A UE establishes an RRC connection with a base station for an application in a mobile communication network. The UE acquires a barring indication that indicates whether scheduling request (SR) barring is applicable for the application. The UE then acquires prioritized barring parameters for SR barring if applicable. The prioritized barring parameters is associated with a priority of the application. Finally, the UE determines whether to send a scheduling request for an arrived packet based on the prioritized barring parameters. In one embodiment, the application is associated with a quality of service (QoS) class indicator (QCI), and the priority of the application is based on the QCI. The prioritized SR barring mechanism based on QCI can be applied for RRC Connected mode with finer granularity.

FIG. 1 (Prior Art) illustrates a radio network congestion and a core network congestion use case in an LTE network 100. LTE network 100 comprises an application server 110, a packet data network gateway (PDN GW) 120, a serving GW 130, two base stations eNB141 and eNB142, and a plurality of user equipments (UEs). Radio network congestion occurs when massive concurrent data transmission takes place in the radio access network, as depicted by arrow 151. On the other hand, data congestion may occur in the mobile core network or on the link between the mobile core network and the application server 110 where the data traffic related to the application is aggregated, as depicted by arrow 152.
Modern networks use congestion control and congestion avoidance techniques to try to avoid network congestion. LTE has specified several barring mechanisms for concurrent congestion control. Access Class Barring (ACB) is a mechanism to limit the number of simultaneous access attempts from certain UEs. All UEs are member of one out of ten randomly allocated mobile populations, defined as access class 0 to 9. The population number is stored in UE's SIM/USIM. In addition, the UEs may be members of one or more out of five special categories (e.g., Access Class 11 to 15), also stored in the SIM/USIM. Under the ACB mechanism, the network operator may prevent certain UEs from making access attempts or responding to pages in specific areas of a PLMN based on the corresponding access class. Enhanced access barring (EAB) is an enhanced access barring mechanism to avoid Machine Type Communication (MTC) overload. Service Specific Access Control (SSAC) is used to apply independent access control for telephony services such as IP Multimedia Subsystem multimedia telephony (MMTEL) services.
FIG. 2 (Prior Art) illustrates various barring mechanisms for congestion control in an LTE system 200. LTE specifies several barring mechanisms for concurrent congestion control in different layers. In non-access stratum (NAS) layer, for RRC Idle mode, LTE specifies Service Specific Access Control (SSAC) for MMTEL services and EAB for MTC devices. For RRC Connected mode, SSAC may be applied. In Access stratum (AS) layer, for RRC Idle mode, ACB is in general applicable to all types of services and devices. For RRC Connected mode, random access backoff, RRC reject/release, and scheduling request (SR) masking can be used as well.
Some of the barring mechanisms in LTE, however, have duplicate behavior and therefore may cause quality degradation in some scenarios. For example, double barring of SSAC and ACB for MMTEL service de-prioritizes MMTEL service and LTE fails to prioritize MMTEL service over other services. Furthermore, congestion control for RRC Connected UEs becomes more important as the trend is to keep UE in RRC Connected for data applications. However, LTE lacks congestion control mechanism for RRC Connected mode. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a feasible congestion control mechanism with a fine granularity that can prioritize or deprioritize services based on operator's requirement. In addition, the congestion control mechanism can be applied for RRC Connected mode as well with proper granularity.

Smart congestion control for RRC connected mode in LTE systems


A driver integrated circuit (IC) device. The driver device can include a front-end module, a pre-driver module, and a driver module coupled to a transmission line path. The pre-driver module can be coupled to the front-end module and can include one or more delay adjust capacitor modules, and one or more pull-down control modules. The driver module can be coupled to the pre-driver module, the driver module including one or more pull-down control logic modules. This driver device can configured in several implementations to provide control and programmability of a driver slew rate to maximize a signal integrity eye opening.

The present invention relates to communication systems, memory systems, and integrated circuit (IC) devices.
Over the last few decades, the use of communication networks has exploded. In the early days of the Internet, popular applications were limited to emails, bulletin board, and mostly informational and text-based web page surfing, and the amount of data transferred was usually relatively small. Today, Internet and mobile applications demand a huge amount of bandwidth for transferring photo, video, music, and other multimedia files. For example, a social network like Facebook processes more than 500 TB of data daily. With such high demands on data and data transfer, existing data communication systems need to be improved to address these needs.
CMOS technology is commonly used to design communication and memory systems. As CMOS technology is scaled down to make circuits and systems run at higher speed and occupy smaller chip (die) area, the operating supply voltage is reduced for lower power. An important factor in device operations is slew rate, which is a ratio of a rise or fall in voltage to the amount of time that rise or fall takes. Consequently, slew rate is a quantity which can be a controlling factor in the performance characteristics of a device. A device having a low slew rate can degrade the performance and speed of a system containing the device, while a device having a high slew rate may not allow the system to react to changes in the state of the device, and thereby cause breakdown of the system. These limitations provide significant challenges to the continued improvement of communication systems scaling and performance.
Process variations between different fabrication processes can cause large variations it device characteristics, such as drain to source current. Such variations in device characteristics make it difficult, if not impossible, to insure that a device will exhibit slew rate characteristics within the performance window as set forth by a manufacturer. Accordingly, improvements to slew rate control in integrated circuit devices are highly desirable.

Slew-rate control and waveshape adjusted drivers for improving signal integrity on multi-loads transmission line interconnects


When a tube is to be cut into a plurality of sections, a tube feed assembly is operated to rotate the tube and to move the tube along its longitudinal central axis into a work station. The tube and a mandrel move into a telescopic relationship at the work station. The tube feed assembly presses an end of the tube against a stop surface on a stripper at the work station. A plurality of knives are moved into engagement with the tube to cut the tube. Relative movement between the stripper and mandrel separates the sections of the tube from the mandrel. A scrap end section of the tube is directed to a scrap receiving location. Other sections of the tube are directed to a product receiving location.

The present invention relates to a new and improved method and apparatus for use in processing a tube. More specifically, the invention relates to the cutting of a tube into a plurality of sections.
A known apparatus for cutting a paper tube into a plurality of sections includes a feed ramp along which tubes move into alignment with a mandrel. Once a tube has moved into alignment with the mandrel, the mandrel is extended into a telescopic relationship with the tube. A mandrel drive assembly is operated to rotate the mandrel and the tube. While the mandrel and tube are rotating, a plurality of annular rotating knives are moved into engagement with the tube to cut the tube into a plurality of sections.
Once the tube has been cut into a plurality of sections with this known apparatus, the annular knives are moved out of engagement with the tube and the mandrel is retracted. Retracting of the mandrel results in the sections of the tube dropping downward to a receiving location. An apparatus having this construction and mode of operation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,988.

Method and apparatus for processing a tube


An interleaver has an input multiplexer that receives a data sequence at an interleaver input and that separates the data sequence into multiple data sub-blocks. The interleaver has a linear feedback shift register that generates an input address sequence. The interleaver has adder circuits that generate output address sequences associated with each data sub-block. The interleaver has memory that stores the data sub-blocks at addresses controlled by the input address sequence. The memory reproduces each data sub-block in an interleaved sequence controlled by the associated output address sequence. The interleaver has an output multiplexer that assembles the interleaved sequences to provide an interleaver output.

Data communication channels generally include encoding of data before it passes through a communication medium, and decoding of data after it has passed through a communication medium. Data encoding and decoding is used, for example, in data storage devices for encoding data that is written on a storage medium and decoding data that is read from a storage medium. Encoding is applied in order to convert the data into a form that is compatible with the characteristics of communication medium, and can include processes such as adding error correction codes, interleaving, turbo encoding, bandwidth limiting, amplification and many other known encoding processes. Decoding processes are generally inverse functions of the encoding processes. Encoding and decoding increases the reliability of the reproduced data.
The increasing demand for high data rate communications systems and high-density data storage devices has lead to intensive focus on implementation issues of iterative decoding concepts for error-correction codes (ECC's). One main enabling element of the near-optimum performance of iterative codes is the random interleaver (also called data shuffler or permuter) that is placed between two or more constituent encoders/decoders, or between an outer decoder and a channel detector. In designing interleavers (including deinterleavers), there are complex design tradeoffs between design parameters such as the degree of randomness of interleaving patterns, the area of silicon used to implement the interleaver, size of memories needed to support the interleaver, the power consumption of the interleaver and the speed (or conversely the latency) of the interleaver. As the performance in the area of higher speed and lower power consumption improve in other parts of a data storage device, there is a need to advance the design of the various interleavers (including de-interleavers) in the data communication channel such that the performance of the interleavers does not limit the overall performance of new design data storage devices.
Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions to these and other problems, and offer other advantages over the prior art.

Low complexity pseudo-random interleaver


The present invention relates to a composition comprising an aqueous dispersion of xanthan gum and opacifying pigment particles such as TiO2 encapsulated with a vinyl ester polymer or a vinyl ester-acrylate copolymer, as well as a method for its preparation. The composition is useful in coatings formulations, especially paint formulations.

The present invention relates to a dispersion of polymer- or copolymer-encapsulated pigment particles thickened with xanthan gum, wherein the polymer is a vinyl ester polymer or copolymer.
Polymer encapsulated opacifying pigment particles such as those described in US2010/0298483 are useful for improving hiding efficiencies in paint formulations. These formulations further include a thickener that has to be selected to achieve shelf stability as well as acceptable high shear viscosity and good low shear viscosity. Such a combination can prove to be elusive because the selection of a suitable thickener, if one can be found, is highly dependent on the properties of the encapsulating polymer. Accordingly, it would be desirable to find a suitable thickener for a given polymer used to encapsulate pigment particles.


A system and method including receiving a data model representation of a part, the data model representation including at least one layer of the part and inner and outer contours for the at least one layer; determining a hatch pattern for each layer of the at least one layer of the part, the hatch pattern for each layer being dependent on the inner and outer contours for each respective layer; generating a record of the determined hatch pattern for each layer, the record including locations for the hatch pattern for each layer; and saving the record of the determined hatch pattern for each layer of the part. In some aspects, the record of the determined hatch pattern for each layer of the part may be used in an additive manufacturing process.

The field of the present disclosure generally relates to additive manufacturing, and more particularly, to a method and system of generating contour-based hatching for a part to be produced by an additive manufacturing process.
Additive manufacturing (AM) fabricated parts may be used in applications (e.g., aerospace, medical, industrial, and other applications) demanding high quality and accuracy of the AM fabricated parts. As an example, some metal alloys of commercial interest are difficult to build using direct metal laser melting (DMLM) techniques because of the high risk of the formation of microcracks in the parts, which degrades the quality of the parts fabricated by DMLM. In some aspects, the risk of a crack might be greater in thin or narrow regions of the parts. Laser hatch lines used to build a part by DMLM are conventionally generated at one or more fixed angles across a surface of the part being fabricated, irrespective of the geometry of the part itself. Given a typical part might include a variety of contour angles and bends, the laser hatch lines for a DMLM part might typically intersect the part at many different incidence angles.
In some instances, laser hatching might be used to improve the quality of an AM fabricated part. However, a major challenge exists in determining the hatching for different part shapes and contours that reduces or minimizes the possibility of cracking in the fabricated part.

Method and system of additive manufacturing contour-based hatching


Self-pumping hydropneumatic shock absorbing strut with internal level regulation, in particular for motor vehicles, with a work cylinder which is filled with oil, is under the pressure of at least one gas cushion which is located in at least one high pressure chamber and acts as a spring. The work cylinder is divided by a piston carried on a hollow piston rod into two work chambers, with a piston pump which is driven by the spring movements and transports oil from a low pressure chamber into the work chamber which is connected to the high pressure chamber. The pump cylinder of the piston pump is formed by the hollow piston rod. There are valves between the work chamber and the high pressure chamber for the decompression and compression damping, whereby as a valve, there is at least one valve plate, which interacts with a valve seat, which is located on the work cylinder.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a self-pumping hydropneumatic shock absorbing strut with internal level regulation, in particular for motor vehicles, with a work cylinder which is filled with oil and is under the pressure of at least one gas cushion which is located in at least one high pressure chamber and acts as a spring. The work cylinder is divided by a piston, which piston is carried on a hollow piston rod, into two work chambers, with a piston pump which is driven by the spring movements and transports oil from a low pressure chamber into the work chamber. The work chamber is connected to the high pressure chamber, and the pump cylinder of the piston pump is formed by the hollow piston rod, whereby there are valves between the work chamber and the high pressure chamber for the decompression and compression damping.
2. Background Information
In similar shock absorbing struts, as described in German Patent No. 14 30 536, for example, the piston which is fastened to a piston rod, divides the work cylinder into two work chambers, whereby the piston rod is realized so that it is hollow, thereby forming a piston pump, and a pump rod is inserted in the cavity of this piston rod. On the end surface of the work cylinder there is a solid base which holds the pump rod elastically, and whereby this base also contains damping valves for the decompression and compression damping. These valves are illustrated only schematically, without a more detailed illustration of the concrete construction or realization.


A water-based ink set for ink-jet recording includes at least a yellow ink, a magenta ink and a cyan ink. At least one color ink of the yellow, magenta and cyan inks includes a first ink and a second ink which have different hue angles h having therebetween the color range of the normal color of the color ink. Preferably, the yellow ink includes a greenish yellow ink having a hue angle h of about 95° to about 110° and a reddish yellow ink having a hue angle h of about 70° to about 85°; the magenta ink includes a reddish magenta ink having a hue angle h of about 0° to about 10° and a violetish magenta ink having a hue angle h of about 340° to about 350°; and the cyan ink includes a bluish cyan ink having a hue angle h of about 250° to about 260° and a greenish cyan ink having a hue angle h of about 230° to about 240°.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water-based ink set for ink-jet recording composed of a plurality of inks.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a color image is expressed by an ink-jet recording method, a three-color ink set has been generally used, composed of a yellow ink (Y), a magenta ink (M) and a cyan ink (C). Moreover, a four-color ink set has also been used in which a black ink (K) is further added to the standard three-color ink set. When a color image is formed, it is desirable that a wide range of natural colors be expressed in the image. In order to achieve this with the above color ink sets, hue (or color such as red or blue) is controlled by changing the formation ratio of dots for each of the yellow, magenta and cyan inks discharged from a head. In addition, lightness (or brightness) is controlled by changing the formation density of dots for each of the inks.
Recently, additional inks have been used in addition to the abovementioned four color inks (Y, M, C and K) to form an ink set composed of five to seven inks. This has been done to obtain improved image reproducibility and improved color reproducibility over a wide range of colors. These additional inks include a yellow ink having a low color density (a light yellow ink), a magenta ink having a low color density (a light magenta ink) and a cyan ink having a low color density (a light cyan ink). Further, another method is proposed in which at least one of a blue ink (B), a violet ink (V), a red ink (R), an orange ink (O) and a green ink (G) is employed in addition to the above four color inks (Y, M, C and K) (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-248217).
However, even with the above improvements, the desired chromaticity and saturation are not always obtained in an ink-jet recording color image. This is the case when the light yellow, light magenta or light cyan ink having a low color density is added to the conventional four color inks (Y, M, C and K). This is also the case when the additional inks including at least one of the blue ink (B), the violet ink (V), the red ink (R), the orange ink (O) and the green ink (G) are added to the conventional four color inks (Y, M, C and K).

Water-based ink set for ink-jet recording


An apparatus and method for controlling a screen display in a portable terminal are provided. The apparatus includes a display unit, an input unit, a memory unit, a magnification identifying unit, and a controller. The display unit displays a screen display having a controlled magnification level. The input unit sets a zoom-in or zoom-out point on the screen display. The memory unit stores reference information for determining a zoom-in or zoom-out magnification level of the screen display. The magnification identifying unit measures a tilt of the portable terminal, and determines control or non-control of a magnification level of the screen display using the measured tilt. The controller controls the screen display according to the identified magnification level.

The use of portable terminals has expanded due largely in part to their convenience. Thus, service providers (i.e., system manufacturers) have responded by developing portable terminals having convenient functions.
For example, certain portable terminals now provide functions, such as phone books, games, schedulers, Short Message Services (SMSs), Multimedia Message Services (MMS), Broadcast Message Services (BMSs), Internet services, electronic mail (e-mail) messages, morning wakeup calls, MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3), digital cameras, and the like.
Portable terminals have also been developed to include touch screen panels that provide a means of inputting information. Portable terminals equipped with touch screen panels as the input means may also include functions for controlling the display of the screen, such as zooming in or zooming out the display of the screen. In some cases, this may be provided using a multi-touch function.
The method for using the multi touch function includes recognizing two points touched by user's two fingers and, according to a distance change between the two touch points, zooming in or out a screen display. That is, the multi touch function performs screen zoom-in and out according to a distance change between two fingers touching a screen, so a user has to repeat several times an operation of touching the screen with the fingers, zooming in or out the screen up to a desired level, and separating the fingers from the screen. Repeating the above operation requires a plurality of times of user's input for screen zoom-in and out, and in certain cases, cause undue strain on the surface of the touch screen panel.
Also, a problem may occur where, in certain cases where the user performs the screen zoom-in and out using the multi touch method, the user is inhibited from performing a screen scroll operation at the same time of an operation for zoom-in/out.
Accordingly, there is a need for a screen zoom-in and out function for solving the problem of the multi touch method in a portable terminal.

Apparatus and method for controlling a screen display in portable terminal


A valve gate injection nozzle includes a valve stem for guiding molten resin to a molding area. The valve stem includes an input area for receiving the molten resin, a central area following the input area for processing the molten resin and an output area following the central area for connection of the nozzle with the molding area. The central area includes a first zone for splitting the molten resin into a plurality of streams, a second zone for mixing and homogenizing the molten resin, and a third zone for combing the plurality of streams and forming recombined molten resin for subsequent direction in a homogenized state to the output area. The nozzle further includes a nozzle body portion for enclosing the valve stem, wherein the nozzle body portion preferably includes means for heating the resin. An injection molding system incorporating this nozzle as well as a method for homogenizing molten resin are also disclosed.

This invention is directed to a system and method for the injection molding of high quality molded articles of various shapes, and more particularly, to a system and method for the molding of molded articles which have substantially homogenous molecular orientation such that they do not show unidirectional molecular orientation or weld lines, and more particularly, to such a molded article having an accurately located central hole. More particularly, the system is in the form of a hot runner valve gate nozzle which performs multiple tasks on molten resin to achieve a homogeneous molecular orientation of the molten resin.
As is known in the art, during injection molding of articles such as PET preforms, unidirectional molecular orientation and weld lines are difficult to avoid using previously developed hot runner valve gated nozzle designs. This defect of these designs presents a major source of concern as such weld lines and unidirectional orientation are potential causes for the weakness of a blown PET bottle that may subsequently be filled with a carbonated beverage under pressure, thereby increasing the risk of a container rupture. In addition, weld lines may also reduce the strength or have an adverse effect on the dimensional accuracy of injection molded precision parts such as gears, which have a central hole, especially those used for high load applications. Also, for articles used in optical applications, such as the compact disc (CD) and digital video disc (DVD), weld lines and unidirectional molecular orientation induce birefringence, which is an unacceptable defect given the fact that information carried by pits embedded in the surfaces of these discs has to be retrieved by passing a laser beam through the plastic substrate from which they are formed, from a side Located opposite the pits. Injection molding of CDS and DVDs is even more challenging, considering that both of these molded articles must have a precisely located central hole. Ideally, CDS and DVDs should be molded using a sprueless injection process in order to save plastic resin, reduce the cycle time and simplify the design of the mold and the injection molding machine. The former developments in the art, however, fail to teach such a system and more particularly, fail to teach a hot runner valve gate nozzle and mold, and method which are capable of spruelessly producing CD's and DVD's with an acceptable birefringence level and within tight geometrical tolerances.
Prior developments in the molding art discuss various method for producing plastic articles which do not present weld lines or unidirectional molecular orientation. However, these method do not provide satisfactory results with regard to using hot runner manifolds and nozzles.
Some of the more pertinent developments in the art are discussed as follows.
With the intent to reduce the contact between the movable stem and molten resin so as to prevent the appearance of weld lines caused by splitting of the molten resin around a valve stem, U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,807 to York discloses a valve stem located parallel to the flow of the molten resin. The valve stem therein has very limited contact with the resin which is very close to the nozzle tip. While weld lines are reduced using this design, a substantial core shift is introduced because the flow of the resin is not symmetrical with respect to the cavity gate and there is a tendency for the resin to preferentially fill one side of the cavity faster then the other.
Similar to York, U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,384 to Manner discloses a hot runner valve gate which also includes a valve stem positioned parallel to the flow of the molten resin. However, this stem is only in partial contact with the molten resin along the inner melt channel of the hot runner nozzle. The melt does not fully surround the stem, thus giving a slight improvement with respect to the appearance of weld lines. However, since the melt channel is again laterally shifted with respect to the cavity gate, some weld lines and core shift still appear. In addition, guiding the stem only by the upper portion thereof represents another drawback of this system.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,307 to Brink teaches a valve gate stem that makes an angle with respect to the flow of the molten resin and acts upon a ball shaped closing pin. By using this design, there is no contact between the stem and the resin. However, this design clearly increases the size of the hot runner nozzle, is very difficult to seal with respect to leakage around the ball shaped pin, and cannot be used in many applications such as in cases where molded articles are to be formed having a precisely located central hole.
Another approach to improve the quality of plastic articles and to prevent the formation of weld lines has been to use non-valve gated hot runner nozzles, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,028 to Maus et al. An extended reference list to patents directed to this type of approach is also discussed in this patent. Maus et al. discloses and claims a melt conditioning elements comprising heating, filtering and mixing features located just upstream of the molded gate. These features are proposed to improve the quality of the melt and accordingly, the quality of the plastic article to be molded. This mixing feature as disclosed and Maus et al. is not entirely new to that disclosure and reference is accordingly made to German Patent Application DE3201710 A1 of Gellert.
Gellert teaches a generic twisted strip located in the nozzle which is used to produce turbulence and to reduce uniaxial properties in the molded articles. The mixing element of Gellert is not very effective since it does not split and remix the molten resin flow aggressively enough to prevent the formation of weld lines, which are caused by the splitting and twisting of the incoming stream of molten resin into multiple streams that reach the cavity. The melt conditioning element of Maus et al. is, however, more effective as a mixer but causes a relatively high and non-desirable pressure drop that increases the cycle time of the injection molding machine. For both of the hot runners disclosed in Maus et al. and Gellert, valve gate stems are not used and accordingly, these devices have a substantially limited range of application.
Still another approach for avoiding the unidirectional molecular orientation of melt is shown in several patents which teach different manners for inducing helical movement to the molten resin around the stem of a hot runner valve gate. Accordingly, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,382 of Gellert that teaches three helical channels located in the inner wall of the nozzle that surrounds a valve stem. These channels end up just prior to the tip of the nozzle and are used to impose a curving motion to the melt when it enters the mold cavity. While this design will avoid unidirectional molecular orientation of the molten resin, it will not prevent the formation of weld lines since the three streams of molten resin are not mixed together before entering the cavity.
Other molding applications require the inducement of circular or helical movement of the molten resin where the molten resin must have a very limited amount of contact with the stem of the valve gate. Such applications include the simultaneous coinjection of several molten resins to a common gate. For example, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,730 of Kudert and U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,733 of Von Buren. Kudert teaches a complex hot runner nozzle design concept wherein the annular flow profile of each molten resin that arrives in the hot runner nozzle is transformed into a circular or helical profile that is totally separated from the valve gate stem. By inducing concentric movements of each individual resin for their simultaneous injection, the combined stream entering the cavity mold would fully surround each nozzle and accordingly, the layers of the streams fill the entire cavity. Von Buren teaches a different valve gate hot runner nozzle for coinjecting three resins through a single mold gate, wherein only one of the resins follows a quasi circular flow. With reference to FIG. 3, channel (104) has a helical profile that allows one thin stream of resin to fully surround nozzle body (83) for causing the same to reach the gate as a complete symmetrical molten resin stream. Neither Kudert nor Von Buren teach a valve gate hot runner that is capable of effectively mixing and homogenizing a single stream of molten resin so as to prevent the formation of weld lines in the final molded product.
With reference to U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,353 to Mayer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,190 to Frei and U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,763 to Asai, several sprueless injection molding methods for manufacturing compact discs having an accurate central hole are disclosed. However, no provision is made to avoid the appearance of weld lines or to avoid unidirectional molecular orientation of the melt. Specifically, Mayer teaches a plurality of radially outwardly and angularly spaced extending arms (76) and (78) used to guide a valve stem (74) along two sections. These arms, together with flow opening (89) represent obstructions of the incoming flow of molten resin, toward the mold cavity, which generate several melt lines that are visible using polarized light. Less visible weld lines are expected to be generated using the design taught in Frei and Asai since they do not have these kind of guiding arms disturbing the flow of the resin. However, neither patent teaches any means to recombine the individual streams of molten resin after they are split and prior to entering the cavity gate, so as to provide a viable solution for avoiding the appearance of weld lines. All three of these patents teach different methods and means to form a central hole in a time efficient and simple manner without discussing the high potential in each for injecting compact discs that have weld lines and unidirectional molecular orientation in the solidified resin.
The difficulty which arrives in removing weld lines caused by the interruption or splitting of the flow of plastic material is emphasized in U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,010. In this patent, a simple but very limited mixing solution for reducing weld lines is disclosed. Further disclosure which indicates the difficulty in eliminating weld lines is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,154 discussing that polycarbonate, a material frequently used in molding CDS, is very sensitive to the formation of weld lines caused by the first splitting and then reuniting of separate streams.
There exists a need, therefore, for an apparatus and method for use in sprueless injection molding operations for molding high quality molded parts, and particularly, high quality molded parts having a precisely located central hole, wherein the molded part is substantially free of solidified resin having unidirectional molecular orientation and which is also free of weld lines.

Hot runner valve gate and method for eliminating unidirectional molecular orientation and weld lines from solidified resin used for forming molded articles


Method of processing photographs in a photographic laboratory by means of a photographic processing system, comprising the steps of: receiving customer orders and processing information, respectively assigned to the customer orders, each order comprising at least one photographic image and each processing information defining processing tasks, wherein a number of processing tasks is assigned to at least one processing site based on the processing skills of a number of operators available at the processing site, and if particular processing information of said received processing information, which is assigned to a corresponding order, requires the execution of at least one of said assigned processing tasks, the corresponding order is processed at the at least one assigned processing site for said execution.

This application claims the benefit of the European patent application No. 00 102 414.0, filed Feb. 3, 2000, and entitled xe2x80x9cPhoto lab with automatic routing to automates and different level operatorsxe2x80x9d. The disclosure of this application is included in the present patent application by reference.
The present invention relates to the processing of photographs in a photographic laboratory. The present invention further relates to a processing system in a photographic laboratory for processing the photographs as well as to a program and a computer program product in accordance with the method.
Conventionally, a photographer photographs pictures (images) by means of a camera. In this way he captures image information and stores the image information on a suitable storing medium, e.g. on a film in conventional cameras or on a digital memory device (e.g. floppy disk) in digital cameras. The photographer then brings the storage medium (e.g. film) to a photo shop (peripheral organisation). At a photo shop the storing mediums (e.g. films in film cartridges, electronic memory units of digital cameras, etc.) of several customers are collected and processing information are added concerning the particular processing wishes of the customers (e.g. the format of the photographic prints, type of photographic paper, number of prints per picture (image), adding of a CD with digitalised pictures etc.). Furthermore, the name of the customer is noted and usually an individual order number is assigned to a so-called order or customer order which comprises, for example, a work envelope with an inserted film cartridge and the working instructions or processing information. Moreover the photo shop may add particular requests to the processing information, e.g. the request to add one or more particular promotions to the work envelope at the photographic laboratory. In this way, a plurality of xe2x80x9ccustomer ordersxe2x80x9d are collected at end of the photo shops.
A plurality of photo shops exist, each of which collect a plurality of customer orders. Each photo shop forwards the customer orders to a photographic laboratory (centralised organisation). At this photographic laboratory, each order is processed by processing the customer order (e.g. film) of the order according to the processing information (e.g. notes, bar codes, etc.) of the order. For instance, in the prior art (see EP 0 952 487), a photographic laboratory executes the following processes on a customer order:
receiving the customer order comprising e.g. the work envelope of the photo shop and the film cartridge within the work envelope, and processing information, said order including e.g. notes which describe the processes to be performed with the film negatives of the customer order, transport and customer address etc.;
removing the film cartridge from the work envelope;
pulling the exposed film out of its enclosure in the cartridge;
marking the work envelope and the exposed film by a suitable work code (e.g. bar code or the like);
joining together the films of different customer orders thus marked to provide a film negative batch;
developing the batch of films which have been joined together, thus obtaining batch of negatives, wherein different portions of said batch belong to different customer orders and thus to different processing information;
printing the successive photographs disposed in the batch on a web of photographic paper, different portions of said batch belonging to different customer orders;
distinguishing between the prints of each customer order by applying a work code (e.g. bar code) to the prints, which refers to the corresponding negatives;
cutting the negatives of each customer order into film sections, those film sections including a number of images, according to the number of photographs determined in the processing information belonging to the same customer order;
cutting the prints of each customer order, one by one, from the web of prints and stacking them so as to form the stack of prints associated with this customer order;
inserting sections of negatives and the stack of prints assigned to the same customer order into an appropriate flexible pocket-type envelope (a wallet);
adding any supplements like promotion coupons, mini-albums, floppy disks, CDs etc., assigned to the customer order, to the pocket-type envelope or wallet assigned to the same customer order;
closing the pocket-type envelope and placing it in the work envelope (assigned to the same customer order;
closing the work envelope and applying a price label which corresponds to the customer order treated;
sending the work envelope and thus the processed customer order back to the shop from which it was dispatched, for delivery to the customer.
All above-mentioned processes represent examples of processes on customer orders within the scope of the present invention. The above processes may be performed automatically by processing devices or semi-automatically with the assistance of operators or manually by operators.
A photographic laboratory, in general, serves a wide area with a large number of photo shops and, therefore, must be fitted out for processing (handling) a large number of orders (up to ten thousands various orders a day). This has been made possible only by a high degree of automation in the laboratory itself, with a consistent necessity to standardise the components used (print format, envelopes etc.). A drawback of this standardisation is that individual wishes or information of the customer may not be fulfilled. On the other hand, if a photographic laboratory is designed to fulfil a variety of wishes of a customer, i.e. a variety of processing information, the photographic laboratory must have a huge number of different processing devices which have to perform the individual orders automatically. Since, however, some individual orders are only rarely desired, the particular processing devices assigned to performing the processes according to those individual wishes or instructions, are only rarely used and therefore not profitable. Furthermore the individual wishes of customers can change due to a change of fashion.
In view of this, and in accordance with the present invention, operators process the customer orders in a photographic laboratory at least partly. The operators are integrated in the processing system of the present invention and may use devices for said processing which belong to the processing system. Additional processing work may be done by automatic processing devices which are also part of the processing system.
The operators in a photographic laboratory usually have different skills. A drawback of the photographic laboratories of the prior art is that the skills of the operators are not optimally used and/or developed.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for processing photographs which allows for an optimised use of the skills of operators. Furthermore, a corresponding processing system, program and computer program product should be provided.
The object of the present invention is solved by the subject matter of the claim 1, claim 13, claim 15, and claim 16. Advantageous embodiments are presented in the dependent claims.
According to the present invention, customer orders, e.g. film cartridges with a film therein, are received in a processing system provided at the photographic laboratory. As mentioned above, the operators represent an integral part of said processing system. Such a processing system may further comprise a plurality of processing devices in particular also instead of the operators. For instance, a processing device may be a splicer for splicing together films to provide film batches, a printer for printing photographs on photographic paper, a developer for developing photographic film, a cutter for cutting a film web or print web, a packing device for packing items, e.g. prints into a wallet or work envelope, a work station or computer which receives digital photographic data together with the processing information via a network, e.g. LAN or internet. The processing system may further comprise a conveying means, in particular a conveying belt, on which pallets are conveyed. The processing system may comprise supplement supplying means which, for example, supply supplements like CDs, mini-albums etc. to a pallet on a conveyer. The processing system may comprise work stations for digitally processing the photographic data, laser printers for printing the photographic data or work stations for transmitting the processed photographic data to a photo shop and so on. In case, the photographic data are received via network, the photographic order may be a block of digital data including the digital image data representing the customer order and a digital header to the digital image data representing the processing information.
A customer order consists e.g. of a film cartridge and an assigned processing information. The processing information defines in which way the film cartridge is to be processed. As stated above, the film is related to a work envelope and a film cartridge at the beginning of processing. During processing, the condition of the customer order is changing, the film is developed and prints are added to the customer order. Furthermore, other elements (supplements) may be added to the customer order, like CDs or wallets etc.
The processing system of the present invention can perform all kinds of processing usually performed at a photographic laboratory or can perform only a part of this according to the present invention. In particular, the processing system can comprise all kinds of processing devices or processing sites equipped with devices for semi-automatic processing, starting from the unpacking of a work envelope received in a photo laboratory and reading the processing instructions attached to the working envelope, to packing the finally processed customer order into a package. The processing system of the present invention may also be restricted to a part of the process. In particular, the processing system may be restricted to the cutting of print webs and film webs and the sorting and final packaging of the developed film and the prints. If the processing system of the present invention is, for example, restricted to this part of the process, the customer orders are, for example, received in the form of print webs and film webs. Furthermore, the processing information or instructions are already digitalised and received in a digital controller (computer) of the processing system. This digital controller may be a work station or a computer which controls the processing devices of the processing system.
It is preferred to assign match codes, e.g. bar codes, to the elements of a customer order, i.e. the film section, the print section, the envelope, and/or the like before or just after entering one or each of the processing devices of the processing system according to the invention. This can be done to be able to assign the elements of a customer order to each other with respect to particular processing devices. The matching operation itself can be accomplished by a centralised computer which coordinates the processing of each of the customer orders in compliance with the respective assigned processing information, e.g. instructions imposed by the customer and/or the photo shop.
Usually the processing of customer orders is organised in a sequence of processing steps. In order to control the processing, the controller may, for instance, monitor at which processing step each customer order is present. If, for example, the customer order comprises digitalised photographic data or image data, the controlling of the processing of the digital data is performed by incorporating the photographic processing program into an overall controlling program. If the customer order comprises conventional films and prints and if thus the customer orders are processed physically and not digitally, usually marks (work codes) are provided on the physical elements of the customer orders, i.e. by providing marks (e.g. bar code) on the margin of the prints (web of prints) or film. These marks are read by detectors or operators in order to monitor the location of the customer orders (prints, film section) within the processing system and/or in order to control the processing as well as for instance the progress of one or several orders during the process flow.
The controlling means of the processing system may be organised centrally or decentrally. If the controlling means is organised centrally, it is preferred to identify a customer order and its location in the processing sequence and to transmit this information to the central processing means. Based on this information, the controlling means controls the processing devices or processing sites of the processing system in order to execute the next processing step on the particular customer order in accordance with the processing information assigned to the customer order. Preferably, there are memory means where the processing information is stored, said memory means being accessed by the controlling means. The control of processing sites staffed with operators may be performed via displays on which the instructions for the operator are displayed, which describe the processing task to be performed by the operator on the customer order just present at the related processing site.
If the controlling means is organised decentrally, preferably, each processing device and/or processing site of the processing system has its own controller. This controller checks the marks on the customer order (e.g. web of prints) which the processing device has to process. In this case, the marks additionally comprise instructions which are read by the controller of the processing device or by the operator at the processing site. The controller of the processing device then controls the processing device in order to perform the instructions or the controller of a processing site gives instruction e.g. via a screen to operators located at processing sites. For instance, the instructions may describe the format into which the web of prints has to be cut, i.e. the format of each single print. Finally, a central controller may cooperate and communicate with decentral controllers.
According to the present invention, processing tasks are assigned to processing sites. Preferably, this assignment is based on the capabilities or features of the processing sites, e.g. available work space, available equipment. The processing sites are staffed with a number of operators of certain skills. Preferably, the assignment is additionally or alternatively based on the skill of the operator(s) which is/are available at a particular processing site. Thus, the assignment is based on the machines and devices available at a processing site and/or the skills of the operator at the processing site, i.e. whether the operator can handle the different devices at the processing site or not. For instance, the assignment can be based (additionally) on the quality of which the operator performs different processing tasks or on the experience of the operator. Preferably, a controlling means of the processing system analyses the processing orders in order to determine which processing sites are suitable for the required process. If different processing tasks are to be performed at different processing sites, the controlling means, preferably, determines the sequence of the processes at the different processing sites and in particular controls the passing of the customer order from one processing site to the next one according to said sequence.
The processing system of the present invention preferably comprises a controlling means and a memory. The different processing skills of the operators and processing features of the processing sites are stored in the memory and the controller accesses the memory in order to determine which one of the processing sites can perform the processing task. The customer order is then passed to the processing site assigned to the processing task to be performed.
If the customer order comprises e.g. prints or envelopes as elements, the elements are passed to a processing site by a conveying means. If the film cartridge is present as digital data, the digital data are transmitted via a network to the processing site for further processing.
Preferably, the different processing sites are organised and ordered into difficulty levels in order to optimally use the different skills of the operators. Depending on the skills of an operator at a processing site, different processing tasks may be performed at the processing site. For instance, a highly skilled operator may produce particular prints representing enlargements of portions of negatives or may digitally process the photographic data in order to produce particular prints. Additionally such a highly skilled operator can be able to cut prints into particular formats or to pack prints into envelops. A medium skilled operator may be able to cut the prints and to pack prints into an envelope. And a low skilled operator may only be able to pack the prints into an envelope. The higher the skill of an operator the higher the difficulty level of the processing tasks which may be assigned to the operator.
Preferably, the controlling means controls the passing of the customer orders and the processing of them such that the customer orders are passed to those processing sites to which a sufficient difficulty level is assigned. Preferably, the controlling means passes the customer order to be processed to that processing site having the lowest difficulty level which is sufficient to perform the processing tasks. In this way the working time of highly skilled operators can be reserved for the difficult tasks.
If processing information contains an instruction which represents new or unknown processing tasks, preferably, the corresponding customer order is directly passed to a processing site with the highest difficulty or skill level.
It may be defined that only operators of a particular skill have access to certain processing sites. In this way a certain difficulty level may be guaranteed for a particular processing site. Alternatively or additionally, it is monitored which operator is available at which processing site. This may be performed by requesting the operator that he logs into a network connected with the controlling means of the processing system of the present invention. The controlling means then assigns, based on the stored processing skills of the operator and the available processing features and capabilities of the devices at the processing site, a particular difficulty level or skill level to the processing site.
Advantageously, there is provided a number of, or a plurality of, processing sites, wherein each processing site is assigned to a number of particular processing tasks. Preferably, the controlling means decides which one of the processing sites is best suitable to perform the processing tasks (instructions). Advantageously, for this purpose, an allocation table is stored in the memory means. This allocation table locates processing tasks (to the performed instructions) to different processing sites. If an instruction defines a particular processing task, the controlling means accesses the allocation table and decides based on the allocation table to which the corresponding customer order or element thereof should be passed. The term xe2x80x9cpassingxe2x80x9d may mean xe2x80x9cconveyingxe2x80x9d if physical elements like prints are concerned, or xe2x80x9ctransmittingxe2x80x9d if digital data like image data are concerned.
As mentioned above, different levels of difficulty may be assigned to at least some of the different processing sites, each processing site of a particular level of difficulty may process processing tasks of the same or lower difficulty level. In this way, an optimum usage of the available processing sites and the skills of the operators at those processing sites is possible. Preferably, a customer order to be processed at a processing site is conveyed to that processing site having the lowest possible difficulty level which is still able to execute the required instructions.
Additionally or alternatively the processing tasks may be categorised in categories based on the kind of processing to be performed, e.g. cutting, packing, image processing etc. A category is assigned to a processing site. The controlling means ascertains to which category the different processing tasks defined by processing information and/or instructions belong and passes the corresponding customer order to the suitable processing site. The allocation of a category to processing tasks and to processing sites may be stored in a memory accessible by the controlling means. The categorisation of processing tasks promotes the modular structure of the processing system of the present invention and may also be applied to automatic processing devices by assigning a category to an automatic processing site. In particular automatic processing devices and semi-automatic processing sites belonging to the same category (e.g. packing) may be locally grouped in order to reduce the transportation distances of the customer orders and to facilitate replacement of processing sites by automatic processing devices, the replacement of automatic processing devices and/or the update of control programs for the processing devices.
Preferably, the processing system of the present invention is also used for quality control and quality management. For example, detectors (e.g. cameras) may monitor whether the elements of a customer order are properly processed. For instance, it may be monitored whether the quality of the cutting of prints or the quality of packing the prints in an envelope is sufficient. If an error or unacceptable quality is detected, the corresponding customer order may be identified by the controlling means and conveyed to an appropriate processing site, e.g. staffed with a quality expert, which may handle the error or quality defect.
It is a major advantage of the processing system of the present invention that it also accepts customer orders with processing information and/or instructions which also define instructions which can automatically be processed by an automatic processing device of the processing system, i.e. not at a processing site and without assistance of an operator. The present invention allows for a continuous processing of the customer orders, even if some of the instructions of the processing information can automatically be processed and some can be processed with the assistance of an operator or even both.
The advantage is accomplished by checking each processing information to ascertain whether or not the processing information or instructions can automatically be processed by the processing system. Checking may be performed by the controlling means of the processing system. In this application, the term xe2x80x9cautomatically processingxe2x80x9d means that a customer order may be processed without the assistance of an operator, i.e. automatically by a processing device. An example of xe2x80x9cautomatically processingxe2x80x9d is packing prints automatically into an envelope by a packing machine without the help of an operator or cutting the prints by an automatic cutting machine and not manually by means of an operator. Thus, automatically processing is performed by the processing system (e.g. by a device or machine of the processing system) without the assistance of an operator.
Preferably checking of the processing orders is performed by analysing the instructions enclosed or included in the processing information and the processing tasks they imply, as stated in further detail later on.
Since, according to the present invention, the processing information and/or instructions are assigned to their corresponding customer orders, based on said checking, it is possible to identify those customer orders in the processing system which are to be processed according to processing information which is automatically processable and partly automatically processable, or processable at a processing site by an operator. If the customer order may be processed both automatically and at a processing site, the controlling means, preferably, determines the way of processing. Advantageously a customer order is processed automatically, if an automatic processing is possible. For this purpose processing information is preferably analysed in order to identify customer orders which may be processed automatically, the remaining units are thus identified to be processed non-automatically.
For instance, at least one of the following processes or treatments may be performed if a non-automatically processable unit has been identified:
a warning signal may be issued which identifies the customer order. In this way the customer order may be separated from the processing line and further processed by means of an operator at a processing site;
the customer order may be automatically separated and conveyed to a processing site where it is semi-automatically or manually processed;
a label may be attached to the customer order and/or a pallet which supports the parts of the customer order which describes the instruction to be performed semi-automatically or manually, and which in particular can also include information, to identify the relation of the customer order to a photo shop, a customer and/or the like.
In summary, the checking of the processing information for automatically processability and the identification of the non-automatically processable units allow for an integration of the automatic processing of customer orders in the semi-automatically or manually processing of those units.
A particular advantage of the present invention is that the automatically processing capabilities may be used as far as possible or appropriate in those cases in which at least one instruction of the processing information is automatically processable.
If, for example, the processing information comprises automatically processable instructions concerning the formats of the prints and thus the cutting of the web of prints, but also comprises particular instructions concerning the addition of supplements to customer orders, a huge part of the information may be accomplished automatically. The prints may be processed and cut in the desired formats, the cut prints and the corresponding section of film may be supplied to a pallet assigned to the information and conveyed on a conveyer. Furthermore, a supplement may be added to another tray or compartment of the pallet. However, if the pallet arrives at the packing machine (which is also part of the processing system), the packing machine is not able to pack the supplement automatically in an envelope. The processing system of the present invention solves this problem since the processing system checks the processing information and recognises that the adding of a supplement results in that the packing machine is not capable of automatically packing all parts of the customer order into an envelope. The processing system identifies the customer order which comprises for instance at this stage of processing a pallet, the prints, the film section and the supplement. This identification allows for a different treatment of the identified customer order. For instance, the identified pallet may be conveyed to a packing site where the film, the prints and the supplement are packed into a suitable envelope by an operator. After packing the package (wallet and/or envelope), the package is refeed to the automatic processing line which conveys the packages to a shipping station. Furthermore, the (empty) pallet is separated from the customer order and refeed to a conveyor belt for reuse in the processing system, i.e. the pallet may be refilled by other prints, films and supplements of a different customer order. A processing system of the present invention may comprise a processing line, where a number of processes is performed on the customer order in a sequence. The xe2x80x9cautomatic partxe2x80x9d of said processing line, i.e. the automatic processing line, comprises devices which automatically process the customer order.
In a very simple case, according to the invention all orders which cannot be handled automatically could be directed to one storing position to wait there the e finished. Accordingly, in correspondence with a processing information, a conveyer could transport the parts of a customer order to said storing position to be treated in a manner which would not be possible automatically. For instance, said orders could be collected to be finished once a day by an operator or several operators of different skills.
For checking the instructions of an order, to ascertain whether the instructions are automatically processable or not by the processing system, the controlling means of the processing system preferably accesses a memory means. A list of processable instructions and/or sequences of processable instructions is preferably stored in the memory means. The controlling means compares the instructions of processing information with the stored instructions or sequences of instructions. Based on this, the controlling means decides and assesses whether the processing information is automatically processable or not. Furthermore the controlling means advantageously decides which instructions of the processing information should be performed automatically and at which stage of the processing the corresponding customer order should be separated from that portion or those portions of a processing line assigned to the automatic processing, and which should be semi-automatically or manually processed.
Advantageously, the method of the present invention for processing customer orders according to their corresponding processing information is performed by means of or with the assistance of a program which runs on a computer, work station etc., which controls the processing system.
The present invention further relates to a computer program product, like a storing medium for storing a computer program, which stores the above-mentioned program. A storing medium may be a CD, a DVD, a hard-disk, a floppy disk etc. The present invention also covers the provision of the program via internet.

Processing of photographs in a photographic laboratory by operators


A load management control system is provided for an air conditioner. The system includes an outdoor temperature sensor for sensing outdoor temperature of the outside of an enclosure to be air-conditioned and an indoor temperature sensor for sensing an indoor temperature of the enclosure. A device is provided for determining a difference in output of the indoor and outdoor temperature sensors. A device is provided for comparing the difference in output of the indoor and outdoor temperature sensors with a reference input. The system further includes a device for detecting an external controlling signal from an input device coupled to the system. A control device is provided for controlling an air conditioner control circuit based upon input from the comparing device and the detecting device. When an allowable temperature differential is exceeded, the controlling device opens at least one contact to interrupt the air conditioner control circuit so as to reduce electrical load. The controlling device closes the contact to restore the operation of the air conditioner control circuit when the temperature differential is no longer exceeded.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control system for controlling the operation of an air conditioning system, and more particularly to a load management control system for reducing air conditioning load during peak periods.
2. Description of the Art
The control of temperature in enclosed areas such as residential and commercial buildings is important for comfort of the inhabitants as well as for efficiency. Energy considerations become important when the outside temperature substantially exceeds an indoor temperature set point. In conventional air conditioning systems, automatic controls maintain cooling levels in a selected range. Most thermostatic controls permit the user to set a prescribed temperature above which the system will energize to cool the building. However, when the outdoor temperature greatly exceeds the indoor temperature set point, a substantial energy load is required to maintain the indoor temperature. As a result, excessive cooling of the building adversely effects the physical condition of building occupants, and energy is wasted since the air conditioner is operated to provide an energy load in excess of that required to maintain a comfortable interior temperature.
Prior systems have attempted to control the indoor temperature based upon the outdoor temperature. U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,272 discloses a temperature control apparatus which operates by calculating a desired indoor temperature using a predetermined linear function of outdoor temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,462 discloses a temperature control system for shifting the indoor temperature set point in accordance with outdoor temperature. Heating and cooling input to a room of a building is controlled based upon the outdoor temperature and a K-Factor, to maintain a constant indoor temperature. However, careful analysis of the dwelling heat transfer ability is required for such control.
While the control systems described in the above references provide a significant improvement in air conditioning systems, these systems require either complicated algorithms or a study of particular building characteristics to facilitate temperature control.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a simple and more effective means of controlling the load requirements for an air conditioning system based upon a difference between indoor and outdoor temperature.

Air conditioning load management control system

c/o Virginia Power Telecommunications 104 Wilden Dr.


A turf maintenance device (12) for maintaining a section of turf (10) comprises a plurality of bristles (26) that form a bristle array (546) having an array length (AL) and an array width (AW). In certain alternative embodiments, the ratio of the array length (AL) to the array width (AW) can be at least approximately ten to one, or at least approximately thirty to one. Further, the plurality of bristles (26) have a bristle length (BL). In certain alternative embodiments, the ratio of the bristle length (BL) to the array width (AW) can be at least approximately three to one, or at least approximately five to one. The turf maintenance device (12) can further comprise a handle (222) that is coupled to the plurality of bristles (26). The handle (222) can include a plurality of handle members (228) that move relative to one another between an extended configuration and a contracted configuration.

Golf course greens and practice greens require considerable maintenance in order to keep the turf, both natural and artificial, in optimal condition so that a putted ball can be expected to roll on a true course. For example, the removal or strategic movement and placement of foreign materials or impediments such as sand and other debris is a necessary part of proper green maintenance. Additionally, the movement of such impediments should be performed carefully to decrease disturbance or damage to or roughing up of the somewhat fragile grass of the green. Moreover, it can be important for the health of the turf as well as for the trueness and/or consistency of the greens to position the individual blades of grass so that they are in a substantially upright orientation with a small separation between the individual blades of grass.


This invention relates to a method of preparing a mixed manganese ferrite coated catalyst, and a method of preparing 1,3-butadiene using the same, and more particularly, to a method of preparing a catalyst by coating a support with mixed manganese ferrite obtained by co-precipitation at 10˜40° C. using a binder and to a method of preparing 1,3-butadiene using oxidative dehydrogenation of a crude C4 mixture containing n-butene and n-butane in the presence of the prepared catalyst. This mixed manganese ferrite coated catalyst has a simple synthetic process, and facilitates control of the generation of heat upon oxidative dehydrogenation and is very highly active in the dehydrogenation of n-butene.

Oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butene, which is used to produce 1,3-butadiene that is gradually increasing in demand in petrochemical markets, produces 1,3-butadiene and water after reacting n-butene with oxygen, and is thermodynamically favorable because water, which is stable, is produced, and also the reaction temperature may be reduced. If a C4 mixture or C4 raffinate-3 containing impurities such as n-butane is utilized as the supply source of n-butene, the value of surplus C4 fractions may be advantageously increased.
As mentioned above, the oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butene (1-butene, trans-2-butene, cis-2-butene) is a reaction in which 1,3-butadiene and water are produced after a reaction between n-butene and oxygen. Oxidative dehydrogenation, however, is accompanied by many side-reactions, such as complete oxidations, which are expected to occur because oxygen is used as the reactant, and thus the development of catalysts which maximally suppress such side-reactions and increase the selectivity for 1,3-butadiene is regarded as of the utmost importance. The catalysts known to date used in the oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butene include ferrite based catalysts, tin based catalysts, bismuth molybdate based catalysts, etc.
Among these, the ferrite based catalysts have different catalytic activities depending on the kind of metal which occupies divalent cation sites of a spinel structure, and furthermore, zinc ferrite, magnesium ferrite, and manganese ferrite are known to be effective in the oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butene, and zinc ferrite is particularly reported as enabling there to be increased selectivity for 1,3-butadiene compared to when using ferrite catalysts of other metals [F.-Y. Qiu, L.-T. Weng, E. Sham, P. Ruiz, B. Delmon, Appl. Catal., vol. 51, pp. 235 (1989)].
Reported in some patents and pieces of literature is the use of zinc ferrite based catalyst in the oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butene, in which in order to increase the reaction activity and lifetime of the zinc ferrite catalyst used in the oxidative dehydrogenation, pretreatment and post-treatment, including adding an additive to the catalyst, are carried out, so that 1,3-butadiene can be obtained in higher yield over a long period of time [F.-Y. Qiu, L.-T. Weng, E. Sham, P. Ruiz, B. Delmon, Appl. Catal., vol. 51, pp. 235 (1989)/L. J. Crose, L. Bajars, M. Gabliks, U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,683 (1973)/E. J. Miklas, U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,545 (1974)/J. R. Baker, U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,869 (1976)]. In addition to the above zinc ferrite catalyst, the use of manganese ferrite catalyst for oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butene is reported in some patents.
In the oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butene, the zinc ferrite catalyst is problematic because reproducibility may be deteriorated by the addition of metal oxides used in order to prevent inactivation and by the acid treatment, and also complicated post-treatment procedures are required. Further, the manganese ferrite catalyst should be maintained at high temperature upon co-precipitation in order to exist in a pure spinel phase and decreases the yield of 1,3-butadiene compared to when using zinc ferrite.
In addition, the oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butene is problematic because the yield of 1,3-butadiene is lowered when the reactant contains a predetermined amount or more of n-butane [L. M. Welch, L. J. Croce, H. F. Christmann, Hydrocarbon Processing, pp. 131 (1978)]. Thus, in the above conventional techniques, such problems remain unsolved when oxidative dehydrogenation is carried out using only pure n-butene (1-butene or 2-butene) as the reactant. Hence, various pieces of literature or patents related to catalysts and processes for producing 1,3-butadiene from n-butene using oxidative dehydrogenation as above and processes based thereon, including using pure n-butene as the reactant, are disadvantageous because a separation process for extracting pure n-butene from a C4 mixture should be additionally performed, thereby drastically reducing economic efficiency.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Mixed manganese ferrite coated catalyst, method of preparing the same, and method of preparing 1,3-butadiene using the same


Method and device for monitoring a load, which can be driven by means of an output stage as a function of the control signals of a control unit, the output stage carrying out fault monitoring and emitting an appropriate fault signal, wherein faults are detected only when at least one further condition is satisfied in addition to the fault signal.

Such a method and such a device are disclosed in German Patent No. DE 36 25 091 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,188). There, an output stage is proposed in a bridge circuit with four switching elements, the current through the load, which is arranged in the diagonal path of the bridge, being detected and compared with predetermined threshold values. If the current through the load exceeds a predetermined maximum value, then a short circuit in the region of the load is assumed, and the output stage is therefore switched off. This procedure results in the output stage being switched off even in the case of brief disturbances. The availability of the device is thus limited.
The output stages are preferably selected, in particular for economic reasons, such that the current through the load during typical functional sequences is less than the selected current limit, but in special cases the limit can be reached. If there is a corresponding reaction in such a special case and the load is disconnected, then two undesirable effects can occur, in particular in the case of idle speed controllers. One of these is that the desired function, for example the idle speed regulation, is no longer carried out. Furthermore, consequential damage can occur, in particular destruction of or damage to the controller.

Method and device for monitoring the serviceability of a load


The invention provides an organic EL apparatus including a substrate, a pair of electrodes formed on the substrate, and a light emitting layer disposed between the electrodes is provided in order to implement a light emitting apparatus and an electronic device which decrease reflections in a display of the organic EL apparatus, and to enhance display quality. The substrate includes a transparent substrate, the pair of the electrodes is an anode disposed on the light emitting layer at the substrate side, and a cathode disposed on the light emitting layer at an opposite side of the substrate. A semi-reflection film is disposed near the anode. The semi-reflection film transmits a part of external light incident on the organic EL apparatus from the substrate, and reflects a part of the light other than the light transmitted.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting apparatus and an electronic device for use in a display of a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, a personal computer or a television.
2. Description of Related Art
In a related art organic electroluminescence (EL) apparatus used as a display, external light is reflected on the display, which results in poor display quality. In order to decrease the reflections on the display, a Blacklayer technology (developed by Luxell Co. Ltd., Canada) can be used. In the related art technology, a transparent electrode, an El layer, a semitransparent electrode, a transparent conductive layer, and a reflective electrode are disposed on one side of a substrate of the organic EL apparatus. The reflections are decreased as follows: a part of light that is transmitted through the transparent electrode and the EL layer is reflected by the semitransparent electrode to be first reflection light. The light other than the first reflection light is transmitted through the semitransparent electrode and the transparent conductive layer, reflected by the reflection electrode, and left from the semitransparent electrode to be a second reflection light. The first reflection light and the second reflection light are interfered each other to weaken reflection intensity at the display.

Light emitting apparatus including resin banks and electronic device having same


A system and method for protecting against battery overcharging is used with an automotive electrical system having an alternator that supplies an output voltage VOUT to a string of at least first and second series-connected rechargeable batteries, an equalizer coupled to at least the first and second batteries, and at least a higher voltage load or a lower voltage load connected across respective sets of batteries of the string. The voltage VOUT is regulated to a target value VTARGET, and this target value VTARGET is reduced when either the voltage V1 across the first battery exceeds a first threshold value T1 or when a voltage V2 across the second battery exceeds a second threshold value T2. In this way, both of the batteries are protected against over-voltage conditions. A warning signal is illuminated to indicate to a user when either of the batteries is outside of its normal operating range.

This invention relates to vehicle electrical systems that use more than one operating voltage. There are a variety of means to attain multiple voltages in a vehicle, e.g. an automotive system, and one of them involves the use of an alternator that powers, among other loads, a battery equalizer. The purpose of the battery equalizer is to balance the charge among series-connected batteries to ensure equal charging. This is especially important if to one of the series-connections between the batteries represents a point where electrical loads are connected.
The charge voltage at the highest series-connected battery potential is typically controlled by a voltage regulator that controls the output voltage of the alternator. Series-connected batteries all need similar charge characteristics if they are to be equally recharged in series. If an intermediate operating voltage is derived from a series connection between batteries, the electrical loads at that point will unbalance the electrical charge that is attempting to recharge the battery at the lower potential. Also, if batteries with different charge characteristics are series connected, there will be unbalanced charging. In any type of unbalanced series charging, the battery at the higher potential will tend to overcharge, and the battery at the lower potential will tend to undercharge. In time, the overcharging battery will be destroyed, and the entire electrical system will malfunction.
An equalizer prevents battery charge imbalance because it has the capability of shunting current from the higher potential to the lower potential in order to maintain an equal potential across each of the batteries in series. However, an equalizer is a current rated device and typically has a protective circuit that prevents operating beyond its rated limit. If excessive electrical loads or a deeply discharged battery causes the operating current to exceed the equalizer rating, the equalizer may malfunction, shut down, or continue operating at its self imposed protective limit. In each of these cases the equalizer will cease to perform its equalizing function, and the higher potential battery will overcharge while the lower potential battery will undercharge.
Prior art battery charging systems that include equalizers are described in Brainard U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,083, Kutkut U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,795, Stuart U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,041, Sullivan U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,122, Nofzinger U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,136, and Sullivan U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,083.
By way of general introduction, the preferred embodiment described below seeks to overcome the limitation of the equalizer described above by introducing a voltage regulator that monitors the voltage at the series connection of series-connected batteries. The regulator is programmed to identify when an overload or malfunction occurs across any of the individual battery voltages. If this happens, the voltage regulator can adjust its regulated setting to a voltage that prevents the malfunctioning battery from overcharging. This, of necessity, may cause other batteries in the series to be undercharged, but at least it will prevent permanent overcharge damage and unsafe operation. A fault signal to alert the operator of this condition is provided. If the malfunction or overloaded condition cannot be corrected within the programmed range of output voltage adjustment, the regulator will turn off the alternator. If the overloaded condition corrects itself, the voltage regulator may return to normal operation at its original regulated setting.
This section has been provided by way of general introduction only, and it is not intended to narrow the scope of the following claims.

System and method for monitoring battery equalization


The present disclosure provides a power device and power device packaging. Generally, the power device of the present disclosure includes a die backside and a die frontside. A semi-insulating substrate with epitaxial layers disposed thereon is sandwiched between the die backside and the die frontside. Pads on the die frontside are coupled to the die backside with patterned backmetals that are disposed within vias that pass through the semi-insulating substrate and epitaxial layers from the die backside to the die frontside.

The packaging of power devices is critical to device and system performance. Low resistance and low inductance connections are desirable for device terminals such as the source and drain terminals of a transistor or the anode and cathode terminals of a diode.
FIG. 1 depicts a cross-section view of a prior art high-voltage transistor 10 having a vertical structure with an unpatterned backside metallization that serves as a drain pad 12. Examples of such vertical devices include double-diffused metal oxide semiconductor (DMOS) transistors, insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), and junction field effect transistors (JFETs). These devices include a die 14 with a substrate 16 and an epitaxial layer 18 that are conductive. As a result, a through wafer via is not required. Moreover, a die attach process is provided with a large area, low resistance, and high current connection to the drain pad 12. Further still, a gate bond pad 20 and a source bond pad 22 are located on a frontside 24. A gate current is typically much less than a source current. Thus, the majority of the frontside 24 is usable for the source bond pad 22. A resulting large pad area available to the source bond pad 22 enables a low-cost, high current connection using large diameter wires, ribbons, or clips. A further advantage of the large pad area is that only a few large area bonds to the source bond pad 22 are required to carry a maximum device current. Another advantage is that the die 14 is also in good thermal contact with the substrate, which assists with heat dissipation.
In contrast to vertical power devices, gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are lateral devices. As shown in FIG. 2 depicting a bond pad layout for a GaN device 26, GaN HEMTs can have a first gate pad 28, a second gate pad 30 along with both a source pad 32 and a drain pad 34 on a die front surface 36. To minimize die area, the source pad 32 and the drain pad 34 both have dimensions that are minimized. As a result of their minimized dimensions, the source pad 32 and the drain pad 34 of GaN HEMTs only provide enough space for small diameter bond wires such as source bond wires 38 and drain bond wires 40. A typical diameter for a bond wire using gold (Au) is about 25.4 μm (1 mil). As such, a typical 1200 V class GaN device in a standard TO-247 package can require between 20 and 30 bond wires on both the source pad 32 and the drain pad 34. Not only does this many bond wires add a significant packaging cost, but bond wires have significant inductance which can have a negative effect on the switching characteristics of the GaN device 26. Larger diameter bond wires, ribbons, or clips typically require a relatively large landing area that undesirably and significantly increases total die area of the GaN device 26. Another packaging option is a flip-chip process that attaches a die to a substrate using metallic bumps that are fabricated onto bond pads. However, in this case, the die is in poor thermal contact with the substrate, which results in a high thermal resistance and poor performance at elevated temperature. What is needed is an alternative structure for GaN devices such as transistors and diodes that reduces the cost and complexity of die assembly without introducing the aforementioned problems.

Power device packaging having backmetals couple the plurality of bond pads to the die backside


A multi-usable thermal transfer ink sheet comprising a foundation, a heat-meltable, multi-transferable ink layer provided on the foundation, and a heat-meltable overcoat provided on the ink layer, said overcoat having a greater cohesive force than that of said ink layer. A rough paper-adaptability and a resistance to receiving paper-staining are improved with ensuring a desired multi-printing property.

The present invention relates to a multi-usable thermal transfer ink sheet. More particularly, it relates to a multi-usable thermal transfer ink sheet designed so that a homogeneous heat-meltable ink layer is transferred in increments relative to the thickness thereof onto a receiving medium at every time when the ink layer is heated by means of a heating means such as a thermal head.
This type of thermal transfer ink sheet which has been proposed heretofore includes one having a multi-transferable, heat-meltable ink layer containing 30 to 60 parts by weight of a heat-meltable resin, 10 to 40 parts by weight of a heat-meltable substance such as wax and 30 to 60 parts by weight of a coloring agent as the essential ingredients (see JP,A, 2-277691).
There have been also proposed those wherein, in the above-mentioned multi-transferable ink layer, the content or melt viscosity of the heat-meltable resin is increased on the side of the foundation and decreased on the side of the surface of the ink layer (see JP,A, 61-79695 and JP,A, 2-150385).
However, these conventional multi-usable transfer ink sheets are not satisfactory because they have drawbacks such as poor clearness of images obtained, particularly, on a paper having a poor smoothness (hereinafter referred to as "rough paper") and occurrence of a remarkable "receiving paper-staining" which means the phenomenon that portions of a receiving paper where the formation of images is not desired are stained with the ink.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-usable thermal transfer ink sheet which can form clear images even on a rough paper and causes no receiving paper-staining, with ensuring a desired multi-printing property.
This and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter.


A system includes a programmable logic control (PLC) module, an input/output (IO) network bus coupled to the PLC module and provided at facets of a mainframe. A first process chamber attached to a first facet of the facets. A chamber interface IO sub-module is attached to the first facet and coupled to the IO network bus and to a process chamber IO controller of the first process chamber. The chamber interface IO sub-module is to: convert interlock relay signals, received via dry contact exchange with the process chamber IO controller, to digital signals; combine the digital signals into network packets adapted for communication using a protocol of the IO network bus; and transmit the network packets to the PLC module over the IO network bus.

Next generation mainframes for semiconductor processing will grow in size and seek to add a high density of process chambers (e.g., up to ten or more on a mainframe), a high flexibility with any chamber type in any mainframe facet position, and to support up to a three mainframe cluster. A cluster is a collection of mainframes joined at a facet position, which can be either a mainframe-to-mainframe configuration or via a buffered volume similar to a load lock. For example, a connection volume, such as an aluminum body, is referred to as a via and can couple the mainframes together. Current IO controls for such mainframes distribute high density discrete interlock and IO signals to platform modules, including process chambers, load locks, mainframe remotes, and additional mainframes.
Current controls architecture, however, supports a limited number of process chambers, such as 2, 4, 6, or 8 process chambers via mainframe IO controllers. Further, current IO control, to include transmission of the discrete interlock and IO signals, is implemented using cables and harnesses made up of connectors and discrete wires originating from a centralized mainframe IO controller. Further, clean dry air (CDA) supply lines are poly cables that originate from air regulators to centralized air manifolds for driving devices over smaller poly cable branches for each mainframe. These IO control and CDA cables are run to each facet of the mainframe regardless of whether process chambers are attached to the facets, resulting in a high density of long IO control wires and CDA supply lines that are expensive and take up significant space in a processing fab. For example, for an entire mainframe, a multi-conductor cable is extended to all of the process chambers to carry control to each slit valve (SV) position. Further, a longer, thick cable for IO control is extended to a remote area that costs two thousand dollars just for the cable.

Distributed input/output (IO) control and interlock ring architecture