Shutoff valve apparatus comprising: a valve block having a valve chest on which gas collects temporarily, an inlet flow path which makes gas flow into a valve chest, an outlet flow path into which gas is made to flow out of a valve chest, a valve seat located in the inlet port of an inlet flow path, or the outlet port, a diaphragm valve element located in the opposed position of the valve seat and closes the valve port by contacting with the valve seat, pressing means for pressing diaphragm valve element, an actuator plate disposed at the opposite side of the valve chest so that the diaphragm valve element may be opposed, an operation chamber divided with the actuator plate, and an operation gas supply exhaust mechanism in which operation gas is made to supply or exhaust into the operation chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flow control device for measuring the flow of fluids in relatively low flow levels such as gas, and shutoff valve apparatuses built into the mass flow control device mentioned above.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices such as semiconductor integrated circuits and the like are generally produced by using several types of semiconductor manufacturing devices to repeatedly carry out etching, CVD film formation or the like, on semiconductor wafers or the like. In such cases a mass flow controlling device such as a mass flow controller is used because of the need to precisely control the supply of trace amounts of processing gas. See, for example, patent document 1 (Japanese Patent publication No. 11-154022 A2) and patent document 2 (Japanese Patent publication No. 2006-38832).
The structure of common mass flow controllers is illustrated in FIG. 8. FIG. 8 schematically illustrates the structure of an example of a conventional mass flow controller inserted into a gas piping, and FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram illustrating the flow detection means in a mass flow controller.
As illustrated, the mass flow controller 2 is inserted into a flow path, such as a gas piping 4, through which a fluid such as a liquid or gas flows, so as to control the mass flow. A vacuum is created, for example, inside of a piping of the semiconductor manufacturing device connected to one end of the gas piping 4. The mass flow controller 2 has a flow path 6 formed by means of stainless steel, for example, both ends of which are connected to the gas piping 4. The mass flow controller 2 includes mass flow detection means 8 located in the upstream stage of the flow path 6, and a flow control valve mechanism 10 located in the downstream stage.
The mass flow detection means 8 has a bypass assembly 12 comprising a bundle of a plurality of bypass tubes located upstream in the direction in which the gas fluid flows in the flow path 6. A sensor tube 14 is connected to both ends of the bypass assembly 12 to bypass the assembly, allowing a smaller amount of gas fluid compared to the bypass assembly 12 to flow at a constant rate therein. That is, a constant proportion of gas relative to the total gas flow always flows into the sensor tube 14. A pair of control resistor wires R1 and R4 connected in series are wound around the sensor tube 14, and flow signals S1 indicating the mass flow level are output by a sensor circuit 16 connected thereto.
The flow signal S1 is input to a control means 18 formed using a microcomputer, for example. The mass flow of the gas currently flowing is determined based on the flow signal S1. The flow control valve mechanism 10 is controlled so that the determined mass flow is consistent with the mass flow represented by an input flow set-point signal S0. The flow control valve mechanism 10 has a flow control valve 20 located on the downstream side of the flow path 6. The flow control valve 20 has a diaphragm 22 made of bendable metal plate, for example, as a valve for directly controlling the mass flow of the gas fluid.
The diaphragm 22 is moved toward the valve orifice 24 by being appropriately bent and reshaped, to allow the aperture or the opening degree of the valve orifice 24 to be controlled as desired. The upper surface of the diaphragm 22 is connected to the bottom end of an actuator 26 formed using a laminated piezoelectric element (piezo element), thereby allowing the aperture to be adjusted in the manner described above. The actuator 26 is operated by means of the valve drive voltage S2 output by the valve drive circuit 28 upon receiving a drive signal from the control means 18. An electromagnetic actuator may sometimes be used instead of a laminated piezoelectric element as the actuator 26.
Although it is necessary to stop completely a gas flow into the semiconductor manufacturing device side depending on some cases, the complete stop of gas flow is difficult because the structure of the flow control valve mechanism 10 is suitable for the flow control, not for shutoff, in the mass flow control device 2 as described above. For this reason, the shutoff valve apparatus is commonly installed in the upstream or downstream or at both sides of the mass flow control device 2. Such shutoff valve apparatus is used also at the time of zero adjustment and calibration of the mass flow control device 2.
For example, as indicated in the patent document 1 and shown in FIG. 9, the shutoff valve apparatus 30 with the pneumatic piston-cylinder actuator is plumbed to the mass flow control device 2 separately.
FIG. 9 shows an example of the conventional piping form of a mass flow control device and the shutoff valve apparatus. The shutoff valve apparatus is connected to the downstream side of the mass flow control device separately therein.
Regarding a shutoff valve apparatus of a normally open type, the shutoff valve apparatus with the pneumatic piston-cylinder actuator can easily acquire a higher power than the actuator 26 by enlarging the air contacted surface area of the cylinder. Thus, the pneumatic piston cylinder actuator has the advantage in shutoff performance of the diaphragm valve.
However, since sealing components, such as O-rings, which are commonly placed between a piston and a cylinder of this kind of pneumatic actuator of the shutoff valve apparatus, interrupt the movement of the cylinder by the friction drag, the valve may not return to the open state only by the elastic repulsion force of the metal diaphragm. Therefore, it is necessary to have a spring, etc., as an auxiliary component to open a valve certainly.
For this reason, the valve actuator consists of many parts. The structure is complicated and the size is large.
Additionally, the capacity in the gas pipe 4A, which is a connected portion between the above-mentioned mass flow control device 2 and the shutoff valve apparatus 30, e.g., a few cc, cannot be ignored as the dead volume. Since the gas remaining in the portion is the gas which the above-mentioned mass flow control device 2 cannot control, when semiconductor manufacturing devices are operated, etc., that is, when a process is resumed after closing the above-mentioned shutoff valve apparatus 30, the above-mentioned remaining gas must always be discarded. Therefore, there is a problem that the wasteful consumption of processing gas is large.
Then, the manner of integrating the above-mentioned shutoff valve apparatus 30 into the mass flow control device 2 is also proposed (FIGS. 1-3 in the patent document 1. FIG. 9 in the patent document 2).
For miniaturization, the shutoff valve apparatus of the direct sealing type whose diaphragm is driven directly with the compressed operation gas is disclosed in the patent document 1.
The shutoff valve apparatus of the patent document 1 consists of the valve seat, which is made of resin and provided in the downstream side of a flow control valve, and the metal diaphragm, which is located in the opposed position to the valve seat and clamped between a valve body and a screw type lid member.
The valve is closed by forcing metal diaphragms to the valve seat made of resin directly with the operation air supplied from air piping connected through the tube fitting screwed to the lid member.
According to this structure, there is no part such as a piston, and there is no factor that interrupts the returning movement of the metal diaphragm to the original form with its elasticity when operation air is exhausted. For this reason, it is not necessary to have a spring, etc., for assistance of opening a valve. That is, structure can be simple and there can be few parts as compared with the shutoff valve apparatus of a piston-cylinder actuator. This enables the shutoff valve apparatus to be miniaturized.
Moreover, the mass flow control device with built-in shutoff valve apparatus is indicated in the patent document 2, as shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a cross-section schematic view showing an example of the conventional mass flow control device with built-in shutoff valve apparatus. The same reference mark is given to the component part and the identical configuration portion in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10.
The structure indicated in FIG. 10 is fundamentally the same as the structure shown in the patent document 1, in the point of being built-in of the shutoff valve apparatus of a direct sealing type. The flow control valve mechanism 10 has the metal diaphragm 22 and the actuator 26 which presses and bends the above mentioned metal diaphragm 22. The valve aperture is changed to control the gas flow by making the above-mentioned diaphragm 22 approach or move away from the valve orifice 24. The shutoff valve apparatus 30 is located in the downstream side of the above-mentioned flow control valve mechanism 10, that is, in FIG. 10, the shutoff valve apparatus 30 is opposed to the lower part of the flow control valve mechanism 10, for example, is mounted on it bar screw junction.
This shutoff valve apparatus 30 has the valve chest 36 connected with the above-mentioned valve orifice 24 through the inlet flow path 34, and this valve chest 36 is divided by the metal diaphragm valve element 38 formed in the shape of a typically spherical shell.
The inlet port of the above-mentioned inlet flow path 34 facing this valve chest 36 is an inlet valve port 42, and the valve seat 44 is located in the portion of this inlet valve port 42. And from this valve chest 36, the outlet flow path 40 is extended toward semiconductor manufacturing device. On both sides of the above-mentioned diaphragm valve element 38, the operation chamber 46 is located in the opposite side of the above-mentioned valve chest 36, and the compressed operation air can be supplied to this operation chamber 46 by the electromagnetic three-way valve 48.
The inlet valve port 42 is closed by sitting the above-mentioned diaphragm valve element 38 on the valve seat 44, bending the diaphragm with the above-mentioned operation air supplied to the operation chamber 46. Thereby, the flow control valve mechanism 10 controls the mass flow rate of a gas and the shutoff valve apparatus 30 shuts off a gas flow completely. And, the capacity of the inlet flow path 34 connected from the flow control valve mechanism 10 to the shutoff valve apparatus 30, that is, the dead volume is much smaller than that of the gas piping 4A portion of the conventional device as shown in FIG. 9. Therefore, the capacity of the out-of-control gas can be decreased.
By the way, the device, which was disclosed by the above-mentioned patent documents 1 and 2, can be miniaturized in its size and also has the advantage that there is little processing gas to discard, since the shutoff valve apparatus was integrally incorporated in the mass flow control device as explained with reference to FIG. 10.
However, in the example of device as shown in the above-mentioned FIG. 10, since the pressure of operation air is uniformly applied to the whole metal diaphragm valve element 38 when the diaphragm valve element 38 of the shutoff valve apparatus 30 is operated, the high pressure of the operation air is required for deforming the metal diaphragm valve elements 38 to a closed valve state.
For example, when the gas flow at pressure 0.3 MPa is cut off, the operation air pressure of about 0.6 MPa is required, but the pressure of the operation air generally used at the manufacture factory for producing the semiconductor manufacturing device is the range of 0.4-0.7 MPa. For this reason, there was a problem that it will become difficult to realize the full closed state when the pressure of the operation air of factory is the range of 0.4-0.5 MPa. Since it is necessary to boost the operation pressure of shutoff valve apparatus to cut off the flow of high-pressure gas certainly as mentioned above, the inconvenience which is obliged to big repair in the facility of semiconductor manufacturing factory arises.

Shutoff valve apparatus and mass flow control device with built-in valve


A dual display module is provided. The dual display module comprises a common circuit board, a first display panel and a second display panel. The common circuit board has a first surface and a second surface. The first display panel and the second display panel are respectively set up on the first surface and the second surface. At least one of the display panels is directly attached to the common circuit board through a connecting interface. The dual display module has a lower manufacturing cost and provides a better yield.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display module. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dual display module having a lower manufacturing cost and a better yield.
2. Description of Related Art
In this information-based society, our dependence on portable electronic products increases every day. Electronic products such as mobile phones, notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDA) can be seen everywhere. As electronic technologies continue to progress, many types of multi-functional and personalized portable electronic products have been developed. For example, many types of mobile phones can be found in the market. Aside from the vertical type of mobile phones with an operating interface (keypad) on the same side as the display screen, other types of mobile phones include the one whose operating interface (keypad) and the display screen can be folded together. In general, the foldable type of the mobile phones has a larger display area and occupies a smaller space than a conventional vertical type phone. Recently, a foldable mobile phone with dual display screens is out in the market. Besides the main display screen, a smaller secondary display screen is set up on the surface of the front panel backing on the main display screen. The secondary display screen mainly serves to indicate time or incoming calls.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic views showing the front and the back of a dual display module of a conventional mobile phone. The dual display module 100 comprises a first display panel 110, a second display panel 120, a first circuit board 130 and a second circuit board 140. Furthermore, the first display panel 110 has a size larger than the second display panel 120. The first circuit board 130 has a first surface 132 and a second surface 134. The first display panel 110 is set up on the first surface 132 of the first circuit board 130 and connected to the first circuit board 130 through a flexible circuit board 150. One end of the flexible circuit board is connected to the peripheral circuit of the first display panel 110. The other end of the flexible circuit board wraps around the side of the first circuit board 130 and presses against a first connection interface 134a on the second surface 134 of the first circuit board 130 to form a bond by anisotropic conductive paste (ACP).
As shown in FIG. 1B, the second display panel 120 is set up on the second surface 134 of the first circuit board 130 and electrically connected to the second connection interface 134b of the first circuit board 130 through the second circuit board 140. The second circuit board 140 is a flexible circuit board and electrically connected with the first circuit board 130 in a pressing manner by anisotropic conductive paste. In the aforementioned process, the first display panel 110 and the first circuit board 130 are first pressed together. Similarly, the second display panel 120 and the second circuit board 140 are electrically connected by a press fit process. Finally, the first circuit board 130 and the second circuit board 140 are pressed together. In other words, altogether three separate pressing processes are required to fabricate the dual display module.
The second circuit board 140 and the first circuit board 130 can be electrically connected using some other methods too. Referring to FIG. 1C, a back view of another dual display module of a conventional mobile phone is shown. The second circuit board 140 is assembled to the first circuit board 130 through a connector 160. Hence, the fabrication of the dual display module 100 involved two press-fit processes and an assembly process only. Although assembly using a connector 160 costs more than connection in a direct press-fit manner, yet a single slot in the connector 160 may simultaneously link up with a plurality of leads. Hence, further expansion or alteration is permitted in the presence of the connector 160. In addition, the manner by assembling further aids subsequent product repair.
However, because the aforementioned dual display modules demands the first display panel and the second display panel assembled through the first circuit board and the second circuit board respectively, the production cost regardless whether a flexible circuit board or a connector is employed. Moreover, the conventional dual display module has to be assembled in at least three steps. When the number of processing steps is increased, not only fabrication time is prolonged but more assembling errors are also occur. Eventually, the productivity and assembling yield of the dual display module will drop.


An inner diameter of a third stator core is greater than an inner diameter of a second stator core. When a first stator core, the second stator core, and the third stator core are placed in an inner periphery of a coil, a jig is inserted from an inner-periphery opening of a first end side of the third stator core into the third stator core to directly position the first stator core, the second stator core, and the third stator core in a radial direction. Therefore, a side force generated by an axis deviation between the first stator core, the second stator core, and the third stator core can be reduced.

JP-2005-045217A (US 2004/0257185 A1) discloses a linear solenoid mounted to a vehicle outputs a thrust using a magnetic flux generated according to an energization of a coil.
In the linear solenoid, a movement amount of a movable core in an axial direction can be increased without increasing a size of the linear solenoid in the axial direction. The movable core includes a cylindrical portion. Stator cores are placed at positions inside of the movable core and outside of the movable core, respectively.
A better configuration of the linear solenoid according to JP-2005-045217A includes the movable core, a first stator core, a second stator core, and a third stator core, which are made of magnetic material.
The movable core includes a magnetic portion having a cylindrical shape, and is placed in an inner periphery of the coil and is movable with respect to an axial direction concentric with the coil. The first stator core is placed at a position inside of an inner periphery of the movable core, and the first stator core receives and transmits the magnetic flux in a radial direction of the movable core. The second stator core is a magnetic portion having a cylindrical shape, and is placed at a position outside of an outer periphery of the movable core such that the movable core is interposed between the first stator core and the second stator core. The second stator core receives and transmits the magnetic flux in the radial direction of the movable core. The third stator core is placed at a position such that the third stator core is not in contact with the second stator core in the axial direction. The third stator core magnetically attracts the movable core in the axial direction.
However, the first stator core, the second stator core, and the third stator core can be directly positioned in the radial direction.
According to JP-2005-045217A, a magnetic portion provided integrally with the first stator core and a magnetic portion provided integrally with the second stator core are fitted to each other to position the first stator core and the second stator core in the axial direction.
Therefore, the first stator core, the second stator core, and the third stator core is insufficiently positioned in the radial direction, and it is possible that a side force generated by an axis deviation between the first stator core, the second stator core, and the third stator core increases. In this case, the side force is an attractive force generated between the movable core, the first stator core, the second stator core, and the third stator core, in the radial direction.

Linear solenoid and manufacturing method of the same


A method for generating single optical pulses of picosecond-range duration with suppressed transient emission tails.

High-speed low-power superconducting rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) digital circuit technology offers significant advantages over the currently dominant CMOS digital technology (that consumes too much power) for a wide range of applications, ranging from digital radio frequency receivers to high performance computing. RSFQ circuits can operate at frequencies over 100 GHz (circuits operating up to 770 GHz have been demonstrated. Computers based on RSFQ however, have not been competitive due to lack of energy-efficient, high-bandwidth data links from cryogenic superconducting circuits to room-temperature semiconductor circuits. From the energy efficiency point of view, an optical data link would have an obvious advantage over all-electrical metal links in terms of much lower heat conductivity (negligible heat leak) and signal attenuation.
The RSFQ signal is a sequence of very short (˜1 ps) pulses with a high repetition rate of over 100 GHz. Although WRLs are predicted to be quite responsive to such repetition rates, the optical output signal can be severely distorted due to transient behavior of the laser in response to 1 ps input pulses of injection current. This complication can make detection and interpretation of the transmitted data a very difficult problem to solve. For example, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the calculated optical response of a 20-μm-diameter injection-locked WRL to a single 1-ps square current pulse of 1 mA amplitude. The figures represent two different biasing conditions of a single-frequency master laser and the WRL. In one situation of "high bias" (FIG. 1), the master laser is biased at 12 mA, two times above threshold, and the ring laser is biased at 6 mA, three times above threshold. In the second situation of "low bias" (FIG. 2), the master laser is at 7 mA, only 1 mA above the threshold, and the ring laser is at its threshold with 2 mA of injection current. In both cases, the ring laser is at 50 GHz positive frequency detuning relative to the master laser. As can be seen from the figures, the optical response is sensitive to the biasing conditions of the slave ring laser and to the optical injection level from the master laser. In either case, however, there is a pronounced ringing in the optical response that continues for almost 100 ps.
A need, therefore, exists for a method of controlling the slave laser output in order to generate single picosecond-range optical pulses with substantially suppressed transient emission tails in response to applying injection-current pulses of picosecond duration.

Method for generating single picosecond optical pulses with substantially suppressed transient emission tail in semiconductor diode laser


A pyrotechnic charge structure, in particular for use as propellant in a rocket motor, is disclosed. The charge structure has a predetermined longitudinal extension and cross sectional area adapted to the intended purpose. The pyrotechnic charge structure (1; 2; 3; 4) is in cross sectional view in cellular form aimed at having similar wall thickness for all the cells of the charge structure. The wall (6) of the cells comprises the pyrotechnic charge, i.e. the propellant, and each cavity of the cells occupies air or oxygen-rich gas.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a pyrotechnic charge structure, in particular for use as propellant in a rocket motor, which charge structure has a predetermined longitudinal extension and transversal cross sectional area adapted to the intended purpose.
2. Description of Background Art:
In some types of weapons for various uses, it is particularly important that the propellant for a projectile is burnt extremely fast, i.e. within 5-10 milliseconds. Typical examples are shoulder launched weapons like M-72, Carl Gustav, or weapons where the marksman is standing adjacent to the weapon. Such weapons are not allowed to have extensive tail-off, i.e. they need to burn out instantly without prolonged burning time to decrease gas pressure. In shoulder fired weapons the projectile is shot out from a launcher. Here it will be of most importance that the propellant is burnt out before the projectile leaves the launcher. If not, the combustion gases, and possibly flashes and residual products from the combustion will be thrown toward the face and body of the marksman and cause severe injuries.
According to the present invention is a pyrotechnic charge structure of the introductorily described type provided, which is distinguished in that the pyrotechnic charge structure, in transversal cross section, is in cellular form aimed at having similar wall thickness for all the cells in the charge structure, and in which the wall of the cells comprises the pyrotechnic charge, i.e. the propellant, and each cavity of the cells occupies air or oxygen-rich gas.
The advantage with this pyrotechnic charge structure is as follows. Subsequent to the ignition of the propellant it will be burning from all of the surfaces simultaneously and perpendicular to the surfaces of the cell walls, or webs, until it all is simultaneously burnt out. This may happen extremely fast since the thickness of the cell walls is at a minimum at the same time as the said thickness is substantially the same all around the cell. In addition is a high burning pressure generated (rapidly up and rapidly down). Such a propellant is a high-energy fuel that can be utilized in an effective way for launching missiles/rockets.
In a preferable embodiment the cells are in the form of a polygonal structure. In one for the time being particularly preferred embodiment, the cells have the form of a honeycomb structure. Other conceivable embodiments of the cell structure are a lattice structure, for example having square cellular form, a triangle structure, a circle structure and an oval structure.
Advantageously the charge can be a fuel of the composite type, like HTPB (Hydroxyl Terminated Polybutadiene), HTPE (Hydroxyl Terminated Polyether), CTPB (Carboxyl Terminated Polybutadiene), or molded double base or other moldable powder/propellant types and combinations.
According to the size of the weapon, the wall thickness of the cells will be adapted to the actual dimensions, and the wall thickness of the cells will typically be in order of magnitude 1-5 mm.
Other and further objects, features and advantages will appear from the following description of for the time being preferred embodiments of the invention, which are given for the purpose of description, without thereby being limiting, and given in context with the appended drawings where:
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.


In a rotary atomization coating apparatus having a center cone portion at a back side of an atomizer head inner part, the tip angle θ of the center cone portion is in the range of 30°<θ<90° with respect to a front side of the atomizer head inner part.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a technology of a rotary atomization coating apparatus that atomizes coating material into fine or coarse particles and deposits coating material particles onto a coating-object piece. More particularly, the invention relates to a technology for improving the cleaning characteristic of a rotary atomization coating apparatus in which coating material is sprayed into a rotating center cone and the atomized coating material is jetted.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known rotary atomization coating apparatus has, at a tip of a coating gun, an atomizer head that is rotated at high speed, and performs the coating by atomizing a coating material via the atomizer head and controlling the shape of coating material spraying by using shaping air or the like. The atomizer head atomizes coating material by causing a center cone provided in an inner part to spray coating material and spraying coating material by centrifugal force.
In the rotary atomization coating apparatus, the changing of coating colors involves the cleaning of the apparatus. To clean the rotary atomization coating apparatus, a thinner or the like is supplied as a cleaning agent to an inner part of the atomizer head via an ejection opening. In order to improve the cleaning characteristic of a known rotary atomization coating apparatus in which an cleaning thinner passage extending from a back side of an atomizer head inner part to a front side of the atomizer head inner part is provided in a central portion of the atomizer head inner part, the thinner passage is designed so that a portion of the thinner passage portion located at a side of outlet to the front side of the atomizer head inner part has a shape that becomes progressively larger toward the front side of the atomizer head inner part (e.g., see Patent Literature 1).                [Patent Literature 1]        Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 8-215611
However, in the rotary atomization coating apparatus in which a cleaning thinner passage portion becomes progressively larger toward the front side of the atomizer head inner part, sprayed coating material may sometimes bounce inside the atomizer head inner part to deposit on an inner surface of the atomizer head inner part.
If inside the atomizer head inner part, coating material is sprayed to the back side of a forward portion of the atomizer head inner part, the coating material bounces from the back side of the forward portion of the atomizer head inner part and then deposits on the front side of a rearward portion of the atomizer head inner part.


Methods of cleaning a swimming pool using a swimming pool cleaning head. A first method may include intermittently raising a nozzle head under water and ejecting a stream of water under water, incrementally rotating the nozzle head in a clockwise direction, retracting the nozzle head, sliding a cam reverser, and reversing the direction of rotation of the nozzle head with the cam reverser to counterclockwise. A second method may include rotating a stem by sliding at least one pin coupled to the stem through at least one channel in a cam, the stem configured to release a stream of water under water in a swimming pool. The method may further include reversing the direction of rotation of the stem by sliding a slidable section of the cam with the at least one pin.

1. Technical Field
Aspects of this document relate generally to cleaning nozzles for swimming pools.
2. Background Art
Conventional cleaning nozzles for swimming pools utilize water pressure generated by a pool pump to direct a stream of water across a surface of the pool to entrain and move contaminants from the surface toward a drain. Many conventional cleaning nozzles "pop up" from a surface of a pool as the heads, normally level with the surface, are extended under the influence of water pressure from the pump. When the water pressure from the pump ends, the heads retract downward until level with the surface, conventionally in response to bias from a spring element contained within the cleaning nozzle.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for operating lamps. The circuit arrangement essentially comprises a full bridge. According to the invention, at least one inductor is connected in series with a full-bridge branch for switching load relief purposes. The circuit arrangement is preferably suitable for operation using a charge pump. PFC is thus achieved in a single-stage arrangement.

Specification U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,479 (Steigerwald) discloses a DC-to-DC converter which is in the form of a full bridge. Parasitic capacitances and diodes of the switches in the full bridge provide load relief for the switches. The switches only switch on when the voltage which is applied to the switches is zero. This is referred to in the literature as "zero voltage switching" (ZVS). The functional principle described is based on a resonant process between the parasitic capacitances and the inductive component of a load resistance. Load relief for the switches can thus only be realized in a restricted range of the operating frequency. Since lamps often need to be operated in a frequency range which is prescribed by the lamp technology, and, in addition, the inductive component of the load resistance is prescribed by inductors for current limitation purposes, switching load relief is only rarely possible in the case of full bridges from the prior art during lamp operation.

Circuit arrangement having a full bridge with switching load relief for operating lamps

Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft für Glühlampen mbH


A digital camera enabling a photographer to select representative frames reflecting his intentions, which captures both moving pictures and still images, and encodes moving picture data by frame correlation compression. The camera includes an image processing section that increases the number of I pictures in compressed moving picture data captured before, or before and after, a still image recording (SIR) instruction is received during moving picture acquisition. By this arrangement, continuous image data can be buffered for a fixed time period, and when a SIR instruction is given, this image data can be compressed and recorded as I pictures with the data being traced back for a fixed time period. As a result, image data further in the past by a fixed time period than the time at which the SIR instruction is given can be acquired as I pictures, enabling the user to select intended representative frames.

The present invention relates to a digital camera which has the function of capturing both still images and moving pictures.
Digital cameras generally mount an imaging element which outputs an original image signal of the object of imaging, a signal processing circuit which produces digital original image data on the basis of the original image signal output by the imaging element, an encoding circuit which compresses and encodes the original image data output from the signal processing circuit, and a memory circuit which stores the compressed encoded data output from the encoding circuit. In the encoding circuit, for example, the original image data is compression-encoded by means such as discrete cosine transformation, quantization, variable length encoding or the like. For instance, JPEG (Joint Photographic Coding Experts Group) is known as a standard using discrete cosine transformation, quantization, Huffman encoding or the like. Furthermore, for example, motion JPEG is known as a standard for compression-encoding a plurality of images that are continuous in a time sequence according to the JPEG standard. Furthermore, for example, MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) is known as a standard for compression-encoding moving pictures consisting of a plurality of images that are continuous in a time sequence. I pictures (Intra Pictures) which are intra-frame encoded images, P pictures (Predictive Pictures) which are inter-frame encoded images and B pictures (Bidirectionally Predictive Pictures) which are bidirectionally predictive encoded images are used in MPEG image compression.
As the performance of digital cameras has improved, digital camera models that have the function of taking both still images and moving pictures have been developed. In such digital camera models, the following function is provided: namely, typical frames are selected from the plurality of frames making up the moving pictures that are taken by the digital camera, and these frames are handled as still images. A technique for simplifying the determination of representative frames that reflect the intentions of the photographer is proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-120403. In the same reference, the imaging section of the digital camera transmits the respective frames obtained by continued imaging of the object of imaging to a ring buffer in the order of image acquisition. The ring buffer stores the transmitted frames in the order in which these frames are received. When the shutter switch is depressed during imaging, a tag information producing section creates representative frame discriminating information which indicates that the frame imaged while the shutter switch is depressed are representative frames. After a specified time has elapsed from the depression of the shutter switch, the image data creating section prepares each representative frame stored in the ring buffer and a plurality of frames preceding and following the imaging of this representative frame as one set of image data, and attaches representative frame discriminating information.

Digital camera for capturing both still images and moving pictures


A lifting and lowering apparatus may include: at least one cable, at least one pulley connected to the at least one cable, at least one drive member connected to the at least one cable for driving the at least one cable in at least one direction, a moveable payload attachment member for attaching to a payload to be at least one of lifted and lowered, an attachment member guide attached to the moveable payload attachment member, and an alignment guide for positioning at a position. The moveable payload attachment member may be at least one of lifted and lowered by the at least one cable. Both the attachment member guide and the alignment guide may be shaped to force the attachment member guide into a pre-determined mating position and orientation against the alignment guide at the position.

Conventional methods and/or apparatus for installing payloads, such as electrical devices, in a raised or lowered final installation location typically require a technician to move the payload from the starting location to the final installation location, attach the payload to a structure at the final installation position, and to then run network, signal, or power cables to the payload. The payload may comprise one or more active devices that require some form of wired connection, or items that do not need a wired connection. Installation methods and/or apparatus often require multiple people, ground support equipment, such as mobile lift vehicles, scissor lifts, and/or other types of lift equipment, and require the final installation position to have enough clearance for the ground support equipment. Making adjustments to, maintaining, and/or removing the payload after it is installed may be difficult since the technician may need to be moved to the final installation location, and/or the payload may need to be disconnected and brought back to the starting location.
A lifting and lowering apparatus is needed to reduce and/or solve one or more problems of one or more conventional methods and/or apparatus for installing, replacing, and/or maintaining payloads at final installation locations which are removed from a starting location.

Apparatus and methods for lifting and lowering vertically mounted devices


The embodiments of the present invention publishes a color cast compensation method for liquid crystal display panel, which comprises the steps of obtaining a trace impedance of each trace of a plurality of traces in a fan-out-shape and obtaining a correlation curve showing the relationship between the trace impedance and a channel according to the trace impedance; obtaining a curve of a real driving force on an output terminal of the channel according to the correlation curve showing the relationship between the trace impedance and the channel; adjusting a size of a cross-sectional area of a MOS transistor on the output terminal of the channel according to the curve of the real driving force. The embodiment of the present invention further publishes another color cast compensation method for liquid crystal display panel and a color cast compensation system for liquid crystal display panel. The embodiments of the present invention solves the color cast problem appears in the liquid crystal display panel nowadays.

In a conventional Tri-gate LCD panel, the output voltages of each channel on source terminal of each of the transistors are the same, and the driving forces formed therefore are the same as well. To ensure the voltages of each data buses are the same when the transistors are in a solid color mode such that each pixel receives the same electrical potential, impedances of each fan-out shape trace of each channel when unit corresponding to source side of each transistor fans out the fan-out shape trace should be the same theoretically.
However, in a liquid crystal display panel with narrow border, the impedances of the traces is hardly the same because the layout area for the fan-out shape traces in the narrow border is limited. Because the layout distance on two sides of the traces is longer than that on middle of the traces, the impedance usually appears to be small in middle and big on two sides. Accordingly, voltage latency on two sides of the data bus is more serious than that on middle part of the data bus. Once the charging time of the pixel is not enough, the voltage maintained by the pixel cannot reach to an ideal voltage such that the brightness of R, G or B is dimmed. Specifically, when the liquid crystal display panel with narrow border is a single film tri-gate transistor liquid crystal display panel, serious two side color cast appears in color blending grey frame such as R+G, G+B or B+R, and the situations are greenish, bluish or reddish, respectively. It appears to be a vertical color cast block when the liquid crystal display panel is a multiple film tri-gate transistor liquid crystal display panel.
Referring to FIG. 1, which shows the diagram of data curve corresponding to the voltage variation of the channels of the source side of the transistor on middle and both side of the unit, in an example for displaying R+G color blending grey frame in the single film tri-gate transistor liquid crystal display panel, the curve corresponding to the relationship between the output voltage and the channels on three points A, B and C can be obtained. Referring to FIG. 2, the pixel voltage latency in the curves of point B and C in each side is more serious such that the rising time or the falling time of the pixel voltage is slow. When a data source outputs a R+G color blending grey frame (R: 255 grey, G: 255 grey, B: 0 grey), since color R of each pixel on each channel of point B and C cannot be charged to 255 grey and color B of the same pixel cannot be discharged to 0 grey rapidly after the voltage latency caused by the output terminal and the WOA (Wiring On Array), color cast is generated and yellow color is displayed in middle of the displayer while green color is displayed in both side of the displayer.

Color cast compensation method and system for liquid crystal display panel

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd


An apparatus, system, and method generate hydrogen through a controlled chemical reaction between water and a chemical hydride. The invention includes a chemical hydride isolated from water by a water-selective membrane. A fluid containing water is brought into contact with the water-selective membrane. The water diffuses through the water-selective membrane and reacts with the chemical hydride. The water diffuses through the membrane at a predetermined rate based on a water concentration gradient across the water-selective membrane. The water-selective membrane is substantially impermeable to elements and molecules other than water. Hydrogen generated within the chemical hydride is collected and used in various applications.

1. The Field of the Invention
The invention relates to apparatus, systems, and methods for generating hydrogen from a chemical hydride. Specifically, the invention relates to apparatus, systems, and methods for generating hydrogen by a self-regulated chemical reaction between water and a chemical hydride.
2. The Relevant Art
Various energy sources are used to fuel today's society. Fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas are some of the most commonly used fuels due to the comparatively large quantities available and minimal expense required to locate, collect, and refine the fossil fuels into usable energy sources. Alternative energy sources are available. Some of the alternative energy sources are readily available; however, the cost to generate, collect, or refine the alternative energy sources traditionally outweighs the benefits gained from the alternative energy sources.
Hydrogen is a plentiful alternative energy source; however, hydrogen generally exists as a molecule combined with one or more other elements. The additional elements add mass and may prevent the hydrogen from being a usable energy source. As a result, pure hydrogen is desired for use as an energy source. Pure hydrogen comprises free hydrogen atoms or molecules comprising only hydrogen atoms. Producing pure hydrogen using conventional methods requires expensive, bulky, and heavy storage containers.
In the prior art, pure hydrogen is generated by a chemical reaction which produces either free hydrogen atoms or hydrogen molecules. One such chemical reaction occurs between water, H2O, and chemical hydrides. Chemical hydrides are molecules comprising hydrogen and one or more alkali or alkali-earth metals. Examples of chemical hydrides include lithium hydride (LiH), lithium tetrahydridoaluminate (LiAlH4), lithium tetrahydridoborate (LiBH4), sodium hydride (NaH), sodium tetrahydridoaluminate (NaAlH4), sodium tetrahydridoborate (NaBH4), and the like. The chemical hydrides produce large quantities of pure hydrogen when reacted with water, as shown in reaction 1.LiAlH4(s)+2H2O(g,l)→LiAlO2(s)+4H2(g)  (1)
Recently, the interest in hydrogen generation from chemical hydrides has increased, due to the development of lightweight, compact Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells. One by-product of the PEM fuel cells is water that can be used to produce pure hydrogen from chemical hydrides for fuelling the PEM fuel cell. The combination of PEM fuel cells with a chemical hydride hydrogen generator offers advantages over other energy storage devices in terms of gravimetric and volumetric energy density, as shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1Density Comparison for Various Energy Storage Devices producing 220 W for12 hrsSourceTotalSpecificSpecificRequiredEnergyFuelTotalEnergyConversionConv.Energy(W-h/WtSystemWt.(W-h/Energy SourceTypeEff.(W-h)kg)(Kg)Wt (kg)(kg)kg)LiBH4 (waterPEMFC50%5,28012,3000.432.933.36785recycling)LiH (water recycling)PEMFC50%5,2808,5000.623.093.71712LiAlH4 (waterPEMFC50%5,2807,1000.743.19 3.93672recycling)NaH (waterPEMFC50%5,2802,8001.894.095.98441recycling)GasolineReformer/30%8,80012,3000.725.466.18427PEMFCDieselReformer/30%8,8009,9000.895.536.42411PEMFCPropaneReformer/30%8,80012,9000.686.006.68395PEMFCNatural GasReformer/30%8,80011,9000.746.066.80388PEMFCGasolineICE15%17,60012,3001.435.466.89383NaBH4 (20%PEMFC50%5,2801,4203.724.077.79339hydride/watersolution)Zinc-Air RefuelableDirect60%4,40040011.000.0011.00240BatteryMethanol (25%DMFC30%8,8001,3756.405.1511.55229methanol/watersolution)Magnesium HydridePEMFC50%5,2801,2004.4011.3915.79167CompressedPEMFC50%5,28033,3000.1623.6023.76113Hydrogen (4.5 KPSI)Li-ion BatteryDirect90%2,93312024.440.0024.44108(rechargeable)NiMH BatteryDirect90%2,9337041.900.0041.9063(rechargeable)Lead Acid BatteryDirect90%2,9334073.330.0073.3336(rechargeable)Notes:1) PEMFC weight based on 85 W/kg. Reformer weight equals PEMFC weight. ICE weight based on 45 W/kg. H2 cylinder weight based on 130 kg tank/kg fuel. Methane/Propane cylinder weight based on 1.2 kg tank/kg fuel. Tank weight for other liquid sources based on 0.4 kg tank/kg fuel. Tank weight for other solid sources based on 0.8 kg tank/kg fuel.2) The energy densities of the chemical hydrides were calculated assuming that water produced in the PEMFC is recycled to react with the chemical hydride.3) The energy densities of all other sources are generally accepted values from the literature.4) The DMFC was assumed to be 30% efficient. The PEMFC was assumed to be 50% efficient. The hydrogen reformer was assumed to be 60% efficient. A small ICE was assumed to be 15% efficient. 90% of the energy in the battery was assumed to be recoverable.
Unfortunately, the prior art has encountered unresolved problems producing pure hydrogen from chemical water/hydride reactions. Specifically, conventional systems, methods, and apparatus have not successfully controlled the chemical reaction between the water and the chemical hydride without adversely affecting the gravimetric and volumetric energy density of the overall system.
The chemical reaction between water and chemical hydrides is very severe and highly exothermic. The combination of the water and the chemical hydride must be precisely controlled to prevent a runaway reaction or an explosion. Many attempts have been made to properly control the reaction while still preserving the gravimetric and volumetric energy density provided by the chemical hydrides.
For example, the chemical hydride may be mixed with a stable, non-reactive organic liquid that allows the chemical hydride to be safely stored until it is needed. To produce hydrogen at a desired rate the chemical hydride/organic liquid mixture is brought in contact with a catalyst. In another example, a nonflammable solution of 20% NaBH4, 75% water and 5% NaOH, produces hydrogen when brought in contact with a catalyst. While these examples may successfully control the water/chemical hydride reaction, the stabilizing materials and catalysts are non-reactive materials that add weight and do not store energy. Consequently, the energy density of the storage device is reduced.
In another prior art approach, impermeable polyethylene balls encapsulate a chemical hydride. The ping-pong ball size spheres are stored in water until hydrogen is required, at which point a special cutting system slices the ball in half, exposing the chemical hydride to the water. Unfortunately, this approach includes many moving mechanical parts that are subject to malfunction, increase the weight of the system, and increase the cost of the hydrogen generator.
Finally, certain prior art techniques separate water from the chemical hydride using a membrane. Generally, the membranes pass water because of a difference in water pressure across the membrane. Water pressure on the side of the membrane opposite the chemical hydride pushes the water through the membrane. Other membranes utilize capillary action to transport water from one side of the membrane to the other. Consequently, a water supply must be provided that supplies water to the water side of the membrane to be transported by capillary action to the chemical hydride side of the membrane.
Unfortunately, prior art attempts to control the chemical reaction of water and chemical hydrides using membranes have limitations. Specifically, the membranes require that a water supply be constantly maintained such that sufficient water and/or water pressure is available on the water side of the membrane. As a result, the water supply increases the overall weight and complexity of the system.
Furthermore, in order for the membranes to properly function, the water must be in a liquid form. The liquid water increases the weight of the system and limits the environments in which the conventional hydrogen generator may be operated, because the water must stay at a temperature between the freezing and boiling points of the water. In addition, the membranes generally have pores that allow the water to pass. These pores may also allow hydrogen to pass back through the membrane toward the water side of the membrane which complicates the collection of the hydrogen.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved apparatus, system, and method that overcomes the problems and disadvantages of the prior art. The apparatus, system, and method should not include a catalyst or stabilizing material to control the chemical water/hydride reaction. In particular, the apparatus, system, and method should control a chemical reaction between water and a chemical hydride using a membrane without relying on a water pressure differential across the membrane. The membrane should allow substantially only water to pass. In addition, the apparatus, system, and method should control a chemical reaction between water and a chemical hydride using a membrane that functions whether the water is in a liquid state or a gaseous state. Furthermore, the apparatus, system, and method should be compact, lightweight, simple, and maximize the gravimetric and volumetric energy density of the chemical hydride. Such an apparatus, system, and method are disclosed herein.

Apparatus, system, and method for generating hydrogen


Apparatus, systems and methods for subjecting biological contaminated liquid fuels and/or liquids to an oscillating electric field for an extended duration within a treatment vessel that has a defined cavity having an insulating fill material encasing a number of insulating flow tubes each having at least one conductive body therein. The defined cavity also has one or more reservoirs in communication with the insulating flow tubes. An oscillating electric field is generated within the insulating flow tubes and reservoirs, whereby a biologically contaminated liquid fuel and/or lubricant is subjected to this oscillating electric field for an extended time to inhibit proliferation of these biological contaminants within the liquid fuels and/or lubricants.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronically eliminating or inhibiting the presence and reproduction of biological contaminants within fluid fuels or lubricants, tanks, or piping systems.
2. Description of Related Art
It has been known since the late 1800's that biological contaminants exist in hydrocarbon fuels. For instance, fungi and microbes (e.g., bacterium) were found to have been living and reproducing on purely hydrocarbon diets. Various other types of biological contaminants have also been reported in petroleum products, fuels and fuel systems over the years.
Biological contaminants are undesirable within flowing fluids, especially liquid fuels and lubricants, due to their tendency to grow and aggregate into clumps that form slime or a film, often referred to as a biofilm or a biomass. Both biological slime and biofilms generally grow at the bottoms of storage and piping systems, and include multiple species of contaminants that cooperate together in destructive ways by casting off filaments and/or tendrils that coat the sensors and filters within the filter tanks. Larger pieces of debris from these agglomerated biological contaminants can break off over time to abruptly decrease or even stop system performance.
It has also been shown that microbes within the biological contaminants can lead to microbial induced corrosion at the containment wall. This type of corrosion is created as an electrical phenomenon in combination with several processing conditions that cause microbes to separate metal components from the liquid. These separated metal components accumulate as acid byproducts including, for example, hydrochloric, nitric, nitrous or sulfuric acids, all of which deteriorate the fluid system.
Several approaches have been developed in order to avoid liquid fuel or lubricant system corrosion and deterioration. These approaches include chemical treatments as well as physical treatments and/or approaches. Chemical techniques for killing microbes involve the use of specially manufactured chemical micro-biocides that poison the biological cells known to affect and deteriorate fuels and lubricants. Many of these micro-biocides are controlled and government regulated due to their toxicity and difficulty of disposal. Often, when chemical biocides are used to eliminate microbes in liquids, the waste generated by the filtered liquid is toxic and must be carefully removed and disposed of so as not to contaminate the environment. For instance, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME), was commonly used as both a micro-biocide and a deicing agent for aircraft, however, its use has ceased due to its environmental toxicity. As such, many chemical treatments are slowly falling out of use due to their toxicity.
Physical treatments for killing microbes in liquids are typically broken into two primary categories, cell removal and cell disruption. Filtration is the most common cell or microbe removal technology. Other known cell disruption technologies include electrochemical, ultrasound, microwave, germicidal ultraviolet light (UV) and magnetic fields.
Electrochemical approaches are used in aqueous (i.e., water-based) liquid flows where current is conducted directly through the water to form short-lived chemistries in the zone of conduction that kill the bacteria. However, in highly nonconductive fuels and lubricants, electrochemical approaches are inefficient and often not viable. Ultrasonic techniques have also been implemented to disinfect aqueous media (e.g., drinking water). Yet, these techniques often require 60 minutes, or more, to achieve a kill rate of over 90%.
Microwave techniques enable the absorption of the microwaves into the aqueous molecular structures, and as such, are often used for sterilization of liquid food products. The relatively low energies used in microwave techniques may oxidize any alkynes present in fuels or lubricants. As such, the tendency for alkynes to oxidize at relatively low energies and damage the fuel by oxidation results in these approaches to be economically undesirable for fuels and/or lubricants.
Germicidal UV implement short wavelength ultraviolet radiation to destroy bacteria, molds and other bacterial organism for water treatment, typically in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning applications. In doing so, UV lamps at 185 nm and 254 nm light produce ozone with the 185 nm wavelengths and hydroxide radicals on instruction of the ozone with the 254 nm wavelength. However, these low powered ultraviolet sources are not sufficient for destroying bacteria, molds and other bacterial organisms in fuels and lubricants. Because most of the UV Energy was adsorbed by the first 10 um of fuel.
Magnetic field techniques use strong permanent magnets to damage cells as they pass by these fields at moderate flow rates. The magnetic fields cause any contaminants within the liquid to move back and forth until this movement causes the contaminant to break apart or split. The magnetic fields are passive fields that only break or split the contaminants into pieces, and do not further treat such contaminants thereafter. The split and/or broken pieces of contaminants continue to maintain their genetic make-up intact and unchanged, such that, these fragments or pieces are capable of growing, reproducing and even taking on genetic material or code from other contaminants. As such, any contaminant or fragment thereof having been passed through a magnetic field remains to be capable of growing into a biofilm or biomass. Magnets depend on fluids passing extremely close to concentrated field lines, at high velocity to create a large enough coupling, to influence the microbe. Most magnetic systems utilize open channels to limit the differential pressure across the device, rendering them less effective.
Therefore, a need continues to exist for improved non-chemical micro-inhibitors for systems, apparatus and methods that eliminate and destroy biological contaminants and microbes within liquid fuels and/or lubricants, and render any remaining biological contaminants within the treated effluent unviable.

Electronic biological eliminator for inhibiting bio-film and microorganism development in fuels and lubricants


In methods for screening treatments for, and treatment of, neurodegenerative diseases, aggregation in neurons of NACP/α-synuclein is measured and expression of a non-amyloidogenic protein is stimulated in order to reduce the level aggregration. For purposes of screening agents for treatment of neurodegenerative disease, oxidative stress in the neuronal cells is stimulated by introducing a mixture of metal-ions and hydrogen peroxide. Examples of appropriate metals include iron, aluminum, and copper. After introduction of the agent under evaluation for stimulation of expression of non-amyloidogenic protein, the effectiveness is measured by testing for a decrease in the level of aggregation of NACP/α-synuclein. In an exemplary embodiment, the non-amyloidogenic protein is β-synuclein. The aggregation of NACP/α-synuclein is dependent upon the concentration of metal ions in the neuronal cells. In addition, the presence of chelating agents appears to modulate the build-up of NACP/α-synuclein aggregates which are responsible for synaptic and neuronal dysfunction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the selection of inhibitors with anti-amyloidogenic activity for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease and more specifically to methods of testing and selection of inhibitory compounds with anti-amyloidogenic properties for the treatment of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
2. Background Information
Degenerative disorders of the central nervous system are characterized by progressive, subacute or chronic loss of neurons and their terminals accompanied by reactive alterations, including astrogliosis and microgliosis.
Some neurodegenerative disorders are determined genetically while others occur independent of genetics. In general terms, Alzheimer's disease is the most commonly occurring neurodegenerative disorder, followed by disorders associated with the presence of Lewy bodies, such as Parkinson's disease and the Lewy body variant of Alzheimer's disease.
Other less frequently occurring neurodegenerative disorders include Pick's disease, Huntington's disease, Progressive supranuclear palsy and Friedreich's ataxia, to name a few.
Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by damage to selective neuronal populations that could be followed or preceded by synaptic injury. The mechanisms triggering cell death and synaptic damage in these disorders might be related to the increase of a toxic property and/or loss of neuroprotective capabilities of a specific neuronal cell protein. The disruption of the synaptic connections in the brain results in neuronal dysfunction that, in turn, can lead to characteristic symptoms of dementia and/or motor impairment observed in several neurodegenerative disorders.
The progressive neurodegeneration seen in Parkinson's disease exemplifies the process of synaptic and neuronal loss with concomitant plaque and tangle formation and a decrease in specific neurotransmitters. The disease is generally age related, with 66% of patients with parkinsonian symptoms being between 50 and 69 years of age.
The anatomical hallmark of Parkinson's disease is a loss in pigmentation in a region of the midbrain, known as the substantia nigra. Further, the appearance of abnormal cytoplasmic inclusions, labeled Lewy bodies, is another trademark of the disease. The substantia nigra, translated meaning "black substance", is an area of the brain rich in dopaminergic neurons and the black pigment, neuromelanin. Loss of neurons from this region in the Parkinson's disease brain leads to a dopamine deficit. The loss of cells is visibly apparent, seen as the loss of black pigment.
In addition to the loss of neuromelanin pigment in the substantia nigra, intracellular accumulations of Lewy bodies are found in many of the neurons of a Parkinson's afflicted brain. Lewy bodies are highly insoluble and difficult to characterize but may contain abnormally phosphorylated neurofilament proteins. Antibodies raised to the protein ubiquitin have been particularly useful in identifying Lewy bodies. While the role of ubiquitin in Lewy body formation is unclear, there is speculation that it may be involved in the cell's attempt to remove abnormal proteins by proteolysis. Since these proteins may be somewhat resistant to proteolysis, the build-up of these proteins leads to the inclusions seen around the neuronal cells.
Emerging evidence from genetic, neuropathological and biochemical studies points to the critical roll non-amyloid β component (NACP)/α-synuclein plays in the amyloidogenesis seen in a number of neurodegenerative diseases. NACP/α-synuclein was previously identified as a precursor of non-A β component (NAC) of Alzheimer's disease amyloid, which was co-purified with A β from the Alzheimer's disease brain. Mutations within the precursor NACP/α-synuclein of Alzheimer's disease amyloid have recently been linked to familial Parkinson's disease and this molecule has been found to be a major component of Lewy bodies. This would suggest that abnormal accumulations of NACP/α-synuclein might play a role in the pathogenesis of disorders with Lewy bodies. Research by Spillantini, et al. (Nature, 388: 839–40, 1997), Takeda, et al. (Am. J. Pathol., 152: 367–72, 1998) and Baba, et al. (Am. J. Pathol., 152:879–84, 1998) subsequently showed that neuronal inclusion Lewy bodies and positive neurites, observed in both sporadic Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies disease, were strongly immunoreactive with anti-NACP/α-synuclein antibodies, and recognized both the − and C-terminals of the protein. This would indicate that NACP/α-synuclein is aggregated as a full length molecule into Lewy bodies.
A central question raised by many of these experimental findings concerns the molecular mechanism by which NACP/α-synuclein is aggregated under pathological conditions. Previous biochemical studies in vitro have shown that the aggregation of NACP/α-synuclein was stimulated by a number of amyloidogenic peptides and by specific metals, including aluminum and iron. In addition, NACP/α-synuclein was shown to bind phospholipids, causing a dramatic increase in the α-helicity of it's structure which may, in fact, be a prerequisite for the inhibition of aggregation of NACP/α-synuclein.
While it is understood that the aggregation of NACP/α-synuclein may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's and Lewy body disease the exact mechanism of this process remains unclear. As such, it is important to determine which factors promote abnormal aggregation and fibrillogenesis of this molecule if an effective treatment is ever to be found. The cause of selective degeneration of melanized dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the Parkinson's brain also remains unsolved. While there is speculation that the excessive production of free radicals during dopamine auto-oxidation into neuromelanin may account for cell cytotoxicity, what makes some neurons more susceptible to damage than others is not completely understood.
Thus, the need remains for a method that will allow for the elucidation of the amyloidogenic process seen in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, as well as a means for the testing and selection of therapeutic agents that have potential anti-amyloidogenic characteristics. The present invention satisfies these needs and provides related advantages as well.

Method for screening for anti-amyloidogenic properties and method for treatment of neurodegenerative disease

The Regents of the University of California


A method for opening a virtual disk comprises reading information from a metadata file that identifies the current owner of the virtual disk. The method further includes sending a release request to the current owner of the virtual disk to release the virtual disk, writing information to the metadata file identifying the new owner, and then opening the virtual disk.

In most operating systems, a file can be exclusively locked by an application or a host. If a second application tries to access the file, the second application will not be able to do so. Similarly, in virtualized environments, only a single user is able to access a virtual disk (VMDK) at any one time to ensure consistency of the data on the virtual disk. For example, a virtual disk may be exclusively locked by the single user and accesses to the virtual disk may be orchestrated by a virtual machine management module.
There may, however, be instances where the virtual disk may be opened without the knowledge of the virtual machine management module. In virtual environments employing input-output (IO) filters, a background thread (or a daemon) can access and exclusively lock a virtual disk without coordinating this action through the virtual machine management module. As a consequence, virtual machine management module operations related to opening a virtual disk would fail without a solution to unlock the disk. As one example, after a virtual machine (VM) crashes, a daemon may access the virtual disk associated with the virtual machine to perform IO operations, thereby locking the disk. When an attempt is made by the virtual machine management module to power on the VM, the attempt fails because the virtual disk is locked and there is no existing solution for the virtual machine management module to unlock the disk. For some automated solutions, a virtual machine management module that manages virtualized environments does not expect that a virtual disk will be locked, and virtual machine management module operations would fail without a clear resolution of how to find the user that has locked the virtual disk and how to ask the user to release the virtual disk.


A method of bottling liquids, in particular carbonated liquids or liquids sensitive to oxygen, on a machine comprising a conveying device movable along a given path and having at least one unit for receiving and retaining a bottle, the method comprising filling the bottle with a liquid as the unit travels along a first portion of the path; and capping the bottle with a cap as the same unit travels along a second portion of the path. Also, A bottle as obtained by the method and also comprising a further cap applied onto a neck of said bottle and provided with coupling means to engage and pull said cap along the bottle axis upon removal of said further cap from said neck so as to open the bottle.

The present invention may be used to particular advantage for bottling beer, or other beverages sensitive to oxygen in glass bottles, which the following description will refer to, although this is in no way intended to limit the scope of protection as defined by the accompanying claims.
In the bottling of carbonated liquid or liquid sensitive to oxygen, like beer in glass bottles, a system is known comprising a feed line for feeding a succession of empty bottles to a filling machine, in turn comprising a filling wheel, which is mounted to rotate continuously about a longitudinal axis, receives the empty bottles successively, feeds pressurized gas into the bottles, fills the bottles with beer, decompresses the full bottles, and feeds the bottles to a capping machine connected to the filling machine by at least one transfer wheel, and which closes the bottles with respective caps.
Though widely used, known bottling systems of the above type have various drawbacks.
In particular, because the liquid in the bottles comes into contact with the atmosphere, and therefore with oxygen, as the bottles are transferred from the filling machine to the capping machine, known bottling systems of the above type, to prevent oxidation and deterioration of the liquid, have the drawback of having to remove the air from the bottles by skimming the liquid before the bottles are capped, thus resulting in loss of a certain amount of liquid from each bottle. This is particularly damaging in the case of beer, which is highly oxygen-sensitive.
Moreover, comprising two machines, i.e. the filling machine and the capping machine, systems of the above type are fairly bulky, and allow little freedom of choice in terms of layout.

Liquid bottling method and machine, in particular for carbonated liquids or oxygen sensitive liquids


A drill bit for drilling a well bore using solid material impactors comprising a nozzle and a cavity for accelerating the velocity of the solid material impactors and directing flow of the solid material impactors through the nozzle. The drill bit may also comprise a junk slot for return flow of the drilling fluid and solid material impactors.

There are many variables to consider to ensure a usable well bore is constructed when using cutting systems and processes for the drilling of well bores or the cutting of formations for the construction of tunnels and other subterranean earthen excavations. Many variables, such as formation hardness, abrasiveness, pore pressures, and formation elastic properties affect the effectiveness of a particular drill bit in drilling a well bore. Additionally, in drilling well bores, formation hardness and a corresponding degree of drilling difficulty may increase exponentially as a function of increasing depth. The rate at which a drill bit may penetrate the formation typically decreases with harder and tougher formation materials and formation depth.
When the formation is relatively soft, as with shale, material removed by the drill bit will have a tendency to reconstitute onto the teeth of the drill bit. Build-up of the reconstituted formation on the drill bit is typically referred to as "bit balling" and reduces the depth that the teeth of the drill bit will penetrate the bottom surface of the well bore, thereby reducing the efficiency of the drill bit. Particles of a shale formation also tend to reconstitute back onto the bottom surface of the bore hole. The reconstitution of a formation back onto the bottom surface of the bore hole is typically referred to as "bottom balling". Bottom balling prevents the teeth of a drill bit from engaging virgin formation and spreads the impact of a tooth over a wider area, thereby also reducing the efficiency of a drill bit. Additionally, higher density drilling muds that are required to maintain well bore stability or well bore pressure control exacerbate bit balling and the bottom balling problems.
When the drill bit engages a formation of a harder rock, the teeth of the drill bit press against the formation and densify a small area under the teeth to cause a crack in the formation. When the porosity of the formation is collapsed, or densified, in a hard rock formation below a tooth, conventional drill bit nozzles ejecting drilling fluid are used to remove the crushed material from below the drill bit. As a result, a cushion, or densification pad, of densified material is left on the bottom surface by the prior art drill bits. If the densification pad is left on the bottom surface, force by a tooth of the drill bit will be distributed over a larger area and reduce the effectiveness of a drill bit.
There are generally two main categories of modern drill bits that have evolved over time. These are the commonly known fixed cutter drill bit and the roller cone drill bit. Additional categories of drilling include percussion drilling and mud hammers. However, these methods are not as widely used as the fixed cutter and roller cone drill bits. Within these two primary categories (fixed cutter and roller cone), there are a wide variety of variations, with each variation designed to drill a formation having a general range of formation properties.
The fixed cutter drill bit and the roller cone type drill bit generally constitute the bulk of the drill bits employed to drill oil and gas wells around the world. When a typical roller cone rock bit tooth presses upon a very hard, dense, deep formation, the tooth point may only penetrate into the rock a very small distance, while also at least partially, plastically "working" the rock surface. Under conventional drilling techniques, such working the rock surface may result in the densification as noted above in hard rock formations.
With roller cone type drilling bits, a relationship exists between the number of teeth that impact upon the formation and the drilling RPM of the drill bit. A description of this relationship and an approach to improved drilling technology is set forth and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,300 issued May 14, 2002, incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. The '300 patent discloses the use of solid material impactors introduced into drilling fluid and pumped though a drill string and drill bit to contact the rock formation ahead of the drill bit. The kinetic energy of the impactors leaving the drill bit is given by the following equation: Ek=½ Mass(Velocity)2. The mass and/or velocity of the impactors may be chosen to satisfy the mass-velocity relationship in order to structurally alter the rock formation.


A method is provided for forming a multi-color OLED device that includes providing a substrate, coating the substrate with a fluorinated photoresist solution to form a first photo-patternable layer and exposing it to produce a first pattern of exposed fluorinated photoresist material and a second pattern of unexposed fluorinated photoresist material, developing the photo-patternable layer with a fluorinated solvent to remove the second pattern of unexposed fluorinated photoresist material without removing the first pattern of exposed fluorinated photoresist material, depositing a first organic light-emitting material over the substrate to form a first organic light-emitting layer for emitting a first color of light and applying the first pattern of exposed fluorinated photoresist material to control the removal of a portion of the first organic light-emitting layer. A second fluorinated photoresist solution is then coated over the first patterned organic light-emitting layer and exposed to form a third pattern of exposed fluorinated photoresist material having a pattern different from the first pattern and a fourth pattern of unexposed fluorinated photoresist material, and developing the photo-patternable layer in a fluorinated solvent to remove the fourth pattern of unexposed fluorinated photoresist material without removing the third pattern of exposed fluorinated photoresist material, depositing at least a second light-emitting material to form a second light-emitting layer for emitting a second color of light that is different than the first color of light and applying the third pattern of exposed fluorinated photoresist material to control the removal of a portion of the second organic light-emitting layer.

Displays employing various illumination sources are known in the art. Among these are displays employing a light modulator, such as liquid crystal displays, which are illuminated by a separate light source, typically a fluorescent tube or inorganic light-emitting diode. While displays employing this technology are dominant in today's market they often are much less energy efficient than desired since light is typically emitted in areas of the display even when the light modulator is closed, precluding the light from being observed by the user of the display. Displays which directly modulate the emission of light, such as displays employing Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) have the potential to produce light much more efficiently and with higher visual quality. Therefore, OLED displays have the potential to displace LCD displays, especially in markets in which power consumption is a key attribute of the display. These OLED devices can additionally be employed in other devices that require the color of emitted light to be adjusted, including lamps with adjustable color.
Unfortunately, OLED technology, particularly OLED display technology, has been adopted slowly. This slow adoption rate stems primarily from the high cost of producing such displays. In this technology one of the largest challenges is the formation of full-color displays by forming an array of light-emitting elements capable of emitting multiple colors of light. Various approaches to full color have been attempted. Patterning of different colors of material by vapor deposition of organic materials through shadowmasks has proven to be effective. However these shadowmasks limit the resolution of the displays, the size of the substrate that can be successfully coated, and the tact time. Other approaches, such as the use of laser deposition to pattern color emitters has been demonstrated but this technology often produces displays with low yields and often results in significant residual waste. Solution printing of different colored organic emitters has also been discussed but these processes typically result in emitters with significantly lower emission efficiency as compared to emitters deposited by vapor deposition through a shadowmask. This lower efficiency is due to the fact that polymeric materials often have a lower luminescent efficiency and lifetime than small molecule materials and because only a small number of layers can be solution deposited on one another to manage the movement of carriers through the organic layer. Other approaches to forming multicolor OLED devices have also been attempted, including the use of a white emitter together with patterned color filters. However, these approaches also reduce the effective efficiency of the emitters within the OLED display.
In inorganic electronic devices, it is known to apply photolithographic techniques to pattern multiple thin film layers of inorganic semiconductors and inorganic electrically conductive layers with high resolution over large substrates for forming arrays of electrical components. Unfortunately, the photolithographic materials and solvents applied to form these devices are known to dissolve organic materials. Therefore, it is not possible to apply the photolithographic materials and solvents that are known to be used to manufacture inorganic solid state circuits to pattern layers of organic material, especially layers that include active semiconductive organic materials or layers that are formed on top of organic materials.
Recently photoresist materials and solvents have been discussed in the art to facilitate the use of photolithographic techniques to pattern polymeric organic semiconducting layers. For example, Zakhidov et al. in an article published in Advanced Materials in 2008 on pages 3481-3484 and entitled "Hydrofluoroethers as Orthogonal Solvents for the Chemical Processing of Organic Electronic Materials" discusses a method for patterning polymer organic material in which a fluorinated photoresist is deposited on a substrate, selectively exposed to an energy source to render insoluble through deprotection a portion of the photoresist, the photoresist is developed in a solvent including hydrofluoroether to develop the pattern and remove the portion of the photoresist material that was not deprotected. The solubility of the deprotected photoresist in a hydrofluoroether was then reestablished through the use of another solvent. An active organic semiconductor was then deposited over the remaining photoresist and remaining photoresist was lifted off to pattern the active organic semiconductor. As such, this paper demonstrates the patterning of a single solution-coated, polymeric, organic semiconductor on a substrate. The same general process has been discussed by Lee et al. in an article published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society in 2008 on pages 11564 through 11565 and entitled "Acid-Sensitive Semiperfluoroalkyl Resorcinarene: An Imaging Material for Organic Electronics".
Taylor et al. in an article published in Advanced Materials on Mar. 19, 2009 on pages 2314-2317 and entitled "Orthogonal Patterning of PEDOT:PSS for Organic Electronics using Hydrofluoroether Solvents" discusses the formation of a bottom contact thin film transistor in which a polymeric organic conductor (i.e., PEDOT:PSS) is formed on a substrate, a photoresist is formed and patterned over the conductor, the conductor is etched, a second photoresist is applied and patterned before an organic semiconductor (i.e., Pentacene) is applied and patterned.
While each of these papers discuss patterning of solution-coated, polymeric organic materials using a modified photolithographic process and materials to create components in an electrical circuit, the use of processes and materials such as these have not been applied to OLED devices. Further, these papers discuss the application of these materials and processes for use with polymers and do not provide a method for patterning layers of small molecule organic materials. There is therefore a need for a method to produce a multicolor or full-color OLED device on a large substrate. It is especially desirable that this method be applicable to forming highly efficient devices which employ vapor deposited, small molecule organic materials.

Method for forming a multicolor OLED device


Polymer compositions derived from selected alkyl (meth)acrylate ester monomers used in certain weight ratios to provide improved viscosity control and low temperature performance characteristics in phosphate ester aircraft hydraulic fluids is disclosed. Polymer compositions for use as viscosity index improving additives in aircraft hydraulic fluids contain from 40 to 100 weight percent (C.sub.1 -C.sub.10)alkyl (meth)acrylate and zero to 60 weight percent (C.sub.11 -C.sub.20)alkyl (meth)acrylate monomer units. Preferred polymer compositions based on 40 to 70 weight percent (C.sub.1 -C.sub.10)alkyl (meth)acrylate and 30 to 60 weight percent (C.sub.11 -C.sub.15)alkyl (meth)acrylate monomer units combine good solubility in the phosphate ester hydraulic fluids with good viscosity control at low and high temperatures.

This invention relates to the use of polymer compositions based on selected alkyl (meth)acrylate monomers combined in certain weight ratios as additives to phosphate ester-based functional fluids for providing viscosity index improvement and low temperature performance in aircraft hydraulic fluids. The polymer additives are normally dissolved or dispersed in the phosphate ester-based fluids for eventual incorporation into aircraft hydraulic fluid compositions.
Functional fluids have found use as electronic coolants, diffusion pump fluids, damping fluids, heat transfer fluids, heat pump fluids, refrigeration fluids power transmission and hydraulic fluids. Hydraulic fluids intended for use in the hydraulic systems of aircraft, for example, for the operation of various mechanisms and control systems, must satisfy a variety of performance requirements. Among these requirements are good thermal stability, fire-resistance, low susceptibility to viscosity changes over a wide range of temperatures, and good fluidity at low temperatures. Viscosity index (or VI) is a measure of the degree of viscosity change as a function of temperature; high viscosity index values indicate a smaller change in viscosity with temperature variation compared to low viscosity index values. Viscosity index improver additives having high viscosity index values coupled with good low temperature fluidity allow the hyraulic fluid to flow at the lowest possible temperature of operation, such as at high altitude flight conditions, while providing satisfactory viscosity performance at higher operating temperatures.
Polymeric additives have been used to improve the performance of automobile engine lubricating oils in regard to high and low temperature viscosity characteristics. However, the functional fluids required for use in aircraft hydraulic systems are compositionally different from conventional automobile lubricating oils, such that the polymeric additives suitable for automobile engine lubricating oils are not satisfactory for use in the aircraft fluids. For example, phosphate ester fluids are of interest for use in aircraft systems because of their fire-resistant properties; however, lack of solubility in these phosphate ester-based fluids precludes the use of conventional automobile engine VI improving additives in aircraft hydraulic fluids.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,596 discloses the use of a mixture of high (15,000 to 40,000) and low (2,500 to 12,000) molecular weight alkyl (meth)acrylate polymers as VI improving additives in phosphate ester-based fluids to provide resistance to erosion of mechanical parts exposed to the phosphate ester fluids. Poly(butyl methacrylate) and poly(hexyl methacrylate) polymers were disclosed as high and low molecular weight polymers, respectively, for use as VI improving additives.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,551 discloses aircraft hydraulic fluid compositions having improved thermal, hydrolytic and oxidative stability characteristics where the phosphate ester-based compositions contain different additives that function as acid scavenger, anti-erosion agent, viscosity index improver and antioxidant. Suitable VI improving additives disclosed were poly(alkyl methacrylates) of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,596, but with higher molecular weights (50,000 to 100,000 number average molecular weight), and where the repeating units of the poly(alkyl methacrylate) substantially comprise butyl and hexyl methacrylate.
Poly(butyl methacrylate) and poly(butyl methacrylate/dodecyl-pentadecyl methacrylate//67/33) compositions are commercially available VI improving additives prepared by conventional solution polymerization processes.
None of these previous approaches combines good viscosity index, compatibility with the phosphate ester fluids, good high temperature thickening ability at low usage levels and low temperature fluidity in a single polymer additive; it is an object of the present invention to provide this combination of properties in a single polymer additive.

Viscosity index improving additives for phosphate ester-containing hydraulic fluids


The invention concerns a procedure for the estimation of unknown parameters (Δω, Δφ, ε,gasync,gbcode) of a received CDMA-signal (rdesc(v)) which is transmitted by means of a transmission channel (11), in which the CDMA-signal has experienced changes to the parameters (Δω,Δφ,ε,gbsync,gbcode) with the following steps: (a) formation of a cost function (L), which is dependent on the estimated values (Δ{tilde over (ω)},Δ{tilde over (φ)},{tilde over (ε)}, . . . ) of combined unknown parameters (Δω,Δφ,ε, . . . ); (b) partial differentiation of the cost function in respect to the said estimate values (Δ{tilde over (ω)},Δ{tilde over (φ)},{tilde over (ε)}, . . . ) of the unknown parameters (Δω,Δφ,ε, . . . ); (c) formation of a matrix-vector-equationfrom the presupposition that all partial differentials of the cost function are zero and thus a minimum of the cost function exists, and (d) computation of at least some of the matrix elements of the matrix elements of the matrix-vector-equation with the use of the Fast-Hadamard-Transformation.

The invention concerns a procedure for the estimation of the parameters of a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) Signal and also concerns a corresponding computer program. The parameters to be estimated are, for instance, the time-shift, the frequency-shift and the phase-shift, to which the CDMA signal is subjected in the transmission signal and the gain factors.
As to the present state of the technology, one can refer to DE 43 02 679 A1, wherein a procedure for instantaneous frequency detection for a complex base-band is disclosed. This known procedure does not, however, adapt itself to the simultaneous determination of the time-shift and the phase-shift and further, this known procedure requires, in the case of broadband signals, a high investment in implementation.
All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Procedure for the estimation of parameters of a CDMA-signal


A beam detector includes a beam detection sensor to receive a light beam emitted from a light source of a light scanning unit and to generate a synchronous signal, a slit member having a slit formed therein to control a time to generate the synchronous signal of the beam detection sensor by adjusting an amount of the light beam received by the beam detection sensor, and a holder in which the slit member is installed. The slit is extended in a vertical direction and, a pair of surfaces form the slit and face each other, one of the pair of surfaces at which a scanned light beam arrives first is inclined in the vertical direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a light scanning unit, and more particularly, to a beam detector generating a synchronous signal by detecting a light beam and a light scanning unit having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Light scanning units such as laser scanning units (LASS) are used for image forming apparatuses such as copiers and laser printers. A light scanning unit scans light emitted from a light source onto a photosensitive medium of an image forming apparatus to form an electrostatic latent image on an outer circumference surface of the photosensitive medium. A beam detector for generating a synchronous signal by receiving a light beam emitted from the light source is provided in the light scanning unit.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional beam detector 10. Referring to FIG. 1, the beam detector 10 includes a beam detection sensor 12 having a light receiving portion 13 for receiving a light beam, a slit member 20 having a slit 21 for controlling a time when a synchronous signal of the beam detection sensor 12 is generated by partially blocking the light beam incident on the light receiving portion 13, and a beam convergence lens 15 for focusing the light beam passing through the slit 21. The slit member 20 of the beam detector 10 is displaced in a horizontal direction as indicated by an arrow, earlier or later than the time when the synchronous signal of the beam detection sensor 12 is generated. However, since an amount of horizontal displacement of the slit member 20 cannot be accurately controlled, it is difficult to accurately control the time of generating the synchronous signal.

Beam detector and light scanner unit having the same


A method of enhancing security in object based datastores is provided. The method mounts first and second datastores identified, respectively, by first and second datastore identifiers. The first and second datastores include, respectively, first and second namespace objects that are mapped to first and second subfolders in the first and second datastores. A first file within the first subfolder references a first object via a first object identifier, while a second file within the second subfolder references a second object via a second object identifier. The first and second objects are tagged with the first and second datastores' identifiers. The first and second datastores share an underlying storage and may be configured to have separate access permissions. The method receives a command to access the first object via a datastore identifier, compares the datastore identifier with the first datastore identifier, and if they match, allows access to the first object.

Distributed systems allow multiple clients in a network to access a pool of shared resources. For example, a distributed storage system allows a cluster of host computers to aggregate local disks (e.g., SSD, PCI-based flash storage, SATA, or SAS magnetic disks) located in or attached to each host computer to create a single and shared pool of storage. This pool of storage (sometimes referred to herein as a "datastore" or "store") is accessible by all host computers in the cluster and may be presented as a single namespace of storage entities (such as a hierarchical file system namespace in the case of files, a flat namespace of unique identifiers in the case of objects, etc.). Storage clients in turn, such as virtual machines spawned on the host computers may use the datastore, for example, to store virtual disks that are accessed by the virtual machines during their operations.
A distributed object-based datastore, such as a virtual storage area network (VSAN) datastore, may provide an aggregate object store to virtual machines (VMs) running on host computers (or servers) of a cluster. In the object-based datastore, an object is identified and can be accessed through a universally unique identification (UUID) assigned to the object. If the object's UUID is leaked (e.g., through the object's log file or other means), there is no added security for preventing an unauthorized user from accessing the object. For example, the objects in a datastore may belong to an administrative layer (e.g., for an operator of a datacenter to create/access the objects) or to a workload layer (e.g., for a client of a datacenter to create/access the objects). If an authorized user gains access to an object related to a VM in the administrative layer of a datastore, for example, through the object's UUID, the unauthorized user may be able to manipulate, or even destroy the administrative VM.

Providing enhanced security for object access in object-based datastores