A process for the production of an integrated optical circuit in a glass body by ion exchange between certain regions of the glass body and a metallic salt with the use of a mask defining the regions where the ion exchange occurs, wherein the mask comprises a layer of silicon and the mask is removed by an etching operation preceded by a cleansing operation.

The invention relates to a process for the production of integrated optical components by ion exchange using a silicon mask, a process for making this mask and a process for the final removal of said mask.
The manufacture of optical waveguides in a body, in the form of a wafer or flat disk of glass, through an exchange of ions between the glass and an appropriate melted metallic salt such as a salt of Tl, Cs or Ag, is well known. This manufacture requires the use of a mask having appropriate form in order to define the region of the body in which the ion exchange will take place, that is to say the location of the optical waveguides to be formed. This can be accomplished, for example, by depositing upon the surface of the glass body which is to experience the ion exchange, a uniform mask, then, upon the mask, a pattern of appropriate polymer resist by a photolithographic technique, this pattern of resist leaving exposed some regions of the mask, removing the exposed regions of the mask, removing the resist pattern, carrying an ion exchange process, involving the regions of the surface of the body devoid of the mask, in a bath of an appropriate melted metallic salt, and then eliminating the mask. As a variant one can begin by applying an appropriate pattern of polymer resist by a photolithographic technique, this resist pattern leaving exposed some regions of the surface of the glass body; then depositing the mask and removing the parts of the mask which overlay the polymer resist material, for example, by separating this latter in a solvent in such a way as to cause only the parts of the mask covering the regions exposed by the resist to remain, after which one proceeds to the of the ion exchange process. Eventually, a second ion exchange process can be effectuated in another bath of melted metallic salt in order to "bury" the waveguide resulting from the first ion exchange. The ion exchange processes are usually assisted by an electric field.
A good mask for such manufacture must satisfy several conditions:
it must be easy to deposit, PA1 it must be easy to create a pattern, PA1 it must have good adherence to glass, PA1 it must be able to resist ion exchange and, PA1 it must be easily removable after the ion exchange without the removal operation having any harmful effects on the glass and the regions which have undergone the ion exchange. PA1 aluminum, which is the masking material most commonly used, has been described with this purpose in mind in numerous articles, such as that of J. L. Coutaz et al., Applied Optics, pages 21-26, 1066, (1982). PA1 titanium has been advocated by several authors, see for example the article of H. J. Lilienhof et al., optics Comm., pages 35-1, 49, 1980. PA1 alumina has also been utilized as described by R. G. Walker et al., Applied Optics, page 22, 1929, (1983). Alumina gives rise to large stresses in the glass and is difficult to remove. PA1 platinum has also been proposed. See H. J. Lilienhof et al., IEEE J. Quantum Electron, Vol., QE 18, No. 11, 1877, (1982). PA1 silica and silicon nitride are equally mentioned in the preceding article. These materials have the drawback of requiring high deposition temperatures. Further, concerning silica, its selective cutting with respect to glass is difficult, taking into account their close chemical nature.
Numerous materials have already been proposed for the composition of the mask. We may cite the following in particular:
Aluminum has, however, the defect of not resisting the process of ion exchange, in particular when the latter is prolonged, as is the case in the production of multimode components.
In European patent No. 0 269 996, which deals with using a titanium mask, it is indicated that the titanium mask forms a thin superficial layer of ions which form a barrier in the glass, in such a way that when one desires to bury the waveguide by a second exchange of ions, it is necessary to remove this thin superficial layer of glass before hand. This is obviously an important drawback.
Platinum suffers from being very expensive and from being difficult to remove without the use of very aggressive chemical agents. In addition it is very difficult to form a pattern in it.
None of the masking materials mentioned above being fully satisfactory, there exists therefore a need in the industry for a mask which would fulfill all of the conditions set forth above.
More particularly, the invention relates to a process for the production of an integrated optical circuit within a glass body by an ion exchange between certain regions of the glass body and a melted metallic salt with the use of a mask which defines the regions where the ion exchange occurs, wherein the mask comprises a layer of silicon.
The invention also relates to a process for the deposition of a layer of masking silicon upon a glass body characterized in that the deposit of the layer of silicon is carried out while the glass body is heated to a temperature of approximately 200.degree. to 500.degree. C.
We will describe here only that which relates to the production of the silicon mask in and of itself and its final elimination.
The present invention is directed to a process for the removal of a layer of metallic masking from a glass body by an etching operation with the aid of a plasma of fluorinated or chlorinated gas, said layer carrying residues of salt and/or oxide, wherein the metallic masking layer is silicon, and before the etching operation one proceeds to a cleansing operation with the aid of an aqueous solution diluted with hydrochloric acid containing at most 0.40 weight % of 37% hydrochloric acid.
A further embodiment of the present invention is directed to a process for the production of an integrated optical circuit in a glass body by ion exchange wherein a silicon mask is used to define the regions where the ion exchange occurs, wherein the silicon mask is removed by reactive ion etching.
The masking layer of silicon can be deposited upon the surface of the glass body through deposition by evaporation under vacuum or by cathodic sputtering, that is to say by techniques which are well known in themselves.
However, in order to obtain a good adherence of the silicon mask to the glass body it is absolutely necessary to prepare properly the surface of the glass body before depositing the silicon upon it.
The preparation of the surface will be more or less difficult according to the duration of the ion exchange operation which the masked glass body must undergo, which itself will be a function of the type (singlemode or multimode) of the component to be produced. In the case of a singlemode component, for which the time for the ion exchange is usually about an hour, the preparation of the glass surface can consist of washing with the aid of an aqueous detergent solution followed by rinsing with deionized water and drying. In contrast, in the case of a multimode component, for which the time of ion exchange runs into tens of hours, it will become necessary to proceed to a more elaborate preparation involving a treatment by a diluted acid which aims at a very superficial attack on the glass surface in such a way as to improve the adherence of the mask. This treatment must not, however, bring deterioration of the glass surface. For example, the preparation can consist of washing with the help of an aqueous detergent solution followed by washing in a diluted acid solution, for example acetic acid, followed by rinsing with de-ionized water and drying.
The deposition of the layer of silicon on the surface of the prepared glass can be carried out, for example, by deposition by evaporation under vacuum or by cathodic sputtering. The deposition by evaporation under vacuum from a charge of silicon is preferred today. The deposition conditions are standard except for the temperature of the substrate, that is to say of the glass body, which must be as close as possible to the temperature at which the ion exchange subsequently will be carried out. In effect, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the silicon being very different from that of the glass, that is 30.times.10.sup.-7 /.degree.C. and 100.times.10.sup.-7 /.degree.C., if the deposition of the mask were carried out at ambient temperature, the resulting mask would crack during the ion exchange as a result of the stresses generated by the difference of the expansions. To avoid this it is necessary to deposit the silicon mask on the glass body while the latter is maintained at a temperature as close as possible to the temperature of the melted salt bath in which the ion exchange will be carried out. Usually this temperature will be situated in the range of 200.degree. to 500.degree. C. To this end, one will foresee the means of heating the glass body such as electrical resistance heating or infrared lamps. Given that the heating temperature of the glass body during the silicon deposition will be close to that of the glass transition temperature of the glass, one can advantageously heat the glass body from both sides to avoid the deformations which a temperature gradient could cause. After cooling to ambient temperature, the mask will be subjected to compression stress which has no harmful effect. The thickness of the layer of silicon can go from 0.1 .mu.m to several microns. Thicknesses typically preferred are about 0.3 .mu.m for the production of singlemode components and about 0.5 .mu.m for the production of multimode components.
The resulting silicon layer is then coated by a photolithographic process, within a resist pattern, and next is selectively removed from the regions not covered by the resist patterns, which correspond with the optical waveguides to be produced, for example by etching with a plasma of fluorinated or chlorinated gas. One then eliminates the resist pattern by standard means, for example with the aid of a solvent or an oxygen plasma. After this operation one proceeds to the ion exchange in a bath of a melted metallic salt, for example a thallium salt, under standard conditions, this exchange aimed at replacing the Na.sup.+ or K.sup.+ ions of the glass with the metallic ions of the melted salt.
After the ion exchange there is occasion to proceed to the removal of the mask. An etching operation with a plasma of fluorinated or chlorinated gas is suitable for this purpose. However, before proceeding to this etching operation it is necessary to take off the residues of the salt resulting from the melted bath which would impede this etching. When the ions to be exchanged are thallium ions as is now preferred, one ordinarily uses thallium nitrate as the bath salt for the ion exchange, because of its relatively low melting point. However, during the ion exchange, thallium nitrate decomposes partially into thallium oxide which is difficult to dissolve and whose elimination therefore presents a problem. The Applicant has found that one can have recourse to an acid cleansing to eliminate the residues of the thallium, but that this cleansing presents the risk of very easily altering the waveguide created by the ion exchange, especially if it is a matter of a singlemode component, if one does not observe certain stipulations.
The present invention therefore also concerns a process for the removal of a layer of metallic mask from a glass body by a etching operation with the aid of a plasma of fluorinated or chlorinated gas, said layer bearing residues of thallium salt and/or thallium oxide, characterized in that the metallic masking layer is silicon and in that, before the etching operation, we proceed to a cleansing operation with the aid of an aqueous solution diluted with hydrochloric acid containing at most 0.40%, preferably 0.1% at most in hydrochloric weight. This treatment has the advantage of being very selective, that is to say, of permitting the elimination of the Si mask all the while provoking only a minimal attack of the glass and the waveguides created by the ion exchange (etching less than 0.1 .mu.m).
The following non-limiting examples are given with the intent of illustrating the diverse aspects of the invention.

Process for manufacturing integrated optical components using silicon mask


A flowmeter (5) is provided having a sensor assembly (10) connected to meter electronics (20), wherein the sensor assembly (10) comprises at least one driver (104) and at least one pickoff (105) and a variably modulated conduit (300) configured to change a flow area (304) therein.

Vibrating sensors, such as for example, vibrating densitometers and Coriolis flowmeters are generally known, and are used to measure mass flow and other information related to materials flowing through a conduit in the flowmeter. Exemplary Coriolis flowmeters are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,524, U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,025, and Re. 31,450. These flowmeters have one or more conduits of a straight or curved configuration. Each conduit configuration in a Coriolis mass flowmeter, for example, has a set of natural vibration modes, which may be of simple bending, torsional, or coupled type. Each conduit can be driven to oscillate at a preferred mode.
Material flows into the flowmeter from a connected pipeline on the inlet side of the flowmeter, is directed through the conduit(s), and exits the flowmeter through the outlet side of the flowmeter. The natural vibration modes of the vibrating system are defined in part by the combined mass of the conduits and the material flowing within the conduits.
When there is no flow through the flowmeter, a driving force applied to the conduit(s) causes all points along the conduit(s) to oscillate with identical phase or with a small "zero offset", which is a time delay measured at zero flow. As material begins to flow through the flowmeter, Coriolis forces cause each point along the conduit(s) to have a different phase. For example, the phase at the inlet end of the flowmeter lags the phase at the centralized driver position, while the phase at the outlet end leads the phase at the centralized driver position. Pickoffs on the conduit(s) produce sinusoidal signals representative of the motion of the conduit(s). Signals output from the pickoffs are processed to determine the time delay between the pickoffs. The time delay between the two or more pickoffs is proportional to the mass flow rate of material flowing through the conduit(s).
Meter electronics connected to the driver generate a drive signal to operate the driver and also to determine a mass flow rate and/or other properties of a process material from signals received from the pickoffs. The driver may comprise one of many well-known arrangements; however, a magnet and an opposing drive coil have received great success in the flowmeter industry. An alternating current is passed to the drive coil for vibrating the conduit(s) at a desired conduit amplitude and frequency. It is also known in the art to provide the pickoffs as a magnet and coil arrangement very similar to the driver arrangement. However, while the driver receives a current which induces a motion, the pickoffs can use the motion provided by the driver to induce a voltage. The magnitude of the time delay measured by the pickoffs is very small; often measured in nanoseconds. Therefore, it is necessary to have the transducer output be very accurate.
Often, flowmeters are used in applications that require extremely large turn downs and/or low pressure drops across the flowmeter. In hydrocarbon fluid applications, for example, flow rates may widely vary, yet pressure loss through the flowmeter must remain low to prevent lighter hydrocarbons from changing state. In order to measure low fluid flow accurately and yet handle high flow rates without heavy pressure loss, typically multiple flowmeters of various sizes are utilized in parallel, and flow rates are controlled by choosing the appropriate flowmeter, given the process conditions. This approach is expensive and complicated, as multiple flowmeters are required, installation is complex, and required maintenance and operating expenses are increased. In some applications where parallel meter schemes are not practical, such as wind-tunnel experiment operations, it is extremely cumbersome to re-pipe and re-size flowmeters in order to accommodate differing experimental conditions.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and related apparatus to measure a wide range of flow rates in a single flowmeter. There is a need for a method and related apparatus to maintain a minimum fluid velocity such that accurate flow measurements may be acquired for a wide range of flow rates in a single flowmeter. The present invention overcomes these and other problems by providing a method and related apparatus for a flowmeter having a variable conduit cross-section, thus an advance in the art is achieved.

Method and apparatus for modulating a flowpath


Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for managing meeting agendas in a meeting or conference via a virtual agenda participant. The system maintains, prior to a communication session, a conference agenda associated with the communication session. During the communication session, the system identifies, via a virtual entity, communication items associated with the communication session to yield identified communication items, wherein the virtual entity dynamically monitors the communication session and processes data associated with the communication session to identify the communication items. The system then compares, via the virtual entity, the conference agenda with the identified communication items to determine which items from the conference agenda have been addressed during the communication session.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to meeting agendas and more specifically to managing meeting agendas and addressed agenda items in a meeting.
2. Introduction
Meeting agendas help participants stay on topic during a meeting, and ensure that every topic is addressed during the meeting as intended, so a topic that the participants plan to address during the meeting is not overlooked or forgotten. Typically, a meeting participant is charged with the duty of making, managing, and editing the meeting agenda. Often, the same participant is also responsible for controlling the meeting, and ensuring that all items in the meeting agenda are addressed in the meeting—although the task is sometimes delegated to a separate participant. The person who controls the meeting, the meeting manager, usually marks or checks off agenda items as they are addressed in the meeting, to note that the agenda item has been addressed. However, the meeting manager sometimes forgets to mark or check off one or more agenda items that have been discussed. As a result, some agenda items are never addressed in the meeting or recorded in the meeting minutes, as such they are overlooked and forgotten.
Moreover, even the best meeting managers will, on occasion, forget to address important agenda items that are scheduled to be presented, discussed, or addressed in the meeting. Thus, despite the meeting manager's best intentions to follow the meeting agenda, some agenda items are often neglected during the meeting. And as time passes, it becomes harder for the meeting participants and managers to remember which agenda items were addressed and which were not.
Similarly, action items and future topic areas created during the course of the meeting are often forgotten, as both the meeting manager and meeting participants sometimes fail to write these down when they are discussed. These items are then neglected after the meeting, particularly as time passes and memories vanish. Current solutions merely provide online agenda programs. Unfortunately, however, the current solutions do not provide dynamic agendas with real-time updates, reminders, notifications and interactions.


The present invention concerns a process for preparing crystalline 3-(2-chloro-ethyl)-9-hydroxy-2-methyl-4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one substantially free of 2-acetylbutyrolactone.

The present invention concerns a process for preparing crystalline 9-hydroxy-3-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-methyl-4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one substantially free of 2-acetylbutyrolactone. This product is a new intermediate for the preparation of 9-hydroxyrisperidone or paliperidone and that of 9-hydroxyrisperidone palmitate ester or paliperidone palmitate ester.
The previously described synthesis of the latter compounds involved the preparation of 3-(2-chloroethyl)-9-hydroxy-2-methyl-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one. In EP-0,368,388 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,952) this starting material was prepared in situ by reacting 3-phenylmethoxy-pyridin-2-amine with 1.7 equivalents 2-acetyl-butyrolactone (3-acetyl-4,5-dihydro-2(3H)-furanone) in toluene in the presence of phosphoryl chloride, adding another 1.7 equivalents of 2-acetylbutyrolactone after five hours of stirring at 90° C., followed by hydrogenolysis of the benzyl group and concomitant reduction of the pyridine ring to a tetrahydropyridine ring. The resulting 3-(2-chloroethyl)-9-hydroxy-2-methyl-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one was isolated as an oil which allowed further conversion to paliperidone and paliperidone palmitate ester in the laboratory.
During chemical development this process was altered. 2-Amino-3-hydroxypyridine was reacted with 2-acetyl-butyrolactone in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid in xylene to yield 9-hydroxy-3-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-methyl-4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one; this product proved to be poorly soluble in xylene resulting in deposit formation on the wall of the reaction vessel and discoloration of the reaction mixture to black.
The intermediate product was subsequently converted into the 2-chloroethyl derivative by reaction with thionyl chloride in dimethylformamide. This reaction was characterized by very severe smell hindrance, probably caused by reaction of residual 2-acetylbutyrolactone remaining from the previous step and nonreproducible yield and quality.
In order to solve the problems described in the previous paragraph, various solvent systems and acids were tested in which to conduct the reaction of 2-amino-3-hydroxypyridine with 2-acetyl-butyrolactone.
The tested solvent systems were:    a) toluene    b) 2-acetylbutyrolactone as solvent and reagent (no co-solvent)    c) propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGMME)    d) 4-methyl-2-pentanol    e) xylene combined with 4-methyl-2-pentanol    f) dimethylacetamide    g) chlorobenzene    h) acetic acid    i) glyme    j) diglyme
The tested acids were p-toluenesulfonic acid and acetic acid.
The results of the tests can be summarized as follows:    1) Solvent systems:            a) Toluene suffered from the same problems as xylene, namely that the reaction product was very poorly soluble therein and was deposited on the walls of the reaction vessel.        b) Conversion in the absence of a co-solvent varied between 53 and 77%. The process was characterized by excessive foaming.        c) Conversion in PGMME varied from 36 to 67%.        d) Conversion in 4-methyl-2-pentanol varied between 59 and 66%.        e) Conversion in a mixture of xylene and 4-methyl-2-pentanol was about 62%.        f) In dimethylacetamide, the conversion was only 38%.        g) Conversion in chlorobenzene ranged from 55 to 81%, conversion being higher when equimolar amounts of both reagents were used and being lower when excess 2-acetylbutyrolactone was used. Interestingly, the reaction mixture remained homogeneous when chlorobenzene was the solvent.        h) In acetic acid the conversion was only 22%.        i) No conversion in glyme.        j) Diglyme suffered from the same problems as xylene, namely that the reaction product was very poorly soluble therein and was deposited on the walls of the reaction vessel.            2) Acid systems: the conversion was 10% lower for the acetic acid system compared with the p-toluenesulfonic acid system.
Further optimisation of the reaction conditions taught us that optimal results could be obtained by reacting 1 mol equivalent of 2-amino-3-hydroxypyridine with a slight excess (e.g. 1.05 mol equivalent) of 2-acetylbutyrolactone in about 1.75 L/mol equivalent of chlorobenzene in the presence of about 0.03 mol equivalent p-toluene-sulfonic acid monohydrate during 19 hours at 125-135° C. with removal of water using a reverse water separator.
Three different work-up procedures were evaluated next:                k) Cooling the reaction mixture to about 80° C., adding 0.25 L/mol equivalent 2-propanol, reheating to reflux, allowing spontaneous cooling, collecting the resulting crystals,        l) Cooling the reaction mixture and collecting the resulting crystals, and        m) Cooling the reaction mixture to about 80° C., adding 0.25 L/mol equivalent PGMME, reheating to reflux, allowing spontaneous cooling, collecting the resulting crystals.
In procedure l), the product proved to contain more residual 2-acetylbutyrolactone and 2-amino-3-hydroxypyridine than product obtained in procedures k) and m).
Finally, process k) was further optimised by adding a mixture of activated carbon and filter agent (dicalite speed plus).


A periodic time-varying current with smallest period 1/f.sub.1 excites a cell/battery and provides a timing reference. Linear circuitry produces two signals, one proportional to the excitation current, the other proportional to the responding time-varying voltage. These signals are processed with identical frequency-limiting filters to attenuate higher-order harmonics and noise. Using the timing reference for synchronization, a microprocessor/microcontroller commands analog to digital converters to sample the frequency-limited current and voltage signals at equally-spaced times over a period and accepts the digitized samples as inputs. The digital samples are averaged over multiple periods and employed to calculate averaged Fourier coefficients of in-phase and quadrature components of frequency-limited current and voltage at frequency f.sub.1. By numerically combining these Fourier coefficients, the microprocessor/microcontroller determines real and imaginary parts of the cell/battery's complex impedance at frequency f.sub.1.

Impedance is a complex quantity. As such, it has two components: either magnitude and phase, or real and imaginary parts (i.e., resistance and reactance). These alternative forms of a complex quantity are equivalent.
Both components of impedance of an electrochemical cell or battery are meaningful. One can gain insight into many properties such as cranking power, state-of-charge, percent capacity, temperature, and physical condition by analyzing measurements of complex impedance obtained at selected "spot" frequencies. Heretofore however, complex impedance could only be determined with bridges or expensive laboratory instruments that were poorly suited to measuring batteries in the field (e.g., E. Willihnganz and Peter Rohner, "Battery Impedance", Electrical Engineering, 78, No. 9, pp. 922-925, September, 1959; see also David Robinson, "Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy in Battery Development and Testing", BATTERIES INTERNATIONAL, 31, pp. 59-63, April 1997).
R. S. Robinson, in PCT International Publication WO93/22666, teaches a method for measuring complex impedance of batteries in service. However, the apparatus he discloses is an FFT-based commercial signal analyzer (HP 3562A) and the disclosed method uses existing battery currents as excitation--currents that may not contain the frequency or frequencies desired.
Devices for measuring battery impedance described in the patent literature have been generally limited to apparatus that actually determines only one quantity. For example, patent references can be found for field apparatus that purports to measure battery "impedance" (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,134 to Burkum et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,773,978 to Becker) and battery "resistance" (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,094 to Furuishi, U.S. Pat. No. 3,676,770 to Sharaf et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,722 to Wurst et al). However, none of these patents disclose apparatus that measures two quantities. The present patent addresses this deficiency by disclosing a practical method, and its apparatus implementation, for accurately measuring real and imaginary parts of cell/battery impedance under actual field conditions--conditions that often include a high degree of electrical noise.

Method and apparatus for measuring complex impedance of cells and batteries


A three-dimensional shape measuring system is provided with a measuring unit having a three-dimensional measurement range and adapted to measure the three-dimensional shape of a measurement object in a noncontact manner, a measurement range shifting unit for shifting the position of the measurement range of the measuring unit, a shape calculating unit for calculating the overall three-dimensional shape of the measurement object from a plurality of measurement data obtained by shifting the measurement range relative to the measurement object, and a judging unit for setting judgment areas in specified peripheral areas within the measurement range and judging the presence or absence of any unmeasured area of the measurement object outside the measurement range based on measurement data corresponding to the judgment areas. The measurement range shifting unit shifts the position of the measurement range in a direction toward the unmeasured area when the presence of the unmeasured area is judged by the judging unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional (hereinafter, referred to as "3D") shape measuring system for measuring the 3D shape of a measurement object.
2. Description of the Background Art
There has been conventionally known a noncontact 3D shape measuring device for measuring fragmentary 3D shapes of a measurement object in a noncontact manner at a plurality of measurement positions around the measurement object whose shape is to be measured and measuring the overall 3D shape of the measurement object based on these measurement results. The following patent literatures are, for example, known to disclose a technique of measuring the 3D shape of a shape measurement object.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2001-201325 discloses a technique of synthesizing a plurality of partial images for the purpose of obtaining a clear two-dimensional (hereinafter, referred to as "2D") image having the focus adjusted to the entire object to be observed (micro-object). Here, the plurality of partial images are obtained by performing an operation of specifying a part within the depth of focus of the object to be observed from interference fringes of a 2D interferometer, extracting the image of this part and storing this image in a memory a plurality of times.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. H07-160893 discloses a technique of obtaining 3D information by successively obtaining edge images of an object from time-series images picked up by photographing the same object by a camera from different viewpoints, and estimating a moved amount of the camera this time based on the 3D information of the object restored up to the last time and the edge images of the object at the present point in time.
In a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3501359, an image of an object is picked up a plurality of times while the focus position is cyclically moved. Then, the process of extracting focused pixels (in-focus pixels) from the respective images is performed for the last cycle, and the extracted in-focus image for the last cycle are synthesized. This synthesized image is displayed on a liquid crystal monitor.
Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. H06-58212 discloses a technique of picking up an image of a measurement object a multiple of times while changing an in-focus position, determining focused images for parts of the measurement object from a multitude of obtained images, and obtaining three-dimensional coordinates 3D coordinates of the respective parts.
In the conventional 3D shape measurement of the measurement object, an operator had to judge whether or not any unmeasured area exists on the measurement object outside the present measurement range. Further, if the operator judges the presence of the unmeasured area outside the present measurement range, it was difficult to properly set a destination of the measurement range (moving amount and moving direction) in order to perform a measuring operation at the next measurement position.
In order to avoid this, it can be thought to perform the measuring operation by setting a moving pitch of the measurement range beforehand and moving the measurement range at the set moving pitches within a specified area regardless of 3D shape of the measurement object. However, there are cases where the measurement range is moved and the measuring operation is performed despite the absence of the unmeasured area outside the present measurement range, thereby causing occurrences of unnecessary operations and prolonging the measurement. It should be noted that a technique of automatically determining the destination of the measurement range for the measuring operation at the next measurement position is disclosed in none of the above four patent literatures.

Three-dimensional shape measuring system


A concrete cutting saw is provided for the cutting of grooves in the surface of wet concrete. The concrete saw generally comprises a motor driven rotating cutting blade mounted on a support structure. The concrete saw is supported during cutting by wheels, and has a skid plate with a slot through which the rotating cutting blade passes to cut the concrete. The skid plate is movably attached to the concrete saw and resiliently urged against the concrete during cutting so that it remains in contact with the surface of the concrete surrounding the cutting blade during cutting. The skid plate is constrained into a bowed configuration so that it is substantially flat during cutting. A variable speed transmission is drivingly connected to the wheels to propel the saw across the concrete during cutting. Sensors detect the relative position of the skid plate and the cutting blade to generate an electric signal which cooperates with the variable speed transmission to slow down the saw as it encounters hard aggregate, and to speed up the saw as it encounters soft concrete.

This invention relates to devices for cutting grooves in concrete. More particularly, this invention relates to concrete groove cutters which travel along the surface of wet or green concrete and use a rotating cutting blade to cut a groove into the surface of the concrete.
Concrete, when poured, is normally viscous, and thus flows and spreads to fill the area it is poured into. Once poured, the concrete will begin to harden in a curing process, until it reaches its typical rock hard state. Between the time the concrete is poured and when the concrete hardens, the concrete will normally be worked or finished to ensure that the surface is smooth and even or has some other discrete surface finish and appearance.
Normally, grooves are cut in the concrete to aid in relieving stresses in the concrete which occur as the concrete shrinks during curing. If grooves are placed only in the surface of the concrete, the grooves provide a weakened plane in which the concrete can crack, thus providing a predicted location of cracks. If the grooves are not provided, the concrete will randomly crack.
Grooves are also often inserted into the concrete surface after it has hardened substantially. This is normally accomplished with large concrete cutting devices which use heavy saws with rotating abrasive blades, and which use water as a coolant to prevent the blade from burning up. These devices are typically very large and heavy, and use large diameter cutting blades varying from 10 to 24 inches in diameter. The resistance on the large blades is so great that the saw will cut a curved path. Sometimes the blade is angled slightly about a vertical axis to cause the saw to cut in a straighter line. Other saws cannot be used until the concrete has hardened substantially, otherwise the finish of the concrete will be marred, the water lubricant will wash the concrete away, and the cutting blade will spall, chip, tear, crack and ravel (hereinafter the term "ravel" or "ravelling" shall include ravelling, chipping, tearing, cracking and spalling) the concrete surface along the groove. The large water lubricated cutting machines which cut the concrete surface after it has substantially hardened often groove the surface after the concrete has experienced significant stresses and cracking. These large machines will also often ravel the surface adjacent the groove.
Several light weight concrete cutting machines have been developed to cut concrete while it is still curing. To reduce the possibility of marring the surface of the wet concrete, these concrete saws have typically been very light weight and use no water lubricant. As a result, they have sacrificed durability. Namely, these saws typically are not heavy duty enough to withstand the rigors of extended use for many hours a day, day after day, for extended periods of time. These saws have typically been of the size that can be hand held, and utilize small motors turning small cutting blades of 4 to 6 inches in diameter which wear quickly. Such saws are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,201.
Therefore there exists a need for a concrete cutting saw which can cut grooves without ravelling in concrete which has not substantially cured so as to incur cracking, and yet which is substantial enough to withstand the rigors of extended use.

Method and apparatus for cutting wet concrete


A button assembly comprising a panel having a hole and a button configured to extend through the hole. The assembly further includes an integral switch pad and gasket member, with the switch pad having a base and a flexible dome including a contact extending from the base. The gasket member is integrally connected to the switch pad at a transition line and includes an opening. The button is configured to be placed through the hole in the panel and the gasket member is configured to be repositioned relative to the switch pad along the transition line such that the opening in the gasket member is aligned with the hole in the panel and the button engages the gasket member. The flexible dome of the switch pad is configured to be aligned with the hole in the panel such that depression of the button collapses the dome of the switch pad.

Control assemblies using buttons can be used in a wide variety of applications. For example, buttons can be used in vehicles to control a radio, air conditioning or many other features. Furthermore, the control assemblies can typically be used in any application that has switches actuated by buttons.
Heretofore, control assemblies have included buttons that, when depressed, force depression of a flexible dome having a contact to force the contact into connection with at least one corresponding contact on a circuit board to close a circuit on the circuit board. However, when the button is released, the button can make a clacking type sound when the button moves back to its base position as the button engages the structure surrounding the button that keeps the button in position on the control assembly. Typically, gaskets have been placed either in the interface area between the button and the surrounding structure, on the button, or on the surrounding structure. However, it has been difficult to position the gaskets because the gaskets are small and flimsy due to the thinness of the gasket. Furthermore, the size of the gasket does not allow for an identifier like a component part number.
Accordingly, an apparatus is desired having the aforementioned advantages and solving and/or making improvements on the aforementioned disadvantages.

Integrated snap-back noise suppression switch


A manually driven spreader for particulate material has two rotatable plates. The dispersed material from the spreader has an even dispense pattern without unwanted skewing found in prior art spreaders. The spreader covers greater area compared with single plate spreaders. The spreader has features that allow an operator to adjust the ports of the container during operation and also blocking/unblocking the ports without having to let go of the grip of the handle used to push the spreader.

There are many known rotary spreaders. Examples on spreaders are described in EP1382236, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,769,302, 5,123,598 and 5,203,510.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,730 describes a rotary spreader for particulate material having a hopper for the particulate material and an impeller adapted to broadcast the material as it is discharged from the hopper. Multiple fin lengths are provided on the impeller to throw the particulate material in different radial distances aiming at providing better particulate distribution. However, the practical use of such a rotary spreader has shown that skewing of the broadcast pattern still exists. Such skewing is a problem in many situations.
U.S. patent application 20030443702 published as U.S. 2003192968 is hereby incorporated by reference and describes a spreader with a movable deflector. The spreader provides a control of pattern of dispensing material from a yard spreader. A remaining problem with the spreader is that skewing of the broadcast pattern still exists. The skewing increases with the angle of spread. A distribution of spread material distributed by a spreader similar to the spreader according to U.S. 20030443702 is shown in FIG. 1. The distribution was measured by use of cylindrically shaped cans standing on a line in the direction of movement of the spreader. The number of pieces of granulated material was counted for each can.
Spreaders according to the art may have one feature to stop the flow of material to a rotatable plate in the case the spreader stops, and second feature to control the amount of material dispersed from the hopper to the rotatable plate.
The inventors have found that for many applications the existing art is not sufficient when it comes provide spreaders with a large spread area and that at the same time avoids skewing of the broadcast pattern.


An in-circuit emulation system with a programming function includes a system power supply, a DC/DC converter, a processing device, a programmer socket and a connector. The system power supply produces a first DC voltage. The DC/DC converter converts the first DC voltage into a second DC voltage and a third DC voltage. The processing device has a processor and a parallel/serial converter. For executing a programming function, the processor uses the parallel/serial converter to convert programming codes into corresponding programming signals. The programmer socket receives the programming signals, the second DC voltage and the third DC voltage to accordingly execute a programming function on an IC plugged in the socket. The connector has one end connected to the processing device and the other end connected to a target board to thereby drive and receive electrical signals of the target board on performing an in-circuit emulation.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the technical field of integrated circuit (IC) programming and in-circuit emulation (ICE) and, more particularly, to an in-circuit emulation with a programming function.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional universal device programmer. As shown in FIG. 1, the programmer includes a control logic 105, a memory 110, a transmission interface 115, a peripheral input and output interface 120, a microprocessor 125, a programmer socket 130, a system power supply 135, and a DC/DC converter 140. When an IC 160 is to be programmed, the IC 160 is placed in the programmer socket 130, and a programming code is downloaded from a personal computer 150 to the microprocessor 125 via the transmission interface 115 for being stored in the memory 110. Subsequently, the microprocessor 125 produces a special control signal based on the programming code and executes a programming function on the IC 160 via the programmer socket 130.
The typical programmer uses a general-purpose input-output (GPIO) pin of the microprocessor 125 to simulate and generate timing of control signals. Such a configuration requires the external devices to support and expand the programming capacity so as to increase the hardware cost. In addition, the corresponding firmware design is complicated, and the management and maintenance take much time. Further, such a complicated design has a low integration and cannot be used with the development tools of the microprocessor 125. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved in-circuit emulation system to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.

In-circuit emulation system with a programming function


A transmission for a vehicle. The transmission includes a housing and a valve block arranged in the housing, and a parking lock mechanism. The parking lock mechanism has a wheel rotationally locked to a shaft of the transmission, a pawl and a hydraulic actuator arranged for engagement of the wheel and the pawl for locking the shaft. The actuator is hydraulically connected to the valve block such that the actuator is supplied by hydraulic fluid from the valve block.

Vehicle transmissions usually have parking lock mechanisms with an actuation linkage system for engagement of a ratchet wheel and a pawl, for locking a shaft of the transmission.
Such a parking lock mechanism requires small tolerances of several components and the assembling process is relatively complicated. Further, the packing space in the transmission is often very limited.

NINGBO GEELY AUTOMOBILE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CO.


A turbomachine comprises an inter-flow compartment extending radially between first and second intermediate walls, gas bypass ducts passing through the second intermediate wall and communicating with evacuation outlets opening up into a secondary gas flow; an oil reservoir arranged in the inter-flow compartment, and a surface air-oil heat exchanger communicating with the oil reservoir for fluid circulation. Circumferentially in relation to the inter-flow compartment, the surface air-oil heat exchanger extends at least partially between the evacuation outlets which pass through the first intermediate wall.

Commercial aircraft are generally equipped with turbofan engines, which consist of a gas turbine driving a ducted fan, which is usually placed upstream of the engine. This is the case of the engine to which the invention may be applied. The mass of air sucked in by the engine is divided into a primary flow, which flows into the gas turbine or primary body, and a secondary flow, which is derived from the fan, the two flows being concentric. The primary flow, or hot flow, comes out of the fan and passes into the primary body wherein it is compressed again, heated in a combustion chamber, guided toward successive turbine stages and ejected into a primary gas flow. The secondary flow, or cold flow, is compressed by the ducted fan stage and then ejected directly without having been heated. The separation of the air mass sucked in into two flows takes place downstream of the fan, at the level of an inter-flow case that wraps around the primary flow and guides the secondary flow into a cold flow, through its external part. The primary flow is typically compressed by a first, so-called low-pressure (LP) or booster, compressor, which is driven by the same LP shaft as the fan, then in a second, so-called high-pressure (HP) compressor, driven by an HP shaft, prior to entering the combustion chamber. The two LP and HP shafts are supported by bearings, located at the front and rear of the engine, which are themselves carried by structural parts called intermediate case at the front and exhaust case at the rear.
Moreover, existing engines, such as those to which the invention may be applied, are generally equipped with devices, called discharge valves or variable bleed valves (VBVs), which allow for part of the primary flow, at the outlet of the LP compressor, to be returned into the cold flow channel wherein it blends with the secondary flow. By lowering the pressure downstream of the LP compressor, the effect of this discharge is to lower the operating point thereof and to avoid positive pumping effects. It is achieved by openings in the radially outer wall of the primary flow, between the HP and LP compressors, and by the passage of gas taken from a duct which brings it to an outlet grid placed on the radially inner wall of the secondary flow, downstream of the outlet guide vanes (OGVs) placed in the secondary flow. The openings may be doors that open, like a scooper, by rotating about an axis oriented tangentially to one of the walls of the inter-flow case or, more recently, a slot or a grid which extends circumferentially and is closed by a ring called "guillotine ring" that moves axially.
Thus, a gas turbine engine having an axis and comprising the following is known:                a primary gas flow and a secondary gas flow located around the primary gas flow,        a first intermediate wall to radially inwardly delimit the secondary gas flow, a duct opening up into the secondary gas flow passing through the first intermediate wall        a second intermediate wall to radially outwardly delimit the primary gas flow,        an inter-flow compartment extending radially between the first and second intermediate walls, air bypass ducts of the primary gas flow passing through the second intermediate wall and into the inter-flow compartment and opening up into the secondary gas flow, through the first intermediate wall, via several evacuation outlets,
Moreover, providing at least one oil reservoir and means for cooling this oil, which heats in contact with the parts and components to be lubricated, is of course known on such an engine. And it has already been proposed to include an oil reservoir in the inter-flow compartment and to combine at least one surface air-cooled oil cooler (SACOC) which communicates with the oil reservoir for fluid circulation.
Arranging an annular oil reservoir in the inter-flow compartment, connected to surface air-oil heat exchangers formed by arms that extend radially into the secondary gas flow from the inter-flow compartment, is also known, for example, from patent document GB1358076A. The heat exchange surface is satisfactory, but the radial arms involve significant overall mass and aerodynamic drag.
And, EP 2870341 discloses a gas turbine engine comprising a fan case located radially outwardly of a core compartment. A compressor section is located within an engine core compartment and includes mount flanges. An oil reservoir is mounted on at least one of the fan housing and mount flanges. The oil reservoir has a cooling structure built into an outer surface so that the oil reservoir is flushed with cooling air.
For all intents and purposes, it should be noted that any "radial" direction or orientation in the present application is to be considered with respect to the aforementioned axis of the turbomachine.

Turbomachine comprising a surface air-oil heat exchanger built into an inter-flow compartment


A tray which is provided so as to be detachable from a support unit of an ink jet textile printing apparatus, and includes a main body having a setting surface on which a material to be printed is set; a positioning pin which is provided in a protruding manner on the mounting surface on the opposite side to the setting surface of the main body, and is used when mounting the main body on the support unit; and a leg portion which is provided in a protruding manner on the mounting surface of the main body, and has a protruding dimension which is longer than the positioning pin.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a tray which is used when setting a fabric, that is, a material to be printed, an ink jet textile printing apparatus including the tray, and a method of manufacturing printed matter.
2. Related Art
In the related art, an ink jet textile printing apparatus has been developed and widely used, which prints a desired image by ejecting ink of each color from an ink ejecting head towards the surface of a material to be printed on, such as a T-shirt or a like fabric.
When placing a target material (on which printing is performed) with respect to such an ink jet textile printing apparatus, a tray is used. The target material is supported by a transporting unit which can perform transporting of the target material toward a textile printing execution region in which an ink ejecting head is present.
In the tray, a long shaft fixed positioning portion is provided with respect to a support unit of the transporting unit so as to protrude to the side of the support unit as disclosed in JP-A-2004-284305 which is described below.
However, as described above, when a long shaft fixed positioning portion is provided in the tray, it is difficult to horizontally place the tray because the tray is disturbed by the long shaft portion even when attempting to place the tray on a flat table by detaching the tray from the support unit since the long shaft portion is in the way.
In addition, it is actually difficult to perform setting work even when trying to set a fabric in the tray which is placed on the table in such an unstable inclined posture. Accordingly, in the related art, it took a long time to set the fabric, since a setting work of resetting a new fabric each time the printing finishes in a state in which the tray is fixed to the support unit has been performed in a setting area of the ink jet textile printing apparatus.

Tray, ink jet textile printing apparatus, storing method of tray, and manufacturing method of printed matter


A fitting for a wire rope with a diameter, the fitting including a stiff support and being adapted to hold and to attach the wire rope to the stiff support, the fitting further comprising an elongated flexible enclosure adapted to surround the wire rope, the flexible enclosure having a length more than 2 times longer than the diameter.

This invention relates to fittings for attaching a metallic wire rope or structural strand end (both hereinafter referred to as a wire rope) to a support.
It is well known to provide a socket end fitting which is permanently anchored to the end of the rope by the latter being received within a through bore of the fitting with the strands of the rope preferably being spread within a divergent part of said bore, the end being secured therein by running molten solder spelter into the bore through the end remote from the main part of the rope, or by clamping the end of the wire rope within the fitting.
On mobile lifting and excavating equipment, one such type of equipment being a dragline, the ropes that extend between the A-frame and the mast and between the mast and the boom are usually attached to the structures (A-frame, mast and boom) by such a socket fitting. The constant change in the tension in the strands results in the wire rope oscillating up and down (and sideways to an extent). Since the socket fitting is so much heavier per unit length and stiffer than the wire rope, the wire rope will bend at the point where it exits the socket fitting. This will eventually lead to wire breakage and, ultimately, rope failure. To reduce the amount of wire breakage where the rope exits the socket fitting, the rope manufacturers have come up with a damper design which basically is a cylindrical piece of steel about several rope diameters in length that surrounds the wire rope and that is bolted to a flange on the socket fitting. In between the damper and the socket fitting is a non-metallic material that is like a thick soft gasket. The wire rope extends through the damper and the gasket before it enters the fitting. In theory, the gasket will compress to 'damp' the motion of the strands in the wire rope. This however has not been very successful in extending the useful life of the rope an appreciable amount.


A method for producing epoxyalkane includes the step of separating, in a separation column, a stream containing epoxyalkane, extractant, and diol. The separation column operates under conditions so as to enable the extractant and the diol to form an azeotrope, and a stream containing extractant and binary azeotrope is extracted from the side-draw of the separation column to liquid-liquid separation. The method can be used for the industrial production of epoxyalkane.

1,2-butylene oxide (BO) is a homologue with ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO), and its molecular formula is C4H8O (CAS number:106-88-7). It is a substance having a three-membered ring structure and active chemical properties, and is mainly used as intermediates for polyether polyol monomers and other synthetic materials. 1,2-butylene oxide can also be used for producing foam plastics, synthetic rubbers, non-ionic surfactants and so on. It can replace acetone as a diluent for nitro paint, and may be further applied as a standard substance for chromatographic analysis.
As an epoxyalkane, the BO has a larger number of —CH2— functional groups in the molecular structure than EO and PO. When the BO is applied as a monomer for synthesizing a polyether polyol, its product exhibits excellent hydrophobic properties and may be especially suitable for water-repellent coating on the outer surface of some buildings and equipment with stringent requirements. In addition, the polyurethane materials synthesized by copolymerizing BO applied as monomers have excellent cold resistance, and are especially suitable for severe cold areas.
The epoxyalkane products have strict requirements on the concentrations of water, aldehydes and isomers. Water will affect the hydroxyl value and foaming properties of polymers. Aldehydes will cause the product to emit odors and affect people's health. The isomers are end-capping reagent for polymerized long-chains. Therefore, the national standards and enterprise standards in China impose strict requirements on the product purity.
According to the BASF enterprise standards, the quality and purity requirements of the qualified product of 1,2-butylene oxide are as follows: the content of BO ≥99.5%, the content of BO isomers ≤0.2%, the content of total aldehydes ≤0.05%, and the content of water ≤0.03%.
The quality and purity requirements of the superior product of 1,2-butylene oxide are as follows: the content of BO ≥99.9%, the content of BO isomers ≤0.1%, the content of total aldehydes ≤0.015%, and the content of water ≤0.005%.
The crude epoxyalkane produced by the reaction usually contains impurities such as water, methanol, acetone and methyl formate; because these impurities form an azeotrope with the epoxyalkane or the relative volatility is close to 1, it is difficult to reach the epoxyalkane product standards for BO purity through the ordinary distillation process. The purification of epoxyalkanes generally uses C7-C20 straight and branched chain hydrocarbons and/or diols as the extractant. For economic reasons, the purification process of epoxyalkanes uses a mixture of C8 straight and branched chain alkanes as the extractant. An addition of the extractant makes the relative volatility of acetaldehyde, water, methanol and methyl formate in regard to epoxyalkane to become larger, the acetaldehyde, water, methanol, and methyl formate are removed from the top of the column, and the extractant is recycled.
The butylene epoxidation products are primarly BO and its isomers such as 1,4-butylene oxide, 2,3-butylene oxide and epoxy iso-butane. Due to the presence of water, BO and its isomers will inevitably be hydrolyzed during the refining process of butylene oxide to generate 1,2-butanediol and the corresponding diol, and the hydrolysis reaction continues over time.
If the diols in the extractant is not separated and removed, it will persistently accumulate and cause a excessively high diol content in the circulating extractant, thus the extraction efficiency of the extractant will decrease and even losing the extraction ability. However, diols are mostly soluble in water and organic solvents such as butylene oxide. The diol can be removed by water washing in the liquid-liquid phase separation process, but the removal efficiency is low, and the removal process also exacerbates hydrolysis of the butylene oxide, thereby causing loss of the BO product.
Moreover, given that the boiling point of the diol is higher than the extractant C8 hydrocarbons, the diol is accumulated and circulated simultaneously with the extractant when the extractant is recycled in the system, thereby reducing the extraction efficiency of the extractant. As a result, it is necessary to reduce concentration of diol in the extractant.
In addition, 1,2-butylene oxide is hydrolyzed to form 1,2-butanediol, and the solubility of 1,2-butanediol in water is less than BO.
1,2-butene oxide reacts with methanol to form 1-butanediol monomethyl ether (ether bond is formed on the carbon atom of the terminal epoxy group), 2-butanediol monomethyl ether (ether bond is formed on the carbon atom of the 2-position epoxy group). In addition, both 1-butanediol monomethyl ether and 2-butanediol monomethyl ether are slightly soluble in water.
1,2-butene oxide may subject to polymerization reaction to form polymers, such as dimeric butylene oxide and polybutylene oxide.
1,2-butene oxide is reacted with active hydrogen-containing compounds such as water, dihydric alcohol or polyhydric alcohol to form poly-1,2-butanediol ether and derivatives thereof. The poly-1,2-butanediol ether and derivatives thereof are non-volatile viscous liquids, colorless to brown, and mostly soluble in ketones, alcohols, esters, hydrocarbons and halogenated hydrocarbons; the poly-1,2-butanediol ether and derivatives thereof having lower molecular weight are soluble in water, the water solubility decreases along with an increased molecular weight and the raised temperature.
Most of the above-mentioned reaction by-products and derivatives are hardly soluble in water and cannot be removed by water washing. When an extractive distillation method is used for refining the BO, the by-products and derivatives will accumulate in the extractant, thereby reducing the extraction efficiency of the extractant. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the concentration of the by-products and derivatives in the extractant.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,794 discloses the use of hydrocarbons having 7-9 carbon atoms, preferably N-octane as the extractant for a single extractive rectification to separate water, methanol, acetone, methyl formate and other impurities contained in the crude BO solution. The organic layer layered by the phase separator at the top of the extractive distillation column is delivered to the rectification column for distillation and separation of methanol and acetone, etc.; the column kettle stream from the extractive distillation column is sent to the extractive rectification column; a part of the column kettle liquid from the extractive rectification column is discharged. In this method, the column kettle liquid containing the extractant and 1,2-butanediol is discharged to alleviate its accumulation in the extractant. Due to the low content of 1,2-butanediol in the discharge stream of the column kettle, a large amount of extractant must be discharged in order to ensure purity of the extractant, thus a large amount of extractant will be lost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,732 discloses a method for purifying butylene oxide by using an anion exchange resin and an adsorbent. The anion exchange resin removes acid and dehydrogen impurities while the adsorbent removes water from the impurities of butylene oxide. Depending upon the impurity level, the purification steps can be conducted singularly or in combination, and the process can proceed either batchwise in a reactor or continuously in a column. The ion exchange resin of the choice is a sulfonated macroreticular anion exchange resin and the adsorbent of choice is a molecular sieve. The method is costly, the adsorption and desorption process is also complicated, and the processing capacity is not large.
In summary, the current status of the prior art is that there still requires a method for producing epoxyalkane with low loss and high purity of extractant, high yield of epoxyalkane and low energy consumption.

Method and system for producing epoxyalkane

SHANGHAI RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF PETROCHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY SINOPEC


A connector apparatus is disclosed for providing interconnection between two IC packs and a printed circuit board. A header connector is mounted on the printed circuit board and into which the two IC packs are inserted and ejected. Two independent ejector units each have a separate frame to be attached to the header connector and a separate actuator for moving a respective one of the IC packs from its inserted position to its ejected position. Complementary interengaging latches are provided between the separate frames for holding the ejector units in juxtaposition for conjoint attachment to the header connector.

A conventional connector apparatus for an IC pack or memory card includes a generally U-shaped frame having a pair of guide grooves inside a pair of side frame portions, with a connector section joining or extending between the side frame portions. A planar IC pack is inserted into the apparatus within the side guide grooves. A transverse array of socket terminals at an edge of the IC pack electrically connect an associated array of pin terminals on the connector section.
Such connector apparatus often are provided as header connectors used for interconnecting the semiconductor circuit of the IC pack to an external circuit such as a main electronic unit. The header connector may be used with an IC pack or memory card for removably coupling the IC pack to a printed circuit board. The IC pack is inserted into the header connector and is extracted therefrom as needed. The extraction force of the IC pack, i.e. the force between the respective terminal pins on the header connector and the respective socket terminals of the IC pack, is relatively high due to the tight fit required to obtain a good electrical interconnection between the terminals. These terminals typically are disposed at a high density which further increases the extraction forces. Often, when an IC pack is to be extracted from a header connector, the card is grasped by a user and simply pulled out.
Consequently, a variety of ejecting mechanisms have been incorporated in various connector apparatus, such as the header connectors, for facilitating ejecting an IC pack from a header connector. Such ejecting mechanisms have been incorporated as integral or unitary devices fabricated as part of the connector apparatus or header connector, itself. On the other hand, separate ejecting mechanisms have been provided for assembly to the header connector, such as after the header connector has been coupled to a printed circuit board.
Still further, connector apparatus have been provided for interconnection between a plurality of IC packs and a main electronic unit, such as through a printed circuit board or other circuit element. In essence, one such connector apparatus includes a dual header connector for mounting on a printed circuit board and into which a pair of IC packs are inserted and ejected. The IC packs are inserted in a generally parallel or stacked condition. An example of such a dual connector apparatus is shown in U.S. Patent No. Des. 320,003 to Komatsu, dated Sep. 17, 1991. That patent shows a dual connector apparatus wherein a pair of ejecting mechanisms are formed integral with the header connector itself for independently ejecting the two IC packs from the apparatus.
There are various problems with connector apparatus designed to accommodate a plurality of stacked IC packs, such as the dual header connector described above. Specifically, when the plural ejecting mechanisms are integral portions of the dual header connector apparatus itself, all of the moving parts of the ejecting mechanisms are subjected to the harsh processing parameters of the soldering process when the Connector apparatus is coupled to a printed circuit board. Therefore, the various moving components of the ejecting mechanisms must be fabricated of expensive material which can withstand these harsh processing parameters. In addition, the use of such unitary structures, i.e. the ejecting mechanism integral with the header connector apparatus, makes it very expensive to accommodate IC packs of different thicknesses. In other words, the entire combined assembly of the header connector portion and the ejecting mechanism portion must be fabricated for a particular IC pack thickness.
It might be suggested to provide such dual connector apparatus with separate or independent ejecting mechanisms for the respective IC packs. However, such a multi-component connector apparatus is difficult to assemble and handle versus the unitary construction of connector apparatus as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. Des. 320,003 patent.
This invention is directed to solving the various problems outlined above by providing a connector apparatus for accommodating a plurality of IC packs, with separate ejecting mechanisms for each pack independent of the header connector, and with latch means for interconnecting the ejecting mechanisms to facilitate handling thereof and assembly into the connector apparatus.


A closable and sealable environmental tank is supported and protected by a frame and has at least four openings, each opening subject to closure by means of screw thread secured elements. One port is a manway, with a removable closure. A second port is arranged to receive a top service adapter assembly having a connector nipple, a valve, and a standpipe or a flow port adapter for bottom discharge service. The third port is adapted to receive top discharge pressurization and pressure control assembly, or a safety blow down adapter for bottom discharge service. The fourth port is on the bottom of the tank and is adapted to receive a drain port adapter assembly, for bottom discharge service comprising at least a delivery tube, a control valve, and a connector nipple, or to receive a blind flange closure for top discharge service.

The tendency for industrial by-products and wastes to contaminate the environment is well known. Petroleum related industrial activities, well drilling and well servicing activities especially, can rapidly degrade the environment. Handling, storage, and transport of such materials is now regulated in almost every part of the world involved. Special tanks are required in the U.S., mostly by the U.S. Department of Transportation. When offshore activities are involved, the U.S. Coast Guard participates in regulatory processes.
Tanks that may be transferred between vessels and between vessels and shore have protective framework that provides lifting, handling, stackability, and barrier functions.
The tanks themselves have to be closable to the extent that they can hold pressure and will not spill if capsized. The closures must provide clean out accessibility, fill and dump, and pressurizing, or pressure control, ducts and valves.


The present invention provides a driving method for a liquid-crystal-display (LCD) which is driven by a plurality of switching transistors positioned in a matrix. The drain of each switching transistor couples to a first scanning signal via a storage capacitor and to a pixel electrode. The gate and the source of each switching transistor respectively couples to a second scanning signal and a video signal. One step of the driving method is shifting the video signal to have a dc voltage of a first predetermined voltage. Another step of the driving method is adding a second predetermined voltage to the pixel electrode after the second scanning signal changes the state of the switching transistor from turned-on to turn-off

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a driving method for a liquid-crystal-display (LCD), and more particularly, to a driving method utilizing a gate expiatory voltage and a capacitor coupling effect to drive the LCD by a thin-film-transistor (TFT) active matrix. The present invention can simplify gate pulse waveforms generated by a gate driving circuit, lessen the output voltage range generated by a video signal driving circuit and significantly reduce the difficulty and cost for circuit design.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a driving circuit with a TFT active matrix disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,847. The driving circuit with a TFT active matrix comprises a TFT matrix 10, a scanning channel driving circuit 11, a video channel driving circuit 12, and a constant voltage generating circuit 13. Each TFT in the TFT matrix 10 connects to a storage capacitor Cs to drive a relative LCD cell (shown as a loading capacitor Clc). The scanning channel driving circuit 11 generates gate controlling signals Vg(N), Vg(Nxe2x88x921) . . . to drive the gates of the connected TFTs via scanning channels 11a, 11b. . . The video channel driving circuit 12 generates and sends video signals to the LCD cells via video signal channels 12a, 12b. . . and the TFTs. The constant voltage generating circuit 13 generates a constant voltage Vt as a reference voltage for all LCD cell Clc.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagram of the area 10xe2x80x2 in FIG. 1. In this prior art, the TFT is positioned at the intersection of the video signal channel 12b and the scanning channel 11b. Three parasitic capacitors of Cgd, Csd and Cgs are formed between gate/drain, source/drain and gate/source respectively. The gate of the TFT connects to a gate controlling signal Vg(N) for scanning, the source of the TFT connects to a video signal Vsig, and the drain of the TFT, a pixel electrode of a LCD cell, connects to a terminal of a storage capacitor Cs and a terminal of a LCD cell. The other terminal of the storage capacitor Cs connects to a preceding gate controlling signal Vg(Nxe2x88x921) in a preceding (first) scanning channel. The other terminal of the LCD cell Clc connects to a reference voltage Vt generated by the constant voltage generating circuit 13.
Please refer to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B. FIG. 3A is a diagram of signal waveforms of the driving circuit in FIG. 1 operated at odd field (negative polarity period). FIG. 3B is a diagram of signal waveforms of the driving circuit in FIG. 1 operated at even field (positive polarity period).
As shown in FIG. 3A, while the driving circuit is operated at odd field, or the LCD cell is driven at negative polarity, the gate controlling signal Vg(N) is changed from a low voltage Vgl to a high voltage Vgh and is held for a time period Ts1 after the polarity of the video signal Vsig is changed from positive to negative. Then the gate controlling signal Vg(N) will be lowered to a negative expiatory voltage Ve(xe2x88x92) and be held for a time period Ts2. After the gate controlling signal Vg(N) is lowered to the negative expiatory voltage Ve(xe2x88x92), a gate controlling signal Vg(N+1) at a succeeding scanning channel is changed from a low voltage Vgl to a high voltage Vgh and is held for a time period Ts1. Then the gate controlling signal Vg(N+1) will be lowered to a positive expiatory voltage Ve(+) and be held for a time period Ts2. The time period Ts2 is longer than the time period Ts1 in this example. After the time period Ts2 of holding the voltage, the gate controlling signal Vg(N) in a scanning channel will be returned to the low voltage Vgl from the negative expiatory voltage Ve(xe2x88x92), and the gate controlling signal Vg(N+1) in a succeeding scanning channel will be returned to the low voltage Vgl from the positive expiatory voltage Ve(+).
Similarly, as shown in FIG. 3B, while the driving circuit is operated at even field, or the LCD cell is driven at positive polarity, the gate controlling signal Vg(N) is changed from a low voltage Vgl to a high voltage Vgh and is held for a time period Ts1 after the polarity of the video signal Vsig is changed from negative to positive. Then the gate controlling signal Vg(N) will be lowered to a positive expiatory voltage Ve(+) and be held for a time period Ts2. After the gate controlling signal Vg(N) is lowered to the positive expiatory voltage Ve(+), a gate controlling signal Vg(N+1) at a succeeding scanning channel is changed from the low voltage Vgl to the high voltage Vgh and is held for a time period Ts1. Then the gate controlling signal Vg(N+1) will be lowered to the negative expiatory voltage Ve(xe2x88x92) and be held for a time period Ts2. The time period Ts2 is longer than the time period Ts1 in this example, that is, the gate controlling signal Vg(N+1) accomplishes its scanning while the gate controlling signal Vg(N) is at the positive expiatory voltage Ve(+). After the time period Ts2, the gate controlling signal Vg(N) in a scanning channel will be returned to the voltage Vgl from the positive expiatory voltage Ve(+), and the gate controlling signal Vg(N+1) in a succeeding scanning channel will be returned to the voltage Vgl from the negative expiatory voltage Ve(xe2x88x92).
While the reference voltage Vt is constant, the driving method in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B utilizes a 4-level gate signal combined with a C-coupled effect induced by parasitic capacitors and the storage capacitor to keep the voltage of the pixel electrode A of a LCD cell in the voltage range for positive driving or negative driving.
FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B show diagrams of signal waveforms of the driving circuit in FIG. 1. Although the output voltage range of the video signal Vsig can be constricted by the method utilizing a 4-level gate signal, the waveforms of the gate controlling signal Vg(N) and Vg(N+1) are very complicated.
FIG. 6 is a diagram of signal waveforms utilizing a 3-level gate signal of the driving circuit in FIG. 1. The waveforms of this driving method with 3-level gate signals are less complicated. However, this method is achieved by the enlargement of the output voltage range of the video signal Vsig. Thus, the cost of the video signal driving circuit 12 is higher.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a driving method for a liquid crystal display (LCD). The present invention utilizes the coupling effect of the parasitic capacitors and the storage capacitor to keep the voltage of the pixel electrode A of a LCD cell in the voltage range of positive driving or negative driving. Further, the waveforms of the gate controlling signals are simplified and the output voltage range of the video signal Vsig is constricted.
In the present invention, the LCD is driven by a plurality of switching transistors, such as TFTs, positioned in a matrix. Each switching transistor comprises a drain, a gate and a source. The drain of each switching transistor couples to a first scanning signal via a storage capacitor and to a pixel electrode. The gate and the source of each switching transistor respectively couple to a second scanning signal and a video signal. One step of the driving method of the present invention is shifting the video signal to have a dc voltage of a first predetermined voltage. Another step is adding a second predetermined voltage to the pixel electrode after the second scanning signal changes the state of the switching transistor from turned-on to turn-off.
The first predetermined voltage is equal to
xe2x88x92V*+[Cgd/Ct]xc3x97Vg.
V* is the central driving voltage of the LCD. Cgd is a gate-to-drain parasitic capacitance formed between the gate and the drain of each TFT. Ct comprising Cgd is a totally effective capacitance at the pixel electrode. Vg is the voltage pulse height at the second scanning signals.
The second predetermined voltage is equal to 2xc3x97V*. A further equation exists between the second predetermined voltage and the capacitors; that is
Vge(xe2x88x92)xc3x97Cs/Ct=2xc3x97V*.
Vge(xe2x88x92) is a negative gate expiatory voltage. Cs is the capacitance of the storage capacitor. Ct is a totally effective capacitance at the-pixel electrode. V* is the central driving voltage of the LCD.
Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with respect to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements.

Driving method for a liquid-crystal-display


A method and system of individually controlling positive airway pressure of a patient's nares. Some exemplary embodiments may be a method comprising applying therapeutic gas pressure within a first naris of a patient during respiration, and applying therapeutic gas pressure within a second naris of the patient during the respiration. The therapeutic gas pressures applied to each naris are different.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to positive airway pressure devices and methods, for example continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices. More particularly, embodiments of the invention are directed to positive airway pressure devices and methods where the flow and/or pressure through each nostril or naris and the patient's mouth may be individually controlled.
2. Background of the Invention
Sleep disordered breathing is common throughout the population. Some sleep disorders may be attributable to disorders of the respiratory tract. Sleep apnea may be a disorder where a person temporarily stops breathing during sleep. A hypopnea may be a period of time where a person's breathing becomes abnormally slow or shallow. In some cases, a hypopnea may precede an apnea event.
Although hypopneas and apneas may have multiple causes, one trigger for these type events may be full or partial blockages in the respiratory tract. In particular, in some patients the larynx may collapse due to forces of gravity and/or due to forces associated with lower pressure in the larynx than outside the body. A collapse of the pharynx, larynx, upper airway or other soft tissue in the respiratory tract may thus cause a full or partial blockage, which may lead to a hypopnea or apnea event.
One method to counter collapse of the larynx may be the application of positive airway pressure, possibly by using a CPAP machine. This may be accomplished in the related art by placing a mask over at least the patient's nose, and providing within the mask a pressure communicated to the pharynx, larynx, or upper airway. The pressure within the pharynx, larynx, or upper airway may be greater than the pressure outside the body, thus splinting the airway open.
CPAP machines are concerned only with the pressure of the gas supplied at the nostrils of the patient. However, gases flowing from a region of high pressure to a region of low pressure will take the path of least resistance. Thus, breathable gases provided to a patient in the related art may flow only or predominantly through an open nostril or naris. Forcing or allowing all the gas flow to move through a single naris may cause patient discomfort, both because of the volume of the flow and because of the drying effects experienced by the naris through which the gas moves. The flow problem may be exacerbated by a patient attempting to mouth breath while using a CPAP machine.

Method and system of individually controlling airway pressure of a patient's nares


Disclosed are a fluid absorber, a method for preparing a fluid absorber, and a method for absorbing fluid from the skin. The disclosed method for preparing a fluid absorber generally comprises the steps of selecting a starch and an enzyme for hydrolysis of the starch, determining a fluid absorption optimum hydrolysis level for the starch, and ezymatically hydrolyzing the starch to approximately the optimum level thus determined. The starch alternatively may be hydrolyzed with acid hydrolysis without the use of an enzyme catalyst. The disclosed method for absorbing fluid from the skin includes the step of applying a fluid absorbing effective amount of a fluid absorber thus prepared. Absorption properties of the fluid absorber of the invention are comparable to or exceed those of commercially available skin fluid absorbers, such as talc and unmodified corn starch.

Enzymes capable of hydrolyzing granular starch at temperatures below the starch gelatinization temperature are known in the art. For instance, it has long been known that alpha-amylases can hydrolyze granular starch, as disclosed in, for instance, Richert et al., Publication of the Carnegie Institution at Washington, No. 173, Part 1 (1913). More recently, other enzymes, such as glucoamylase enzymes, have also been found to hydrolyze granular starch below the starch gelatization temperature. It is believed that the presence of a starch-binding domain is essential for an enzyme to hydrolyze granular starch; numerous enzymes having such domains are known, as disclosed, for instance, in Walker, G. J. et al. Biochemical Journal, 86:452 (1963); Belshaw, N.J. et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1078:1117-20 (1991), and Svensson, B. et al., Eur. J. Biochem., 154:497-502 (1986). As is well known in the art, the term "enzyme hydrolysis" refers to enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis, and thus enzymes such as alpha-amylase can be regarded as "hydrolyzing" starch via a catalytic hydrolytic action.
As is also known in the art, when a granular starch is treated with an alpha amylase or a glucoamylase, the granular structure of the starch degrades, leaving behind a porous starch granule upon partial hydrolysis of the starch, or, if the enzymatic hydrolysis is allowed to continue, yielding a starch hydrolyzate or ultimately glucose or another lower order sugar. It is also recognized that the enzymatic attack on starch granules takes place by exo-corrosion in which the enzyme either erodes the entire surface of the granule or digests a channel from points on the surface towards the center of the granule. In the latter mode of attack, once the center is reached, the enzymatic attack proceeds outwardly from the center over a broader front. The internal structure of a porous starch granule that has been so modified is open and cavernous and can exhibit either a terraced or a step-shaped appearance.
When a glucoamylase enzyme is allowed to completely hydrolyze a starch granule, the resulting product typically is glucose. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,583,451; 3,922,198; 3,922,199; 4,612,284; and 4;618,579 disclose processes for converting granular starch to glucose by treating of the starch with glucoamylase or a mixture of glucoamylase with alpha-amylase. Other reaction products are possible; for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,201 discloses a process for the preparation of levulose-containing compositions from granular starch by treating the starch with alpha-amylase, glucoamylase, and glucose isomerase.
The prior art also has described the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch below the gelatinization temperature to produce starch hydrolyzes other than glucose. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,196 discloses a process for converting granular starch to a starch hydrolyzate having a DE (dextrose equivalent) between 40 and 55 and including a high percentage of disaccharides and trisaccharides. The process disclosed in this patent employs alpha-amylase, glucoamylase, beta-amylase and isoamylase. Another document, U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,509, discloses an enzymatically produced high maltose-maltotriose starch hydrolyzate having a DE of 40 to 55. This patent discloses a process in which alpha-amylase, alone or with a saccharifying enzyme such as glucoamylase or beta-amylase, is used to hydrolyze the starch. Methods for the production of other malto-oligosaccharides such as maltose and maltotetraose by treatment of starch with specific alpha-amylases have also been employed on an industrial scale.
The prior art also has provided applications for porous starches that are obtained by partial enzymatic digestion of the granular starch. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,082 discloses a starch matrix material comprising granular starch that is partially hydrolyzed with an alpha-amylase and/or a glucoamylase and treated chemically to modify the structural integrity and surface characteristics of the starch. The disclosed starches are said to be useful as adjuvants for antiperspirants and as bulking agents for foods and drinks. U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,177 discloses a compressible starch said to be useful as a binder for a tablet or capsule and which is said to be prepared by treating granular starch with an acid and/or with an alpha-amylase enzyme at a temperature below the gelatinization temperature of the starch. Yet another document, U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,950, discloses a method of using alpha amylase to prepare slightly decomposed starch granules having low viscosity. The starch granules are said to be useful as a raw material in the starch and sugar industry. U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,941 discloses a viscosifier that comprises an enzymatically hydrolyzed, ungelatinized granular starch with a dextrose equivalent of from about 5 to 60. Still another document, U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,826, discloses a modified starch prepared by the glucoamylase hydrolysis of a starch derivative that contains a hydrophobic group or both a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic group. The starches are said to be characterized by having a DE from 20 to 80, and are said to be useful as emulsifiers or an encapsulating agents. International Patent Publication WO 96/10586 discloses a method for preparing a fat substitute based on hydrolyzed granular starch. U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,486 discloses a powder preparation that comprises a porous starch grain carrier and a material carried within the pores of the carrier, the porous starch grain carrier having been prepared by partially hydrolyzing starch with raw starch digestive enzyme.
Other starches also have been used in dusting powder applications for many years, primarily to absorb more fluids from the skin. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,539 discloses compositions said to exhibit excellent moisture absorbency and comprising starch and a specific pregelatinized starch. Another document, EP 182,296, discloses a body dusting powder that comprises a porous starch granule which consists essentially of the residue remaining after about from 45% to 95% by weight of the granular starch has been solublized with an enzyme.
Skin fluids found on the skin surface typically comprise a complex mixture of sebum, lipids, sweat, and environmental or applied material. Because such fluids can provide nutrients and a moisture-rich environment for microorganism to proliferate, such fluids can cause body odors and even in some cases bacterial and fungal infections. These effects can be mitigated by applying a fluid-absorbing effective amount of a powdered starch composition as described in the prior art, or other known absorbents such as talc, cellulose derivatives, and so forth. The aforementioned starch-based compositions are said to control excess moisture, (i.e. the aqueous component of skin fluid), but are not said to control the oily secretions produced by sebaceous glands.
It is a general object of the invention to provide a method for preparing a fluid absorber that is effective in absorbing oil from the skin, and, more generally, that is effective in absorbing fluid from the skin. In other embodiments it is a general object to provide a fluid absorber.


A method for plating tin onto the surface of steel strip in an acidic electrolyte bath utilizing insoluble anodes is disclosed. Free acid in the bath is extracted from the bath and concentrated. Tin is dissolved in the concentrated extract and the extract is returned to the bath to replenish the tin in the bath.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrolytic plating and, more particularly, an improved method and electrolytic plating line for plating tin on metallic surfaces, such as steel strip, using insoluble anodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tin plating on steel strip using insoluble anodes is known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,580, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. This patent teaches a method for electrolytic tinning of steel strip in an electrolytic bath containing tin ions. The bath contains divalent tin ions which are combined with acid and some free acid, that is, acid not combined with tin. When tin plates out, the acid previously combined with tin becomes free. The concentration of tin ions in the bath is controlled by removing electrolyte solution from the bath and contacting the same with particulate tin in a fluidized bed reactor. The net result is to replenish the tin in the bath that has plated out and to take up the free acid that was formerly combined with tin before the tin was plated out. A high content of dissolved oxygen is maintained in the solution by providing additional oxygen to the solution fed into the reactor. Solution replenished with tin is returned to the bath.
However, a significant amount (5-15%) of the dissolved tin in this process becomes tetravalent tin and forms an insoluble oxide sludge. All percentages expressed herein are weight percentages unless otherwise noted. This is a very costly loss of tin. The balance of the tin is dissolved as divalent tin, which is the useful form in the plating process. The loss of tin, caused by the strong oxidizing condition generated by bubbling oxygen, is so serious that many tin plate manufacturers who wish to change to insoluble anodes are remaining with soluble anodes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tin plating method which avoids the disadvantage noted above.


Disclosed is a system that enables connection of a wide variety of sensors to a smart device and, with the aid of a suitable software application or application processor, allows the sensor acquired information to be displayed on the smart device. Two basic embodiments of the system of the invention are described—an external unit that is connected to the smart device via one of the existing ports and an internal unit that in some cases utilizes some of the existing components of the device.

Sensors are devices that transpose the events from the physical world into electrical signals suitable for further processing, which ultimately ends by providing useful information to the user. The conditioning and processing of the electrical signal from the sensor is a crucial part of obtaining the information provided by the sensor, since these signals can be quite small and can be easily corrupted due to today's environment with many sources of interference such as electronic devices, cars, and mobile phones. The analog or digital output of many different sensors can be voltage or current driven with different ranges, for example, from −500V to +500V, −10 Amps to +10 Amps and a wide range of frequencies from 0.1 Hz to several Ghz. With regard to complexity of the output electronics of the sensors, at one end of the scale there are sensors comprising an amplifier with a filter. At the other end there are sensors having a full signal conditioning front end, intermediate analog signal processing, an ADC, perhaps a microcontroller unit (MCU), and sometimes even more functionality.
Smart mobile communication devices are essentially small computers that most of the time are connected to the internet and are carried by consumers. They include, for example, commercially-available smartphones and mobile devices such as an iPOD®, MP4, tablets with Apple® iOS®, Microsoft® Windows® or Google® Android™ operating systems, devices with wireless communication capabilities such as WI-FI, LTE, 4G, 5G, or newer generation capabilities. For the sake of brevity, any existing smart mobile communication devices and any similar device that will be developed in the future devices will be referred to hereinafter cumulatively as a "smart device".
Smart devices are being developed constantly and new ways to make them useful are constantly being presented to users. One useful addition to these smart devices would be a way to connect external sensors to the device and then to make use of a downloaded or installed software application in the smart device or the sensor to display the output of the sensor on the screen of the smart device. However, since the range of readings for different sensors is significantly large, it is difficult to connect them directly to the smart device for reading or for providing the useful information.
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a simple setup that bridges the gap between an external sensor and a smart device.
Further purposes and advantages of this invention will appear as the description proceeds.

Complete system for connecting sensors to smart devices