A tool holder formed from two or more layers of material is provided. Cutouts or pockets may be formed in the tool holder corresponding with specific types and sizes of tools. An identification for each tool may be provided on the tool holder adjacent to each cutout. The identification remains visible to a reader when an associated tool is placed in each respective cutout.

Tool boxes and tool chests frequently hold a wide variety of tools and other devices. Tool boxes and tool chests may include one or more drawers for specific types of tools. Such tool boxes and tool chests may include molded plastic inserts sized to receive specific sizes and types of tools. The type and/or size of the tool contained within each drawer may be printed on the exterior of the drawer. Also, the type and/or size of each tool may be printed on the molded plastic insert contained within the drawer.
Many industries call for the use of unique tools which are not compatible with large volume commercially available tool boxes and tool drawers. These industries often place a high premium on keeping track of valuable tools and ensuring that all tools are fully accounted for at the end of a work process, work shift or work day. For example, during repair and assembly of a jet engine, checklists and associated procedures are required for accounting for all tools after completion of a repair and assembly. The same requirements often apply to repair of complex systems such as electrical power generating equipment, nuclear reactors, etc. Foreign object debris or foreign object damage (FOD) is a well known problem associated with operation of jet engines and similar types of equipment.
Positive control of expensive tools and associated tooling has become an important part of modern industry. The United States government and similar organizations typically have procedures and requirements for positive control of tools and tooling.

Layered tool holder with visible identification


According to this invention method for starting a machining program midway for a numerical control system, an operator simply selects with a cursor key a tool number or a tool offset number of the tool which is to be used for the machining step the operator wishes to execute out of the numbers displayed on the screen and can easily start the machining program from the top block of the desired machining step or the tool command block with the selected tool number or the tool offset number. By selecting the shape of the tool which is to be used for the machining step by means of a cursor key or the like out of the tool shapes displayed on the screen, the operator can start the machining program midway from the top block of which tool number or the tool offset number is designated. When the machining program is to be started from midway according to the method, as the machining path of a step is displayed, the operator can confirm whether the block to start the machining program midway is right or wrong.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for midway starting a machining program in a numerical control (NC) system, and more particularly, relates to a method for starting the machining process in a unit of a step in the numerical control system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
If the product dimensions in a drawing are highly precise, machining is conducted generally in the following steps (1) to (3);
(1) The first machining is conducted for a work by subtracting or adding a predetermined value from or to a preset tool offset value. The work which has been cut by the first machining process is of the size of a product plus a constant finishing stock. PA1 (2) Then, the dimension of the work which has been cut by the first machining is measured and the difference between the measured size and the product size is subtracted from or added to the tool offset value. PA1 (3) With the modified tool offset value, only the finishing step is repeated. PA1 where BLK (n): n means the number of blocks counted from the top block in the machining program. PA1 BLK (n1): the tool command block for the first machining step PA1 BLK (n2): the tool command block for the second machining step PA1 BLK (n3): the tool command block for the third machining step PA1 BLK (n4): the tool command block for the fourth machining step PA1 BLK (n5): the tool command block for the fifth machining step. PA1 The first machining step: BLK (n1) to BLK (n2-1) PA1 The second machining step: BLK (n2) to BLK (n3-1) PA1 The third machining step: BLK (n3) to BLK (n4-1) PA1 The fourth machining step: BLK (n4) to BLK (n5-1) PA1 The fifth machining step: BLK (n5) to . . . PA1 The first machining step: roughly cut outer diameter PA1 The second machining step: roughly cut inner diameter PA1 The third machining step: finishing outer diameter PA1 The fourth machining step: finishing inner diameter PA1 The fifth machining step: groove PA1 (1) A machining program 61 is displayed on the display screen 60. PA1 (2) The display is renewed until the desired block is displayed by means of a page key or the like. PA1 (3) The cursor 62 is moved to the desired block by means of a cursor key. PA1 The first machining step: roughly cut outer diameter PA1 The second machining step: roughly cut inner diameter PA1 The third machining step: finishing outer diameter PA1 The fourth machining step: finishing inner diameter PA1 The fifth machining step: groove,
When the machining is conducted according to the steps mentioned above, since the second machining concerns only the finishing step, the numerical control system has to be started midway of a machining.
As shown in FIG. 1, a machining program generally comprises of programs for each machining step which are arranged in the order of the machining. If it is assumed that the machining program for each machining step is a step program, and each block of the machining program is expressed as follows, then the machining program comprising five machining steps is regarded as step programs with blocks of BLK (n1), BLK (n2), BLK (n3), BLK (n4) and BLK (n5) arranged at the top of each step in the sequence of the machining order.
Since the machining step is defined by a tool to be used in the machining, the top block of each step program is a block designating a tool in which a tool change command 80 is written. Therefore, the top block of each step program becomes as follows;
The blocks included in the machining step become as follows;
It is now assumed that the following five machining steps are required to machine the work in accordance with the product dimensions designated in a drawing.
When the tool offset value is modified and the work is to be machined only for the finishing step, the machining for the second time is to start from the third step (or the step for the finishing outer diameter). In other words, the top block BLK (n3) of the third machining step is designated in the command as the midway starting block to start the machining.
For the method to designate a desired block (the top block of the machining program which the user wishes to execute) as the midway start block, FIG. 2 shows the display screen which indicates required operations as shown below:
If the machining program is executed under such conditions, it will start from the block (the block for midway start) at which the cursor 62 is positioned.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram to show an embodiment to realize a conventional midway start method. The conventional method will now be described referring to FIG. 3.
A machining program PRO to be executed is first stored in a machining program memory 4 in the form of a paper tape 1, a floppy disc 2, communication 3 and so on.
Then, the machining program PRO is read out from the machining program memory 4 and is displayed on a display unit 12 by means of a machining program display section 11. Since the number of blocks which can be displayed on the display unit 12 is limited as shown in FIG. 2, if it is assumed that the blocks BLK (n) through BLK (n+m-1) (wherein m means the number of blocks which can be displayed on the display unit 12) are currently displayed on the display unit 12, and if the key signal CSR sent out from an input unit 9 is a page-up key, the displayed screen is renewed so that the blocks BLK (n+m) through BLK (n+2m-1) will be displayed by means of the machining program display section 11. If the key signal CSR is a page-down key, the display screen will be renewed so that the blocks from BLK (n-m-1) to BLK (n-1) may be displayed on the screen.
In a case that the key signal CSR is for the cursor key, the cursor 62 shown in FIG. 2 is moved correspondingly to the key signal CSR and displayed on the screen. The key signal CSR is also sent out to a midway start block instruction section 10 from the input unit 9 so that the block (=midway start block) indicated by the cursor 62 which is displayed on the display unit 12 is specified based on the key signal CSR by the midway start block instruction section 10, and the number NCB of the blocks from the top block of the machining program to the midway start block is transmitted to a machining program executing section 5.
When a machining start command is inputted from an input unit (not shown), the machining program PRO is read in and interpreted in the unit of a block by means of the machining program executing section 5, and a motor control signal DTM and an I/O control signal DTS are respectively sent out to a motor controlling section 6 and an I/O controlling section 8. In a normal machining, the machining program PRO is read in from the top block BLK (1) by means of the machining program executing section 5, but reading-in will start from the midway start block BLK (NCB) if the number NCB of the blocks from the top to the midway start block is sent out from the midway start block instruction section 10.
A motor 7 comprising a feed shaft motor and a spindle motor or the like is driven by the motor controlling section 6 based on the motor control signal DTM sent out from the machining program executing section 5, and various driving systems are driven by the I/O controlling section 8 based on the I/O control signal DTS sent out from the machining program executing section 5.
In another executing method (sequence return), the machining program executing section 5 may interpret the machining program PRO from the top block BLK (1) to a block BLK (NCB-1) which is immediately preceding the midway start block without sending out the motor control signal DTM and the I/O control signal DTS, and send out the motor control signal DTM and the I/O control signal DTS from the midway start block BLK (NCB).
The conventional midway start method is problematic in the following points. If it is assumed that a machining program comprises the following step programs as shown in FIG. 1;
and if the machining program is to be started from the third machining step (for the finishing outer diameter), an operator must move the page key until the time the top block BLK (n3) of the third machining step is displayed, and further must manipulate the cursor key to move it to the top block BLK (n3) of the third machining step. Since the finishing step is usually positioned in the latter part of the machining program, the number of manipulations that the operator should have with keys such as the page key and the cursor key becomes enormous.
The conventional method is further defective in that it is extremely difficult to find a top block (or the tool command block related to the tool which is to be used in the machining step from which he/she wishes to start the machining program) of the machining step from which an operator wishes to start the program out of a large number of blocks displayed on the screen. Since such complicated operation becomes necessary every time he/she manipulates the page key, he/she has to bear a heavy burden and trouble.

Midway start method in numerical control system


A catheter system and method is provided for overcoming various problems commonly associated with the application of regional anesthesia. Disclosed herein are several embodiments for providing continuous regional anesthesia. In general, the catheter system includes an epidural catheter, an epidural needle, tubing for optional fluid administration, an attached conductive wire (for connection to a nerve stimulator) and a catheter introducer, which is integrated within the proximal hub of the insulated needle. The embodiments may differ in several ways.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of delivering continuous local anesthesia to peripheral nerves. More particularly, it concerns adaptations to a proximal hub of an insulated needle and a method for introducing an "epidural" style catheter through an insulated needle and adjacent to a desired peripheral nerve or nerve plexus in a reliable and safe manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
"Regional anesthesia" is a term generally used to describe the practice of rendering select parts (or regions) of the body insensate to painful stimuli. Currently, the most reliable means of achieving regional anesthesia is by application of a local anesthetic to a peripheral nerve or plexus of nerves. By doing so, a particular area is numbed to painful stimuli, which may occur during or after surgery, or from other forms of trauma.
During surgical procedures, it is often desirable to provide regional anesthesia on a continual basis as an infusion, particularly in the postoperative settings. By utilizing regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia, the post-surgical patient can remain relatively pain-free without systemic side effects, such as nausea or drowsiness, that are generally associated with narcotics and other systemic analgesics.
A standardized medical procedure for providing regional anesthesia as a continuous infusion is the introduction of a peripheral nerve catheter adjacent to the desired nerve or nerve plexus. The term "epidural style" catheter may be alternately used to describe a peripheral nerve catheter. The most common method of localizing the desired nerve or nerve plexus is by applying milliamp levels of current to an insulated needle. The nerve is then located by gradually advancing the insulated needle until the applied current induces visible muscle contraction. In order to achieve muscle contraction, however, the tip of the insulated needle must be within millimeters of the nerve. This allows only a very small margin for error on the part of the anesthesiologist, and obviously to those skilled in the art, any movement of the needle could reduce the effect of the regional anesthetic, damage the nerve, or both.
Conventional catheter systems used for administering local anesthetic (otherwise referred to as "continuous nerve block systems" or "peripheral nerve catheter systems") are cumbersome and awkward to use in clinical practice. One example of a conventional peripheral nerve catheter system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,110 and shown in FIG. 1. In general, conventional peripheral nerve catheter system 100 includes a standard epidural catheter threading assist guide 110, which functions to stiffen an epidural catheter 150 so that it can puncture the hemostatic valve (not shown) incorporated within the body of a multipurpose connector 120. The multipurpose connector 120 includes a proximal end 122 adapted for receiving an epidural catheter 150, a distal end 126 adapted for connection to a proximal hub 135 of an insulated needle 130, and a middle aperture 124 adapted for fluid connection to a fluid source 170 via tubing 160. An electrically conductive stimulation wire 140 is coupled for applying a stimulating current to insulated needle 130, which is typically insulated with the exception of the tip of the needle.
However, system 100 suffers from many disadvantages. In particular, most clinicians find it difficult to hold the needle 130, the multipurpose connector 120, and the epidural catheter threading assist guide 110 in one hand 180, while threading the epidural catheter 150 with the other hand 190. To do so, without moving needle 130, provides another level of difficulty. Often, clinicians become frustrated with the multipurpose connector 120 and disconnect it entirely from the proximal hub 135 of insulated needle 130. In such cases, the epidural catheter threading assist guide 110 is inserted into the proximal hub 135 of the insulated needle 130 to assist in threading the epidural catheter 150. The process of removing the multipurpose connector 120 introduces another unnecessary source of potential movement of insulated needle 130. It is therefore desirable to provide a peripheral nerve catheter system that does not require the manipulations required by many of the prior art systems, so that movement of the indwelling needle and catheter is minimized.
Another disadvantage of system 100 is that the multipurpose connector's middle aperture 124 is placed at a 90-degree angle to the shaft of insulated needle 130. This configuration is generally disadvantageous because of the increased likelihood that tubing 160 will kink. In addition, the configuration severely limits the mobility of the system, and in some cases, introduces an additional source of movement for the indwelling needle, due to interference with adjacent anatomical structures. For example, the orthogonal configuration of middle aperture 124 may cause tubing 160 to catch on the patient's right ear during placement of the catheter in the right neck region. It is therefore desirable to provide a system for administering regional anesthesia that does not interfere with anatomical structures. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system for administering regional anesthesia which, when inserted at a preferred location in a patient's body, does not require the person administering the anesthesia to contact anatomical structures on the patient.
Another disadvantage to system 100 is the likelihood that fluid will reflux out of the system during advancement and/or withdrawal of epidural catheter 150 through the proximal hub 135 of insulated needle 130. For example, if epidural catheter 150 is inserted while fluid is being administered through tubing 160, reflux of the fluid has been known to occur at the point where the epidural catheter penetrates the hemostatic valve within multipurpose connector 120. More specifically, the hemostatic valve may not, in all cases, provide a complete seal around the catheter as it is advanced into (or withdrawn out of) the multipurpose connector. It is therefore desirable to provide a system for administering regional anesthesia that prevents fluid reflux from occurring when epidural catheter 150 is moving (or stationary) within the proximal hub 135.
Multipurpose connector 120 is further described in the above-mentioned patent as an adapter, which must be manually attached to the proximal hub 135 before the epidural catheter can be inserted, and before fluid can be administered, to an indwelling needle. In this manner, fluid reflux may also occur at the interface between multipurpose connector 120 and the proximal hub 135 if multipurpose connector 120 is not properly and securely attached. Therefore, it is further desirable to provide a system for administering regional anesthesia that prevents fluid reflux resulting from the need to manually assemble system components.
FIGS. 2–5 illustrate another peripheral nerve catheter system 200 for administering continuous local anesthetic to peripheral nerves. In the system of FIG. 2, local anesthetic from fluid source 270 is administered through tubing 260 and down the long axis of an insulated needle 230. Similar to system 100, system 200 includes an electrically conductive stimulation wire 240 for applying current to insulated needle 230 for locating a desired nerve or plexus of nerves.
System 200, however, suffers from it's own share of disadvantages. In particular, tubing 260 must be unscrewed from the proximal hub 235 of insulated needle 230 to allow threading of epidural catheter 250. In other words, epidural catheter threading assist guide 210 may only be inserted through the proximal hub 235 of insulated needle 230 after tubing 260 is removed. FIG. 3 is a view of the catheter system of FIG. 2 illustrating the removal of tubing 260 in preparation for threading epidural catheter 250 through the proximal hub 235 of insulated needle 230. FIG. 4 is a view of insulated needle 230 with epidural threading assist guide 210 inserted into the proximal hub 235 of the insulated needle.
FIG. 5 illustrates the process of threading epidural catheter 250 through epidural catheter threading assist guide 210 and into insulated needle 230. As before, movement associated with the removal of tubing 260 may cause the insulated needle to become misplaced. In some cases, misplacement of the insulated needle may reduce the effectiveness of the local anesthetic or may increase the time needed for correctly positioning the epidural catheter. Misplacement of the needle may even cause nerve damage by directly contacting the nerve. Thus, a major disadvantage of system 200 results from the fact that tubing 260 must be disconnected from proximal hub 235 in order to connect catheter 250. In addition to tubing disconnections, system 200 requires manual insertion of thread guides (such as, e.g., catheter threading assist guide 210) for placing the epidural catheter within the patient. It is therefore desirable to provide a system for administering regional anesthesia without requiring disconnection of tubing (such as, e.g., tubing 260) or manual insertion of thread guides.
Regardless of whether system 100 or system 200 is used, there is a danger that the epidural catheter may kink during insertion through a hemostatic valve or a proximal hub. At best, a kinked catheter may be more difficult to thread through the insulated needle. In some situations, however, kinking of the catheter may occlude the orifice of the catheter (making it nearly impossible to administer anesthesia) or may cause a portion of the catheter to shear off into the patient (due to contact with a beveled edge of the needle tip). As such, anesthesiologists often find it safer to remove portions of the catheter system (e.g. multipurpose connector 120 of FIG. 1) to make it easier to thread the epidural catheter without the danger of kinking the catheter. It is therefore desirable to provide a system with features that reduce the dangers associated with threading the epidural catheter through the needle.
It is therefore desirable to provide a peripheral nerve catheter system with features that reduce or eliminate opportunities for an indwelling needle or catheter to move once the needle is near a nerve or nerve plexus.

Catheter system and method for administering regional anesthesia to a patient


A mass storage system for connection to a computer. The mass storage system includes a plurality of independently-controllable storage modules, each storage module having a storage element for storing data in a plurality of storage locations and a retrieval arrangement for retrieving data from selected ones of the storage locations. A word assembly arrangement receives data from the storage modules in parallel and generates in response thereto data words for transfer to the computer system. A system control module selectively enables the retrieval arrangements of the storage modules to retrieve in parallel data from corresponding storage locations of all of the storage elements, or to retrieve data from diverse locations in selected storage modules.

Supercomputers, such as those described in the aforementioned Hillis patents, the Hillis, et al., '126 patent application, and the Kahle patent application, process large amounts of data in relatively short periods of time. As in conventional computers, data to be processed by a supercomputer is typically stored in one or more mass storage devices, which generally store the data in magnetic or optical form. To ensure that the processing elements, which actually perform the processing, are kept busy, data must be retrieved from the mass storage devices at a rapid rate for transfer to the processing elements.
The rate at which data can be retrieved from a single mass storage device is related to a number of factors. If the data is stored on a conventional rotating magnetic, disk, for example, the maximum rate at which the data can be retrieved is related to the rotational speed of the disk and the storage density, that is, the number of bits that can be stored per unit length or area on the disk. The data retrieval rate may further be limited by the circuitry that generates, in response to the magnetically-encoded data on the disk, the electronic signals representing the data for transfer to the processing elements. For a typical disk drive, the retrieval rate is generally on the order of several megabytes per second, which is far less than the rate at which a modern supercomputer can receive and process the data.
To increase the rate at which data can be retrieved from mass storage, mass storage systems have been developed comprising arrays of independently controllable disk units. The aforementioned Hillis, et al., '353 patent application and Potter, et al., patent describe examples of such systems. In such a mass storage system, the data bits forming each word to be transferred in parallel to the supercomputer are spread across corresponding locations in a number of independently-operable disk units. In such a system, data can be retrieved from an array of "n" disk units on the order of "n" times faster than from a single disk unit. Accordingly, the amount of data that such a disk array can supply to a supercomputer can more closely match the rate at which the supercomputer can receive and use the data.
Such disk arrays can provide other benefits as well. For example, if each word stored in a disk array is augmented by associated error correction and detection bits, which are stored in additional disk units, if a disk unit fails the data bits that that unit would provide can be decoded from the data bits provided by the other disk units and the error correction and detection bits. Thus, disk arrays can provide not only faster retrieval of data, but also enhanced reliability and availability of data.
Arrays of independently operable disk units can provide an increased retrieval rate for data to be processed if the data to be retrieved from the disk units at one time is stored in the corresponding locations on the disks. If, however, the data to be retrieved from the various disk units is not stored in corresponding locations, parts of the data must be retrieved from diverse locations in the various disk units. When that occurs, the retrieval can take much longer, depending on the amount of data to be transferred from each location and the distances separating the locations on the respective disks.

Parallel disk storage array system with independent drive operation mode


The invention relates to a catheter and a method of placing a catheter that includes a substantially tubular body portion having an outside diameter no less than the inside diameter of an opening in a catheter introducer adapted to insert a portion of the catheter into a patient's body. The catheter also includes a transition member portion adjacent to a first end of the tubular body portion. The transition member portion has an outside diameter that is less than the outside diameter of the tubular body portion and less than the inside diameter of the opening in the catheter introducer. The invention contemplates that the transition member can be coupled to the end of the tubular body portion, integrally formed with the body portion, or extends from the end of body portion and be removable from a distal end of the body portion. A benefit of the catheter including a transition member portion having an outside diameter that is less than the inside diameter of the opening in the catheter introducer is that it allows a means for inserting a through the introducer catheter which is larger than the inside diameter of the introducer. This provides the benefit of over-the-needle insertion with regard to needle size, but allows for a larger catheter to be placed in the vein by the subsequent removal of the introducer once the transition member portion is placed in the vein.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally directed to medical catheters and more specifically to the placement of catheters into a patient.
2. Description of Related Art
Catheters are commonplace in the medical field, finding importance in a variety of uses. The term "catheter" is commonly used to identify a tubular instrument that is inserted into a body cavity or orifice, naturally or surgically opened. Vascular catheters, for example, come in many different forms and have many different uses. A vascular catheter typically consists of a hub and tubing or cannula through which fluid flows. The hub may include a flash chamber that allows the individual placing the catheter to see blood in the flash chamber that indicates the catheter has entered a vein. There are different types of vascular catheters. The primary types include the short peripheral, which is typically placed only a short distance (e.g., 2-3 inches) in a vein in the hand or arm of the patient. There are also venous catheters that are longer and include a midline catheter that is placed approximately 6-8 inches in the vein of a patient, and a peripherally inserted central catheter ("PICC") which is placed peripherally, e.g., in the arm of a patient, and fed a significant distance, e.g., to the superior vena cava. Still another type of vascular catheter is the central venous catheter which is typically placed in the internal jugular or subclavien vein, implanted under the skin, tunneled underneath the skin, etc.
One common method of placing a vascular catheter in a patient is through an introducer. In this case, an introducer including a needle, is placed in a patient and into a vein. The needle is then removed, and the catheter is inserted through the introducer into the vein.
A second method of placing a catheter in a patient, often referred to as an Over-The-Needle ("OTN") insertion places the catheter cannula directly over the needle used to introduce the catheter into the vein. The needle is typically connected to a wire or stylet that allows the needle to be removed from the distal or hub end of the catheter cannula once the proximate end of the catheter cannula is placed in the vein. With the needle removed, the catheter is advanced in the vein and placed where desired. The OTN catheter permits the use of a smaller outside diameter needle for a given size outside diameter catheter cannula. The clinical benefit of the OTN approach is the maximization of the size of the catheter placed compared to the size of the needle used. A smaller needle means one can more easily access veins and impart less pain to the patient.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the different types of vascular catheter introduction methods. FIG. 1 illustrates a Through-The-Introducer ("TTI") insertion method and FIG. 2 illustrates an OTN insertion method. In the TTI type insertion, an introducer sheath 20 and needle 30 are inserted into the vein of a patient. Once inserted, the needle 30 is removed, and the catheter cannula 10 is advanced through the introducer sheath 20. When the catheter cannula is placed through the introducer, the maximum outside diameter of the catheter cannula that is placed is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the introducer, or, slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the needle. In FIG. 1, for example, at least a 19 gauge needle 30 is needed to place a 20 gauge catheter cannula 10.
In the OTN introduction method, a needle 40 is inserted into a patient, the needle 40 being inside a catheter cannula 10 and having a wire or stylet 50 coupled to a hub 60 at the distal end of the catheter cannula 10. Once the needle 40 and a portion of the catheter cannula 10 are inserted into the patient, the needle 40 is removed from the patient by pulling the hub 60 away from the patient. Once the needle 40 is removed, the catheter cannula 10 is advanced to the desired placement in the patient. FIG. 2 illustrates that a smaller outside diameter needle, e.g., 22 gauge, may be used to place a larger outside diameter catheter cannula, e.g., 20 gauge.


There are provided methods for the valorization of carbohydrates. The methods comprise reacting a fluid comprising at least one carbohydrate with at least one metal catalyst or at least one metal catalytic system in a fluidized bed reactor so as to obtain at least one organic acid or a derivative thereof.

There are many paths to adding value to carbohydrates from the simple thermal treatments—combustion, gasification, pyrolysis, and liquefaction—to enzymatic processes. In the former, energy is the goal or simple molecules like hydrogen and CO that can be used to as a feedstock leading to methanol, olefins, methane, diesel, etc. In the latter, the principal target molecules are alcohols—ethanol, butanol—for fuel. The major cost factors of the sugar-to-alcohol process include feedstock, enzyme, and fermentation. Fermentation is an inherently inefficient process in which maximum carbon yields of better than 50% are difficult to achieve.
There is thus a need for providing alternative methods for the valorization of carbohydrates. Moreover, there is a need for providing methods that would overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the methods found in the prior art.

Methods for the valorization of carbohydrates


A behavior control device of a vehicle having a device for estimating a drift-out value representative of drifting out state of the vehicle; a device for estimating slip angle of rear wheels; and a controller for controlling a brake system such that, when the drift-out value is greater than a threshold value determined therefor, a moment for yawing the vehicle body in a direction of suppressing the drifting out of the vehicle represented by the drift-out value is generated in accordance with the slip angle of the rear wheels, the yaw moment increases as the slip angle of the rear wheels increases, with a restriction that the yaw moment is no longer increased when the slip angle reaches a limit value representing a state that the cornering force of the rear wheels is substantially at a maximum.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a behavior control device of a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly, to a behavior control device of a vehicle for suppressing the vehicle from drifting out with a precaution against the vehicle causing spinning as a result of a drift-out suppress control.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to suppress a vehicle such as an automobile from drifting out as it occurs when the vehicle is driven along a curved road at a relatively high speed by applying a braking to a wheel or wheels at the inside of the turn so that a yaw moment is generated in the vehicle body to help the turn of the vehicle, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication 5-254406. Such a braking method is generally more effective when the rear wheel at the inside of the turn is braked, as the yaw moment for turning the vehicle in the turning direction is more effectively generated around the rear wheel serving as a pivot axis of the yaw moment.
However, the drift-out control induces, as a matter of course, a spinning of the vehicle, if it goes too far. Particularly when the rear wheel at the inside of the turn is braked, the tire grip limit of the braked rear wheel reached by the vector addition of the longitudinal slip due to the braking and the lateral slip due to the centrifugal force reduces the capacity of the lateral grip of the braked rear wheel, thereby causing a side slide of the rear of the vehicle, i.e. the spinning of the vehicle.

Behavior control device of vehicle against drift-out with watching of rear wheel slide


A radio receiver 1 has a device for reducing interference in an r.f. received signal, for example an HF signal conveying high speed data, including a channel estimator 3 for estimating the transmitted signal by comparing the received signal with locally generated signals processed in dependence on the response of the communication channel, together with a filter 2 for filtering interfering signals from the received signal. The use of the channel estimator for compensating for the response of the communication channel as opposed to an equaliser enables interfering signals to be filtered from the received signal.

This invention relates to devices for reducing in-band interference in r.f. received signals.
Two of the main sources of interference in such signals (e.g. high speed serial data (2.4 k/bits per second) over an HF communications channel), are interference from other users and multi-path propagation.
Multi-path propagation causes intersymbol interference on digital communication links. Intersymbol interference occurs because each bit of transmitted information arrives at the receiver several times spaced over a wide (of the order of 8 milliseconds) differential time interval. At 2.4 k/bits per second, each bit lasts 0.417 milliseconds, so the transmitted information becomes confused and corrupted at the receiver due to the multiple propagation paths.
There are two techniques known for combating this type of problem. The first is channel equilisation, and this works by passing the received signal through a filter which has a response equivalent to the inverse of the channel through which the signal was received. A disadvantage of this type of system is that it is not always possible to produce such an inverse of the channel.
The other known technique for combating the problem is a channel estimator (e.g. WO-A-88/09591) which works by identifying the response of the channel, and the detection of the data takes place by comparing the received (distorted) data with a locally generated data stream that has been passed through a model of the channel.


A method and system for adjusting exposure intensity to reduce unwanted lithographic effects is disclosed. In some exemplary embodiments, the method of photolithography includes receiving a mask and a workpiece. An orientation of an illumination pattern relative to the mask is determined, and an intensity profile of the illumination pattern is adjusted according to the orientation. The mask is exposed to radiation according to the illumination pattern and the intensity profile. Radiation resulting from the exposing of the mask is utilized to expose the workpiece. In some such embodiments, the intensity profile includes an intensity that varies across an illuminated region of the illumination pattern.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. This scaling down process generally provides benefits by increasing production efficiency and lowering associated costs. Such scaling down has also increased the complexity of fabrication and verification processes for ICs, and, for improvements to be fully realized, further developments in IC manufacturing are needed.
As merely one example, advances in lithography have been important to reducing device size. In general, lithography is the transfer of a pattern from a mask onto a workpiece such as a semiconductor substrate. In photolithography, the radiation used to transfer the pattern causes changes in affected areas of a photosensitive material formed on the workpiece. After exposure, the photosensitive material can be selectively removed to reveal the pattern. The workpiece then undergoes processing steps that take advantage of the shape of the remaining photoresist to create features on the workpiece.
In one type of lithography, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation (i.e., radiation having a wavelength of about 1-100 nm) is used to transfer the pattern. However, because few materials are transmissive to EUV radiation, a complex system of reflective optics is used to direct and shape the EUV radiation. Accordingly, in many EUV systems, the mask containing the pattern to be transferred to the substrate is also reflective. EUV lithography poses a number of challenges, many of which arise from the arrangement of the reflective optics. For example, many reflective masks are not perfectly planar, and the thickness of the absorber formed on the mask may be much larger than the wavelength of the EUV radiation. Therefore, if the incident radiation is not completely perpendicular to the surface of the reflective mask, undesirable shadows and other 3D effects may occur. For these reasons and others, despite remarkable advances in EUV lithography, further improvements have the potential to deliver improved resolution, improved alignment, and improved yield. Therefore, while existing lithographic techniques have been generally adequate, they have not proved entirely satisfactory in all respects.

Method and system for reducing pole imbalance by adjusting exposure intensity

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a perpendicular recording medium with low noise and high recording density by reducing the effects from noise generated from the vicinity of the interface with the intermediate layer of the recording layer, in a perpendicular recording medium utilizing a granular recording layer containing oxygen or oxide additive in a cobalt-chromium alloy formed on an intermediate layer with a ruthenium or ruthenium alloy layer. A first recording layer and a second recording layer are formed in order on an intermediate layer of ruthenium or ruthenium alloy. The first recording layer and the second recording layer are comprised of cobalt as the main material in a granular structure containing chromium and oxygen. The saturation magnetization of the first recording layer is lower than the saturation magnetization of the second recording layer. When a first recording layer saturation magnetization is set as Ms1(emu per cubic centimeter), a second recording layer saturation magnetization is set as Ms2(emu per cubic centimeter), and the first recording layer film thickness is set to t1 (nm), then (Ms2−Ms1)×t1 will be larger than 0 (memu per square centimeter) and smaller than 0.15 (memu per square centimeter).

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to a magnetic recording medium capable of recording vast amounts of information, and to a magnetic storage apparatus utilizing that magnetic recording medium.
In recent years, along with the great increase in information handled by computers, there are even greater demands to increase the storage capacity of hard disk devices utilized as auxiliary storage devices. More advances are also being made in mounting hard disk storage devices in electrical products used in the home, so demands are also increasing to make hard disk devices more compact and capable of handling a greater volume of information. Hard disk devices using the longitudinal magnetic recording method have attained a real magnetic recording density in excess of 20 gigabits per square centimeter. However attaining an even greater recording density with this method is becoming difficult. Perpendicular magnetic recording is under evaluation as a substitute for the above method. In perpendicular magnetic recording the high density recording region is less susceptible to effects from demagnetizing fields than in longitudinal magnetic recording. Therefore, the perpendicular magnetic recording method is better for high density information storage.
A recording layer made from an alloy of cobalt, chromium, and platinum (CoCrPt) utilized in the longitudinal recording medium of the background art was evaluated for perpendicular magnetic recording media used for this perpendicular magnetic recording method. However, a granular type recording layer with oxygen or oxides added to the CoCrPt alloy was proposed in order to reduce noise even further and this granular recording layer has been the focus of much attention. When this granular recording layer was in the recording layer made from CoCrPt alloy of the background art, the noise was reduced by magnetically isolating the magnetic grains, by segregating the non-magnetic material into grain boundaries mainly of chromium by utilizing the cobalt and chromium phase separation. Chromium was added in large amounts to increase the noise reduction effect but in that case much chromium remained within the magnetic grains, causing the problem that the magnetic anisotropy energy dropped, and the stability of the recording signal deteriorated. However, in the granular type recording layer, where oxygen or oxides were added to the CoCrPt alloy, the oxides can be easily separated from the magnetic grains so that if a template can be formed as the under layer for forming the oxide grain boundary, then a structure where the oxides enclose the magnetic grains can be formed without adding large amounts of chromium. The chromium content within the magnetic grains would consequently be lowered so that noise could be reduced without a drop in the magnetic anisotropy energy.
Ruthenium is suitable as a material for the under layer of this granular type recording layer. This material was disclosed for example in JP 2001-222809 A, and in JP 2004-22138 A. Ruthenium grains possess a hexagonal closed packed structure identical to CoCrPt alloy so that the CoCrPt alloy can grow epitaxially on the ruthenium (Ru) layer and obtain a satisfactory c-axis orientation. Moreover, ruthenium can be made to grow as cylindrical-shaped grains with. clear (easy to see) surface protrusions corresponding to the grains, so that the surface protrusions on these ruthenium grains serve as a template for forming an oxide grain boundary on the granular recording layer. Ruthenium material containing additives such as oxides are also ideal as a under layer for the granular recording layer as disclosed for example in JP 2004-220737 A. Non-magnetic CoCr alloy and titanium (Ti) alloy also have the same hexagonal closed packed structure as CoCrPt alloy, and so are suitable as a under layer for obtaining the c-axis orientation for the CoCrPt alloy recording layer. However these alloys do not render a sufficient effect when forming the oxide grain boundary so they are not effective for reducing noise in the granular recording layer. Further, the CoCrPt alloy recording layer yields a satisfactory c-axis orientation even if using a material with a face-centered cubic structure such as platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) or nickel (Ni) alloy, however it is still inadequate for forming the oxide grain boundary and so are unsuitable as a under layer for the granular recording layer.
On the other hand, intensive research efforts are being made on lowering noise by improving the granular recording layer. One example is laminating recording layers made up of two or more different layers as for example disclosed in JP 2004-310910 A and in JP 2004-259423 A.

Perpendicular magnetic recording medium and magnetic storage apparatus using the same

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A method of cleaning a rotatable object including obtaining a flexible line having a plurality of cleaning elements disposed along the central portion and further including engaging the cleaning elements disposed along the central portion with a rotatable object and affixing a first line end to a first support having a fixed location proximate a first end of the rotatable object and affixing a second line end to a second support having a fixed location proximate a second end of said rotatable object; and rotating the rotatable object to clean the rotatable object with the plurality of cleaning elements.

The inventive method provides an advantage in the ready cleaning of rotatable objects. As one illustrative example, the inventive method substantially reduces the time, effort and expense of cleaning the external surface of cement mixer drums on cement trucks by providing a cleaning apparatus capable of conforming engagement of a plurality of cleaning elements over substantially the entire length of the rotatable object. By correspondingly affixing first and second ends of the cleaning apparatus to a first support having a fixed location proximate a first end said rotatable object a second support having a fixed location proximate a second end said rotatable object the rotatable object can be rotated in relation to the plurality of cleaning elements to remove, dislodge, or dissolve adhered materials.
Maintaining a clean boat hull can improve the performance and prolong the life of a boat while avoiding more expensive maintenance procedures. Conventional methods for cleaning a boat hull are typically by mechanical or chemical means out of water. To remove a boat from the water requires a lift and transport from the location at which the boat is docked to a boat yard at which the boat hull can be cleaned. Alternately, the boat can be supported above low tide and cleaned between low and high tide. Chemical means may include toxins or poisons which can necessitate the use of special equipment such as over garments and respirators and require extensive clean up after use.
Certain devices and methods for cleaning a boat hull while submerged have been described to avoid having to remove the boat from the water. U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,966 to Murphy discloses a boat hull scrubber having a one piece belt of abrasive material to which a plurality of floats couple along the undersurface. The floats pivot in relation to the belt. The floats forcibly urge the belt into contact with the hull of the boat as operators on the deck of the boat pull either end of the belt. There are several disadvantages to this type and similar types of belt and float technology. The floats can make the belt difficult to engage and control in positional relation to the hull, and the flat belt when drawn against the boat hull can be difficult to draw back an forth due to friction between the belt and the boat hull, and the surface of the belt may not provide a surface as effective in removing the material attached to the boat hull (such as bacterial growth, algae growth, barnacles, and the like) as brushes.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,640 to Attaway describes a strap having a plurality of support pads located in cleaning loops disposed along the length of the strap which support cleaning pads in positional relation to the boat hull for cleaning. There are several disadvantages to supported cleaning pad technology. The supported cleaning pads can be operated in only one positional relation to the boat hull making placement of the device in relation to the boat hull more difficult. Additionally, cleaning pads may not readily release removed materials resulting which may act as abrasives and abrade the boat hull.


An approach is provided for limiting or eliminating residual energy in a resonant network before restarting a resonant converter including the resonant network. An energy resetting module is configured to the resonant converter for limiting a peak current occurring in a switching circuit of the resonant converter by resetting energy remaining in a resonant circuit of the resonant converter after the resonant converter is turned off.

Because of environmental and energy consumption concerns, consumers are demanding more energy efficient products. Electronic designers are applying soft switching topologies to improve the efficiency of electronic and electrical products and to enable higher frequency operations in these products. However, switching loss has been an obstacle to power conservation, especially during high frequency operations. As such, resonant converters may be used to apply a zero-voltage switching technique to reduce switching loss occurring during turn-on or turn-off transitions of electronic devices, thereby allowing operations of higher switching frequencies than comparable converters. Resonant converters contain switching elements and resonant LC networks whose voltage or current waveforms vary sinusoidally during one or more subintervals of each switching period.
A basic switching element is an electronic component encompassing a diode and a transistor (typically a power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET)) connected in parallel. In particular, a resonant converter switches the switching element when it is at the zero current or zero voltage point, which reduces the stress on the switching element and the radio interference. The zero-voltage switching (ZVS) is achieved by forcing the current flowing through the switch element to reverse its flow. When the switch current is reversed, the body diode of the switching element clamps the voltage of the switching element to a low value. This minimizes the overall energy loss within the circuitry.
Resonant converters are usually controlled by varying the switching frequency of the switching elements. Examples of the resonant converters include DC-to-high-frequency-AC inverters, resonant DC-DC converters, resonant inverters or rectifiers producing line-frequency AC, resonant AC-DC converters, resonant AC-AC converters, etc. Common applications, for instance, include personal computers, servers, telecom systems, mobile phones, automobiles, medical equipment, gaming consoles and industrial equipment, and so on.
In some instances, the switching element is turned on by a large peak current occurring during a restart process of the resonant converter. The large peak current can damage the switching element. This peak current is caused by energy remaining in a resonant network of the resonant converter after the resonant converter is turned off.

Method and apparatus for resetting a resonant converter


A non-volatile memory device includes a semiconductor layer, floating gates, control gates, pairs of first and second impurity diffused layers formed in the semiconductor layer and located on both sides of the control gates Word lines are electrically connected to the control gates, and bit lines are electrically connected to the first impurity diffused layers and perpendicular to the word lines Wiring electrodes are electrically connected to the second impurity diffused layers, and run in a direction in which the bit lines run. Areas including the pairs of first and second impurity diffused areas are obliquely arranged with respect to the bit lines.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to semiconductor memory devices, and more particularly to a non-volatile memory element, such as an EEPROM cell. Further, the present invention is concerned with a composite semiconductor memory device having a chip on which different-type memory cells, such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) and a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), are formed. Furthermore, the present invention is concerned with a method of producing such a "composite" semiconductor memory device.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a conventional EEPROM cell. The EEPROM cell shown in FIG. 1A includes a p-type semiconductor layer La, a gate insulating film Lb formed on the layer La, a floating gate Lf formed on the gate insulating film Lb, an insulating film Le covering the floating gate Lf, a control gate Lc formed on the insulating film Le and located above the floating gate Lf, and two n.sup.+ -type impurity diffused layers Ld formed in the semiconductor layer La and located on respective opposite sides of the control gate Lc. A bit line BL is connected to one of the two n.sup.+ -type diffused layers Ld, and a bulk line Vss is connected to the other n.sup.+ -type diffused layer Ld. The bit line BL and the bulk line Vss are connected to respective n.sup.+ -type diffused layers of other EEPROM cells. FIG. 1B shows a symbol i.e., schematic indication of the above EEPROM shown in FIG. 1A. The control gate Lc is connected to a word line WL.
A Fowler Nordheim write process (hereinafter simply referred to as an FN write process) is a known data writing process. In the FN write process, the two n.sup.+ -type diffused layers Ld are grounded and a high voltage of, for example, 15 V is applied to the control gate Lc. An electric field derived from the control gate Lc absorbs electrons in the semiconductor layer La, and electrons passing through the gate insulating film Lb are captured by the floating gate Lf. In this manner, data is written into the EEPROM cell.
According to the above FN write process, it is not necessary to apply a voltage to the n.sup.+ -type diffused layer Ld, and current does not flow in the bit line BL. Hence, it is possible to use a simple and low power consumption voltage control circuit used for writing data into the EEPROM cell.
However, it is impossible to apply the FN write process to a memory circuit in which a plurality of EEPROM cells are arranged in rows and columns, as shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the bulk line Vss and the bit line BL are set to a ground potential in order to select a first cell M11, and a voltage of 15 V is applied to a word line WL1. Simultaneously, a voltage of 15 V is applied to the control gate Lc of a second cell M21, and hence a charge flows into the floating gate Lf of the cell M21. Hence, data is written into not only the cell M11 but also the cell M21. That is, it is impossible to select only the cell M11.
With the above in mind, the following data write process has been used. A voltage of 12 V is applied to the word line WL1 connected to the first cell M11 which is to be selected, and the bulk line Vss is set to the ground potential. Further, a voltage of 6 V is applied to the bit line BL1. In this case, a hot carrier is generated in a channel formation area of the first cell M11. The hot carrier passes through the gate insulating film Lb, and flows into the floating gate Lf. In this manner, data is not written into the other cells M12, M21 and M22.
However, the above data writing process has a disadvantage in that a current flows in the bit line BL, and hence a large amount of energy is consumed. Further, the above-mentioned data writing process has a disadvantage in that data stored in other memory cells may be erased during the above data writing operation. That is, when the word line WL2 is set to the ground level, which switches the channel to the OFF state and which is equal to the substrate ground level, the voltage 6 V is applied to the bit line BL1, and when the bulk line Vss is set to the ground level in the state in which a charge is stored in the floating gate Lf of the cell M12 which is not currently selected, the charge in the floating gate Lf is absorbed in one of the two n.sup.+ -type diffused layers Ld, and the cell M12 switches to a data erased state.
It may be possible to reduce the voltage applied to the bit line BL in order to the above disadvantage. However, it becomes difficult to write data into the cell by a reduced bit-line voltage.
Conventionally, EEPROMs and DRAMs are formed on separate chips. However, as the feature scale is decreasing to a limit, it becomes more attractive to study how to increase the additional values of chips. For example, EEPROM cells and DRAM cells are formed on a single chip.
The EEPROM needs three wiring layers, that is, two polysilicon layers used for forming the floating gate Lf and the control gate Lc, and an aluminum layer used for forming the bit line BL. As shown in FIG. 3, the DRAM needs five wiring layers, that is, four polysilicon layers used for forming a gate electrode Li (formed on an insulating film Lh), a storage electrode Lk, a cell plate Ll and a bit line Lm, and an aluminum layer used for forming a wiring electrode Ln. A stacked capacitor Lj is composed of the storage electrode Lk, a dielectric film which is formed surround the storage electrode, and the cell plate L1. Since the number of wiring layers in the EEPROM is different from that in the DRAM, it is necessary to separately form the EEPROM cells and the DRAM cells on the single chip by respective different production processes. This increases the production cost and time. It should be particularly noted that the bit line BL, the storage electrode Lk and the cell plate Ll of the DRAM shown in FIG. 3 are not used in the EEPROM.

Non-volatile memory, semiconductor memory device having the non-volatile memory


A novel zinc oxide crystal has an octahedral nucleus whose faces are alternately zinc faces and oxide faces, and this crystal has such a geometric shape that a needle is grown on each of the faces. The needle grown on the oxide face is branched into three sections which are disposed in parallel relation, and the needle on the oxide face is shorter than the needle on the zinc face. This novel crystal having oxide films can be produced in a homogeneous manner by mixing zinc-tin alloy powder or tin powder with zinc powder, having an oxide film formed on each particle thereof, to form a powder mixture and then by heating the powder mixture at 820.degree. C. to 1100.degree. C. in an oxidizing atmosphere to oxide the same. The tin concentration in the power mixture is less than 40 wt. %.

This invention relates to a zinc oxide crystal of a novel shape and a method of producing the same. Products of the present invention can be used as an industrial material and a material for the purpose of the people's livelihood.
Zinc oxide crystals obtained by gas-phase methods have various geometric shapes such as a granular shape, a needle-shape, a sheet-shape and a tetrapod-shape. Particularly, when tetrapod-like crystals are produced by such a method or under such a condition that a satisfactory controllability is not obtained, crystals other than such tetrapod-like crystals are also present in a mixed manner, and in some cases, the number of the needles is larger than the number of the tetrapod-like crystal, and these are connected together at a same junction to form the crystal. Therefore, in a group of such crystals of a complicated shape, the number of the needles is quite irregular, and hence no homogeneity is found, and the angle between the needles is not constant. Furthermore, sheet-like crystals influence the mechanism of the formation and growth of the crystal, and the crystals often are formed with such sheet-like crystals connected thereto.
As described above, there are often produced the by-product crystals in which the needles (hereinafter referred to as "legs") are interconnected at one point, and four or more legs grow randomly. There is no reproducibility in connection with the shape of such similar crystals, and they are the mixture of such a complicated shape that it is difficult to find such similar crystals of the same shape even in the same batch.
There has heretofore been proposed a mechanism of increase of the number of legs from a tetrapod-like crystal, in which new legs further grow in a twinning manner from an edge of a thin-sheet crystal formed and grown in a twinning manner between the legs of the tetrapod-like crystal. Only with such a twinning mechanism, it is difficult to control the spots of formation of such legs and the frequency of this formation, and even if the number of legs of the produced crystal, the angle between the legs of this crystal, the number of the sheet-like crystals, and the growth degree are taken into consideration, it is extremely difficult to obtain the crystal of a uniform shape.
The inventor of the present invention have made extensive study and analysis of the above crystals, having no constant shape, in various ways such as an X-ray diffraction method, an electron diffraction method and an etching treatment. As a result, it has been found that there are many factors in the growth mechanism, and that defects such as various dislocations due to the complication of these factors often develop, and it has been confirmed that no constant shape of the above crystal is due to such defects.
In several gas-phase methods of producing a zinc oxide crystal (particularly, a tetrapod-like zinc oxide crystal), the above zinc oxide crystal of a complicated shape is presented in mixed relation to a tetrapod-like crystal when metallic zinc is burned and oxidized in an atmosphere of a relatively high oxygen concentration.
Therefore, in order to obtain the totally-novel zinc oxide crystal of the present invention having a constant structure, it is necessary to establish and use a new growth method achieving a growth mechanism different from those of the conventional methods.
On the other hand, there has not yet been publicly announced or manufactured a homogeneous crystal having legs the number of which is not less than the number (four) of the legs of the tetrapod-like crystal.

Zinc oxide crystal and method of producing same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A self contained battery charger is disclosed for use in charging an external battery through a pair of connecting cables. The battery charger comprises an internal battery for providing a first predetermined battery voltage and a DC to DC converter, connected to the internal battery, for converting the first predetermined voltage to a low current signal. First switching circuitry is provided for communicating a low current signal to the external battery. Status monitoring circuitry is provided for monitoring voltage and/or current conditions when said low current signal is communicated to the external battery. Second switching circuitry is provided for communicating a high current signal to the external battery in response to sensed voltage and/or current conditions.

Starter batteries often become sufficiently discharged so as to be unable to start a motor. This is often due to lights or other accessories being accidently left on. Also, defective vehicle charging systems can result in the same problem.
Conventional methods of starting such a disabled vehicle include push starting, using jumper cables and conventional battery chargers. Both push starting and jumper cables require the presence of another car. Furthermore, jumper cables are hazardous because, if improperly connected, they can lead to damage of the vehicles electrical system. Also an explosion of the battery gases is possible.
A disadvantage of conventional battery chargers is the need to be near a source of electrical power, such as 120 volts alternating current, to power the battery charger.
More recently, self contained battery charger systems have been proposed which incorporate an internal battery which is used to charge the vehicle battery, e.g. through a connection to the vehicle cigarette lighter socket. One such system is the JUMP START.TM. marketed by Innova Products of Fountain Valley, Calif. Products such as the JUMP START satisfy the requirement for a portable battery charger which does not require interconnection to an external power source. However, existing portable battery chargers are not known to have a high amperage capacity for providing an immediate jump start such as may be obtained by the use of jumper cables. This limitation of existing systems is both a function of the internal circuitry of such systems as well as inherent current limitations in the charging path typically utilized, e.g. through a cigarette lighter or some other portion of the vehicles accessory electrical system.
The present invention extends the capabilities of existing various battery charger systems. The invention disclosed herein provides a portable battery charging system which has sufficient charging capacity to start vehicles, from small cars to large recreational vehicles, within a few moments after connection. The invention further incorporates safety features to avoid potential dangers that are typically inherent in the use of conventional jumper cables.


A controller of a liquid ejecting apparatus forms first inspection patterns on a medium in a head moving direction while moving a liquid ejecting head in a forward direction. Corresponding second inspection patterns are formed on the medium in the head moving direction while moving the liquid ejecting head in a backward direction. When forming the patterns, the controller sets a voltage of a drive pulse corresponding to a preferable combination of the first and second inspection patterns, as a normally-used voltage used for normal forming. The controller differentiates the voltages of the drive pulses used for forming the inspection pattern for every combination of the first and second inspection patterns. The second inspection patterns correspond to the first inspection patterns at timings when positions of the second inspection patterns in the head moving direction are theoretically aligned with the positions of the first inspection patterns.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as an ink jet printer.
2. Related Art
A liquid ejecting apparatus is an apparatus including a liquid ejecting head and each of various liquids is ejected from this liquid ejecting head. As a typical example of this liquid ejecting apparatus, an image recording apparatus can be given, such as an ink jet printer (simply called a printer hereafter) including an ink jet type recording head (called simply a recording head), being a liquid ejecting head, constituted to perform recording by ejecting liquid ink as ink droplets, from this recording head to recording paper, etc, being an ejection target, and causing these ink droplets to impact on the ejection target to form dots. In recent years, this kind of liquid ejecting apparatus has been applied not only to image recording apparatuses but also to various kinds of manufacturing apparatuses such as display manufacturing apparatuses.
The aforementioned liquid ejecting head may be one equipped with, for example, piezoelectric elements as a pressure generating unit (driving source) for ejecting liquid. This piezoelectric element is constituted of a multilayer structure of a piezoelectric material made of PZT (lead zirconate titanate) and an electrode material, and elastic deformation or bending deformation of this piezoelectric element is made to occur by applying a voltage between a driving electrode and a common electrode. This piezoelectric element is joined to a diaphragm for partitioning a part of a pressure generation chamber that communicates with a nozzle opening, and by applying a drive signal in such a manner as drive deforming of the piezoelectric element, the diaphragm can be deformed. By deformation of this diaphragm, the volume of the pressure generation chamber is changed to allow pressure fluctuation to occur in the ink in the pressure generation chamber, and by controlling this pressure fluctuation, the liquid can be discharged (ejected) from the opening of the nozzle.
Then, in the liquid ejecting head using the aforementioned piezoelectric element as a driving source, an amount of the liquid ejected according to a voltage value of the drive signal is increased or decreased. Therefore, JP-A-11-58729 proposes a technique of setting an optimal voltage value as the drive signal for driving the piezoelectric element.
However, when the aforementioned printer is used over a long period of time, the piezoelectric element is gradually deteriorated, and its characteristics are changed (an amount of displacement is lowered). In this case, there is a possibility that even if the piezoelectric element is driven by the drive signal of the drive voltage set at the time of manufacture, the amount of the ejected ink or a flight speed of the ink does not coincide with a design value.


Disclosed and described herein is a vehicle object notification system comprising a steering interface that includes a plurality of light-emitting elements, each of the light-emitting elements arranged in an elongated pattern along a respective portion of the steering interface, wherein a first light emitting element is configured to illuminate based on a detection of an object relative to a first portion of a vehicle and a second light emitting element is configured to illuminate based on a detection of an object relative to a second portion of a vehicle.

Many modern mobile machines and vehicles are equipped with object detection and collision avoidance systems. For example, many modern automobiles include a collision avoidance system that includes a rear-facing, vehicle-mounted video camera that is connected to an in-dash multi-function display monitor. When the vehicle is placed in reverse, the collision avoidance system automatically activates the camera and displays the corresponding video feed on the in-dash display, providing the driver with rear visibility, with a greater field of vision than is generally provided by the rear-view mirror(s). Some collision avoidance systems also include additional safety measures, such as proximity alarms for notifying the driver of nearby objects and auto-braking schemes for causing the vehicle to automatically brake when the vehicle moves to within a threshold distance of a nearby object.
Although conventional collision avoidance systems may be convenient when the vehicle is moving, particularly when the vehicle is travelling in reverse or other situations in which driver visibility is impeded by driver "blind-spots," there a several drawbacks. First, many interactive display technologies used in conventional collision avoidance systems require a relatively high level of driver attentiveness, which can distract the driver from other, potentially hazardous situations. For example, requiring the driver to look at a dash-mounted video screen while backing up into a busy street may distract the driver from pedestrian or vehicle traffic travelling toward the sides of the vehicle. As a result, although the video monitoring system may keep the driver keenly apprised of hazards approaching from behind the vehicle, the level of attention required to for the driver to process full-motion video may actually serve to distract the driver from other potential hazards near the vehicle.
In addition to driver distraction, closed-circuit display technologies used in many conventional collision avoidance systems can be costly. For example, many driver awareness camera system options can add 10-20% to the cost of a standard vehicle. While this may be acceptable in luxury markets or other environments where such a cost premium can be justified, it may be cost-prohibitive in many situations, such as fleet vehicles for local governments and small companies.
Various implementations of vehicle object detection and notification systems and corresponding information delivery methods disclosed herein are directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the art.

Vehicle object detection and notification system


A partition wall including a frame assembly and partition boards fastened to front and rear sides of the frame assembly by coupling spring plates, wherein the frame assembly includes two stiles of aluminum alloy profiles, each stile having two parallel channel bars and a longitudinal frame board connected between the channel bars, two rigid transverse rails connected between the stiles at top and bottom sides, each transverse rail having two angled end-pieces respectively engaged into respective longitudinal locating grooves defined between the first channel bars and the second channel bars of the stiles, and two rigid coupling bars respectively fastened to the stiles at an outer side for enabling two partition walls to be abutted against each other.

The present invention is related to a partition wall, and more particularly to a built-up partition wall that can be conveniently set up at a job site.
Conventionally, nails, screws, bolts, etc., are commonly used to fasten partition boards to a frame structure when making a partition wall in a room. The conventional partition wall has numerous drawbacks:
1. The construction procedure is complicated and special tools must be used and only well-trained professional workers can do the job. PA1 2. It has poor dust proof and sound proof PA1 3. The partition wall tends to vibrate, causing its parts to fall out of place after construction, and PA1 4. The partition wall is monotonous and unattractive.
It is advantageous to provide a partition wall which is easy to put together and provides better sound proof.

No. 20, Lane 195, Yung Fong Road, Tu Cheng


An ink jet ink contains at least a coloring material and a specific water-soluble organic solvent and has both excellent color developability and excellent humidity resistance. The coloring material exhibits a small (9 or less) color difference ΔE value which is determined by a method including a series of specific steps and is represented as the square root of (L1−L2)2+(a1−a2)2+(b1−b2)2. The specific water-soluble organic solvent has an evaporation rate X smaller than that of water and a moisture absorptivity Y, the values of X and Y satisfying the relation of Y≦2.8X+10. The content of the specific water-soluble organic solvent is 50 mass % or more of the total amount of water-soluble organic solvents contained in the ink.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet ink having good color developability, good humidity resistance, and high reliability as ink jet ink; an ink jet recording method; a recording unit; an ink cartridge; and an ink jet recording apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
An ink jet recording method is a recording method involving applying a small ink droplet to any one of recording media such as plain paper and glossy media to form an image, and has become rapidly widespread owing to a reduction in its cost and an improvement in its recording rate. With the rapid spread of a digital camera in addition to an improvement in quality of an image recorded by the method, the method has been generally used as a method of outputting a photographic image comparable to silver halide photograph.
In recent years, image quality has undergone improvement more than ever owing to, for example, extreme reduction in size of an ink droplet and an improvement of the color gamut involved in the introduction of multi-color ink. Meanwhile, there have been growing demands for a coloring material and ink, and stricter properties have been required in terms of an improvement of color developability and reliability such as sticking property or ejection stability.
As compared to silver halide photography, the ink jet recording method is problematic in terms of, for example, the image storage stability of the resultant recorded article. In general, the recorded article obtained by means of the ink jet recording method is inferior in image storage stability to a silver halide photograph, and involves a problem in that a coloring material on the recorded article is apt to deteriorate to cause a change in color tone of an image and color fading of the image when the recorded article is exposed to light, humidity, heat, an environmental gas present in the air, or the like for a long period of time. To solve the problem, a large number of proposals have been conventionally made.
In general, the ink jet recording method involves the use of inks each having a hue of yellow, magenta, cyan, black, or the like. It has been heretofore acknowledged that the yellow ink out of the inks must be improved in light resistance, water resistance, humidity resistance, and the like. For improving these properties, there has been proposed, for example, the use of a coloring material having a specific structure such as C.I. Direct Yellow 173 or C.I. Direct Yellow 86 (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H02-233781 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H04-233975). The use of such coloring material as mentioned above shows significant improvements in light resistance, water resistance, and humidity resistance, but color tone, color developability, reliability, and the like are not at sufficient levels.
There has also been proposed the use of C.I. Direct Yellow 132 as any one of a yellow ink and a coloring material for an ink set (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-29729 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-288391). Although the coloring material has often been used for ink jet ink because of its good color developability, the coloring material involves a problem in that its humidity resistance is remarkably bad.
There have also been proposed the use of a coloring material having a specific structure to aim at improving humidity resistance (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. H11-217529) and the use of an ink set of multiple colors to improve humidity resistance (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-180028).
Each of the proposals described above has attempted to improve humidity resistance, but merely depends on the structure of a coloring material. In other words, neither the proposal for improving humidity resistance by means of a coloring material having a specific structure nor the proposal for improving humidity resistance by means of an ink set of multiple colors can prevent migration (image deterioration due to a change in color tone in an environment such as a high-temperature-and-high-humidity environment).
There has also been proposed the synthesis of a novel coloring material having humidity resistance, light resistance, water resistance, and a hue and sharpness suitable for ink jet recording (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-321627). However, even when such coloring material is used, a certain ink prescription cannot reach the level of humidity resistance requested in a current ink jet recording method in some cases.

Ink, ink jet recording method, recording unit, ink cartridge, and ink jet recording apparatus


Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to privacy data management and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for trusted statement verification for data privacy. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for trusted statement verification for data privacy can be provided. The method can include deducing a claim from an attribute for personal data for an end user, receiving a request from a personal data consumer to vouch for an assertion based upon the attribute, comparing the assertion to the claim, and providing a voucher for the assertion to the personal data consumer on behalf of the end user if the claim supports the assertion without revealing the attribute to the personal data consumer.

Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of data privacy and identity management in a computer communications network, and more particularly to data parsimony in pseudonymous e-commerce transactions.
Description of the Related Art
Data privacy and identity management refers to the exercise of dominion and control over one's identity and personal data when engaging in computing transactions in a computer communications network. While always deemed to be important, in an age of Internet e-commerce, data privacy and identity management has moved to the forefront of the information technology community. Generally, data privacy and identity management ranges from the storage of personal data in a secure identity management and the limitation of the distribution of privacy data to complex creation, exchange and processing of certificates and credentials in an e-commerce transaction to preserve the confidentiality of the identity of an end user and associated end user data.
Anonymous credentialing is a form of data privacy and identity management that refers to the obscuring of an individual in a computing system through a trusted intermediary when interacting with computing entities in a computer communications network. The purpose of anonymous credentialing is to shield the individual from disclosing access and usage patterns from the computing entities when interacting with the computing entities. Use cases for anonymous credentialing including not only single-sign-on applications, but also e-commerce scenarios such as anonymous bidding in an auction environment. The identity mixer project from the Zurich Research Laboratory of International Business Machines Corporation represents one such form of anonymous credentialing.
Despite the general desirability to withhold private information in an e-commerce transaction, for many transaction types, the exchange of personal data is required. Examples include the submission of credit applications, the establishment of a brokerage account and the completion of online government documents. Many transactions in this regard require the presentation of personal data sufficient to establish a minimum age, a general location of residence, or the possession of minimum funds in a bank account. In consequence, end users can be compelled to share personal data despite a desire to preserve the privacy of personal data.
To address some of the concerns arising from the undesirable albeit required sharing of personal data, multi-lateral identity management systems have been proposed in which a trusted third party enjoys a trusted relationship with a first set of end users sharing personal data and second set of end users consuming the personal data of the first set of end users. In the multi-lateral identity management architecture, end users take comfort in the judgment of the trusted third party to only share personal information with trustworthy consumers. The trustworthy consumers, in turn, enjoy the security of relying upon the trusted third party vouching for the accuracy of shared personal data.
Despite the trustworthy nature of the intermediate third party in a multi-lateral arrangement, the third party still can only share the privacy data requested—no more, no less. Consequently, despite best intentions, the trusted third party can over-disclose confidential data where only an assertion supported by the confidential data is required. Specifically, where it must be known whether or not an end user is of majority age, it is not necessary to disclose a birth date for the end user, just a confirmation that indeed the end user is of majority age. Similarly, where it must be known whether or not an end user possesses a threshold amount of cash in a bank account, it is not necessary to disclose a bank balance for the bank account, just a confirmation that indeed the bank account has a sufficient bank balance to meet the required threshold.

Trusted statement verification for data privacy


An invention is disclosed for analyzing memory leaks occurring in Java Virtual Machine (JVM) data storage, consisting of a dynamically modifiable JVM “profiler” and an “object tracker” tool for analyzing the output from the profiler. Specifically, a method and system is disclosed for programming a JVM profiler used to analyze and correct memory leaks in stored data heaps, consisting of a program segment (or “stub”) initialized by the JVM application program interface to determine the parameters to be passed to the main profiler memory leak analysis program logic, which is then initialized by the stub to examine a minimal number of “heap dumps” in order to identify data elements or objects for the existence and/or correction of memory leaks. Updated information on data elements or objects can be requested from the profiler as needed by use of the object movement tracking option to record the details of subsequent changes in data memory storage status once a heap dump has been obtained.

This invention discloses a programming method and system that solves the problems existing in prior art techniques for analyzing and correcting memory leaks in large Java Virtual Machine (JVM) "heaps" in which data elements or objects are stored in a managed heap. The introduction of Java Virtual Machines (JVMs) incorporating memory space for storing computer program instructions and data to be processed by 64-bit central processing units (CPUs) makes it possible to significantly increase the number of addressable memory locations (or "memory space") and to increase the amount of data (or "heap size") capable of being processed using the JVM. For example, with a 64-bit CPU, it is possible to specify JVM heap sizes of over 4 Gigabytes (GB). Diagnosing an unanticipated accumulation of data objects in memory (or "memory leak") occurring as a result of JVM operations when it is utilizing a large heap size is not always possible with existing memory analysis tools (such as "hprof"), since such tools typically rely on obtaining a representation of data heap status using the "JVMPI" interface (Java Virtual Machine Profiler Interface) operated during "runtime" execution of the JVM program. The problem with this approach is that the JVMPI interface often cannot allocate sufficient memory to build such a "heap dump" representation when the heap size is large, and the JVM then ceases to function due to lack of remaining free memory and any possibility of analyzing the data heap to correct memory leaks that have occurred as a result of operation of the program is then lost.
Such an analysis is further complicated in cases where a memory leak occurs during actual operation of a "production" data processing system, due to the need to maintain an acceptable level of performance while the diagnosis proceeds during execution of the program, since most memory leak analysis tools cause a degradation in performance of the JVM application during operation and are therefore unsuited to correcting (or "debugging") memory leaks in a "live" system. Standard "profiler" programs used to detect memory leaks are normally loaded into memory for execution only once during initialization of the JVM program and then remain in memory until operation of the JVM is terminated. However, due to the iterative nature of problem solving, incremental changes in the understanding of the problem will usually require such a profiler to be re-designed and re-coded in several cycles in order to extract the information needed to detect a memory leak, in turn causing multiple undesired "shutdown" and "restart" cycles during operation of the JVM program.
The invention discloses use of the "profiler" as a separate program tool to analyze "heap dumps" for identifying data elements or objects that may have experienced a memory leak, which allows the profiler to be modified and reloaded into memory for execution as necessary without ceasing operation of the JVM program. As a result, the runtime impact on the executed JVM application program is minimal, allowing memory leak analysis to be performed on a "live" system with a minimal degradation in performance.

Method and system for analyzing memory leaks occurring in java virtual machine data storage heaps


Various embodiments of systems and methods for decentralized image management are described herein. The method includes generating, distributing, and retrieving images on peer-to-peer network. Request for generating an image is received. Multiple components/layers of a to-be-generated image is identified. A layer is stored as a file. Files corresponding to the layers are packaged as an image file representing the image. The packaged image file and/or files of respective layers are distributed across the network, e.g., across a plurality of available nodes upon receiving a distribution command/request. When a request for retrieving the image is received, the nodes storing the multiple layers of the image are identified. The layers are retrieved from the identified multiple nodes. Using the retrieved multiple layers, the image is recreated/generated.

In context of computer science, an image may refer to a replica or representation of content(s) of a storage device. For example, the image may be the replica of an application stored within the storage device. Often, the image may be represented as a file which includes the content of the storage device. For example, image may be the file that includes binaries and configuration of the application. The image (e.g., the file) may be downloaded and used to recreate the application. The image may be executed within a virtual machine (VM) or a container based technology (e.g., Docker®, an open source software platform, which may be used for executing applications/images). In both, the VM and the container based technology, the images may be retrieved or downloaded from a central repository which may be maintained by a private or a corporate entity.
Storing and downloading images from the central repository may not be favored because the images may not be downloaded and/or executed when the central repository is unavailable (e.g., due to technical issues, maintenance, or network issues). Therefore, the images are non-persistent and may not be retrieved or downloaded when required. Also, the images may be available for a time period decided by the central repository provider (e.g., the private or corporate entity). Further, a single (central) repository may be overburdened with requests (e.g., to retrieve images), therefore, the speed and efficiency (e.g., to download and execute image) decreases. Furthermore, the central repository may not be scaled beyond a limit considering hardware constraints and also, scaling the central repository may be an arduous task.

Method and system for decentralized image management