employed which include: a layer formed of the EVOH-containing resin composition; a thermoplastic resin layer that is superior in moisture resistance, impact resistance, etc.; and the like.
In the production of the blow-molded containers, melt molding is generally conducted; however, the melt molding may result in impaired appearance of the molded articles through generation of defects such as gelation (dirt under paint) and streaks. In addition, the gelation and the like not only lead to impairment of the appearance of the molded articles, but also cause deterioration of performances; therefore, inhibition of these events is needed.
Furthermore, in the step of manufacturing blow-molded containers, an operation of the melt molding apparatus must be stopped once and restarted after a certain time period for a change of the resin, a halt in manufacture on weekends, etc., as well as a replacement operation of the molding die, and the like. In these instances, a small amount of the resin composition remaining in the melt molding apparatus may be deteriorated during the steps of elevation and lowering of the temperature of the apparatus, and gelled upon restarting, leading to the occurrence of a disadvantage of causing deterioration of appearance and qualities such as strength of the molded articles. Thus, after the restarting of the apparatus, it is necessary to conduct idling for a certain time period to await until such gels and the like is no longer generated and the appearance of the molded articles is reverted to the normal state. In light of the production cost, the time period required for the reverting is preferably short, in other words, a self-purge feature is preferably favorable; however it is impossible to conclude that the self-purge feature of conventional EVOH-containing resin compositions is favorable.
Therefore, as EVOH-containing resin compositions having an improved self-purge feature, (1) a resin composition prepared by adding a polyolefin resin, a carboxylic acid-modified polyolefin resin and an alkaline earth metal salt of a lower fatty acid having 9 or less carbon atoms to an EVOH resin at a specific ratio (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H5-255554), and (2) an EVOH-containing resin composition containing a carboxylic acid having a certain viscosity and a molecular weight of less than 75, and an alkaline earth metal salt at a specific ratio (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2001-234008) have been known. However, due to containing the alkaline earth metal, these EVOH-containing resin compositions may cause coloring of the molded articles, and also the self-purge feature thereof is not satisfactory. In particular, the aforementioned EVOH-containing resin composition (1) is disadvantageous in that deterioration of the hue and impairment of the long-time operation properties, i.e., minimization of generation of the defects even in melt molding over a long time period (long-run workability), may occur, owing to the addition of the polyolefin resin. Additionally, an odor in molding must be taken into consideration from an environmental viewpoint.

Blow-molded container, fuel container, blow-molded bottle container, and production method of blow-molded container


A foam-generating assembly for use in generating a nitrogen-containing foam useful in preventing or extinguishing fires includes a foam generator, a first tank containing a foamable aqueous liquid and a second tank containing nitrogen gas, the foam generator including a header which is hollowed out to provide a swirl chamber defined by an outer cylindrical wall, an inner cylindrical wall and a floor, a spray nozzle in the center of the floor for spraying foamable aqueous liquid supplied from the first tank, and an orifice in the inner cylindrical wall to supply a tangential flow of nitrogen gas from the second tank into the swirl chamber and around the spray nozzle and the liquid spray emitted therefrom and provide a vortex flow of a mixture of foamable aqueous liquid and nitrogen gas. First and second foaming screens are provided through which the vortex flow passes to provide first a coarse nitrogen-containing foam and then a fine nitrogen-containing foam. The first foaming screen can be a inverted frustoconical element formed of three layers of metal mesh. The second foaming screen can be formed of two layers of metal mesh placed over a discharge outlet of the swirl chamber.

This application is directed to a foam-generating assembly for generating a foam particularly useful in preventing or extinguishing fires, and to a foam generator which is employed therein. It is also directed to a new method for generating a nitrogen-containing foam.
It is well known to use foams, and in particular foams containing nitrogen gas, to prevent or extinguish fires—see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,819. Various constructions of apparatus for generating such foams have been devised. However, these known constructions are complicated and expensive to produce. The present inventors have developed a foam-generating apparatus which is simple in construction and inexpensive to produce, which will rapidly produce a nitrogen-containing foam of a desired expansion ratio, and which in one embodiment is sufficiently compact that it can be installed in an enclosed space, such as in an engine compartment or passenger cabin of a vehicle, airplane, boat, etc., to rapidly emit a fire preventing or extinguishing foam in the event of an impending or actual accident.
The inventive foam-generating assembly includes a foam generator and tanks which respectively contain a foamable aqueous liquid and nitrogen gas and which are connected to deliver their contents to the foam generator. The foam generator includes a header that defines a swirl chamber formed by a outer cylindrical wall, an inner cylindrical wall and a floor, and a spray nozzle is located in the center of its floor to emit a conical spray of the foamable aqueous liquid into the swirl chamber. An orifice is provided in the inner cylindrical wall to tangentially discharge nitrogen gas into the swirl chamber and around the spray nozzle and the liquid spray emitted therefrom to create a vortex flow of mixed liquid spray and gas. First and second mesh screens are provided through which the vortex flow will pass, first to provide a coarse foam and then a fine foam having the desired expansion ratio.
In one embodiment an extender tube can be positioned against the upper cylindrical wall to extend beyond the header and the first mesh screen, which can be in the form of an inverted frustoconical element, can be positioned in the extender tube, whereas the second mesh screen can be positioned across the outlet end of the extender tube. The outer cylindrical wall can have a larger diameter than the inner cylindrical wall, providing an annular ledge on which the extender tube is seated. The tanks can be spaced apart from the header and connected thereto by suitable conduits. A pressure regulator can be inserted in the gas conduit to control the pressure of gas delivered to the header.
In another embodiment, which provides a compact arrangement that enables the assembly to be installed in a compact space such as an engine compartment, the header can provide docking stations for the tanks and include passageways to deliver foamable aqueous liquid to the spray nozzle and nitrogen gas to the orifice in the inner cylindrical wall of the swirl chamber. A pressure regulator can be attached to the header to provide control of the nitrogen gas pressure delivered to the swirl chamber. An on-off control valve which can be electrically controlled can be included to allow gas to flow from the nitrogen tank to the header, e.g., when a signal is received from a sensor in the vehicle in which the foam-generating assembly is located that senses rapid deceleration of the vehicle (indicating impending crash). The tank containing the foamable aqueous liquid can include a flexible bag in which the liquid is contained, and a conduit from the nitrogen tank can be connected to the liquid tank to provide the pressure therein that causes the liquid to be delivered from the bag into the header.
The method of the invention involves tangentially flowing nitrogen gas around an expanding cone-shaped spray of foamable aqueous liquid in a cylindrical swirl chamber to provide a vortex and then passing the liquid spray and nitrogen gas through first and second spaced mesh foaming screens to provide a fine foam that can rapidly spread out from the swirl chamber and cover nearby areas to prevent or suppress fires.
The invention will now be better understood by reference to the attached drawings, taken in conjunction with the following discussion.

Foam-generating assembly and foam generator used therein


The invention discloses multi-storey building structures of different sizes and purposes, built on long-span beams laid on cornerstones of minimal dimensions, on the opposite sidewalks of streets and the medians separating street lanes. Such buildings basically occupy the air-space above streets and roads and may be used for parking garages, residential, office and commercial space or for an optimal combination of them. Parking garages built on the air-space above intersections of roads may enable entry from any direction and exit to a different one, with or without parking and greatly contribute to the rationalization of car traffic in modern mega-cities. Such multi-storey buildings comprising in addition to parking garages, office, residential and commercial space, may save valuable timing wasted in going from one place to another.

Multi-storey buildings across roads have been built; however each of the structures built on each side of the road are of substantial size as is the middle structure bridging the two side buildings that is over the road. The middle building mainly serves as a passageway to connect the two side buildings, while the offices and parking garages are on the side buildings.
To the best of our knowledge there are no multi-storey buildings, built on columns situated either on the edge of sidewalks, on the medians separating driving lanes or both.
Autonomous driverless vehicles have been proposed and some have been tested on the roads. However the design goal of these autonomous vehicles is to replace the human driver on the road; as such they include sensors to image and check the surroundings around the vehicle and a controller to quickly react to changes and adapt the speed, steering and brakes of the vehicle.
The general purpose autonomous vehicle has to respond to the plethora of situations that a human driver may encounter during extended driving, even when the odds of such situations are very small.
Our purpose in automated driverless parking is much limited, it is driving for several minutes at very low speed along a predetermined route, at low and steady speed and have a very high maneuvering capabilities, that enable parking in minimal spaces.

Multi-storey buildings built over road air-spaces


A process for component separation in a polymer production system comprising: (a) separating a polymerization product into a gas stream and a polymer stream; (b) processing the gas stream in distillation columns to yield a light hydrocarbon stream (LHS) comprising ethylene and ethane; (c) contacting LHS with a purged hydrocarbon adsorber to yield a loaded hydrocarbon adsorber and a non-adsorbed gas stream, wherein ethane is adsorbed by the purged hydrocarbon adsorber at a first pressure to yield adsorbed ethane, and wherein the non-adsorbed gas stream comprises recovered ethylene; (d) contacting the loaded hydrocarbon adsorber with a sweeping gas stream at a second pressure to yield an unloaded hydrocarbon adsorber and a recovered adsorbed gas stream comprising the sweeping gas stream and desorbed ethane; and (e) contacting the unloaded hydrocarbon adsorber with the sweeping gas stream at the first pressure to yield the purged hydrocarbon adsorber and a spent sweeping gas.

The production of polymers such as polyethylene from light gases requires a high purity feedstock of monomers and comonomers. Due to the small differences in boiling points between the light gases in such a feedstock, industrial production of a high purity feedstock can require the operation of multiple distillation columns, high pressures, and cryogenic temperatures. As such, the energy costs associated with feedstock purification represent a significant proportion of the total cost for the production of such polymers. Further, the infrastructure required for producing, maintaining, and recycling high purity feedstock is a significant portion of the associated capital cost.
In order to offset some of the costs and maximize production, it can be useful to reclaim and/or recycle any unreacted feedstock gases, especially the light hydrocarbon reactants, such as ethylene. Gases comprising unreacted monomers can be separated from the polymer after the polymerization reaction. The polymer is processed while the unreacted monomers are recovered from the gases that are reclaimed following the polymerization reaction. To accomplish this, the reclaimed gas streams have conventionally either been routed through a purification process or redirected through other redundant processing steps. In either case, conventional processes of recovering monomer (e.g., unreacted ethylene) have necessitated energetically unfavorable and expensive processes. Thus, there is an ongoing need for developing efficient processes for the recovery of unreacted ethylene during polyethylene production.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Hydrocarbon recovery with pressure swing adsorption


An audio accessory comprising one or more speaker units may be used to provide audio output for a media device such as a tablet computer, smartphone, and so forth. The speaker units may be affixed to various surfaces, such as an acoustic panel which serves as a portion of a cover for the media device. The acoustic panel may act as an acoustic radiator which is driven by one or more of the speaker units. When not in use, a pair of the speaker units may be joined together for compact storage.

Audio output from media devices is part of presentation of a wide variety of content including audiobooks, music, television, movies, games, and so forth. The media devices may include smart phones, tablet computers, portable media devices, laptop computers, desktop computers, in-vehicle entertainment systems, and so forth.
Certain implementations and embodiments will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures, in which various aspects are shown. However, various aspects may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementations set forth herein. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. The figures provided are not necessarily to scale, and the elements therein may not be proportionate to one another. For example, the size of some elements depicted may be enlarged or exaggerated for clarity of illustration.