Embodiments relate to identifying a sketching matrix used by a linear sketch. Aspects include receiving an initial output of the linear sketch, generating a query vector and inputting the query vector into the linear sketch. Aspects further include receiving an revised output of the linear sketch based on inputting the query vector and iteratively repeating the steps of generating the query vector, inputting the query vector into the linear sketch, and receiving an revised output of the linear sketch based on inputting the query vector until the sketching matrix used by the linear sketch can be identified.

The present disclosure relates generally to linear sketches, and more specifically, to identifying a sketching matrix used by a linear sketch.
Recent years have witnessed an explosion in the amount of available data, such as that in data warehouses, the Internet, sensor networks, and transaction logs. The need to process this data efficiently has led to the emergence of new fields, including compressed sensing, data stream algorithms and distributed functional monitoring. A common technique used across these fields is the use of linear sketches. Linear sketching involves specifying a distribution it over linear maps A: n→r for a value r<<n. A matrix A is sampled from π. Then a vector xεn is presented to the algorithm, which maintains the "sketch" Ax, which provides a concise summary of x, from which various queries about x can be approximately answered. The storage and number of linear measurements (rows of A) required is proportional to r. The goal of a linear sketch is to minimize r to well-approximate a large class of queries with high probability.
Linear sketches are powerful algorithmic tools that can be used for a wide variety of applications including norm estimation over data streams, compressed sensing, and distributed computing. Linear sketches turn an n-dimensional input into a concise lower-dimensional representation via a linear transformation. Linearity is required for performing updates or estimating statistics on differences of two datasets. Currently, linear sketches are widely used for answer number of distinct elements, top-k queries, histograms, etc, In almost any realistic setting, however, a linear sketch faces the possibility that its inputs are correlated with previous evaluations of the sketch.

Identifying a sketching matrix used by a linear sketch

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which a thinned substrate of a semiconductor or semiconductor device is handled without cracks in the substrate and treated with heat to improve a contact between semiconductor back surface and metal in a high yield and a semiconductor device may be manufactured in a high yield. In the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention, a notched part is formed from a surface to a middle in a semiconductor substrate by dicing and the surface of the substrate is fixed to a support base. Next, a back surface of the substrate is ground to thin the semiconductor substrate and then a metal electrode and a carbon film that is a heat receiving layer are sequentially formed on the back surface of the substrate. Next, the carbon film is irradiated with light at a power density of 1 kW/cm2 to 1 MW/cm2 for a short time of 0.01 ms to 10 ms to transfer heat from the carbon film and alloy an interface between a semiconductor and the metal electrode. Subsequently, the semiconductor substrate is separated at the notched part into pieces.

In the manufacture of semiconductor devices such as various semiconductor elements and semiconductor integrated circuits including bipolar transistors and insulated gate field effect transistors (MOS transistors) in the related art, in order to form a contact between semiconductor and metal, a metal layer has usually been deposited on a surface of a semiconductor to receive heat treatment by maintaining them at a predetermined temperature in an annealing furnace in an atmosphere of inert gas or the like for a certain time so that an electric characteristic between the semiconductor and the metal has been improved to obtain an excellent ohmic characteristic (see Patent Document 1, for example).
When gold (Au) is formed as a contact layer for silicon (Si), it is usual to heat treat them in an inert gas to a temperature higher than a Si/Au eutectic temperature of 373° C. to obtain an excellent contact. It is possible to deposit aluminum (Al) on silicon and then deposit a plurality of metal layers. In this case, it is usual to perform heat treatment at about 450° C. to improve a Si/Al contact after depositing the plurality of metal layers on the silicon.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-120165

Method of manufacturing semiconductor device


A hanger system includes a first part and a second part, which is connected to the first part in different directions. The first part has a first body and a round first hanger and a first housing connected to the first body. The first housing has a first polygonal tapered recess. The second part has a second body with a round second hook, a polygonal tapered end piece, which can be inserted into the first polygonal tapered recess in a desired direction so as to meet different needs in practical use.

A conventional hanger 30 is shown in FIG. 12 and generally includes an S-shaped body with two hooks 31, 32 on each end thereof so that one hook 31 can hang from a protrusion on a wall, or over a rod, and the other hook 32 can be used to hang objects, for example clothes, belts, ties, robes, caps, hats, bags etc. However, it is noted that both of the hooks 31, 32 are located on the same plane and when the hook 31 hangs from the protrusion on a wall, the other hook 32 will be parallel to the wall limiting the space between hook and wall. This is not convenient for the users to hang items on the hook 32. As shown in FIG. 13, another conventional hanger 40 includes two hooks 41, 42 on each end thereof and the two hooks 41, 42 are oriented in different directions so as to improve the drawback of the conventional hanger 30 in FIG. 12. Yet another hanger 50 is disclosed in FIG. 14 and the two hooks 51, 52 are screw thread connected in the middle of the two hooks thereof and the two hooks 51, 52 are oriented in different directions. These hangers 30, 40 have only one hook each to hang an object, which does not satisfy the market. Besides, if two hangers are hung from each other to obtain a longer hanger, only one hook can be used to hang objects and the lower hanger does not position well.
This invention intends to provide a hanger system that includes a first part having a round hanger with a square tapered housing open with a slot on one side thereof at the base of the hanger, and a second part having a round hook with a square tapered end piece which is universally engaged with the open tapered housing of the first part. Another square tapered housing adjacent to the hook is formed on a side of the second part so as to be universally connected with another second part.


A micro flow system is provided for separating particles, comprising a microfabricated member having a flow channel (5) defined therein for guiding a flow of a fluid containing the particles through the flow channel, first inlet means (2) positioned at one end of the flow channel for entering the fluid into the flow channel, first outlet means (7) positioned at the other end of the flow channel for discharging the fluid from the flow channel, the flow of the fluid containing the particles being controlled in such a way that one particle at the time passes a cross section of the flow channel, the member being positioned in a field that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the flow channel so that particles residing in the flow channel and being susceptible to the field across the flow channel are deflected in the direction of the field. Further, a micro flow system is provided for analyzing components of a fluid comprising a microfabricated member having a flow channel defined therein for guiding a flow of a fluid through the flow channel, first inlet means for entering particles into the flow channel, first outlet means for discharging of fluid from the flow channel and a plurality of assay sites located in the flow channel and comprising immobilized reagents whereby the fluid may be analyzed for a plurality of components while residing in the flow channel.

Flow cytometry is a well known technique that is used for high throughput measurements of optical and/or electrical characteristics of microscopic biological samples. Flow cytometry instruments analyse and isolate cells and organelles with particular physical, biochemical, and immunological properties.
Traditionally, cell sorting by flow cytometry (fluorescence activated cell sorting) has been the method of choice for isolation of specific cell populations by surface markers. However, cell sorting by flow cytometry suffers from several drawbacks, especially high dilution of desired cell sample, low speed and sterility problems. Furthermore, the equipment is very costly with high operation and maintenance cost, making the technique available only to a limited number of laboratories.
During the last few years, isolation of cells by antibody-coupled magnetic beads and carriers has been developed into a reliable tool for the isolation and characterisation of cell populations. Immunomagnetic cell separation, e.g. as commercially introduced by Dynal A/S and Miltenyi Biotec, has become an established method for cell analysis in clinical diagnostics. Due to the relatively low prize, this method is attractive in flow cytometry, especially in sorting of rare cellular events. For example, sorting of fetal cells contained in maternal blood sample provides a non-invasive alternative to prenatal diagnostic procedures, such as amniocentesis of chorionic villus sampling. Another rare event scenario is the detection of low concentration of cancer cells which has an important role in diagnosis of minimal residual disease and evaluation of appropriate therapies. Another medical application for cell sorting systems is the diagnosis of bacterial and viral diseases.
Although this method offers relatively inexpensive approach to sort rare cellular event, it adds considerable time onto the overall rare event detection and it does not offer the multiparameter analysis readily available with flow cytometry techniques. Existing techniques for magnetic separation are suffering from the low purity of the sorted cell fraction and the low recovery rate of the sorted cells. In most systems several washing steps have to be implemented into the separation procedure which then causes cell losses. Additionally small subpopulation of labelled cells cannot be directly isolated by existing magnetic separation techniques.
A good overview about fluorescence activated cell sorting procedures and magnetic activated cell sorting is given in Melamed et. al., "Flow Cytometry and Sorting, (Ed. Melamed et. al., Wiley & Sons Inc., 1990).

Microflow system for particle separation and analysis


A coating for paper comprising water, pigments, binder and poly(ethylene oxide). The binder comprising about 1 to 30 percent by weight of the dry weight of the pigments and the poly(ethylene oxide) comprising about 0.001 to 10 percent by weight of the dry weight of the pigments. The coating has a very low Brookfield viscosity. The poly(ethylene oxide) coating provides superior gloss and smoothness relative to conventional paper coatings and may be applied to the paper in higher coat weights. A process for using the poly(ethylene oxide) coating to make improved paper is also disclosed.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to coating compositions for substrates such as paper and paperboard. More particularly, the invention relates to a coating composition containing poly(ethylene oxide) and an improved method for applying higher coating weights at standard coating operating conditions than would normally be obtainable. An improved coated paper is also provided.
(b) Related Art
Aqueous pigmented coatings are generally applied to paper to provide a superior surface for printing and other converting applications. These coatings are made up of pigments as the main ingredient with binders and various additives, which give the paper a fairly uniform surface on which printing ink can be applied. The desirable properties of the finished paper include gloss, fiber coverage, surface smoothness, and overall sheet appearance.
An integral part of any coating, whether it be for printing or another specialty application, is the rheology modifier. The rheology modifier imparts low and high shear viscosity properties to allow application to paper by high speed blade and bar coaters. The rheology modifier is critical in providing uniform application at the desired coating coverage rate. In choosing a rheology modifier, one must take into account possible side effects that may produce undesirable coated paper properties. These additives tend to affect drying rate, gloss, smoothness and porosity. Common rheology modifiers include cellulosic derivatives, polyacrylates, modified starches, and alginates. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,597 to Andersson et al. ("Andersson") discloses a fibrous material having good dimensional and heat stability--Andersson teaches a coating (e.g., for paper) utilizing polyoxyalkylene. No particular gloss or coat weight benefits are alleged.
Poly(ethylene oxide) has been included in other coating compositions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,675 to Clarke et al. ("Clarke et al.") discloses coating compositions with improved whiteness and fastness to light. Clarke et al. discloses coating compositions comprising white pigment extender, polyvinyl acetate latex as the sole binding agent, one or more sparingly water-soluble optical brightening agents in finely-divided form and water. The white pigment extender preferably comprises from 30 to 70% by weight of the coating composition. The optical brightening agent preferably comprises from 0.01 to 0.25% of the weight of the white pigment extender.
As noted in column two, lines 53-63, the coating composition may also include an "assistant" such as polyethylene oxide (or alkyl ether thereof, copolymers of ethylene and propylene oxides, polyvinyl-alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, and water-soluble condensation products of formaldehyde with urea or melamine). The assistant preferably comprises from 0.002 to 5% of the pigment extender by weight. As discussed in column 3, lines 5-20, Clarke et al. alleges that the coating compositions provide superior whiteness to paper coated therewith. Clarke et al. alleges that the coating compositions may be applied to the paper by conventional means (e.g., air-knife, blade, brush, roller or bar coating techniques). Clarke et al. do not appear to make any allegations about improved gloss through the use of their coatings. Also, Clarke et al. do not appear to disclose any particular molecular weight for their polyethylene oxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,823 to Jones ("Jones") discloses a coating composition comprising an aqueous emulsion of polyethylene containing a water-soluble polyethylene oxide. Jones teaches the use of a coating composition comprising an aqueous emulsion of a polyethylene (e.g., having an average molecular weight of about 1200 to about 2000), said polyethylene emulsion containing from about 0.5% to about 15% (by weight of the polyethylene emulsion) water-soluble polyethylene oxide. The polyethylene oxide ranges in molecular weight from about 100,000 to about 1,000,000 (col. 3, lines 11-22). The polyethylene oxide-containing polyethylene emulsion may be applied to the substrate (e.g., paper) by conventional means such as dipping, spraying, knife coating, roller coating, air coating, extrusion coating, etc.
Jones alleges that the polyethylene-polyethylene oxide coating provides paper with superior dusting and scuff resistance properties (i.e., relative to conventional coatings--e.g., colloidal silica--see, Table A). No particular improvements in gloss properties of the paper are alleged.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,782 to Reed ("Reed") discloses a silicone release coating. Reed teaches a silicone release coating emulsion comprising a reactive crosslinkable silicone, a catalyst and a high molecular weight, water soluble or water dispersible polymeric thickening agent such as polyethylene oxide. The polymeric thickening agent has a molecular weight greater than about 100,000 g/mole Mw. The silicone release emulsion is applied as a coating to a substrate, and particularly paper, and cured to form a release coating for pressure sensitive adhesives. The silicone emulsion exhibits improved holdout of the silicone from the substrate. Reed does disclose (in Table 1) improved paper gloss values with PEO coatings. Nevertheless, Reed does not appear to disclose improved (i.e., higher) coat weights per run through the coating machine.
Until the present invention, it was not known that by using PEO (Poly(ethylene oxide)) it is possible to apply higher coating weights than previously were obtainable with standard coater operating conditions. Likewise, standard coating weights have been hereby found to be obtainable under modified coater operating conditions. This is also beneficial since many specialty coatings can only be run with modified operating conditions. Using PEO as the rheology modifier allows for standard coating weights to be obtained under these modified conditions.
Furthermore, using PEO in the coating formulation, it has been found possible to achieve high coat weights with coatings that have viscosity values that would traditionally be considered too low for high speed coating. Many specialty coating applications require specific surface properties and/or surface chemistry. Laboratory draw downs and bench coating work can be utilized to define the necessary properties for the application in question. However, in order to apply the formulated coating on high speed and high shear coating equipment, a thickener or rheology additive must be included in the formulation. The purpose of the thickener is to raise the high shear and low shear viscosities to a level that will allow for high coat weight application. Typical Brookfield Viscosity might be in the range of 2000 cps. to 5000 cps. Even higher viscosities might be needed for ultra high coat weights (e.g., 10-20 lbs./3300 ft.sup.2).
Unfortunately, the amount of traditional thickener required to achieve ultra high coat weights often changes the surface properties and/or chemistry of the coated sheet. An alternative to using high levels of thickener is to double coat the sheet (two or more coatings on the same side) to achieve the desired paper surface. This can be done with two passes through an off machine coater, with a multi-station coater, or with a precoat applied on the paper machine followed by a single pass through a coater. Each of these methods add additional cost to the coated grade, however.
PEO has been found to provide a coating tool that allows unusually high coating weights to be obtained at very low addition levels of thickener. This insures that a higher percentage of binder/pigment is available on the paper surface for the end use application. Also, this allows the desired paper properties to be obtained with a single coating pass.

Method for making coated paper and a paper coating composition


A ride-sharing system can automatically and autonomously determine whether a rider is an account holder associated with an account of a ride-sharing service that requested a ride or a guest rider. A guest rider detection system can use geolocation data to determine whether a rider is a guest rider or an account holder. The system can obtain location data for an account holder that requests a ride using a ride sharing application. The location data of the account holder can be compared with one or more locations (e.g., pickup or drop off location) associated with the requested ride. Based at least in part on the comparisons between the location data of the account holder and the one or more locations associated with the requested ride, the system can determine with a particular degree of certainty whether the rider is the guest rider or the account holder.

Vehicles—such as vehicles used for ride-sharing purposes, vehicles that provide driver-assist functionality, and/or automated or autonomous vehicles (AVs)—may obtain and process sensor data using an on-board data processing system to perform a variety of functions. For example, functions can include determining and/or displaying navigational routes, identifying road signs, detecting objects and/or road obstructions, controlling vehicle operation, and/or the like.
Some ride-sharing service users may schedule a ride on behalf of other users. The ride-sharing service user may be referred to as an "account holder" and the other user may be referred to as a "guest rider." For example, an account holder user may schedule a ride on behalf of a guest rider user that is a friend or family member of the account holder user. As another example, an account holder user may be associated with a business (e.g., a car repair shop) who schedules rides for one or more guest riders (e.g., customers of the car repair shop).

Geolocation trajectory based guest rider determination

Beijing DiDi Infinity Technology and Development Co., Ltd.


A sprayable glass stabilizing composition including: a self-crosslinking acrylic co-polymer emulsion in the amount of 52.6% to 67.1% w/w, a crosslinkable thermoplastic all-acrylic polymer emulsion binder in the amount of 23.0% to 31.8% w/w, the binder having a higher glass transition temperature than the self-crosslinking acrylic co-polymer emulsion; an anionic hydrophobically-modified alkali swellable acrylic polymer emulsion rheology modifier in the amount of 0.45% to 0.61% w/w; an ester surfactant in the amount of 0.45% to 0.61% w/w; a foam control agent in the amount of 0.45% to 0.61% w/w; and the remaining content as water up to 100% w/w.

Glass window and door panes, and including window and door structures substantially or wholly formed from glass, are ubiquitous and come in a range of different sizes, thicknesses, compositions and types. Most commonly, glass panes have been 'float glass' which is made by floating glass ingredients on a molten bed.
Float glass is typically 2-12 mm thick and was, until relatively recently, the choice for most windows and doors, particularly in homes. Many premises still have float glass panes and often a significant number. Unfortunately, this glass is dangerous when it is fractured or broken as it breaks into sharp shards or splinters. This is a dangerous situation and includes, for example, where a person breaks a float glass pane, damage is often done by the sharp broken edges that are created. Broken float glass panes require thorough removal to ensure all broken glass is removed, especially where children are likely to dwell such as in homes or public areas.
Toughened glass has in the past been a single pane whereas laminated glass is typically two or more panes attached together. Typically, toughened glass is between 3-12 mm and above thick. Laminated glass panes are somewhat larger, typically being between about 5.38-16 mm and above thick. Toughened glass panes are designed, when broken or fractured, to crumble into small pieces that have sharp edges. These small pieces typically pose a hazard to handling and of course have the obvious danger that small pieces may not be entirely removed. It should be noted that float glass will generally crack, break to large pieces as well as shards whereas toughened will crack and break to small pieces.
Toughened glass is intended to shatter and has a tendency to collapse when fractured or broken. Laminated panes often are not intended to shatter and only to retain fragments to the extent some strength remains from the remnants of the fractured glass pane. When laminated glass panes are broken or fractured, irregular sharp shards and fragments are created. Laminated glass is made up of two (or more) sheets of float glass joined together and if only one surface of the laminated glass has broken or fractured the laminated glass will remain as one, but if both surfaces have been broken or fractured, the glass pane will become unstable. It will be understood that in either the case of toughened or laminated glass panes, remaining parts of a fractured or broken glass pane are fragile to being handled.
It is also considered that broken toughened glass, for example, can release glass dust or fine particles of glass sufficient to possibly lead to respiratory difficulties. This is particularly relevant for glaziers, for example, who are regularly required to replace such broken glasses including balustrades and potentially have continual or prolonged exposure to such dust or particles.
Regardless of the type of glass pane or whether it is a glass object or contains glass such as a door, it is typical to simply remove a fractured or broken pane by literally knocking it out of its frame or support. This is obviously messy and relatively dangerous and far from ideal in many circumstances. For example, window or glass balustrades in multi-level buildings cannot simply be knocked out or allow any glass to fall outwardly away from the building in the process. However, toughened or laminated (both glass panes) glass panes that are broken or fractured, or parts of them, may fall on their own accord, even in a relatively gentle breeze or such as by the closing/opening of an internal door changing air pressure about the fractured window.
Any handling of the fractured or broken glass is most undesirable for the obvious reasons. Once the glass is removed, it is usually the case that fragments of the broken glass are found in the framing of windows or tracks of sliding doors or about the general location of the glass when fractured.
It is known to apply a tape or adhesive sheet to one or both sides of the remnants of a fractured or broken window pane, for example. However, this inherently can disturb the pane causing the fractured pane or any fragile remnants to fall. Notwithstanding, it is difficult to apply a tape or adhesive sheet in many circumstances due to the fragility of what remains, noting the difficulties in reaching the outside of the window or balustrade on multilevel buildings.
Of recent times, a method of removing broken or fractured window pane was developed. This is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,231,747 (the 747' patent). In this patent, a two part foam is mixed at application by a spraying device and applied to remnants of a broken window. Once sprayed, the separated contents immediately mix and react creating the foam which expands and solidifies forming a unitary mass. The entire foam unitary mass enveloping the remnants of the broken glass pane are then removed.
This has shown to be a somewhat useful invention for its intended use of replacing the need to board external windows and glass doors and to a lesser degree those with fractured float glass. However, it is severely lacking for use with other glasses, particularly those that are especially fragile once fractured or broken or where the remnants are above ground level.
The method of the 747' patent requires that the entire window frame and surrounding areas be securely taped off before the foam is applied to the broken pane. As the foam is applied and expands, significant weight is added to the broken glass pane. The mere application of the foam to broken toughened glass can in itself cause the remnants to collapse. Further, applying a masking layer will often do likewise and create risks from falling glass fragments. Furthermore, the 747' patent also requires that once the foam has solidified, boards and later handles are required to remove the foam containing the broken glass. Obviously, this is most undesirable in multi-level buildings. This is emphasised by the 747' patent in that plywood or other pre-formed panels can be used to impart stability on a destabilised glass window pane. This can assist in holding the remnants in place until the foam solidifies, however, applying the plywood is not possible from the outside of a multi-level building on many occasions and its mere placement would cause destabilisation. Most undesirably, the expanded foam mass can easily damage most types of window frame such as powder coated aluminium or painted timber, and possibly surrounding material if not exactly taped off or if accidentally sprayed onto.
In addition to the 747' patent, other sprayable foaming protective compositions are known and are commercially available. Foaming glass protective methods however exhibit some tendency to cling to a surface when sprayed thereon and to dwell on the surface for a long period of time. Foams often contain at least 15 to 30 percent air, which is known to result in incomplete product to surface contact during dwell time, thus also reducing convenience.
Genesis of the Invention
The genesis of the present invention is a desire to provide a composition which can be sprayed on to broken window panes forming a film to stabilise them for their removal and which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

Sprayable composition for stabilising broken glass and method of applying same


A push button switch assembly has a housing, a switch mechanism mounted within the housing, a plurality of push rods extending through the housing and a plurality of elongate sliders movably mounted within the housing. The switch mechanism includes a plurality of paired electrical contacts. A first end of the push rods is formed to have an enlarged cross-section, and terminates within the housing. The push rods are axially movable relative to the housing between extended and depressed positions. The ends of the push rods interact with cam surfaces on the movable sliders to cause the sliders to move within the housing in response to movements of the push rods. Cam surfaces on opposing edges of the sliders interact with the switch mechanism to open and close selected ones of the switches. The axial displacement of the push rod required to actuate the switch is relatively short (approximately 1/16 inch). A flexible membrane may be disposed adjacent the push rod ends and the switch may be actuated by pressing on the surface of the flexible membrane. In one embodiment, two sliders are moved in opposing directions by one push rod to cooperatively interact with an electrical contact. In this embodiment, the lateral displacement of each slider (and the force required to cause the displacement) is reduced. In either embodiment, the cam surfaces on the sliders are designed to reduce or eliminate "teasing" of the electrical contacts.

This invention relates generally to electrical switches and, more particularly, to multiple push button switches having a short stroke and other improved features.
Multiple push button switches are well-known and are used in a wide variety of electrical equipment. Examples of such switches include those frequently used in household appliances, such as blenders, food processors, electric ranges, washing machines and air conditioners. A specific example of one such switch is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,912 to Woodward which is commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Another switch of this general type (but which is disclosed in a single push button embodiment) is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,018 to Walley, which is also assigned to the assignee of the present invention. To the extent necessary for a full appreciation and understanding of the present invention, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,858,018 and 4,362,912 are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties into the present specification.
Switches such as those shown in the above-referenced patents are primarily mechanical devices in which one or more axially movable push rods interact with one or more laterally movable elongate sliders to open or close one or more electrical switch contacts. Such devices are reliable and relatively inexpensive, and are well-suited for applications such as those discussed above.
Alternative switch arrangements which may be suited for or adapted to these same applications include solid-state devices and membrane switches. The former may include touch-sensitive switches which may, for example, be activated by the capacitance associated with an operator who touches certain areas of a control panel or keypad. The latter may include switches in which two electrically conductive layers are separated by an insulator which is compressive to allow selected areas of the conductive layers to make contact with one another in response to pressure exerted by an operator. Both types of switches may be used in combination with additional devices (e.g., logic circuits) to effect the desired degree of control over a plurality of electrical circuits or elements. Both types of switches are relatively more complex than the mechanical switches described in the patents referenced above, and may be more expensive to manufacture, maintain or replace than the mechanical type switches discussed in those patents. However, both types of switches do have certain advantages over the mechanical type switches. For instance, both solid-state and membrane devices may be used in the design of a control panel which is essentially flat and which is not penetrated by one or more push rods required to actuate the switch. Such control panels are desirable for aesthetic reasons and for the ease with which they may be wiped or cleaned. Non-penetration of the control panel reduces the possibilities for contamination of interior components with dirt, moisture or other matter. Other features, such as lighted indicators, are relatively easily provided with switches of this type.
Among the several objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved electrical switch having advantageous or desirable features which are not present in the switches disclosed in the above-referenced patents. A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a push button switch which has a relatively short operating stroke, as compared to prior art switch assemblies, and which may be used with a flexible membrane such that a push rod of the switch may be axially displaced by a distance effective to open or close a pair of switching contacts by pressure exerted on a surface of the membrane. This structure allows the switch of the present invention to be used in combination with a flexible membrane and, thus, to offer advantages not previously associated with mechanical-type switches (i.e., switches which require that a push rod travel a relatively long axial distance and penetrate the surface of a control panel to effect a switching operation). Another object of the invention is to provide a push button switch having a relatively short stroke in which "teasing" of the contacts by unintended movements of the push rod or sliders is substantially reduced or restricted.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in an electrical switch assembly which comprises a housing, switch means mounted within the housing, a plurality of push rods extending through the housing and a plurality of generally elongate sliders movably mounted within the housing. The switch means preferably comprises a plurality of paired electrical contacts selectively movable to open and closed positions. The push rods have a first end, which is rolled or otherwise formed to have an enlarged cross-section, which terminates within the housing, and a second end which terminates exteriorly of the housing. The push rods are axially movable relative to the housing between at least a first (extended) position and a second (depressed) position. Each of the elongate sliders has a first edge and a first plurality of cam surfaces formed on the first edge for interacting with the paired electrical contacts of the switch means to selectively open and close the contacts as the slider moves within the housing. Each of the sliders further has a second edge and a second plurality of cam surfaces on the second edge for interacting with the first ends of respective ones of the push rods as the push rods are moved between the first and second positions. Each of the first ends of the push rods interacts with selected ones of the cam surfaces to cause respective ones of the sliders to move. Each of the cam surfaces on the second edges has a first portion having a first angle, relative to an axial centerline of a respective push rod, which is selected so as to require that a first predetermined level of force be applied to the push rod to cause the respective slider to begin to move away from the first position. Each of the cam surfaces also has a second portion having a second angle selected so as to require a second, substantially lower level of force be applied to the push rod to cause the respective slider to continue to move to the second position.
In one embodiment of the invention, the first portion of the second cam surface forms an angle of approximately 15.degree. with a plane which extends through the first portion of the cam surface and perpendicularly to the axis of the push rod. The second portion of the second cam surface forms an angle with this plane which is substantially greater than 15.degree.. In this embodiment, the first portion is a substantially flat surface. The second portion also comprises a substantially flat surface which extends from an edge of the first portion at an initial angle which is substantially greater than 15.degree.. The second portion of the cam surface can, alternatively, be curvilinear in shape.
Each of the first plurality of cam surfaces comprises a first portion, a second portion and a transition portion connecting the first and second portions. The first portion of each cam surface is aligned, in non-engaging relation, with a respective one of the electrical contacts as the slider moves away from the first position in response to the interaction between the push rod and the first portion of the second cam surface. The transition portion engages the electrical contact when the first end of the push rod is in the vicinity of an intersection of the first and second portions of the second cam surface. The transition portion interacts with the electrical contact to move the contact to an open or closed position as the slider continues to move to the second position in response to the interaction between the push rod and the second portion of the second cam surface. A "notch" or depression is provided in the second portion of the first camming surface to receive a portion of the movable switch contact to reduce unintended movements (e.g., vibrations) of the slider and/or electrical contact.
In one embodiment of the invention, the axial displacement of the push rod required to cause a slider to move from the first position to the second position is approximately 1/16 inch. The lateral distance traveled by the slider in moving from the first position to the second position is approximately 0.130 inch. This embodiment may further comprise a flexible membrane having first and second surfaces and being disposed such that the second ends of the push rods lie immediately adjacent the second surface of the membrane such that the push rods can be actuated by a force applied to an opposing portion of the first surface of the membrane. The membrane may be at least partially translucent or transparent. A light or other visible indicator may be disposed adjacent the second surface of the membrane.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a single push rod interacts with a pair of generally elongate sliders movably mounted within the housing. Each of the sliders has a cam surface on a first edge for interacting with the paired electrical contacts of the switch means, and a cam surface on a second edge for interacting with the first end of the push rod. As the push rod is axially moved, the sliders move in opposite directions within the housing. The cam surfaces on the second edges of the pair of sliders cooperatively interact with the electrical contact so as to cause the switch means to open and close in response to the concurrent and opposing movements of the sliders. In this embodiment, the axial movement of each push rod is short enough to allow the use of a flexible membrane adjacent the push rods to provide a flat, smooth surface on a control panel. Due to the cooperative interaction between the sliders, the lateral distance traveled by each slider in response to the axial displacement of the push rod is substantially decreased. In one embodiment of the invention, this distance is approximately 0.095 inch.
Each of the embodiments of the switch of the present invention include features which are intended to reduce or eliminate "teasing" of the electrical contacts by unintended movements of the sliders and push rods. In the embodiment of the invention just described (wherein two sliders cooperatively interact to open or close an electrical contact), the cam surfaces on the first edges of the sliders form a "V" which interacts with the electrical contact to prevent unintended movements of the sliders when the electrical contact is in at least one of the open and closed positions. In the embodiment of the invention in which a single slider interacts with the electrical contacts, this "anti-teasing" function is performed by the first portion of the second cam surface and the "notch" formed in the second portion of the first cam surface.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Push button multiple circuit switch assembly with laminated sliders and membrane


A peak-reducing waveform is estimated and summed with a composite signal to reduce the peak-to-average power ratio of the composite signal. The estimate of the peak-reducing waveform is modified to have Walsh code components orthogonal to the assigned Walsh codes. An iterative process of estimating subsequent peak-reducing waveform is implemented to produce a peak-reducing waveform which, when summed with the composite signal, results in a composite signal having a peak-to-average ratio at a desired level and thus does not have the effects of remodulating the assigned Walsh codes. Constraints on the magnitude of the unassigned Walsh code components can be included for controlling the power level under the unassigned Walsh codes.

In Direct Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA) cellular telecommunication systems, a cellular base station communicates with multiple mobile units while maintaining exclusive communication links with the mobile units. Each exclusive link is assigned a code that is orthogonal with all other codes. The most commonly used type of code is the Walsh code. The Walsh code has a property that all its member codes are orthogonal with each other. This property of Walsh codes allows a base station in DS-CDMA system to transmit a composite of carrier signals, where each carrier signal is coded with an assigned Walsh code. Each receiving unit extracts desired information based on the assigned Walsh code and ignores other orthogonal Walsh codes.
The composite carrier signal is amplified through a linear power amplifier that has a finite peak power capacity; however, the finite peak power of the composite carrier signal may be substantially large. In such a system, the linear power amplifier should have an arduous linear operating region, that in turn places extreme burden on designing and maintaining the linear power amplifier within its linear operating requirements. As a result, the cost of the linear power amplifiers, in DS-CDMA system, are substantially increased.
A clipping technique is a commonly used method for relaxing linear power amplifiers operating requirements. In this method, if the composite carrier signal peak amplitude is above a certain level, the signal amplitude is limited prior to being input to the transmitter linear power amplifier.
For example, with reference to FIG. 1, a DS-CDMA transmitter system for transmitting a composite carrier signal including a clipper 103 is shown. A plurality of channels 101-1 through 101-L are summed together in a summer 105 to produce a composite signal 102 x(n) where the plurality of channels 101-1 through 101-L are respectively coded with a plurality of assigned Walsh codes 1 through L. Normally in a given Walsh code space, the total number of available Walsh codes are more than what actually are assigned at a given time.
The composite signal 102 x(n) is input to the clipper 103. The clipper 103 clips the peaks of the composite signal 102 x(n), and produces a clipped composite signal 104 y(n). However, the clipping technique adds a significant signal degradation distortion, as commonly known as remodulation effect, at the assigned Walsh codes to the composite signal 104 y(n).
Therefore, a need exists for a solution that allows reducing peak-to-average power ratio of a composite carrier signal without having the detrimental effects of the clipping technique.

Method and apparatus for reducing peak-to-average power ratio of a composite carrier signal


A reclosable package suitable for containing large volumes of powdered detergent. The package comprises a gabled top, a slot providing access to the product, a reclosable patch covering the slot, and an overflap covering at least the portion of the patch which overlies the slot.

Laundry detergents generally come in two major product forms, liquids and powders. While powders have many advantages, consumers often encounter problems in neatly dispensing the product. Even the inclusion of plastic scoops, while facilitating the dispensing of detergent powders, has not completely solved the problem. In particular, there is sometimes a tendency for detergent powders to leak from the containers once they have been opened.
The arrival of price clubs and the like on the retailing scene has been accompanied by demand for larger packages containing an increased volume of product. Therefore, large containers suitable for neatly containing detergent powders are desirable.
Linpac of Austell, Georgia sells a five gallon bag comprised of flexible packaging material. Among the bags' suggested usages are detergents, pet foods and gardening products.
Prior to filling, the Linpac bag is flat and comprises four sheets of plastic, a front sheet, a rear sheet and two side sheets located between the front and rear sheets. The side sheets are each folded in half, with the folds disposed toward the middle of the flattened bag. Two opposing ends of each side sheet are bonded, one to the front sheet and the other to the rear sheet, along the sides of the flattened bag. The filled bag includes a gable structure at the top and bottom. The Linpac bag also includes a reinforcing "ring" of thin plastic sheet extending along a portion of the height of the bag throughout its internal circumference. The ring includes holes at the corners to permit powder to travel through the ring and even out the corners. The Linpac bag cites licenses under four of the Boots patents discussed below.
Boots, U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,255 discloses a container for free flowing materials such as powders, which includes a tubular outer envelope that can be closed at both ends and a tubular inner member having a circumference less than that of the outer envelope. The tubular inner member is connected to the outer envelope at least at four positions spaced circumferentially of the outer envelope.
Boots, U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,885 is directed to a container for free flowing fluid and like materials comprising a tubular outer envelope that can be closed at both ends and a tubular inner member which is connected to the outer envelope at least at four positions spaced about the circumference of the tubular outer envelope.
Boots, U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,037 is directed to a container for fluids or solids having flow properties or the like. The container comprises a box of a conventional packing material such as cardboard, a supporting frame of a material that is stronger and of greater dimensional stability, such as wood, and an inner bag of a conventional packing material such as a flexible synthetic plastic.
Boots, U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,025 relates to a package for transporting and storing bulk goods. An outer and an inner package are provided. The inner package includes an outer frame and an inner frame.
Boots, U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,544 is directed to a container for bulk materials including an enveloping member and an inner member which is connected to the enveloping member at least at four positions spaced along the circumference of the enveloping member. In filled condition, a substantially blocked-shaped unit with substantially flat walls is obtained.


An implementation of a technology, described herein, for multiple channel display on a multimedia presentation system. One implementation, described herein, simultaneously presents video content, audio-based content, and/or electronic program guide (EPG) data of multiple television channels. With this implementation, a user may greatly increase his speed and efficiency when channel surfing. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.

To find out what television broadcast programming is currently available, many people consult a printed guide. Some view a broadcast television guide or use an interactive program guide. Still others enjoy "channel surfing."
"Channel Surfing" is a well-known and popular term in the common contemporary vernacular. In general, channel surfing is when one frequently switches from one channel (e.g., a television station) to another on a television set. Typically, the purpose may be to either to search for an interesting program or to keep track of several programs at once. This practice became widespread with the use of remote-control devices for changing channels while remaining seated some distance from the television set.
For a digital set-top boxes (such as digital satellite receivers and digital cable receivers), tuning is often slow compared to analog tuning. Consequently, channel surfing speed with digital tuning is slower than surfing with analog tuning.
Furthermore, with the large amount of channels, it is difficult for a user to keep track and/or discover what programs are being broadcast across all of the available channels at any given time.
Therefore, it is a challenge to improve the user's channel surfing experience.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A liquid-phase growth apparatus for growing a crystal on a substrate includes a crucible containing a solution that contains a taw material for forming the crystal, and a substrate holder for vertically holding the substrate. The substrate holder includes connectors, a receiving component, and a push component. The receiving component and the push component are opposite to each other and are connected by the connectors. The push component holds an upper portion of the substrate while the receiving component holds a lower portion of the substrate. The substrate holder containing the vertically held substrate is dipped into the solution. The receiving component ascends with buoyancy in the solution contained in the crucible, so that the substrate is now held securely and prevented from cracking due to thermal expansion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid-phase growth apparatus for growing a crystal on a seed substrate that is vertically held with a substrate holder and is dipped in a solution containing a solute (raw material) for forming the crystal in a crucible, and to a liquid-phase crystal growth method using the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid-phase growing is known as a method for preparing a high-quality monocrystalline thin film at relatively low temperature. Unfortunately, in a dipping process that includes dipping a substrate held with a substrate holder in a solution, films are deposited on two faces of the substrate.
Some methods are proposed for depositing a thin film only on one face of the substrate. For example, a substrate is placed on a platinum holder and fixed with fixing claws to inhibit growth of the film on the rear face of the substrate. In another proposed method, two substrates that are in close contact with each other at the rear faces are dipped in a solution to facilitate crystal growth on the front faces of the substrates.
In liquid-phase crystal growth by general dipping, the substrate is held to the substrate holder horizontally or at a slight tilt angle from the level line. In such a case, a thicker film is deposited on the down face of the substrate rather than the upper face. In particular, this tendency is noticeable in liquid-phase growth of a silicon crystal from an indium solvent since the specific gravity of the material (silicon) for forming the crystal is considerably lower than that of the solvent.
When the substrate is vertically held in a general dipping method, films may be formed on two faces of the substrate or the substrate may be cracked by thermal expansion.

Liquid-phase growth apparatus and method


A system and method for intelligent information gathering and analysis. Information is gathered from a plurality of open sources such as markets, investigations, government databases, internet intelligence, and public records. The gathered information is parsed and linked based on marketplace activities including threats. The parsed and linked information is sent to a database where queries can be applied to produce dossiers on entities. A client may add his own information to enrich a dossier and reports may be made based on the dossiers. Alerts may be generated when certain predefined conditions are met. These alerts can be used to drive various actions.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to information collection and analysis and, more particularly, relates to the collection of data from a plurality of distinct sources and linking that information in light of marketplace activity to acquire richer and more detailed information about an entity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Threats to the marketplace are continuously evolving, becoming more complex and more prevalent. Some statistics show that 7-9% of global trade, and 10% of the sales on the Internet, relate to counterfeit goods. Counterfeiting is a multi-dimensional problem. If the goods being sold are drugs, for example, an ingested counterfeit drug may result in serious health consequences. If the drug is diverted and sold through a different distribution channel than originally intended, the drug may end up in a different country, be sold for below or above market price, be sold in a country without conforming to necessary regulations, and the company manufacturing the drug may lose significant profits and/or be charged with misleading the public in its sales. It is desirable to acquire as much information about the sale of products and services so as to limit these exposures.
In recent years, Internet retailers of counterfeit and diverted goods have increasingly leveraged the Internet to directly market infringing products to global consumers. Internet retailers are combining websites, advertising portals, affiliate programs, banner advertisements, search engine placements, and unsolicited bulk email to reach a far broader and wealthier consumer demographic than was historically accessible to black and gray markets.
The act of acquiring intelligence and evidence on particular activities is necessary in many endeavors. In the legal arena, acquiring solid, highly reliable evidence is crucial in advancing a party's theory in a case. If the evidence acquired does not have a certain minimum level of veracity, it may not even be admissible in courts of law. For businesses, acquiring intelligence about competitors is beneficial in determining marketing strategies. Businesses may even desire to learn more information about how their own businesses are operating. Complex businesses using many different supply chains and/or distribution channels, may desire to learn more about the entities in channels they are using to ensure that products are not given to distributors who have a history of diverting or counterfeiting goods.
Some prior art intelligence and evidence acquisition methods gather information about an entity from open sources such as government records or court filings. Those records include basic information about an entity such as an address, company name, etc. If two entities share some of the same information (e.g. they share the same address) some prior art methods are capable of even linking these two entities and indicating that they are related in some manner. Other prior art systems receive limited data about an entity from a client but do not supplement such data with information available to the public from open sources. For example, in response to a query relating to Product X, these prior art systems may indicate that there are 10,000 sellers of product X but will not link that information with openly available sources of information.
Such prior art systems are also generally static in that they typically represent a snapshot in time of information gathered about an entity from limited sources. These systems do not evolve to provide an updated view of an entity as more information is acquired about the entity. Further, there is no means in the prior art systems for intelligent linking of acquired information.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a system and method for acquiring more complete information about an entity, and intelligently linking that information.

System and method for intelligent information gathering and analysis


When an incoming call to a wireless communication apparatus is detected, a wireless control apparatus uses a wireless link, which has been established by previous communication, to perform succeeding communication. Examples of communication include communication of audio or data already completed, or, when there are a plurality of wireless communication apparatus, communication of control information by a wireless link established when notification of an incoming call is given to the wireless communication apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wireless control apparatus wirelessly connected to a wireless communication apparatus, as well as to a system comprising the wireless communication apparatus and the wireless control apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wireless communication system known in the art comprises a wireless control apparatus (master) and a wireless communication apparatus (slave) wirelessly connected to the wireless control apparatus.
When a transmission request is issued from the slave side or an incoming call is terminated at the slave side in a wireless communication system of this kind, the master searches for and decides upon the communication channel used in this communication between the master and slave and so notifies the slave using a control channel, whereupon the slave is shifted to the communication channel of which it has been notified, thereby establishing a wireless link.
When communication ends, control for the purpose of cutting off the wireless link is carried out over a prescribed period of time, whereupon the wireless link is cut.
However, when an incoming call to the slave is detected after communication ends, the wireless link is cut temporarily. This is despite the fact that the wireless link has hot been cut through the link cutting control operation because this operation is still in progress. This means that a new control channel is temporarily occupied to search for and decide upon an idle communication channel and establish a wireless link anew, whereupon communication commences. This procedure takes time. Moreover, if the wireless link cannot be established the second time, it may not be possible to perform communication in response to the incoming call.
Further, in order to make all slaves ring at the time of an incoming call from a communication line in a situation where a plurality of slaves exist, wireless links are established to all of the slaves. If an outgoing call is then abandoned by disconnection on the calling side, the wireless links to the slaves are cut. Or, if a slave responds to the incoming call, the wireless links to slaves other than the responding slave are disconnected.
Accordingly, if a party not sought by the calling side answers the incoming call, it is required that the call be transferred. When the transfer is made, the slave that is the destination of the transfer must re-establish the wireless link and the calling party is made to wait until this is achieved.
In particular, when there is an incoming call from another outside line or an outgoing call to a communication apparatus of another extension in the case of communication apparatus or private branch exchange accommodating a plurality of communication lines (outside lines) and also having a number of extensions, there are instances where a procedure for establishing a wireless link with the other communication apparatus is made to wait while a procedure for establishing a wireless link is being executed for the incoming call or outgoing call. It may take several seconds or more before the communication apparatus that is the destination of the transfer answers or before there is a hold response made by the other communication apparatus. The result is poor operability.

Wireless communication apparatus and system


A spindle lock (10) includes a detent arrangement including springs (25) acting on projections (30), each projection engaging one of a pair of recesses (40, 41) to control and buffer the rotation of a spindle (13) and to delay the engagement of locking elements (26a, 26b). A compact, reliable mechanism with a high degree of modularity is achieved by providing the recesses in an inner rotor (31) and the springs and projections in an outer rotor (18) that extends about the inner rotor.

A typical rotary power tool includes a housing, a motor supported by the housing and a spindle rotatably supported by the housing and selectively driven by the motor. A tool holder, such as a chuck, is mounted on the forward end of the spindle, and a tool element, such as a drill bit, is mounted in the chuck.
To assist the operator in removing and/or supporting the tool element in the tool holder, the power tool may include a spindle lock for preventing rotation of the spindle relative to the housing when a force is applied by the operator to the tool holder to remove the tool element. The spindle lock may be a manually-operated spindle lock, in which the operator engages a lock member against the spindle to prevent rotation of the spindle, or an automatic spindle lock, which operates when a force is applied by the operator to the tool holder.
There are several different types of automatic spindle locks. One type of automatic spindle lock includes a plurality of wedge rollers which are forced into wedging engagement with corresponding wedge surfaces when a force is applied by the operator to the tool holder. Another type of automatic spindle lock includes inter-engaging toothed members, such as a fixed internally-toothed gear and a movable toothed member supported on the spindle for rotation with the spindle and for movement relative to the spindle to a locked position in which the teeth engage to prevent rotation of the spindle.
To accommodate such automatic spindle locks, some rotational play or movement may be provided between the spindle and the driving engagement with the motor. The spindle lock operates (is engaged and disengaged) within this "free angle" of rotation between the spindle and the driving engagement of the motor.
One independent problem with the above-identified automatic spindle locks is that, when the motor is switched from an operating condition, in which the spindle is rotatably driven, to a non-operating condition, the inertia of the still-rotating spindle (and tool holder and/or supported tool element) causes the automatic spindle lock to engage to stop the rotation of the spindle relative to the motor within the free angle of rotation between the spindle and the motor. The engagement of the spindle lock can be sudden, causing an impact in the components of the spindle lock, resulting in noise (a big "clunk") and, potentially, damage to the components.
This problem is increased the greater the inertia acting on the spindle (i.e., with larger tool elements, such as hole saws). With the high-inertia tool elements, the spindle may rebound from the impact (of the spindle lock engaging), rotate in the opposite direction (through the free angle of rotation) and impact the driving engagement with the motor, and rebound (in the forward direction) to re-engage the spindle lock. Such repeated impacts on the spindle lock and between the spindle and the driving engagement of the motor causes a "chattering" phenomenon (multiple noises) after the initial impact and big "clunk".
Another independent problem with existing power tools is that, when the motor is switched from the operating condition to the non-operating condition, a braking force may be applied to the motor while the spindle (under the force of the inertia of the spindle (and tool holder and/or supported tool element) continues to rotate through the free angle. The braking of the motor. (coupled with the continued rotation of the spindle) causes the automatic spindle lock to engage resulting in noise (a big "clunk" and/or "chattering") and, potentially, damage to the components.
The braking force applied to the motor can result from dynamic braking of the motor, such as by the operation of a dynamic braking circuit or as results in the operation (stopping) of a cordless (battery-powered) power tool. In other words, when the motor is stopped, the difference between the force rotating the spindle (the inertia of the spindle (and tool holder and/or supported tool element) and the force stopping the motor (i.e., whether the motor coasts or is braked) causes the automatic spindle lock to engage. The greater difference in these oppositely acting forces, the greater the impact(s) (a big "clunk" and/or "chattering") when the spindle lock engages.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,063,201 describes a power tool with a spindle lock that addresses these problems. The spindle lock includes a spring and a detent arrangement to control and buffer the rotation of the spindle and to delay the engagement of the locking elements in both forward and reverse operation. Multiple spring members may cooperate to apply a force to delay the operation of the spindle lock. However, one of the drawbacks that have been found to occur with this spindle lock is that the amount of delay can be variable. In addition, when producing a model range of power tools, it is advantageous to use common parts as far as possible, however with this old tool it has been difficult to readily vary the delay by changing the spring members alone, without a need to also alter the mutually engaged component parts. It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages or more generally to provide an improved spindle lock.

Techtronic Power Tools Technology Limited


The present invention describes a family of photolabile caged nucleotides, including cyclic nucleotides. The compounds of the present invention are caged analogs and derivatives of NAD.sup.+, NADH, NADP, NADPH, NAADP and cADPR. The photolysis of the present compounds allows the release of the free nucleotide in vivo or in vitro with precise spatial and temporal control. The compounds are useful for the photolytic generation of free nucleotides in aqueous samples, for example, in the study of calcium mobilization in cells and cell homogenates.

Covalent attachment of a photoremoveable group to a parent compound (i.e. "caging") to alter its physical or biological properties has been exploited extensively for following components of dynamic systems. The term "cage" refers to a photolytically sensitive substituent that is designed to interfere with the reactivity or other physical properties of the free probe. Photolysis (typically by illumination in the UV (250-400 nm) region of the spectrum) cleaves the caging group, restoring the normal properties of the parent compound. In this way it is possible to release the parent compound into the system of interest with much better temporal and spatial resolution than is possible by simple diffusion.
Appropriate caging groups for compounds used in the study of processes that change rapidly, such as biological processes, must be photolyzed rapidly and with relatively high quantum yield. It is also important that caging alters some property of the parent compound to the desired level, and that the caged compound is stable and still soluble in the system of interest. A variety of caged probes exist, including caged nucleotides. For example, the o-nitrobenzyl group and its substituted variants have been used to cage nucleotide phosphates at the terminal phosphate. The o-nitrobenzyl group has also been used to cage a non-nucleotide phosphate, e.g. on the calcium ion mobilizer 1,4,5-inositol triphosphate (IP.sub.3). The preparation of the caged IP.sub.3, however, is difficult and technically demanding (Walker et al., BIOCHEMISTRY 28, 3272 (1989)). Specifically, the preparation of caged IP.sub.3 yields varying quantities of seven or more possible products, only two of which possess the desired biological properties required to function as a caged calcium ion mobilizer. These two products must then be isolated by preparative HPLC in a tedious process that requires the use of radioactive IP.sub.3 as a means of monitoring product purity.
In contrast, the caged nucleotides of this invention are relatively straightforward to prepare. Caged analogs of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) or derived from NAD, such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) and cyclic-adenine dinucleotide phosphate ribose (cADPR) can in most cases be prepared by a single reaction, followed by rapid purification in water, which allows for quick isolation of preparative quantities of the caged agent. This facile synthesis is a marked improvement over the necessity of preparing caged IP.sub.3. The caged calcium-mobilizing agents of the invention have other advantages as well. Whereas the parent compounds must be added to living cells by microinjection, potentially resulting in nonspecific Ca.sup.2+ release due to cell leakage and/or damage; triggering the induction of Ca.sup.2+ release using photolysis of a probe such as caged cADPR eliminates possible injection artifacts. Similarly, inadvertant elevation of Ca.sup.2+ in the cell is easily recognized since only normal physiological Ca.sup.2+ changes are observed prior to photolysis of the caged mobilizer. In addition, since the caged agent is inactive until photolyzed, it can be added to cells by methods other than microinjection, resulting in less cell damage, or allowing the cell to recover before performing a measurement. In particular, specific versions of caged agents may be selected so as to allow addition of the nucleotide to cells by passive penetration of the probe through the cell's membrane.
Calcium ion mobilization is just one of a number of biological processes that can be studied using caged nucleotides. In addition to the analogs and derivatives of NAD that exhibit varying degrees of biological activity as calcium mobilizers, substitution of cADPR at the 8-position by amino, bromo or azido groups, results in compounds that act as antagonists for cADPR. Selected related nucleotides where the purine base adenine is replaced with other purines or pyrimidines, or where the ribosyl sugar is replaced by deoxyribosyl, are useful as fluorescent probes for NAD cyclase activity, or for the study of other poorly explored biological responses in cellular systems. Furthermore, NAD undergoes reduction to yield NADH, and this redox pair represents the primary electron carrier system in living systems. The present invention describes caged nucleotides that can be used to study the physiological effects of the free nucleotide in biological systems, including cells, cell extracts and cell homogenates. The use of a chemically caged nucleotide allows the free nucleotide to be produced within the biological sample with precise control, both temporally and spatially. By using focused laser illumination, the free nucleotide can be generated at specific locations within a single cell, outside the cell or in a cell-free medium within the limits of the ability to focus the photolytic illumination.

The Regents of the University of Minnesota


A portable pressurized gas delivery system with impact protection includes a pressure regulator device comprised of a shut-off valve/refill portion, a pressure regulation portion and a flow control portion. The pressure regulator device is attached via a mating machine threaded portion to a high pressure gas vessel or tank. An adapter or flange washer is situated between the regulator device and tank. A u-shaped handle is attached to the flange washer and extends along side and beyond the height of the gas pressure regulator. A circular ring is transversely attached to the u-shaped handle and situated to surround the regulator device thereby providing impact protection from all directions for the gas pressure regulator device. The pressure regulator device and flange washer include mechanical alignment mechanisms so that angular alignment of the devices is established.

Regulated gas flow control and pressure regulation devices are attached to portable medical gas or oxygen cylinders and used by those requiring medical gas delivery, most commonly, in response to a Doctor's prescription for oxygen. Such gas or oxygen delivery devices are used by individuals in all walks of life at work and during recreational times. The gas delivery devices are often times subject to fairly rough handling including tip-over events and severe impacts with solid objects during use, handling, transport and storage. The response from the medical gas regulator industry has been to produce gas regulator and flow control devices that are fairly sturdy in construction. However, the devices still fail on occasion due to excessive force impacts that occur during use as well as during transport and refilling operations.
A practical consideration in the design of portable gas delivery devices is size and weight. Excessive size or weight makes the device less attractive to end consumers, since oxygen delivery devices are typically carried by hand or pulled along in a small "pull cart" or dolly. Thus, it is desired that improved impact protection should be accomplished without significant additional weight added to the devices.
Portable gas delivery devices of the prior art also utilize a mechanical interface commonly referred to as a "post valve" for connecting a pressure regulator device to the tank. The post valve is attached to a pressurized tank via a threaded interface, and a regulator device or combination regulator/flow control device is then attached to the post valve. One example of such a post valve is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,841 to Davidson. An example of a regulator that connects to the post valve of the '841 patent is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,396 to Davidson. Refilling tanks incorporating such devices includes the initial step of opening the flow control section of the regulator and drawing a 25 inches of mercury vacuum on the system at the flow control outlet port of the regulator. Atmospheric air may potentially be drawn in through the relief valve of the regulator, and such a result is undesirable. Relief valves in pressure regulators typically activate at 1.5 times the normal working pressure of the regulator, or at about 75 PSI. Further, the seals of the flow control portion and seals in the post valve interface of the prior art regulator present potential leak points during system evacuation steps prior to refilling the tank or cylinder. Thus a design that eliminates the post valve to regulator interface and other potential leak points is desired.
What is needed is a gas delivery device with an impact protection mechanism that is adaptable to a wide variety of existing gas regulation device designs and provides improved impact protection to prevent physical damage to the pressure regulator/flow control devices. Further, the system should include design aspects to reduce difficulties encountered during refilling procedures and eliminate potential leak problems associated with prior art designs. In addition, the impact protection device should enhance the functionality of the entire gas delivery system without adding substantial weight or cost thereto.

Portable gas delivery device with impact protection


The invention provides for ischemia/reperfusion protection compositions having one or more ketone bodies and melatonin. The invention also provides for methods of using such compositions to reduce or prevent ischemia/reperfusion injury due to blood loss, stroke or cardiopulmonary arrest or surgery.

Ischemia generally is a restriction in blood supply, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue. Ischemia refers to the absolute or relative shortage of blood supply to an organ. Relative shortage of blood supply means a mismatch of blood supply (oxygen delivery) and the need for adequate oxygenation of tissue.
Reperfusion injury refers to the damage caused to tissue when blood supply returns to the tissue after a period of ischemia. The absence of oxygen and nutrients from blood creates a condition in which the restoration of circulation results in inflammation and oxidative or peroxidative damage.

Ischemia/reperfusion protection compositions and methods of using


A liquid crystal display includes a display area and a non-display area. The liquid crystal display includes a first base substrate, a pixel disposed on the first base substrate in the display area, a second base substrate, a common electrode disposed on the second base substrate, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first base substrate and the second base substrate, and an electric field control line disposed on the first base substrate in the non-display area. The electric field control line is disposed on a same layer as the pixel electrode.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a liquid crystal display capable of reducing light leakage and a method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display.
2. Description of the Background
A liquid crystal display (LCD) may display an image by generating an electric field between two substrates to control an amount of light passing through a liquid crystal layer interposed between the two substrates.
A lower substrate of the two substrates may include a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of pixel electrodes, and an upper substrate of the two substrates may include a common electrode. The liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules is disposed between the lower substrate and the upper substrate.
The liquid crystal molecules are configured by the electric field generated by the pixel electrode and the common electrode to control the amount of the light passing through the liquid crystal layer. However, when an electric field, other than the electric field generated by the pixel electrode and the common electrode, is applied to the liquid crystal layer, the liquid crystal molecules may become misaligned in undesired directions, thereby causing light leakage in the LCD.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Liquid crystal display and method of manufacturing the same


A method that determines a cause for the impaired performance of a catalytic configuration of the exhaust gas of a combustion engine (231), the method including determining (s410) a course of a NOx-conversion ratio; determining (s420) a prevailing temperature of the catalytic configuration; increasing (s430) the temperature of the catalytic configuration from a prevailing temperature below a predetermined temperature value (Te) to a temperature (TSred) above the predetermined temperature value above which sulphur is removed from the catalytic configuration; and/or decreasing (s440) the temperature of the catalytic configuration from a prevailing temperature (TSred) above the predetermined temperature value (Te) to a temperature below the predetermined temperature value so as to impair the performance of the catalytic configuration in case sulphur is present; and determining (s450) one cause out of a set of causes on the basis of the course of the NOx-conversion ratio thus determined.

Vehicle combustion engine emission control systems are today arranged with catalytic configurations e.g. for conversion of NOx gas. The catalytic configurations may comprise a DOC-unit (Diesel Oxidation Catalyst), DPF-unit (Diesel Particulate Filter), SCR-unit (Selective Catalytic Reduction) and ammonia slip catalyst. In such a system it is common to provide a reducing agent for reducing a prevailing NOx-content of an exhaust gas of said engine. Said catalytic configuration may be impaired by sulphur poisoning. This may be the case if the vehicle has been fuelled by a fuel having too high sulphur content. Hereby said catalytic configuration, and said SCR-unit in particular, may present a gradually decreased performance. Said other members of the catalytic configuration may also comprise catalytic elements which may be subjected to sulphur poisoning. Hereby the overall performance of the catalytic configuration may be impaired over time.
If the performance of any of the elements of the catalytic configuration is impaired diagnosis procedures of the emission control system may result in generated error code, and possibly even torque reducing actions regarding said combustion engine.
It should be noted that a number of various causes may impair performance of said catalytic configuration.
A first cause may be manual tampering of a reducing agent dosing system of the emission control system. Hereby a diluted reducing agent, or another liquid, such as water, may be provided to a reducing agent tank. Such active tampering will provide a cheaper alternative but also negatively impact on the tail pipe NOx-content, which naturally would have a negative impact on the environment and may thus violate prevailing laws and regulations.
A second cause may be said sulphur poisoning. If fuel of the engine contains too high values of sulphur, poisoning of catalytic material of the catalytic configuration may be caused. If the catalytic configuration is subjected to sulphur poisoning, a NOx-conversion ratio of the emission control system is decreased compared to if no sulphur poisoning is at hand.
A third cause may be natural aging of said catalytic configuration. This phenomena may cause the catalytic configuration to slowly lose performance over time. The degradation due to this cause is typically quite linear over time.
A fourth cause may be an accelerated aging of said catalytic configuration. This phenomena is similar to natural aging but performance of the catalytic configuration is degraded at a higher rate compared to natural aging. Also this kind of degradation may typically be quite linear over time.
A fifth cause may be any mechanical failure of said catalytic configuration.
It is desired to be able to diagnose the catalytic configuration so as to determine which cause is at hand. In particular it is important to determine if sulphur poisoning of the catalytic configuration or manual tampering of the emission control system is at hand. Hereby adequate measures may be taken, such as generating error code or controlling operation of the vehicle according to certain routines, including engine torque limitations.
US2015096287 relates to a multi-stage SCR control and diagnostic system.

System and a method for determining a cause for impaired performance of a catalytic configuration


A camera crane includes an arm having a back section, a middle section telescopically extendible into and out of the back section, and a front section telescopically extendible into and out of the middle section. A camera platform is pivotally attached at or near the front end of the front section. A counterweight is movable along the back section. An arm support can support the back section at two or more positions. Consequently the pivot axis of the arm can be shifted to the front or rear, to change rear clearance requirements, counterweight requirements, and the reach of the arm. An electronic controller is linked to a motor and a sensor on a camera head, with the motor acting to keep the head level.

The field of the invention is camera cranes. Camera cranes are often used in motion picture and television production. The motion picture or television camera is typically mounted on a crane arm supported on a mobile base, dolly, or truck. Camera cranes generally have a crane arm supported on a base, with a camera platform at one end of the arm, and a counter weight at the other end. The crane arm can be pivoted by hand to raise and lower the camera, and also to pan to the left or right side.
With the development of high definition digital television cameras, 3-D digital and automated digital and film cameras, recording or filming can be achieved without a camera operator behind the camera. Rather, the camera may be remotely-controlled with the camera operator monitoring the image captured by the camera via a remote monitor. This allows for more versatile camera positioning. For example, a camera may be supported at the end of a camera crane arm in positions not accessible with a camera operator behind the camera.
Due to the variety of filming, TV or video locations (collecting referred to here simply as filming), the camera crane arm should advantageously be portable and lightweight. On the other hand, the arm must be rigid enough, when assembled, to resist bending and sagging, and to avoid excessive whipping motion of the camera during crane arm movement.
Telescoping camera cranes have a telescoping arm that can extend and retract, providing far more capability than fixed length crane arms. However, telescoping cranes have typically been limited to a reach of about 50 feet. Moreover, under certain conditions, telescoping cranes can cause unintended or undesirable camera movements, due to bending, flexing, twisting, or vibration of the crane arm. Noise generated from moving parts in these types of cranes, when the arm is extended or retracted, can also disrupt filming or recording.
Accordingly, various engineering challenges remain in designing an improved camera crane.


An LED chip module includes a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate. A first set of LED chip and a second set of LED chip are respectively set on the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate. The second set of LED chip is electrically connected to the first set of LED chip. A plastic shell is fixedly connected to the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate by injection molding to make the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate keep a predetermined space between each other and make a lower surface of the first electrode plate and a lower surface of the second electrode plate be respectively connected to two different polarity terminals of the power supply to drive the first set of LED chip and the second set of LED chip to emit light.

Technology of an LED flourished in these years makes lighting industry have big changes in these years. Many R & D people continue to focus on a variety of angles in the development of how to make LED more efficient configuration to produce a product with more light efficiency and higher stability.
Rise of heat dissipation and light efficiency has always been a goal of R & D personnel efforts, which depends on developing and providing the corresponding technical solutions to the LED chip which has not yet found the blind spot.

LED (light-emitting diode) module and a light apparatus


A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising an imaging condition setting unit, a gradient coil, a radio frequency coil, a data acquisition unit, an image reconstructing unit and an image data generating unit. The imaging condition setting unit sets a first imaging condition and a second imaging condition at least. The data acquisition unit acquires first magnetic resonance signal data corresponding to the first imaging condition and second magnetic resonance signal data corresponding to the second imaging condition. The image reconstructing unit reconstructs first three dimensional image data in accordance with the first magnetic resonance signal data and second three dimensional image data in accordance with the second magnetic resonance signal data. The image data generating unit combines the first three dimensional image data and the second three dimensional image data to generate third three dimensional image data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and a magnetic resonance imaging method which excite nuclear spin of an object magnetically with a RF signal having the Larmor frequency and reconstruct an image based on a magnetic resonance signal generated due to the excitation, and more particularly, to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and a magnetic resonance imaging method, which reconstruct an image with suppression or excitation of a magnetic resonance signal from a specific part, such as fat-saturation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an imaging method which excite nuclear spin of an object set in a static magnetic field with a radio frequency (RF) signal having the Larmor frequency magnetically and reconstruct an image based on a magnetic resonance (MR) signal generated due to the excitation.
In the field of magnetic resonance imaging, MRA (magnetic resonance angiography) is known as a method for obtaining an image of the blood flow at a desired portion, such as the head, lung field, or stomach. The MRA includes enhanced MRA and un-enhanced MRA. The enhanced MRA is an imaging method with a contrast medium injected to an object. The un-enhanced MRA is an imaging method without a contrast medium. In any MRA, importantly, in order to obtain the image of the blood flow, an MR signal from a fat is suppressed and an MR signal from water, serving as a component of the blood flow, is excited, thereby sufficiently obtaining the contrast between a blood flow region and a parenchymal region other than the blood flow region.
Conventionally, a fat-water separation method is used. According to the fat-water separation method, an MR signal (fat signal) from the fat is suppressed by using the difference (chemical shift) in resonant frequencies between protons of fat and water. The fat-water separation method includes a pre-pulse method and a water excitation method. The pre-pulse method has been put into practical use. According to the pre-pulse method, a fat saturation pulse for suppressing a fat signal is applied to the object, as a pre-pulse prior to imaging a blood flow. This pre-pulse selectively excites only the fat depending on frequencies so that protons of the fat are saturated. Subsequently, an imaging of blood flow starts. According to the water excitation method, a water excitation pulse is applied, as an excitation pulse. The improvement in this water excitation pulse enables the excitation of only the MR signal (water signal) from the water without generating the fat signal.
Further, according to the fat-water separation method using the pre-pulse method, in order to prevent a trouble of the reduction in water signal due to the small difference in resonant frequencies between protons of a fat and water, an improvement in a frequency band of a fat saturation pulse to suppress the reduction in a water signal is suggested (see, for example, JP-A-2002-306447).
When a frequency shifted from the resonant frequency of protons of water by 500 Hz is selectively excited by an RF pulse, an MR signal level from protons of a high polymer, serving as a fat component, and an MR signal level from protons of water are reduced respectively. Advantageously, an image with the contrast depending on the rate of high polymers is obtained. In this case, an MR signal level at the fat region is excessively reduced, as compared with an MR signal level at the blood flow region.
In order to obtain the above-mentioned MT (magnetization transfer) advantages, a technology for applying an RF pulse, so-called MTC (magnetization transfer contrast) pulse, as a pre-pulse to the object prior to imaging, is proposed. This technology is applied to an MRA with the extraction of a little blood vessel (see, for example, JP-A-H06-319715).
Further, based on three dimensional (3D) image data obtained with various improving technologies of contrast for applying a fat saturation pulse, a water excitation pulse, and an MTC pulse, imaging processing such as MIP (maximum intensity projection) processing generates three dimensional image data for diagnosis, such as an MIP image.
A fat saturation or a water excitation under the conventional MRA uses the difference (chemical shift) in resonant frequencies between protons of a fat and water. Therefore, when a region as an imaging target includes an uneven magnetic field, there is a problem that a fat signal cannot be properly suppressed or a water signal cannot be properly excited. In particular, in the case of MRA of the head of the object, the region near a curve portion of a blood vessel passing through the bone portion ranging from a carotid pyramidal portion to a syphone partly includes uneven magnetic field. Therefore, the fat signal is not preferably suppressed and the water signal is not preferably excited. The MR signal from the water component is lost and an MRA image with the lost blood flow region may be generated.
Currently, the improvement in sequence waveform, serving as an imaging condition, cannot solve the problem regarding as the loss of the blood flow region on the MRA image obtained in a region having an uneven magnetic field.
Then, when the uneven magnetic field is not ignored and a fat signal cannot be preferably suppressed or a water signal cannot be preferably excited, the image is obtained without the fat saturation or the water excitation. Then, the image data as an imaging result is subjected to imaging processing, such as region processing, thereby generating image data suitable for diagnosis.
For example, in the case of the MRA of the head for generating a blood flow image of the head, a fat region near a scalp does not enable the extraction of blood vessel. Therefore, the fat region needs to be removed from the image data. Then, for the image data obtained by the imaging without the fat saturation of head, an inner region of the scalp is set as a region of interest (ROI), thereby removing the peripheral fat region including the scalp from the image data. Then, only the image data at the inner region of the scalp is subjected to specific MIP processing, such as Partial-MIP processing, thereby generating the image data suitable to the diagnosis.
As a consequence, a troublesome operation including the setting of an ROI and the removal of image data at the fat region is needed. In particular, in Whole Brain MRA, the operation including the setting of an ROI and the removal of image data at the fat region is more complicated and further impossible.
That is, the conventional technologies of the fat saturation and water excitation cannot be applied to a portion, such as a curve portion with an uneven magnetic field particularly, and need specific image processing, such as Partial MIP for generating an image data for diagnosis. In other words, in the case of obtaining an MRA image at a portion such as a curve portion, the conventional technologies of the fat saturation and water excitation have a problem that it is not possible to obtain the original merit of the conventional technologies of the fat saturation and water excitation, that is, a merit for obtaining an MRA image with a small loss of the blood vessel region at a wide area without specific imaging processing.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method