A p-type ZnO-based II-VI compound semiconductor layer has silver, potassium and/or gold dopants therein at a net p-type dopant concentration of greater than about 1×1017 cm−3. A method of forming the layer includes using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. This technique includes exposing a substrate to a combination of gases: a first reaction gas containing zinc at a concentration that is repeatedly transitioned between at least two concentration levels during a processing time interval, a second reaction gas containing oxygen and a p-type dopant gas containing at least one p-type dopant species selected from a group consisting of silver, potassium and gold. A concentration of oxygen in the second reaction gas may also be repeatedly transitioned between at least two concentration levels. The concentration of zinc in the first reaction gas and the concentration of oxygen in the second reaction gas may be transitioned in an alternating sequence, so that relatively high zinc concentrations in the first reaction gas overlap with relatively low oxygen concentrations in the second reaction gas and vice versa.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) materials typically have characteristics that are attractive for use in (i) optoelectronic semiconductor devices, which require emission or detection of electromagnetic radiation, (ii) high frequency and transparent transistors and (iii) radiation hardened devices, for example. However, the use of zinc oxide technologies has frequently been limited by a relative difficulty in reliably fabricating p-type zinc oxide materials with sufficiently high concentrations of relatively shallow acceptor impurities operating as p-type dopants.
Several attempts have been made to fabricate p-type zinc oxide materials using nitrogen (N) as a p-type dopant. Some of these attempts are disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0170971 to Yata et al., entitled "P-type Zinc Oxide Semiconductor Film and Process for Preparation Thereof," and U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,782 to Yan et al., entitled "High Carrier Concentration P-type Transparent Conducting Oxide Films." Unfortunately, these attempts may result in zinc oxide films having only a relatively small percentage of activated p-type dopants at sufficiently shallow levels. Moreover, nitrogen may only have a limited solid solubility within zinc oxide, which operates as a limit on nitrogen activation and a limit on achieving uniform p-type dopant concentrations throughout a zinc oxide film.
Still further attempts have been made to incorporate phosphorus (P) and arsenic (As) as p-type dopants within zinc oxide films. Some of these attempts are disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0285138 to Burgener et al., entitled "Persistent P-type Group II-VI Semiconductors," and U.S. Pat. No. 6,291,085 to White et al., entitled "Zinc Oxide Films Containing P-type Dopant and Process for Preparing Same." However, arsenic and phosphorus typically have poor acceptor ionization within zinc oxide, which may result from relatively high degrees of lattice relaxation at oxygen lattice sites. This relative high degree of relaxation typically causes these dopants to act as deep acceptors rather than shallow acceptors. Moreover, because acceptor conductivity within arsenic and/or phosphorus-doped zinc oxide devices may occur as a result of electrical coupling between these dopants and native point defects, which have concentrations that are highly dependent on temperature and variations in process conditions, these devices may be thermally unstable and have characteristics that cannot be reliably reproduced. To address these problems, post-growth annealing/activation steps have been considered to improve the electrical characteristics of the zinc oxide films. Such steps are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,623 to Park et al., entitled "Method for Manufacturing Zinc Oxide Semiconductors."
Zinc oxide films can be fabricated using conventional vapor phase epitaxy (VPE) techniques, which include molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,887,736 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0020035 to Nause et al., incorporation of acceptor dopants such as arsenic, phosphorous and nitrogen can also occur in-situ. Unfortunately, because arsenic, phosphorous and nitrogen have relatively limited thermodynamic solubility in zinc oxide, only relatively low levels of electrically active acceptor impurities can typically be obtained. Furthermore, not all elements from Groups IA, IB, VA and VB of the periodic table of the elements ionize as shallow acceptors in zinc oxide. For example, some Group IA elements such as sodium and cesium appear to ionize as donors, while other Group IA elements such as rubidium and francium do not appear to contribute electromigratable charge carriers. In addition, copper, which is a Group IB element, appears to ionize isoelectronically as a deep acceptor with localized holes that may not electromigrate or drift in the presence of an electric field as required in practical semiconductor devices. It also appears that possibly all Group VB elements, including vanadium, niobium and tantalum ionize as donors as well.
Zinc oxide films fabricated using conventional processing techniques, such as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), vapor phase epitaxy (VPE) and metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) may also include crystals that are oxygen deficient resulting from the relatively low partial pressure of oxygen during fabrication. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, this oxygen deficiency may result in the compensation of introduced acceptor ions and thereby limit the concentration of p-type dopant species that contribute to conduction. Conventional MOVPE processing of zinc oxide may also be severely influenced by a relatively high degree of reactivity between oxygen and zinc atoms. This high degree of reactivity may result in the deposition of three dimensional crystals as opposed to more desirable two-dimensional crystals having characteristics that are more compatible with microelectronic devices. Accordingly, conventional MOVPE processing techniques may result in the fabrication of zinc oxide films having a high level of lattice dislocations and grain boundaries that impede device performance by operating as gettering cites for acceptors.
Additional attempts to achieve acceptor conductivities in zinc oxide also include co-doping with lithium ions to achieve highly compensated substrates and then introducing acceptor impurities as described in the aforementioned Yata et al. application, or co-doping with gallium and nitrogen impurities as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,733,895 to Kadota et al. However, co-doping may be unsuitable for semiconductor fabrication processes because different diffusion mechanisms may exist for each acceptor impurity on the zinc and/or oxygen sublattice, which can lead to thermal instability of at least one of the impurities. For example, in the case of lithium introduced as a compensating impurity in p-type zinc oxide realized through the incorporation of nitrogen, the solubility of nitrogen is reduced as the concentration of lithium increases. This variation in solubility can lead to the dominance of lithium, which is a deep acceptor, on the electrical characteristics of the zinc oxide.

Methods of forming zinc oxide based II-VI compound semiconductor layers with shallow acceptor conductivities


A display device includes a capacitor which charges or discharges, and an oscillation voltage stabilizing circuit, which prevents an abnormal oscillation by constantly maintaining the oscillation voltage of a pulse width modulation circuit which oscillates according to a time constant of a resistor. The oscillation voltage stabilizing circuit consists of: a pulse input circuit, for detecting a high voltage induced to an output transformer; a forced trigger circuit, for inverting and amplifying a pulse transmitted from the pulse input circuit, and transmitting it to a capacitor of the pulse width modulation circuit; a charge storage device, connected to a trigger terminal of the forced trigger circuit; a signal converter, for converting the output signal of the forced trigger circuit into a voltage; a voltage comparator having a first switching device which is opened or closed in accordance with the voltage transmitted from the signal converter; a control circuit having a second switching device which is opened or closed according to a state of the voltage comparator; and a resistor circuit, for varying its resistance in response to a control signal transmitted from the control circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oscillation voltage stabilizing circuit. Specifically, the present invention relates to a circuit for stabilizing the oscillator voltage of an oscillation circuit of which horizontal and high voltage circuits are separately or integrally formed.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A display device consists of a horizontal oscillator circuit, horizontal drive circuit, horizontal output circuit, and horizontal deflection yoke. A flyback transformer (FBT) is used to produce a high voltage that is stabilized by a high voltage stabilizing circuit and an X-ray protection circuit.
The following patents each disclose features of the present invention but do not teach or suggest the specifically recited oscillation voltage stabilizer thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,596 to Hamaguchi et al., entitled CRT Protector Circuit, U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,188 to Ohira, entitled High Voltage Stabilizing Circuit For Use In Color Television Receivers, U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,187 to Favreu et al., entitled Safety Circuits For A Television Receiver, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,898 to Kataoka et al., entitled High Voltage Generating Circuit.
Typically in contemporary practice a blocking oscillator circuit, in the form of an integrated circuit, is used for the horizontal oscillator circuit. The horizontal drive circuit supplies the base current for the horizontal output circuit to open or close an output transistor, and corrects the waveforms of the horizontal oscillation circuit. Since a pulse waveform can be utilized as a voltage to drive an output, the output can be directly driven only if the horizontal oscillator output is large enough. I have found however, that when the output circuit is used as an output load for an oscillator circuit, the oscillation frequency tends to be unstable because of large currents. Therefore, a drive circuit can be utilized as a buffer amplifier. The X-ray protection circuit stops the horizontal oscillator circuit when the output voltage generated by the FBT exceeds a predetermined limit. This circuit protects the horizontal and high voltage oscillator circuits when X-rays are excessively radiated, and when a lead wire is separated from a deflection yoke (DY). I have also noticed that since these horizontal and high voltage oscillator circuits do not have a stabilizing circuit, a high voltage or current caused by an abnormal oscillation in an output circuit results in circuit element damage.


The present invention relates to movable barrier systems, such as a strip door suspension systems, that can be repositioned along the length or width of a room, container, or vehicle, for example, that is temperature controlled. The system saves energy, keeps cargo at a constant temperature, and is safe to the operator.

Storing, transporting and delivering refrigerated goods requires the use of a room or vehicle equipped with a refrigeration or freezer unit or other means of cooling the air within the room or vehicle sufficiently to protect the cargo. One of the most obvious examples of such cargo is refrigerated or frozen foods or medical supplies which, if allowed to warm or thaw, are no longer useable or saleable.
If a vehicle is fully loaded at a single loading site and transported to an unloading site where it is fully unloaded, problems with respect to maintaining a sufficiently cool temperature are not necessarily encountered. However, when a vehicle is not fully loaded and/or is loaded at multiple loading sites and/or unloaded at multiple unloading sites, the risk of loss of refrigeration or increased expense for maintaining a proper refrigeration temperature increases. As delivery proceeds, the vehicle becomes partially emptied. This means that the refrigeration unit then cools not only the remaining cargo, but the empty portion of the vehicle. Each time the vehicle doors are opened and cargo is removed, cool air is lost and the warmer air that replaces it must then be cooled in order to protect the remaining cargo. As a consequence, cargo that is loaded first is also the cargo that is unloaded last and is thus subjected to the full effect of the warming and cooling cycles caused by repeatedly opening and closing the vehicle doors.
One approach to maintaining the cooling capacity of a refrigerated vehicle has been to provide a movable bulkhead that can be repositioned along the vehicle's length. The bulkhead is used to close off that portion of the vehicle that still contains refrigerated goods. However, rigid bulkheads are expensive, complex, difficult to position, heavy, and must be moved each time the goods contained behind them are loaded or unloaded. While some such bulkheads have doors that can be opened, a majority of bulkheads are solid and it is impossible to see precisely what is behind them without first moving them. Further, known bulkheads in the art feature heavy mounting hardware, and are hinged such that the entire bulkhead is lifted and then positioned along the roof of the vehicle when not in use. Such doors are difficult to repair and represent a potential safety hazard should the door hardware fail.
Strip curtains that span the width of a vehicle make it possible for a person to walk through the curtain without having to move it to one side and facilitate the on-loading and off-loading of cargo. However, where goods must be loaded in bulk, such as by forklift truck, it becomes extremely desirable to provide a way for the curtain to be moved from its position stretching across the load space to enable free access to the cargo or the cargo space. Without an easily operated structure to enable the movement of such a curtain along the vehicle length and across the vehicle width there is a tendency for the operator to use the strip curtain improperly.
Another approach to providing temperature control is a curtain or door, fashioned either from overlapping vinyl strips or insulating "blankets" consisting of fabric sandwiched around an insulating core. The strips or blankets are secured along a horizontally extending overhead member. Vinyl strips are made of lightweight translucent or transparent vinyl material, allowing the cargo behind the strips to be seen, while avoiding the storage and manipulation problems inherent in the use of heavy, rigid bulkheads. Such strip curtains have been modified for use in vehicles by providing a horizontally extending aluminum support member from which the individual strips are suspended, and a track-and-trolley extending along the upper walls of the vehicle proximate the roof, whereby the horizontally extending support member can be positioned at various specific sites along the length of the vehicle (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,031 to Truckenbrodt). However, that patent discloses a locking system that can only engage with a series of holes placed at set intervals along the rail system it employs. In addition, the operator must undo the lock on one end of the system and pivot the system in order to move it to a different position in the vehicle. Such pivoting is difficult and dangerous if the operator is moving the system to the rear of a vehicle, because it requires the operator to leave the vehicle and step onto the ground, a docking board, scissor lift, or fork lift, thereby posing a safety issue. Another type of strip door, such as that manufactured by Kason Industries, is stationary and cannot be moved forward or backward inside a vehicle. Yet another system used in the past involves the permanent installation of a horizontal support member to the vehicle wall at a hinge which allows the strip curtain to be stored along the side wall of the vehicle, but does not allow the curtain to be repositioned along the length of the vehicle.
Accordingly, the need exists for a lightweight, ergonomically designed, low maintenance, and flexible thermally insulating barrier that may be positioned at any point along the length of a vehicle, thereby varying the air space required to be cooled, while at the same time providing structure that enables the barrier to be moved to a loading or storage position along side one of the trailer's side walls.


2F1 polypeptides are provided, along with DNA sequences, expression vectors and transformed host cells useful in producing the polypeptides. Soluble 2F1 polypeptides find use in inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis and treating inflammation.

The type I interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1RI) mediates the biological effects of interleukin-1, a pro-inflammatory cytokine (Sims et al., Science 241:585–589, 1988; Curtis et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:3045–3049, 1989). A second interleukin-1 receptor (designated type II IL-1R or IL-1RII) binds IL-1, but does not appear to mediate signal transduction (McMahan et al., EMBO J. 10:2821, 1991; Sims et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:6155–6159, 1993). IL-1RI and IL-1RII each bind IL-1α and IL-1β.
IL-1RI and IL-1RII belong to a family of proteins that exhibit significant sequence homology. One such protein is IL-1R accessory protein (IL-1R AcP), described in Greenfeder et al. (J. Biol. Chem. 270: 13757–13765, 1995). This protein, by itself, is not capable of binding IL-1, but does form a complex with IL-1RI and either IL-1α and IL-1β. When co-expressed with IL-1-RI, recombinant IL-1R AcP increases the binding affinity of IL-1RI for IL-1β (Greenfeder et al., supra).
The protein variously known as ST2, ST2L, T1, or Fit-1 also is a member of the IL-1R family, but does not bind IL-1. Cloning of mouse and rat cDNAs encoding membrane-bound and secreted forms of this protein has been reported (Klemenz et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:5708, 1989; Tominaga, FEBS LETTERS 258:301, 1989; Yanagisawa et al., FEBS LETTERS 318:83, 1993; Bergers et al., EMBO J. 13:1176, 1994). Human ST2 cDNA and genomic clones have been isolated as well (Tominaga et al. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1171:215, 1992).
Other proteins exhibiting significant sequence homology with IL-1RI are murine MyD88 (Lord et al., Oncogene 5: 1095–1097, 1990), human rsc786 (Nomura et al., DNA Res. 1:27–35, 1994), and a number of Drosophila proteins, the best characterized of which is Toll (Hashimoto et al., Cell 52, 269–279, 1988). The tobacco N gene (Whitham et al., Cell 78:1101–1115, 1994) is among the additional IL-1R family members.
MyD88, rsc786, Toll, and the tobacco N gene product contain domains exhibiting significant homology to the cytoplasmic domain of the IL-1RI. The IL-1R AcP and ST2 proteins exhibit sequence similarity to IL-1RI in both their extracellular and cytoplasmic portions. The B16R protein of vaccinia virus (Goebel et al., Virology 179:247, 1990) appears to be a viral homolog of IL-1RII.
Identification of additional receptors of this family is desirable. Such receptor proteins can be studied to determine whether or not they bind IL-1, and, if so, whether the receptors play a role in mediating signal transduction. The possible existence of additional affinity-converting subunits for receptors of this family can be explored, as well.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Antibodies that bind receptor protein designated 2F1


There is provided a method for manufacturing a stator core for an axial air-gap electronic motor, in which core sheets are laminatedly fixed while being shifted with predetermined intervals. The method includes a step in which first side surfaces in the circumferential direction (first slot surfaces 25) of the first to nth (n is a positive integer) core sheets are blanked out of a mother sheet 60 by moving first blanking punches 360 with predetermined intervals via a first control means 700; and a second blanking step in which second side surfaces in the circumferential direction (second slot surfaces 26) of the first to nth (n is a positive integer) core sheets are blanked in succession by moving a second blanking punch 460 with predetermined intervals via a second control means 700.

For example, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-282989, an axial air-gap electronic motor is formed so that a rotor is arranged along the axis direction of a rotor output shaft opposedly on both sides (or on one side) of a disc-shaped stator with a predetermined gap being provided therebetween. The axial air-gap electronic motor has an advantage of being capable of being made small in size because the axial length thereof can be shortened.
The stator has a plurality of stator cores (core members), and the stator cores are arranged in an annular shape around a bearing portion provided in the center, and are molded integrally by synthetic resin. The stator core for the axial air-gap electronic motor is formed by laminating a plurality of core sheets along the radial direction. To increase the torque, the stator core is contrived to increase the teeth area by being formed into a trapezoidal shape such that the width in the circumferential direction increases gradually from the center side to the outside.
Also, in some stator cores, a configuration also has been proposed in which the side surface in the circumferential direction (slot surface) is provided with a skew to restrain the occurrence of cogging torque. However, the manufacture of the stator core for the axial air-gap electronic motor has problems described below.
In the case of the stator core for the axial air-gap electronic motor, unlike the inner rotor electronic motor, the stator cores are laminated along the radial direction. Therefore, since the teeth surface must be formed into a trapezoidal shape, the shape of core sheet must be changed one by one. Also, since the shape must be changed every one sheet, blanking dies corresponding to the number of core sheets are needed, which increases the production cost.
Also, in order for the slot surface to take a slantwise shape, the core sheets must be laminated while shifting slightly one by one, which takes much time and labor. Further, since the core sheets are laminated in a shifted state, the positioning requires a technique.

Method for manufacturing a stator core for an axial air-gap electronic motor


Improved casing strings, and methods of using improved casing strings in subterranean cementing operations, are provided. An example of an apparatus is a pipe string comprising at least one pipe section and a delivery system of an activator. Another example of an apparatus is a pipe string comprising at least one pipe section and a delivery system of a set retarder. An example of a method is a method of cementing in a subterranean formation. Other examples of methods are methods of cementing in a subterranean formation comprising a well bore.

The present invention relates to subterranean cementing operations, and more particularly, to improved casing strings, and methods of using such improved casing strings in subterranean cementing operations.
Hydraulic cement compositions commonly are utilized in subterranean operations, particularly subterranean well completion and remedial operations. For example, hydraulic cement compositions are used in primary cementing operations whereby pipe strings, such as casings and liners, are cemented in well bores. In typical primary cementing operations, hydraulic cement compositions are pumped into the annular space between the walls of a well bore and the exterior surface of the pipe string disposed therein. The cement composition is permitted to set in the annular space, thereby forming an annular sheath of hardened substantially impermeable cement therein that substantially supports and positions the pipe string in the well bore and bonds the exterior surface of the pipe string to the walls of the well bore. Conventionally, two common pumping methods have been used to place the cement composition in the annulus. First, the cement composition may be pumped down the inner diameter of the pipe string, out through a casing shoe and/or circulation valve at the bottom of the pipe string and up through the annulus to its desired location. This is referred to as a conventional-circulation direction method. Second, the cement composition may be pumped directly down the annulus so as to displace well fluids present in the annulus by pushing it through the casing shoe and up into the inner diameter of the pipe string. This is referred to as a reverse-circulation direction method.
In reverse-circulation methods, it is generally undesirable for the cement composition to enter the inner diameter of the pipe string from the annulus through the casing shoe and/or circulation valve. This often is the case, because any resultant set cement typically must be drilled out before further operations are conducted in the well bore. The drill out procedure may be avoided by preventing the cement composition from entering the inner diameter of the pipe string through the casing shoe and/or circulation valve.

Methods of using casing strings in subterranean cementing operations


The invention concerns a catalyst comprising at least one matrix and at least one zeolite of structure type mazzite, preferably omega zeolite, comprising silicon and aluminium, at least partially, preferably practically completely in its acid form, said zeolite having been prepared by dealuminization of the framework, by means of at least one treatment using at least one solution of a fluorosilicate of a cation in a proportion of 0.05 to 5 moles per mole of aluminium contained in the dry zeolite, said catalyst optionally comprising at least one element selected from groups IB and VIII of the periodic classification of the elements. The invention also concerns the use of said catalyst for the dismutation of alkylaromatic hydrocarbons, and preferably for the dismutation of toluene to produce benzene and xylenes, and/or for the transalkylation of alkylaromatic hydrocarbons, preferably for the transalkylation of toluene and trimethylbenzenes to produce xylenes.

The mazzite present in the catalyst of the invention can optionally have undergone post-synthesis modifications such as dealuminization by means of at least one treatment with at least one solution comprising at least one fluorosilicate salt such as ammonium hexafluorosilicate, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,023, which describes such a treatment for a number of zeolites and, depending on the nature of the zeolite, can produce a degree of dealuminization of at least 30%, or European patent application EP-A-0 573 347, which concerns a mordenite based catalyst thus modified, the concentration of the salt being particularly low with respect to that used in the previous patent, and its use for the isomerization of alkylaromatic compounds containing 8 carbon atoms per molecule.
Surprisingly, a catalyst comprising at least one matrix and at least one zeolite of structure type mazzite, at least partially acid, which has been prepared by at least one treatment with at least one solution of a fluorosilicate of a cation in a proportion of 0.05 to 5 moles per mole of aluminum contained in the dry zeolite, preferably between 0.06 and 4 moles per mole of aluminum contained in the dry zeolite, said prepared zeolite having an Si/Al ratio of the external surface of the zeolite crystals increased of a percentage comprised between 10 and 500%, preferably between 30 and 400% as compared to the Si/Al ratio of the starting zeolite. The catalyst optionally comprising at least one element selected from groups IB and VIII of the periodic classification of the elements, results in improved catalytic performances with respect to prior art catalysts, in particular as regards selectivities, for the dismutation reactions of alkylaromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene, and/or for the transalkylation of alkylaromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene and trimethylbenzenes.
The invention concerns a catalyst comprising at least one matrix (or binder) and at least one zeolite of structure type mazzite, preferably omega zeolite, at least partially, preferably practically completely, in its acid form, comprising silicon and aluminum, which zeolite has been prepared by at least one treatment using at least one solution of a fluorosilicate of a cation in a proportion of 0.05 to 5, preferably 0.06 to 4 moles per mole of aluminium contained in the dry zeolite, said prepared zeolite having an Si/Al ratio of the external surface of the zeolite crystals increased of a percentage comprised between 10 and 500%, preferably between 30 and 400% as compared to the Si/Al ratio of the starting zeolite. The catalyst optionally comprising at least one element selected from the group formed by groups IB and VIII of the periodic classification of the elements.
The matrix is generally selected from members of the group formed by clays (for example from natural clays such as kaolin or bentonite), magnesia, aluminas, silicas, titanium oxide, boron oxide, zirconia, aluminum phosphates, titanium phosphates, zirconium phosphates and silica-aluminas, preferably from members of the group formed by aluminas and clays.
The zeolite with structure type mazzite of the invention is generally selected from the group formed by omega zeolite, mazzite, LZ-202 zeolite or ZSM-4 zeolite, preferably omega zeolite, with a principal pore diameter of about 7.4 .ANG. and with a monodimensional microporous network ("Atlas of Zeolite Structure Types", W. M. Meier and D. H. Olson, 3.sup.rd edition. 1992).
The framework dealuminization step by treatment with at least one solution comprising at least one fluorosilicate salt can optionally take place after a more conventional extraction step such as the dealuminization step described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,436.
The catalyst of the invention generally contains 10% to 99%. preferably 20% to 95%, of zeolite with structure type mazzite, preferably omega zeolite, at least partially, preferably practically completely in its acid form. When the catalyst of the present invention contains at least one element selected from the group formed by groups IB and VIII of the periodic classification of the elements, the content of said element(s) is generally in the range 0.01% to 10% by weight, preferably in the range 0.05% to 7% by weight, and more preferably in the range 0.10% to 5% by weight. The complement to 100% generally consists of the matrix in the catalyst.
The invention also concerns the preparation of said zeolite with structure type mazzite and said catalyst.
The zeolite with structure type mazzite comprised in the catalyst used in accordance with the invention, comprising silicon and aluminum, has a global Si/Al atomic ratio in the range 3.2 to 100, preferably in the range 6 to 80, and more preferably in the range 8 to 60, also a sodium content of less than 0.6% by weight with respect to the dry zeolite weight, preferably less than 0.1% by weight.
The zeolite with structure type mazzite of the invention is prepared by dealuminization of an unrefined synthesized zeolite with structure type mazzite using any method which is known to the skilled person, in particular the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,436 when T is aluminum, i.e., a calcining step is carried out in a stream of dry air, to eliminate the organic structuring agent occluded in the microporosity of the zeolite, followed by at least one ion exchange step using at least one NH.sub.4 NO.sub.3 solution, to eliminate practically all alkaline cations, in particular sodium, present in the cationic position in the zeolite, then at least one framework dealuminization cycle comprising at least one calcining step in the presence of steam at a temperature which is generally in the range 550.degree. C. to 850.degree. C., followed by at least one acid attack step.
The zeolite undergoes at least one treatment with at least one dilute cation fluorosilicate solution, preferably at least one dilute solution of ammonium hexafluorosilicate, generally comprising between 0.05 and 5, preferably between 0.06 and 4, moles per aluminum mole present in the dry zeolite. The external Si/Al ratio is specifically increased, in a percentage of at least 10% and at most 500% and preferably at least 30% and at most 400% as compared to the Si/Al ratio of the starting zeolite.
The framework dealuminization cycle for the zeolite with structure type mazzite, comprising at least one calcining step carried out in steam and at least one attack step in an acid medium, can be repeated as many times as is necessary to obtain the dealuminized zeolite with structure type mazzite with the desired characteristics. Similarly, following calcining in steam, a number of successive acid attack steps using different concentrations of acid solutions can be carried out.
The fluorosilicate used as the dealuminizing agent for the zeolitic framework and as a source of silicon, thus allowing re-insertion of silicon atoms into the crystalline network of the zeolite in place of the aluminum atoms which are extracted, is selected from fluorosilicate salts with the following formula: M.sub.2/x SiF.sub.6 where M is a metallic or non-metallic cation with valency x. The cation M can thus be selected from the group formed by NH.sub.4.sup.+, ammonium alkyls, K.sup.+, Na.sup.+, Li.sup.+, Ba.sup.2+, Mg.sup.2+, Cd.sup.2+, Cu.sup.+, Cu.sup.2+, Ca.sup.2+, Cs.sup.30 , Fe.sup.2+, Co.sup.2+, Pb.sup.2+, Mn.sup.2+, Rb.sup.+, Ag.sup.+, Sr.sup.2+, Zn.sup.2+, Ti.sup.+ and H.sup.+.
Preferably, ammonium hexafluorosilicate is used as it leads to the formation of the ammonium salt (NH.sub.4).sub.3 AlF.sub.6 which is soluble in water and can thus be eliminated easily. In general, the temperature at which the zeolite with structure type mazzite is treated with ammonium hexafluorosilicate is in the range 20.degree. C. to 100.degree. C., preferably in the range 50.degree. C. to 100.degree. C. The quantities of ammonium hexafluorosilicate used are calculated with respect to a zeolite which is dried in a stream of air, at 450.degree. C., for 4 hours. The zeolite with structure type mazzite is treated in the presence of ammonium acetate which buffers the pH of the reaction medium to values which are in the range 4 to 8, preferably in the range 5.5 to 7. at which pH values the Framework of the zeolite is not destroyed by direct acid attack.
After addition of the ammonium hexafluorosilicate solution to the suspension of the zeolite of structure type mazzite in an ammonium acetate solution, the reaction mixture is vigorously stirred at the desired temperature for a period which is in the range 30 minutes to 48 hours, preferably in the range 1 to 2 hours.
The zeolite with structure type mazzite is then filtered at the reaction temperature and washed with abundant quantities of boiling water. The volume of boiling water used to carry out the washes corresponds to v/w=150 ml/g (the ratio v/w is the ratio of the volume of boiling water to the quantity of dry zeolite treated).
After this treatment, the zeolite with modified structure type mazzite undergoes heat treatment to decompose the ammonium cations present in the network and obtain the acid form of the zeolite.
Thus the zeolite with structure type mazzite obtained has a sodium content of less than 2000 ppm by weight with respect to the weight of dry omega zeolite, and a global Si/Al atomic ratio which is in the range 3.2 to 100, preferably in the range 6 to 80, and more preferably in the range 8 to 60.
The external Si/Al ratio of the zeolite thus obtained is in the range of 10 to 500% and preferably 30 to 400% more than the unmodified zeolite.
The characteristics of the zeolite with structure type mazzite can be measured by the following techniques:
the Si/Al atomic ratio is determined by X ray fluorescence and by silicon 29 nuclear magnetic resonance, PA1 the sodium content is determined by atomic absorption; PA1 the elementary cell volume and crystallinity are determined by X ray diffraction, the omega zeolite sample being prepared as described in the method in standard ASTM D3942 80 set up for faujasite.
The catalyst can be prepared using any method which is known to the skilled person. In general, it is obtained by mixing the matrix and the zeolite then forming. The optional element from the group formed by groups IB and VIII of the periodic classification of the elements can be introduced either before forming, or during mixing, or to the zeolite itself before mixing it, or, as is preferable, after forming. Forming is generally followed by calcining, generally at a temperature which is in the range 250.degree. C. to 600.degree. C. The optional element from the group formed by groups IB and VIII of the periodic classification of the elements can be introduced after said calcining step. In all cases, the element is generally chosen to be deposited either, as is preferable, practically completely on the zeolite, or practically completely on the matrix, or partially on the zeolite and partially on the matrix, the choice being effected, in a manner which is known to the skilled person, by means of the parameters used during said deposition, such as the nature of the precursor selected to effect said deposition.
The element from groups IB or VIII, preferably selected from the group formed by Ag, Ni and Pt, and more preferably Ni, can also be deposited on the zeolite-matrix mixture which has been pre-formed using any procedure which is known to the skilled person. Such deposition is generally carried out by the techniques of dry impregnation, ion exchange(s) or co-precipitation. When ion exchange is carried out using precursors based on silver, nickel or platinum, the salts which are generally used are silver salts such as chlorides or nitrates, a tetramine complex of platinum, or nickel salts such as chlorides, nitrates, acetates or formates. The ion exchange technique can also be used to deposit the metal directly on the zeolite powder before optional mixing with a matrix.
When the catalyst contains a plurality of metals, these latter can be introduced either in the same way or using different techniques, before or after forming and in any order. When the technique used is ion exchange, a plurality of successive exchanges may he necessary to introduce the required quantities of metals.
As an example, one preferred method for preparing the catalyst of the invention consists of mixing the zeolite in a wet matrix gel (generally obtained by mixing at least one acid and a matrix powder), for example alumina, for the time required to obtain good homogeneity of the paste thus produced, i.e., for about ten minutes, for example, then passing the paste through a die to form extrudates with a diameter which is, for example, in the range 0.4 to 4 mm. After oven drying for several minutes at 100.degree. C. and after calcining, for example for 2 hours at 400.degree. C. the optional element, for example nickel, can be deposited, for example by ion exchange, said deposit being followed by final calcining, for example for 2 hours at 400.degree. C.
The catalyst of the invention is generally formed so that the catalyst is preferably in the form of pellets, aggregates, extrudates or spherules, depending on its use.
Catalyst preparation is generally finished by calcining, termed final calcining, normally at a temperature which is in the range 250.degree. C. to 600.degree. C. preferably preceded by drying, for example oven drying, at a temperature which is generally in the range from ambient temperature to 250.degree. C. preferably in the range 40.degree. C. to 200.degree. C. The drying step is preferably carried out during the period of temperature rise required to carry out the calcining step.
The invention also concerns the use of the catalyst for the dismutation of alkylaromatic hydrocarbons, preferably for the dismutation of toluene to produce benzene and xylenes, and/or for the transalkylation of alkylaromatic hydrocarbons. preferably transalkylation of generally C.sub.9.sup.+ alkylaromatic hydrocarbons (i.e., containing at least 9 carbon atoms per molecule), such as transalkylation and/or dismutation of toluene and/or C), alkylaromatics to produce xylenes. The feed for such a process can comprise 0 to 100% of C.sub.9.sup.+ alkylaromatics and 0 to 100% of toluene.
The operating conditions are generally as follows: a temperature which is in the range 250.degree. C. to 600.degree. C., preferably in the range 330.degree. C. to 500.degree. C.: a pressure which is in the range 10 to 60 bar, preferably in the range 20 to 45 bar; a supply space velocity, expressed in kilograms of feed introduced per kilogram of catalyst per hour, in the range 0.1 to 10, preferably in the range 0.5 to 4: and a hydrogen to hydrocarbons molar ratio which is in the range 2 to 20, preferably in the range 3 to 12.
The following examples illustrate the invention without in any way limiting its scope.

Zeolite based catalyst of modified mazzite structure type and its use for the dismutation and/or transalkylation of alkylaromatic hydrocarbons


A data collecting device collects operation data of facility equipment that constitute a facility device control system. Upon receiving a collection data request command from a monitoring device, the data collecting device reads one or multiple items of operation data of the type specified by the collection data request command from among multiple items of collected operation data, and sends to the monitoring device response data wherein the read data is stored in a prescribed format. When a user inputs an operation that requests monitoring of operation data, the monitoring device has the user select a desired operation data type from among the operation data types that can be disclosed to the user, and sends to the data collecting device a collection data request command wherein the selected operation data type is specified. Upon receiving the response data from the data collecting device, the monitoring device displays, in the prescribed format, one or multiple items of operation data included in the response data.

A data collecting device for collecting data (hereafter referred to as operation data) indicating the operating status of various facility equipment in a so-called facility equipment control system installed in a building and/or the like has been known from before.
In the above-described case, an operator accomplishing work such as maintenance and/or the like on the facility equipment control system must periodically go to the location (for example, a prescribed location inside a building in which the facility equipment control system is installed) where the data collecting device is located in order to do work. That is to say, it is necessary for the operator to accomplish work such as confirming at that location operation data collected by the data collecting device or storing such data on a mobile information terminal and/or the like for purposes of detailed analysis. Consequently, this work is extremely labor intensive.
Hence, various technologies have been proposed for monitoring operation data remotely so operation data can be swiftly confirmed without the operator needing to go to the location.
For example, Patent Literature 1 proposes a data collecting device for collecting operation data in accordance with collection items by storing and interpreting item definition files defining collection items for operation data.
In addition, Patent Literature 2 proposes a facility equipment control system comprising a station for compressing and transmitting operation data related to air conditioning equipment, and a management device connected to the station, for receiving operation data.

Remote monitoring system, data collecting device and monitoring device


One embodiment of the present invention relates to a light-emitting device comprising an insulating surface; a lower electrode over the insulating surface; a protrusion over the insulating surface having a sidewall sloping toward the lower electrode; a light-transmitting partition overlapping with an end portion of the lower electrode and the sidewall of the protrusion; and a light-emitting element including the lower electrode, an upper electrode overlapping with the lower electrode, and a layer containing a light-emitting organic compound between the lower electrode and the upper electrode. In the light-emitting device, the sidewall of the protrusion can reflect light emitted from the light-emitting element. As a result, the light-emitting device that has reduced power consumption is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an object, a method, or a fabrication method. In addition, the present invention relates to a process, a machine, manufacture, or a composition of matter. Specifically, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device, a display device, a light-emitting device, or a fabrication method thereof, for example. More specifically, the present invention relates to a light-emitting module, a light-emitting panel, and a light-emitting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A structure including, between a first substrate and a second substrate, a first electrode provided over the first substrate, a second electrode provided over the first electrode with a layer containing a light-emitting organic compound provided therebetween, and a sacrifice layer formed using a liquid material and provided over the second electrode is known (Patent Document 1).

Light-emitting module, light-emitting panel, and light-emitting device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A zener diode capable of breakdown at much higher voltages than in the prior art is fabricated by providing a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type having an opposite conductivity type first tank disposed therein. The first tank includes relatively lower and relatively higher resistivity portions, the relatively lower doped portion isolating the relatively higher doped portion from the substrate. A first region of first conductivity type is disposed in the higher doped portion and a second region of opposite conductivity type and more highly doped than the first tank is spaced from the first region. Structure is provided between the first and second regions for repelling majority charge carriers associated with the opposite conductivity type which can be a field plate spaced from the first tank; a portion at the surface of the first tank having the first conductivity type; or a tank, of first conductivity type disposed in the first tank, abutting the first region, extending more deeply into the first tank than does the first region and more lightly doped than the first region. In accordance with a further embodiment, the diode includes a semiconductor substrate, a first tank portion disposed in the substrate and a second tank portion disposed in the first tank portion as in the prior embodiments. A first region of first conductivity type is disposed in the second tank portion and extends into the first tank portion. A second region of opposite conductivity type more highly doped than the first tank portion is disposed in the first tank portion and spaced from the first region.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to zener diodes and, more specifically, to zener diodes having a relatively high reverse breakdown voltage.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Zener diodes are a well known electronic components which have the property of acting as normal diodes in a circuit with conduction taking place in only one direction. However, if the voltage across the zener diode in the reverse direction reaches some known value, the diode will break down and conduct in the reverse direction. In most power integrated circuit designs, zener diodes are utilized for snubbing stacks and for protection of voltages across terminals. At present, low voltage NPN zener diode structures, generally with a breakdown voltage in the range of about 6 volts, are used to provide the above-described protection. The zener diode junction is formed by the base-to-emitter breakdown of an NPN device.
A disadvantage of the above-described structure is the low zener diode breakdown voltage. In many instances, a zener diode with a larger breakdown voltage, if available, would result in the need to implement fewer components. For example, gate-to-source voltage V.sub.gs protection zener diodes require that such protection be close to, but not exceed 20 volts. With 6.5 volt zener diodes, there would be a requirement for two such zener diodes and several base-to-emitter voltage V.sub.be to achieve the breakdown voltage. Another example is a low-side drain-to-gate snub stack where large voltages are required. There, the voltage involved is, for example, 60 volts, thereby requiring a large number of zener diodes for protection. This translates into the requirement that a large amount of die area must be used for the zener diodes alone, which is not economical. It is therefore apparent that a zener diode with a higher breakdown characteristic which also requires no additional die area or, at most, minimally more die area, would be highly desirable.
Another disadvantage with the NPN zener diode is that it requires additional process extensions in the fabrication process. Any process which would reduce the number of processing steps generally provides an economic advantage and this is always sought.
A further disadvantage is the problem of premature breakdown, also known as "punch through", of the NPN zener diode base region to the substrate. This occurs when the base region is brought up to a high enough potential to cause undesirable breakdown between the zener diode and the substrate.

Zener diode structure with high reverse breakdown voltage


Provided is a display device including a display substrate, an opposite substrate and a liquid crystal layer. The display substrate has a plurality of pixel areas and a first side curved along a first direction. The opposite substrate faces the display substrate and is coupled to the display substrate to be curved along the first direction. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the display substrate and the opposite substrate. In each of the plurality of pixel areas, a plurality of domains are arranged in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and a side of at least one of the plurality of domains is tilted with respect to the first side.

The present disclosure herein relates to a display panel and a curved display device including the same, and more particularly, to a display device having a curved display region.
Display devices, like a liquid crystal display device, are used for displaying images in various information processing devices, such as televisions, monitors, and laptop computers. Recently, a curved display device that has a curved shape and thus provides a curved display region has been developed. The curved display device may provide a user with an image having an enhanced three-dimensional effect, immersive effect and presence effect by using a curved display region.


A sanitary article, particularly a sanitary fitting or plumbing fitting, having a coated surface, in which on a coating face and/or below a coating face is provided at least one print image which color-contrasts with the coating.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sanitary article, particularly a sanitary fitting or a plumbing fitting, having a coated surface. The invention also relates to a process for applying a surface coating to a sanitary article.
2. Background
Sanitary fittings and plumbing fittings are normally made from metals such as e.g. brass and for corrosion protection purposes have a surface chromium plating. The chromium plating leads to a uniform, silver-colored, smooth surface and therefore also has a decorative effect. Over the last few years the trend in the sanitary sector has increasingly been towards colored fittings. Therefore processes have been developed for giving a colored coating to sanitary articles, e.g. by varnishing, lacquering, electrolyte or powder coating. It is known to carry out coating with a powder varnish based on thermosetting plastics, which harden or cure at elevated temperatures. However, this only leads to few possibilities for decorative and in particular multicolor designs. There are also problems when combining the colored coating with metallic decors, such as e.g. gold decors, so that the manufacturing process is made more complicated and expensive. There is also a need for sanitary articles, which both for ornamental and informative purposes can be provided with permanent, pictorial representations or inscriptions.
The problem of the present invention is therefore to make available a sanitary article having a coated surface which, in addition to the protection function, can also fulfill decorative and informative functions, whilst also being simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Sanitary article or plumbing fitting with a coated surface and a print image applied thereto and a process for making the same


Disclosed embodiments relate to computing devices simultaneously pairing with multiple near-field communication (NFC) devices. In one example, a system includes a processor and a touchscreen having a top layer logically partitioned into N zones overlaying a three-dimensional antenna having multiple layers together including at least N NFC antennae, and wherein the processor is configured to: map each of the N zones to one or more closest NFC antennae, display a user interface on the top layer, and when each of two or more NFC devices touches a respective touchscreen zone, select an NFC antenna to establish a peer-to-peer connection with the NFC device, read NFC tag data from the NFC device, and pass the NFC tag data to the application.

Tabletop board games offer opportunities for friends and family to bond, share, and connect while playing games together. In contrast to console video gaming systems that focus on a television screen, Tabletop games allow friends and family to meet elbow-to-elbow, huddled around a common focus point. Indeed, myriad tabletop games exist, both in the past and the present, that can be enjoyed together and offer opportunities to connect.
Additional benefits can be derived from games that involve valuable, collectible game pieces. For example, Dungeons & Dragons Amiibo, and Magic the Gathering are gaming system for which valuable statues, figurines, and similar game items can be collected and traded. Several trading card games also offer collectible game cards that can make for stronger play and offer a point of pride and discussion among players.
Unfortunately, storing and maintaining such games and collectible game pieces, not to mention lugging them from place to place, is a challenge.

Virtual game console using multiple NFC devices simultaneously


A semiconductor device mounting socket is disclosed that is fixed to a motherboard and is used for mounting a surface mounted semiconductor device on the motherboard. The semiconductor device mounting socket includes a bracket that is fixed to the motherboard and a pad pitch converting member that is arranged within the bracket. The pad pitch converting member includes an upper face on which semiconductor device side pads are arranged at a first pitch corresponding to the pitch of pads of the surface mounted semiconductor device, and a lower face on which motherboard side pads that are electrically connected to the semiconductor device side pads are arranged at a second pitch that is different from the first pitch. The surface mounted semiconductor device is arranged above the pad pitch converting member within the bracket.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device mounting socket that is used for mounting a BGA (Ball Grid Array) semiconductor device or a LGA (Land Grid Array) semiconductor device on a motherboard.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor device mounting socket is used to mount a BGA semiconductor device or a LGA semiconductor device on a motherboard in order to facilitate exchange of the semiconductor device when the semiconductor device breaks down. In this case, the semiconductor device mounting socket is fixed to the motherboard and the semiconductor device is detachably arranged on the semiconductor device socket.
It is noted that a semiconductor device mounting socket includes a frame-shaped bracket into which a semiconductor device is arranged and an anisotropic conductive sheet.
The semiconductor device mounting socket is fixed to the motherboard, and the anisotropic conductive sheet is arranged within the bracket so that the semiconductor device comes into contact with the anisotropic conductive sheet upon engaging the bracket. In this way, electrical connection is made between pads of the semiconductor device and pads of the motherboard via the anisotropic conductive sheet, and the semiconductor device is mounted on the motherboard.
In the case of using the semiconductor device mounting socket as is described above, the arrangement of the pads within a semiconductor device mounting region of the motherboard normally has to correspond to the pitch of the pads of the BGA semiconductor device or the LGA semiconductor device.
However, in recent years and continuing, the pitch of the pads of the BGA semiconductor device and the LGA semiconductor device is decreasing to about 0.5 mm. In turn, the pitch of the pads arranged on the motherboard has to be narrowed as well. When the pitch of the pads on the motherboard is narrowed, the number of layers making up the motherboard has to be increased, and as a result, the cost for manufacturing the motherboard is increased.


A subscriber interface operating as a Personal Agent is provided to simplify, enhance and integrate the currently fragmented telephone services The Personal Agent enables the subscriber to access and activate telephone network services using voice recognition technology. The subscriber interface is seamlessly integrated with the telephone network to enable the subscriber to perform one or more activation and deactivation commands of telephone features, initiate a call, and take calls at their discretion. The subscriber interface also enables the subscriber to administer the options that tailor the system to the subscriber. Access and activation of telephone features are enabled by the subscriber using voice commands. In particular, the present invention integrates Calling Line ID (CLID) with the names identified in a voice dialing personal directory and/or Name Display database to enable the user to use spoken names to instruct the various telephone features to work specifically on particular lines, e.g. "Call Forward all calls to voice mail except for "Mom". The voice dialing directory (or Name Display database) can then be used to identify "mom"'s phone number(s) which would be matched against the incoming CLIDs to determine how to route incoming calls.

Telephone service subscribers have, in the last five to ten years, been offered a plethora of new communication services which have in theory been provided to facilitate the subscriber's use of the telephone network. Some of these new services may be subscribed from a telephone service provider on a monthly or on a per-call basis, depending on the type of service.
Although most of these will be known to persons skilled in the art of telephony, these new services are briefly reviewed for convenience and to illustrate to some extent what some people call telephone service overload.
These include:
i) Calling Number/Name Identification which lets the subscriber see using an appropriate display, the name and/or the number of the caller before the call is answered;
ii) Call Answer Service which automatically answers the subscriber's calls if the subscriber is unavailable or on the phone. This service provides callers with a personal greeting recorded by the subscriber and enables incoming callers to leave a message;
iii) Extension Call Answer Service which provides personal answering for up to four people. Callers are given a personal greeting and offered a selection of the person they want to leave a message for;
iv) Residential Voice Mail service is a service which gives the subscriber ability to send messages to other Call Answer subscribers without ringing their telephone set or talking to them directly.
v) Call Waiting Service which lets the subscriber know if another call from a third party is waiting while the subscriber is on line with another party.
vi) Spontaneous Caller Identification with Call Waiting is an enhancement to call waiting service which enables subscribers with a special display telephone to see the calling number/name identification of an incoming third party call while being on line.
vii) Distinctive Ringing provides the subscriber with a number of distinguishing rings to allow the subscriber to identify the number being called.
viii) Basic Call Screening is a service offered to telephone subscribers wherein up to twelve numbers of the subscriber's choice are directed to a recording that tells the caller that the subscriber is not available. With this service, the telephone will not ring if any one of those twelve callers dials the subscriber's telephone number. The subscriber can add or delete numbers at any time.
ix) Three-Way Calling Service enables the subscriber to talk with two other people at different locations at the same time.
x) Call Return Service provides the subscriber with the telephone number of the last person who called whether the call was answered or not.
xi) Call Again or Busy Call Return is a derivation of Call Return wherein the service monitors a busy line for a predetermined amount of time without the subscriber having to redial the number continuously until the connection is made.
xii) Call Forwarding Service enables the subscriber to transfer calls from one telephone to another.
xiii) Speed Calling Service enables subscribers to make use of abbreviated dialing for a certain number of telephone numbers.
As can be seen from the above, telephone service subscribers can be offered several different telephone features; in fact, several more are being developed. Most features require the subscriber to use one or more codes in association with the (*) and/or (#) keys to activate and deactivate the feature.
The problem associated with the offering of these services is that the subscriber is required to remember and make use of predetermined activation codes to operate and access each service. Thus, even though these services are provided to assist the subscriber in controlling incoming and outgoing calls, it has made the use of all of these services that much more difficult to operate by the subscriber.
Obviously, the vast majority of subscribers will not remember which code to use and therefore have to make use of one or more reminder cards showing activation and deactivation codes. If a card is lost, the subscriber has to contact the service provider for advice in using the service or feature.
This is not only annoying and cumbersome to most users, but also can cause the subscriber to cancel the service after just a few months of use.
In addition, because of these shortcomings, the majority of these services are rarely used to their full potential.
Recently, developments have been made to facilitate the use of one or more of these telephone network services. However, these efforts are being directed towards call screening and prioritization of incoming calls as opposed to integrating and assisting the subscriber with the use of all of these telephone services.
For example, PCT Publication No. WO91/07838 published May 30, 1991 describes a method and apparatus for providing call screening and forwarding for calls directed to a subscriber.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,578 which issued to Brennan describes a personal communication service with mobility manager which enables a subscriber to tailor the telephone service to provide communication mobility and incoming call management. Calls to a personal number assigned to the subscriber are routed to a PCS service node which will reroute the call according to the subscriber's service profile stored in a database. The service node ensures that attempts to communicate with the subscriber are handled with appropriate consideration for who is calling, when the call is made, and the urgency of the call. The subscriber is given control over how the system will work for them in routing incoming calls.
Although the aforementioned prior art inventions have helped the subscriber in using call screening and prioritization services, they are still quite limited and problematic for the subscriber. For example, one of the problems associated with the PCS system described in each of the aforementioned prior art documents, is that they operate as an adjunct to the subscriber's telephone service. What this means, is that the subscriber is required to dial a pre-determined number to access the subscriber's profile. In addition, any changes to the mobility and incoming call management profile of the subscriber can only be done using lengthy and complicated interactive voice response (IVR) interfaces. Also, since the PCS service requires the use of a unique telephone number in order to make use of the screening and call routing capabilities of the system, the control of incoming calls can only be made if callers dial this unique telephone number. That is, callers having access to the subscriber's home, business, cellular or other telephone number, can still call the subscriber directly, therefore bypassing the PCS service.
In addition, these prior art inventions do not offer any improvement in managing telephone features such as the Voice Messaging System, Call Waiting, Call Display, Call Return, etc.
A need therefore exists for an improved subscriber interface which overcomes the problems associated with the aforementioned prior art systems.

Method and system of accessing and operating a voice message system


A hand-held 3D ultrasound instrument is disclosed which is used to non-invasively and automatically measure amniotic fluid volume in the uterus requiring a minimum of operator intervention. Using a 2D image-processing algorithm, the instrument gives automatic feedback to the user about where to acquire the 3D image set. The user acquires one or more 3D data sets covering all of the amniotic fluid in the uterus and this data is then processed using an optimized 3D algorithm to output the total amniotic fluid volume corrected for any fetal head brain volume contributions.

Measurement of the amount of Amniotic Fluid (AF) volume is critical for assessing the kidney and lung function of a fetus and also for assessing the placental function of the mother. Amniotic fluid volume is also a key measure to diagnose conditions such as polyhydramnios (too much AF) and oligohydramnios (too little AF). Polyhydramnios and oligohydramnios are diagnosed in about 7-8% of all pregnancies and these conditions are of concern because they may lead to birth defects or to delivery complications. The amniotic fluid volume is also one of the important components of the fetal biophysical profile, a major indicator of fetal well-being.
The currently practiced and accepted method of quantitatively estimating the AF volume is from two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound images. The most commonly used measure is known as the use of the amniotic fluid index (AFI). AFI is the sum of vertical lengths of the largest AF pockets in each of the 4 quadrants. The four quadrants are defined by the umbilicus (the navel) and the linea nigra (the vertical mid-line of the abdomen). The transducer head is placed on the maternal abdomen along the longitudinal axis with the patient in the supine position. This measure was first proposed by Phelan et al (Phelan J P, Smith C V, Broussard P, Small M., "Amniotic fluid volume assessment with the four-quadrant technique at 36-42 weeks' gestation," J Reprod Med July; 32(7): 540-2, 1987) and then recorded for a large normal population over time by Moore and Cayle (Moore T R, Cayle J E. "The amniotic fluid index in normal human pregnancy," Am J Obstet Gynecol May; 162(5): 1168-73, 1990).
Even though the AFI measure is routinely used, studies have shown a very poor correlation of the AFI with the true AF volume (Sepulveda W, Flack N J, Fisk N M., "Direct volume measurement at midtrimester amnioinfusion in relation to ultrasonographic indexes of amniotic fluid volume," Am J Obstet Gynecol April; 170(4): 1160-3, 1994). The correlation coefficient was found to be as low as 0.55, even for experienced sonographers. The use of vertical diameter only and the use of only one pocket in each quadrant are two reasons why the AFI is not a very good measure of AF Volume (AFV).
Some of the other methods that have been used to estimate AF volume include:
Dye dilution technique. This is an invasive method where a dye is injected into the AF during amniocentesis and the final concentration of dye is measured from a sample of AF removed after several minutes. This technique is the accepted gold standard for AF volume measurement; however, it is an invasive and cumbersome method and is not routinely used.
Subjective interpretation from ultrasound images. This technique is obviously dependent on observer experience and has not been found to be very good or consistent at diagnosing oligo- or poly-hydramnios.
Vertical length of the largest single cord-free pocket. This is an earlier variation of the AFI where the diameter of only one pocket is measured to estimate the AF volume.
Two-diameter areas of the largest AF pockets in the four quadrants. This is similar to the AFI; however, in this case, two diameters are measured instead of only one for the largest pocket. This two diameter area has been recently shown to be better than AFI or the single pocket measurement in identifying oligohydramnios (Magann E F, Perry K G Jr, Chauhan S P, Anfanger P J, Whitworth N S, Morrison J C., "The accuracy of ultrasound evaluation of amniotic fluid volume in singleton pregnancies: the effect of operator experience and ultrasound interpretative technique," J Clin Ultrasound, June; 25(5):249-53, 1997).
The measurement of various anatomical structures using computational constructs are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,124 to Geiser, et al. (Autonomous Boundary Detection System For Echocardiographic Images). Similarly, the measurement of bladder structures are covered in U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,949 to Ganguly, et al. (System For Estimating Bladder Volume) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,985 to McMorrow, et al., (Automatic Bladder Scanning Apparatus). The measurement of fetal head structures is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,155 to Chalana, et al., (Ultrasound System For Automatically Measuring Fetal Head Size). The measurement of fetal weight is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,616 to Soferman, et al. (Automatic Fetal Weight Determination).
Pertaining to ultrasound-based determination of amniotic fluid volumes, Segiv et al. (in Segiv C, Akselrod S, Tepper R., "Application of a semiautomatic boundary detection algorithm for the assessment of amniotic fluid quantity from ultrasound images." Ultrasound Med Biol, May; 25(4): 515-26, 1999) describe a method for amniotic fluid segmentation from 2D images. However, the Segiv et al. method is interactive in nature and the identification of amniotic fluid volume is very observer dependent. Moreover, the system described is not a dedicated device for amniotic fluid volume assessment.
Grover et al. (Grover J, Mentakis E A, Ross M G, "Three-dimensional method for determination of amniotic fluid volume in intrauterine pockets." Obstet Gynecol, December; 90(6): 1007-10, 1997) describe the use of a urinary bladder volume instrument for amniotic fluid volume measurement. The Grover et al. method makes use of the bladder volume instrument without any modifications and uses shape and other anatomical assumptions specific to the bladder that do not generalize to amniotic fluid pockets. Amniotic fluid pockets having shapes not consistent with the Grover et al. bladder model introduces analytical errors. Moreover, the bladder volume instrument does not allow for the possibility of more than one amniotic fluid pocket in one image scan. Therefore, the amniotic fluid volume measurements made by the Grover et al. system may not be correct or accurate.
None of the currently used methods for AF volume estimation are ideal. Therefore, there is a need for better, non-invasive, and easier ways to accurately measure amniotic fluid volume.

3D ultrasound-based instrument for non-invasive measurement of amniotic fluid volume


A DC/DC converter circuit including an inductance 10, two controllable switches 12, 14 and a controller 16 for controlling the switches 12, 14 is configured so that it is able to operate in two permanently alternating operating time phases. The switches 12, 14 in the DC/DC converter circuit are arranged so that when the controller 16 is in the first operating time phase it closes the first switch 12 and opens the second switch 14 in achieving a flow of energy from the input of the DC/DC converter circuit to the inductance 10 and then when the controller 16 is in the second operating time phase it opens the first switch 12 and closes the second switch 14 in achieving a flow of energy from the inductance 10 to the output of the DC/DC converter circuit. Prior to switching from one operating time phase into the other operating time phase an intermediate time phase is inserted for safety reasons, in which both switches 12, 14 of the DC/DC converter circuit are briefly opened.

DC/DC converter circuits are used in many electronic devices. Their task is to generate one or more DC voltages from an input voltage furnished, for example, by a battery, to apply it to a load connected to the output of the DC/DC converter circuit and to supply the load with the necessary load current. To generate the various voltages and polarities required of the output voltages, use is made of various kinds of DC/DC converter circuits capable of converting the input voltage into a higher, lower or inverted output voltage. The salient design criteria of DC/DC converter circuits are high effectiveness over a wide range of the load current and a straight-forward configuration.
One basic DC/DC converter circuit of the UP converter type, i.e. for converting the input voltage into a higher output voltage is described, for example, in the German Semiconductor Circuit Textbook by U. Tietze and Ch. Schenk, published by Springer-Verlag, 12th edition, 2001 on pages 948–949. This DC/DC converter circuit includes an inductance whose one terminal is connected to the input of the DC/DC converter circuit and whose other terminal is connectable via a first controllable switch to GND and connected to the anode of a diode whose cathode is connected to the output of the DC/DC converter circuit.
Disclosed in German laid-open patent DE 19940419 A1 in FIG. 2 thereof is a circuit in which the diode is replaced by a second controllable switch to eliminate the energy losses caused by the diode.
To control the two switches, the DC/DC converter circuit requires a controller which is connected to the two switches. The controller generates control signals of the switches and serves in addition to regulate the output voltage. One such controller is described, for example, in the aforementioned Textbook by U. Tietze and Ch. Schenk on page 946.
Regulating the output voltage in this case is done via the period of the switching signals for the two switches. These are thereby controlled by means of a pulse width modulator circuit so that the DC/DC converter circuit can operate in two permanently alternating operating time phases.
During the first operating time phase, the first switch is closed and the second switch is open. This permits energy to flow from a voltage source arranged at the input to the inductance. When then in the second operating time phase the first switch is opened and the second switch is closed, energy flows from the inductance to a load applied to the output of the DC/DC converter circuit. During the two time phases, a continually rising and falling flow of current materializes through the inductance.
With the reduction in the load current, the resulting total current flow through the inductance must continually diminish so that during the second operating time phase the current flowing through the inductance can fall to zero or even below zero. This mode in which the current flow is interrupted is associated, however, with a relatively poor efficiency, due to a power loss materializing from the recharging of the switch gate capacitances in the permanent switching action. This is why the DC/DC converter circuit can also operate in a quiescent or "skip" mode in which there is no flow of energy to and from the inductance by both switches being open. Once the output voltage drops below a predefined value, the skip mode needs to be deactivated and the permanently alternating storage of energy in the inductance and output of the energy stored in the inductance recommences.
Deactivating the skip mode is usually detected by a comparator applied to the output of the DC/DC converter circuit which monitors the potential of the output voltage and compares it to a reference voltage. The requirement for activating the skip mode is thus a zero current status of the inductance, it being the direction of the flow of current in the inductance during the time phase t4 that dictates the skip mode being activated. Measuring the flow of current through the inductance in DC/DC converter circuits is done in prior art by an operational amplifier as evident from FIG. 2, for example, of DE 19940419 A1. The operational amplifier is connected by its inverting input to the one terminal of the second switch and by its non-inverting input to the other terminal of the second switch. The ohmic resistance of the second switch in the ON condition results in a drop in voltage as a function of the load current as detected by the operational amplifier.
However, analyzing these analog signals is problematic. Since in most embodiments of the DC/DC converter circuit, the ohmic resistance of the second switch in the ON condition is very low, a corresponding small drop in voltage needs to be detected. When, for example, the switch is configured as a MOSFET the resistance often amounts to but a few tenths of an ohm, thus requiring the operational amplifier to operate with a high gain. In addition, the offset voltage of the operational amplifier makes it difficult to precisely define the switching threshold. Possible deviations in the tolerance of the components involved in the operational amplifier likewise need to be taken into account. Safely engineering the switching action is thus only possible with complicated circuitry and often necessitating tailored calibration of the individual DC/DC converter circuits.

DC/DC converter circuit and method for DC/DC conversion


A method for determining critical values includes obtaining N relation functions between M features and N index values, the N relation functions taking the M features as inputs and the N index values as outputs; generating K combinations, each comprising M critical values of the M features; repeating following steps until a preset stop condition is satisfied: determining a score for each of the K combinations based on the N relation functions to represent an overall quality of the N index values; repeatedly selecting two combinations and exchanging critical values between the two combinations to generate two new combinations until a quantity of the new combinations reaches a preset number; and selecting K combinations from the new combinations; and after the preset stop condition is satisfied, associating the M features with the M critical values in a combination with a highest score.

Risk identification and decision-making are the two major issues in a risk management system. Risk identification focuses on how to identify potential risks, while decision-making focuses on how to take proper actions according to the identification results.
A quantitative score is usually given for an event at the risk identification stage. Accordingly, the fundamental principle at the decision-making stage is as follows: if the identified risk is high, strong intervention measures are taken, and if the identified risk is low, weak intervention measures are taken. However, an objective criterion is required to determine whether a risk is a high or low. That is, one or more decision-making critical values need to be determined in practical applications. In a traditional solution, these critical values are manually determined based on experience, and the manually determined critical values cannot comprehensively reflect the requirements in many aspects in a complicated risk management system.

Method and apparatus for determining risk management decision-making critical values


A mobile CT imaging system comprising a frame; a CT imaging unit mounted to the frame, wherein the CT imaging unit is adapted to scan anatomical objects and generate images of the same; a transport mechanism mounted to the frame, wherein the transport mechanism comprises a fine movement mechanism for moving the CT imaging unit precisely, relative to the patient, during scanning; an onboard networking unit mounted to the frame, wherein the on-board networking unit is adapted to connect the CT imaging unit to a workstation, hospital PACs system or other IT network without requiring the use of conventional physical cabling during the same; and an on-board power unit mounted to the frame, wherein the onboard power unit is adapted to provide the electrical power needed to operate the CT imaging unit, transport mechanism and networking unit without requiring the use of conventional physical cabling during the same.

Strokes are currently the third leading cause of death in the United States, causing approximately 177,000 deaths per year, and strokes are currently the number one cause of long-term disability in the United States, currently affecting nearly 5 million people. Strokes are caused by an abrupt interruption of the blood supply to the brain or spinal cord, thereby depriving the tissue of oxygen and resulting in tissue damage.
Strokes typically occur in one of two forms: (i) hemorrhagic stokes, which occur with the rupture of a blood vessel; and (ii) ischemic strokes, which occur with the obstruction of a blood vessel.
Rapid diagnosis is a key component of stroke treatment. This is because the treatment for an ischemic stroke may be contra-indicated for the treatment for a hemorrhagic stroke and, furthermore, the effectiveness of a particular treatment may be time-sensitive. More particularly, the current preferred treatment for an acute ischemic stroke, i.e., the administration of tPA to eliminate blood clots, is contra-indicated for a hemorrhagic stroke. Furthermore, the clinical data suggests that the medication used to treat ischemic strokes (i.e., tPA) is most effective if it is administered within 3 hours of the onset of the stroke. However, current diagnosis times, i.e., the time needed to identify that the patient is suffering from a stroke and to identify the hemorrhagic or ischemic nature of the stroke, frequently exceeds this 3 hours window. As a result, only a fraction of current ischemic stroke victims are timely treated with tPA.
Imaging is generally necessary to properly diagnose (and hence properly treat) a stroke. More particularly, imaging is generally necessary to: (i) distinguish strokes from other medical conditions; (ii) distinguish between the different types of strokes (i.e., hemorrhagic or ischemic); and (iii) determine appropriate treatments (e.g., the administration of tPA in the case of an ischemic stroke).
Computerized Tomography (CT) has emerged as the key imaging modality in the diagnosis of strokes. CT scanners generally operate by directing X-rays into the body from a variety of positions, detecting the X-rays passing through the body, and then processing the detected X-rays so as to build a computer model of the patient's anatomy. This computer model can then be visualized so as to provide images of the patient's anatomy. It has been found that such CT scanning, including non-enhanced CT scanning, CT angiography scanning and CT perfusion scanning, is able to provide substantially all of the information needed to effectively diagnose (and hence properly treat) a stroke.
Unfortunately, in practice, the CT machine is typically located in the hospital's radiology department and the patient is typically received in the hospital's emergency room, and the "round-trip" time between the emergency room and the radiology department can frequently involve substantial delays, even in the best of hospitals. As a result, the time spent in transporting the patient from the emergency room to the radiology department and then back again can consume critical time which can compromise proper treatment of the patient (e.g., it can prevent ischemic stroke victims from being timely treated with tPA).
Thus, there is an urgent need for a new and improved CT machine which is particularly well suited for use in stroke applications. More particularly, there is an urgent need for a small, mobile CT machine which can be pre-positioned in the emergency room and moved to the patient so that the patient can be scanned at their current location, thus effectively eliminating "round-trip" delays and dramatically reducing the time needed to properly diagnose the patient. It is also important that the CT machine be relatively inexpensive, so as to facilitate its rapid proliferation and widespread use, e.g., pre-positioning in substantially all hospital emergency rooms and wide availability in outlying, low-volume settings (e.g., rural hospitals, ships, etc.).
In this respect it should also be appreciated that current CT scanners are typically accompanied by a significant amount of physical cabling. This physical cabling generally takes the form of (i) electrical cables used to deliver electrical power to the CT scanner, and (ii) networking cables used to connect the CT scanner to a workstation, whereby to permit medical personnel to issue scanning instructions to the CT scanner using the workstation, and whereby to enable the CT scanner to send images and scanner data to the workstation for viewing by medical personnel. The workstation can, in turn, be connected to a hospital PACs (Picture Archive and Communication) system or other IT network, so as to permit the CT scanner to be controlled from remote locations and so as to permit images and scanner data to be viewed by medical personnel at remote locations. Alternatively, the CT scanner can be directly connected to a hospital PACs system or other IT network.
The aforementioned physical cabling generally does not present significant issues with conventional CT scanners, since such conventional CT scanners are designed for fixed-position installations. Thus, with fixed-position CT scanners, the disposition of the physical cabling can be addressed at the time of CT scanner installation so as to make the physical cabling relatively inobtrusive (e.g., the physical cabling can be carefully positioned so that it is out of the way of patients and medical personnel).
However, if the CT scanner is to be highly mobile so that the CT scanner can be brought to the bedside of the patient, conventional physical cabling presents a significant problem, since it can interfere with the delivery of time-critical medical treatment and present a physical hazard to medical personnel focused on delivering such medical treatment.
By way of example but not limitation, suppose a patient arrives in an emergency room presenting symptoms of stroke. In this situation, it is imperative that CT scanning be effected as quickly as possible, even as other medical testing and/or treatment is being administered to the patient. Medical personnel must work quickly and efficiently in this situation, with their focus on the delivery of time-critical patient care. If a mobile CT scanner were equipped with conventional physical cabling, bringing the mobile CT scanner to the patient would require the introduction of this conventional physical cabling to the point of care. This physical cabling would present a significant intrusion into the point of care, complicating the delivery of time-critical medical treatment and presenting a physical hazard to medical personnel working around the patient. This is particularly true where the mobile CT scanner is deployed hurriedly, e.g, in the case of a possible stroke patient just arriving at an emergency room.
Thus, there is a need for a new and improved approach for (i) providing the electrical power needed to operate the mobile CT scanner, and (ii) connecting the CT scanner to a workstation, hospital PACs system or other IT network, all without the use of the physical cabling normally associated with a conventional CT scanner.

Mobile computerized tomography (CT) imaging system with cordless and wireless capabilities


A brake control apparatus for a bicycle. The appratus has a control lever operatively connected with a control cable for pulling the cable and a force transmission ratio adjuster mechanism for adjusting a force transmission ratio in association with an operation of the control lever. The force transmission ratio is defined as a ratio obtained by dividing an output force from the cable associated with application of a unit input force to a certain lever position of the control lever. With the appratus of the invention, this force transmission ratio is so determined as to have a maximum value at a position during an entire stroke of the lever between a stroke start end and a stroke finish end and the maximum value position is on the side of the finish end after a play stroke on the side of the start end.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brake control apparatus for a bicycle, and more particularly to a brake control apparatus having a control lever and a cable operatively connected to the lever to be pulled thereby.
2. Description of the Related Art
With a typical conventional brake control apparatus of the above-noted type, the control lever is pivotably supported to a bracket and the control cable is fitted into a hole formed at the root end of the control lever. Accordingly, the connecting portion of the control cable relative to the lever is maintained fixed relative to the pivot of the control lever (e.g. Japanese published utility model gazette No. 57-9193).
For fully understanding the sprits of the present invention, it should be helpful to define and explain here some essential concepts on which the invention is based.
First, a cable movement ratio is defined here as a ratio obtained by dividing an output force of and along the cable associated with application of a unit input force to a certain position of the control lever by said unit input force.
Second, considering the possibility that the input force applied to the lever substantially equates with the amount of work transmitted to the cable; then, a cable movement ratio is defined here as a ratio which varies in inverse proportion to the above force transmission ratio. That is to say, this cable movement ratio is obtained by dividing an amount of movement of the lever associated with a unit operation amount of the lover at a certain position thereof by said unit lever operation amount. These cable movement ratio and the force transmission ratio are predetermined by the construction of the brake control apparatus per se and are not directly affected by elastic modulus of the brake shoe and/or of the cable.
Then, during an initial stroke of the lever where this force transmission ratio has a relatively small value, even if a considerably large unit input force is applied to the lever. That is, even if the control lever is pulled with a considerably large manual force, the cable output force remains relatively smell thus being unable to bring the brake shoes into sufficiently effective pressure contact with the rim of a bicycle wheel. On the other hand, if the same amount of input force is applied in the subsequent stroke, the cable output force will be excessive thus too quickly establishing the pressure contact between the shoes and the rim.
In connection with this problem, according to the conventional apparatus, however, the distance between the pivot of the control lever and the connecting portion of the cable remains fixed throughout the operational stroke of the lever; that is, the force transmission ratio remains fixed regardless of the lever position subjected to the input force. Further, with the convention, the cable is connected with the lever so that within the limited entire stroke of the control lever the force transmission ratio has the minimum value during the braking stroke of the lever where the contact between the shoes and the rim is established. Therefore, it is impossible to maintain the force transmission ratio relatively high through the braking stroke of the lever. In short, even a relatively large amount of lever movement can often fail to provide sufficient braking force. In addition, since even a small amount of lever movement results in a large amount of movement of the shoes, a fine braking action has been very difficult.
Accordingly. the primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved brake control apparatus which can apply a strong braking force even with a small input force and which makes a fine braking action readily possible.


In some examples, a control audio management engine is configured to interact with guest audio services in respective guests that have different audio management capabilities. The control audio management engine receives an indication of a start of a first audio in a first guest of the guests, the indication comprising an audio stream. The control audio management engine sends, to a second guest of the guests, control information to affect playback of a second audio that is playing in the second guest.

A vehicle can include various audio sources, such as a media player, a navigation system, a safety alert system, and so forth. Each of these audio sources can play audio at any time, in response to respective events. The events can include user activation events, in which user activations of input devices cause playing of audio from corresponding audio sources. As an example, a user may turn on a media player to play music. As another example, a user may activate a navigation system of the vehicle. As a further example, the vehicle may include a safety alert system that can issue audio alerts under certain conditions.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and the size of some parts may be exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the example shown. Moreover, the drawings provide examples and/or implementations consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and/or implementations provided in the drawings.


A facility for replicating offline scheduling transactions directed to a server is provided. The facility is implemented as a client-side application that integrates with and utilizes components of a store-and-forward application, which is operable to execute on a client to guarantee that transactions submitted on the client are replicated and carried out on a service hosted on a remote server even in light of intermittent connectivity between the client, the server, and networks. Records describing transactions intended remote service are written to an outbox of the store-and-forward application on the client. If the item is intended for the scheduling application, the facility is invoked by the store-and-forward application to send the item to the scheduling application. Otherwise, the facility returns the item to the outbox for processing by other components of the store-and-forward application.

Efficient communication and collaboration among members of an organization is critical to the organization's success. Among organization members, face-to-face meetings have been the traditional manner of communicating, but, with the organizations becoming increasing geographically dispersed, these meetings often require travel on the part of attendees and, thus, are becoming increasingly cost prohibitive. The proliferation of computers and the advent of the Internet, and in particular, the maturing of the World Wide Web ("web"), has brought about a number of alternatives to the traditional face-to-face meeting.
Various scheduling applications, such as web conferencing, are available on the web and provide a less expensive alternative to the traditional face-to-face meeting. These scheduling applications are typically server applications that require network or web connectivity to access the provided services. For example, a user at a client computer needs to be online—i.e., there is an operable line of communication with the remote server, typically via a network—in order to access a scheduling application provided on a remote server. In the example of a web conferencing application, which provide synchronous or 'live' two-way online meetings and presentations, a user needs to be online to perform transactions on the remote web conferencing application, such as, schedule a web conference, invite attendees, change or cancel a scheduled web conference, participate in a scheduled web conference, etc.
Even though these scheduling applications provide increased efficiency and benefits, for example, by not requiring travel on the part of attendees, these scheduling applications still require users to be online to transact with the application. Because current networks and servers do not provide 100% reliability, there is no guarantee that users will always be online and able to transact with the remote server and the applications provided on the remote server. There may be instances where users transact with the remote application while offline—i.e., an operable line of communication with the remote server does not exist. Moreover, with the increasing use of wireless devices to access the scheduling applications, the ability for the scheduling applications to support offline transactions becomes even more desirable.

System and method for replicating offline scheduling transactions from a client to a server