Devices and methods for collecting solar energy using photovoltaic material are disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices and methods for the collection of solar energy using a photovoltaic solar cell.
2. Back ground and Description of the State of the Art
FIGS. 1A-1B illustrates a conventional construction for photovoltaic (PV) cells, e.g., a solar cell, which converts light energy to electricity. In this example, the cell 1 is generally square-like with an upper surface 2 corresponding to a sun-receiving or sun-facing side 2 of the solar cell 1. The opposing surface 3 faces away from the direction of sunlight. In this example, the solar cell 1 has an n-type doped silicon layer and p-type doped silicon layer separated by a junction layer. The sun-facing side 2 has a surface area made up of the PV material, e.g., n-type doped silicon, and contacts 5 for conducting a current when the PV material receives light energy. The contacts 5 are in the shape of lengthwise conducting lines 5a and two central buses 5b for collecting charge from the conducting lines 5a. The central buses 5b, and the corresponding electrode 5c for collecting a positive charge, are electrically connected to adjacent solar cells (preferably, a parallel connection) to form a solar cell module. Several modules connected together form a solar cell panel or solar panel.
A photovoltaic power system may have a single solar cell module or panel, or multiple modules/panels connected by combinations of series and parallel circuits as a photovoltaic array, or solar array. In the case of a single module system producing AC power output, the solar cell module may be connected to an inverter or load through a junction box that incorporates a fuse to protect the photovoltaic module if back feeding from a power utility or a battery might occur. Solar cell modules may be configured either with a frame or without a frame. A frameless solar cell module is generally referred to as a laminate. Examples of power systems having interconnected solar modules or panels may be found in U.S. Pub. No. 2003/0111103.
In recent years efforts are being made to develop thin-film PV material. Some such types of material are a-Si, CdTe, and CIGS. At present, these solutions have an efficiency rating of about 10% in commercially available panels (in laboratory conditions CIGS has been shown to be up to about 20% efficient). some of these thin-film technologies suffer from degradation and loss of efficiency over time. Presently, single crystalline PV, and to some extent poly-Si (although not as efficient), offer highest efficiency as a long-term proven technology.
Concentrated photovoltaics (CPV) utilize lenses or mirrors to focus, or concentrate solar energy onto PV material. Low concentrators, e.g., 2× concentrators, can require no tracking or movement (e.g., linear Winston collectors). These concentrators often times need to be orientated in an East-to-West orientation and tilted towards the celestial equator which may not be easily accomplished given the available mounting locations. Additionally, these concentrators can be expensive to manufacture because they use non-standard shapes for the lenses, e.g., Winston collectors. High concentrators need active moving parts in two dimensions and active cooling of the PV cells.
A "concentrator" is intended to mean a device that concentrates reflected and/or refracted light for the purposes of increasing the solar flux onto PV material. Unless otherwise noted, when a "lens" or "lenses" is/are referred to, it carries the same meaning as a concentrator, i.e., intended to focus or concentrate solar energy. A "linear", "one-dimensional" or "1-D" concentrator is intended to mean a concentrator configured for focusing light in only one-dimensions. One example of a 1-D concentrator is a rod lens. A "two-dimensional" or "2-D" concentrator is intended to focus light in two dimensions. A spherical lens is one example of a 2-D concentrator. A 1-D concentrator has a "line of focus", which is intended to mean the line or strip of focused light over the length of the concentrator. A line of focus for a 1-D concentrator, oriented east to west, changes during the course of the year. Thus, for a 1D concentrator at the Earth's equator and pointed at the celestial equator at equinox, the line of focus is parallel to the lens. At the periods of solstice the line of focus is distanced farthest from this condition. Throughout the discussion, reference may sometimes be made to a solar panel, module or solar collection system. One of ordinary skill would appreciate that the terms 'solar panel' or 'solar module' do not necessarily limit the scope of the disclosure. Unless otherwise apparent, the disclosure applies to any solar collection device that utilizes concentrators to focus light onto PV material in accordance with the foregoing objectives.
A "tracking panel" is intended to mean a panel that is maintained to face the sun such that light rays are always orientated normal to the panel surface. A tracking panel may be rotated so that solar rays are always directed normal to the surfaces having PV material. Accordingly, the effective area, AEFF for a tracking panel is intended to always be equal to the corresponding surface area APV of the panel. For a panel that does not track the sun's motion AEFF<APV whenever the sun's apparent position changes from the position that the panel faces. For a fully tracked panel (as opposed to a partially tracked panel, e.g., partial tracking when rotation about only one axis as the sun changes its position in the sky) the acceptance angle is of lesser or no importance to a design because the panel is being tracked. For a partially tracked panel, e.g., when linear concentrators rotate about their longitudinal axes, the acceptance angle requirements reduce to only one dimension: the longitudinal dimension. Therefore, a linear concentrator is designed such that it provides a very large acceptance angle along its longitudinal direction so that there would be no need to move them, or the panel, in that direction.
For solar panels that use concentrators, "acceptance angle" means the angle beyond which not all focused or collected light is received on PV material. A CPV panel that does not track the sun but still collects sun light from morning to evening throughout the year (hereafter refer to as panels that increase the acceptance angle) does this in a few ways. It can be made of smaller units, such as linear Winston collectors, where the acceptance angle is designed into each collector. With such a design the CPV panel is oriented usually in an East-to-West direction and tilted towards the celestial equator. A CPV panel can also collect sunlight without tracking by incorporating moving parts within the panel, while the panel remains stationary, such as moving mirrors that focus light onto their corresponding focal points where a PV cell is positioned.
A solar panel's "collection plane" is intended to refer to the plane where the PV material is generally located to receive solar flux. For example, a two-axis tracking solar panel is configured to be rotated about two orthogonal axes that lie within the collection plane (x and y axes depicted in FIG. 8A). With reference to FIG. 7 the vector Pn extends normal to the collection plane for the panel shown.


Provided is a delivery vehicle and methods and systems for automated delivery using the delivery vehicle. The automated delivery method comprises receiving, by a processing device, an order from a buyer. The order specifies one or more products to be delivered to the buyer and itinerary information. The processing device transmits the order to a placer robot. The placer robot positions the one or more products to a delivery vehicle. Then, the delivery vehicle may transport the products to a delivery destination based on the order. The delivery vehicle may be driverless and lightweight and move automatically. The delivery vehicle may move on a flat track using itinerary information of the order. Additionally, the delivery vehicle may use a Global Positioning System to determine own location and compare it to the itinerary information.

Conventional transportation vehicles, such as automotive or railway vehicles, have some benefits. However, conventional automotive transportation vehicles consume large amounts of fuel, pollute the environment, and create traffic congestion. Conventional railway transportation vehicles are unable to make tight turns, and are too large and heavy to move on conventional street surfaces, while constructing large underground tunnels is expensive.
While these transportation means may be suitable for a particular purpose to which they address, fuel usage when transporting goods from sellers to buyers may be significant. Some of the fuel is applied to transport a driver of a transportation vehicle. Moreover, time spent on shop visiting by buyers or delivering ordered goods by delivery staff may be considerable.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Automated delivery vehicle, systems and methods for automated delivery


A method of mapping device pins to logic analyzer channels in preparation for a digital test includes accepting a correlation of at least one test connector to one or more logic analyzer pods and presenting a display showing available test connector pins for each defined test connector. A user may then select a one to one assignment of one or more signal pins to the test connector pins to establish a mapping configuration.

Logic analyzers are an important tool for digital design and debug, particularly for large and complex digital circuits. To use a logic analyzer, individual logic analyzer measurement channels are electrically connected to points of interest in a device under test ("DUT"). Connections to the logic analyzer are grouped into logic analyzer pods. Conventionally, "flying leads" are used to make the connection between a logic analyzer and a DUT. A "flying lead" is part of a logic analyzer probe adapter system wherein a logic analyzer pod connector plugs into and makes connection to seventeen (17) logic analyzer measurement channels in the case of an Agilent logic analyzer. Seventeen individual wires extend from a ribbon cable attached to the pod connector, each wire in the ribbon cable having a spring-loaded clip for connecting to a single point on a DUT. As such, there is an immediate correlation between a signal on the DUT and a single logic analyzer measurement channel on a logic analyzer pod. As digital circuits increase in complexity and reduce in physical size, the "flying lead" probe adapter becomes more cumbersome and impractical to use. Some printed circuit board technologies use surface mount components, which do not provide a point to which a flying lead may be secured.
A known alternative to the "flying lead" probe adapter, is a connector pin probe adapter. Instead of the flying lead, the logic analyzer probe is connected to an electrical connector for plug compatibility with a mating electrical connector on the DUT. The connector pin probe adapter comprises a logic analyzer pod connector that plugs into the logic analyzer measurement channels and a ribbon cable with an individual wire for each of the measurement channels. The ribbon cable is then attached to a probe that comprises a multiple pin electrical connector. The probe is designed to connect to a mating connector on the DUT. This design obviates the presence of the individual loose wires and "flying lead" termination and also provides a solution to the problem of how to connect to a printed circuit board using surface mount components. The physical connection to the DUT is easy, secure and compact, but the direct and obvious correlation between the logic analyzer measurement channels and a single DUT signal is lost. A user, therefore, must use published mapping information for the probe adapter to correlate each DUT signal to a respective logic analyzer measurement channel.
The mapping process requires the user to identify the signal on the DUT and correlate the signal to a connector pin. This process is performed using the DUT schematic. The user must then reference probe adapter documentation to correlate the connector pin to the logic analyzer measurement channel and enter that information into the logic analyzer. The probe adapter documentation is available as part of the logic analyzer equipment. As one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates, correlation of information contained in separate documents leaves much room for human error. Additionally, the mapping process for large designs with multiple connectors is a tedious and time-consuming process. Identification and correction of mapping errors is also a time-consuming and tedious process and is detrimental to the job of setting up and testing a digital circuit.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved method of mapping logic analyzer measurement channels to DUT signals to reduce the time to set up and test a device with a logic analyzer and to reduce the potential for errors.

Method and apparatus for mapping signals of a device under test to logic analyzer measurement channels


A magnetic air tight animal trap assembly capable of converting an enclosure into an animal entrapment vehicle. The assembly is disposable or reusable offering optional methods for dealing with the animal. If the enclosure is air tight, as the assembly is, the animal will suffocate. If the enclosure is not sealed the animal will remain entrapped until released. The air tight assembly is composed of a flat, flexible, magnetic material. This material is available in thin sheets and is easily cut to any desired shape. The magnetic door and the magnetic door adapter overlap and provide an air tight seal when closed. The magnetic door is hinged to the magnetic door adapter and is held open by its magnetic attraction to a door support rod. The magnetic door adapter is capable of mounting the magnetic air tight animal trap assembly to any enclosure with an opening sized to the adapter by either magnetic or adhesive means.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to animal traps, and more specifically to a magnetic, air tight, trap assembly capable of converting any enclosure into an animal entrapment vehicle. If the enclosure is air tight then an asphyxiating animal trap is created.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
The prior art relating to animal traps, especially device that catch rodents, are numerous and varied, but none have adequately addressed the problems presented by our modern and sophisticated society. The most popular and widely used trap is the well-known spring mouse trap, it is cheap enough to be disposable, and very effective; unfortunately the dead mouse must be dealt with, it must be seen. In our refined environment many people find it offensive to view a mouse that has been killed, incapacitated, or multilated by the spring trap.
Prior art, Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,883, offers a magnetically sealable enclosure that dispatches and hides it's catch, but in order to accomplish this air tight trap a number of precision parts are needed. The present invention is air tight while employing only the most basic parts and entrapment methodology.
Another prior art, Spiller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,523, is extremely simple, and with only two parts very economical to manufacture. Unfortunately as it is presently being marketed it is not air tight, consequently the trap with the mouse alive inside must be dealt with. This trap's design does not appear to be conducive to an air tight seal. The type of individual interested in purchasing a mouse trap that effectively eliminates the mental and physical problems associated with dispatching a mouse would not want the anguish of disposing of a live mouse.
The present invention, with its sealed air holes, allows the user three methods of rodent disposal. First, simply throw the trap and the dead, suffocated mouse away. Second, dispose of the dead, suffocated mouse, and reuse the trap. Third, with the optional sealed air holes opened, simply let the live mouse free outside.
The present invention presents an animal trap that is humane to use, economical to manufacture, and gives optional methods of dealing with the trapped rodent. The invention can asphyxiate a mouse by magnetically sealing any air tight enclosure where it is employed. The invention and the mouse can be disposed of without ever having to see the victim of its efficiency. The invention is of simple design with only one moving part.


A person receiving a telephone call to identifies a caller in advance of answering the telephone call by means of a image associated with the caller's Caller ID. The image is displayed on a telephone display device, television set, personal computer or other display coupled to the telephone system. The calling party may define the image to be associated with their Caller ID. The calling party transmits a image over the telephone line prior to, or concurrently with, a telephone call intended to be answered by the receiving party. The image is stored in a storage device coupled to the receiving party's telephone system along with an indication of the Caller ID of the calling party. The next time that the calling party calls the receiving party the previously stored image is accessed and displayed.

A relatively recent telephone service known as "Caller ID" allows a person who is receiving a telephone call to determine the calling party before the call is answered. This is done by having the calling telephone device transmit information, such as the phone number of the calling device, the name of the calling party, etc. The receiving telephone can use the information to determine whether to allow the call to go through, to block the call, or to display the information on a display at the receiving telephone.
Additional features provided by software created by third party manufacturers include announcing the Caller ID by voice synthesis so that the caller's name and/or number can be heard audibly by a person at the receiving telephone. This is useful, for example, where the receiving telephone does not have a visual display. Also, this is useful when the receiving party is not near their telephone so they cannot see the display.
A drawback with these Caller ID features is that it is difficult for a called party to remember who a caller is based on the Caller ID information. The calling party may not have provided a name so that the telephone number may be all that is available from the Caller ID. Even when a person's name is provided this may not be enough to jog the called party's memory into knowing who the caller is. This is especially true where the calling party is a company, or has some other commercial purpose as salesperson. In these cases the information provided by Caller ID may be obscure so as not to completely identify the calling party in a way that is helpful to the called party. In other words, the mere display of numbers and names is often a poor mnemonic to help with a called person's memory.
Another drawback with Caller ID is that the current Caller ID features do not integrate well with video services provided in connection with today's telephones. For example, video conferencing is becoming more popular, as is the general transmission of video or still picture images over the telephone line. When a participant is engaged in a video conference that participant may be viewing one or more images of people in the conference on a display device such as a large telephone display, personal computer or television. During the video conference a new caller may attempt to call into the participant. The display of the new caller's telephone number and name may be insufficient for the participant to identify the caller. Thus, the participant cannot make a good decision about whether to break from the video conference to answer the call. Also, the feature of having the incoming phone number and/or caller's name audibly announced would not work well in a video conferencing environment where the participant does not want to miss any of the video conferencing conversation.
Thus, it is desirable to provide the Caller ID service with additional features so that it is more useful to a user.


Operand-based reach explicit dataflow processors, and related methods and computer-readable media are disclosed. The operand-based reach explicit dataflow processors support execution of a producer instruction that explicitly names a target consumer operand of a consumer instruction in a consumer operand encoding namespace of the producer instruction. The produced value from execution of the producer instruction is provided or otherwise made available as an input to the named target consumer operand of the consumer instruction as a result of processing the producer instruction. The target consumer operand is encoded in the producer instruction as an operand target distance relative to the producer instruction. Instructions in an instruction stream between the producer instruction and the targeted consumer instruction that have no operands do not consume an operand reach namespace in the producer instructions. This provides for a deeper explicit consumer naming reach for a given bit size of the operand reach namespace.

Microprocessors, also known as "processors," perform computational tasks for a wide variety of applications. A conventional microprocessor includes a central processing unit (CPU) that includes one or more processor cores, also known as "CPU cores," that execute software instructions. The software instructions instruct a CPU to perform operations based on data. The CPU performs an operation according to the instructions to generate a result, which is a produced value. The produced value may then be provided as an output to an I/O device, or made available (i.e., communicated) as an input value to another consumer instruction executed by the CPU. Thus, the consumer instruction is dependent on the produced value produced by the "producer" instruction as an input value to the consumer instruction for execution. These producer and consumer instructions are also referred to collectively as "dependent instructions."
Traditionally, communication between dependent instructions has been done implicitly using the general purpose register (GPR) namespace as a rendezvous point. This communication is termed "implicit," because the producer instruction that produces (i.e., writes) a value into a GPR has no knowledge of which consumer instruction(s) will consume (i.e., read) that produced value. This method of communication can have limitations. As one limitation, the GPR namespace has a finite size, because the names of the consumer instructions are encoded into a finite length instruction. Also, the number of GPRs is generally smaller than the number of values produced by a computation such that multiple produced values must be communicated using the same name of the producer instruction—that is, aliasing occurs within a set of producer instructions and within a set of consumer instructions. Further, because producer instructions have no reference to the consumer instructions for its produced value, there is not a direct way to notify the consumer instruction that the value it will consume has been produced. These concerns have been solved in different ways in modern CPU implementations, but at various costs and tradeoffs associated with the solutions.
An alternative method of communicating between dependent instructions is to explicitly name the consumer instruction and its operand that consumes the produced value in the producer instruction. This is referred to as "explicit" communication. CPUs built on an explicit communication model have been referred to as explicit dataflow graph execution (EDGE) CPUs. Explicit communications address the notification issue of produced values to consumer instructions related to implicit communications. Because the producer instruction directly encodes the name of the consumer instruction and its consuming operand in an explicit communications model, a produced value generated from the producer instruction can be provided (e.g., forwarded) to an operand of a named consumer instruction.
One issue that may still be present in such explicit communications is the size allocated to encoding a consumer name and operand of a consumer instruction in a producer instruction. The number of bits allocated to encoding a consumer in a producer instruction (i.e., the consumer namespace) must be sufficient to name the possible consumer instructions based on the design. Also, a sufficient number of bits must allocated in the consumer namespace to encode all possible operands of a targeted consumer instruction even if the actual named consumer instruction in a producer instruction has less operands. For example, if a consumer instruction calls for five (5) operands, all producer instructions that are allowed to target such consumer instruction must allocate a sufficient number of bits in its consumer namespace to encode five (5) operands even if the actual named consumer instruction has fewer operands. Providing an instruction format that allows a larger consumer namespace bit size for naming a consumer instruction and its consuming operand provides greater flexibility in explicit naming of consumer instructions, but also consumes a larger amount of memory space for storage of instructions. Conventional EDGE processors have addressed the size of explicit consumer instruction naming by partitioning the dataflow graph of the full computation into pieces, sometimes referred to as instruction blocks, with explicit consumer naming being based on the start of the instruction block. The EDGE processors are designed to employ an execution model that explicitly communicates produced values to consumer instructions within the same block-local namespace so that the maximum number of instructions in a block is determined and limited by the size of the name that can be encoded in an instruction.
Thus, while an EDGE processor has the advantage of reduced complexity relative to an implicit communication model, an EDGE processor has a disadvantage of being limited in explicit communication of produced values to consumer instructions in the same instruction block. Further, since consumer names are only valid within a given instruction block, there is an issue with communicating produced values internal to an instruction block across block boundaries. Previous EDGE CPUs use implicit communication (either via the memory namespace or the GPR namespace) to communicate produced values externally across instruction block boundaries. Although inter-block communication is less frequent than intra-block communication for reasonable block sizes, the use of implicit communication dilutes the advantages of explicit communications for dependent instructions. Constraining instruction blocks to have a maximum size also places a burden on the programmer or compiler, which must decide which instructions are best placed in each instruction block based on communication patterns between dependent instructions and the associated costs.


According to one embodiment, a sheet processing method of a sheet processing apparatus having a plurality of processing modes includes taking in sheets one by one from a bundle of the sheets in which a batch card having identification information, and the sheets as mediums to be inspected are piled, conveying the sheet which has been taken in, discriminating a kind of the batch card, switching the processing mode of the sheet processing apparatus based on the kind of the batch card which has been discriminated, discriminating and counting the sheets subsequent to the batch card, storing a count result of the sheets in correlation with the identification information, and sorting the sheet into a stacker based on a discrimination result of the sheet.

Conventionally, sheet processing apparatuses to count and discriminate sheets, for example, have been put into practical use. The sheet processing apparatus takes in sheets which have been inserted into an insert port, and conveys the sheet to a sheet inspection device. The inspection device performs various processing to the sheet, and discriminates category, defacement degree, authentication, and so on of the sheet.
In addition, in order to process the result of counting more efficiently, the sheet processing apparatus processes a batch card on which an identification number is printed. The sheet processing apparatus correlates the count result with the identification number of the batch card.
The sheet processing apparatus has processing modes, such as, an all fitness mode, a normal mode, an all unfitness mode, and a maintenance mode. However, in a conventional sheet processing apparatus, it is necessary to stop the sheet processing apparatus, in order to switch the processing mode.

Sheet processing method, sheet processing apparatus, and sheet processing system


A cold plate includes two flow-wise isolated coolant (or refrigerant) passages (or sets of passages) for use in conjunction with separate refrigeration systems. The cold plate passages do not permit flow communication between distinct coolant (or refrigerant) paths. This permits two distinct cooling systems to operate in a redundant manner. Nonetheless, flow isolation is achieved while still maintaining tight thermal coupling between each path and the object, such as an electronic computer processor module, to be cooled.

The present invention is generally directed to providing reliable cooling systems for mainframe computer systems or for any electronic system requiring cooling. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a redundant refrigeration system employing a single cold plate which preserves flow isolation between the fluids in the redundant systems. In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a combination of air and redundant refrigeration cooling for an electronic device such as a mainframe or server processing unit disposed within a cabinet possibly along with other less thermally critical components. In yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a modular refrigeration unit capable of operating continuously in a variety of ambient conditions and under a variety of thermal loads.
In recent years, the semiconductor industry has taken advantage of the fact that CMOS circuits dissipate less power than bipolar circuits. This has permitted more dense packaging and correspondingly faster CMOS circuits. However, almost no matter how fast one wishes to run a given electronic circuit chip, there is always the possibility of running it faster if the chip is cooled and thermal energy is removed from it during its operation. This is particularly true of computer processor circuit chips and even more particularly true of these chips when disposed within multi-chip modules which generate significant amounts of heat. Because there is a great demand to run these processor modules at higher speeds, the corresponding clock frequencies at which these devices must operate become higher. In this regard, it should be noted that it is known that power generation rises as a function of the square of the clock frequency. Accordingly, it is seen that the desire for faster computers generates not only demand for computer systems but also generates thermal demands in terms of energy which must be removed for faster, safer and more reliable circuit operation. In this regard, it is to be particularly noted that, in the long run, thermal energy is the single biggest impediment to semiconductor operation integrity.
In addition to the demand for higher and higher processor speeds, there is also a concomitant demand for reliable computer systems. This means that users are increasingly unwilling to accept down time as a fact of life. This is particularly true in the mainframe and server realms. Reliability in air-cooled systems is relatively easily provided by employing multiple air-moving devices (fans, blowers, etc.). Other arrangements which incorporate a degree of redundancy employ multiple air-moving devices whose speeds can be ramped up in terms of their air delivery capacity if it is detected that there is a failure or need within the system to do so. However, desired chip-operating power levels are nonetheless now approaching the point where air cooling is not the ideal solution for all parts of the system in all circumstances. While it is possible to operate fans and blowers at higher speeds, this is not always desirable for acoustic reasons. Accordingly, the use of direct cooling through the utilization of a refrigerant and a refrigeration system becomes more desirable, especially if faster chip speeds are the goal.
However, it is difficult to build redundancy into systems employing refrigerants. Such redundant systems naturally require the utilization of at least two separate refrigeration systems. This means that at least two motor-driven compressors are required. However, it is well recognized that the compressor, representing a major moving part apparatus, is also one which is prone to mechanical failure. The desire for zero down time and minimum maintenance requirements also make the utilization of multiple compressors difficult. These compressors should be designed, controlled and set up so that various failure modalities do not bring the entire computer system down nor risk damage to the components within the system. Furthermore, one should also be concerned about refrigerant leaks. Accordingly, the refrigerant systems for redundant cooling must be designed so that the refrigerant loops are not in flow communication with one another so that a leak in one loop would bring down the whole system. However, there are great practical difficulties in doing this since it requires two separate loops which are maintained in flow-wise isolation from one another and yet, at the same time, requires the utilization of refrigerant loops which are in very close thermal proximity with one another at the point within a cold plate which is attached (or otherwise thermally coupled) to the electronic circuit module or system to be cooled.
While certain electronic components or modules produce relatively large amounts of thermal energy, it is often the case that these modules are employed in conjunction with other electronic circuit components which also require some degree of cooling but do not operate at temperatures so high as to require direct cooling via a cold plate and/or refrigerant system. If modules of varying thermal energy output are employed in the same system, it is therefore desirable that the cooling systems employed for the lower thermal output modules be cooled in a manner which is compatible with cooling systems employed for the higher temperature modules. To the extent that a degree of cooperation between these systems can be provided, the net result is a system which is even more reliable and dependable. Nonetheless, these dual cooling modalities must be accommodated within a single cabinet or frame.
Another very desirable feature of any system which is employed to cool electronic devices and systems, particularly computer systems, is that a separate chilled water source not be necessary. While in some situations where the requirements are such that the inconvenience of chilled water plumbing is offset by the needs and/or desires for extremely rapid computation and computer throughput, nonetheless, less stringent requirements for computational speed are nonetheless preferably addressed through the utilization of machines which are air cooled. This cooling methodology is desirable in that it permits the utilization of stand-alone units. These self-contained units are, everything else being equal, a generally preferred solution to providing data processing server solutions.
There are yet other requirements that must be met when designing cooling units for computer systems, especially those which operate continuously and which may in fact be present in a variety of different thermal environments. Since computer systems run continuously, so must their cooling systems unlike a normal household or similar refrigerator which is operated under a so-called bang-bang control philosophy in which the unit is alternating either totally on or totally off. Furthermore, since large computer systems experience, over the course of time, say hours, variations in user load and demand, the amount of heat which must be removed also varies over time. Therefore, a cooling unit or cooling module for a computer system must be able not only to operate continuously but also be able to adjust its cooling capability in response to varying thermal loads. And furthermore, since it is intended that these modular cooling units be used in groups of two or more to assure redundancy and since not all of these units are always intended to be operating at the same time, there will be times when the thermal load is very small. Therefore, problems associated with low speed motor/compressor operation must be addressed along with problems associated with starting and/or stopping the cooling unit when, for example, normal scheduled switching between modular refrigeration units occurs.

Cold plate for dual refrigeration systems

International Business Machines Corporation


A system, method and apparatus to facilitate data exchange via pointers. For example, in a computing system having a first processor and a second processor that is separate and independent from the first processor, the first processor can run a program configured to use a pointer identifying a virtual memory address having an ID of an object and an offset within the object. The first processor can use the virtual memory address to store data at a memory location in the computing system and/or identify a routine at the memory location for execution by the second processor. After the pointer is communicated from the first processor to the second processor, the second processor can access the same memory location identified by the virtual memory address. The second processor may operate on the data stored at the memory location or load the routine from the memory location for execution.

A processor of a computer loads instructions for execution, loads operand for processing, and store results according to memory addresses in the processor. A memory address identifies a memory location in the computer. Memory addresses are fixed-length sequences of digits conventionally displayed and manipulated as unsigned integers. The length of the sequences of digits or bits can be considered the width of the memory addresses. Memory addresses can be used directly in certain structures of central processing units (CPUs), such as in program counters and in memory address registers, to load instructions and/or operands of the instructions for processing and/or to store processing results. The size or width of such structures of a CPU typically determines the memory address width.
A pointer is a programming language object that stores a memory address in computer memory. Conventionally, the actual format and content of a pointer variable is dependent on the underlying computer architecture. The applicable scope of a pointer is limited to a processor in which the program is running. A program running in a given computer may use pointers within the program to improve performances. A pointer in computer memory typically has the same width of the memory address registers in a Central Processing Unit (CPU). For example, manipulating the pointers can be more efficient than manipulating the data stored in the computer memory identified by the pointers.
Computers typically exchange data through computer files. For example, heterogeneous computers on the Internet can exchange data through files identified using web addresses or Uniform Resource Locators (URLs).
A computer file is a data storage facility organized in a file system of a computer. The file system controls how data of a file is stored in, and retrieved from, a data storage device according to a predefined standard. Operations of a file system are typically programmed in an operation system running in the processor(s) of a computer. The operating system is a set of instructions that manage the computer resources to provide common services, including the access to computer files in a data storage device of the computer.
A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is a variable-length string of characters having multiple segments identifying various components of the URL. Examples of components of a URL include a communication protocol used to access the file at the URL through a computer network, a hostname identifying a computer on a computer network that controls the file, a file path of the file in the file system controlled by the computer, a file name of the file, etc.

Universal pointers for data exchange in a computer system having independent processors


The present application provides methods for the detection and diagnosis of cancer. In one aspect, the application provides methods for detecting the presence of cancer in an individual by detecting the methylation state of a region in the promoter of the ZNF154 gene. Methods are provided for detection and diagnosis of cancer from circulating tumor DNA which are minimally invasive and have diagnostic utility across different types and sub-types of cancer. In a further aspect, bioinformatics methods are provided to analyze the methylation state of the ZNF154 promoter and relate the methylation state to the likelihood of cancer in the individual.

One in four deaths in the United States is due to cancer. This is despite the strong emphasis on prevention, early detection, and treatment that has lowered U.S. cancer death rates in the past two decades by 20% from their peak rates. It is important to detect cancer at earlier stages to further improve survival. The percent of cancer cases localized within a tissue, at diagnosis, differ by cancer type: for each tissue 61% female breast, 68% endometrial, 40% colorectal, 26% stomach, and 15% lung and bronchus cancers are confined to the primary site. Presently, diagnosis is made from a cadre of screening and diagnostic tools that may include physical examination, radiographic imaging, sputum cytology, blood tests, endoscopy, and/or biopsies. New technologies are changing the outlook for future testing strategies, relying heavily on genomic information. In addition to genetic mutations, epigenetic markers such as DNA methylation are also emerging as tools for disease detection. However, despite the promising and compelling aspects of DNA methylation as a diagnostic marker, there remains a general lack of consensus for an agreed upon methodology providing a principle reason for its slow implementation into clinical diagnostics.

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services


A system, method and computer program product for providing centralized management of multiple Virtual Execution Environments (VEEs) implemented on multiple physical servers. Each VEE is a virtual server. Multiple virtual servers of various types and formats are implemented on multiple physical servers. The physical servers are connected into a network. An intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) of a central console for remote management and administration of a plurality of virtual servers and multiple physical servers is provided. The system includes server managers controlled from a common control center. The system also includes a database containing configuration data and data related to operation formats of the physical and virtual servers. A server system can be a plurality of physical servers and VEEs implemented on them or it can be a plurality of VEEs executed on one physical server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for managing groups of virtual and physical servers, and more particularly, to managing multiple Virtual Execution Environments implemented on multiple physical servers.
2. Description of Related Art
The industry trend of virtualization and isolation of computer system resources makes the task of management and administration more complex. A Virtual Execution Environment (VEE), such as, for example, Virtual Environment (VE) or Virtual Machine (VM) is a type of an isolated VEE where multiple VEEs run on the same physical server simultaneously. Each VE/VM instance executes its own applications. It can also have access to other applications within the VEE.
Typically, there are multiple VEEs created on a host operating system. In such system, applications running within one VEE cannot directly interact with applications running within other VEEs. An example of this type of system is computing environment provided by VMware™. The VMware™ solution provides standardized isolated secured computing environments. This product is typically used as an enterprise level solution. The management application provided to a user creates a centralized configuration server, which updates configurations for all distributed VMware™ Virtual Machines. Some of the most critical parameters controlled by the configuration server are: access to the VMs through user groups and Active Directories, lifetime of each VM, protection of VM from copying or reproduction, network access from each VM, etc.
The VMware™ solution, such as VMware Infrastructure 3 (VI3), provides management of multiple VEEs (i.e., VEs or VMs). This product includes management tools for a virtualization solution for an IT infrastructure. VMware's VI3 virtualizes server's hardware environment. The product's key features include the VirtualCenter management agent, VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler and VMotion. VMotion allows to migrate VEEs (i.e., VEs or VMs) from one physical host server to another physical host server. The migration process is implemented between servers without interruption in availability of the VEEs during migration. Technical requirements for this migration process are that the physical hosts need to have access to the same storage area and that they need to have the same network connections. However, VMotion Technology cannot be implemented between CPUs of a different type.
The VMware™ ACE solution provides isolated computing environments. The VMware™ application provides a user with a special configuration server that stores the configuration settings for the VMs. All of the distributed ACE VMs access this server for updating their configuration settings. One of the main parameters controlled by policies in this case is management of user access to the VMs via user permissions and users' group Active Directory. Other controlled parameters are a life-span of each VM from the point of its activation, protection of each VM from copying and network access from each of the distributed VMs.
Another example of a conventional centralized management system is IBM Director, which is a system for remote management and administration. The IBM Director tool allows system administrators to monitor a computer system, collect diagnostic data and remotely configure the system using IBM Director management console. However, the IBM Director also does not provide any means for management of multiple VEEs implemented on multiple servers.
Yet another example of a conventional server management system is HP Systems Insight Manager (SIM). HP SIM provides a centralized utility for managing servers. This utility controls a state of the servers, detects service interruptions and server shut downs, provides monitoring and diagnostics of various server subsystems. HP SIM, like other conventional management systems discussed above, does not meet the needs of virtualization. None of the conventional management systems provide centralized management of multiple VEEs implemented on multiple physical servers.
Virtualization allows running a number of VEEs on the same physical server. Examples of conventional virtualization solutions are virtual systems by VMware, Parallels Software International, Inc., Microsoft Virtual Server, Microsoft/Citrix Terminal Server, Virtuozzo™ by SWSoft, Xen systems by XenSource, Solaris Zones etc. The problem of management and administration of a large set of services and servers for many users is widely known, especially to administrators of web hosting companies and data centers. Each routine operation often requires expensive manual operations, and, when handling thousands of users even on single hardware box with a single operating system, each simple operation, which should be performed hundreds and thousands of times, becomes very expensive. Centralization and simplification of management and administration operations therefore can result in a significant economical benefit.
Thus, centralized management and administration of multiple VEs implemented on multiple physical servers becomes exceedingly critical. A robust server management system is especially important in multi-user systems, such as VE systems. In addition to maintaining efficient allocation of resources, providing multi-user access in a Virtual Execution Environment involves other considerations as well, including security, resource sharing and maximizing server system efficiency. Accordingly, there is a need for a method and system for effective centralized management of multiple VEEs implemented on multiple physical servers.

Management of virtual and physical servers using graphic control panels


Various components for artificial candles and other lighting devices are described that can be used to create a realistic flame effect in the devices. The devices include a flame element that extends upwardly from a housing. A light source can be disposed with respect to the flame element such that the flame element is illuminated. A variety of drive mechanisms could be disposed within the body of the device that can cause movement of the flame element with respect to the housing. The flame element can be coupled to a housing or mounting bracket of the device using various components to suspend the flame element within the housing.

The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Various electric lights are known in the art. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,132,936 to Patton et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,070,319 to Schnuckle et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,837,355 to Schnuckle et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,261,455 to Schnuckle et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,159,994 to Schnuckle et al., US 2011/0127914 to Patton et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,350,720 to Jaworski et al.; US 2005/0285538 to Jaworski et al. (publ. December 2005); U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,571 to Bistritzky et al.; US 2008/0031784 to Bistritzky et al. (publ. February 2008); US 2006/0125420 to Boone et al. (publ. June 2006); US 2007/0127249 to Medley et al. (publ. June 2007); US 2008/0150453 to Medley et al. (publ. June 2008); US 2005/0169666 to Porchia, et al. (publ. August 2005); U.S. Pat. No. 7,503,668 to Porchia, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,824,627 to Michaels, et al.; US 2006/0039835 to Nottingham et al. (publ. February 2006); US 2008/0038156 to Jaramillo (publ. February 2008); US 2008/0130266 to DeWitt et al. (publ. June 2008); US 2012/0024837 to Thompson (publ. February 2012); US 2011/0134628 to Pestl et al. (publ. June 2011); US 2011/0027124 to Albee et al. (publ. February 2011); US 2012/0020052 to McCavit et al. (publ. January 2012); US 2012/0093491 to Browder et al. (publ. April 2012); and US 2014/0218903 to Sheng.
These and all other extrinsic materials discussed herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
However, there is still a need in the art for improved electric candles and other lighting devices.


A polishing pad for a chemical mechanical polishing has a body rotatable in a predetermined direction and having a working surface, the working surface being provided with grooves, the grooves being formed so that over the course of a single revolution of the pad said grooves extend in all directions in the plane of the working surface. Such an arrangement of grooves is the optimum configuration for CMP, especially copper CMP.

The present invention generally relates to polishing pads, in particular for chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) with the use of a slurry. CMP is a process step in the semiconductor fabrication sequence that has generally become an integral part of the manufacture of semiconductor wafers. The process is used in a variety of applications in the semiconductor fabrication sequence. A summary of the different applications would include that which is referred to as "oxide" or "ILD/PMD", "STI", "copper", "barrier", "poly" and "tungsten", the terms generally indicating the material that is being removed. The common theme relating all of these applications is that CMP is required to expediently remove material and planarize the surface, while leaving it defect and contamination free. These applications generally require the use of different slurries, and their mechanism of removal is therefore also generally different. Because of that, the optimal condition of each of the applications tends to be different as well.
The manufacture of integrated circuits consists of a large number of steps performed in sequence and can be generally described by one of two process flows, where one flow is often referred to as "Aluminum back end" and the other is often referred to as "copper back end". Of these two, the aluminum process is technologically older, while the copper process is newer. A general description of the aluminum back end is as follows:
Starting with bare silicon, the transistors are outlined on the wafer and are electrically insulated from each other by filling trenches etched in the silicon with an oxide, usually SiO2. The oxide overburden is removed and planarized using an STI process. The fabrication of the transistors is completed and they are covered with another SiO2 layer, often a doped oxide. This layer is planarized using a PMD process. Vias are etched and filled with tungsten to make contact to the transistors. The overburden is removed and the tungsten planarized using a tungsten process. Aluminum is deposited, patterned, and etched to create conductive interconnect lines. Subsequent alternating oxide and aluminum layers are created, where in each case the oxide layer is planarized using an ILD process. This is continued until the completion of all the layers.
A general description of the copper back end is as follows: Starting with bare silicon, the transistors are outlined on the wafer and are electrically insulated from each other by filling trenches etched in the silicon with an oxide, usually SiO2. The oxide overburden is removed and planarized using an STI process. The fabrication of the transistors is completed, often using a process which is the inverse of the method used to make the gates typically used in the aluminum process. The oxide is etched and filled with polysilicon. The overburden is removed and planarized using a poly process. An oxide layer is deposited over the gates and often etched for a tungsten deposition known as Local Interconnect. The CMP process here would also be a tungsten process. Another oxide layer is deposited and channels and vias etched in the oxide, which are filled with copper. The copper is then polished using a copper process. Subsequent layers of oxide and copper are deposited, but in this case the CMP is applied to the copper layer rather than the oxide layer. The barrier is a material which is deposited below the copper so as to prevent the copper from diffusing into the oxide and into the devices. This barrier material is typically Ti or TiN, and it is removed by a barrier CMP step which follows the copper step.
In any of these CMP processes, the silicon substrate is forcibly placed in direct contact with a moving polishing pad. A wafer carrier applies pressure against the backside of the substrate, usually while simultaneously forcibly applying rotation. During this process a slurry is made available, and is generally carried between the wafer and the pad by the motion of the pad. The elements contained in the slurry are chosen by the CMP application. In general, slurries that are designed to remove insulating materials consist of water, an abrasive and an alkali formulation designed to "hydrolyze" the insulating material. Copper slurries on the other hand, tend consist of water, an abrasive, an oxidizing agent, a complexing agent, and a chemical to passify the surface. A typical slurry often has very low removal rate on a material it was not designed to remove.
The presence of grooves is instrumental in delivering the slurry to the wafer-pad interface, where it is required for the process to be carried out. The slurry enables the polishing process to occur by chemically reacting with the material which is being polished. The pattern, pitch, width and depth of these grooves are generally known to be an important part of the process. Grooves are discussed in various patents. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos.: 6,645,061; 6,439,989; 6,241,596; 5,984,769; 5,921,855 and 5,489,233. The patterns recognized include substantially circular, spiral, multiple spiral, wavy concentric, off-center concentric, disjoint concentric, oscillating radial, arcuate, x (straight and parallel), x-y, grooves of different pitch and combinations thereof, deep and shallow, wide and narrow grooves and combinations thereof. Additional patterns include fractal, perforated, hexagons, triangles and tire-tread. The groove profile may be rectangular with straight side-walls or the groove cross-section may be "V"-shaped, "U"-shaped, triangular, or tetragonal. Also the groove design may change across the pad surface.
The purpose of grooves on CMP pads can be summarized as follows:    1. Grooves help prevent the wafer from hydroplaning. If the pad is smooth and without channels or perforations, a continuous boundary layer of slurry can form at the pad wafer interface, preventing intimate pad-wafer contact and significantly reducing removal rate.    2. Grooves ensure the transport of slurry to the center of the wafer. Because of the motion of the pad, slurry tends to reach the edges of the wafer without the need for grooves. But a plethora of data shows that the absence of grooves causes the rate to drop toward the center of the wafer, implying the center has been starved of slurry.    3. Grooves reduce the area of contact between the pad and the wafer, increasing the local pressure. This is not so important for the wafer where the mechanisms provided by most commercial CMP tools is adequate to deliver the desired downforce and thus pressure, but is very useful for conditioning, a process of forcibly applying a diamond or abrasive studded disk against the moving pad to create roughness. The mechanism for this action provided by most commercial CMP tools is often inadequate compared to what is desired. By reducing the pad/conditioner area of contact, a given provided force results in a higher local pressure.    4. Grooves provide air under the pad so as to avoid the phenomenon known as "stiction". During the course of polishing, the surface of the pad in the wafer track (the donut shaped area created by the rotation of the pad) tends to become smoother, even in the face of conditioning. Together with the help of the slurry, the wafer and pad tend to "mate", i.e. form a very close contact at all places. This results in a well known sticking force, which causes the requirement of higher force to lift the wafer off the pad surface after the end of the polishing process. This higher force can easily exceed the attraction force keeping the wafer attached to the carrier and result in the wafer coming loose and being left on the pad. This undesirable effect is strongly mitigated by the effect of grooves allowing air to enter under the wafer, equalizing the pressure and alleviating the vacuum effect.    5. Finally, and most important to the process of metal polishing, grooves act as channels for the removal of by-product and polishing debris from the pad surface. While for oxide polishing, a build-up of debris increases the likelihood of scratches and other defects, for metal polishing, the removal of by-products of the reaction is essential to proper continuation of the reaction. Without the removal of these by-products, the reaction will slow and the removal rate will slow. Also, the effect of "staining", the build up of by product absorbed into the pad surface is worsened without grooves.
It is believed that the existing polishing pads can be further improved.

Optimized grooving structure for a CMP polishing pad


In a high gain differential amplifier, in order to obtain a high gain-band product, this amplifier is provided with a controlled feedback in current. In each of the channels of the amplifier, a current generator connected to the output of the amplifier draws a current through the load resistor of the channel. Each generator is constituted by a current mirror. Application to fast analog circuits.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultra-fast amplifier that is made with bipolar transistors and has good dynamic characteristics. These characteristics are obtained by means of a controlled positive feedback in current.
There are known ways, at present, of making operational amplifiers having very high gains of up to 100 million in low-frequency open-loop configurations, these gains being associated with very low offset voltages of some microvolts or some tens of microvolts.
These valuable characteristics are obtained at the cost of the dynamic performance characteristics: the gain-band product or transition frequency F.sub.T does not exceed some tens of megahertz and the slew-rate remains instrinsically limited to some tens of volts per microsecond except with highly sophisticated (and hence costly) technologies.
This deterioration of the dynamic performance characteristics results from the presence in the amplifier of a compensation capacitance C which determines the stability by creating a dominant pole that reduces the transition frequency and by limiting the slew-rate to I/C, I being the biasing current for the input stage.
The amplification of fast signals with restitution of the DC component needed in certain signal processing applications such as those related to video amplifiers, pulse amplifiers, fast sample-and-hold units etc. therefore cannot be resolved by this type of component.
In these applications, it is necessary, on the contrary, to have amplifiers with very wide passband (of some 100 MHz) and very high slew-rate (some 100 V/.mu.s) to amplify the fast signals without distortion. The precision required in DC mode is generally less stringent (1/100 or 1/1000) and a voltage offset of some millivolts is generally tolerated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art approaches to solving these difficulties fall into three categories. In the first category, the structures derived from the conventional techniques of operational amplifiers are based on dielectrical insulation technologies. These approaches do not allow for achieving the highest slew-rates.
The second category relates to structures based on the techniques of non-looped wideband amplifiers. The absence of any overall feedback eliminates the compensation capacitances. These amplifiers which are not subjected to feedback are intrinsically the fastest ones, those that make it possible to approach the limits of speed possible according to the technology. However, the restitution of the DC component is very difficult to obtain for it is based on a technique of compensation for the DC offsets provided by the successive stages This method, which is still an approximate one, is greatly subject to temperature drifts and does not give satisfactory results, notably because of the increase in the number of components that have be introduced in order to return to the DC level.
The third category comprises the amplifiers for which the high gain is obtained by a positive feedback in voltage. The output signal is available only under high impedance. This makes the circuit sensitive, in stability, to the capacitive loads. Furthermore, these circuits have a smaller natural phase margin. This necessitates a slight compensation, hence a smaller passband and a reduced slew-rate, and makes it difficult in certain cases to achieve looping in follower mode.

Thomson Composants Militaires et Spatiaux


A circuit interrupter (100) for interrupting an electric current in an electrical line is disclosed. The circuit interrupter (100) includes a controller (102) for detecting a breaker fault condition. The controller (102) is connected to a first semiconductor switch (114) for energizing a solenoid (104) to trip a circuit breaker on detection of the breaker fault condition, wherein a winding of the solenoid (104) is energized to trip the circuit breaker, and wherein the solenoid (104) is configured with a center tap in the winding, such that there are two parts (106, 108) in the winding separated by the center tap. Further, upon detection of an open condition in a part of the winding, the controller (102) is configured to provide a trip signal to the circuit breaker using the other part of the winding.

Fault interrupting devices are designed to trip in response to detection of a fault condition in an electric circuit. Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) are a type of electronic circuit breaker that may be used in some electrical systems to protect the electrical circuit from ground faults. However, when a solenoid that activates mechanical trip action is open circuited, the GFCI doesn't trip to disconnect or interrupt the power. In such cases, the GFCI may not be able to ensure protection against the ground fault. The GFCI follows the standard UL-943 set up by guarantor laboratory (Underwriter's Laboratory (UL)). The UL-943 is being revised to make detection of the open condition in the solenoid mandatory.
To detect the open condition in the solenoid, voltage across the solenoid needs to be measured. Conventional GFCI don't have provision to measure the voltage across the solenoid. To that end, some conventional methods may use an external controller that is connected with the GFCI to measure the voltage across the solenoid. However, the design of such systems is complex and the configuration suffers from high time delay in detecting the open condition in the solenoid. Further, the external controller provides inaccurate measurements of parameters resulting in false detection of the open condition in the solenoid. Furthermore, the external controller is application specific thereby ensuring a configuration that is static. As a result, the controller doesn't allow modification of its operating parameters according to different fault conditions and GFCIs, for detection of the open condition in the solenoid.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop a system that provides a controller integrated with the GFCI and that can accurately detect the open condition in the solenoid during different fault conditions.

Circuit interrupter for detecting breaker fault conditions and interrupting an electric current


An electric steam iron includes a housing, a water tank within the housing, a bottom plate to which the housing is secured, a heating device in the bottom plate for heating the bottom plate, a boiling chamber inside the bottom plate, and a further independent steam boiler above the bottom plate, and having an inlet in fluid communication with the water tank and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet of the boiling chamber, such that steam from the steam boiler will be supplied to the boiling chamber in the bottom plate and further heated by the high temperature of the bottom plate, so that little drops in the steam will be fully boiled, thereby providing a high purity of the steam sprayed out of the bottom plate.

The present invention relates generally to electric irons for use in the home, and more particularly, to a more efficient electric steam iron.
Known electric steam irons mainly comprise a housing, a water tank, a bottom plate and a heating device which is used to heat the bottom plate. A boiling chamber is provided inside the bottom plate, whereby the water can be heated up and boiled by the bottom plate, so that the boiling chamber in the bottom plate forms a steam generator. When the iron is working, the water in the boiling chamber is heated by the bottom plate and turns to steam, and this can then be sprayed out from the steam outlet of the bottom plate to iron the clothing. However, since there is only one steam generator in the known electric steam iron, and the area of the bottom plate and the power of the iron are limited, the temperature is also variational, so that the efficiency of the generating steam is very limited. Specifically, the water cannot be fully boiled, which leads to the steam being sprayed out from the bottom plate including many drops. This phenomenon exists in conventional electric steam irons that people currently use.


Various techniques of using a portable electronic device for user input are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring a sensor reading from an inertial measurement unit of the portable electronic device. The sensor reading contains an acceleration of the portable electronic device. The method also includes determining a position change of the portable electronic device based on the acquired sensor reading and transmitting the determined position change to a computer. The position change is usable by the computer to control a cursor position on the computer.

In computing, a mouse is a pointing device that allows for fine control of a graphical user interface on a computer. Computer mice, however, are external to computers and thus may lack portability. As a result, laptops, netbooks, and other portable computing devices typically do not include mice. Instead, trackpads, pointing sticks, or touchscreens have been used. Though portable, such pointing devices suffer from poor precision and inferior usability when compared to computer mice.

Using portable electronic devices for user input


The electromagnetically actuatable valve includes a valve seat support and a valve needle, both of which are of elongated configuration As a result, the spray discharge point of the valve is advantageously set far forward, which makes possible highly targeted spray discharge. A joining part joining the armature and the valve closure element is configured as a punched and bent part, and has over the majority of its axial extension an open profile differing from a circular cross section. The valve needle thus possesses a mass which is lower as compared with conventional valve needles of identical overall size. The valve is particularly suitable for use in a fuel injection system of a mixture-compressing, spark-ignited internal combustion engine.

German Patent Application No. 40 08 675 describes a needle valve for an electromagnetically actuatable valve which consists of an armature, a valve closure member, and a sleeve-shaped joining part which joins the armature to the, for example, spherical valve closure member. Permanent connections between the individual needle components are achieved, for example, by laser welding. The armature fits around the joining part completely radially and at least partially axially, since the joining part is attached in a continuous longitudinal opening of the armature. The joining part has a continuous internal longitudinal opening in which fuel can flow toward the valve closure member and then emerges, near the valve closure member, through radially extending transverse openings situated in the wall of the joining part. The tubular joining part has a constant diameter over its entire axial length, so that a cross section which is circular throughout (when viewed in an axial direction) is present, interrupted only by a narrow longitudinal slit and transverse openings.
German Patent Application No. 44 20 176 describes an electromagnetically actuatable valve which includes a valve needle, an armature, a valve closure member, and a joining part which joins two needle components. The joining part is produced from a profiled blank and allows fluid flow only externally from the profile. The profile arms of the profiled joining part are provided acts to yield cross-shaped, Y-shaped, triangular, circular segment -shaped, and other cross sections. Because of the solid configuration of the joining parts made from profiled blanks, the mass of the valve needle is comparatively large.
European Patent Application No, 0 690 224, describes a fuel injection valve which includes a nozzle opening which, when the valve is installed, its positioned in an interior portion of an intake conduit, so that spray discharge can occur essentially directly into an intake valve of an internal combustion engine, thus avoiding any wall wetting. In some circumstances, displacing the spray discharge point forward increases the mass and volume of the injection valve due to the elongation of individual valve components.


A cap with improved usability is provided. The present invention provides a cap including a cap body to be fitted to a mouth of a container, wherein the cap is configured to include: a valve seat having a flow aperture; a valve body to be separated from or seated on the valve seat so as to open and close the flow aperture; and a biasing member to bias the valve body in a seating direction, and configured to increase a flow area in which contents flow with an increase in a displacement of the valve body, and the cap further includes a displacement restricting section to restrict the displacement of the valve body.

Conventionally, delaminatable containers are known that include a container body having an outer shell and an inner bag, the inner bag to be shrunk with a decrease in contents. Such a delaminatable container is usually provided with a cap having a check valve as described in PTL 1 and is configured to open the check valve and discharge the contents by squeezing the container body and close the check valve by stopping squeezing.


An adjustable adapter assembly secures a framework/console to an anchoring fixture. A housing member connected to the framework has two pairs of parallel walls having laterally aligned elongate first slots and laterally aligned elongate second slots, respectively. A clasping mechanism inside the housing member has a shank portion and finger members. First and second threaded orthogonal bores laterally extend through the shank portion, a first threaded bolt extends through the first slots and first threaded bore, and a second threaded bolt extends through the second slots and second threaded bore. Rotating the first and second bolts laterally displaces the clasping mechanism to align the finger members with part of an anchoring fixture on the deck for engagement by the finger members when a locking ring is appropriately displaced. Several assemblies secured to the framework can be adjusted to interconnect with permanently mounted anchoring fixtures in the deck.

This invention relates to an apparatus for attaching and securing equipment to a surface. More particularly, this invention securely aligns and affixes an instrumentation console on the deck of a flying platform to prevent damage.
Scientific research and working applications requiring transport of sophisticated sensor instrumentation and electronics-package consoles frequently are mounted on moving platforms. These platforms can travel through the air or overland, or under or on water, and in the transportation process the platforms can be exposed to risks of damage. A damaged console can compromise its ability to function reliably, and different ways have evolved to secure each console.
Helicopters tend to create dynamic stresses because of on-board machinery, rotating blades, and their inherent flight characteristics. One mechanism for securing the consoles has a three dimensional framework securely connected to the package with supporting legs that hold the console at a level that can make it accessible to technician-operators. One side of the framework is securely connected to an inside surface of one side of the helicopter fuselage and the lower ends of the legs hopefully align with, fit into, and interlock in mounting fixtures located in the deck of the helicopter. The deck mounting fixtures are made as an integral part of the deck structure and are shaped to receive, mate, and interlock with the lower ends of the legs to securely engage the lower ends, framework, and console to the deck.
Practical experience has demonstrated, however, that the spatial arrangements of the lower ends of the framework and mounting fixtures in a deck may not always be the same. Consequently, the lower ends of the legs and the mounting fixtures may not align and interlock with each other because of discrepancies of manufacture, strains in the helicopter airframe/deck, bending damage to the framework, etc.
Misalignment will probably be discovered under stressful situations, such as during preparation for a mission for example. Crewmembers might hastily bend the framework legs to roughly fit and force the lower ends of the legs into the deck fixtures. These hasty attempts might break off the ends of the legs or fail to securely fit the bent ends to the deck fixtures. Thus, the console on the framework may not be secured, and as a result, it may not operate properly.
Thus, in accordance with this inventive concept, a need has been recognized in the state of the art for an adjustable adapter assembly for securely engaging an instrumentation console to a deck fixture on a moving platform and a plurality of adjustable adapter assemblies on a framework that can adjust to accommodate existing prelocated anchoring fixtures on the platform to assure secure engagement.

United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for managing group members. A computer identifies a collaboration activity that corresponds to a defined group, wherein the defined group includes one or more individuals, and the collaboration activity is comprised of the defined group and one or more additional individuals. The computer determines participation and contribution information that correspond to the one or more individuals of the defined group and the one or more additional individuals included in the identified collaboration activity. The computer determines relevant individuals from the identified collaboration activity by utilizing determined participation and contribution information. In response to determining the relevant individuals, the computer determines an updated group wherein the updated group includes determined relevant individuals.

Collaborative computing allows a multitude of individuals to interact with each other through utilizing desktop computers, laptops, mobile devices, or other types of computing systems in a collaboration session. Some examples of collaboration sessions can include instant messaging conversations, teleconferences, electronic meetings, or other forms of collaboration of individuals in a group. The ability to share, modify and collaboratively create data through collaborative computing can enhance production and the overall quality of a product. These collaboration sessions can range from scheduled meetings including individuals from a common subject area, to unscheduled meetings including individuals from many different subject areas. In some examples, collaboration sessions can be derived in a non-deterministic manner (i.e. starting with a group of 5 individuals and then adding an additional 3 individuals over time). The ability to establish relevant and important individuals in these collaboration sessions can be of great benefit to the situation.

Adjusting individuals in a group corresponding to relevancy

International Business Machines Corporation


An interactive system for producing acceptable quality fluoroscopy images determines X-ray tube photon count and voltage while minimizing X-ray radiation dosage to a subject. Parameters of the subject and the type of image to be produced are provided to the system. X-ray tube voltage and current are initialized at a fraction of conventional values for a portion of a subject to be imaged. An image is then created and transformed. A power ratio of low frequency components to high frequency components is calculated indicating quality of the image. Images are produced and adjusted until the maximum exposure is reached, or the power ratio does not increase beyond a quality increment. The process is repeated to optimize X-ray tube voltage. The X-ray fluoroscopy procedure is performed with the optimum X-ray tube photon count and the optimum voltage thereby reducing X-ray dosage. The optimization is repeated periodically to readjust the system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fluoroscopic imaging and more specifically to reduction in patient X-ray dosage during imaging.
2. Description of Related Art
An X-ray procedure, known as fluoroscopy, creates a series of internal images of a subject. Conventional pulsed systems produce each image by transmitting an X-ray pulse or other ionizing radiation from one side of the subject and detecting the transmitted radiation or shadow at an opposite side of the subject. The intensity of an X-ray radiation beam can be described by the following equation: EQU J=.intg.J.sub.0 (E)e.sup.-.intg..mu.(x,E)dx dE
from p. 103 of Imaging Systems for Medical Diagnostics by Erich Krestel, Siemans Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin and Munich, where E is the quantum energy of the X-ray photons, J.sub.0 (E) is the intensity at energy E of an incident X-ray beam, .mu.(x,E) is the linear attenuation constant which changes along a direction of the ray x, and changes with photon energy E.
Different tissues exhibit different linear attenuation as a function of X-ray photon energy E, thereby exhibiting different X-ray beam intensities J after transmission through the tissue. Adjusting the X-ray photon energy, therefore, can change the relative X-ray beam intensities as they pass through different tissue types, leading to increased contrast in an image.
The difference in intensity between the incident X-ray radiation, J.sub.0 and the transmitted intensity J is proportional to the dose absorbed by the subject being imaged. Compton scattering and photoelectric absorption account for the majority of the energy absorbed by the subject in the spectrum used for conventional X-ray imaging as described on p. 27 of Medical Imaging Systems by Albert Macovski, 1983 Prentice-Hall, Engelwood Cliffs, N.J. 07632.
In fluoroscopic systems, the radiation is pulsed at a rate to produce a continuous sequence of images, causing the dosage to become quite large. Fluoroscopy is commonly used in order to position a catheter or similar invasive device inside a subject. Since these procedures may take a long time, the acquired radiation accumulates to a large total dose. A primary goal of diagnostic and interventional X-ray fluoroscopic procedures is to provide an accurate diagnosis while reducing the dose received by the subject and medical staff.
Attempts have been made to reduce dose absorbed by the subject and medical staff during fluoroscopic procedures. These attempts can be classified into three categories:
(1) mechanical redesign of elements of an X-ray system such as the X-ray grid, grid cover, scintillator, table top, cassette front etc. to reduce scattering; PA0 (2) the use of protective gear (e.g., gloves and glasses, although the use of lead gloves hampers the ability to perform the fine movements necessary for catheter placement); and PA0 (3) control of X-ray tube parameters. PA0 a) the X-ray tube voltage, which affects the photon energy of the X-rays; PA0 b) the filament current I.sub.fil, which affects the rate of emission of X-ray photons; PA0 c) the pulse duration T; and PA0 d) the pulse rate.
The X-ray tube parameters that may be varied to reduce X-ray dosage include the following:
Reduction of the filament current or the pulse duration has the effect of decreasing the exposure in each frame but at the cost of diminished image quality. The image quality is dependent on the total photon count per unit area, referred to herein as "photon count". The photon count is equal to the product of the photon rate (determined by filament current, I.sub.fil) and the pulse duration, T.
Pulse duration T has been reduced to limit the radiation dose as described in Effect of Pulsed Progressive Fluoroscopy on Reduction of Radiation Dose in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, by D. Holmes, M. Wondrow, J. Gray, R. Vetter, J. Fellows, and P. Julsrud, Journal American College of Cardiology, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 159-162, January 1990 and hereby incorporated by reference.
Imaging by reduced pulse rate has the advantage of maintaining the important diagnostic signal at its original high contrast level for a given dosage, but does not collect as many frames. However, the fixed rate reduction methods produce visible jerky motion artifacts. These artifacts may also introduce time delays between a physician's actions and viewed results (e.g., moving a catheter or injecting radio-opaque dye).
A technique for imaging using reduced pulse rates triggered by the subject's organ activity was disclosed in U.S. Patent Application "Fluoroscopic Method with Reduced X-Ray Dosage" Ser. No. 07/810,341 by Fathy F. Yassa, Aiman A. Abdel-Malek, John J. Bloomer, Chukka Srinivas filed Dec. 9, 1991 assigned to the present assignee and hereby incorporated by reference. Although this technique reduces dosage by reducing the pulse rate, it does not adjust the power transmitted by the X-ray source which may further reduce dose.
Incorrectly reducing the power transmitted by the X-ray source may lead to poor quality images with reduced diagnostic content-the image may be characterized by global graininess and low contrast about important features such as the catheter, balloon, vessel boundaries, etc. Attempts to improve signal to noise ratio via noise reduction filters effect the overall image quality by averaging-out the noise contribution and result in the image being of questionable value since the diagnostic information is less exact at lower doses than at higher doses.
The X-ray tube voltage and current necessary to produce a high quality image also depend on the area of the body under study. It is well known that different tissue types attenuate X-rays differently. For example bone is quite dense, requiring high-energy X-ray photons for penetration, while fat, is quite transparent to high-energy photons. Fat requires lower-energy X-rays to retrieve an image with good definition of the embedded features (e.g., contrast).
Since conventional fluoroscopy systems may incorrectly calculate X-ray tube voltage and photon count, subjects may be exposed to more radiation than is necessary, or the images produced may be grainy and lack desired contrast.
Currently, there is a need to determine the required X-ray tube voltage and photon count accurately so as to produce a high quality image, while also minimizing the X-ray dose to the subject.

X-ray fluoroscopy system for reducing dosage employing iterative power ratio estimation


A gas chromatography system with suspended tubular separation column(s) in an enclosed convection oven where a gas medium is heated by at least two electrically powered heaters. A kit to modify gas chromatographic ovens for operation with at least two electrically powered heaters. The heaters are positioned to promote even heating along the length of the column(s) and shielding of the column(s) from radiant heat. The heaters can provide faster heating rates at elevated temperatures.

Disclosed herein are gas heaters for gas chromatography convection ovens, methods for applying such heaters in gas chromatography systems and gas chromatography systems having additional gas heaters for enhanced temperature programming performance.
In gas chromatography the components of a mixture are separated as volatilized components and carried through a separation column to a detector. The separation column is typically a long capillary suspended in a convection oven. Many gas chromatographic applications require the oven to be heated in a programmed manner during the analysis.
FIG. 1 illustrates the space in a convection oven 1 useful in gas chromatography. The oven space is typically divided by a baffle 5 into a heater space 3 containing a heater element 6 and a fan 2, and a column space 4 containing one or more separation columns (not shown). The baffle typically has a central bore allowing air to be drawn into the fan from the column space into the heater space. The baffle is also designed to permit flow from the heater space to the column space between the baffle periphery and the walls of the oven to permit a circulating flow of forced hot gas, typically air. Electrical power is applied to a heater 6 (e.g. resistively heated metal wire) during the heating cycle from a power supply 9 connected to a source of electric power 10. A temperature control circuit 7 receives a signal indicative of the oven temperature from a sensor 8 and sends a control signal to a power supply 9.
It is sometimes desirable to minimize the time required to analyze a sample. The time required to analyze a sample by gas chromatography depends on many factors including the heating rate that the oven can achieve. The heating performance of a gas chromatography oven is affected by (a) the power of a heater, (b) the characteristics of the heat transfer medium (typically air), (c) and the rate of heat loss to the surroundings. Electrical power is supplied to commercial gas chromatography from a single electrical power source, for example the power supply is connected to 100 volt (V), 20 amp or 220 V, 20 amp service. Therefore, the ability to generate heat energy is limited by the available electrical power. The heating power is limited by the amount of electrical current that can be conducted through the wire, which is limited by the electrical source, and the physical properties of the wire. Table 1 shows the heating performance of a typical gas chromatography.
A temperature heating profile for a gas chromatographic oven is illustrated in FIG. 2. The solid line represents the xe2x80x9ctrue maximum heating ratexe2x80x9d which is the heating rate for the oven when full power is applied to the heater. Because a controlled heating rate is usually desired, in practice the instrument is usually limited to selected heating rate values including a xe2x80x9cmaximum selectable heating ratexe2x80x9d (as indicated by the dashed line) which is the maximum heating rate that can be selected for a particular gas chromatograph. As such, the maximum selectable heating rate is an artificial limit imposed by design.
Gas chromatograph ovens can operate at the maximum selectable heating rate over a limited temperature range, depending upon the allowed values and the heating performance of the oven. At low temperatures there is sufficient heating power available to overcome the heat loss to the surroundings and the true maximum heating rate exceeds the maximum selectable heating rate. Under these conditions the gas chromatograph oven can achieve the maximum selectable heating rate. As the temperature of the oven rises, however, the true maximum heating rate decreases such that the maximum selectable heating rate can no longer be achieved. This occurs at a temperature less than that represented by the intersection of the two lines shown in FIG. 2. The gas chromatographic oven cannot achieve the maximum selectable heating rate above the upper performance temperature. This condition results in uncontrolled operation of the gas chromatograph. Results obtained under such conditions are less reliable compared to results obtained under controlled heating conditions. Accordingly, the heating rate is often reduced below the maximum selectable heating rate when the oven is heated above the upper performance temperature.
Gas chromatographs having temperature-programmable ovens have been commercially available for more that 30 years. Temperature programming of gas chromatography systems is important for facilitating the separation of mixtures of components. Unique heater systems for gas chromatography systems are known in the art. See, for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,043,127; 3,057,183; 3,165,146; 3,225,520; 3,581,465; 4,050,911; 4,923,486; 5,028,243; 5,215,556; 5,544,276; 5,547,497; 5,744,029; 5,807,426; 5,830,353, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Despite the great variation in heating systems, modern gas chromatography apparatus is deficient in its ability to maintain high programmed rates of heating over an extended temperature range, e.g. 70xc2x0 C. per minute at temperatures much over 115xc2x0 C. when supplied with 110 volt 20 amp service.
The desire to achieve faster heating rates is evidenced by design improvements witnessed throughout their development. Attempts to improve their heating performance include reducing the thermal mass associated with gas chromatographic ovens thereby reducing the power required to heat the oven and the heat loss to the surroundings. The heating performance of the oven heater has been improved. Circulation of the heat exchange medium has been improved by the proper placement of fans and the design of baffles. Some gas chromatographs (Model 222 Perkin-Elmer Corp., Norwalk, Conn. USA) also employed resistively heated metal tubes containing a separation medium to achieve better heating performance.
More recently, faster heating has been achieved by passing an electrical current through an electrically conductive coating on the outside of the separation column (Jain, V. and Phillips, J. (1995); J. Chrom. Sci.33:55.). Another technique employs resistively heated wires wrapped around the separation column (Ehrmann, E. et. al. (1996); J. Chrom. Sci. 34:533). A commercial instrument (Flash GC, Thermedics Detection Inc. Chelmsford, Mass.) uses electrical current to heat a low thermal mass metal sheath containing a separation column.
Modification kits have also become commercially available that permit faster heating of the separation column in existing gas chromatographs. An oven insert kit (PN G2646A, Agilent Technologies, Wilmington, Del. USA) is comprised of an insulating pillow that is inserted into the column space to reduce the volume of the oven. A kit in which the separation column is located within a thin metal sheath that can be rapidly heated is also available (EZ Flash GC accessory, Orion Research, Beverly, Mass. USA).
An object of this invention is to provide improvements in the heating performance of gas chromatography systems to permit high heat rates of thermal programming at elevated temperatures.
This invention provides gas chromatography systems with improved temperature programming capability due to the addition of at least one additional electrically powered gas heater. Such heaters can be provided in a kit comprising means for mounting the heater in a convection oven to promote even distribution of convective heat from the heater to the separation column. The means for mounting the heater preferably also comprises a radiant heat shield between said heaters and separation columns.


A method, apparatus and non-transitory computer readable storage medium, in one embodiment, interpreting at least one input from a user via a wireless device, receiving at least one user account with the at least one input, deriving at least one representation of user intent, identifying at least one task based on the at least one representation of user intent, contacting at least one service to perform the identified at least one task and synthesizing speech to communicate a result of the contact to the wireless device.

Conventionally, voice-activated assistants may perform tasks such as download weather forecasts and show local show times for a movie or concert. These assistants typically rely on Internet search and localization technologies and access to calendar, e-mail, and other applications on a mobile device and on the Internet. An assistant may add an appointment to a personal calendar, but typically may not make an appointment with a personal service such as a doctor, lawyer, technician and the like. The tasks the voice-activated assistants may perform are typically constrained to the applications available on the mobile device and publicly available Internet applications. Current voice activated assistants currently do not interact with the user's personal customer services like his/her doctor, auto mechanic, bank, ticket agent and the like.

Voice-activated customer service assistant