A method is provided for presenting occupancy information in a fire alarm system. The method includes obtaining event data indicative of an emergency event within a zone of a premises, obtaining count information indicative of a number of individuals within the zone of the premises, and displaying the event data and the count information for the zone simultaneously.

The invention relates generally to fire alarm systems, and, more particularly, to providing occupancy information in a fire alarm system.
Many commercial and residential buildings and other premises include a fire alarm system that monitors the different areas or zones of the premises for the presence of fire and other emergency events. The fire alarm system may generate an alarm when a fire and/or other emergency event has been detected to indicate to security personnel of the premises the location within the premises in which the fire and/or other emergency event has been detected. The fire alarm system may also request dispatch of a fire department and/or other emergency response services, such as, ambulance services and/the like, to the premises for help responding to the fire and/or other emergency event.
Whether by the fire alarm system and/or the security personnel, the fire department and other emergency response service(s) may sometimes be provided with the location of the fire and/or other emergency event within the premises. Accordingly, the fire department and other emergency response service(s) can immediately begin to respond to the fire and/or other emergency event upon arrival at the premises. However, the fire department and other emergency response service(s) are typically not provided with any information that indicates where different individuals are located within the premises, for example in relation to the fire and/or other emergency event. The fire department and other emergency response service(s) may therefore be less capable of assisting and/or protecting the individuals within the premises. For example, fire department and other emergency response service(s) may therefore be less capable of directing individuals away from the fire or other emergency event, evacuating the individuals, and/or providing medial assistance to the individuals. Moreover, searching for where individuals are located within the premises may waste time and/or resources, for example individual firefighters, equipment, and/or other emergency workers, that may otherwise be used to respond to the fire and/or other emergency event.
There is a need to provide fire departments and other emergency response services with information during a fire and/or other emergency event about where individuals are located within a premises.

Method and apparatus for providing occupancy information in a fire alarm system


A milling machine may have a frame, ground engaging tracks that support the frame, and an actuator that adjusts a height of the frame relative to the track. The milling machine may have a control valve that selectively controls a flow of fluid into or out of the actuator based on the current supplied to the control valve. The milling machine may have a controller that determines the amount of current required to operate the actuator at a nominal actuator velocity and supplies that current to the control valve. The controller determines a measured actuator velocity based on a time required to extend or retract the actuator by a predetermined length, and adjusts the amount of current based on the measured and nominal actuator velocities. The controller also supplies the adjusted amount of current to the control valve to adjust the height of the frame relative to the track.

Road surfaces typically include an uppermost layer of asphalt or concrete on which vehicles travel. Over time, a road surface may wear out or may be damaged, for example, due to the formation of potholes or development of cracks and ruts. The damaged road surface may in turn cause damage to vehicles travelling on the road surface. The damaged road surface can be repaired locally by filling up the potholes, cracks, and/or ruts. However, it is often desirable to replace the worn or damaged road surface with an entirely new road surface. This is usually accomplished by removing a layer of the asphalt or concrete from the roadway and repaving the roadway by laying down a new layer of asphalt or concrete.
A milling machine is often used to remove the layer of asphalt or concrete on the roadway surface. A typical milling machine includes a frame supported on wheels or tracks by height adjustable leg columns and including a milling drum attached to the frame. As the milling machine is driven over the existing roadway surface, teeth or cutting tools on the rotating milling drum come into contact with the roadway surface and tear up a layer of the roadway. A milling drum chamber encloses the milling drum to contain the milled material. The milled material is transported using a conveyor system to an adjacent vehicle, which removes the material from the worksite. Following the milling process, a new layer of asphalt or concrete may be applied on the milled road surface to create a new roadway surface.
In another application, it is sometimes desirable to stabilize or reconstitute the upper layer of a roadway or a worksite. This is usually accomplished by removing the upper layer, mixing it with stabilizing components such as cement, ash, lime, etc., and depositing the mixture back on top of the roadway or worksite. A milling machine, such as a stabilizer or reclaimer is often used for this purpose. Such milling machines may also include a frame supported on tracks or wheels by height adjustable leg columns and including a milling drum attached to the frame. The milling drum is enclosed in a drum chamber. The cutting tools or teeth on the milling drum tear up the ground and push the removed material toward a rear of the drum chamber. Stabilizing ingredients and/or water are mixed with the milled material, which is then deposited back on to the ground towards the rear of the drum chamber.
In the machines discussed above, it is often necessary to position the frame at a desired height and/or orientation relative to the ground surface. It may also be necessary to maintain the machine's attitude (pitch and roll) when raising or lowering more than one leg of the machine simultaneously. Even though nearly identical control elements (e.g. control valves) may be used to control a flow of fluid into or out of the one or more actuators used to alter the frame height, in practice the control elements do not operate exactly in the same manner. For example, different control elements may be subject to different amounts of wear and tear or frictional forces and may operate differently even when provided with the same inputs. Thus, for example, for the same input current, nearly identical control valves on a machine may open by different amounts allowing different amounts of fluid to flow into or out of their respective actuators.
One way to overcome the above problems is by calibrating the control valves based on a simple "cracking current" calibration. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,718,880 of Cadman et al., issued on May 6, 2014 ("the '880 patent") discloses a method of calibrating electro-hydraulic valves on construction equipment. The '880 patent discloses using sensors, such as, pressure sensors to determine when flow of hydraulic fluid occurs through a control valve. The method of the '880 patent increases the current supplied to the control valve while monitoring the pressure sensors. A controller of the '880 patent determines the current at which hydraulic fluid first starts flowing through the control valve (i.e. "cracking current") based on signals received from the pressure sensors. The controller then adjusts the relationship between the current and fluid flow rate through the valve based on the determined cracking current.
Although the '880 patent discloses a method of calibrating control valves based on the cracking current, such a calibration system may still be less than optimal. In particular, such a method requires placement of pressure sensors in the correct locations, for example, adjacent to the control valves. Such placement of pressure sensors may not be practical in actual construction machines. Furthermore, the disclosed calibration method of the '880 patent assumes that the designed value of cracking current is the same for every valve and further that the current to flow rate relationship is identical for identical control valves regardless of variations in manufacturing and/or installation. Thus, there is a need for a more reliable method and system of calibrating the control elements associated with actuators used to move one or more implements on construction machines.
The disclosed distance based actuator velocity calibration system of the present disclosure solves one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.

Distance based actuator velocity calibration system


A display includes a substrate provided with a display region and a non-display region. A plurality of display electrodes are arranged on the substrate. A plurality of switching elements are respectively connected to the display electrodes. Each of the switching elements includes a control electrode and a data electrode. A plurality of scan lines are respectively connected to the control electrodes of the switching elements. A plurality of data lines are respectively connected to the data electrodes of the switching elements. A scan line electrostatic protection and test circuit is provided in the non-display region and connected to the scan lines The scan line electrostatic protection and test circuit includes an electrostatic protection circuit provided with a protection element which is normally in a non-conduction state and is set in a conduction state by generated static electricity, and an inspection circuit to inspect a conduction state of the scan lines by way of the protection element.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid crystal display comprising an electrostatic protection circuit and a test circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional active matrix type liquid crystal displays, there is a need to prevent faults such as a characteristic shift and dielectric breakdown of a switching thin film transistor due to static electricity. Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-93459 has disclosed a liquid crystal display having an electrostatic protection circuit for preventing such faults. This electrostatic protection circuit is provided outside a display region where there are provided pixel electrodes in the vicinity of intersections between a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines that are provided in matrix form and switching thin film transistors connected to the pixel electrodes. This electrostatic protection circuit comprises a plurality of scan line electrostatic protection lines, a scan line electrostatic protection thin film transistor provided between each scan line electrostatic protection line and each scan line, a plurality of data line electrostatic protection lines, and a data line electrostatic protection thin film transistor provided between each data line electrostatic protection line and each data line.
In the above-mentioned conventional liquid crystal display, the scan line electrostatic protection lines and the scan line electrostatic protection thin film transistors, and the data line electrostatic protection lines and the data line electrostatic protection thin films are provided outside the display region, and securing regions to arrange these components leads to a problem of an increased frame size. Here, the frame size means the size of a non-display region in a display panel of the liquid crystal display, and this size is called the frame size because a region except for the display region in the display panel of the liquid crystal display is shaped into a frame for housing a picture.
Furthermore, when such a conventional liquid crystal display is inspected for, for example, a line defect, a test terminal may be provided outside the display region on the opposite sides of the regions where the scan line electrostatic protection thin film transistors and the data line electrostatic protection thin film transistors are provided. In that case, in order to selectively drive the scan lines and the data lines, a scan line test thin film transistor and a data line test thin film transistor have to be arranged between the test terminal and each scan line and each data line, and securing regions to arrange these components leads to a problem of a further increased frame area.

Liquid crystal display comprising electrostatic protection circuit and test circuit


A reinforcing bar binding machine is provided with a control unit operated in such a manner that at the time of turning on an electric power source switch, a setting position of a motor drive adjustment dial and a state of a trigger lever are read, and when the motor drive adjustment dial is at a specific setting position and when the trigger lever is turned on, a binding wire cutting mechanism is driven by a predetermined number of times for warming up the binding wire cutting mechanism. When the warming-up operation is carried out in a cold environment, it is possible to reduce the viscosity of grease coated on a mechanism portion. Therefore, it is possible to lower a viscosity of grease applied on a mechanical portion and conduct a reinforcing bar binding work without wasting a binding wire in the same manner as that in a warm environment.

It is a matter of general knowledge to appropriately use lubricant for a rotary shaft, a sliding face of a piston and a frictional face of a gear or a cam in a power tool such as an electric tool or a pneumatic tool. Concerning this matter, for example, refer to JP-A-2003-136435. In the case of lubrication of a rotary shaft or a sliding member, the sliding speed of which is relatively low, to which a heavy load is given, provided in a binding wire twisting mechanism of a reinforcing bar binding machine, grease of higher viscosity is used.
In the case where the reinforcing bar binding machine is used outside where a temperature is very low, the viscosity of grease is increased and a sliding resistance of a rotary shaft or a sliding member is raised. Accordingly, it becomes impossible to exhibit the original performance of the binding machine. In the environment of low temperature, a battery voltage is reduced and an output of a motor is lowered. Accordingly, in addition to the increase in the viscosity of grease, due to the reduction in the battery voltage, an operation speed of a mechanism portion is decreased and further an operating force of the mechanism portion becomes weak. Consequently, there is a possibility that failure in operation is caused and further it becomes impossible to start the binding machine.


The present invention provides a control system for and method of controlling an apparatus of the type for exposing photographic film with image data which control system and method are adapted to compensate for variations in the exposure intensity, while also adjusting for different formats of image data. In one form, control system of the present invention determines the format of the image data, determines an exposure format in response to the format of the image data for producing an image on the film having a predetermined size, and calibrates an intensity for the exposure in response to the determined exposure format.

1. Related Applications
The present application is related in subject matter to patent applications filed simultaneously herewith of: Barry N. Stone, Richard C. Rice, John E. Lorbiecki and Stanley Berstein entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING FILM DENSITY FOR AN APPARATUS FOR EXPOSING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM WITH IMAGE DATA, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,978; and Richard C. Rice entitled CALIBRATION APPARATUS FOR A LIGHT SOURCE USED FOR EXPOSING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM WITH IMAGE DATA, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,979, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

System and method for controlling exposure format for an apparatus for exposing photographic film with image data


A pilot screw has a head, a shank beneath the head, a tapered tip at the end of the shank, and a spiral thread surrounding the shank. A large number of spaced auxiliary threads are disposed on the tapered portion of the head. A large number of spaced secondary threads are disposed on the shank between the pitches, and plural cutting gaps are formed at the end area of the spiral thread.

This invention relates to a pilot screw. More particularly, the invention relates to a pilot screw with small torsion, excellent leading and excellent balance.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional screw has a head 10, a shank 11, a spiral thread 12, and tapered cutting surfaces 13 at the end of the shank 11 can drill a hole also. However, it is very difficult to form cutting surfaces on the thread. Since the strength of the screw is reduced while the cutting surfaces are formed thereon, the quality of the screw is worsened.

No. 70, Alley299, Lane 12, Sec.II Chang-Ho Street


A food product that includes a casing of a gelatin-free, water-based, set hydrocolloid gel that forms an enclosure, and at least one solid, liquid, soft or particulate center enclosed by the casing. The casing is made of a carageenan, alginate, agarose, gellan gum, pectin or cellulose compound, and the food product can withstand changes in temperature. Also, a process for the production of such a food product, wherein a liquid hydrocolloid mass is partially set and a hard, liquid, soft or particulate center is injected therein with the final completing or the setting of the hydrocolloid mass providing the encapsulation of the center.

EP-A-64155 discloses a bite-sized edible confection or cocktail snack comprising a fat-based waterproof capsule surrounding a centre filling of high liquid content.
WO 97/35537 discloses a method for making capsules for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and dietary supplements with a very thin film/coating or layer of a material such as polyvinyl alcohol, alginate, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose or polyethylene oxide made by a method based on a roller process. It is stated that polyvinyl alcohol film is available in thicknesses ranging between 20 and 1000 microns and that plasticised polyvinyl alcohol film having a thickness of 80 microns results in good quality capsules suitable for cosmetic use. There is no disclosure of the use of such capsules for use in foodstuffs.
Fat-based capsules have a tendency to crack in changing temperatures especially in tropical climates or where temperatures can reach 40° C. or above.
Neither of these patents disclose a food product having a casing, i.e. having a thickness of more than 0.1 mm, aqueous-based, and able to withstand changes in temperature without cracking nor a product exhibiting a contrasting appearance between the casing and the centre.
We have developed a food product comprising a gelatin-free water-based hydrocolloid casing enclosing a solid, liquid, soft or particulate centre which is capable of exhibiting a contrasting appearance between the casing and the centre. The casing may be substantially transparent or opaque and, in particular, when the casing is transparent, the contents of the centre may be clearly visible.

Encased food products with contrasting components


In accordance with the present invention, a method for automated parameter measurement includes strategically positioning an identifier tag at a location proximate a first object. The identifier tag stores location-specific information associated with the first object. A sensor in communications with the identifier tag receives the location-specific information from the identifier tag. Additionally, the sensor is used to collect quantitative data associated with a first parameter from the first object. The location-specific information received from the first identifier tag is used to process the quantitative data.

Today's manufacturing facilities are highly controlled and monitored. Typically, the raw material input is inventoried and tracked throughout the process. Certain steps of the manufacturing and assembly process may be electronically monitored so that variations exceeding a predetermined threshold can be flagged and corrected immediately. A growing concern in many industries today is the accurate measurement and recording of parameters that may be variable during the manufacturing process.
Parameters that may be monitored and recorded during the manufacturing process may relate to product safety, quality control, liability, and/or efficiency. For example, in the food services industry where the end result of the manufacturing and assembly process is a food product, various parameters relating to the food product may be monitored as the food product is prepared for human consumption. For example, one such parameter that may be carefully monitored for health and safety reasons is the temperature of the food product during cooking and post-cooking handling. The temperature of food products is critical to avoid serving food items that include bacteria associated with food borne illnesses. Additionally, the temperature of food products may be important in gourmet cooking where customers may specify a desired level of doneness.
Typically, kitchen staff is periodically required to measure the temperature of food products or their storage or holding areas to ensure product safety, extend product life, minimize spoilage, and reduce liability. For example, a measurement device such as a thermometer or thermistor- or thermocouple-based device may be inserted into a food item to measure the temperature of a food product. A display on the device then provides a reading of the measured parameter for notation by the kitchen staff. The collected results may be manually compared to a standardized guideline and then entered into a log for future audit or equipment adjustment.
The performance of these tasks is labor intensive and labor dependent. Staff must be adequately trained to use temperature and other parameter measuring equipment in a correct and consistent manner. Typically, the staff must configure and reconfigure the parameter measuring equipment based on the parameter being monitored and/or the type of food product being measured. For example, a single thermometer used for detecting the temperature of a variety of different meats must be reconfigured between readings based on the type of meat being measured. Additionally, staff must be relied upon for accurately remembering or looking up predetermined thresholds that must be met with respect to each type of food product. Staff must also be relied upon for accurately recording the resulting measurements.
This labor dependent process often results in the inaccurate monitoring of the food products. Often, overworked and under-motivated employees fail to accurately obtain and/or record the temperature readings and may even fail to take the temperature readings altogether. As a result, food may not meet guidelines established the U.S.D.A. or another regulating authority. Similar problems exist in processing plants, grocery stores, industrial applications, and other industries dependent on its staff for the monitoring of critical parameters.

System and method for automated parameter measurement


Induced movement in a patient is detected and correlated with a TMS stimulating pulse so as to determine the patient's motor threshold stimulation level. Direct visual or audible feedback is provided to the operator indicating that a valid stimulation has occurred so that the operator may adjust the stimulation accordingly. A search algorithm may be used to direct a convergence to the motor threshold stimulation level with or without operator intervention. A motion detector is used or, alternatively, the motion detector is replaced with a direct motor evoked potential (MEP) measurement device that measures induced neurological voltage and correlates the measured neurological change to the TMS stimulus. Other signals indicative of motor threshold may be detected and correlated to the TMS stimulus pulses. For example, left/right asymmetry changes in a narrow subset of EEG leads placed on the forehead of the patient or fast autonomic responses, such as skin conductivity, modulation of respiration, reflex responses, and the like, may be detected. The appropriate stimulation level for TMS studies are also determined using techniques other than motor cortex motor threshold methods. For example, a localized ultrasound probe may be used to determine the depth of cortical tissue at the treatment site. When considered along with neuronal excitability, the stimulation level for treatment may be determined. Alternatively, a localized impedance probe or coil and detection circuit whose Q factor changes with tissue loading may be used to detect cortical depth.

Current methods of determining motor threshold (MT) position and stimulation levels for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies rely on visual observation and interpretation of induced twitching of the thumb (i.e. abductor pollicis brevis) or by electromyography (EMG), which involves observation and interpretation of electrical response waveforms. In particular, a common method is to stimulate the motor cortex, observe thumb twitch or observe when the desired EMG signal exceeds a threshold value (i.e. motor evoked potential, MEP) as the stimulation level is manually adjusted. Both techniques are time consuming and highly dependent upon the skills and training of the practitioner. A more automated technique is desired that is not so operator dependent and time consuming. Such a technique should ideally provide simple feedback to the operator or may be used to close the loop to automate the motor threshold position determination process.
It would be advantageous to more directly determine desired levels for stimulating non-motor areas of the brain (e.g. prefrontal cortex); however, such techniques have not yet been developed. Direct measurement of evoked potential for non-motor areas using EMG techniques has been proposed by Sarah Lisanby, M.D. Unfortunately, direct measurement of evoked potential is not straight-forward since neurons that are directly stimulated are not readily accessible with non-invasive techniques. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or positron emission tomography may be used to observe levels of neuronal stimulation, but these methods are expensive, would require TMS procedures to be performed at a facility with this equipment, and are logistically impractical for routine clinical TMS therapy. Indirect methods such as observation and interpretation of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals may be possible and are generally described herein.
Numerous search algorithms to determine the optimal stimulation level have also been proposed and tested clinically. For example, a procedure often used in TMS research estimates the motor threshold at a stimulus strength where 5 successes are observed within 10 stimuli. Another approach estimates the arithmetic mean of an upper threshold (smallest stimulus strength with 10 successes in 10 trials) and a lower threshold (largest stimulus strength with no success in 10 trials). Professor Friedemann Awiszus (Magdeburg, Germany) describes another search strategy for threshold estimation called the PEST (parameter estimation by sequential testing) algorithm in a publication titled "TMS and Threshold Hunting." The PEST algorithm uses adaptive threshold hunting to estimate the threshold continuously throughout the stimulus sequence where the stimulus strength that is to be used for the next stimulus is calculated from the information obtained from the previous stimuli.
The block diagram of FIG. 1 shows the typical motor threshold level determination procedure used today. In this case the operator 10 operates a TMS stimulator 20 that provides pulses to a stimulation magnet 30 for application of TMS signals to a patient 40. The operator 10 receives direct visual feedback from the patient 40 or from an EMG display (not shown). The stimulation level and/or position is then adjusted manually by the operator 10 and the process repeated until a level is attained where half of the stimulation pulses result in a valid detected movement of the thumb. This approach can be augmented by employing an offline search algorithm 50, such as the PEST algorithm, to aid in selecting stimulation values based on prior responses. Use of the PEST algorithm is reflected by the diagram in prior art FIG. 2.
It is known to monitor patient movement to detect evidence of seizure activity. For example, Gliner discloses in U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2003/0074032 A1 a neural stimulation system that uses a sensing unit to detect evidence of seizure or other collateral neural activity in response to an applied neural stimulation. The sensing unit may be an EEG monitoring device, a cerebral blood flow (CBF) monitor, a neural tissue oxygenation analysis device, or an electromyography device. In one embodiment, the monitoring device may also comprise a set of motion detectors, strain gauges, and/or accelerometers configured to detect or monitor one or more types of patient movements that may be indicative of seizure activity. However, Gliner does not suggest how such a system may be used to detect motor threshold positions and levels and does not suggest correlating induced movement in the patient with a stimulation pulse to find the motor threshold position. On the contrary, the Gliner system stops the application of neural stimulation when a potential seizure or other collateral neural activity is detected. Moreover, Gliner is focused on seizure detection/prevention which is a very different purpose and involves detecting very different signal characteristics than proposed in accordance with the present invention. In the present application, the inventor is interested in detecting and observing "normal" levels of nerve stimulation, even though the stimulation is induced with a magnetic field. Seizures are a different phenomenon that typically occur at very much higher levels of magnetic stimulation (e.g. >2 times the MT level).
None of the prior art techniques known to the inventor suggests how to directly detect induced physical movement and how to correlate detected induced movement with TMS stimulation levels in order to determine TMS treatment stimulation levels or motor threshold. Prior art techniques do not describe methods of separately determining cortical depth and levels of neuronal excitability for the purpose of setting TMS stimulation levels. The prior art also does not teach techniques of determining TMS stimulation levels by observation and analysis of indirect signals such as EEG and its derivatives. The present invention addresses these needs in the art.

Determining stimulation levels for transcranial magnetic stimulation


The present invention provides a system, method, and computer-readable medium for quarantining a file. Embodiments of the present invention are included in antivirus software that maintains a user interface. From the user interface, a user may issue a command to quarantine a file or the quarantine process may be initiated automatically by the antivirus software after malware is identified. When a file is marked for quarantine, aspects of the present invention encode file data with a function that is reversible. Then a set of metadata is identified that describes attributes of the file including any heightened security features that are used to limit access to the file. The metadata is moved to a quarantine folder, while the encoded file remains at the same location in the file system. As a result, the encoded file maintains the same file attributes as the original, non-quarantined file, including any heightened security features.

As more and more computers and other computing devices are interconnected through various networks, such as the Internet, computer security has become increasingly more important, particularly from invasions or attacks delivered over a network or over an information stream. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these attacks come in many different forms, including, but certainly not limited to, computer viruses, computer worms, system component replacements, denial of service attacks, even misuse/abuse of legitimate computer system features—all of which exploit one or more computer system vulnerabilities for illegitimate purposes. While those skilled in the art will realize that the various computer attacks are technically distinct from one another, for purposes of the present invention and for simplicity in description, all malicious computer programs will be generally referred to hereinafter as computer malware, or more simply, malware.
When a computer system is attacked or "infected" by a computer malware, the adverse results are varied, including disabling system devices; erasing or corrupting firmware, applications, or data files; transmitting potentially sensitive data to another location on the network; shutting down the computer system; or causing the computer system to crash. Yet another pernicious aspect of many, though not all, computer malware is that an infected computer system is used to infect other computers.
A traditional defense against computer malware, and particularly computer viruses and worms, is antivirus software. Generally described, antivirus software scans data, looking for identifiable patterns associated with known computer malware. Frequently, this is done by matching patterns within the data to what is referred to as a "signature" of the malware. One of the core deficiencies in this malware detection model is that an unknown computer malware may propagate unchecked in a network until a computer's antivirus software is updated to identify and respond to the new computer malware.
When a malware infection occurs, the infection may be handled in one of many different ways. Preferably, the infected computing device is capable of being "cleaned" so that the malware is no longer resident. However, in some instances, the malware may be configured to employ self-preservation techniques to resist being cleaned. In this instance, cleaning the computing device may not be feasible or may only be possible with a software update. Alternatively, files associated with the malware may be deleted from the computing device. However, as known to those skilled in the art and others, some malware attach to innocuous "hosts" which contain user data that will be lost if an infected file is deleted.
In yet another alternative, the malware may be "quarantined." Typically, a quarantine occurs when data associated with the malware is altered to prevent execution of the malware. Quarantining malware is especially useful when a file may have been incorrectly identified as malware, the user wants to delay cleaning a file until a later time, or an infected file contains user data that needs to be saved. In some existing systems, a quarantined file is both prevented from executing program code and concealed from antivirus software that scans a computing device for malware. For example, one method of implementing a quarantine includes moving a file to a quarantine folder along with associated metadata that describes the location of the file. Among other things, the quarantine folder has established settings that prevent files from "executing" program code. To conceal the quarantined file from antivirus software, the data in the file is typically encoded. As a result, the file is not capable of causing harm to a computing device and will not be identified as malware if scanned by antivirus software.
In instances when one or more files are moved, attributes of the files may change in ways that are unexpected by users. For example, to prevent some users from accessing unauthorized data, heightened file system security features are implemented on some files/directories and not others. In this instance, a file may be encrypted and therefore inaccessible to unauthorized users who do not possess a "key." However, if the file is moved, the new directory that stores the file may not maintain the same heightened security features as the directory that originally stored the file. Thus, in instances when a file infected with malware is moved to a quarantine folder, user data may become accessible to unauthorized users even though the file was originally encrypted in a directory that implemented security features designed to prevent unauthorized access. More generally, attributes associated with a file in one directory may change in ways that are unexpected to users when the file is moved to a different directory.
In light of the above-identified problems, it would be beneficial to have a system and method of quarantining a file while allowing the file to retain its original attributes.


A method of manufacturing a two piece metal housing having wear resistant interior surfaces is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: machining, by wire electrical discharge machining, a slightly oversized shape into an assembled two piece, split metal housing; disassembling the two piece, split metal housing; applying a hard material to the inner surfaces of the machined area of each of the two pieces with a hard material; after completion of the material applying step, reassembling the two pieces of the split metal housing; and machining the interior surfaces of the surfaces of the area where the hard material was applied to the reassembled metal housing by wire electrical discharge machining to predetermined dimensions. The wear resistant material is preferably a ceramic material, tungsten carbide, or a high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) applied hard-coating or other conventional material usable in the specific application.

The present invention relates generally to pumps and, more particularly, to wear resistant housings for industrial screw pumps used in abrasive environments and method of manufacturing the housings.
In a conventional rotary axial-screw pump, pressure is developed from the inlet or suction port to the outlet or discharge port of the pump in near-even stage-to-stage increments. The stages are defined in accordance with the number of moving-thread closures or isolated volumes formed by meshing of the pump rotors in close tolerance with the pump walls between inlet and outlet ends of the pump.
At a given size and flow rate, pump pressure is developed along the moving thread closures as liquid progresses through the pump. The number of closures is usually proportioned to the desired level of delivered outlet pressure, i.e., the greater the pressure, the greater the number of closures necessary. These closures result in the pump developing an internal gradient of progressively stepped pressure increments. Properly applied, a rotary axial-screw pump will pump a wide range of liquids, from a high-viscosity oil to a light water-soluble oil in solution.
In practice, rotary axial-screw pumps are often used to pump contaminated or recirculated fluids which contain fine metal, grit, sand and/or other abrasives. The ductile, machinable metals typically used internally in these pumps and under these conditions, however, often experience considerable wear.
Conventional solutions to this problem have been limited. For example, to maintain screw pump efficiency, the design of pump rotor housings dictates that tri-bore areas, i.e., the bored areas of the rotor housings where the rotors are located, have very smooth finishes and be made to close tolerance with the rotors. The need for a close tolerance has also precluded designers from opening-up pump clearances to allow for the free passage of contaminated fluid.
Use of conventional sprayed hard coatings have also been found unsuitable. This is due, at least in part, to the difficulty in applying them evenly, as most hard coating spray nozzles do not fit easily into conventional small tri-bore diameters. Cast or dipped hard coatings have also been difficult to apply evenly since tri-bore diameters are relatively small as compared to their length. Paint-on coatings, on the other hand, often cannot withstand the pressure and velocity associated with occasional contact between the rotors and housing, causing them to crack and peel during pump operation.
While solid ceramic rotor housings have been considered relatively effective, the expense of the necessary materials combined with the time and difficulty of their production has made them less attractive.
Another prior method of manufacturing wear resistant screw pump housing is disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift Patent, DE4016841A1 laid open to public inspection on Nov. 28, 1991. In this German patent, in order to avoid the difficulties which occur in the previous methods of manufacture by means of boring and broaching overlapping bores and conditioning of the housing during the manufacture, the screw pump housing was centrally divided in order to enable the internal housing surface to be operated on by external means such as profile milling or profile grinding.
While dividing the housing into two symmetrical components solves some of the problems associated with the expense and difficulty of providing wear resistant material on the internal surfaces of the housing, some problems remained unsolved regarding the symmetry of the bore when the two components were reassembled into the housing.
Thus, there is a need for improved methods of manufacturing wear resistant housings for industrial screw pumps used in abrasive environments that are economical to manufacture, and which results in the closer tolerances of the opposing internal surfaces of the housing.

Method of making wear resistant material lined housings


A unified, weighted, and common language mapping system and method for disaster response is described, with the ability to overlay infrastructure damage, responder assets, data source, and weighting factors including the ability to redact such maps for dissemination to media, the public, or the like. The system and method described herein also enable the real-time updating of maps with social media information and the like.

A Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is a call center that answers calls to emergency services (e.g., ambulance, fire, police or other emergency agency such as Coast Guard in coastal areas) and can provide information and dispatch help, including one or more first responders. Counties, cities, municipalities and the like can fund one or more PSAPs to provide such emergency services.
Several problems may arise when a widespread emergency situation occurs (e.g., earthquake, flood, hurricane, tornado, tsunami, etc.). PSAPs, utilities, transportation and other infrastructure can have service interruptions or can be destroyed. Next Generation 911 (where available) has taken initial steps to solve the PSAP portion of this problem by rerouting calls to another PSAP that is still functioning (e.g., has communication capabilities and dispatch capabilities). The limitation here is whether or not the infrastructure for the wireless call (cell towers), wireline (lines and switches), Internet (service provider network) and other transmission means are still intact. Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) with its Functional & Interface Standards for Next Generation 911 (e.g., I3) go further by using a common IP network to link PSAPs (and occasionally other emergency services).
Current solutions fall short of solving problems created by a widespread emergency as demonstrated by such events as Typhoon Pablo, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, and the like. In the analysis of system incompatibilities, system failures, interagency interoperability, failure of initiative and preparation, the government agencies point out many failures of 911, e911, and other emergency communication systems.
Many reports to varying degrees show that response readiness, inter-agency communication and coordination, disaster/outage mapping, public reporting, and activation of emergency resources should all be better served. Dissimilar code practices, incompatible systems and methodologies, jurisdictional boundaries, available resources, and resource capabilities all need to be better utilized in a large-scale disaster.


A method and apparatus for producing plastic parts with a resilient projection, such as connectors for corrugated tubing. The method comprises the steps of flowing plastic material on a core provided with a recess to mould the resilient projection, camming the resilient projection out of the recess, after the mass of plastic material is solidified and extracting the solidified part from the core. The invention also extends to a novel connector for corrugated tubing.

Corrugated plastic conduit has started to replace electrical metallic conduit as a raceway for insulated conductors. In order to attach the electrical conduit to an enclosure or to connect the two ends of the conduit together, connectors are used which can either be glued or attached mechanically to a plastic corrugated conduit. Connectors of the type disclosed in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,133, issued on Mar. 11, 1986, have found good market acceptance because of the ease of installation. Such a connector comprises a cavity receiving the extremity of the conduit, in which protrude one or more resilient tongues. Each tongue has an oblique camming surface facing the conduit entry end of the cavity and an opposite vertical locking face. In order to attach the connector to the conduit, the electrician has only to cut the conduit to the required length and insert it into the cavity of the connector. During the insertion operation, the ribs on the conduit cam the tongues out of the way allowing the conduit to slide easily past the tongues. Once fully inserted, the conduit is prevented from being pulled out of the connector by virtue of the interference created between the locking faces of the resilient tongues and a conduit corrugation.
The connectors for a corrugated conduit are normally manufactured by the well known injection moulding process. A typical set-up used for this purpose comprises a solid core positioned into the shaping mould to form the conduit receiving cavity of the connector. On the core is machined a recess to form the resilient tongue of the connector. At the end of the moulding cycle, after the part is cooled and the plastic material has solidified, the mould opens apart along the parting line and the connector is stripped of the core using an ejector assembly. A difficulty arises because of the interference created between the locking face of the tongue and the recess on the core. Should one try to eject the connector, the projection will likely be sheared off.
One method to solve this problem is to use a collapsible core of the type described in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,247,548 and 3,660,001. This core, although commercially produced, is expensive and difficult to maintain as the plastic material in fluid state may enter the core joints and cause a malfunction. In addition, the moulding operation is slowed down because of poor heat transfer between the cooling medium, the core and the moulded part.
Another approach is to use a two part connector of the type commercialized under the trademark KWIKON. One part of the connector contains the holding tongues and the other part is an outer ring pressed on the connector body. The tongues are very flexible in order to allow the removal from the core and by themselves they have no power to prevent the forceful removal of the conduit from the connector. The ring, when pressed on the connector, holds the tongues more rigidly in place. This type of connector operates well, however, the production methods are fairly costly as the two parts have to be moulded separately and then assembled.

Connector for connecting a section of corrugated conduit to another component


An inertial navigation system employs geophysical (earth""s magnetic and gravity) field sensors to measure body rotations of an aircraft or other vehicle. In effect, these replace expensive laser ring gyros used in conventional inertial navigation systems. The vector components of the geomagnetic field may be incorporated directly into the state vector describing the vehicle""s attitude, acceleration, velocity, and position. A predictive filter (e.g. Kalman) operates on measured and predicted geophysical field components and on-board accelerometers. Predicted geophysical field components are obtained from maps and/or models of the earth""s magnetic and gravity fields.

This invention relates to inertial or dead reckoning navigation, in particular to that of aircraft.
There is a need for a low-cost navigation system to act effectively and inexpensively as a backup in the vent of failure to receive and process reliable Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation signals. This is particularly important for single-engine General Aviation (GIA) applications, where cost is often the overriding consideration. The United States Government is planning to phase out existing ground-based navigation systemsxe2x80x94the VOR (VHF Omni-Directional Range) and typically associated DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) network, the ILS (Instrument Landing System), and non-directional beacons (NDE). Replacing these legacy systems with GPS will realize considerable cost savings. However, this transition leads to the need for a reliable, autonomous, and inexpensive backup system should the GPS signals or airborne GPS receiving equipment be lost or compromised. For national security reasons, the Government may at any time re-impose Selective Availability (S/A), whereby the GPS accuracy is deliberately degraded. Continuation of safe flights under Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) with only GPS capability would be impossible. Scheduled airline aircraft are typically equipped with inertial navigation systems (INS), which would be available as a backup. Modern INS generally use expensive optical fiber gyros. However, existing INS are too costly for typical G/A installations, particularly those involving light, piston-powered aircraft. Furthermore, a backup system must operate without any external signals or sensors. There is no guarantee that any particular ground-based dedicated or chance radiator or group of radiators will be available in an emergency. Under IMC, there is also no guarantee that usable surface features will be visible and identifiable, even with advanced terrain and feature recognition devices.
Conventional INS employ a combination of accelerometers and rotation sensors. Modern strapdown INS use laser optical gyros to sense rotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,639 to McGuffin teaches a terrain reference navigation system was that extended the then prior art of terrain aided INS by incorporating gravity and geomagnetic field data as well. The then prior art used radar and barometric altimeters to compare measured ground elevation to that stored essentially as a topographical map. To this the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,639 added maps of the gravity and geomagnetic fields. Thus measurements of the local gravity and geomagnetic fields were to be correlated to map data to update and correct the INS position. The INS was otherwise conventional. In my present invention the conventional INS and elevation measuring equipment are eliminated completely.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,561 to Matsuzaki teaches a system for determining the instantaneous heading of a vehicle using geomagnetic and turning rate sensors. The latter sensors may be gyroscopic (including mechanical and optical gyroscopes) or wheel sensors. The primary object of this invention is to correct for magnetic compass errors in vehicle heading determination.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,208,936 to Minor and Rowe teaches the use of a geomagnetic field sensor and knowledge of the local geomagnetic field to determine the rotation of a spinning vehicle (such as a rocket) to computationally de-spin the navigation solution for a MEMS-IMU/GPS (Micro-Electro-Mechanicalxe2x80x94Inertial Measurement Unit) navigation system and thus maintain a stable solution.
In accordance with the present invention a geophysical INS (Inertial Navigation System) comprises a set of sensors that are strapped down to a vehicle such as an aircraft and are responsive to the geomagnetic field and to gravity and vehicle acceleration. Changes in the sensed magnetic field components and vehicle acceleration components are the input state variables for a predictive filter, such as a Kalman filter, whose outputs are used to estimate the velocity and geographical location of the vehicle. In effect, magnetic field sensors replace the gyroscopes in a conventional INS. Stored magnetic and gravity field data (e.g., maps) then provide new values of the local geophysical parameters. The system is intended primarily to be a low-cost stand-alone backup for navigation systems such as GPS (Global Positioning System).
Objects and Advantages
Accordingly, the overall object and advantage of this invention is to provide a lower cost means for inertially navigating a vehicle such as an aircraft than provided by an INS using mechanical and optical gyroscopic rotation sensors.
Another object and advantage of this invention is to provide a stand-alone backup means for navigating aircraft and other vehicles in the event of failure or degradation of the GPS.
A further object and advantage of this invention is to provide inertial navigation capability to light aircraft.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and accompanying drawings.


A biometric information sensor includes a flexible substrate, an adhesive, a heartbeat signal detector, an electrocardiographic signal detector, a pulse wave detector, and a signal processor. The signal processor calculates an electrocardiographic peak estimated value resulting from estimating the wave of an electrocardiographic signal detected by the electrocardiographic signal detector from a heartbeat signal detected by the heartbeat signal detector based on the heartbeat signal and the electrocardiographic signal. The signal processor estimates a pulse wave transmit time based on the calculated electrocardiographic peak estimated value a photoplethysmographic signal detected by the pulse wave detector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biometric information sensor that measures biometric information of a person subjected to measurement (hereinafter referred to as an "object").
2. Description of the Related Art
Sensors that measure various types of biometric information including an electrocardiographic (ECG) signal and a pulse wave signal are generally known (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-508128, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-150696 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-518235. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-508128 describes a system for measuring the heart rate of an object using a radio frequency signal reflected from the object. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-150696 describes a biometrics card for obtaining electrocardiographic information such as an electrocardiographic waveform or a heart rate based on a potential difference obtained by bringing a right hand finger and a left hand finger into contact with first and second input electrodes, respectively. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-518235 describes a chip card for measuring the pulse of an object by receiving light diffused inside the object's finger.
A pulse wave transit time is known as biometric information. This pulse wave transit time indicates a time difference from the R wave of an electrocardiographic signal to the minimum value of a pulse wave signal. In contrast, the sensors described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-508128, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-150696 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-518235 calculate the heartbeats, electrocardiogram, pulses, and the like using various signals detected from the object, but these sensors do not calculate a pulse wave transit time. To calculate a pulse wave transit time, it is necessary to measure an electrocardiographic signal and a pulse wave signal at the same time. To do so, the object needs to be attached with electrodes for measuring an electrocardiographic signal, and a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element for detecting a pulse wave signal at the same time, and this puts the object under restraint and lowers convenience.


The present invention provides a cost effective process of generating LixMyZO4/carbon composite material. Further, this novel method of preparation can be modified by adding a dopant and the calcinations can be carried out using microwave heating to reduce the synthesis time and cost. The LixMyZO4/carbon composite material can be used as a cathode for a secondary electrochemical cell. Selection of one or more metals in the cathode material can be used change the voltage, the capacity, and the energy density of the electrochemical cell.

In the rechargeable battery industry a variety of different cathode materials have been investigated. LiCoO2 is the most common cathode material used today in commercial Li ion batteries, by virtue of its high working voltage and long cycle life. Although, LiCoO2 is considered the cathode material of choice, the high cost, toxicity and relatively low thermal stability are features where the material has serious limitations as a rechargeable battery cathode. These limitations have stimulated a number of researchers to investigate methods of treating the LiCoO2 to improve its thermal stability. However, the safety issue due to low thermal stability is still the critical limitation for LiCoO2 cathode materials, especially when the battery is used in high charging-discharging rate conditions. Therefore, LiCoO2 is not considered suitable as a cathode material in rechargeable batteries for transportation purposes and this has stimulated searches for alternative cathode material for use with electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.
LiFePO4 has been investigated as a very attractive alternative cathode material in rechargeable batteries due to its high thermal stability which makes it suitable for high rate charge-discharge applications in transportation devices and power tools. Batteries using LiFePO4 as the cathode material have achieved market penetration in electric bicycles, scooters, wheel chairs and power tools.


The present invention generally relates to the improvement of tissue health by increasing local blood flow. In some aspects of the invention, increased local blood flow is effected by the transdermal delivery of the nitric oxide precursor L-arginine and/or its derivatives alone, or optionally in conjunction with an adjunct such as theophylline. The transdermal delivery is effected, in certain embodiments through the means of a hostile biophysical environment, such as that created by a high ionic strength environment. Various pathological states caused by, or occurring in conjunction with, insufficient blood flow, can be treated using the systems and methods of the invention as described herein. In other embodiments, increased blood flow using the systems and methods of the invention may result in enhanced healing, for example, through greater availability of the constituents of the blood. Examples of conditions which may benefit from increased blood flow include, but are not limited to, erectile dysfunction, hair loss, female sexual dissatisfaction, sagging facial or other body tissue, peripheral vascular disease including claudication, neuropathy, skin ulcers, bone healing, wound healing, viral and bacterial infection, and skin grafting.

Poor circulation in the extremities is a major problem in people with diabetes and others. There is nothing available to treat this problem. Symptoms are managed through use of special socks and shoes and moisturizing creams. In addition, effective healing and functionality following plastic and transplant surgery is often less than optimal. Healing often takes much too long. Effective healing and functionality is greatly enhanced by increased blood flow which results in improved oxygenation and tissue nutrition.
Local transdermal delivery of drugs, while desirable, is limited by current technologies. Few pharmaceutical entities have successfully been delivered transdermally in effective dosages. For example, a limited number of drugs, such as steroids, nicotine and nitroglycerine, which are non-charged and do not form hydrogen bonds, have been successfully delivered by passive diffusion, relying on the concentration gradient between outside and inside the skin to deliver the agent in accordance with Fick's first law of diffusion. The amount of pharmaceutical agent that can be delivered through simple diffusion is also limited. For instance, once the concentration inside the stratum corneum becomes equal to that outside, flow of pharmaceutical agent stops.
As these examples illustrate, what is needed are systems and methods for increasing local blood flow in tissues.

Beneficial effects of increasing local blood flow


A disk cleaning scrub module comprising a scrub lane and a plurality of brushes that rotates and scrub washes a plurality of disks having a diameter D in the scrub lane, wherein a disk-to-disk center distance for scrub wash of the plurality of the disks is S and a ratio of S/D is greater than 1 and less than 1.6 is disclosed.

Magnetic disks and disk drives are conventionally employed for storing data in magnetizable form. Preferably, one or more disks are rotated on a central axis in combination with data transducing heads positioned in close proximity to the recording surfaces of the disks and moved generally radially with respect thereto. Magnetic disks are usually housed in a magnetic disk unit in a stationary state with a magnetic head having a specific load elastically in contact with and pressed against the surface of the disk. Data are written onto and read from a rapidly rotating recording disk by means of a magnetic head transducer assembly that flies closely over the surface of the disk. Preferably, each face of each disk will have its own independent head.
In FIG. 1, an embodiment of a disc drive storage device 100 is illustrated. Disc drive 100 includes a disc pack 126 having storage surfaces 106 that are typically layers of magnetic material that are deposited using microstructure fabrication techniques. The disc pack 126 includes a stack of multiple discs and the read/write head assembly 112 includes a read/write transducer or head 110 for each stacked disc. The head 110 is typically formed using microstructure fabrication techniques. Disc pack 126 is spun or rotated as shown by arrow 107 to allow read/write head assembly 112 to access different rotational locations for data on the storage surfaces 106 on the disc pack 126.
Read/write head assembly 112 is actuated to move radially, relative to the disc pack 126, as shown by arrow 122 to access different radial locations for data on the storage surfaces 106 of disc pack 126. Typically, the actuation of read/write head assembly 112 is provided by a voice coil motor 118. Voice coil motor 118 includes a rotor 116 that pivots on axle 120 and an arm 114 that actuates the read/write head assembly 112. Disc drive 100 includes electronic circuitry 130 for controlling the operation of the disc drive 100 and transferring data in and out of the disc drive.
Typically, the disc drive head 110 slides over the storage surface 106 in the disc drive 100 as illustrated. If there are particles of a large enough dimension between the sliding surfaces, then there is an increased risk that one of the sliding surfaces may be damaged during operation. In modern disc drives a critical dimension can approach 5 nanometers between the head 110 and the storage surface 106. Particles can cause damage and need to be removed from the sliding surfaces before assembly of the disc drive 100.
A sectional view of a disk recording medium, which is generally shaped like a disc, is shown in FIG. 2. Even though FIG. 2 shows sequential layers on one side of the non-magnetic substrate 10, it is to sputter deposit sequential layers on both sides of the non-magnetic substrate.
Adverting to FIG. 2, a sub-seed layer 11 is deposited on substrate 10, e.g., a glass or glass-ceramic substrate. Subsequently, a seed layer 12 is deposited on the sub-seed layer 11. Then, an underlayer 13, is sputter deposited on the seed layer 12. An intermediate or flash layer 14 is then sputter deposited on underlayer 13. Magnetic layer 15 is then sputter deposited on the intermediate layer, e.g., CoCrPtTa. A protective covering overcoat 16 is then sputter deposited on the magnetic layer 15. A lubricant topcoat (not shown in FIG. 2 for illustrative convenience) is deposited on the protective covering overcoat 16.
The disk is finely balanced and finished to microscopic tolerances. Take the smoothness of its surface, for example. The drive head rides a cushion of air at microscopic distances above the surface of the disk. So, the surface cannot be too smooth, or the drive lead will end up sticking to the disk, and it cannot be too rough either, or the head will end up getting caught in the microscopic bumps on the surface.
It is considered desirable during reading and recording operations to maintain each transducer head as close to its associated recording surface as possible, i.e., to minimize the flying height of the head. This objective becomes particularly significant as the areal recording density increases. The areal density (Mbits/in2) is the recording density per unit area and is equal to the track density (TPI) in terms of tracks per inch times the linear density (BPI) in terms of bits per inch.
Using chemical and mechanical methods to remove contaminants from the surface of the rigid magnetic medium after the mechanical texture process are proven methods to effectively remove contaminants which degrade the performance of the rigid disk medium. Some larger contaminants in the range of 1-5 microns are easier to remove, but smaller contaminants in the range of 0.1 micron to 1.0 micron are much more difficult to remove.
Contaminants on the surface of the disk can degrade the performance of the rigid magnetic medium. Contaminants that protrude above the flying height of the read/write heads can cause these heads to crash—just like an airplane hitting a small hill. Contaminants that are below the flying height of the read/write heads, but are large enough, will cause a loss of magnetic signal. Some contaminants prevent the succeeding thin film metals (as they are applied through the sputtering process) from adhering completely onto the NiP surface. All these forms of contamination directly lead to magnetic performance failure at the drive.
High area density rigid magnetic medium requires high magnetic track density and high bits per inch. To satisfy these basic magnetic designs, the space between the head and the rigid magnetic medium must be reduced to nanometer level. For example the flying height of 100 Gb/sq-in drive now is around 40 to 50 angstroms. This requires the rigid magnetic medium to have very clean surfaces with very few sub-micron particles and contaminants. This is a very huge challenge because of the very small sizes of the sub-micron particles and contaminants.
In recent years, considerable effort has been expended to achieve high areal recording density. In particular, the requirement to further reduce the flying height of the head imposed by increasingly higher recording density and capacity renders the disk drive particularly vulnerable to head crash due to accidental glide hits of the head and media. To avoid glide hits, a smooth defect-free surface of data zone is desired. The direct result of these demands is tending towards low yield due to less defect tolerance at the surface of the media. Thus, it is desired to arrive at an improved and efficient mechanism for scrubbing/burnishing/polishing the surface of the discs to produce defect-free surface.

High efficiency and high throughput cascade scrub wash machine for rigid magnetic recording media


An improved storage circuit that allows multiple bits to be encoded and stored using a single storage element. The encoded information is defined by a coupling made between a transistor as the storage element and any one of several bit lines associated with the transistor. When the coupled bit line is discharged in response to a wordline signal, the stored information can be captured by an encoder. The circuit is particularly useful for efficiently storing information in a gate array integrated circuit, because the gate array has more space around each transistor to add bit lines than a conventional, densely packed, ROM.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to storage of binary signals in semiconductor integrated circuits, and more particularly to programmable circuits such as read only memories (ROM) and gate arrays.
2. Background Information
A need exists today for denser and faster electronic structures for storing binary signals. Conventional techniques for storing information in semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) include the use of random access memory (RAM), and read only memory (ROM). In particular, ROMs are used to store binary signals in the form of 1 bit per site, in an array of sites where each site is defined as the area near an active element.
A particular prior art ROM 100 is illustrated in FIG. 1. The ROM 100 includes an array of a large number of programmable sites 111, 112, . . . located at and near the crossing of a row conductor (wordline) and a column conductor (bit line). In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) ROM structure in which an n-channel field effect transistor (FET) as the active element is located at each site.
The ROM 100 is programmed by the IC manufacturer according to a customer's specifications by making or not making an electrical coupling 117 between the drain of a FET 118 and its corresponding bit line 119. The site 111 may therefore represent 1 bit of programmed information. The bit is accessed by first precharging the bit line 119 to a given voltage (normally a voltage near the rail supply voltage of the ROM IC) with the FET 118 being turned "off" so as to present a sufficiently high impedance to develop the given voltage. Then, the voltage on the wordline 110 is raised. The wordline 110 is coupled to the gate of the FET 118. Raising the potential on the wordline 110 will turn "on" the FET 118 by creating a sufficiently low impedance which then discharges the bit line 119 to a different voltage (normally a voltage close to the common return of the ROM IC). The information that has been programmed into the site 111 may then be read at the output as a first logic level if the coupling 117 is present, or a different logic level if the coupling 117 is not present. The above precharge and discharge cycle is repeated for each row of the ROM 100 to read the entire array.
The structure of FIG. 1 described above is known as a NOR-type ROM with metal programmable couplings. Other NOR-type ROMs exist that perform substantially the same function of encoding 1 bit per site, except that the programming step involves making or not making the FET 118 itself, rather than making or not making a metal coupling to the drain of an existing FET. It may be seen, however, that in either situation, one FET is employed to encode 1 bit. In practice, ROM structures of the type shown in FIG. 1 may be manufactured to exhibit very high density levels by designing the FETs to be very small so that the FETs and bit lines are closely placed together in the array.
Another type of solid state structure that may be used to store binary signals is the gate array. The gate array is a versatile logic IC which may be hardwire-programmed to perform a desired logic function and thus provide a higher level of functionality than the ROM. In essence, the gate array also has an array-type structure similar to the ROM 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, except that each gate array site is typically much larger than the site 111 in the ROM 100, because each gate array site will typically include several transistors and/or even a small logic processing unit with multiple input and output lines for each site.
Although the gate array is typically used to implement logic functions, a portion of a gate array may be used to implement a ROM by programming 2 bits into each site of the gate array using two n-channel transistors in each site. Each transistor may be programmed to connect or not connect with a single corresponding bit line.
Having discussed the density aspect of existing programmable storage circuits, the speed at which the stored signals may be read is also of importance. Referring to FIG. 1, the bit line 119 is attached (when so programmed) to the diffusion region (either the source or the drain, depending upon the supply voltages used) of the FET 118. Statistically, approximately one half of the FETs in a column may be coupled to the bit line after being programmed. Since ROM 100 may have thousands of wordlines, it is not unusual to have several thousand diffusion region couplings to the bit line 119. Since each coupling 117 adds capacitance to the bit line 119, the total capacitance on bit line 119 may be appreciable as compared to the discharging ability of a FET 118, such that discharging the bit line 119 through a single FET 118 will present a measurable delay while reading out the stored information from the ROM 100. Such a delay increases when thousands of wordlines are being selected sequentially. Therefore, given the above discussion concerning the operation of prior art storage circuits, an improvement in their speed and density is desirable.

Information encoding by multiple line selection


An organic light emitting device including: a first electrode, a hole injection layer on the first electrode, a hole transport layer on the hole injection layer, an organic light emitting layer on the hole transport layer, a first electron transport layer on the organic light emitting layer, a second electron transport layer on the organic light emitting layer, an electron injection layer on the second electron transport layer and a second electrode on the electron injection layer, where the first electron transport layer includes a first material for improving a thermal stability, a second material for improving a luminous efficiency and a third material for reducing a driving voltage, and the second electron transport layer is laminated with the first electron transport layer, and the second electrode faces the first electrode.

1. Field
Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to an organic light emitting device, an organic light emitting display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the organic light emitting display apparatus. For example, aspects of embodiments of the present invention relate to an organic light emitting device having improved luminous efficiency and thermal stability, an organic light emitting display apparatus including the organic light emitting device and a method of manufacturing the organic light emitting display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An organic light emitting device is a device for light emission by an organic light emitting layer interposed between two opposite electrodes to which a predetermined (or set) voltage is applied. For example, when the predetermined (or set) voltage is applied to the two opposite electrodes, electrons and holes which are injected from the two opposite electrodes form excitons by combining with each other in the organic light emitting layer. The organic light emitting layer emits a light having a specific wavelength by transferring the excitons from an excited state to a lower energy state.
Such an organic light emitting device is applied to (or included in) an organic light emitting display apparatus to provide a self emission property. The organic light emitting display apparatus has been identified (or spotlighted) as a next generation display apparatus, because the organic light emitting display apparatus does not need a backlight unit and has a slim thickness, light weight, low power consumption, advanced color reproduction and fast response time.
The organic light emitting device should have suitable (or proper) transport property of electrons and holes in order to combine (or easily combine) the electrons and the holes, which are injected from the two opposite electrodes, in the organic light emitting layer, thereby increasing the formation of the excitons. Thus, the organic light emitting device may include some organic layers to improve the transport property of the electrons and the holes, and the organic layers may be disposed on an upper surface or a lower surface of the organic light emitting layer.
For example, the organic light emitting device may include an electron transport layer. The electron transport layer includes various materials. A few materials are capable of providing the suitable (or proper) transport property of electrons. However, when the electron transport layer is formed with such materials, a thermal stability, a luminous efficiency and a lifetime of the organic light emitting device are reduced.

Organic light emitting device having stacked electron transport layers


A data logging system and method in which an implantable medical device transmits logged data to an external data logging device with low energy potential signals. The implantable device generates potential signals modulated with digitally encoded data by operating a current source to cause corresponding electrical potentials that can be sensed at the skin surface by the external data logging device. The data logging device then demodulates the sensed potentials to derive the digital data and stores the data in a data logging storage medium.

Implantable medical devices are commonplace today, particularly for treating cardiac dysfunction. Cardiac pacemakers, for example, are implantable medical devices that replace or supplement a heart's compromised ability to pace itself (i.e., bradycardia) due to chronotropic incompetence or a conduction system defect by delivering electrical pacing pulses to the heart. Implantable cardioverter/defibrillators (ICD's) are devices that deliver electrical energy to the heart in order to reverse excessively rapid heart rates (tachycardia) including life threatening cardiac arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation. Since some patients have conditions that necessitate pacing and also render them vulnerable to life-threatening arrhythmias, implantable cardiac devices have been developed that combine both functions in a single device.
Most pacemakers today are operated in some sort of synchronous mode where the pacing pulses are delivered in a manner that is dependent upon the intrinsic depolarizations of the heart as sensed by the pacemaker. ICD's must also sense the electrical activity of the heart in order to detect an arrhythmia that will trigger delivery of the shock pulse in an attempt to reverse the condition. Such sensed information can be stored by the device in the form of a data log which can be transferred later to an external programmer via a radio link. Due to the limited data storage capacity in a typical implanted device, however, only a small fraction of the total sensed information is actually stored in the data log. One way to circumvent this problem would be to transmit the data log continuously or at frequent intervals to the external programmer. An implantable device has only a battery power supply, however, and the energy costs of such frequent radio transmissions would be excessive. What is needed is a low-energy data transmission method so that the implantable device can transmit logged data either continuously or at frequent intervals to an external device. It is toward this objective that the present invention is primarily directed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Data logging system for implantable medical device


Methods for fabrication of fin devices for an integrated circuit are provided. Fin structures are formed in a semiconductor material, where the fin structures include sidewalls and tops. Dopant implantation is performed at a tilt angle to form a doped region along the sidewalls and the tops of the fin structures, where the semiconductor material is maintained at an elevated temperature during the dopant implantation. The elevated temperature prevents amorphization of the fin structures during the dopant implantation. A field effect transistor is formed from the fin structures. The field effect transistor has a threshold voltage that is based on the dopant implantation.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. Technological advances in IC materials and design have produced generations of ICs where each generation has smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. For example, the semiconductor industry has sought to decrease the size of memory cells. One strategy that has been employed includes the use of multiple gate transistors, including fin field effect transistors (FinFETs).

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited


Location position information of a mobile device utilizing Wi-Fi, FM, AM, television transmissions(s), other radio transmission(s), electromagnetic, acoustic, or other signals received from base stations or access points. The position information can be provided through a Web service and/or locally on a mobile user device. The position information can be provided with a certainty and/or uncertainty probability percentage or other perceivable means for the user to determine the expected accuracy of the location information. Also provided is a means for updating base station information to include newly detected base stations through information from a plurality of user devices, wherein each user device is given a reliance factor. User devices that have a low reliance factor are disregarded and/or scrutinized to determine accuracy prior to such information being utilized to update information. Functioning of the system can be improved through analysis of usage data and/or the additions to the database.

Purpose built radio positioning systems, such as the VHF omni-directional range (VOR), which is a ground-based electronic aid for aerial navigation, are commonly utilized. However, such implementations are not suited for general public use due to the restricted range associated with such systems and the system costs.
Global positioning system (GPS) is another commonly utilized purpose built navigation system and addresses the problem of measuring (latitude, longitude, elevation) accurately. This is useful for many applications, including mapping a current location, determining a starting point for routing instructions, finding nearby businesses and attractions, and other location-based services. However, GPS usually does not work indoors, and sometimes fails in urban canyons and under dense foliage. GPS receivers are single purpose devices and are not standard equipment on computational device. As a result, most people do not carry GPS receivers with them.
Cell phone radio towers are utilized for positioning. However, availability is poor due to carrier-supported positioning suffering from carrier incompatibility and tight control. Furthermore, the positioning accuracy is too low for certain location-based services. Therefore, systems and/or methods are needed that do not suffer from the aforementioned limitations and disadvantages.

Positioning service utilizing existing radio base stations


An interconnect includes a pad and at least two vias coupled to the pad. In one embodiment, the pad has five substantially straight edges, one via directly coupled to the pad by being formed substantially beneath the pad, and one via coupled to one of the five substantially straight edges by a tapered conductive segment. In another embodiment, the pad has three vias directly coupled to the pad and formed substantially beneath the pad. A method of forming an interconnect includes forming at least two vias in a substrate and coupling a pad to each of the at least two vias.

Circuit substrates are the building blocks of modern electronic systems, such as computers, cellular telephones, and personal digital assistants. Circuit substrates provide a platform for mounting and interconnecting electronic components, such as integrated circuits, resistors, capacitors, and inductors that perform the electronic functions required in modern electronic systems. Interconnects are conductive structures that connect together the electronic components on a circuit substrate.
Interconnects can be simple structures or complex structures. Simple interconnect structures include conductive traces. Conductive traces are typically thin, narrow strips of conductive material, such as copper, that are formed on a surface of a circuit substrate and connect one electronic component to another. Complex interconnect structures include structures such as vias coupled to pads. Vias are typically cylindrically shaped conductive segments that connect together different layers or components on different layers of a circuit substrate. Pads are typically thin, square conductive structures formed on a surface layer of a circuit substrate. Pads provide sites for connecting components, such as integrated circuits or other electronic devices, to signals available on the circuit substrate. Signals include power or constant potential signals and information carrying signals.
One problem in modern electronic systems is that the systems generate a step demand for current and this step demand for current causes current surges in the conductors that make up an electronic system's power distribution system. These current surges can cause the conductors that make up the power distribution system to emit electromagnetic radiation (sometimes termed electromagnetic interference (EMI)). The amount of radiation that an electronic device is permitted to emit is usually controlled by government regulations. In the United States, the regulations are promulgated and enforced by the Federal Communications Commission. Therefore, the electromagnetic emissions from electronic devices must be controlled.
One solution to the problem of power distribution system electromagnetic emissions requires connecting decoupling capacitors between pads coupled to a constant potential source and pads coupled to a ground or zero potential source. The decoupling capacitors provide a local source of energy, which can quickly be supplied to circuits coupled to the substrate to meet a step increase in demand for current, without causing current surges in other parts of the power distribution system. Unfortunately, the vias that couple the constant potential source to the pads and decoupling capacitors exhibit a large inductance at high frequencies, so a step demand for current in an electronic device can generate voltage drops in the vias. If the step increases in demand for current occur relatively infrequently, then decoupling capacitors work well to reduce unwanted electromagnetic radiation or EMI in an electronic system. However, as the frequency of operation of modern electronic systems increases, the step increases in demand for current will increase in frequency, and this increase in frequency will cause the voltage drops in the vias to generate unwanted noise voltages at a higher rate. Unwanted noise voltages, when generated at this higher rate, create currents which flow in the power distribution system and generate significant amounts of electromagnetic radiation or EMI.
For these and other reasons there is a need for the present invention.

Via attached to a bond pad utilizing a tapered interconnect


A drive system for imparting motion to a treating implement such as a toothbrush or the like includes a cam rotatably driven around an axis of rotation by a motor. The cam has a closed loop cam track eccentric to the axis of rotation. A control member is disposed between the cam and the treating implement head. The control member has a control slot extending completely through the control member. A pivot member is located between the control member and the treating implement head. The drive system further includes a drive shaft with its drive end freely mounted in the cam track. The drive shaft extends through the control slot and through the pivot member with its driven end operatively connected to the drive connection of the implement head. As a result, when the cam member is rotated the direction of movement of the drive shaft is controlled by the drive shaft being confined for sliding movement in the control slot. The drive shaft is still capable of rotating because of its free mounting in the cam track. The torque and the angle of oscillation imparted to the movable treating elements is determined by the location of the pivot member with respect to the treating head.

Various treating implements exist which include movable treating elements on the head portion of the implement. For example, power toothbrushes frequently have a brush head connected to the handle wherein at least a portion of the brush head rotates continuously in one direction or oscillates back and forth. Other treating implements which may have movable treating elements include, for example, electric razors, clippers, massage devices and various other personal grooming devices.
An example of a power operated toothbrush having an oscillating disk on its cleaning head is found in WO 03/02453. Such toothbrush includes a drive rocker coupled with a motor by a cam. The end of the drive rocker is fixedly mounted to the cam in a position eccentric to the motor shaft. As a result, when the motor shaft rotates the cam the drive rocker is moved in a funnel or cone-like manner. The drive rocker is mounted between the motor and the bristle support extending through a ring-shaped bearing element. By mounting the drive rocker between the motor and the bristle support with the bearing element, the drive rocker is fixed to a point so that the drive displacement of the drive rocker describes a double cone, wherein the peaks of the two converging cones lie in the area of the bearing element. The drive displacement of the drive rocker is transformed into the drive displacement of the bristle support.
It would be desirable to provide a drive system which imparts motions to a treating implement such as a power toothbrush wherein the motion is controlled in an effective, yet economical manner. It would also be desirable to provide such a drive system which could effectively operate using a small motor thereby having the treating implement be inexpensive and of small size without detracking from its efficiency.

Drive system for electric toothbrushes and the like


A reinforcing fabric for use in various applications, including retaining walls. Artificial grass is strategically provided on the fabric so that, when the fabric is positioned in the retaining wall installation, the artificial grass is at least visible on the vertical face of the wall.

Retaining walls are commonly used to stabilize various forms of earth, ranging from rocks to soil, and thereby prevent the earth from shifting and eroding. The steeper the slope on which the retaining wall is positioned, the more lateral force that the earth applies to the wall. Thus, in such steepened slope applications, it is necessary to provide retaining wall support structures with increased structural integrity to withstand such forces. Wire gabions have proven particularly suitable in such applications.
However, wire gabions are not without drawbacks. Being open wire baskets, these devices do not provide the best erosion protection for the retaining walls. Rather, dirt, rocks, and other earth are able to escape through the gabion's openings and thereby threaten the stability of a steepened slope. Moreover, surface water runoff can carry away the very earth that is being retained and result in formation of rills and gullies.
Furthermore, the wire gabions are easily visible when incorporated into a retaining wall and are not aesthetically pleasing. Thus, various attempts have been made to disguise the gabions. For example, hydroseeding has been used to promote the growth of vegetation on the retaining wall. However, if the retaining wall is especially steep and/or built to have a vertical face, it may be very difficult for vegetation to grow of the vertical face of such wall. Moreover, hydroseeding, while cheaper than sod installation, is not without cost.
While hydroseeding does address the appearance drawback of gabions, it does not significantly combat erosion. Rather, other reinforcement devices must be used in conjunction with the gabions. The devices, such as silt fences, while preventing erosion may also prevent water from escaping the installation. Such trapped water can add additional forces to the retaining wall, putting unwanted stress on the retaining structures, which could lead to the wall failure. In addition, many silt fences are composed of a plastic liner, similar to garbage bags, and are not considered visually pleasing. As such, the aesthetic problem has not been addressed.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a reinforcing structure that may be used in conjunction with wire gabions or other primary reinforcement devices that disguises the existence of such devices while helping to prevent erosion of earth from the retaining wall.

Retaining wall having artificial grass reinforcing fabric and methods for installing the fabric thereto