A processing device includes a first storage location configured to store a first value associated with a first address space, a second storage location configured to store a second value associated with a second address space, and a third storage location configured to store a third value associated with a third address space. The processing device further includes a memory management unit, which includes a first input configured to receive a first address value associated with a data transfer operation, a second input configured to receive an identifier associated with the data transfer operation, and an address space select module configured to identify a select value from the first value, the second value and the third value based on the identifier. The memory management module further includes an address modification module configured to generate a second address value based on the first address value and the select value.

Processing systems often utilize multiple address spaces (also known as partitions) to separate processes for operational or security reasons. To illustrate, an operating system (OS) can utilize distinct address spaces for different applications being executed, or a hypervisor (HV) can implement separate partitions so as to separate different operating systems. In many implementations, it may be desirable to transfer data between these address spaces. Examples include message-passing between applications or between operating systems and configuring input/output operations with memory-mapped peripheral components. Current systems transfer data between address spaces based on a complete rewriting of the address space configuration operated by the memory management unit (MMU). This rewriting typically entails a multiple-step approach whereby the OS or HV changes the address space context of the MMU multiple times in order to enact a data transfer between different address spaces. To illustrate, in order to transfer data between a first address space and a second address space, current systems utilize the OS or the HV to manipulate the MMU to have access to the requestor's address space and then copies data from the requestor into the OS's/HV's own address space using standard load operations. The OS or the HV then manipulates the MMU to have access to the destination's address space and again uses standard store operations to the destination. This multiple-context change and series of intermediary data transfers to enact a data transfer between different address spaces inhibits the performance of the processing system. Accordingly, an improved technique for transferring data between different address spaces would be advantageous.

Method and system for data transfers across different address spaces


In one aspect of the invention, a downhole sensor system comprises at least one downhole sensor disposed on or within a downhole component of a tool string. The downhole sensor is adapted to detect at least one characteristic of a downhole formation adjacent the downhole component. The downhole sensor has a variable sampling rate controlled by a processing element. The processing element is in electrical communication with a tool string rate-of-penetration sensor and/or a tool string rotational speed sensor. The processing element is adapted to vary the sampling rate in response to the rate-of-penetration and/or rotational speed of the tool string. In some embodiments, the system is a closed loop system.

For the past several decades, engineers have worked to develop apparatus and methods to effectively obtain information about downhole formations, especially during the process of drilling and following this process using wireline methods or pushed tool methods for use in horizontal wells. These methods may be collectively referred to as logging. During the drilling process and, with time afterward, drilling fluids begin to flush and intermingle with the natural fluids in the formation forming an invasion zone near the drilled borehole. This fluid exchange increases with time and the formation wall can degrade or become damaged with further drilling operations which can mask or alter information about the formation that is of interest. Logging-while-drilling (LWD) refers to a set of processes commonly used by the industry to obtain information about a formation during the drilling process. In some cases the acquired data from components located downhole on oil and gas drilling strings are transmitted to the ground's surface. Measurement-while-drilling (MWD) and LWD methods are also used in smart drilling systems to aid and/or direct the drilling operations and in some cases to maintain the drill in a specific zone of interest. The terms MWD and LWD are often used interchangeably in the industry and LWD will be used here to refer to both methods with the understanding that the LWD encompasses systems that collect formation, angular rotation rate and depth information and store this information for later retrieval and/or transmission of this information to the surface while drilling.
A common sensor used in logging systems is for the measurement of resistivity or the complement conductivity. The resistivity of the formation is quite often measured at different depths into the formation to determine the amount of fluid invasion and aid in the calculation of true formation resistivity. The formation resistivity is generally used with other sensors in an analysis to determine many other formation parameters. There are various types of resistivity sensors including direct current (DC), and alternating current (AC) focused resistivity which utilizes one or more electrodes devices, AC scanned resistivity which measures in a specific circumferential or angular pattern around the borehole and a fourth type called induction or propagation resistivity which also utilizes AC methods. Induction resistivity sensors generally use lower frequencies below 100 KHz while propagation sensors use higher frequencies. The terms induction sensor or induction tool will be used interchangeably here and will refer to both induction and propagation resistivity methods.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,677,756 to Fanini et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,438 to Bittar; U.S. Pat. No. 6,538,447 to Bittar; U.S. Pat. No. 6,218,842 to Bittar et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,155 to Bittar; U.S. Pat. No. 6,476,609 to Bittar; U.S. Pat. No. 6,577,129 to Thompson et al; U.S. Pat. No. 7,141,981 to Folberth et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,795 to Gianzero, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,260 to Giordano et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,696 to Sinclair, each of which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it contains, disclose embodiments of downhole sensors that may be consistent with the present invention.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/676,494, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,265,649 to Hall et al.; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/687,891, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,301.429 to Hall et al.; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/041,754, now published U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0265892 to Snyder et al., each of which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it contains, disclose embodiments of induction resistivity tools.


In the operation to access data on a disk, the data reading operation is enabled before the rotary speed of the spindle motor of the disk is completely regulated to thereby minimize the access time and power consumption of the spindle motor for acceleration or deceleration thereof. When the actuator is in the access operation, the motor is compulsorily driven. From a time when the actuator reaches a target track in the access operation to a time when the rotary speed of the motor becomes equal to a predetermined rotary speed, the frequency control signal is created according to the position of the actuator and the rotary speed of the spindle motor. After the data reading operation is commenced, to fixedly set the data transfer rate to a predetermined value, the variable reference clock signal is stepwise corrected to be equal to the fixed master clock signal in a frequency range calculated according to the motor rotating speed and the capture range. Therefore, the synchronization can be established in a frequency range remarkably exceeding the capture range of the phase-locked loop circuit, which makes it possible to dispense with the wait time conventionally required in the access operation before the motor rotating speed reaches a fixed linear speed for data reproduction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk driver for driving and controlling an optical disk recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent rapid technological innovation in the fields of information processing technology leads to necessity of large-capacity storage media. In this situation, optical disk recording media have attracted attention as small-size, low-cost, and large-capacity storage media.
FIG. 12 shows the configuration of a conventional optical disk driving apparatus. In the apparatus of FIG. 12, a reference numeral 101 indicates an optical disk storage medium on which data of about 500 megabytes can be recorded with a fixed surface density. A numeral 102 denotes an actuator including an optical unit to read data from the medium 101 and a device to drive the optical unit 102. A numeral 103 represents a spindle motor to rotate the optical disk 101. A numeral 104 stands for a servo circuit to accomplish a servo control operation for the driver of the actuator 102 and a servo control operation to rotate the spindle motor 103 at a fixed linear speed. A numeral 105 designates a signal processing circuit to decode a signal obtained from the optical unit of the actuator 102 and conducts error correction for the decoded signal so as to resultantly produce data therefrom. A numeral 106 indicates a central processing unit (CPU) to control the overall operation of the optical disk driver.
Description will be now given of operations in a successive information reproducing operation and a disk accessing operation of the conventional optical disk driver thus constructed.
In the successive information reproduction, the servo circuit 104 controls a position of the actuator 102 in a focusing direction (denoted by an arrow F in FIG. 12) and a tracking direction (as indicated by an arrow T therein) of the actuator 102 such that the optical unit of the actuator 102 follows a track of the optical disk 101. At the same time, to read data written on the optical disk 101 with a fixed surface density, the servo circuit 104 controls the spindle motor 103 to rotate at a fixed linear speed. The signal attained from the optical unit of the actuator 102 is fed to the signal processing circuit 105. The circuit 105 decodes the signal and then corrects errors thereof so as to thereby produce a digital signal.
On the other hand, in the accessing stage (of the track seeking operation), there is employed a short jump or a long jump according to the number of tracks through which the actuator is to be moved. Namely, the short jump is used when only the optical unit is moved in the actuator 102, whereas the long jump is adopted to move the actuator 102.
Since the mass of the optical unit is small and the quantity in change of the spindle motor rotating speed is quite small, the short jump can be conducted in a relatively short period of time. However, in the long jump, a long period of time is required from when the actuator 102 is activated to be moved to when the actuator 102 is completely positioned at its destination because of the large mass of the actuator 102 and the large quantity in change of the motor rotating speed.
Consequently, to increase the operation speed of the optical disk driving apparatus (particularly, of an information searching facility), it is necessary to reduce the period of time to achieve the long jump when locating the actuator over destined tracks in the track accessing operation.
Analyzing the period of time necessary to move the actuator to the destination, there is required, even after the movement of the actuator is finished, a long period of time is required until the operation to appropriately control the rotating speed of the spindle motor is terminated. Namely, before the rotary speed of the motor is fixed to the desired linear speed, the actuator cannot read the data recorded on the disk at a fixed surface density. Therefore, the actuator enters the wait state and stays therein until the predetermined linear speed is developed. In other words, there occurs a wait period of time before a constant linear speed is obtained for the pertinent track of the optical disk.
Furthermore, to decrease the time required to control the rotating speed of the spindle motor, it is necessary to increase torque of the spindle motor, which leads to increase in the size and consumption power thereof. These problems inevitably occur especially when the transfer rate is desired to be increased, for example, by use of a quadruple-speed disk driving apparatus.

Optical disc data reproducing method and optical disk driver

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A passive restriction passageway (for example, a passive capillary valve or a restricting orifice) positioned to drain accumulated liquid from a fuel cell reactant flow channel is used in conjunction with a control element for periodically adjusting the pressure across the passageway. The control element intermittently adjusts pressure across the passageway to enable liquid flow through the passageway. The restriction passageways and the adjustment of pressure periodically move liquid water through the passageways to drain liquid buildup from the reactant supply channels. Together, these features enable sustained performance from the fuel cell during operation and also prevent damage to the fuel cell when the fuel cell is exposed to freezing temperatures (especially after shutdown of the fuel cell).

Fuel cell power systems convert a fuel and an oxidant to electricity. One fuel cell power system type of keen interest employs use of a proton exchange membrane (hereinafter "PEM") to catalytically facilitate reaction of fuels (such as hydrogen) and oxidants (such as air/oxygen) into electricity. The PEM is a solid polymer electrolyte that facilitates transfer of protons from the anode to the cathode in each individual fuel cell of the stack of fuel cells normally deployed in a fuel cell power system.
In a typical fuel cell assembly (stack) within a fuel cell power system, individual fuel cells have flow fields with inlets to fluid manifolds; these collectively provide channels for the various reactant and cooling fluids reacted in the stack to flow into each cell. Gas diffusion assemblies then provide a final fluid conduit to further disperse reactant fluids from the flow field space to the reactive anode and cathode; these diffusion sections are frequently advantageously embedded as a part of the design of collector electrodes pressing against the reactive anode and cathode.
PEM fuel cell stacks are typically designed with serpentine flow fields. Serpentine flow fields are desirable as they effectively distribute reactants over the active area of an operating fuel cell, thereby improving performance and stability. On the other hand, effective operation of a PEM requires operation of the flow field channels and gas diffusion assemblies in non-flooded states. However, in this regard, an operational problem arises as certain portions of serpentine flow fields accumulate liquid water during fuel cell operation. This liquid water is undesirable, as it alters flow distribution of the reactant gases, and it can also remain in the stack even after a considerable purge. In freezing conditions, water plugs remaining in a channel after stack shutdown are a basis for severe mechanical damage to the fuel cell as the remaining liquid water is transformed into ice. U-bend (180-degree turn) portions of the serpentine flow channels are particularly prone to such water build up.
What is needed, is a way of preventing significant water build up during operation of a fuel cell power system along with a way of removing any water build up when it does occur. The present invention is directed to fulfilling this and other related needs in a fuel cell.

Passive restriction pathways in fuel cell water drainage


A fuel cell system for modulating an offset of a hydrogen pressure sensor is provided. The fuel cell system includes a stack with a plurality of cells and each cells includes a first electrode to which hydrogen is supplied, a second electrode to which oxygen is supplied, and a membrane electrode assembly arranged between the first and second electrodes to produce electricity by reaction between the hydrogen and the oxygen. The hydrogen pressure sensor is connected to each cell to sense a pressure of the hydrogen supplied to the first electrode. A controller that which of the cells is supplied with insufficient pressure of hydrogen and modulates the offset of the hydrogen pressure sensor connected to the cell to which the hydrogen is supplied with insufficient pressure, to then supply the hydrogen to the first electrode at an appropriate pressure.

A fuel cell system applied to a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, which is an environmentally friendly vehicle, is capable of producing electricity through electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. If the hydrogen pressure is supplied insufficiently, the efficiency of a fuel cell stack may be deteriorated. In the fuel cell system, the hydrogen supply pressure may be adjusted in real time based on the sensor value of a hydrogen pressure sensor.

Fuel cell system for modulating offset of hydrogen pressure sensor and method for modulating offset of hydrogen pressure sensor


A replica control system includes software to control replication in virtual environments. The replica control system identifies a plurality of data blocks within an underlying storage volume in response to a request to update a replica of a target storage volume, identifies changed data blocks of the plurality of data blocks within the underlying storage volume, and identifies a subset of the changed data blocks with which to update the replica of the target storage volume based on a characteristic of the changed data blocks.

In the field of computer hardware and software technology, a virtual machine is a software implementation of a machine (computer) that executes program instructions like a real machine. Virtual machine technology allows for the sharing of, between multiple virtual machines, the physical resources underlying the virtual machines.
In virtual machine environments, storage volumes within the virtual machines contain data items that need to be accessed and scanned. Unfortunately, accessing the underlying contents of a storage volume can be very resource intensive, reducing the performance of a virtual machine and other operations within a virtual machine environment.


An image processing apparatus performs image processing to image information including condition information at the time of obtaining an image for setting a pertinent image correction condition even at the time when the meaning of the description in the same condition item differs according to a description format or the version of the description format. The image processing apparatus includes a first analysis unit for analyzing the description format of the condition information, a second analysis unit for analyzing the condition information and a processing determination unit for determining the image processing to the image information on the basis of the analysis results of the first and the second analysis units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing system, an image processing method, a computer readable recording medium storing a program for executing image processing, and the program for executing the image processing, all to be used in an apparatus or a system for executing image correction processing at the time of printing out digital image data obtained with, for example, a digital still camera or the like.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, for example, digital still cameras have been spread. Consequently, it has become easy to digitize photography images. In particular, images having photographic tones have more frequently treated as digital image data on personal computers. Furthermore, it has become easier to process or edit the digital image data of the images having photographic tones on the personal computers by means of various kinds of application software.
On the other hand, full color hard techniques have also rapidly developed. In particular, in printing techniques using ink jet processes, a technique for decreasing granular feeling owing to ink dots has improved. Consequently, image qualities of printout results have become the same ones of film photos. Furthermore, the printing techniques are relatively simple techniques. Consequently, the printing techniques have been widely spread.
The background art described above urges to develop a technique making it possible to print out digital image data obtained by photography with a digital still camera easily. Furthermore, as for image correction processing at the time of printing out, automatic image correction processing has become necessary more and more for obtaining images always in good conditions after receiving an image correction by means of a piece of application software on a personal computer without operating complicated functions with hands for image correction processing.
Accordingly, various methods have proposed as methods for obtaining good printout results by outputting digital image data after performing image processing such as image correction processing or the like at the time of printing out. One of the methods is, for example, a method for performing image corrections automatically on the basis of the results of analyses of scenes of photography images.
Moreover, for example, methods for the so-called "density correction" have been proposed. The density correction is a kind of image corrections for preventing a photography image from being too bright (too pale) or too dark (too deep) when it is printed out. Furthermore, methods for the so-called "image correction" of a photography image have been proposed also. The so-called image correction is to correct images in which color balance is upset owing to color fogs, unsuitable exposures (in brightness or in contrast), unsuitable color saturation or the like.
Both image processing methods of the "density correction" and the "image correction" adopt a system for automatic image correction. The system analyzes an image to be processed (original image) using a histogram showing a cumulative number of pixels at every luminance value in the original image, and the system corrects the original image on the basis of the result of the analysis.
Moreover, as a function of a digital still camera, it is possible not only to record an image obtained by photography as digital image data in a storage medium such as a memory card or the like, but also to record additional information indicating photography conditions at the time of photography in the storage medium together with the digital image data.
Incidentally, if a scene of an image which is obtained by photography with a digital still camera and is to be an object of image processing (object image) is analyzed by performing the image analysis of the object image to perform the automatic image correction of the object image on the basis of the analysis result in accordance with the conventional image processing method described above, then the automatic image correction to print out images which are considered to be theoretically optimum (standard images) to all of the object images is basically performed.
However, the automatic image correction described above is different from a manual image correction in which a user manually corrects an object image on a personal computer using an application software while ascertaining the object image displayed on the monitor of the personal computer. Since the object image is corrected to be a standard image in the automatic image correction, the corrected image is sometimes different from the intention of the user at the time of obtaining the object image (at the time of photography).
For example, an image obtained under an exposure condition which was intentionally set to be brighter or darker by the user will be output as an image having normal brightness by being corrected to be darker to a brighter image or to be brighter to a darker image. That is, the automatic image correction method corrects any object image to be an image having the same brightness to output it independently of the image quality of the object image.
Moreover, if a user photographs a subject with a digital still camera the white balance of which is intentionally changed with a user's intention of obtaining a specific effect, then the automatic image correction method corrects the photography image to have the optimum color balance similarly.
On the other hand, a digital still camera has a photography mode function to make the photography conditions of the camera be the optimum to a photography scene. If the information of a photography scene, for example, the information concerning which the scene is a scenery or a person, is previously known when an image correction condition is determined correspondingly to the photography mode, then it is considerable that a correction to be a more accurate and preferable image can be realized.
However, since it is impossible to conclude what the photography scene surely is on the basis of the analysis result of an object image obtained by photography, a user has conventionally be obliged to execute the automatic image correction by weakening the correction effect of the correction for preventing the occurrence of harmful influences in a corrected image actually.
Moreover, digital still cameras have improved in their functions in recent years. For example, some of them have such specific effect functions as heighten the color saturation of an image obtained by photography or as change the contrast or the brightness of the image. However, when automatic image correction processing is executed together with the execution of the specific effect functions, the specific effects to be produced by the specific effect functions are sometimes lost owing to the double corrections. In another case, the corrections of the specific effect functions become too strong to make the corrected image be deteriorated.
Accordingly, the inventors of the present invention paid their attention to image data including image information to which a digital still camera added information indicating photography conditions at the time of obtaining the image information by photographing a predetermined scene, i.e. the information indicating various conditions at the time of obtaining the image information. And the inventors proposed a method for performing pertinent image correction processing to the image information by using the image data to analyze the added condition information and then to determine the optimum image correction condition.
However, pieces of condition information added into respective pieces of image data can be considered to have different description formats and different numbers of the items of the condition information correspondingly to the functional improvements of the pieces of condition information. Consequently, a method for judging the description formats and the numbers of the condition items to set a pertinent image correction processing condition is demanded. Moreover, even in the same condition item in a piece of condition information, it is considerable that the meaning of the contents described in the condition item also differs according to the description format or the version of the format. Consequently, a method for setting a pertinent image correction processing condition also in such a case is demanded.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program using condition information for image processing


A seat pad 10 comprises a cushion pad 11 as a seat portion to be sat on, wherein a high ventilation member 12 higher in ventilation property than a cushion pad member forming the cushion pad 11 is embedded in a part of the cushion pad 11 except a under-hip portion located under hips when sitting, in a state of being exposed only to a rear side of the cushion pad.

As seat pads which are structures that form seats, for example, seat pads used for automobile seats are known. A seat pad used for an automobile seat needs to have appropriate hardness and softness in order to stably maintain the sitting posture of a seated occupant while ensuring comfortable sitting, and therefore is made of, for example, foam such as flexible polyurethane foam.
The body temperature of the occupant sitting on the automobile seat is transmitted to the automobile seat. In the case where heat dissipation from the seat pad is insufficient, the transmitted body temperature inevitably makes the seat pad hot. Besides, in the case where the automobile is parked at high outside air temperature such as in the hot weather, the automobile seat reaches high temperature with a temperature increase inside the automobile, which inevitably makes the seat pad hot.
When the seat pad of the automobile seat is hot, the occupant sitting on the automobile seat is constantly exposed to the heat of the seat pad, and feels discomfort. As a result, the riding comfort of the occupant decreases.
To address such situations in which the foam becomes hot, for example, a pillow made of foam and having heat dissipation cavities has been proposed (see PTL 1).


A wide bandwidth, wide scan, antenna array element provides an active element impedance close to 350 ohms over a bandwidth approaching one octave in a periodic equilateral triangular array lattice. The two balanced feed inputs to each element may be phased to produce any desired polarization. The interelement spacing is the maximum possible for grating lobe free operation. This antenna element combines features of a crossed grid dipole with a folded dipole. The antenna structure consists of conductors lying in two planes which are parallel to a ground plane. These are joined by a limited number of perpendicular conductors. The VSWR remains below 2:1 in a 300 or 350 ohm system for scan in any direction out to 30 degrees off of broadside over a bandwidth approaching one octave.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to antenna elements, generally, and particularly to an antenna element which provides arbitrary polarization and can be used to form a scanning array with a minimum number of elements while maintaining relatively constant active element input impedance over bandwidths approaching one octave.
2. Related Art
Crossed dipole (or turnstile antennas), folded dipoles and wire biconical antennas have been used alone and in arrays in a variety of communications and radar applications. C. Balanis in Antenna Theory Analysis and Design (1982) discloses at page 330 that biconical antennas have broadband characteristics useful in the VHF and UHF frequency ranges, but that the size of the solid shell biconical structure limits many practical applications. As a compromise, multielement intersecting wire bow tie antennas have been employed to approximate biconical antennas. Johnson and Jasik in the Antenna Engineering Handbook (1984) disclose crossed dipole antennas at page 28-10. Such antennas are used for producing circular polarization. Johnson at Jasik at page 4-12 also disclose biconical dipoles and, beginning at page 4-13, disclose the formation of folded dipoles by joining cylindrical dipoles at their ends and driving them by a pair of transmission lines at the center of one arm.
To date, however, there has been no disclosure of an antenna element that combines the desirable features of the biconical, crossed dipole and folded dipole antenna elements.

Folded cross grid dipole antenna element


One or more support elements radially extend through one or more openings defined in a turbine engine casing and are configured to centralize and at least partially support a rotor assembly of the engine during an engine disassembly or assembly procedure. The support elements are configured to transfer any rotor assembly weight loads to an engine casing while a bearing support of the rotor assembly is absent or removed.

A gas turbine engine generally includes one or more rotors supported by bearing structures in the engine. During an engine maintenance operation, such as on-wing hot section inspections of an aircraft turbine engine, in some engines an aft engine portion including an aft shaft bearing support structure is removed to provide access to the interior of the engine. Once the bearing support is removed, however, the rotor which the bearing supports tends to droop down, under its own weight, at the unsupported side to thereby create misalignment relative to the remaining support structures within the engine. This misalignment may cause damage to the rotor components at tight fit locations and may also cause difficulties during re-assembly of the engine.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved approach.

Rotor centralization for turbine engine assembly


A corrosion sensor array incorporating individual elements for measuring various elements and ions, such as chloride, sulfide, copper, hydrogen (pH), etc. and elements for evaluating the instantaneous corrosion properties of structural materials. The exact combination and number of elements measured or monitored would depend upon the environmental conditions and materials used which are subject to corrosive effects. Such a corrosion monitoring system embedded in or mounted on a structure exposed to the environment would serve as an early warning system for the onset of severe corrosion problems for the structure, thus providing a safety factor as well as economic factors. The sensor array is accessed to an electronics/computational system, which provides a means for data collection and analysis.

The present invention relates to detecting the onset of particularly severe corrosion problems and to sensing various elements and compounds in the environment, particularly to sensing environmental conditions which cause corrosion of materials, and more particularly to a corrosion sensor array and monitoring method capable of simultaneously sensing various environmental conditions which cause corrosion of materials and the associated instantaneous corrosion properties/response of structural materials of importance.
Virtually, every structural material in common use is affected by corrosion. For the U.S. economy, the loss of materials due to corrosion carries an annual price tag of tens of billions of dollars. Virtually, all structural materials corrode when placed in liquid or atmospheric environments, particularly in urban/industrial areas. The rates and modes of corrosive attack differ for different materials. Corrosion properties must always be evaluated when selecting materials for use in land vehicles, particularly public transportation, water-craft of all types, aircraft, bridges, buildings, etc. Beside the purely economic factors, there are the even more important issues of human safety which could be jeopardized when structures used for transport and housing are weakened by corrosion.
The rates/modes of corrosive attacks on a given material/metal are related to environmental conditions in which the material/metal is placed. These environmental conditions include such factors as pH and the presence of high concentrations of various ions, such as chloride, sulfide, etc. Therefore, it would be advantageous if a means was available for producing a corrosion sensor which could be embedded in, or emplaced on, various structures and provide an "early warning system" to guard against catastrophic failures of structural materials. Alternatively, such a device could find use in monitoring other environmental conditions, such as acid-rain. In the latter an application, the "detector" portion of the sensor system could be used in a disposable fashion.
Since corrosion is an electrochemical process, sensor systems based on electrochemical methods are well-suited for indicating particularly detrimental corrosive conditions. Various electrochemical sensors (electrodes) are known in the art, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,421 issued Jun. 9, 1992 to R. S. Glass et al. and document UCRL-JC-106690, "Preparation of Solid Membrane Chloride Ion-Selective Electrodes by Ion Implantation", R. S. Glass et al., February 1991.
There has apparently been very little work directed to the development of corrosion sensors which can be used in-situ. A sensor based upon well-known principles of galvanic corrosion has been designed for atmospheric marine environments, see V. S. Agarwala, "Corrosion Monitoring of Shipboard Environments", ASTM Special Technical Publication 965, S. W. Dean and T. S. Lee, Eds., ASTM, 1986, p. 354-365. A single-element corrosion sensor functioning on the basis of electrical resistance has been designed, see S. T. Stropki et al., Proceedings of the 1989 Tri-service Conference on Corrosion, Report NADC-SIRLAB-1089, V. S. Agarwala, Ed., published by Defense Logistics Agency, Alexandria, Va., 1989, p. 544-561. The electrical resistance method of detection operates on the principle that the electrical resistance of a metallic conductor increases as the cross-sectional area decreases. Thus, one fabricates a device, or deposits a metal of a defined area and geometry and monitors resistance changes between two points. The resistance is related to cumulative corrosion of the metal. The probe can be made from a single material, such as aluminum alloy, 7075-T6. This electrical resistance type sensor was designed for emplacement in difficult to monitor locations on aircraft (helicopters) and proposed for cumulative corrosion monitoring.
A two-element corrosion sensor, consisting of an electrical resistance (ER) probe and an element for linear polarization resistance (LPR) measurement has also been designed, see F. Ansuini, NADC-SIRLAB-1089, p. 533-543. For this sensor, cumulative corrosion is measured by the ER element, while instantaneous measurements of corrosion rates are made using the LPR element. This sensor was proposed for both dry and wet environments, such as in dry and humid air.
A multiple-element sensor has been proposed for evaluating the localized corrosion of stainless steel in bleaching processes, see T. P. Anguish et al., "Development Of A Multiple Element Sensor For Localized Corrosion Of Stainless Steel", NADC-SIRLAB-1089, 1989, p. 562-572. This multiple-element sensor included an electrode of stainless steel, a coated Ag/AgCl reference electrode, a temperature transducer, a Ag/AgCl chloride sensor, and a pH electrode, and by monitoring these parameters the critical regions where pitting is probable can be avoided.
Multielement sensors have not been previously proposed for monitoring corrosion processes which utilize microelectrodes, which have analytical advantages, and which may be used in common sensor arrays.
While various corrosion sensors are known, as pointed above, there is a need for corrosion monitors which can be embedded in, or emplaced on, various structures, or which can be used in environmental monitoring stations, which enables simultaneous measurement and correlation of corrosion properties of structural materials and environmental conditions leading to corrosion. This can be accomplished by using a plurality of individual sensors with each sensor being constructed to detect a different corrosive component or composed of the structural material of interest. The present invention fills such a need by providing a monitoring method utilizing an array of electrodes (sensors), each individual sensor of the array being constructed for detecting elevated concentrations of a specific corrosion-causing ion, parameter, corrosion product, etc., such as measuring a chloride ion, sulfide ion, copper ion, pH, etc., whereby comprehensive and near-simultaneous measurement may be obtained by sequentially accessing the individual array elements. A number of such arrays would be embedded in or emplaced on a structure to be monitored or situated in various environments, and provide an indication of the real-time corrosion behavior of specific structural materials and the environmental factors which dictate the corrosion rates and mechanisms for these materials. Thus, the array of sensors are environmental/corrosion monitors. An inspector can obtain information from the sensors by using a hand-held instrument, or the sensors could be used without operator interface and be deployed in the field with periodic information being telemetrically relayed to a remote data processing facility. Periodic inspections or continuous monitoring are possible, with the preferred mode of operation being apparent from the application.


A dryer includes a sealed drum, a heat pump system, a vacuum device and a steam generating device. The steam generating device connects with the interior of the drum to introduce hot steam into the interior of the drum. The vacuum device connects with the interior of the drum. The heat pump system is arranged external to the drum. Heat generated by the heat pump device is exchanged with the outer surface of the drum through a liquid medium so as to heat the wet clothes in the drum. Simultaneously, damp-hot air mixed with the water vapor in pumped from heating clothes in the drum by the vacuum device and the hot steam pumped into the drum and contacted with clothes are cooled and condensed into water. The water produced by damp-hot air is connected with water provided by the steam generating device.

In the drying mechanism for clothes dryer or laundry dryer, the device for generating heated air uses the heater to heating the air mostly. The existing electric dryer generally uses the heating wire or heating pipe as the heat source, but such products are high energy consumption, long drying time and poor safety. In order to reduce energy consumption, a heat pump dryer is developed, the heat pump system is used to strengthen the heat recycling, improve the utilization efficiency of energy, reduce the consumption of electric energy.
The air circulation channel installed in the heat pump clothes drying device is as follows: the heat air heated by the condenser in the heat pump circulatory system is passed into the drying chamber with clothes, then the hygroscopic air captured the water from the clothes is passed to the evaporator for dehumidification, and then the dehumidified air is heated again by the condenser and passed to the drying chamber.
Energy consumption of the heat pump dryer as mentioned above decreased, however, the drying speed does not be increased, the clothes drying time is still long, generally drying 7-8 kg clothes needs 2-3 hours. In order to remove the water of clothes within a short of time, people take a variety of ways to achieve this purpose, the method used in the dryer is drying at higher temperatures, strengthening the air circulation of surface, increasing the evaporation area. Although these methods is used, the energy consumption and the time of drying process is still higher. Furthermore, drying the clothes in higher temperature may damage the fabric itself, and be prone to wrinkling and shrinking.
The Chinese patent with the application number of 200610153406.9 discloses a clothing dryer which permits a stable operation of a heat pump generating drying air to be circulated between a drying chamber and the heat pump. An air circulation route is formed which delivers air heated by a heater of a heat pump unit to a water tank to be a drying chamber, returns the air discharged from the water tank to the heat pump unit through a filter unit, dehumidifies in a heat absorber and delivers again to the heater. The filter unit is provided with a lint filter and a duct communicating with an air outlet and an air introduction opening is formed.
The drying speed of the above drying device is still not improved, and the time of drying process is still long.
So, the present invention is proposed.

Vacuum heat pump clothes drying method and dryer


A liquid crystal panel including a driving substrate and a counter substrate, the two substrates having a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. The driving substrate has pixel electrodes and transistors connected to the pixel electrodes on a surface thereof, which are covered with an alignment film. The counter substrate is provided adjacent to the alignment film of the driving substrate. The alignment film is rubbed in a direction substantially parallel to signal lines or scanning lines connected to the transistors. Each of the pixels has a projection at a substantially central position in a direction perpendicular to the rubbing direction.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal panel, and particularly to an active matrix liquid crystal panel.
A typical active matrix liquid crystal panel includes transistors for driving pixel electrodes, a driving substrate having the transistors thereon, and a counter substrate having a counter electrode thereon, such that the two substrates have a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a typical active matrix liquid crystal panel. Referring to FIG. 5, the liquid crystal panel 1 includes a driving substrate 11 and scanning lines 13 and signal lines 15 on the display surface of its driving substrate 11, such that the lines 13 and the lines 15 are provided perpendicular to each other. The scanning lines 13 and the signal lines 15, intersecting each other, form an array of pixels 16. Each of the pixels 16 includes a transistor 17 having a gate connected to the corresponding scanning line 13 and a source and a drain connected to the corresponding signal line 15 and a pixel electrode 19. The driving substrate 11 also has an alignment film (not shown in FIG. 5) covering the components on the substrate 11.
In the liquid crystal panel 1 provided with the driving substrate 11 described above, the scanning lines 13 and the signal lines 15 are provided adjacent to the pixel electrodes 19. This structure generates transverse electric fields between the scanning lines 13 and the pixel electrodes 19 and between the signal lines 15 and the pixel electrodes 19. These transverse electric fields consequently cause local irregular orientation of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer over the pixel electrodes 19. It is known that light leaks in these regions where the liquid crystal molecules are oriented irregularly (referred to as reverse-tilt domains). The reverse-tilt domains parallel to the signal lines 15 and the scanning lines 13 are indicated by d1 and d2, respectively, in FIG. 5.
Referring now to FIG. 6, Japanese laid-open Patent Application Publication No. 2002-40455 discloses a liquid crystal panel 2, in which the aforementioned alignment film is rubbed in a rubbing direction x substantially parallel to the signal lines 15, thus preventing irregular orientation of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer caused by transverse electric fields between the signal lines 15 and the pixel electrodes 19, and therefore preventing reverse-tilt domains d1 parallel to the signal lines 15.
However, the liquid crystal panel 2, which is capable of preventing reverse-tilt domains d1 parallel to the signal lines 15 as described above, is not effective in preventing reverse-tilt domains d2 parallel to the scanning lines 13. For this reason, the reverse-tilt domain d2 parallel to each of the scanning lines 13 is light-shielded with a mask provided around the corresponding pixel 16.
It is also known that, in a typical liquid crystal panel, an external force applied to the panel surface such as pressing the panel surface causes the liquid crystal layer underneath the panel surface to flow, and consequently, the associated reverse-tilt domains move according to the flow. In the liquid crystal panel 2 in FIG. 6, for example, pressing the panel surface causes the liquid crystal layer to flow. The reverse-tilt domain d2 generated along each of the scanning lines 13 moves toward the center of the pixel 16 in the rubbing direction x. As a result of this phenomenon, each of the reverse-tilt domains d2 moves toward the center of the pixel 16 where light-shielding is not provided. Thus, light easily leaks in such a non-shielded display area, i.e., the center of each pixel 16. Furthermore, a reverse-tilt domain which has moved to the display area remains there for several seconds even after the pressure to the panel surface has been released. As a result, this light leakage is easily noticeable, contributing to degradation of the display performance of the liquid crystal panel.
In particular, for a liquid crystal panel used in a display device with a touch panel, pressing the panel surface is unavoidable. In such a display device, light leakage caused by this press onto the panel surface is the greatest factor contributing to the degradation of the display performance.


A dual mode tuner/receiver is disclosed in which both analog and digital signals can be received and processed. A low pass filter allows all channels below a selected frequency enter the circuit. A precisely controlled dual conversion circuit creates an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. An automatic carrier detection circuit monitors the IF signal and determines whether the signal is of analog or digital format and intermediate frequency filters are adjusted based upon the type of signal detected. A coherent oscillator circuit generates in-phase and quadrature reference signals that are used by video and audio detectors for further processing of the IF signal. In-phase and quadrature outputs are provided for digital signals and composite video and audio outputs are provided for analog signals.

Conventional tuners are composed of discrete devices, such as tuning coils, tracking filters and phase locked loop filters, which require manual tuning. These external tuning requirements result in extra expense and add time to the manufacturing process. Generally, prior art tuners are designed to process a narrow range of frequencies at any one time. This is accomplished by a tracking filter on the front end of the tuner. As the receiver is tuned across the frequency band during a channel change the tracking filter is tuned to allow only a few channels to pass into the tuner. As a result, the tuner circuit only has to work with a few channels instead of the entire bandwidth. For example, in a cable television system the tuner would allow only a few channels to enter the receiver front end, instead of the full 100 or more channels in the total cable set. The cable channels could be at full strength of about 15 dBmV. The effect of the tracking filter is to reduce the dynamic range required in the front end of a conventional receiver.
For analog television signals there is a large picture carrier which contains most of the power, this requires a large receiver dynamic range. The analog television signal waveform is vestigial side band (VSB), which is similar to single side band transmission. However, in VSB transmissions there is some signal spillage over to the unwanted side band. To compensate for this unwanted spillover, a special filter is used in the intermediate frequency (IF) processing portion of analog tuners to suppress the carrier approximately 6 dB to compensate for the difference in side band signal level. Typically, surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters are used to suppress the unwanted side band. It is critical that the carrier signal be positioned properly on the frequency response of the SAW filter to ensure that the picture carrier passes.
Analog television signals contain an audio carrier and a chroma carrier in addition to the main picture carrier signal. The audio carrier frequency is 4.5 MHz higher than the picture carrier. Normally there is a filter, such as the SAW filter in the IF, which suppresses the audio carrier approximately 20 dB to prevent intermodulation problems between the carriers in the video channel. The picture carrier, audio carrier and chroma carrier tend to beat together and cause spurious signals.
Digital television signals can be used instead to overcome the problems caused by the format of analog television signals. Although the format for digital television signals has not been standardized to date, there are common pieces among the proposed formats. Primarily, the digital signal is expected to have band shape that is fairly flat across approximately 6 MHz. This 6 MHz bandwidth could have within it several different selectable regions (channels) of intelligent signals. The digital TV reference signal will be small and would be about 6 dB below the average pictures (or desired data) signal level. The digital signal would have information spread uniformly across the 6 MHz band. Sound would be part of the signal and there would not be a separate digital sound carrier. Thus, the tuner must be functional to capture each 6 MHz band and then allow for decoding therefrom one or more channels of programming or data.
Whichever final standards are chosen for digital television, there will be significant variations between the analog and digital signal formats. Therefore, existing processors which currently handle analog signals will not be able to process future digital signals. An example of a television tuner having no front end tracking filter is disclosed in the above-referenced co-pending application entitled MONOLITHIC TELEVISION TUNER. However, the television tuner disclosed in that application for patent does not provide for tuning television signals in more than one format. Therefore, in order to receive both analog format signals and digital format signals, a television would have to use two or more of such tuners, where each tuner is designed to receive a different format. If a television used multiple tuners, it would also need some way of determining when to select between the various tuners in order to properly receive different channels that each have a different format.

Dual mode tuner for co-existing digital and analog television signals


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for logging real-time data of a robot control system. One of the systems comprises a real-time robotic control system comprising one or more computers, programmed to perform operations comprising i) software module loops and ii) real-time data logging, wherein each software module loop comprises a plurality of software modules executed repeatedly in a predetermined sequence, each software module executes within a predetermined time window, and the real-time data logging comprises copying segments of real-time data used by a particular software module to a buffer accessible by a non-real-time downstream system, wherein each segment of real-time data is copied at a respective predetermined time relative to execution of the software modules in the software module loop; and the non-real-time downstream system comprising one or more computers, the non-real-time downstream system programmed to perform operations that consume the real-time messages.

This specification relates to robotics, and more particularly to logging data in real-time robotic control systems.
Real-time software control systems are software systems that must execute within strict timing requirements to achieve normal operation. The timing requirements often specify that certain actions must be executed or outputs must be generated within a particular time window in order for the system to avoid entering a fault state. In the fault state, the system can halt execution or take some other action that interrupts normal operation.
Such real-time software control systems are often used to control physical machines that have high precision and timing requirements. As one example, a workcell of industrial robots can be controlled by a real-time software control system that requires each robot to repeatedly receive commands at a certain frequency, e.g., 1, 10, or 100 kHz. If one of the robots does not receive a command during one of the periodic time windows, the robot can enter a fault state by halting its operation or by automatically executing a recovery procedure to return to a maintenance position.
The real-time operations are generally implemented by software module loops. Each software module loop includes multiple software modules executed in a predetermined sequence repeatedly.
The strict timing requirements of real-time software control systems make it difficult for systems to implement asynchronous commands as well as time-intensive input and output operations. This is because operations that are not directly related to the real-time operations in the software module loop place the system at risk of entering a fault state by missing a real-time deadline.
Some existing techniques enable very limited logging capabilities. For example, using existing techniques a user can select a certain variable in a real-time robotic control system and select a condition for the variable, e.g., surpassing a certain threshold value. The existing technique will then allow the user to monitor the value when the condition is met, e.g., dump all values of the variable in a ten-second window surrounding the time at which the condition was met. However, these existing techniques do not allow a user to monitor every segment of real-time data throughout the execution of the real-time robotic control system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Data logger for a real-time robotic control system


A decision feedback equalizer (DFE) is provided. The DFE includes an analog front end, configured to receive a digital communication signal having amplitude modulation greater than two-level, and to output a feedforward signal based on the digital communication signal. The DFE includes a summing block, configured to receive the feedforward signal, a plurality of delayed data decisions as digital signals, and a plurality of adapted coefficients. The summing block is configured to produce an analog feedback signal as an analog subtraction from the feedforward signal of each of the plurality of delayed data decisions multiplied by a corresponding one of the plurality of adapted coefficients. The DFE includes a delay chain configured to produce the plurality of delayed data decisions based on the analog feedback signal, each of the plurality of delayed data decisions having two or more bits, corresponding to the amplitude modulation being greater than two-level.

Decision feedback equalizer (DFE) circuits are broadly used in wireline, wireless and optical data communication systems for purposes of signal recovery distorted during propagation through lossy and dispersive channels. For high speed digital communication systems above 10 Gb/s (gigabits per second) mixed-signal decision feedback equalizer remains the most power efficient solution for data recovery. Most of mixed-signal DFEs were intended for operation with two-level modulation (e.g., two-level pulse amplitude modulation PAM2 or non-return-to-zero NRZ) schemes, whereby the performance is mainly assessed based on geometrical "eye-opening" properties. This is intuitively connected to the target bit-to-error ratio (BER) by the setting of the horizontal and vertical "eye-opening" with respect to the comparator sensitivity threshold. However, from mathematical criteria based on data communication theory, the target BER is determined by the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the detector (slicer) input. For example, to achieve a BER=10−12 required by present data communication standards, the SNR should be set to approximately 17 dB for PAM2 modulation. Under this moderate requirement the performance of many receiver analog frontends (AFEs) and mixed signal DFEs is adequate in terms of swing, linearity and noise. However, with continued growing demands for faster speeds of data communication over band limited channels (for example, the recent development of a 400 Gb/s IEEE Standard 802.3bs), the need for a higher than PAM2 modulation index, multilevel format becomes inevitable. Furthermore, in multilevel modulation schemes the detection SNR requirement grows considerably with the modulation index. For the same BER=10−12 the PAM4 modulation will require a SNR on the order of 24 dB, while for PAM8, a SNR of approximately 30 dB will be necessary. With more stringent SNR requirements the majority of existing AFE and DFE implementations, originally formulated for two-level signaling, would no longer be adequate or may result in excessive power dissipation. Therefore, development of enhanced linearity, low power and low supply voltage receiver elements such as AFE and mixed signal DFE capable of operating with multilevel modulation schemes will be highly desirable.


Analog data such as text and images are stored in microscopic analog format on a disk surface capable of maintaining the information for 1000 years or more whereby simple optical magnification will result in one being able to read the information formed therein. For a disk read by backlighting, as with microfiche, a photosensitive material is overlayed on hard metal surface which in turn is formed on a transparent glass or quartz material. A laser beam is focused on certain desired portions of the photosensitive material and the exposed material and underlying hard metal layer etched off to form pits down to the transparent layer corresponding to the analog information. The resulting disk can then be used to produce archival copies and distribution copies using hot embossing or other disclosed techniques.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to archival methods and more particularly to a method and apparatus for physically defining analog data on a durable medium for long term storage and retrieval using processing techniques related to those used in semiconductor manufacturing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, international attention has been focused on the subject of "Analog Data Storage" i.e. storage of text and images in the analog format on durable media. The storage format is such that retrieval of the data only requires magnification of the data onto a viewing screen using simple optical methods, akin to the process currently used for the viewing of microfiche.
Although Microfiche/microfilms are the current accepted method for analog archival of data, this technology does not serve the purpose of truly long term archival. Microfiche/microfilms require special environmental conditions for storage of the film. Accordingly, Microfiche is not a durable medium for archival storage over long periods of time. Secondly, microfiche/microfilms degrade despite environmental controls in as short a span as 30-50 years thus requiring re-copying onto new film. Re-copying leads to some loss of data due to degradation of resolution. Thus the current technology available for analog data storage for archival purposes does not provide long-term (>1000 years) storage of data on durable media capable of withstanding all forms of corrosive environments. Additionally, storage of data on microfilms becomes expensive in the long run because of the need for environmental controls and re-copying at the media end of life.
Archivists look to analog storage of data because they are concerned with preservation of text and images over time measured in millennia. Furthermore, archivists desire that the retrieval of the data should not be dependent on software or hardware devices such as the case for digital storage of data.
The industry has made big strides in digital storage of data where relatively high densities of data can be stored in various media such as compact discs, digital versatile discs, storage drives etc. and can be retrieved at extremely high speeds using computing software/hardware. The key problem in this form data storage is that it is dependent on the digital technology available at any given time and suffers from software/hardware obsolescence in relatively short time spans. A good example is the 5¼ floppy storage disc and reader both of which were commonly in use for digital data storage in the 1970s and 80s. Today this form of storage does not exist and has been replaced by other digital storage devices capable of higher densities.
Accordingly, the need remains for an improved method for implementing archival storage and retrieval of analog data.

Method and apparatus for high density storage of analog data in a durable medium


A monitoring apparatus is adapted to monitor lubricant in a hydraulic fracturing pump system, and includes a gateway and one or more sensors configured to be in communication with the gateway. The one or more sensors are configured to measure quality of the lubricant, a pressure of the lubricant, and a temperature of the lubricant. The gateway is configured to receive sensor data associated with the quality of the lubricant, the pressure of the lubricant, and the temperature of the lubricant. To monitor the lubricant, the gateway is configured to: store the sensor data on the non-transitory computer readable medium; transmit to another computing device the sensor data and/or representative data based on the sensor data; visually indicate a status of the quality of the lubricant; visually indicate a status of the pressure of the lubricant; visually indicate a status of the temperature of the lubricant; or any combination thereof.

Several systems may be used to facilitate oil and gas exploration and production operations. One example is a hydraulic fracturing pump system, which pumps fluid to a wellhead for the purpose of, for example, propagating fractures in a formation through which a wellbore extends, the wellhead being the surface termination of the wellbore. The hydraulic fracturing pump system may include an engine, a transmission operably coupled to the engine, and a reciprocating pump assembly operably coupled to the transmission, with the engine driving the reciprocating pump assembly via the transmission. However, different aspects associated with the operation of the hydraulic fracturing pump system may not be able to be sufficiently monitored or controlled, remotely or otherwise. For example, lubrication conditions associated with the operation of the reciprocating pump assembly may not be able to be sufficiently monitored or controlled, increasing the risk of pump failure resulting from poor or otherwise unsatisfactory lubrication conditions. For another example, engine or transmission conditions associated with the operation of the hydraulic fracturing pump system may not be able to be sufficiently monitored or controlled, reducing efficiencies and/or decreasing the operational lives of one or more of the engine, transmission, and reciprocating pump assembly. Therefore, what is needed is a system, method, or apparatus that addresses one or more of these issues, and/or other issue(s).

Monitoring lubricant in hydraulic fracturing pump system


A capacitive sensor is disclosed. In an embodiment a semiconductor device includes a die including a capacitive pressure sensor integrated on a CMOS circuit, wherein the capacitive pressure sensor includes a first electrode and a second electrode separated from one another by a cavity, the second electrode including a suspended tensile membrane, and wherein the first electrode is composed of one or more aluminum-free layers containing Ti.

Pressure sensors, such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors, have many applications. These sensors can be used, for example, in automotive, consumer, industrial, medical, and other applications. In MEMS sensors, for example, pressure can be measured via deflection of a membrane caused by an external pressure. Large deflections or temperature differences, however, can induce significant non-linearity in the sensors, which may present challenges in a variety of applications. Accurate and repeatable manufacturing processes of membranes and pressure sensors can allow for more accurate pressure readings over a range of temperatures and pressures.


Memory blocks of a nonvolatile memory device are managed by identifying a full memory block, determining whether a block life of the full memory block exceeds a threshold value, and upon determining that the block life of the full memory block exceeds the threshold value, selecting the full memory block as a target block for garbage collection. The threshold of the block life is determined using an average write distance of logical pages programmed in the nonvolatile memory device.

The inventive concept relates generally to electronic memory technologies. More particularly, the inventive concept relates to management of memory blocks in nonvolatile memory devices.
Nonvolatile memory devices are widely used as storage media in applications ranging from personal electronics to industrial equipment. Nonvolatile memory devices retain stored data when disconnected from power, and they may also provide relatively high storage capacity and efficient performance.
Flash memory is a popular form of nonvolatile memory that can be found in a wide variety of electronic devices, with examples including portable electronics such as cellular phones, tablet computers, cameras, and memory fobs, as well as solid state drives and other mass data storage devices. In addition to providing relatively high storage capacity and efficient performance, flash memory can be electrically programmed and erased, and it may provide benefits of relatively low power consumption and an ability to withstand physical shock.
One potential drawback of flash memory and certain other forms of nonvolatile memory is that memory cells may not be overwritten without erasing an entire memory block (abbreviated as "block"). Accordingly, where a program operation is requested for an already programmed logical page, the corresponding physical page is typically invalidated, a new physical page (or physical address) is assigned to the logical page, and the requested program operation is carried out on the new physical page to store the logical page. Unfortunately, this can lead to a significant amount of unavailable memory space in the form of invalidated physical pages. As a result, garbage collection may be required on an occasional basis to free up some of the unavailable memory space.
In a typical garbage collection operation, a memory block having several invalid pages is freed up by moving all of its valid data to another memory block and then performing an erase operation on the memory block. A significant drawback of conventional garbage collection operations, however, is that they may require a significant amount of time, which can reduce the overall performance of a nonvolatile memory device. Consequently, there is a general need to reduce the amount of time required to perform garbage collection operations in nonvolatile memory devices.

Selection of memory blocks for garbage collection based on variable block life threshold


A golf ball 2 includes a core 4, a mid layer 6 and a cover 8. The golf ball 2 further includes a large number of dimples 10 on a surface thereof. The surface has a northern hemisphere N and a southern hemisphere S. Each of the hemispheres has a high-latitude region 14, a mid-latitude region 18 and a low-latitude region 16. The number of planes that can divide a dimple pattern of the hemisphere so that divided dimple patterns are mirror symmetry to each other is one. Neither a dimple pattern of the high-latitude region 14 nor a dimple pattern of the low-latitude region 16 is rotationally symmetrical. A product THm of a thickness and a hardness for the mid layer 6, and a product THc of a thickness and a hardness for the cover 8 satisfy the following mathematical formula.THc−THm≦50

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf balls. Specifically, the present invention relates to golf balls that include a core, a mid layer, a cover and dimples.
Description of the Related Art
The greatest interest to golf players concerning golf balls is flight distance. Golf players place importance on flight distance particularly in a shot with a driver. JP2010-188199 discloses a golf ball that includes a core having a great surface hardness and a small central hardness.
Another interest to golf players concerning golf balls is feel at impact. Generally, players prefer soft feel at impact. Players place importance on feel at impact particularly in a shot with a middle iron.
Golf balls have a large number of dimples on the surfaces thereof. The dimples disturb the air flow around the golf ball during flight to cause turbulent flow separation. This phenomenon is referred to as "turbulization". Due to the turbulization, separation points of the air from the golf ball shift backwards leading to a reduction of drag. The turbulization promotes the displacement between the separation point on the upper side and the separation point on the lower side of the golf ball, which results from the backspin, thereby enhancing the lift force that acts upon the golf ball. Excellent dimples efficiently disturb the air flow. The excellent dimples produce a long flight distance.
A polyhedron is used for arrangement of dimples. The polyhedron is inscribed in a phantom sphere of a golf ball. A large number of sides of the polyhedron is projected on the surface of the phantom sphere by a light beam travelling from the center of the phantom sphere in a radius direction. A large number of comparting lines is obtained on the surface of the phantom sphere by the projection. By the comparting lines, the surface of the phantom sphere is divided into a large number of units (spherical polygons). A large number of dimples is arranged in one unit to obtain a dimple pattern. The dimple pattern is developed over the other units to obtain a dimple pattern of the whole golf ball. This dimple pattern is referred to as a polyhedron pattern.
A dimple pattern referred to as a hemispherically divided pattern is adopted in commercially available golf balls. In designing the pattern, a hemisphere (half of a phantom sphere) is divided into a plurality of units by a plurality of longitude lines. Each unit has a shape of a spherical isosceles triangle. A large number of dimples is arranged in one unit to obtain a dimple pattern. The dimple pattern is developed over the other units. The development is obtained by rotating one unit pattern about a line passing through a north pole and a south pole. By the rotation, a dimple pattern of the whole golf ball is obtained. The pattern of the golf ball is rotationally symmetrical.
The polyhedron pattern is monotonous. In the polyhedron pattern, the turbulization is insufficient. The hemispherically divided pattern is also monotonous. In the hemispherically divided pattern, the turbulization is insufficient.
There have been various proposals for improvement of the hemispherically divided pattern. JP2007-175267 (US2007/0149321) discloses a dimple pattern in which the number of units present in a high-latitude region is different from the number of units present in a low-latitude region. JP2007-195591 (US2007/0173354) discloses a dimple pattern in which the number of types of dimples present in a low-latitude region is greater than the number of types of dimples present in a high-latitude region. JP2013-153966 (US2013/0196791) discloses a dimple pattern in which the density of dimples is high and variations in sizes of dimples are small.
JP2009-172192 (US2009/0191982) discloses a golf ball that has randomly arranged dimples. The dimple pattern of the golf ball is referred to as a random pattern. The random pattern is not monotonous. JP2012-10822 (US2012/0004053) also discloses a golf ball having a random pattern.
Golf players place importance on flight distance in a shot with an iron club as well as flight distance in a shot with a driver. Players particularly place importance on flight distance in a shot with a middle iron and a long iron. A spin rate of a golf ball in hitting with a middle iron is high. If a golf ball having above mentioned improved hemispherically divided pattern is hit with a middle iron, an excessive lift force is generated. The lift force may cause rising of the golf ball during flight. The rising impairs flight distance performance. In addition, in the golf ball, the flight distance depends largely on the rotation axis of backspin. In other words, the golf ball is inferior in stability of flight distance.
As already mentioned, the random pattern is not monotonous. However, the density of dimples in the random pattern is low. In the pattern, suppression of drag is insufficient. When the golf ball is hit with a middle iron, great flight distance cannot be achieved.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a golf ball that has excellent flight performance in a shot with a middle iron.


The present invention relates to novel catalysts for use with a fiberglass non-woven binder. The catalyst can be a Lewis acid, an organic acid salt, a free-radical generator, or a mixture thereof. The catalyst provides stronger bonding, increased crosslinking density, reduced curing times, and reduced curing temperatures. Fiberglass mats made with polymer binder compositions containing the catalyst exhibit both flexibility and elasticity, allowing the mats to be compressed for storage, yet return to original thickness once the compressive forces are removed. Formaldehyde-free wood composites, such as plywood and fiberboard, may also be produced with polymer binder compositions containing the catalyst.

Fiberglass insulation products generally consist of glass fibers bonded together by a cross-linked polymeric binder. An aqueous polymer binder is sprayed onto matted glass fibers soon after they have been formed, and while they are still hot. The polymer binder tends to accumulate at the junctions where fibers cross each other, to hold the fibers together at these points. The heat from the fibers causes most of the water in the binder to vaporize.
The polymeric binder has been a phenol-formaldehyde polymer. More recently formaldehyde-free polymer systems have been used to avoid formaldehyde emissions. The formaldehyde-free polymer system consists of 1) a polymer of a polycarboxyl, polyacid, polyacrylic, or anhydride; 2) an active hydrogen compound (hydroxyl or polyol group) such as trihydric alcohol (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,763,524; 5,318,990), triethanolamine (U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,350; EP 0990728), beta-hydroxy alkyl amides (U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,868; or hydroxy alkyl urea (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,840,822; 6,140,388); and 3) a catalyst or accelerator such as a phosphorous-containing compound (U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,916) or a fluoroborate compound (U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,232). The catalyst functions to decrease the cure time, to increase the cross-linking density, to reduce the cure time and/or to decrease the water sensitivity of the binder.
One problem with current catalysts is that they produce films that can discolor. Also the films may release phosphorous-containing vapors.
There is a need for a fiberglass binder system having a catalyst other than the phosphorous or fluoroborate catalysts currently used.
Surprisingly it has been found that Lewis acids, Lewis bases, and free-radical generators are effective catalysts for crosslinking polymeric binders for fiberglass non-wovens. The use of these catalysts produces a strong, yet flexible and clear, fiberglass insulation binder system.

National Starch and Chemical Investment Holding Corporation


A memory cell includes a latch having a true data node and a complement data node, a true bitline, a complement bitline, a first access transistor coupled between the true bitline and the true data node, and a second access transistor coupled between the complement bitline and the complement data node. A wordline driver circuit includes a true wordline coupled to control the first access transistor and a complement wordline coupled to control the second access transistor. The wordline driver generates control signals on the true and complement wordlines to access the memory cell by: actuating the first access transistor while the second access transistor is not actuated and then actuating the second access transistor while the first access transistor is not actuated. The bitlines and wordlines are supplied from different sets of power supply voltages, with the bitline high supply voltage being less than the wordline high supply voltage.

Reference is made to FIG. 1 which shows a schematic diagram of a standard six transistor (6T) static random access memory (SRAM) cell 10. The cell 10 includes two cross-coupled CMOS inverters 12 and 14, each inverter including a series connected p-channel and n-channel MOSFET transistor pair. The inputs and outputs of the inverters 12 and 14 are coupled to form a latch circuit having a true data storage node Q and a complement data storage node QB. The cell 10 further includes two transfer (passgate) transistors M5 and M6 whose gate terminals are coupled with a wordline node and are controlled by the signal present at the wordline node (WL). Transistor M5 is source-drain connected between the true data storage node Q and a node associated with a true bitline (BLT). Transistor M6 is source-drain connected between the complement data storage node QB and a node associated with a complement bitline (BLF). The source terminals of the p-channel transistors M2 and M4 in each inverter 12 and 14 are coupled to receive a high supply voltage (for example, Vdd) at a high supply node, while the source terminals of the n-channel transistors M1 and M3 in each inverter 12 and 14 are coupled to receive a low supply voltage (for example, Gnd) at a low supply node. The high supply voltage Vdd at the high supply node and the low supply voltage Gnd at the low supply node comprise the power supply set of voltages for the cell 10.
The gate terminals of the transfer (passgate) transistors M5 and M6 are coupled to a wordline driver circuit 16 through the wordline node WL. The wordline driver circuit 16 is also coupled to receive the high supply voltage (Vdd) at the high supply node.
The true and complement bitlines BLT and BLF are coupled to bitline circuitry 18. The bitline circuitry 18 may comprise, for example, precharge circuitry, sense amplifier circuitry and read/write driver circuitry as known to those skilled in the art. The bitline circuitry 18 is also coupled to receive the high supply voltage (Vdd) at the high supply node.
Reference is now made to FIG. 2 which illustrates a block diagram of a memory device 20 including a plurality of cells 10 like that shown in FIG. 1 arranged in a matrix of rows and columns. The bit lines BLT/BLF of a plurality of cells 10 in a column are coupled together and to the bitline circuitry 18. The wordlines WL of a plurality of cells 10 in a row are coupled together and to the wordline driver circuit 16. The memory device 20 may further include additional circuitry, known to those skilled in the art but not shown in FIG. 2, including address decoder circuitry and input/output circuitry.
With the prior art configuration of FIGS. 1 and 2, a single power supply set of voltages (Vdd, Gnd) is accordingly used for the cell supply, WL high voltage and BLT/BLF high voltage. In stand-by mode, WL=Gnd, BLT/BLF=Vdd. In read mode, the WL transitions to Vdd, and BLT/BLF are left floating. In an exemplary read operation, the transfer (passgate) transistors M5 and M6 are simultaneously actuated through the wordline WL and a current flows from the bitline to ground through transistors M1 and M5. A rise in voltage is observed at the true data storage node Q having a value which depends on the strength of the transistors M1 and M5. An excess rise in the voltage at the true data storage node Q can turn transistor M3 on causing cell data to be flipped to the opposite value. This condition is referred to in the art as read instability.
Local mismatch plays an important role in cell stability. Furthermore, it is known to those skilled in the art that the effect of mismatch increases as the supply voltage Vdd is lowered. Each cell design is qualified down to a lowest supply voltage Vdd(min) at which the cell stability meets a qualification target. The value of Vdd(min) accordingly acts as a restriction on low voltage functionality of the memory cell when used alone or when integrated with other components and circuits.
There is a need in the art to provide a memory cell suitable for stable operation in integrated circuit configurations that utilize low supply voltage levels.

Low voltage dual supply memory cell with two word lines and activation circuitry


It is an object of the present invention to provide a resin composition which can form cured formulations having various excellent properties such as an insulating property, thermal shock resistance, moldability/formability and strength, and exhibit an excellent appearance in which transparency is enhanced, a resin composition whose cured thin film has excellent flame retardancy, good mechanical property and heat resistance, a dispersing element containing an inorganic microfine particle which can give a flame retardancy to a resin, to which the inorganic microfine particle is added, and can reduce a hygroscopic property to the extent possible, a method for producing the same and a cured formulation obtained by using the resin composition. The present invention relates to a resin composition comprising a compound having at least one of a glycidyl group and/or an epoxy group and an inorganic microfine particle, a resin composition comprising three components of a phenolic compound, a compound having at least one of a glycidyl group and/or an epoxy group and an inorganic microfine particle, a flame retardant resin composition comprising a polyhydric phenol and an inorganic microfine particle, and a dispersing element containing an inorganic microfine particle obtained by a hydrolysis condensation reaction of alkoxide and/or metal carboxylate in a dispersion medium.

Thermosetting resin compositions are industrially useful as materials for, for example, mechanical components, electric and electronic devices, automobile components, construction/building and molding/forming, and further widely used also as materials for coatings and adhesives. In such thermosetting resin compositions, technologies of making the resin composition contain an inorganic substance in order to reduce a coefficient of expansion or to control an appearance have been widely studied, and for example, by matching a refractive index of the resin composition with that of the inorganic substance, the appearances of the resin composition and the cured formulation thereof are controlled and transparency is exhibited. Particularly in recent years, it is desired to increase the content of inorganic components in order to inhibit degradation of appearance during irradiation of light, but if the content of the inorganic components is increased, the transparency is impaired. Therefore, an attempt has been made to achieve compatibility between ensuring of the transparency and inhibition of the deterioration in appearance during irradiation of light by controlling a particle size distribution of the inorganic components in nanoorder.
With respect to a thermosetting resin composition containing an inorganic material, there is disclosed a metal oxide-epoxy resin composite in which metal oxide derived from metal alkoxide is finely dispersed in a size of 0.005 to 5 μm in a cured formulation of epoxy resin (for example, referring to Japanese Kokai Publication Hei-08-100107 (p. 2)). As a method for producing this composite, there is described a method for synthesizing the composite in situ by adding metal alkoxide and/or a partial hydrolysis condensation product thereof and water and/or an organic solvent to a solution formed by partially reacting an epoxy resin with an amine curing agent in advance.
And, with respect to a resin composition, there is disclosed an epoxy resin composition in which (a) an epoxy resin, (b) an epoxy resin curing agent, (c) a silane compound having one or more epoxy group or a group to perform an addition reaction with an epoxy group, and an alkoxy group bonded to two or more silicon atoms, and (d) a silane compound polycondensation catalyst are blended as essentially component (for example, referring to Japanese Kokai Publication Hei-10-298405 (p. 2)).
In such a resin composition, since inorganic matter exists as a particle precursor in preparing the resin composition, and it is necessary to allow a reaction of the particle precursor to proceed in molding/forming, the inorganic matter does not necessarily exist as a particle in a shaped article and it can form an interpenetrating polymer network with an organic component. There are occasions when a by-product is produced in molding/forming in some cases. Thus, in order to exploit the full potential of a thermal property or a mechanical property, it was necessary to control molding/forming conditions strictly and there was a room for improvement.
And, with respect to a resin composition, there is disclosed a thermosetting resin composition, which contains an epoxy resin (a), a reactant (b) of an organic silicon compound having a functional group capable of reacting directly or through medium of a curing agent with an epoxy group and an alkoxy group, tetraalkoxysilane and water, and a curing agent (c) (for example, referring to Japanese Kokai Publication 2001-288244 (p. 2-p. 4)). In these resin compositions, it is described to use a compound containing tin as a catalyst. Furthermore, with respect to a method for producing an epoxy resin composition, there is disclosed a method comprising adding alkoxysilane and water of pH 3 to 6 to an epoxy resin dissolved in an organic solvent, hydrolyzing an alkoxy group of alkoxysilane to a silanol group in presence of an acid catalyst and then removing the solvent, and filling particles obtained by subsequent heat treatment (for example, referring to Japanese Kokai Publication Hei-8-199045 (p. 2)).
Since these tin catalyst and acid catalyst will remain as impurities in the composition after preparing a resin composition, electric properties may be deteriorated when a shaped article absorbs moisture, and there was a room for improvement.
And, there is disclosed a solder resist composition containing alkoxy group-containing silane modified phenol, an epoxy resin and a solvent (for example, referring to Japanese Kokai Publication 2002-40663. However, when this composition is cured, a silane portion have to be condensated in curing the composition or prior to curing and methanol produced in this condensation have to be removed, therefore if the composition is used as a molding/forming material with thickness, foaming occurs and molding defect may arise. Accordingly, since the composition can be used only in film/thin layer form, there was a room for contrivance to be suitable for more uses.
And, there is disclosed a technique of mixing nano-silica dispersed in an epoxy resin and a phenol resin (for example, referring to Akio Takahashi, 5. et al. "Heat Resistant Epoxy-Silicon Hybrid Materials for Printed Wiring Boards", ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS WORLD CONVENTION 9), paper No. JPCA04). In this documents, there is described a composition in which the content of a silica contained in an epoxy resin is 13.4% by weight, but it is estimated that in the whole cured formulation, this content of silica becomes a half of 13.4%. And, since as shown in Table 3, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the cured formulation is 43 at 50 to 100° C. and 162 at 200 to 250° C., the ratio of the coefficient of thermal expansion at 200 to 250° C. to the coefficient of thermal expansion at 50 to 100° C. is about 4. Therefore, in this technique, there was a room for contrivance to obtain a resin composition which can form a cured formulation having further excellent insulating property and thermal shock resistance and exhibiting a more excellent appearance.
On the other hand, when a cured formulation is obtained by using a polyhydric phenol as a phenol resin, the cured formulation has excellent properties, such as mechanical property and heat resistance. Therefore, the polyhydric phenol is used, for example, as an epoxy resin obtained by subjecting the polyhydric phenol to a glycidyl etherification, curing agent for an epoxy resin as well as a material for shape or a raw material for adhesive, coating material or the like, and the polyhydric phenol is very useful material. Among others, widely known is uses effectively utilizing an excellent electrical insulating property of the polyhydric phenol, such as a complex material of the printed circuit board and the like, a material for encapsulating semiconductor, a material for shape or adhesive and the like in electronic materials, such as an adhesive for IC package.
When the polyhydric phenol is used for electronic materials, the polyhydric phenol excellent in flame retardancy is particularly needed. As the polyhydric phenol having excellent flame retardant, for example, a bromine-containing epoxy resin and the like has been conventionally used. Recently, technologies for giving the flame retardancy without using halogen compounds have been developed. For example, an epoxy resin having excellent flame retardant, even though it is free from halogen, is obtained by adding nitrogen-containing phenol resin as a curing agent and further containing phosphate esters, or red phosphate as a flame retardant (referring to, for example, Japanese Kokai Publication Hei 08-253557, Japanese Patent No. 2975349, and Japanese Kokai Publication Hei 09-207271). However, there was a room for contrivance to obtain a flame retardant resin composition and a cured body thereof having no halogen and phosphate and having the flame retardancy, excellent properties of cured formulation, such as mechanical property and moisture resistance in various field.
The present inventors have studied on obtaining a hybrid and nano-composite resin by using silica, as a new flame retardant technology, in which neither halogen nor phosphate is used, and have found that a silica microfine particle having a specific structure may exhibit more excellent flame retardancy-providing performance than silica synthesized by the conventional methods (for example, referring to Japanese Kokai Publication 2003-344328). And the present inventors have succeeded in hybridizing a hydrolysis condensate of alkoxide and/or metal carboxylate as well as the silica obtained by the method, by mixing the hydrolysis condensation product to a polyhydricphenol bonding to each other with an organic skeleton having two or more carbon atoms therebetween, and have found that when the hybrid resin is used for a curing agent for epoxy resins, practically useful flame retardancy may be ensured without further addition of a flame retardant (that is, free from halogen and phosphate), and the present inventors have applied regarding these techniques (Japanese Patent No. 2002-151271).
Adding silica and the like to a resin composition as a filling agent is being examined in order not to give a flame retardancy but to improve various physical properties of a shaped body (cured body). For example, disclosed is a technology, in which strength, elasticity, and extension are improved by dispersing microparticles of a metal oxide (an average diameter is 0.01 to 5 μm), which is a hydrolysis polycondensation product of alkoxide, into a thermosetting resin without exhibiting macro phase separation (for example, referring to Japanese Kokai Publication Hei 08-259782). And disclosed is a thermosetting resin composition obtained by finely dispersing a silica and organopolysiloxane (0.005 μm to 0.01 μm), in which physical properties, such as shock resistance, heat resistance, flexural strength, and elasticity are improved (for example, referring to Japanese Kokai Publication Hei 09-208839). Furthermore, disclosed is a technique in which spherical amorphous silica microparticles having an average spherical diameter of 8 to 65 nm produced by a DC arc plasma process is preferably used as a silica filler for epoxy resin sealing material (For example, Japanese Kokai Publication 2000-319633).

Resin composition, method of its composition, and cured formulation