Two or more image data memories receive an image address signal and a image data signal. When the image address signal indicates writing of an image data and writing address, an image data stored at the writing address is specified by the image address signal. When the image address signal indicates reading an image data and reading address, an image data is read out from the reading address specified by the image address signal to be output. When the image address signal indicates writing of an image data and writing address, a first control data memory stores a process control data at the writing address specified by the image address signal, and sequentially outputs stored process control data as a process control data output signal. When the image address signal indicates writing a data into one of the image data memories, a second control data memory outputs a stored process control data, and stores a process control data when the image address signal indicates writing a data into the first control data memory. An image processor processes image data in accordance with the process control data output signal, and outputs a processed image data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image data memory device useful in a computer system, and more particularly to an image data memory device comprising a plurality of image memories.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 6 shows a prior art image data memory device capable of storing image data together with process control data added to the respective data. Hereinafter, process control data are often referred to merely as "control data".
The image data memory device shown in FIG. 6 comprises two image data memories 62 and 63, and an image processor 64. In the image data memories 62 and 63, using an image data signal 6b, image data can be written to and read from the coordinates specified by an image address signal 6a output from a central processing unit 61. The image processor 64 receives image output signals 6c and 6d from the respective image data memories 62 and 63, and performs the processing dictated by a control data output signal 6e contained in the image output signal 6c, on the image data entered by way of the image output signals 6c and 6d. The processing result is output as a processed image signal 6f which is supplied to a suitable display apparatus (not shown) through a display controller 65. In this configuration, the image date and the control data associated with each pixel of the image data are stored in one of the image data memories 62 and 63 (in this example, in the image data memory 62).
When the image data memory 62 can store n-bit data for every pixel, m bits out of the n bits (m<n) are assigned for storing the control data, thus storing together the image data and control data. The m bits in the n-bit image output signal 6c are supplied as the control data output signal 6e to the image processor 64 to control the image processing. In the image data memory 62, as shown in FIG. 7, m bits out of the n bits of data that can be stored at one address are assigned to the control data. Therefore, when writing data to the image data memory 62, date created by combining the image data with the control data associated with the image data is written into the image data memory 62 by specifying the coordinates using the image address signal 6a.
FIG. 8 shows another prior art image data memory device. The image data memory device shown in FIG. 8 comprises two image data memories 82 and 83, a control data memory 84, and an image processor 85. In the image data memories 82 and 83, using an image data signal 8b, image data can be written to and read from the coordinates specified by an image address signal 8a supplied from a central processing unit 81. In the control data memory 84, using the image data signal 8b, a control data can be written to and read from the coordinates specified by the image address signal 8a supplied from the central processing unit 81. The image processor 85 receives image output signals 8c and 8d from the image data memories 82 and 83, and a control date output signal 8e from the control data memory 84. The image processor 85 performs the processing dictated by the control data output signal 8e on each pixel of image data entered by way of the image output signals 8c and 8d, and outputs the processing result as a processed image signal 8f which is supplied to a suitable display apparatus (not shown) through a display controller 86.
As shown in FIG. 9, the image data memories 82 and 83 and the control data memory 84 have independent address spaces. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the image data memories 82 and 83 store 32 bits per pixel and the control data memory 84 stores 2 bits per pixel. To write an image data and the associated control data, first the coordinates at which the image data is stored (i.e. one of the addresses assigned to the image data memory 82 or 83 (Oh-3fffffh or 4000OOh-7fffffh)) are specified using the image address signal 8a, and the image data supplied via the image data signal 8b is written to the specified coordinates. Thereafter, the corresponding coordinates (800000h-81ffffh) in the control data memory 84 are specified using the image address signal 8a, and the control data supplied via the image data signal 8b is written to the specified coordinates. Writing image data to the image data memories 82 and 83 and writing a control data to the control data memory 84 are thus performed sequentially and independently of each other.
Such prior art image data memory devices have drawbacks which will be described below.
In the image data memory device of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the image data memory 62 can store 8-bit data (256 colors) for each pixel (i.e., n=8). If two bits (providing four varieties) are needed for storing the control data for each pixel, two bits out of the eight bits must be assigned for storing the control data in the image data memory 62 (i.e., m=2), leaving six bits (64 colors) available for the image data for one pixel. Accordingly, the number of colors available for image display decreases. Furthermore, each time the need arises to write an image data into the image data memory 62 at the coordinates specified by the image address signal 6a, it is necessary to create the image data signal 6b by combining the image data and the control data, thus requiring extra processing. Moreover, when it is desired to read out or write only the control data, the image data, which is not the object of readout or writing, must be read out or written simultaneously with the control data. More specifically, when reading out, the data at the specified coordinates is read out from the image data memory 62, and the control data portion must be extracted from the read-out data, and when writing, first the image data is read out from the image data memory 62, and then the control data to be written is substituted into the control data portion of the read-out image data and the data thus rewritten is then put back into the image data memory 62. As described, even when reading out or writing only the control data, the image data must always be read out and the control data must be separated from or substituted into the image data, thus increasing the processing time.
In the image data memory device of FIG. 8, writing an image data into the image data memories 82 and writing the control date assigned to the image data are performed as described below. First, the image data entered via the image data signal 8b is written into the image data memory 82 at the coordinates specified by the image address signal 8a. Next, the control data entered via the image data signal 8b is written into the control data memory 84 at the same coordinates specified by the image address signal 8a. Thus, two writing processes, one to the image data memory 82 and one to the control data memory 84, are required for every writing of an image data. Therefore, the read/write software for an image data memory of this configuration becomes complicated since it must manage the coordinates in both the image data memories 82 and 83 and the control data memory 84, i.e., such software must perform the clipping of the drawing area or the like in processing.
When an image data and a control data corresponding thereto are moved within the image data memory device of FIG. 8, there arises the following problem. It is assumed that the image data memories 82 and 83 and the control data memory 84 stores image data and control data as shown in (a) of FIG. 10, respectively, and that, as a result of the process of the image processor in accordance with the control data stored in the rectangular area of the control data memory 84, the rectangular area of the image data memory 83 is displayed as shown by the reference numeral 104 in (a) of FIG. 10. Namely, the control data stored in the control data memory 84 indicates that in the rectangular area the image data stored in the image data memory 83 is to be displayed. When the rectangular area of the display 104 is to be moved, both the rectangular areas of the image data memory 83 and control data memory 84 are moved so that the image data moved in the image data memory 83 remain to be displayed after this moving process.
This moving process in the prior art will be described with reference to FIG. 10 in which numerals 101, 102, 103 and 104 respectively indicate the contents of the memories 82-84 and the display. First, the image data stored in the rectangular area of the image data memory 83 are moved. As a result of this movement, the contents of the memories 83 and 84 are changed as shown by reference numerals 102 and 103 in (b) of FIG. 10. As shown by numeral 104 in (b) of FIG. 10, the contents of the image date memory 83 come to disagree with those of the control data memory 84, resulting in that the image on the way of moving data appears on the display. Then, the control data stored in the rectangular area of the control data memory 84 are moved as shown in the block 103 of (c) of FIG. 10, and the display becomes as shown in the block 104 of (c) of FIG. 10 to indicate the image data in the rectangular area in the image data memory 83, thereby completing the movement of the image data and the change of the displayed position of the image data in the display. In this way, in the course of moving image data and control data corresponding thereto, the displayed contents disagree with the contents of the control data memory 84.

Combined image and control data image memory device


A temperature controlled blanket and a temperature controlled bedding system have provision of both recirculating temperature controlled fluid and temperature controlled gas to enhance performance for convectively heating or cooling a patient. Counter flow or co-flow heat exchanging principles between the temperature controlled liquid and the temperature controlled gas achieves temperature uniformity across different sections of the blanket and the bedding system. Drapes in the temperature controlled bedding system provide a gas envelope around a person using the bedding system. In a further embodiment of the bedding system, the air portion of the bedding system is provided for use with a patient bed which supplies the fluid portion of the overall bedding system. In a further embodiment of the bedding system, the fluid portion of the bedding system is provided for use with a patient bed which supplies the air portion of the overall bedding system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to temperature controlled blankets and temperature controlled bedding assemblies, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to temperature controlled blankets and temperature controlled bedding assemblies to be operatively positioned with respect to a person for selective heating or cooling that person using a temperature controlled forced-gas convection system or a temperature controlled fluid recirculating system or a combination of both systems to enhance performance of the blankets and bedding systems.
2. History of the Prior Art
Medical care providers have long recognized the need to provide warmth and cooling directly to patients as part of their treatment and therapy. Better recoveries have been reported using cold therapy for orthopaedic patients. The benefits of warming patients undergoing surgery has been conclusively proven.
Several devices have been developed that deliver temperature controlled fluids through pads or convective thermal blankets to achieve the above purpose. Typically these devices have a heating or a cooling element, a source for the fluid, a pump for forcing the fluid through the pad or blanket and a thermal interface between the patient and the temperature controlled fluid. U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,304 to Elkins is directed to a mattress cover device which contains liquid flow channels which provide the selective heating or cooling by conduction.
Devices have also been developed for providing heat to a person in bed. Electric blankets containing electric heating elements have been used for years to warm a person in bed.
Cooling blankets have also been proposed such as the blanket disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,388 to Greene. Greene discloses a cooling cover having an inflatable pad with plenum chambers at opposite ends thereof. Cool air is generated in a separate unit and directed to the pad and out a number of apertures on the underside of the pad and against the body of the person using the cover.
A disposable heating or cooling blanket is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,238 to Ragan, et al which has three layers of flexible sheeting. Two of the layers form an air chamber and the third includes a comfortable layer for contact with the patient. Conditioned air is directed toward the covered person through a multiplicity of orifices in the bottom layers of the blanket.
Several problems are inherent in the prior art devices. The prior art devices lack uniform temperature control. The temperature of the blankets closest to the machine supplying the conditioned air to the blanket is warmer or cooler than the remaining parts of the blanket depending upon whether the blanket is providing heating or cooling to the patient.
The present invention provides an improvement over the prior art blankets and bedding systems by providing an efficient uniform temperature controlled gaseous fluid for convectively heating or cooling the patient by using a liquid fluid with a significantly larger thermal capacity to uniformly heat or cool the gaseous fluid delivered to the patient. A further significant advantage of the present invention is the use of counter flow or co-flow heat exchanging principles to achieve temperature uniformity across different sections of the blanket.

Temperature controlled blankets and bedding assemblies


Buckle assemblies with dual release features and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a buckle assembly is configured to detachably engage latch plates. The buckle assembly can include a top cover and a bottom housing collectively defining an operation space; a load plate having a plurality of apertures, an actuator configured to connect with the top cover, a plurality of pawls configured to operably enter the corresponding apertures so as to secure a plurality of latch plates, a release ring positioned adjacent to the pawls and connected with a release cord. The latch plates can be released by rotating the top cover or pulling the release cord.

There are many types of personal restraint systems for use in automobiles, aircraft, all-terrain vehicles, and other vehicles. Such systems include, for example, seat belts for use by adults and children of sufficient sizes, and child seats with associated restraints for use by toddlers and small children. Methods of securing seat belts or webs around an occupant on a vehicle or an aircraft include releasably attaching an end portion of each of the belts or webs to a buckle assembly. The buckle assembly retains the belts or webs around the occupant so as to secure the occupant on a seat of the vehicle or aircraft. The occupant can release the belts or webs from the buckle assembly when he or she wants to leave the seat.
Conventional buckle assemblies for use in personal restraint systems typically connect with one or more webs or belts to restrain occupants or passengers in their seats. For example, a "three-point" harness system, as typically found in conventional automobiles, can include a shoulder web and a lap web that are releasably secured to a buckle assembly positioned proximate to the occupant's lower body. A "five-point" harness system can include a crotch web, first and second shoulder webs, and first and second lap webs that are releasably secured to a buckle assembly positioned proximate to the occupant's mid-section. Conventional buckle assemblies for such five-point harnesses include a push button or rotary-style release feature to disengage the webs from the buckle assembly. However, especially under certain emergency circumstances, releasing the buckle assembly by rotation or pushing buttons can be difficult for some occupants.

Dual release buckle assemblies and associated systems and methods


An array substrate includes a base substrate, a transistor on the base substrate, a planarization layer on a side of the transistor away from the base substrate, a recessed portion on the planarization layer, and a light blocking portion in the recessed portion. The light blocking portion is configured to prevent a light from being incident upon an active layer.

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays have been widely used in electronic devices, including electronic products, such as computers, mobile phones and so on, due to their advantages of self-light emission, slim design, low power consumption, high contrast, wide color gamut, flexible display, etc.
For OLED display panels, stability of driving transistors in pixel driving circuits plays a particularly important role in the quality of a display screen. Especially for bottom emission type display panels, the OLEDs are far away from base substrates with respect to driving transistors, which causes light emitted from the OLEDs to be easily incident upon the driving transistors, resulting in a decrease in stability and having an adverse effect on display.

Array substrate having a recessed and light blocking portion and fabrication method thereof, and display device

Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


A method, and a self-sealing, layer-effect, stealth-reaction liner, for sealing against fuel leakage from the wound-punctured wall of an FT synthetic liquid fuel container. The liner includes (a) an elastomeric body defined by spaced, opposite faces, formed of a material which is non-reactive to FT fuel, and (b) nominally shrouded in a region within the liner body, inwardly of the faces, a distribution of liquid-imbiber beads which react to contact with FT fuel to initiate liquid-imbibing and material-swelling actions. The method includes (a) preparing, for installation in such a container, a liner with a non-fuel-reactive, substantially continuous-material elastomeric body having opposite faces, and (b) within that body, a non-facially exposed, normally body-shrouded, central distribution of fuel-reactive liquid-imbiber beads.

This invention, which has both civilian and military values, pertains to a stealth, layer-effective (or layer-effect), sealing-reaction (stealth-reaction) liner, useable adjacent the inner surface area of a vehicle's synthetic-fuel tank, and structured to provide a rapid and robust, self-sealing, anti-leakage reaction to a tank-wall puncture wound, such as a bullet wound. More specifically, this invention pertains to such a liner which is designed, until such a puncture wound, or breach, occurs, and although always in direct "normal" contact with synthetic fuel, to be normally "dormant" within the fuel-containing tank environment in what might be thought of as a "stealth mode", but which is effective immediately, through interactive reaction to and with breach-produced, leaking fuel, to react, in a realm within the liner formed as an inner, or central, initially shrouded layer region containing synthetic-fuel-reactive liquid-imbiber beads, to such leakage quickly to seal such a wound.
A preferred and best-mode embodiment of the invention is described herein generally in a military setting, and in relation to a particular, illustrative, synthetic vehicle-motor fuel referred to as FT synthetic fuel, made by a South African company named Fisher-Tropsch—a fuel which is now being used in many military-vehicle fuel tanks.
The invention specifically takes its very useful place in an environment where, as is now progressively the case, conventional "natural" motor fuels are being replaced by synthetic fuels.
It has been conventional practice in the past to line military fuel tanks with an inside lining, or bladder, formed of a defined-thickness natural rubber material, and always, heretofore, in the context of the relevant container being one which holds conventional, or "natural" engine fuel. In such a setting, it is the practice to furnish an additional barrier layer which resides between the natural-rubber lining, or bladder, and the fuel, and specifically a barrier layer formed of a material which is nonreactive with regard to conventional natural motor fuel, in order to isolate the natural-rubber lining from direct, normal contact with fuel contained in such a tank.
With regard to puncture wounds created in such a setting, i.e., one where natural petroleum-based fuel is employed, it is definitively the case that, when a puncture breach occurs (a) in such a tank, (b) in the natural-rubber tank lining structure, per se, and (c) in the lining-protective barrier-layer material (thus to expose the natural-rubber lining structure to direct contact with that fuel), leaking fuel successfully reacts with the natural-rubber lining to initiate a reaction which is usually effective to seal such a wound.
However, and as has been suggested above, there has recently been developed a synthetic fuel, such as the synthetic fuel known as the above-mentioned FT synthetic fuel which changes the picture regarding this conventional fuel-leakage issue. To the surprise of everyone involved with decisions implemented to utilize this synthetic fuel, this fuel does not react with conventional natural-rubber-based anti-leakage liners on the occurrence of a puncture wound to invoke the anticipated liquid-imbibing and material-swelling wound-sealing action.
Explaining at this point certain terminology and phraseology which we employ herein, and to some extent have already employed above, the terms "stealth" and "stealth-reaction" are used to emphasize the fact that our liner, i.e., its body, is, until breached by a wound which exposes the above-mentioned, special, normally shrouded, internal "layer region" possessing the also-mentioned liquid-imbiber beads, inherently "silent" about its capability to respond to the onset of a fuel leak. Normal direct exposure of the un-breached (i.e., not yet penetrated) liner body does not trigger a response reaction. The liner does not, as distinguished sharply from structures in the prior art, require the added material cost, the added labor cost, and/or the added fuel-tank room-occupancy "cost" of any additional "guard" barrier against normal fuel contact.
Additionally, we refer to our liner as being "layer-effective", or as possessing a "layer-effect", in order to point out that while the liner body can be viewed as possessing layers, or regions, (preferably three) which furnish distinct, differential, but layer-cooperative, performances, the internal interfaces between these regions preferably (though not absolutely necessarily) take form of material continuities (i.e., no discontinuities) respecting the main elastomeric material which defines the principal, constituent element of the liner body. An important consequence of this preferred, "material-continuity" construction is that the entire body of elastomeric material responds with cooperative, distributed compression and tension, as dictated by wound-healing circumstances, when a wound exposes the central liquid-imbiber beads to fuel contact, with such contact producing the immediate result of rapid fuel imbibing and material swelling by the beads to seal the wound and stop fuel leakage. The entire transverse (across the layer regions) body portion of liner elastomeric material adjacent such a wound is, under leak-reaction circumstances, in compressive and tensive cooperation in aid of wound closure and sealing. Layer regions on opposite sides of the central, imbiber-bead-containing region, function as cooperative, compression-aiding regions enhancing the swelling, leak-sealing action which is created in the central liner region.
The present invention addresses the synthetic fuel-leak situation by proposing a unique, inside-tank (container), rubber-based (pure natural, or blended), or alternatively polyurethane-based or polyurea-based, liner which is designed specifically to react, as a result of a puncture wound, with synthetic FT fuel to create the desired liquid-imbibing and material-swelling wound-sealing actions. This newly proposed lining has the mentioned "stealth" characteristic, which, without requiring any additional barrier-layer material, and with the liner per se thus normally being fully in contact with tank-held synthetic fuel, prevents the liner from reacting normally, unexpectedly, and undesirably with such fuel, and does so until a leak-creating puncture breach occurs in the relevant tank wall and the liner body.
The liner of this invention fundamentally, and in its preferred and best-mode form, takes the form of a functionally layered (a layer-effective) body structure, preferably without any distinct inter-layer discontinuity boundaries, or distinct interfaces, which includes (a) at least two outer layer regions formed of pure natural rubber (or a natural rubber blend) without any additives, and (b), effectively sandwiched between these outer layer regions, an intermediate layer region which (1) utilizes the same outer-layer-region "rubber" material, but which (2) also includes an embedded plurality of synthetic-fuel-reactive liquid-imbiber beads, such as those identified with the product designator IMB230300, made by Imbibitive Technologies America, Inc. in Midland, Mich.
In this newly proposed liner structure, since the basic liner material per se, that is, the material other than the embedded imbiber-bead material, is nonreactive directly to synthetic fuels, it may be placed, without any additional barrier structure, directly inside a fuel tank, normally against the inside surface, or surfaces, of the wall of that tank, and be normally fully exposed to synthetic fuel contact, without there being any risk of an undesirably triggered interaction between the synthetic tank fuel and the liner. An extra installation of a protective barrier structure is, accordingly, not required. It is only when a puncture wound occurs that exposes the inner (imbiber-bead) layer region of this liner to fuel leakage, that a reaction occurs between leaking fuel and the then exposed imbiber beads.
This reaction triggers a liquid-imbibing and material-congealing swelling action which rapidly functions to close the leak-initiating wound. The layer regions of liner material which are disposed on opposite sides, so-to-speak, of the central layer region which contains the liquid-imbiber beads, function, once a fuel-contact reaction begins with the liquid-imbiber beads, to furnish a compressive pressure around the area where reaction is occurring, thus enhancing the sealing ability of the liner structure.
As an illustration of one of a variety of appropriate manufacturing ways, an expanse of this newly proposed liner material may be created by the production of (1) independent, suitably thick mats of pure natural (or blended) rubber material, and (2) independent, suitably thick mats of the same natural or blended rubber material which are imbiber-bead-imbedded, which independent mats are then pressure-and-heat-consolidated into a unified, three-effective-layer lining structure. Pressure and heat consolidation function to "weld" the three layer regions into a unit lacking material discontinuities between the layer regions The assembled liner structure is then edge cut to appropriate shapes for fitting against the inside wall(s) of a selected fuel tank/container.
Another production approach which could be used, and which will create a modified form of liner, involves the use of not necessarily a natural (or blended) rubber material, but rather of an elastomeric polyurethane or polyurea material, and particularly such a material which is susceptible to casting in stages that are effective to build a layered structure such as that which has just been generally described where natural, etc. rubber is employed. Casting of plural layer regions, with appropriately shortened timings maintained between casting "pours", results in chemical interfacial bondings occurring between these regions to create the preferred, desired liner-body material continuity.
The various features and advantages which are offered by the liner structure of the present invention will now become more fully apparent as the description which shortly follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Sealing-reaction, layer-effective, stealth liner for synthetic fuel container


A host connectable device for enabling a user to select a mode using a menu screen automatically provided upon connecting to a host device, and a mode selection method thereof. The host connectable device, that is capable of being connected to a host device and operating in one of a plurality of modes relating to the host device when the host connectable device is connected to the host device, is provided and includes a communication interface unit, a display unit, and a control unit for providing a mode selection menu screen on the display unit when the communication interface receives the connection signal of the host device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a host connectable device and a method for selecting a mode thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a host connectable device which can operate in connection with a host device and selectively execute one of a plurality of operation modes and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A host connectable device refers to a device which operates independently or in relation with a host device such as a personal computer (PC) or a printer when connected to the host device. For example, the host connectable device may be a digital camcorder, a digital camera, and the like. Generally, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) is adopted to interface the host device and the host connectable device.
When being connected to the host device, the host connectable device selectively executes one of the operation modes provided. For example, a digital camcorder functions as a removable disk or a PC camera in connection with a PC.
A user selects a mode to be executed by the host connectable device. However, the mode selection has to be made prior to the connection to the host device. This mode selection is explained in greater detail below.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of the mode selection of a conventional host connectable device. Referring to FIG. 1, the user calls a mode selection menu screen by operating the host connectable device at step S10. The user selects one of the modes displayed on the menu screen at step S20, and information on the selected mode is stored at step S30.
Next, the host connectable device is connected to the host device through a USB at step S40. The host connectable device then executes the selected mode at step S50 by the use of the information stored at step S30.
In the conventional arrangement as described above, the user has to select the mode prior to the connection of the host connectable device to the host device. This is because the host device recognizes the host connectable device simultaneously with its connection, and the host connectable device executes the selected mode upon the connection.
However, the user is very likely to attempt to connect the host connectable device to the host device and forget to perform the mode selection required prior to the connection. Similarly, the user attempts such a connection often being unaware of the several modes of the host connectable device which is connected to the host device.
Thus, the host connectable device operates in a mode selected in the previous connection or in a default mode. If such a mode is not desired by the user, the user has to disconnect the host connectable device, re-select a desired mode, and re-connect the host connectable device. This results in an increase in user inconvenience.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method for convenient mode selection upon connecting to a host device.

Host connectable device capable of selecting mode using menu displayed automatically upon connecting to host device and method thereof


An integrated circuit device is disclosed that includes a dual stress liner NMOS device having a tensile stress layer that overlies a NMOS gate film stack, a dual stress liner PMOS device having a compressive stress layer that overlies a PMOS gate film stack, a reduced-stress dual stress liner NMOS device having a stress reduction layer that extends between the tensile stress layer and the NMOS gate film stack, and a reduced-stress dual stress liner PMOS device having a stress reduction layer that extends between the compressive stress layer and the PMOS gate film stack. In embodiments of the invention additional reduced-stress dual stress liner NMOS devices and reduced-stress PMOS devices are formed by altering the thickness and/or the material properties of the stress reduction layer.

Conventional integrated circuit device manufacturing processes for 90 nanometer and smaller devices rely on stress engineering to meet the power and performance requirements of high end devices. In single stress liner processes, stress is only provided to N-Channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor (NMOS) devices. The stress can be provided, for example, by a tensile stress layer that overlies the source, drain and gate of the NMOS device.
In other processes stress is provided to both NMOS devices and P-Channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor (PMOS) devices. One process for providing stress to both NMOS and PMOS devices is the Dual Stress Liner (DSL) fabrication process. In this process, a tensile stress layer is deposited and patterned such that it overlies the source, drain and gate of the NMOS device. A compressive stress layer is then deposited and patterned such that it overlies the source, drain and gate of the PMOS device. This process forms NMOS devices and PMOS devices that are typically referred to as DSL NMOS devices and DSL PMOS devices.
Dual stress liner processes form DSL PMOS devices and DSL NMOS devices having high power and high performance characteristics. More particularly they have high saturation drain current (Idsat) and low leakage current (Ioff). Though the use of conventional DSL NMOS and DSL PMOS devices is sufficient for many applications, integrated circuit designers may require NMOS devices and PMOS devices having different performance levels. Accordingly, there is a need for NMOS devices and PMOS devices that have higher performance levels than traditional non-stressed NMOS and PMOS devices, but not as high as the performance characteristics provided by conventional DSL fabrication processes.

Integrated circuit device with stress reduction layer


A method, a software product and a system for distinguishing effects due to bifurcation from effects due to design variable changes in finite element analysis is disclosed. According to one aspect of the invention, 1) a plurality of design experiments is analyzed with finite element analysis (FEA) software; 2) a metamodel is constructed from the FEA responses using the least squares fitting technique; 3) any FEA response that is not predicted by the metamodel is classified as outlier, which is the high likelihood candidate for bifurcation; and 4) verification of the bifurcation is then to be confirmed. The method is implemented in a design and probabilistic analysis software product.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to method, system and software product used in structural design using finite element analysis, more particularly to distinguish effects due to bifurcation from effects due to design variable changes in a structural design study.
2. Description of the Related Art
Finite element analysis (FEA) is a computerized method widely used in industry to model and solve engineering problems relating to complex systems. FEA derives its name from the manner in which the geometry of the object under consideration is specified. With the advent of the modern digital computer, FEA has been implemented as FEA software. Basically, the FEA software is provided with a model of the geometric description and the associated material properties at each point within the model. In this model, the geometry of the system under analysis is represented by solids, shells and beams of various sizes, which are called elements. The vertices of the elements are referred to as nodes. The model is comprised of a finite number of elements, which are assigned a material name to associate with material properties. The model thus represents the physical space occupied by the object under analysis along with its immediate surroundings. The FEA software then refers to a table in which the properties (e.g., stress-strain constitutive equation, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, thermo-conductivity) of each material type are tabulated. Additionally, the conditions at the boundary of the object (i.e., loadings, physical constraints, etc.) are specified. In this fashion a model of the object and its environment is created.
FEA had it beginnings as a method for structural analysis, but today is routinely used in the design of motors, generators, magnetic resonance imaging systems, aircraft engine ignition systems, circuit breakers and transformers, to name but a few; its techniques are used to analyze stress, temperature, molecular structure, electromagnetic fields, car crash, metal stamping, physical forces, etc. in all sorts of physical systems. It has become a standard part of the design cycle for numerous products which are not easily analyzed by other methods.
FEA is becoming increasingly popular with automobile manufacturers for optimizing both the aerodynamic performance and structural integrity of vehicles. Similarly, aircraft manufacturers rely upon FEA to predict airplane performance long before the first prototype is built. Rational design of semiconductor electronic devices is possible with Finite Element Analysis of the electrodynamics, diffusion, and thermodynamics involved in this situation. FEA is utilized to characterize ocean currents and distribution of contaminants. FEA is being applied increasingly to analysis of the production and performance of such consumer goods as ovens, blenders, lighting facilities and many plastic products. In fact, FEA has been employed in as many diverse fields as can be brought to mind, including plastics mold design, modeling of nuclear reactors, analysis of the spot welding process, microwave antenna design, simulating of car crash and biomedical applications such as the design of prosthetic limbs. In short, FEA is utilized to expedite design, maximize productivity and efficiency, and optimize product performance in virtually every stratum of light and heavy industry. This often occurs long before the first prototype is ever developed.
Generally, FEA begins by generating a finite element model of a system. In this model, a subject structure is reduced into a number of node points which are connected together to form finite elements. Governing equations of motion are written in a discrete form, where the motions of each node point are the unknown part of the solution. A simulated load or other influence is applied to the system and the resulting effect is analyzed using well known mathematical methods.
To design a structure, engineers study the effects of modifying certain design variables (e.g., the thickness of a plate, the cross-section area of a beam, or angle of loading direction). Design methods can use metamodels to predict the structural responses. The metamodel is constructed using the FEA solutions obtained for a selected design cases via a number of mathematical techniques, such as least squares fitting, Taylor series expansion, neural nets and Kringing approximations. In particular, the metamodel created with least squares fitting is called a response surface. Engineers can select an improved design using the metamodels. Today, not only has metamodels been applied to simple structures, it has also been used for very complicated, highly non-linear, impact analysis (e.g., car crash simulation). In theory, the design study can be performed without much difficulty. However, when there is a bifurcation in the FEA solution, it creates a huge problem for the design study due to multiple valid solutions for a given set of design variables. The most common bifurcation in structural design is an instability called buckling.
Buckling is an instability occurring when the loading of the structure exceeds a certain critical value. When the loading reaches the critical value, the structure will become unstable or buckle. A feature of buckling is that there exists more than one mode. The structure can buckle in different directions or different modes. Sometimes the structure experiences local buckling in different forms of wrinkles or corrugations. In real world, the structure usually buckles in a direction determined by initial imperfections of the structure instead of an arbitrary direction that theoretical solution predicts. The numerical simulation of the structural buckling in FEA software at times reflects the existence of more than one valid buckling mode and different initial imperfections—depending on the digital computer and the operating system, a tiny difference in the floating point number may result in the buckling of structure in different directions. Different bifurcations may also be triggered by, but not due to, design variable changes. In general a design variable change will cause a change in the results and potentially cause the computational algorithms to follow a different bifurcation. For very complicated, highly non-linear problems such as car crash simulation, the chances of having a different bifurcation are significant. It is therefore difficult to be sure whether a change in results is due to a change in the design variable values or different bifurcation.
There is no logical method to distinguish which FEA result is a likely candidate associated with bifurcation. It is therefore desirable to have a new method to distinguish these effects more efficiently and effectively.

Method and system for distinguishing effects due to bifurcation from effects due to design variable changes in finite element analysis


Cigarette packs of the soft pack type of a (pack) shape (11) of paper, foil or the like which directly encases a group of cigarettes (32) with folding flaps or edge strips (34, 35) which are glued together. In order to protect the group of cigarettes (32) from unwanted discharged glue, a cover shape (36) is positioned within the pack (10) between the group of cigarettes (32) and the pack shape (11), i.e., in the area of a side wall (21) of edge strips (34, 35) which are glued together.

The invention relates to a cigarette pack, preferably a soft pack of a pack shape made of paper, foil or the like which directly encases a group of cigarettes, and the pack shape comprises in the area of at least one pack wall, in particular an upright side wall, folding flaps or side strips which are glued together. Furthermore, the invention relates to a process and a device for manufacturing packs of said type.
If a cigarette pack, in particular a soft pack, is designed in such a manner that a shape which directly encases the cigarette group comprises folding flaps which are glued together, then there is a danger of glue particles being transferred to the cigarettes. This undesirable effect can occur in particular when the cigarette pack is made of one single pack shape. An example for this is given in the description and illustration of EP 649 797. A glue transfer can take place in particular in the area of an upright narrow side wall which is formed of glued together folding flaps or side strips.
It is an object of the invention to prevent a transfer of glue from a pack shape which directly encases a group of cigarettes to the latter.
This object is achieved by a cigarette pack being characterised in that in the area of glued together folding flaps or side strips between a group of cigarettes and a pack shape is arranged a cover to protect the cigarettes from glue. This cover is preferably made of a separate shape of thin material, in particular paper. In an advantageous embodiment in conjunction with a cigarette pack according to EP 649 797, an upright U-shaped folded shape is provided which covers the cigarette group preferably over the full height in the area of the side wall which comprises glue.
Furthermore, the shape can take over the function of a printed display, i.e. be printed on internally and/or externally, for example as a voucher for participation in a raffle or with information.
The shape is placed in the inventive position during manufacture of the cigarette pack. Accordingly, once a cigarette group to suit a pack has been established, the shape is placed against the pack group, in particular under U-shaped folds. Thereafter, the pack shape is folded around the group of cigarettes in a conventional manner.

Cigarette package and method and device for the production thereof


Methods, apparatuses, and systems to determine whether a transmission signal block was fully transmitted are described herein. The determination may be made at least in part by calculating one or more bit error probabilities for one or more to be transmitted bursts of the transmission signal block.

In some types of wireless networks, a base station (BS) may communicate with mobile stations (MSs) by transmitting radio blocks (herein "transmission signal blocks") to the mobile stations. Such transmission signal blocks are typically made up of 19, 22, or some other number of bursts. An example of such a network is a network in which network nodes communicate in compliance with a standard such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standards (phase I originally published 1990, note that GSM standards includes many standards that are continuously evolving) or with Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE/EGPRS) standard including release 99 (from march 2000) and later 3G releases (e.g., rel-99, rel-4, rel-5, rel-6, rel-7, and so forth).
When a base station communicates with mobile stations of such networks, the base station prior to transmitting signals containing the transmission signal blocks may perform a number of operations. Such operations may include, for example, reordering, encoding, ciphering, puncturing, and interleaving the transmission signal blocks prior to transmitting the signals that will contain such blocks.
Correspondingly, when the mobile stations receive the transmission signal blocks, several operations may be performed by the mobile stations. These operations include, for example, equalizing, de-interleaving, de-ciphering, de-puncturing, and de-coding the received transmission signal blocks. In addition, other operations may also be additionally performed at the mobile station in order to, for example, support communication between the mobile stations and the base station. For example, in GSM networks, mobile stations are typically required to report back to the base station on a regular basis bit error probability (BEP) data calculated from BEP measurements of the transmission signal blocks received from the base station to be used for link adaptation (i.e., to change the modulation coding scheme). Generally, it might be required that the BEP data to be transmitted back to the base station will be based only on fully transmitted transmission signal blocks. Note that in the general case, the terminology "fully transmitted" is equivalent to "fully received." From this standpoint, "fully transmitted" terminology will be used throughout the following description to also mean "fully received" unless otherwise indicated.
There are, however, situations where mobile stations may receive transmission signal blocks that were not fully transmitted by the base station. For example, in some circumstances, a base station will go into a discontinuous transmit (DTX) mode in which the base station stops transmitting a transmission signal block sometime during the 19 (or 22) burst period of the transmission signal block (e.g., when someone stops talking and there is no more audio signal to transmit).
Consequently, in order to avoid reporting BEP data that may have been calculated at least in part from the BEP measurement of a transmission signal block that was not fully transmitted by the base station, a mobile station will typically determine the average Signal-To-Interference Noise Ratio (SINR) of a subset of bursts (typically the last two or four bursts) of a transmission signal block to determine whether the transmission signal block was fully transmitted. However, such an approach may not always be an accurate way of determining whether a radio block was fully transmitted. For example, in a synchronized network, if another base station is operating using the same training sequence as the base station of the network, then an average SINR determination of a not fully transmitted radio block may indicate that it was fully transmitted when in fact it was not. This is because SINR only looks at the training sequence of a burst, and since two non neighbor base stations can be using the same training sequence, a false indication of a fully transmitted radio block can result using SINR analysis.

Determining whether a transmission signal block was fully transmitted based on bit error probability


A subsea platform transporter includes a plurality of pontoon members, a plurality of column members interconnecting select adjacent ones of the plurality of pontoon members forming a support frame having an inner platform receiving area, a plurality of buoyancy members mechanically linked to at least one of the plurality of pontoon members and the plurality of column members, and a plurality of platform retaining members mounted to one or more of the plurality of pontoon members and the plurality of column members about the inner platform receiving area. The plurality of platform retaining members is configured and disposed to selectively retain and release a platform supported by the subsea platform transporter.

Offshore oil and natural gas platform systems rely upon above sea platforms that support drilling and/or processing equipment to extract resources from subsea wells. The above sea platforms are mounted through a system of supports that extend from the offshore platform to the sea floor. Often times the supports are adjustable to account for changing sea and/or weather conditions. The supports position the above platform above a surface of the sea and include drilling systems, transport systems, support systems, such as electrical power generation, and crew accommodation systems. In addition to above sea platforms, many offshore platform systems include subsea platforms that support various systems at or near the sea floor.
Subsea platforms include subsea systems that support the above sea platforms with extraction, storage, and transport of resources such as oil and natural gas. Sub-systems are transported to a particular site, submerged, integrated to form one or more subsea systems, and tested. Current technology limits that transport and positioning of each sub-system to about 500 metric tons (MT). Therefore, the installation of a subsea platform may be a lengthy process depending upon the size, weight, and number of sub-systems. More specifically, a subsea system may require multiple support ships to transport and position each sub-system as well as a lengthy construction and testing phase prior to being ready to support the above sea platform.


A unidirectional surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducer has a substrate which is piezoelectric or electrostrictive, a first IDT (interdigital transducer) electrode disposed on a surface of the substrate and having a plurality of first electrode fingers, and a second IDT electrode disposed on the surface of the substrate and having a plurality of second electrode fingers alternating with the first electrode fingers, and structural elements disposed on the surface of the substrate and arranged periodically in a propagating direction of surface acoustic waves. The structural elements comprise grooves or dielectric films each having a width of λ0/4 or λ0/2, for example, where λ0 represents a wavelength corresponding to a fundamental operating frequency of the unidirectional surface acoustic wave transducer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transducer utilizing surface acoustic waves (SAW), and more particularly to a surface acoustic wave transducer where internal reflections and electromechanical coupling constant changes are applied to an interdigital transducer (IDT).
2. Description of the Related Art
Surface acoustic wave transducers which excite and receive surface acoustic waves on a piezoelectric or electrostrictive material are widely used as devices such as bandpass filters. An ordinary surface acoustic wave transducer has electrodes of an IDT structure which are arranged on the surface of a piezoelectric or electrostrictive material. When an AC electric signal is applied between positive and negative electrodes of an IDT on the input side, a surface acoustic wave is excited, The excited surface acoustic wave is propagated to and received by another IDT on the output side. Such a surface acoustic wave transducer is known as a transversal surface acoustic wave filter.
The above surface acoustic wave transducer basically causes a loss of 6 dB because the excited surface acoustic wave is propagated equally in both left and right directions. Heretofore, various surface acoustic wave transducers have been proposed in the art in order to minimize the loss of 6 dB. The proposed surface acoustic wave transducers are generally classified into the following three types:
(a) A three-phase unidirectional device having three IDT electrode fingers (teeth) disposed on its surface, where signals with phase shifts of 0°, 120°, 240° are applied to the respective electrode fingers:
(b) A group-type unidirectional transducer having a meander line extending between ordinary electrode fingers and serving as a ground electrode, where signals having a phase shift of 90° are applied to the respective electrode fingers; and
(c) An internal-reflection-type unidirectional transducer having a pair of IDT electrode fingers made of aluminum (Al) and electrode fingers made of a large-density metal such as gold (Au) for reflecting surface acoustic waves, with the distance between a central region where surface acoustic waves are excited and a central region where surface acoustic waves are reflected being set to ⅛ of the wavelength of the excited surface acoustic waves.
In the following description, the wavelength of the excited surface waves is represented by λ0.
The three-phase unidirectional transducer at (a) can keep surface acoustic waves propagated in one direction in a wide frequency range. However, since the electrode fingers extending from one of the three bus bars need to extend over another one of the three bus bars, it requires a highly complex process and hence is highly costly to manufacture the three-phase unidirectional transducer. Another problem with the three-phase unidirectional transducer is that it needs a complex phase shifter.
The group-type unidirectional transducer at (b) needs a 90° phase shifter which specifically comprises a coil and also needs a meander line having a large total length, and causes a large filter insertion loss because of the ohmic loss of the long meander line.
The internal-reflection-type unidirectional transducer at (c) is a unidirectional interdigital transducer which requires no phase shifter with the exciting and reflecting positions shifted λ0/8 from each other, and is expected to provide excellent characteristics.
One internal-reflection-type unidirectional transducer which has heretofore been proposed has a double electrode structure including positive and negative electrodes spaced by an electrode gap of λ0/8 and divided into widths of λ0/8. After positive double electrodes or negative double electrodes are fabricated, a thin metal film is added to one of the double electrodes to provide a mass loading effect. The double electrodes have a structure in which each electrode finger of an IDT are divided into two segments, and are also called split electrodes. The internal-reflection-type unidirectional transducer is problematic in that it has a poor conversion efficiency because of the double electrodes employed, and is difficult to use as a high-frequency device as it has IDT electrodes having a spacing of λ0/8. Details of a mass-loading-effect unidirectional transducer are disclosed in, for example, C. S. Hartmann, et al., 1982 IEEE Ultrasonic Symposium Proceedings, pp. 40–45.
Another proposed internal-reflection-type unidirectional interdigital transducer having double electrodes is manufactured as follows: After one of double electrodes is formed on a substrate, a dielectric film having a uniform film thickness H0 is applied thereto, and then the other one of double electrodes is applied to the dielectric film, providing different electromechanical coupling constants. This internal-reflection-type unidirectional interdigital transducer operates based on the difference between the magnitudes of the electromechanical coupling constants. However, the proposed internal-reflection-type unidirectional interdigital transducer are disadvantageous in that the fabrication process is complicated, the conversion efficiency is poor because double electrodes are employed, and the transducer is difficult to use as a high-frequency device as it has an IDT having a spacing of λ0/8. An electromechanical-coupling-constant-changing-type unidirectional transducer is disclosed in, for example, K. Yamanouchi, et al., Electronic Letters, Vol. 20, No. 20, pp. 819–821, September 1982.
Apodized (weighted) transducers having IDT electrodes intersecting at varying intervals to achieve desired frequency characteristics have also been proposed in the art. However, the apodized transducers suffer problems in that electrodes for transmission and reception cannot be weighted and the apodized transducers have a weighing loss.


A lining for a brake band wherein brackets of the same shape or different shapes are connected respectively to opposite ends of a curved thin strap having an adhesive thereon, and a thin wet lining is bonded to an inner side of the curved strap, characterized in that cavities containing lubricating oil are formed in the lining.

This invention relates to a lining of a brake band used for a speed change gear for an automobile, an agricultural machine, a building machine and the like.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a conventional brake band 20 which comprises a curved strap 11 and a lining 12 bonded to the inner surface of the strap by an adhesive. Reference numerals 13 and 14 denote mounting plates, reference numerals 15 and 16 brackets, and reference numeral 17 an oil hole. The lining 12 is made of a wet frictional material containing lubricating oil.
The brake band in an automatic speed change gear operates instantaneously (for about 0.5 to 1 seconds). At this time, although frictional heat is generated between the brake band and its mating drum, the lubricating oil contained in the wet frictional material (lining 12) oozes out from the interior of the lining as a result of elastical deformation or compression of the lining subjected to the friction, and the thus oozing lubricating oil disperses the frictional heat. This effect restrains a temperature rise of the frictional surface. However, with a higher output power and a higher rotational speed of an engine, the conditions of use of the brake band for the automatic speed change gear have been becoming severer. Under the circumstances, it has now been difficult for conventional lining materials to provide sufficiently satisfactory durability and speed change performance as required. Heretofore, the lining material itself has been modified in order to improve the durability of the brake band and a speed change performance. However, if there is no suitable material to meet the requirements a new material must be developed. However, the development of such a lining material requires much time and cost, and this cannot be achieved soon.


A resilient suspension element for use in a resilient system for supporting roller wheels from the undercarriage of a tracked vehicle having a rubber track. The resilient suspension element includes a T-shaped and a U-shaped rigid mounting component, with the inside surface of a U-shaped resilient component secured to the leg of the T-shaped component and the outside surface secure to the inside surface of the U-shaped rigid mounting component. A resilient suspension element is secured to each end of a beam, extending transverse to the axles of the roller wheels mounted thereon, to provide resilient support in the vertical direction and limited resilience to "fore" and "aft" and rolling motion of the beam, and the roller wheels mounted thereon, with respect to the undercarriage.

Self propelled tracked work vehicles, such as agricultural tractors and combines, are frequently provided with an undercarriage which supports a pair of idler wheels and, several roller wheels located between the idler wheels, over which roller wheels passes a track driven by a drive wheel. The roller wheels are intended to apply a downwardly directed force to the portion of the track between the idler wheels, which is in engagement with the surface supporting the vehicle.
Rubber tracked vehicles, and particularly those supported on four tracks, i.e. two spaced apart tracks on each side of the vehicle, have excellent ride characteristics in agricultural fields and reduce soil compaction, since the rubber track undercarriage spans most "holes" or surface irregularities in the fields, and distributes the downward force of the vehicle over a greater surface area. Tires typically fall into holes or other irregularities in the field causing a rough ride. Vehicle tire "power hop," a characteristic which also adversely affects field rides, is reduced by the use of tracks.
However, when rubber tracked vehicles are driven on hard surfaced roads, the ride is not as smooth as it would be with a tired vehicle. The rubber track provides little cushion between the track undercarriage and a hard surfaced road. Tires on an agricultural tractor provide the inherent characteristic of a large air bladder of approximately 18 inches in height, which cushions the vehicle from bumps and vibration as the tractor travels along a hard surface, such as a road. Thus, it would be desirable to place a suspension element between the roller wheel assemblies and the tractor which would smooth out the ride on a hard surface.
There have been many suspension elements developed for crawler type steel tracked vehicles in the past. However, what makes the rubber track undercarriages different, or unique, is the fact that the rubber track is extremely flexible and must be supported across the full face of the ground engaging portions of the belt to offer even ground weight distribution. Steel track crawler frames typically have narrow rollers which support a track which has inherent/built-in cross beams to distribute the weight across the width of the track.
In order to provide a smooth ride on a hard surface, one presently available rubber tracked work vehicle is provided with pivot arms supported by an air bag located above the undercarriage assembly. However, when the drive wheel is located above the undercarriage, often referred to as a high drive type vehicle, it is difficult if not impossible to position the pivot arms and air bag above the undercarriage assembly. In a high drive type rubber track work vehicle, there is only a narrow space above the roller wheels, since the roller wheels are moved as close as possible to each other to more fully support the rubber track. Track tensioning mechanisms also need to be placed in the narrow space above the roller wheels and below the drive wheel.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a support system including resilient support elements for the rubber track of a rubber tracked vehicle, having a high drive wheel, which provides a smooth ride when travelling on a hard surface.

Resilient support element for roller wheels of a rubber tracked vehicle


An antenna port for an extended Physical Downlink Control CHannel (ePDCCH) transmission is determined based on at least an identifier for a leading extended Control Channel Element (eCCE) within the ePDCCH and an identifier for a user equipment (UE) to receive the ePDCCH transmission, and based on whether the ePDCCH transmission is localized or distributed. The determined antenna port is a DeModulation Reference Signal (DMRS) port to which the UE is assigned. Symbols are mapped in sequence to resource elements (REs) and transmitted via the determined antenna port to the UE.

In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) release-8 (Rel-8), release-9 (Rel-9), and release-10 (Rel-10), the Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH), the Physical Control Format Indicator CHannel (PCFICH), and the Physical Hybrid-ARQ Indicator CHannel (PHICH) are transmitted in the first a few limited Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols of each subframe. As a consequence, that control region has limited capacity. In addition, interference co-ordination in the frequency domain cannot be achieved.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for extending the control region in the Physical Downlink Shared CHannel (PDSCH) region to expand the capacity of the control region.

Methods and apparatus for downlink control channels transmissions in wireless communications systems


A printing system is configured to be able to use a plurality of types of stacking units. The printing system comprises a first controller configured to execute operations to stack printed material which is printed by a printing unit to a stacking unit such that the printed material is stacked in a state shifted a defined amount as to other printed material stacked on the stacking unit. The printing system further includes a second controller configured to inhibit the operations based on information relating to a specified type of the stacking unit in the plurality of types of stacking units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system capable of stacking printed material from a printing apparatus to a stacking portion of a post-processing apparatus, and a job processing method and storage medium for the printing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, there have been cases wherein an operator of a POD (Print on Demand) system performs large amounts of printing employing a printing apparatus. In the case of performing large amounts of printing employing a printing apparatus, stacking the printed sheets at a specified discharge destination in large amounts is desirable. Therefore, with the POD system, a large-capacity stacker may be employed which can stack the sheets printed with the printing apparatus in large amounts.
Also, with a POD system, post-processing operations such as binding, trimming, and folding are typically necessary, such post-processing operations may be performed at a sheet processing apparatus corresponding to the respective post-processing. However, with a POD system, the printing apparatus and sheet processing apparatus may be in separate locations. In such a case, the operator needs to transport the sheets printed with the printing apparatus to the sheet processing apparatus.
Thus, with a POD system, a cart may be provided within a large-capacity stacker serving as the discharge destination of the sheets subjected to printing at the printing apparatus, and the printing apparatus stacks the sheets subjected to printing upon the cart. After this, an operator transports the printed sheets stacked on the cart, along with the cart. With this method, moving the sheets from the large-capacity stacker or transporting the sheets to the sheet processing apparatuses can be performed smoothly.
On the other hand, in the event of discharging the sheets subjected to printing to the sheet processing apparatuses, processing is performed to cause the discharge positions of the sheets subjected to printing to be in a state shifted as to one another in increments of a fixed unit (for example, by each job or each copy). Thus, the operator can easily recognize the division of the sheet bundles by job or by copy.
This processing is an effective function for a large-capacity stacker, but as described above, in the case of a large-capacity stacker, transporting with a cart is assumed, wherein stability of the stacked sheets is particularly important. The reason thereof is that if the stacked sheets fall over from shaking during transporting or shock due to uneven flooring or the like, this places a burden on the operator responsible for picking up the scattered sheets.

Printing system, job processing method, and storage medium


A method and means for identifying the authenticity and the genuine nature of a solid or liquid bulk material, by incorporating a marking composition containing at least one trace ion into the said bulk material, whereby the total concentration of the incorporated trace ions in the market bulk material is chosen to be lower than the corresponding concentration of the same ions in standard sea water. The authenticity and the genuine nature or the adulteration level of the marked bulk material can be tested in-the-field using electrochemical sensors, and confirmed in the laboratory using a method such as atomic absorption spectroscopy, ion chromatography or mass spectrometry.

In a global economy, which facilitates the trans-boundary movement of commercial goods, there is an increasing need, from the side of tax authorities and brand owners, for methods allowing to control the genuine nature of merchandise.
In the particular case of bulk products, such as distilled alcoholic beverages, perfumes, medical preparations, and the like, most counterfeiting is actually performed by replacement or adulteration of the original contents, while recycling original packaging. Bulk products or bulk materials, in general, are divided solid or liquid materials which are handled by volume or by weight.
Material-based security solutions (overt and covert), incorporated into inks and applied through various printing processes, efficiently allow to distinguish genuine packaging from counterfeit one. However, a genuine packaging alone is no warranty by itself for that the product content is genuine too.
Product adulteration, i.e. the 'dilution' of a genuine product with a low-grade counterfeits is hereby of particular concern. For example, a distilled alcoholic beverage, for which the taxes have been paid, might be subsequently diluted to a certain extent with an alcoholic 'back-yard'-product, manufactured out of tax. Such adulteration causes important losses to the state and can also have consequences to public health, in case where the 'back-yard' alcohol of poor quality contains larger amounts of methanol and/or other toxic contaminants.

Method of marking a product, marked product resulting thereof, and method of identifying same


This invention is a process for the regeneration of solid acidic hydrocarbon conversion catalysts, but particularly certain transition aluminas and zeolites promoted with Lewis acids (preferably BF.sub.3) which have been used in the alkylation of isoparaffins with olefins. The process involves the removal of some portion of the reaction product residue adhering to the solid catalyst by contact with a solvent to partially recover the catalyst's initial activity.

There are a wide variety of hydrocarbon conversion processes using strongly acidic solid acid catalysts at temperatures low enough to maintain the reaction medium in a liquid phase. These processes include oligomerization, alkylation, isomerization, hydroisomerization, etc. The catalysts for these processes include such disparate acidic materials as acidic zeolites, alumina, silica-alumina, silica, boron oxides, phosphorus oxides, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, chromia, zinc oxide, magnesia, calcium oxide, silica-alumina-zirconia, chromia-alumina, alumina-boria, silica-zirconia, aluminum phosphate molecular sieves, silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieves, solid polymeric ion exchange resins, tetravalent metal phosphonates with pendent acid groups, sulfated metal oxides (such as alumina), and the like. These catalysts may be treated with or complexed with Lewis acids. A side reaction in many of these processes produces what appears to be a low level polymer or oligomer. Unlike many higher temperature processes, the side products are not cokelike in nature. These poorly characterized side reaction products, or "gunk", may be at least partially removed using solvent extraction procedures and carefully chosen solvents. One process, with its concomitant catalyst, to which solvent extraction is especially applicable is isoparaffin/olefin alkylation using solid acid catalysts particularly zeolites or aluminas which have been treated with Lewis acids.
The preparation of high octane blending components for motor fuels using strong acid alkylation processes (notably where the acid is hydrofluoric acid or sulfuric acid) is well-known. Alkylation is the reaction in which an alkyl group is added to an organic molecule (typically an aromatic or olefin). For production of gasoline blending stocks, the reaction is between an isoparaffin and an olefin. Alkylation processes have been in wide use since World War II when high octane gasolines were needed to satisfy demands from high compression ratio or supercharged aircraft engines. The early alkylation units were built in conjunction with fluid catalytic cracking units to take advantage of the light end by-products of the cracking units: isoparaffins and olefins. Fluidized catalytic cracking units still constitute the major source of feedstocks for gasoline alkylation units. In spite of the mature state of strong acid alkylation technology, existing problems with the hydrofluoric and sulfuric acid technologies continue to be severe: disposal of the used acid, unintentional emission of the acids during use or storage, substantial corrosivity of the acid catalyst systems, and other environmental concerns.
Although a practical alkylation process using solid acid catalysts having little or no corrosive components has long been a goal, commercially viable processes do not exist.
The open literature shows several systems used to alkylate various hydrocarbon feedstocks.
The American Oil Company obtained a series of patents in the mid-1950's on alkylation processes involving C.sub.2 -C.sub.12 (preferably C.sub.2 or C.sub.3) olefins and C.sub.4 -C.sub.8 isoparaffins. The catalysts used were BF.sub.3 -treated solids and the catalyst system (as used in the alkylation process) also contained free BF.sub.3. A summary of those patents is found in the following list:
______________________________________ BF.sub.3 -Treated Catalyst* U.S. Pat. No. Inventor (with free BF.sub.3) ______________________________________ 2,804,491 May et al. SiO.sub.2 stabilized Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 (10%-60% by weight BF.sub.3) 2,824,146 Kelly et al. metal pyrophosphate hydrate 2,824,150 Knight et al. metal sulfate hydrate 2,824,151 Kelly et al. metal stannate hydrate 2,824,152 Knight et al. metal silicate hydrate 2,824,153 Kelly et al. metal orthophosphate hydrate 2,824,154 Knight et al. metal tripolyphosphate hydrate 2,824,155 Knight et al. metal pyroarsenate hydrate 2,824,156 Kelly et al. Co or Mg arsenate hydrate 2,824,157 Knight et al. Co, Al, or Ni borate hydrate 2,824,158 Kelly et al. metal pyroantimonate hydrate salt 2,824,159 Kelly et al. Co or Fe molybdate hydrate 2,824,160 Knight et al. Al, Co, or Ni tungstate hydrate 2,824,161 Knight et al. borotungstic acid hydrate or Ni or Cd borotungstate hydrate 2,824,162 Knight et al. phosphomolybdic acid hydrate 2,945,907 Knight et al. solid gel alumina (5%-100% by weight of Zn or Cu fluoborate, preferably anhydrous) ______________________________________ *may be supported on Al.sub.2 O.sub.3
None of these disclose a process for regenerating an alkylation catalyst using a solvent extraction process for regenerating the catalyst.
Acid catalysts used to oligomerize olefins are known. U.S. Pat. No. 2,748,090 to Watkins suggests the use of a catalyst made up of a Group VIII metal (preferably nickel), a phosphoric acid (preferably containing phosphorus pentoxide), placed on an alumina adsorbent, and pretreated with BF.sub.3. Alkylation of aromatics is suggested.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,976,338 to Thomas suggests a polymerization catalyst comprising a complex of BF.sub.3 or H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 optionally on an adsorbent (such as activated carbon) or a molecular sieve optionally containing potassium acid fluoride.
Certain references suggest the use of alumina-containing catalysts for alkylation of aromatic compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 3,068,301 to Hervert et al. suggests a catalyst for alkylating aromatics using "olefin-acting compounds". The catalyst is a solid, silica-stabilized alumina up to 10% SiO.sub.2, all of which has been modified with up to 100% by of weight BF.sub.3.
Other BF.sub.3 -treated aluminas are known. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,785 to Hervert et al. suggests the use of a BF.sub.3 -modified, substantially anhydrous alumina to shift the double bond of 1-butene to produce 2-butene. The preferred alumina is substantially anhydrous gamma-alumina, eta-alumina, or theta-alumina. The various aluminas will adsorb or complex with up to about 19% by weight fluorine depending upon the type of alumina and the temperature of treatment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,731 to Imai a high surface area metal oxide such as alumina (particularly gamma-alumina, eta-alumina, theta-alumina, silica, or a silica-alumina) is used as a base or support for BF.sub.3. The BF.sub.3 treated metal oxide is used for generic oligomerization and alkylation reactions. The metal oxide is treated in a complicated fashion prior to being treated with BF.sub.3. The first step entails treating the metal oxide with an acid solution and with a basic aqueous solution. The support is washed with an aqueous decomposable salt such as ammonium nitrate. The support is washed using deionized H.sub.2 O until the wash water shows no alkali or alkaline earth metal cations in the filtrate. The support is dried and calcined. The disclosure suggests generically that BF.sub.3 is then introduced to the treated metal oxide support. The examples show introduction of the BF.sub.3 at elevated temperatures, e.g, 300.degree. C. or 350.degree. C.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,791 to Miale et al. suggests the enhancement of the acid catalytic activity of inorganic oxide materials (such as alumina or gallia) by contacting the material with ammonium fluoride or boron fluoride, contacting the treated inorganic oxide with an aqueous ammonium hydroxide or salt solution, and calcining the resulting material. The inorganic oxides treated in this way are said to exhibit enhanced Bronsted acidity and, therefore, is said to have improved acid activity towards the catalysis of numerous and several reactions (such as alkylation and isomerization of various hydrocarbon compounds). A specific suggested use for the treated inorganic oxide is as a matrix or support for various zeolite materials ultimately used in acid catalyzed organic compound conversion processes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,341 to Rodewald shows a process for treating a ZSM-5 type zeolite with BF.sub.3 to reduce its pore size, enhance its shape selectivity, and increase its activity towards the reaction of oligomerizing olefins. The patent also suggests using these materials for alkylation of aromatic compounds.
Certain Soviet publications suggest the use of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 catalysts for alkylation processes. Benzene alkylation using those catalysts (with 3 ppm to 5 ppm water and periodic additions of BF.sub.3) is shown in Yagubov, Kh. M. et al., Azerb. Khim. Zh., 1984, (5) p. 58. Similarly, Kozorezov, Yu and Levitskii, E. A., Zh. Print. Khim. (Leningrad), 1984, 57 (12), p. 2681, show the use of alumina which has been treated at relatively high temperatures and modified with BF.sub.3 at 100.degree. C. There are no indications that BF.sub.3 is maintained in excess. Isobutane alkylation using Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 /BF.sub.3 catalysts is suggested in Neftekhimiya, 1977, 17 (3), p. 396; 1979, 19 (3), P. 385. The olefin is ethylene. There is no indication that BF.sub.3 is maintained in excess during the reaction. The crystalline form of the alumina is not described nor is any method suggested for regeneration of the catalysts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,255 to Chou et al. suggests a process for the alkylation of isoparaffins and olefins using a composite described as "comprising a Lewis acid and a large pore zeolite and/or a non-zeolitic inorganic oxide". The process disclosed requires isomerization of the olefin feed to reduce substantially the content of alpha-olefin and further suggests that water addition to the alkylation process improves the operation of the process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,616 to Chou et al. deals with the process noted above for alkylation of isoparaffins and olefins using a composite described as "comprising a Lewis acid and a large pore zeolite" but requires addition of water for improving the operation of the process. The best Research Octane Number (RON) product shown in the examples and made using the disclosed invention is 86.0 (Table 2).
Similarly, PCT published applications WO 90/00533 and 90/00534 (which are based in part on the U.S. patent to Chou et al. noted above) suggest the same process as does Chou et al. WO 90/00534 is specific to a process using boron trifluoride-treated inorganic oxides including "alumina, silica, boria, oxides of phosphorus, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, chromia, zinc oxide, magnesia, calcium oxide, silica-alumina-zirconia, chromia-alumina, alumina-boria, silica-zirconia, and the various naturally occurring inorganic oxides of various states of purity such as bauxite, clay and diatomaceous earth". Of special note is the statement that the "preferred inorganic oxides are amorphous silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide". The examples show the use of amorphous silica (and BF.sub.3) to produce alkylates having an RON of no greater than 94. U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,577 to Huss, Jr. et al. teaches a process for the catalytic distillation of various hydrocarbons by e.g., alkylation or oligomerization, using a catalyst "consisting essentially of a Lewis acid promoted inorganic oxide." The inorganic oxide may be selected from the non-zeolitic materials discussed above with regard to the Chou et al. published PCT applications. Additionally, the inorganic oxide may be a large pore crystalline molecular sieve.
There are a variety of disclosed ways to regenerate catalysts used in alkylation processes or using Lewis acids. Typical of such processes are the following.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,916, to Caesar et al. shows a process for isoparaffin-olefin alkylation using crystalline zeolite catalysts at low isoparaffin to olefin ratios. The zeolite is first steamed to reduce the number of acid sites and so reduce the amount of olefin polymerization which occurs. The isoparaffin is added to the catalyst before the olefin is introduced to further limit the amount of polymerization. There is no discussion of the use of auxiliary Lewis acids in conjunction with the zeolites. Nevertheless, the catalysts are susceptible to deactivation due to the "accumulation in the pores thereof of olefin polymerization products". The regeneration is carried out by burning the surface residue "in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at an elevated temperature in the range of about 800.degree. to 1400.degree. F." followed by a step in which the catalyst is contacted with an aromatic or polar solvent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,679 to Gardner et al. shows a paraffin isomerization process using an HSbF.sub.6 catalyst supported on a fluorided alumina. The catalyst was regenerated by introduction of an HF stream sufficient to convert to any SbF.sub.5 to HSbF.sub.6. No mention is made of removal of any hydrocarbonaceous materials from the catalyst using this treatment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,942 to Yang also shows a process for isoparaffin-olefin alkylation using crystalline zeolite catalysts. A small amount of a hydrogenation catalyst (Group VIII metal) is included in the zeolite. Hydrogen gas is periodically introduced into the zeolite (apparently after the catalyst has been partially deactivated) and restores the activity of the catalyst. Yang indicates that the nature of the chemical reaction between the hydrocarbonaceous deposit and the hydrogen is not clear but hydrogen is consumed and the alkylation activity is restored. This procedure is said to avoid "refractory coke deposits" formed when using high temperature inert gas regeneration treatments. Oxidative treatments are then said to be necessary. A paraffinic wash is desirably first applied to the catalyst to assist in the following hydrogenation step.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,343 to Huang et al. teaches an isoparaffin-olefin alkylation process in which the catalyst is a combination of a macroreticular acid cation exchange resin and boron trifluoride. The boron trifluoride is present in an amount in excess of that needed to saturate the resin. This catalyst is said to "age" and after some period of time must be regenerated. The catalyst is regenerated by solvent extraction with a polar solvent, preferably a low molecular weight alcohol.
The process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,575 to Cahn et al. is a method of converting hydrocarbons, e.g., by alkylating them, in the presence of a Lewis acid and a strong Bronsted acid. Partially deactivated catalytic materials are pretreated with a hydrocarbon to remove contaminants and deactivated catalyst species.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,414 to Madgavkar shows a process for oligomerizing longer alpha-olefins using a particulate adsorbent (preferably SiO.sub.2) and adsorbed boron trifluoride and water. The catalyst is regenerated by the procedure of adding a small amount of water with the feed olefin.
The U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,914,256 and 4,992,614 to Rodewald suggest the reactivation of catalysts (particularly supported boron trifluoride-containing alkylation catalysts) used in a variety of hydrocarbon conversion catalysts by application of ultrasonic energy to the partially deactivated catalyst. The process is said to eliminate the need for separation of the catalyst from the feedstock nor to subject the catalyst to a "burn-off" operation.
One disclosure showing the use of SO.sub.2 to regenerate catalysts is Seapan et al, "Decoking and Regeneration of a Hydrotreating Catalyst by Supercritical Extraction", ACS Symposium Series 411, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1989. This disclosure shows the use of SO.sub.2 (and other solvents) at pressures above their critical pressures to remove coke-type carbon species from hydrotreating catalysts. The use of SO.sub.2 above 1200 psig is shown. The disclosure does not suggest the treatment of any catalysts which have non-coke residue.
These disclosures do not show the use of our liquid solvent extraction process to revive acidic catalysts having non-coke residue and especially those which are promoted with a Lewis acid (preferably BF.sub.3) and which have been used in the alkylation of isoparaffin with olefins.

Method for regenerating certain acidic hydrocarbon conversion catalysts by solvent extraction


An exercise device capable of simultaneously exercising a plurality of muscle groups, which includes an exercise chair mounted to a base, the exercise chair having a pivotally-resistant seat back. The exercise device further includes large, curvilinear conduits through which pass adjustably-resistant elastic bands with grips fixedly attached to the elastic bands proximate the upper and lower ends of the curvilinear conduits, which curvilinear conduits are laterally spaced, one on each side of the exercise chair. The exercise device further includes a resistive foot platform positioned at the front end of the base, which resistive foot platform is moveably engaged with the exercise chair. The exercise device further includes a resistive seated-row grip positioned at the front end of the base that permits cardiovascular exercise.

The field of the present invention is exercise devices, specifically, an improved, adjustable exercise device capable of simultaneously and effectively exercising a plurality of muscle groups.
Devices that function to exercise various muscle groups are well-known in the art. In particular, exercise devices that use springs or other elastic material to provide resistance have been described previously. See, e.g., Reynolds (U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,601); Kuo (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2004/0002412 A1); and Kuo et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2004/0038786 A1). By and large, these devices permit a user to exercise a given muscle group, the arm muscles for instance, by using a handle or other similar grip, attached to an elastic cord, spring, or some other similar means of providing resistance, such as weights. By pulling and releasing the handle on these devices, the user is able to exercise the specific muscle group meant to be exercised by that particular handle/resistance combination. Some previously-described devices have handle/resistance combinations that are configured in such a way that the user can exercise different muscle groups, such as the leg or abdominal muscles, in addition to the arm muscles.
These devices, however, fail to achieve a design wherein the primary exercise components are strategically located and positioned such that the user can simultaneously, efficiently, and effectively exercise multiple muscle groups, such as those of the arms, legs, back, and/or abdomen, all while maintaining a single, uninterrupted exercise routine. This is because, among other reasons, these devices require the user to stop exercising or otherwise interrupt the exercise routine in order to change or alter the configuration of the device, so as to alternate between exercises of the various muscle groups. Other of these exercise devices simply lack placement of the exercise components in such a way as to allow an uninterrupted exercise routine, or else they do not permit the full range of possible movements necessary to achieve a complete and thorough exercise workout.
For example, the devices described by Kuo (referenced above) and Kuo et al. (referenced above) have handles that necessarily must rest on the floor while not in use. Thus, for instance, it is not possible for a user to begin an exercise routine by exercising only the abdominal muscles, and to subsequently begin exercising the arms, without stopping the abdominal exercise routine in order to initiate arm exercises. The Kuo, and Kuo et al. devices further lack a feature or means to easily adjust the resistance applied to the handles during arm and back muscles exercise. In addition, while Reynolds (referenced above) describes a device that permits simultaneous exercise of the arm and leg muscles, the possible arm movements are severely limited, inasmuch as the device only permits linear motion of the arms, which consequently limits the number of arm muscle groups that can be effectively exercised. In addition, like the Kuo devices, the Reynolds device requires the user to stop exercising and make adjustments to the position of the handles before all the possible arm exercise movements can be achieved. Nor does the Reynolds device possess a separate resistance element meant to exercise the abdominal muscles, but rather possesses no mechanism by which the abdominal muscles can be stressed by independent resistance.
Barrett (U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,081) describes a device that consists of a pair of hollow, tightly-curved tubes through which elastic cords are passed, with handles attached to each end of the elastic cords. Since the curvature radius of the tubes on this device is small, the handles are necessarily located in very close proximity to the frame of the device. As a result, the user's full potential range of handle movement during exercise is impeded. That is, as a necessary consequence of the tight and short curvature of the tubes in this device, the presence of the frame and/or the tubes themselves interfere with the user's ability to move his or her arms through a full range of motion during exercise. Consequently, the user cannot achieve a complete and thorough workout of the arm muscles. Also, because the curvature radius is small, the elastic cord must pass through a tight turn while the cord is moving through the tube during exercise, thus causing friction between the elastic cord and the hollow tube, which in turn increases cord wear and decreases its effective life span.
The design of the Barrett device also does not permit the user to exercise his or her abdominal muscles by way of an independent elastic element: Any such abdominal exercise can only be achieved by doing a sit-up type exercise in conjunction with the elastically-resistant handles, and it is not possible to readily alter this device to include a separate elastic element for abdominal exercises. Nor does this device permit ease of transition between arm exercises, but rather requires the user to stop exercising and make large scale adjustments to the device and/or alter the device's position prior to initiating such exercises.
Other devices described in the art possess a feature whereby the user can exercise his or her abdominal muscles. These devices typically employ an elastic member that creates resistance to user movement, either by compression or stretching of the elastic member. See, e.g., Cayne (U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,284). However, these devices employ an elastic member that provides resistance when the user moves in a forward direction. Further, these devices fail to disclose a design that provides adequate or proper back support during the movements required to exercise the abdominal muscles. Nor do they disclose a design whereby the muscles of the arms, legs, and back can be exercised while simultaneously exercising the abdominal muscles. In addition, while some of the devices described in the preceding paragraphs above contain designs that permit exercise of the abdominal muscles, they possess the limitations and drawbacks as previously discussed, including but not limited to lack of ease of transition between exercises, limited range of arm exercise motion, lack of a specific resistance element for abdominal exercises, and/or lack of adequate or proper back support.