A system for eye tracking that determines the line of sight of a user according to the relative position between the center of the pupil and a reference point, the system including an image detector that captures an image of the eye, a pupil-illuminating light source that illuminates the pupil of the user, a reference light source that illuminates a different portion of the face of the user as a reference point and an imaging processor that analyzes the captured eye image to determine the line of sight.

System and methods for eye tracking are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,795 to Smyth entitled "Apparatus for Measuring Eye Gaze and Fixation Duration, and Method Therefore", is directed to a device and method for measuring eye gaze and fixation duration. An electronic video display array provides controlled illumination of the eye of a user. The initial flares in display pixel brightness, generated during the electronic refresh sweep of the display, creates a sequence of point light sources. The reflections from the cornea and internal eye components reach the array of light sensors through display optics. The sensor system comprises an array of phototransistors (amplifiers), comparators, and an encoder and latch, for isolating the transistor with maximal response to the corneal reflex from the instantaneously excited light source. The corresponding video display pixel element is determined by the display refresh order, indexed by the raster scan clock pulse count. This encoded address is written by the processor onto digital memory, eventually creating a table of array matrix address for phototransistor sensor and light source pairings, accessible by digital computer routines.
The digital computer runs several routines to compute: visual line of sight, workspace line of sight, fixation status, and gaze point for each eye. The visual line of sight routine generates a three dimensional model of the eye. Utilizing the stored reflection data, the routine obtains the corneal surface reflection points, the corneal center and the pupil center, for computing of the optical origin and axis. The routine then smoothes reflection point locations using a clustering algorithm, and analyzes this data to determine the median axes. Finally, the routine computes the viewing origin and axis from the optical and median axes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,461 to Smyth entitled "Apparatus for Tracking the Human Eye with a Retinal Scanning Display, and Method Therefore", is directed to a device and method for measuring eye gaze and fixation duration, wherein a retinal scanning display creates sequential sources of light. The directed light sweeps the retina in discrete steps, illuminating adjacent portions of the retina in a point-wise manner and creating a succession of reflection points. The reflections are detected by an active-pixel image sensor array composed of CMOS substrate. The sensor is integrated with a comparator array and an element address encoder and latch, both clocked by the raster scan pulse of the display driver. This determines the sensor element reaching maximum intensity or activated from a particular sequential light source reflection off the cornea. Over a refresh cycle, the corneal surface is mapped to a data table through pairings of sensor activations and corneal reflections. A CCD device (or alternatively a memory cache) is activated by the sensor array to record diffused reflections, or sensor pixels with intensities less than that of the direct reflections, as determined by the comparator array. These parameters are also used in subsequent data analysis.
After each cycle, the image processor, comprised of a stack of VLSI circuit arrays, generates a three dimensional image of the human eye, expanded to include more features and inner structures of the eye. The image processor computes a model of the cornea and optical locations for isolated image features. The optical origin and the optical and median axes are computed from internal eye features, including corneal optic center and axes, corneal surface center and axes, pupil optic center, pupil image orientation, capillary network of retinal fundus and iris pattern. The viewing origin and axis is obtained from the optical origin and axis and median axes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,149 to Spitzer et al, entitled "Eye tracking system having an array of photodetectors aligned respectively with an array of pixels", is directed to an eye tracking apparatus. A flat panel display projects an image, through a photodetector array and onto a viewing screen, which is viewed by the user. Each pixel in the display is aligned with a corresponding photodetector. The light rays which are reflected from a display pixel to the fovea of the eye, are reflected back from the eye along the same optical path. The photodetector identifies the pixel from which the light ray emanated by generating a voltage signal in the array unit nearest the returned light ray. The corresponding portion of the display represents the line of sight of the user. A cursor is projected on the screen at the line of sight location to provide feedback.
In order to prevent interference from outside light, a bandpass filter, placed over the array, blocks out all wavelengths but that of the cursor. A corresponding band rejection filter is placed on the outside of the viewing screen. Alternatively, a pair of polarizers may be used instead of filters. A light polarizer is placed over the detector array, in conjunction with a ninety degree-crossed polarizer over the viewing screen. Further alternatives include using infrared light from the display, or blinking the cursor image allowing the computer to eliminate background light.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,433,760 to Vaissie et al. entitled "Head Mounted Display with Eye tracking Compatibility", is directed to a display and eye tracking system. The system includes a CCD camera, an LCD, a computer, an imaging system, at least one LED, a hot mirror and a cold mirror.
The LEDs emit 900 nm light. One of the mirrors reflects the light onto the cornea of the eye. The reflected infra-red beam from the cornea of the eye strikes the hot mirror. The hot mirror directs the reflected infra-red beam through the imaging system. The beam then passes through the cold mirror and is focused onto the CCD camera. The computer processes the beam to determine the sight direction of the user.
The LCD screen receives visual information from the computer. The imaging system displays the images from the LCD screen. The hot mirror reflects the rays from the LCD screen onto the cornea.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,461 to Lewis et al. entitled "Personal Display with Vision Tracking", is directed to a display apparatus. The apparatus includes control electronics, a light source, a scanning assembly and imaging optics. The imaging optics is formed from curved, partially transmissive mirrors. The mirrors receive light from a background and from the scanning assembly. The mirrors combine the light received from these sources to produce a combined image to the eye of a viewer.
The imaging optics redirects and magnifies scanned light from the scanning assembly toward the eye. The scanned light passes through the pupil of the eye, and strikes the retina of the eye to produce a virtual image. Background light passes through the mirrors and the pupil to the retina of the user, to produce a "real" image.
The apparatus further includes an infrared light source, positioned adjacent to the light source, and an optical detector. A common substrate carries the infrared light source and the light source. The imaging optics receives a locator beam from the infrared light source. The imaging optics redirect light, reflected from the eye, toward the optical detector. The detector data are input to an electronic controller. The controller accesses a look up table in a memory device to retrieve positioning data indicating a correction for the light source. The controller activates X and Y drivers to provide voltages to respective piezoelectric positioners, coupled to the substrate, for correcting the positions of the light sources.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,339 to Brown et al. entitled "Image System Evaluation Method and Apparatus Using Eye Motion Tracking", is directed to an eye tracking apparatus for evaluating different image systems.
The eye tracking apparatus consists of a video-based, infrared illuminated, headband mounted eye tracking technique. A collimated diode emitting infrared light illuminates the eye. A monochrome CCD camera is aligned coaxially with the diode. The camera captures "bright-pupil" reflection from the retina of the subject and the first surface reflection of the cornea ("first Purkinje image"). An eye tracker control unit digitizes the camera images and thresholds the image at two levels in real-time.
The first threshold level isolates pixels within the bright pupil, and the second threshold level isolates those pixels that are within the corneal reflection.
A lab computer then computes the centroid of the pupil and the first Purkinje image. The eye-in-head position is calculated based on the relative location of the two centroids when both items are available in the camera image, in order to make the system less sensitive to movement of the tracker with respect to the head.
A magnetic field head tracker monitors head position and orientation in real time. The head tracker comprises a transmitter unit mounted above the head of the subject, which contains three orthogonal coils that are energized in turn. A receiver unit contains three orthogonal antennae coils that pick up the corresponding signals from the transmitter. The head position and orientation points are determined from the absolute and relative strengths of the transmitter/receiver coil pairs.
The gaze position is then calculated, using eye-in-head and head position/orientation data, in the form of the intersection of the line-of-sight with the working plane. The eye tracking apparatus provides a digital data stream containing eye-in-head, head orientation and position, and gaze intercept information. In addition a camera present on the headband provides a video record of the scene from the perspective of the subject, also indicating the same positional data.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,866 to Gulli et al. entitled "Optical System Combining Image Presentation and Eye Analysis", is directed to an image presentation system. The image presentation portion of the system comprises an image generator and an optical transmission channel. The image generator sends images to a display screen. An optical transmission channel passes the images from the display to the eye of the use. The channel includes a collimating device that projects the screen image to be perceived by the user as located at an infinite distance, or at a finite distance if desired. The channel also includes a combiner allowing the user to perceive a superimposed image in visible light.
The eye tracking portion comprises an illuminating system and image detection system. The illuminating system consists of a light source and optical transmitter which illuminates the retina at the rear inner surface of the eye of the user. The illuminating light wave propagates through a bundle of optical fibers before reaching the eye. A scanning system at the light source allows for selective illumination of different fiber groups and scans the retina. The reflected light follows the inverse path of the illuminating light, passing through the optical fibers to the scanning system. A semi-reflecting mirror reflects the light to the image detection system. The image detection system consists of a detector that detects the intensity of reflected light, and a device that generates a retinal image of the eye.
Conventional helmet mounted display systems use the line of sight of the helmet in order to aim at a target. Such systems utilize a position and orientation sensor, mounted on the helmet, in order to define the helmet line of sight. Thus, a pilot needs to move his head and helmet (i.e., using the neck), in order to aim at a target.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,667,694 B2 issued to Ben-Ari et al., and entitled "Gaze-Actuated Information System" is directed to a gaze-actuated information system for generating an audio output for a pilot of an aircraft, according to an eye gaze direction of the pilot and a reference direction. The gaze-actuated information system includes a helmet mounted system, a cockpit mounted system, a weapon system unit and a weapon system.
The helmet mounted system includes an eye tracking system, a transmitter and a first power supply. The cockpit mounted system includes a first transceiver, a processor, an audio system, a helmet position system and a second power supply. The weapon system unit includes a second transceiver, a control interface and a third power supply. The weapon system includes a seeker and a launcher. The processor includes a direction correlation system. The eye tracking system, the transmitter, the first power supply, the first transceiver, the processor and the helmet position system form a gaze-direction determining system.
The eye tracking system derives the eye gaze direction of an eye of the pilot relative to a helmet of the pilot. The helmet position system derives the position of the helmet within a cockpit of the aircraft. The processor derives the eye gaze direction of the eye of the pilot relative to a frame of reference moving with the cockpit, according to the eye gaze direction relative to the helmet, and according to the position of the helmet. The weapon system unit relays seeker direction information from the weapon system to the cockpit mounted system.
When the pilot looks at a target, the seeker is locked to the eye gaze direction of the pilot. The pilot brings the seeker into alignment with the target by looking toward the target, and designates the target by depressing a control button. Depressing the control button releases the seeker from the eye gaze direction, and allows the seeker to track the target. At this stage the audio system generates a first audible signal to indicate to the pilot that the seeker has locked on to the target. Before firing a missile toward the target, the pilot verifies that the seeker has locked on to the correct target.
For performing this verification, the direction correlation system compares the eye gaze direction relative to the frame of reference with the target direction relative to the frame of reference. If the eye gaze direction and the target direction are equal within a given degree of accuracy, then the direction correlation system determines that the pilot is currently looking at the target which is being tracked, and the audio system generates a predefined audible signal.
The direction correlation system compares the eye gaze direction relative to the frame of reference with a reference direction relative to the frame of reference. The reference direction is chosen to correspond to a region of the field of view of the pilot, with which certain information is associated. If the eye gaze direction and the reference direction are equal within a given degree of accuracy, then the audio system generates audio output to the pilot indicative of the information associated with that reference direction.

Head mounted eye tracking and display system


The invention relates to a clay mineral for use as an agent for reducing the concentration of inorganic phosphate in liquids, in particular in bodily fluids or dialysis liquids, in order to treat hyperphosphatemia, in particular in a renal replacement therapy, wherein before use, the clay mineral is thermally treated at a temperature between 400° C. and 800° C., preferably between 500° C. and 700° C., in particular preferably at 550° C., over a time period of 60 min to 240 min, preferably 90 min to 180 min, in particular preferably 120 min.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mineral compound for reducing the concentration of inorganic phosphates in bodily fluids and dialysis fluids.
The present invention relates to a mineral compound for reducing the concentration of inorganic phosphates in bodily fluids and dialysis fluids according to claim 1.
Description of Related Art
Phosphates play an important role in human metabolism and are vital for the function of the human organism. Phosphates usually are supplied by the food and reabsorbed in the intestines. Up to 70% of the phosphates ingested with the food are excreted via the kidneys and the urine. The rest is utilized by the organism. In humans with healthy kidneys the amount of phosphate excreted in the urine per day is about 900 mg on average.
When the normal phosphate values in blood are exceeded, however, the low solubility product of calcium phosphate will lead to its deposition in the vascular systems and a related calcification.
In the case of an insufficient excretion capacity of the kidneys such as in the case of the renal insufficiency, phosphate will be concentrated in the organism of the patients in an undesired quantity, so that an elevated phosphate level occurs in the blood (hyperphosphatemia).
Chronic renal insufficiency is characterized by a slow progressive loss of the renal function. Main causes are inflammations and infections of the kidneys, constriction of the efferent urinary tract and congenital renal diseases. In industrial nations, however, there is an increase in type 2 diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension-induced renal insufficiency. Renal insufficiency can only can be treated by a renal replacement therapy in the form of a lifelong therapy with dialysis or kidney transplantation.
For renal insufficiency patients, the instrumental extracorporeal hemodialysis is a life-sustaining therapy, which in part over many years must take over the excretory function of the kidneys. In Germany, about 78,000 patients are treated with a renal replacement therapy. More than 5 million people worldwide are suffering from the chronic kidney disease. Despite a constant development and improvement of the dialysis technique, dialysis patients exhibit a morbidity and mortality rate significantly above the level of the normal population. The reason are secondary complications in several organ systems due to a progressing accumulation of uremia toxins which are responsible for the increased cardiovascular risk.
Currently, 115 uremia toxins are known, one of which is phosphate. The phosphate from the group including the small-molecular water-soluble uremia toxins is subject to a permanent control, since the chronic renal insufficiency leads to a hyperphospatemia and is a decisive risk factor for mortality. A reduction of the phosphate supply should be achieved by dialysis, a low-phosphate diet and an intake of phosphate-binding drugs. The reduction of the phosphate concentration in the plasma during the dialysis only is insufficient, however, so that a further reduction of the exogenous phosphate supply is necessary.
By means of phosphate elimination by phosphate-binding drugs, the phosphate quantities ingested with the food should be bound in the gastrointestinal tract and prevented from passing over into the blood stream. Established therapeutic agents are aluminum and calcium salts. However, they are characterized by considerable side effects. Deposits of aluminum in the skeletal system and brain lead to severe impairments of the hematopoiesis and of cerebral functions. Due to the development of a hypercalcemia and the rise in calcium phosphate, calcium salts are highly disadvantageous. Sevelamer and lanthanum carbonate (Fosrenol) are recently developed calcium-free and aluminum-free phosphate binders. The most frequent side effects of all four phosphate binders include disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Fosrenol, for example, like the other clinically used phosphate binders, can cause gastrointestinal disorders such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, seizures and encephalopathy. Lanthanum also has a long half-life and is concentrated in bones and various tissues, such as teeth, liver, kidneys or brain.
In addition, drug therapy is permanent and thus represents a considerable cost burden for the health system.
Therefore, it is the problem underlying the present invention to provide a compound or composition for reducing the exogenous phosphate supply or for reducing the phosphate content in the plasma, which does not have the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Clay mineral for reducing inorganic phosphates, in particular in renal replacement therapy

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Furschung e.V.


A quantitation setup mechanism (58) is composed of a piston (62) which is incorporated into a quantitation tank (61) to define therein a metering chamber (63), a quantitation setup portion (65) for presetting a quantity of paint replenishment, and a sensor (66) adapted to detect a displacement of the piston (62) preset by the quantitation setup portion (65). In this instance, paint is replenished into a paint chamber (19) of a cartridge (16) by means of a paint feed mechanism (32). In the course of the paint replenishment, an equivalent amount of an extruding liquid is displaced and discharged from an extruding liquid chamber (20). The displaced extruding liquid is introduced into the metering chamber (63) of the quantitation setup mechanism (58), detecting a quantity of displacement of the extruding liquid by replenished paint by the sensor (66) through the piston (62) to exactly quantitate the paint replenishment.

Generally, a paint coating system for use in coating work pieces like vehicle bodies is required to be able to reduce the amount of waste paint which has to be discarded at the time of a color change, and to be able to cope with a large number of paint colors. As a paint coating system which can meets these requirements, there has been known in the art a cartridge type paint coating system employing cartridges which are filled with different colors and adapted to be interchangeably attached to a coater unit (see, for example, Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-176328, Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-42036).
The cartridge type paint coating system, according to the prior art mentioned-above, is largely constituted by a paint coating machine including a coater unit for spraying paint which is supplied from loaded cartridge toward a coating object, and a paint replenishing system for a cartridge which is adapted to replenish an empty or consumed cartridge with paint which is supplied from a paint source by way of a paint supply line.
In this case, the paint replenishing system for a cartridge is provided with a paint feed means adapted to supply paint to a paint chamber which cartridge is defined in a paint chamber and an extruding liquid chamber by a movable partition wall, and an extruding liquid supply means adapted to push out residues of a previous color from the paint chamber by supplying an extruding liquid to the extruding liquid chamber of the cartridge.
As soon as a cartridge is set on a replenishing stool, an extruding liquid is supplied to an extruding liquid chamber in the cartridge from an extruding feed means to push out residues of a previous color from a paint chamber. In the next place, paint is replenished into the paint chamber of the cartridge by a paint feed means. At this time, the extruding liquid in the extruding liquid chamber is discharged and collected in an extruding liquid storage tank.
Generally, a paint replenishing system for a cartridge of this sort is provided with a flow meter in a paint conduit for the purpose of resilling a cartridge with a predetermined amount of paint which will be used in next coating operation. By means of this flow meter, the paint replenishing system for a cartridge can measure the flow rate of paint in supply to a cartridge, turning off the paint supply as soon as the cartridge is replenished with a suitable amount of paint which is determined depending upon the size of a work piece to be painted, coating film thickness and other conditions of a paint coating operation.
In this regard, according to the prior art mentioned above, a flow meter is provided in the course of a paint supply conduit thereby to measure the amount of replenishing paint. Taking into consideration the fact that there are a diversity of paint products which differ from each other in properties such as viscosity and specific gravity and which may or may not contain mica or a metallic component. Therefore, depending upon paint properties, errors can occur to measurements by a flow meter. Therefore, in the prior art, this problem is coped with by replenishing cartridges with paint in an amount which is larger than an actually necessary amount, precluding the possibilities of a shutdown of a coating operation due to paint shortage.
However, in case a cartridges is refilled with more than a necessary amount of paint, a larger amount of paint which still remains in the cartridge has to be discarded at the end of each coating operation, resulting in larger paint consumption and increases in running cost due to degradations in operational efficiency caused by necessities for heavier paint washing and disposing operations involving a larger amount of waste paint.
In this regard, it is conceivable to cut the amount of waste paint by returning a residual paint in a cartridge to a paint source. However, even so, it is technically difficult to return to a paint source all of residual paint in a cartridge including paint residues in a long paint conduit connected to the paint source. Paint residues in a paint conduit have to be discharged as a waste liquid at the time of a color changing operation.
On the other hand, in a case where each one of cartridges is used exclusively for a particular color, there is no necessity for washing a cartridge at the time of a color change. However, after repeated refilling operations, excess paint can remain in a cartridge as an old content which is degraded in quality to such a degree as to give adverse effects on finish quality and therefore may degrade the quality of coatings when mixed into fresh paint.


An imaging system includes a diffusing element configured to couple portions of a light beam back into a laser diode. The system includes a diode laser driven into a chaotic regime by a combination of a diffuser and a modulated drive current such that it emits light across a frequency spectrum having an envelope between 3 and 10 nanometers wide. The system further includes a diffusing element at least 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm away from the diode laser to couple portions of the light beam back into the laser diode. Another embodiment is directed to using the diffusing element to illuminate a flat panel display or a spatial light modulator.

Modern computing and display technologies have facilitated the development of systems for so called "mixed reality," including "virtual reality" or "augmented reality," experiences, wherein digitally reproduced images or portions thereof are presented to a user in a manner wherein they seem to be, or may be perceived as, real. A virtual reality, or "VR", scenario typically involves presentation of digital or virtual image information without visibility of actual real-world visual surroundings, such that the user perceives only digital or virtual images without perceiving any light/images directly from the real world. An augmented reality, or "AR", scenario would involve presentation of digital or virtual image information as an augmentation to perception of the actual world around the user (i.e., with visibility of other actual real-world visual input), such that the user perceives the digital or virtual content as objects (i.e., virtual objects) in the real-world environment. Accordingly, AR scenarios involve presentation of digital or virtual image information accompanied with a view to other actual real-world visual input. The human visual perception system is very complex. As a result, producing a VR or AR technology that facilitates a comfortable, natural-feeling, and rich presentation of virtual image elements amongst other virtual or real-world imagery elements is challenging.
Speckle patterns are a type of intensity pattern produced by the mutual interference of a plurality of wavefronts emanating from a coherent source. Speckling refers to a random granular pattern that can be observed when a highly coherent light beam (e.g., from a laser) is diffusely reflected at a rough surface such as a piece of paper, white paint, a display screen, or a metallic surface. This phenomenon results from the interference of different reflected portions of the incident beam with random relative optical phases. A laser speckle structure is produced every time a laser beam passes through a diffuser or reflects from a diffuse-reflecting surface. The speckle structure depends on the coherent properties of laser radiation and occurs as a result of interference of a multitude of scattered waves of random initial phase.
Speckle patterns may severely degrade the image quality of projection displays that include laser light sources. Lasers create an interference pattern due to lasers being coherent narrow band light sources. As such, the quality of an image generated using projection displays with laser light sources may degrade because the laser light tends to interfere at various points. Additionally, interference generated by diffraction at a large number of scattering particles on the projection optics (e.g., dust) will also degrade image quality. The accumulation of degradation of the quality of images from various sources results in final images that appear grainy and distorted.
Thus, there is a need to reduce the laser speckling in a virtual reality or augmented reality system.

Speckle-reduction in virtual and augmented reality systems and methods


A method and system for projecting queries and images into a similarity space where queries are close to their relevant images is provided. A similarity space projection (“SSP”) system learns a query projection function and an image projection function based on training data. The query projection function projects the relevance of the most relevant words of a query into a similarity space and the image projection function projects the relevance to an image of the most relevant words of a query into the same similarity space so that queries and their relevant images are close in the similarity space. The SSP system can then identify images that are relevant to a target query and queries that are relevant to a target image using the projection functions.

Many search engine services, such as Google and Overture, provide for searching for information that is accessible via the Internet. These search engine services allow users to search for display pages, such as web pages, that may be of interest to users. After a user submits a search request (also referred to as a "query") that includes search terms, the search engine service identifies web pages that may be related to those search terms. To quickly identify related web pages, the search engine services may maintain a mapping of keywords to web pages. This mapping may be generated by "crawling" the web (i.e., the World Wide Web) to identify the keywords of each web page. To crawl the web, a search engine service may use a list of base web pages to identify all web pages that are accessible through those base web pages. The keywords of any particular web page can be identified using various well-known information retrieval techniques, such as identifying the words of a headline, the words supplied in the metadata of the web page, the words that are highlighted, and so on. The search engine service may generate a relevance score to indicate how related the information of the web page may be to the search request. The search engine service then displays to the user links to those web pages in an order that is based on their relevance.
Several search engine services also provide for searching for images that are available on the Internet. These image search engines typically generate a mapping of keywords to images by crawling the web in much the same way as described above for mapping keywords to web pages. An image search engine service can identify keywords based on text of the web pages that contain the images. An image search engine may also gather keywords from metadata associated with images of web-based image forums, which are an increasingly popular mechanism for people to publish their photographs and other images.
Regardless of how the mappings are generated, an image search engine service inputs an image query and uses the mapping to find images that are related to the image query. An image search engine service may identify thousands of images that are related to an image query and presents thumbnails of the related images. To help a user view the images, an image search engine service may order the thumbnails based on relevance of the images to the image query. Unfortunately, the relevance determination may not be particularly accurate because image queries may be ambiguous (e.g., "tiger" may represent the animal or the golfer), the keywords derived from web pages may not be very related to an image of the web page (e.g., a web page can contain many unrelated images), and so on.

Projecting queries and images into a similarity space


A mold assembly and method for producing a resin based countertop having an integrally formed sink bowl and a built-up edge. An elongate base is defined by a central surface area which is bounded by a plurality of interconnecting and elevated sides to establish a mold enclosure which is a negative shape of the countertop to be produced. A template is settable upon the elongate base and movable in a selected longitudinal direction so that an opening formed in the template is positioned in overlaying fashion at a desired location along the central area. A first sink bowl pattern is placeable in mating fashion within the opening in the template and upon the central area of the base prior to removal of the template. First applications of selected resinous materials are provided within the mold enclosure and around an exterior circumference of the first sink bowl pattern. A plurality of elongate barrier members are positioned within the mold enclosure atop the first applications of resinous materials and in inwardly spaced and parallel extending fashion relative to associated sides of the mold enclosure. A suspending platform incorporating a second sink bowl defining pattern is capable of being set upon the base so that the second pattern is arrayed in spatial fashion above the first pattern. A second application of a selected resinous material fills an open interior established between the first sink bowl pattern and the second sink bowl pattern and a further application of resinous material fills a channel established between the barrier members and the associated sides of the base to create the built-up edge to the countertop.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mold assemblies for producing countertop products such as veneer and conventional solid surface countertops and cultured marble countertops and the like and, more particularly, to a mold assembly for producing a countertop with an integrally formed sink bowl and also preferably exhibiting a built-up edge and a method for producing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mold assemblies and mold processes have recently become known in the art for producing a finished solid surface countertop which is constructed of various grades of a polyester resin or other similar resinous material. The objective of such more recent countertop mold assemblies is to make possible the creation of a solid surface countertop product in less time than has traditionally been possible with the use of prior art sheet-stock surfacing materials which of necessity must be cut and fabricated onto itself and other substrate materials, such as wooden backings, resulting in significantly higher material and labor costs.
An example of a fairly recent advancement in such mold technology is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,949, entitled Mold Process for Producing A Finished Solid Surface Countertop. The '949 patent teaches the provision of a smooth and horizontally disposed mold surface upon which are constructed a plurality of barriers, the edges of which are then filleted to define a mold enclosure which is a negative shape of a countertop product to be produced. A relatively thin coating of a high quality resinous spray is then applied evenly over the exposed area of the mold and a first pour of a relatively lower grade substrate resin material is then applied, such as by pouring, to backfill over the higher grade surface coating. After sufficient drying and curing, additional barriers are constructed usually on top of the gelled first pour in proximity to selected inwardly facing sides of the mold and a further pour of substrate material is effected to establish a built-up edge for the selected sides. The countertop is permitted to fully gel and cure for an additional selected period of time and is then removed from the mold for subsequent installation.
The technology disclosed by the '949 patent has further been determined to be useful in creating a similar resin based countertop product exhibiting a built-up edge along selected outwardly facing sides as well as an integrally formed sink bowl such as is desirable for bathroom countertops. The drawback heretofore has been the inability to produce, on a production basis, such countertop products which effectively utilize this technology.

Mold assembly for producing a countertop exhibiting an integrally formed sink bowl and built-up edge and method for producing the same


Process for airtight and/or moisture-proof packaging of air-sensitive and/or moisture-sensitive materials for the introduction of the packaged materials in a chemical reactor. Described is a process for the airtight and/or moisture-proof packaging of air-sensitive and/or moisture-sensitive materials in a foil and a method for introducing the packaged materials in a reactor, whereby the polymer foil is dissolved in an organic solvent.

Air-sensitive and/or moisture-sensitive materials, such as alkali metal alcoholate and hydrides, are packaged for storage and transport purposes under protective gas, e.g. argon or nitrogen, in plastic foil, which is then hermetically sealed. The plastic foil used is for instance polyethylene (PE)-foil. Also air-sensitive and/or moisture-sensitive materials can be packaged in soluble polyurethane (PU)-foils or in soluble foils of ethylene-ethylvinyl-acetate (EVA). However PU foils have the disadvantage that decomposition products which are health hazards can result during the dissolution of the PU foils. In the case of EVA foils it is disadvantageous that they can be dissolved only in toluene which is a material hazardous to health and only at temperatures higher than approx. 60.degree. C. In order to release the material packaged therein in a chemical reactor, one is obligated either to use toluene as a solvent as well as to insure that the material is heated to these temperatures, or the foil package has to be opened and the material has to be introduced into the reactor via a lock.

Method of packaging air- and/or moisture-sensitive materials and for introducing the packaged materials into a reactor


A boot for constant-velocity universal joint includes a major-diameter fastener, a minor-diameter fastener, and a bellows. The bellows includes a first root, a first crest, a second root, a second crest, a third root, a third crest, a fourth root, a fourth crest, a fifth root and a fifth crest. The first crest, the second crest, the third crest, the fourth crest and the fifth crest have a top, respectively, and the tops of the second crest, third crest and fourth crest are disposed on an outer peripheral side with respect to a line L1, which the tops of the first crest and fifth crest make there between, in a cross section involving the central axis of the bellows.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a boot, which covers constant-velocity universal joints, an indispensable component part for the joint of drive shaft for front-wheel-drive vehicle, to inhibit water and dust from coming in the joint element of constant-velocity universal joint.
2. Description of the Related Art
The joint element of constant-velocity universal joint is covered with a bellows-shaped boot in which grease is sealed. The boot inhibits water and dust from coming in the joint element to enable a constant-velocity universal joint to rotate smoothly with large angles. A boot for constant-velocity universal joint comprises a major-diameter fastener, a minor-diameter fastener, and a substantially truncated cone-shaped bellows. The major-diameter fastener is fitted around the major-diameter retainer of cup, a mating member. The minor-diameter fastener has a minor diameter, which is smaller than that of the major-diameter fastener, and is fitted around the minor-diameter retainer of shaft, another mating member. The bellows connects the major-diameter fastener with the minor-diameter fastener integrally. When the boot is put in service, the bellows deforms in compliance with the changing angle, which the major-diameter fastener and minor-diameter faster make. As a result, even when a constant-velocity universal joint rotates with a large angle, the boot can cover the joint element of the constant-velocity universal joint securely.
In order to make conventional boots for constant-velocity universal joint be likely to follow the changing angle, which the central axis of cup and the central axis of shaft make, and in order to make the stress, which occurs in their bellows, small, conventional boots therefor are formed so that the crests of the bellows have a large diameter comparatively. However, it has been required recently to reduce the weight of vehicle. As the size of vehicle body is made more compact, it has been required as well to make the configuration of boots for constant-velocity universal joint more compact. When a boot for constant-velocity universal joint is made more compact, it is possible not only to reduce the weight of boot per se, but also to reduce the amount of grease, which is held inside boot. Therefore, a compacted boot contributes to the weight reduction of automobile greatly.
On the assumption that the overall length of boot for constant-velocity universal joint is kept constant, it is needed and is indispensable to diminish the outside diameter of bellows in order to make a boot for constant-velocity universal joint more compact. When diminishing the outside diameter of bellows, the membrane length of the crests is shortened accordingly. Hence, in order to keep the displacement magnitude and arising stress equivalent to those exhibited by conventional boot for constant-velocity universal joint, it is necessary to make the depth of the roots of bellows greater.
However, simply making the depth of the roots of bellows greater might result in such a drawback that, when the central axis of cup and the central axis of shaft make a large angle, the roots of bellows, which are disposed adjacent to the major-diameter fastener, are bit between the cup and shaft. When the roots are thus bit, a larger force acts onto the roots. If the drawback occurs repetitively, the damaged roots impair the sealing ability of boot. Accordingly, it is inevitable to replace boots frequently. Consequently, a problem arises that the thus compacted boot has a shortened longevity.
In connection therewith, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 4-300,463 discloses a boot whose bellows comprises six or more crests and 5 or more roots. Moreover, the bottoms of 3 or more roots, which are disposed on the major-diameter fastener side, make a line, which forms a major-diameter root pattern; and the bottoms of 2 or more roots, which are disposed on the minor-diameter fastener side, make a line, which forms a minor-diameter root pattern. In this conventional boot, the bellows bends so as to follow the two patterns, the major-diameter root pattern and minor-diameter root pattern. Accordingly, the conventional boot produces good bendability especially at the central portion, the boundary between the two patterns. Moreover, the patent publication sets forth that the conventional boot does not undergo any unreasonable deformation and/or distortion in the circumstances of high-speed rotation so that it is good in terms of the durability.
Moreover, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 2002-295, 509 proposes a boot for constant-velocity universal joint, boot which comprises a straight section disposed between the crest, disposed closest to the minor-diameter fastener, and the minor-diameter fastener. This conventional boot makes it possible to reduce the number of crests, which are disposed on the side of minor-diameter fastener and which exhibit less displacement magnitude, by one. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the weight of boot without adversely affecting the durability of boot.
In addition, from the viewpoint of the readiness of mold making and the man-hour requirements of molding, it is desirable to mold the bellows of boot for constant-velocity universal joint by blow molding. However, in the case of making the overall length of boot constant, it becomes difficult to blow molding such a boot because the pitches between the crests and the roots narrow down when the number of the crests and roots increases. On the other hand, when the number of the crests and roots is less, the resulting boot has exhibited lowered degree of deformation freedom in service.
Hence, the "preliminary compression" has been carried out conventionally. That is, the overall length of boot is formed longer than the assembly length by increasing the number of the crests and roots; and the resulting boot is assembled with a constant-velocity universal joint while being compressed. Thus, it is possible to secure the membrane lengths in bellows sufficiently. Accordingly, the resultant boot can secure the durability with ease. However, when the difference between the dimension upon molding and the dimension upon assembling enlarges, the load required for preliminary compression has enlarged excessively to deteriorate the assembly workability.
In particular, an in-board side boot for constant-velocity universal joint is exposed to a higher temperature than an out-board side boot for constant-velocity universal joint is. Moreover, an in-board side boot expands and contracts in the axial direction more frequently than an out-board side boot does, because the minor-diameter retainer moves in the axial direction relatively with respect to the major-diameter retainer. It is for these reasons that an in-board side boot is required to satisfy furthermore sufficient durability.

Boot for constant-velocity universal joint


A method of fabricating a dynamic random access memory is provided. First, a substrate at least having a memory device area and a peripheral device area is provided, wherein an isolation structure and a capacitor are formed in the substrate of the memory device area, and an isolation structure and a well are formed in the substrate of the peripheral device area. A first oxide layer is formed on the substrate of the peripheral device area, and a passing gate isolation structure is formed on the substrate of the memory device area at the same time. A second oxide layer is formed on the substrate of the memory device area. And a first transistor is formed on the substrate of the memory device area, a passing gate is formed on the passing gate isolation structure, and a second transistor is formed on the substrate of the peripheral device area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and especially a method of fabricating a DRAM that simplifies fabricating processes.
2. Description of Related Art
DRAMs use capacitors to store information. Data content of each memory cell is read by judging charges stored in the capacitor. Sizes for present memory cells are very small. In order to increase capacitance of the capacitors to reduce possibility of error reading on data, and to further reduce refreshing frequencies to increase operation efficiency, a usual way is increasing surface areas of lower electrodes of the capacitors. By increasing the surface areas of the capacitors, sufficient storage capacitance is thereby provided. In order to satisfy requirements of the surface areas of the capacitors and of integration of the memory cells, trench capacitors have become a popular choice.
In order to enhance integration of the DRAMs, in circuit design two passing gates pass a top of the trench capacitor, and an isolation structure is used to isolate the passing gates and the trench capacitor. In prior art, a method of forming the isolation structures comprises, for example, forming a complex isolation structure comprising silicon oxide/silicon nitride on the trench capacitor.
However, the complex isolation structure comprising silicon oxide/silicon nitride requires up to 20 complex steps such as disposition of silicon oxide and silicon nitride, using a mask to form a patterned photoresist layer, using the patterned photoresist layer to etch a film of the silicon nitride, wet etching of the film of the silicon oxide, washing steps and various sorts of inspection steps. Therefore a problem of complex processes arises.

Method of fabricating a dynamic random access memory


Various systems, devices, and methods are disclosed herein for treating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients using a heart pump controlled in a manner that maximizes mechanical unloading of the left ventricle in the presence of cardiovascular instability and minimizes myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) and consequentially infarct size to prevent the development of subsequent heart failure. In a closed feedback system, the system can include a sensor configured to generate an output used to measure or calculate a left ventricular systolic pressure (LSVP) within the left ventricle of a heart and a controller coupled to a heart pump. The controller can be configured to measure or calculate the LVSP based on the output of the sensor and to control an operation of the heart pump to maximize mechanical unloading of the left ventricle based on the measured or calculated LVSP.

AMI, commonly known as a heart attack, can be a life-threatening condition that occurs when blood flow to the heart muscle is abruptly cut off, causing tissue damage. Dead tissue, or infarct, can form in the heart due to inadequate blood supply to an affected area. AMI is usually the result of a blockage in one or more of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries carry oxygen rich blood to the heart muscle. When these arteries become blocked or narrowed, the blood flow to the heart can decrease significantly or stop completely.
AMI can require immediate medical treatment that restores blood flow through blocked arteries, sometimes referred to as reperfusion therapy. Reperfusion therapy can include surgery to remove or circumvent a blockage, such as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary angioplasty, and bypass surgery, for example. Reperfusion therapy can alternatively or additionally include administrations of different medications, including but not limited to thrombolytics, fibrinolytics, beta-blockers, and nitroglycerin.
In some AMI patients, heart pumps can be used to stabilize hemodynamics and make it possible to perform safe and effective reperfusion therapy to salvage affected ischemic myocardium. For example, recent clinical trials as well as basic investigations demonstrated that an LV assist device (LVAD) can be used to mechanically unload the LV by withdrawing blood from the LV and infusing withdrawn blood into the aorta. Mechanical unloading can markedly reduce the work performed by the LV and thus reduce MVO2. It has been observed that a reduction in MVO2 can reduce infarct size, i.e., the area of dead tissue caused by a heart attack. The extent of infarct size reduction generally parallels the reduction in MVO2.
Despite such a beneficial impact of mechanical unloading of the LV on AMI, its clinical applications have yet to be established. In patients with chronic heart failure, manual control of LVAD flow rate (e.g., liters per minute) can achieve stable hemodynamics. In AMI patients, however, cardiac and hemodynamic conditions are inherently unstable because AMI can drastically change cardiac contractility, vascular resistance, blood pressure, stressed volume, heart rate and/or the activity of sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous systems in seconds, minutes, or hours. These variabilities are known to strikingly influence hemodynamics. Therapeutic interventions, such as drug therapy and reperfusion, can further induce complex dynamic modulation on those variables and results in complicated hemodynamics.
In the presence of such cardiovascular instability in AMI, it can be difficult, if not impractical, to avoid mechanical unloading the LV too much or too little even with constant monitoring or continuous manual precise adjustment of the LVAD flow rate. Mechanical unloading of the LV at a flow rate a little higher than the filling rate coming from the pulmonary venous system can cumulatively reduce LV volume and eventually induce suction that can collapse the heart, trigger life-threatening arrhythmias and seriously injure myocardium. Conversely, mechanical unloading of the LV at a flow rate a little less than the filling rate increases LV volume and MVO2, and thereby makes it difficult to reduce infarct size of the LV. Therefore, manual control of a heart pump to optimally unload the LV is impractical, ineffective, and potentially life threatening.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and related methods for treating AMI patients using a heart pump controlled in a manner that optimizes mechanical unloading of the LV regardless of the presence of cardiovascular instability, and thereby optimally reduces MVO2 and infarct size.

Systems and methods for controlling a heart pump to minimize myocardial oxygen consumption


An image processing device is communicable with a printer and includes a controller. The printer is configured to repeatedly and alternately execute a partial print and a sub scan to form an image. The image is made up of a plurality of partial images arranged in a sub scanning direction. The partial print forms a target partial image while performing a main scan. The controller is configured to perform: setting; generating; and outputting. The setting sets a printing direction for the partial print to one of first and second directions. The generating generates partial print data for the partial print by executing a color conversion process on target partial image data using a color conversion profile. The color conversion profile is selected from first and second profiles respectively corresponding to the first and second directions. The outputting outputs the partial print data and direction information specifying the printing direction.

In a conventional printing process, an outgoing print for printing while the print head is moving in a prescribed direction is alternately performed with a return print for printing while the print head is moving in the direction opposite the prescribed direction. In this printing process, two lookup tables are used for the outgoing print and the return print in the color conversion process for converting RGB data to CMYK data in order to eliminate color irregularity caused by differences in the ejection sequence of ink.

Image processing device generating print data for printer provided with print head having a plurality of nozzles


A liquid crystal display device (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a timing controller (4) which, (i) in a first display mode, in which a number of tones that each pixel is capable of displaying is smaller than a predetermined number, controls a scanning signal and a data signal by an interlace driving method, by which a single frame includes a plurality of fields, and (ii) in a second display mode, in which the number of tones that each pixel is capable of displaying is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, controls the scanning signal and the data signal by a progressive driving method.

In recent years, there have been diligently developed techniques for reducing power consumption of liquid crystal display devices. Reduction of power consumption is particularly important for liquid crystal display devices provided in portable devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, and laptop personal computers.
As a technique for reducing power consumption, there is known interlace driving in which a plurality of frames form a single screen by reducing the number of scanning lines included in a display section and carrying out scanning (selecting) every other scanning line or every two or more scanning lines.
Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique in which interlace driving and non-interlace driving are switched depending on which image, a moving image or a still image, is displayed as a display image, and a single screen is formed by (j+1)th frames in total by carrying out the interlace driving in such a way that scanning are carried out every j scanning lines in order of the k-th scanning line, the (k+(j+1))th scanning line, the (k+2(j+1))th scanning line, . . . , in the i-th frame, and scanning are carried out every j scanning lines in order of the k+1th scanning line, the (k+1+(j+1))th scanning line, the (k+1+2(j+1))th scanning line, . . . , in the (i+1)th frame.
FIG. 28 is a timing chart of a flat display device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 which carries out scanning every other scanning line (j=1) and two frames in total form a single screen.
In the interlace driving, as illustrated in FIG. 28, first, (odd-number)th scanning lines (for example, the first line, the third line, and then the fifth line) are scanned in the i-th frame. Next, (even-number)th scanning lines (for example, the second line, the fourth line, and then the sixth line) are scanned in the (i+1)th frame. By carrying out such scanning in the i-th frame and in the (i+1)th frame, all scanning lines are scanned and a single image is formed.
As described above, by reducing the number of scanning lines and scanning the scanning lines thus reduced, the interlace driving can reduce power consumption.

Display device, driving device, and driving method


Embodiments of the present disclosure include a process and a system for solubilizing a surfactant in supercritical carbon dioxide that include providing a turbulent flow of the supercritical carbon dioxide into which the surfactant solubilizes and injecting the surfactant into the turbulent flow of the supercritical carbon dioxide to achieve a Jet Mixing Number of 0.01 to 1.0. In one or more embodiments, a pump provides turbulent flow to supercritical carbon dioxide moving through at least a portion of piping, and an injector associated with the piping conveys the surfactant through surfaces defining a port in the injector to inject the surfactant into the turbulent flow of the supercritical carbon dioxide so as to achieve the Jet Mixing Number of 0.01 to 1.0.

A variety of techniques have been used for enhanced oil recovery (e.g., the recovery of hydrocarbons from oil containing reservoirs in which the hydrocarbons no longer flow by natural forces). Such techniques can include water injection and/or subsequent gas flooding, among others. Water injection can be useful to recover some hydrocarbons, however, only about a third of the hydrocarbons are recovered using this technique. As such, typically water injection procedures are followed by gas flooding procedures. Gas flooding can be performed with a miscible gas, which reduces the viscosity of oil present in the oil containing reservoir in order to increase the flow of hydrocarbons to a production well. Carbon dioxide, in a supercritical state, has been used as a miscible fluid to reduce the viscosity of the oil in the oil containing reservoirs. Supercritical carbon dioxide is one of the most effective and least expensive of the miscible fluids.
Gas flooding, however, can be accompanied with a number of drawbacks. One main problem encountered is poor sweep of the oil containing reservoir. Poor sweep occurs when the gas injected into the oil containing reservoir during a gas flooding process flows through the paths of least resistance due to the low viscosity of the gas, thus bypassing significant portions of the formation. When the gas bypasses significant portions of the formation, less oil is contacted with the gas, reducing the likelihood that the gas will reduce the viscosity of the oil producing poor sweep. In addition, due to the low density of the gas, the injected gas can rise to the top of the formation and "override" portions of the formation, leading to early breakthrough of the gas at the production well, leaving less gas within the oil containing reservoir to contact with the oil, again reducing the likelihood that the gas will reduce the viscosity of oil.
To enhance the gas flooding process effectiveness, it has been suggested that a surfactant be added to the supercritical carbon dioxide to generate an emulsion in the formation. An emulsion can generate an apparent viscosity of about 100 to about 1,000 times that of the injected gas, therefore, the emulsion can inhibit the flow of the gas into that portion of the oil containing reservoir that has previously been swept. In other words, the emulsion can serve to block the volumes of the oil containing reservoir through which the gas can short-cut, thereby reducing its tendency to channel through highly permeable fissures, cracks, or strata, and directing it toward previously unswept portions of the oil containing reservoir. As such, the emulsion can force the gas to drive the recoverable hydrocarbons from the less depleted portions of the reservoir toward the production well.

Solubilizing surfactants into supercritical carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery


A headphone has an electroacoustic transducing device for converting an electrical signal to an acoustic signal, a housing for housing the electroacoustic transducing device, a flexible support member of which one end is fixed to the housing, and a vibration member disposed at the other end of the flexible support member. The vibration member generates primary vibrations by an electrical signal having a specific correlation to the electrical signal supplied to the electroacoustic transducing device. The resulting primary vibrations are transmitted through the flexible support member to the housing which then generates secondary vibrations. Unlike the impact vibrations of the primary vibrations, the secondary vibrations felt through the entire housing provide pleasant vibrations similar to air vibrations of the low bass sounds simultaneously to the corresponding low range sounds reaching the eardrum. Thus, low range sounds with dynamics exceeding the output limits of the electroacoustic transducing device is achieved.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a headphone functioning primarily as a portable acoustic device and worn on the ear for personal enjoyment of music and other audio sources.
2. Description of the prior art
Headphones can be broadly categorized as head band type headphones supported on the head with the audio output component thereof in proximity to the ear, and inner ear type headphones used while inserted in the auricle. Both types have been improved in recent years by innovations boosting their low frequency reproduction characteristics.
An example of an inner ear type headphone according to the prior art is described below with reference to the accompanying figures.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a headphone according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 8, the headphone comprises an electroacoustic transducing device 161 for converting electrical signals to acoustic signals, and a bone vibrator 120 which has a pressure attaching member 28. The sound signal applied to the electroacoustic transducing device 161 is filtered to a low or a high frequency ranges and applied to the bone vibrator 120, so that the bone vibrator 120 generates vibrations similar to sound signal.
Such a headphone is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications 63-86997 published Apr. 18, 1988, and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publications 63-68288 and 63-68289 both published May 9, 1988.
The vibrations generated by the bone vibrator 120 are transmitted directly to the bone adjacent the ear through the pressure attaching member 28. Thus, the user will feel more of mechanical impacts rather than the low base sound air pressures. Furthermore, such mechanical impacts applied intensely to a certain point near the ear will give unpleasant pain to the user.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment has a memory cell array including: a plurality of lower wirings extending in the first direction; a plurality of upper wirings extending in the second direction, the upper wirings placed above the plurality of lower wirings; a plurality of memory cells provided at respective crossings of the plurality of lower wirings and the plurality of upper wirings; and an interlayer insulating film provided between the plurality of memory cells adjacent in the second direction, and the device is characterized in that the upper wiring includes: an upper firing first section deposited on the memory cell; and an upper wiring second section deposited on the interlayer insulating film, the upper wiring second section larger in crystal grain size than the upper wiring first section, and an upper surface of the memory cell is lower than an upper surface of the interlayer insulating film.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and a production method of the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a technique for further shrinking of memory cells, resistance-change semiconductor memory devices have been proposed in which variable resistive elements are used for memory cells. A phase-change memory element that a resistance value changed depending on the crystalline/amorphous state change of a chalcogenide compound, an MRAM element that uses changes in resistance due to a tunnel magnetoresistance effect, a polymer ferroelectric RAM (PFRAM) memory element that has a resistive element formed from a conductive polymer, an ReRAM element that induces changes in resistance by applying electrical pulses, etc. are known as the variable resistive elements.
In the case of the semiconductor memory devices with the use of the variable resistive elements, semiconductor memory devices can be achieved which are large in capacity and small in chip size, because the size per memory cell can be reduced, and additionally, because the memory cell array can be three-dimensionally structured.

Semiconductor memory device and production method thereof


A pit cushion assembly of an automatic pinsetter is fitted with a pit cushion follower assembly that includes a cam and roller assembly that allows a pit cushion of a pin setting mechanism to move toward and away from a support arm on which the pit cushion is movably mounted without restricting a range of motion of the pit cushion away from the support arm. The cam is operative, upon movement of the pit cushion toward the support arm from an initial position thereof, to ride along the roller while driving the support arm to move. The cam is also operative to permit return movement of the pit cushion to the operative position thereof without restricting the range of pit cushion motion. The cam and roller-based follower assembly allows the pinsetter to operate more efficiently with less moving parts and with less maintenance requirements than with a traditional link-based follower assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an automatic bowling pinsetter and, more particularly, to a cam and roller-based pit cushion follower assembly located between a pit cushion and a support arm of a pit cushion assembly of the pinsetter.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Automatic pinsetters are widely used in bowling alleys to sweep downed pins from bowling lanes during and between frames and to set upright pins in place. Referring to FIG. 1, a pinsetter 20 is illustrated that is Model A-2 pinsetter manufactured by Brunswick Corporation. Pinsetter 20 includes as its major component a rake assembly 22 that sweeps pins from the lane L and into a pit area P located behind the lane, a vertically reciprocating deck (not shown) that sets the pins, and a pit cushion assembly 24 that acts as a backstop for bowling balls. The rake assembly 22 includes a rake sweep board 23 that is driven by a gearbox 26 and a rake lift cam 28, but is biased by a spring 29 to its downward or clockwise rotated position illustrated in phantom lines. Each side of the rake assembly 22 is also coupled to the pit cushion assembly 24 by a lower vertically adjustable link 30, an adjustable upper rake sweep link 32, and a pivoting triangular plate 34. Specifically, each vertical adjustable link 30 is attached to a pit cushion support assembly 44 at its lower end and to a pivoting triangular plate 34 at its upper end. Each upper sweep link 32 extends from the corresponding triangular plate 34 to a "V" lever 36 on a rake lift shaft 38 at the top of the pinsetter 20. The forward end of the left-hand pit cushion link (not shown) is attached to an adjustable link of a rake trip mechanism or "shot gun link" that lowers the rake sweep board 23 to the bowling lane L. Two kickbacks (not shown), one on each side of the bowling lane L, support and serve as mounts for the pinsetter 20. Mounting plates 40 are bolted to the top of the kickbacks.
The pit cushion assembly 24 is suspended across a pit area P behind the lane L to stop the motion of a bowling ball B after the ball passes through the bowling pins and falls into the pit area P. Pit cushion assembly 24 comprises a pit cushion 42 that extends across the lane and two support assemblies 44, one located at each end of the pit cushion, that suspend the pit cushion 42 above the pit area P. The pit cushion 42 comprises a steel plate 50 protected by pads 48 so as not to mark or damage bowling balls. A bottom end of the plate 50 is inclined forwardly relative to the remainder of the plate and is positioned just above the floor of the pit area A when the pit cushion assembly 24 is in its initial or deactivated position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1. A pit curtain 52 extends upwardly from the pit cushion 42 to hide objects behind the pit cushion 42 from view. A vertical mounting arm 48 is mounted on each end of the pit cushion 42 for connection to an associated support assembly 44.
Referring to FIGS. 1–3, each pit cushion support assembly 44 is attached to front and rear support brackets 60 and 62 mounted on the mounting plate 40. The upper end of a support arm 64 is pivotally mounted to each front bracket 60. An airplane type shock absorber 66 is pivotally attached to an intermediate portion of each support arm 64 at one end and to the rear kickback pit cushion-mounting bracket 62 at its opposite end. The shock absorber 66 relieves the sudden rearward motion of the pit cushion upon ball impact.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the vertical mounting arm 48 on each end of the pit cushion 42 is mounted on the associated support arm 64 by a pair of upper support arms 67 and a lower follower link assembly 68 which, in combination with pivoting movement of the support arm 64, permit the pit cushion 42 to swing upwardly and rearwardly upon ball impact so that a bowling ball B (FIG. 1) can pass under the pit cushion 42 to enter a ball elevator (not shown). They also permit the pit cushion 42 to lower at the end of the operational pinsetter cycle. The upper support arms 67 are pivotally mounted to common pivot points 70, 72 on the upper end of the vertical mounting arm 46 and an intermediate portion of the support arm 64, respectively.
The follower link assembly 68 of each support assembly 44 includes a pair of inclined follower links 74, each of which has an aperture 76 in its lower front end and an elongated slot 78 in its upper rear end. The lower end of the vertical support arm 64 contains a pressed bushing 80 in an aperture 84 thereof that acts as a pivot for the pit cushion 42. Inserted into bushing 80 is a steel spacer 82. Spacer 82 exceeds the length of the pressed bushing 80. Each steel spacer 82 acts as a pivot point for the lower end of the associated follower link 74. Specifically, the spacer 82 receives a ½ inch bolt 86 that pivotally attaches the follower link 74 to the bottom aperture 84 in the mounting arm 46. A uniball 88 is also attached to the bolt 86 for connection to the adjustable vertical link 30. The slot 78 in the upper end of each follower link 74 slidably receives a bushing assembly 90 which is mounted in a bottom aperture 92 in the support arm 64 by a ½ inch bolt 94. Coordinated pivoting of the follower links 74 about the bolts 94 and sliding movement of the bushing assemblies 90 along the slots 78 accommodates swinging movement of the pit cushion 42 relative to the support arms 64. The extent of relative movement of the pit cushion 42 away from the support arms 64 at the end of a return stroke occurring at the end of the pinsetter operational cycle is limited by the bottoming out of the bushing assemblies 90 in the slots 78.
In operation, the impact of a bowling ball B against the pit cushion 42 causes the pit cushion 42 to rotate clockwise and thus push the vertical links 30 upward. This upward movement rotates the triangular plates 34 clockwise, pushing the upper link 32 forward to unlatch the rake trip mechanism or shotgun link and lower the rake sweep board 23 to the bowling lane L. As the rake assembly 22 lowers the sweep board 23, the pit cushion link 32 rotates the triangular plates 34 clockwise and, through the vertical links 30, raises the pit cushion 42 to allow the bowling ball B to pass under the pit cushion 42 to the ball elevator (not shown). During the return stroke of the rake sweep board 23, the pit cushion 42 rotates counterclockwise and pulls the vertical links 30 downward, rotating the triangular plates 34 counterclockwise and moving the pit cushion 42 downward. The pit cushion 42 again is in position to await delivery of the next bowling ball. It can thus be seen that the rake sweep board 23 and pit cushion 42 operate together. When the rake sweep board 23 is down, the pit cushion 42 is up. When the rake sweep board 23 is up, the pit cushion 42 is down.
The follower link assembly 68 is viewed by pinsetter mechanics as an area with a high rate of mechanical failure and maintenance. Due to the severity and repetition of the bowling ball striking the pit cushion, the integrity of follower link assembly 68 has been known to deteriorate at an undesirable rate. The follower link assembly parts are used to control the position of the pit cushion prior to bowling ball impact, making the follower link assembly components susceptible to the severity of bowling ball impact. The pivot point of the pivot links 74 eventually degrades at the point of connection with the steel spacers 82 due to the severity of bowling ball impact and lack of adequate lubrication.
In addition, the urethane pivot rollers of the pivot links harden over time and resist pivoting of the follower link assembly and pit cushion. The follower link assembly part deterioration results in continued restricted pit cushion rotation, which in turn results in reduction of vertical link and triangular plate upward rotation upon bowling ball impact and making more difficult to unlatch the rake trip mechanism to begin the pinsetter operational cycle. As parts of the follower link assembly continue to deteriorate, component rotation continues to be seriously impeded, thus resulting in the need for the follower link assembly replacement to restore the rake trip mechanism performance to satisfactory operable condition.
In addition, the follower links 74 control the forward positioning of the lower end of the pit cushion 42. Due to the pit cushion position, bowling balls are susceptible to getting pinned between the pit cushion and ball lift rod assembly that could result in bowling ball damage and the failure to return the bowling ball back to the bowler.
The need has therefore arisen to provide a pit cushion follower that is simpler, less prone to wear, is less sensitive to part wear, and provides less restriction to pit cushion motion than link-based pit cushion followers.


A synthetic resin-made cage plate to retain rollers lies between guideway members. The smaller pitch between the adjacent rollers in a cage results in the greater number of the rollers lying in a preselected length of the cage to get heavier load-carrying capacity. A holder to receive a pinion is molded integrally with the cage plate. The rollers are retained in openings in the cage plate at a tilt such that their rotating axes are perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the raceway surfaces and also tilting at 45 degrees relative to major surfaces of the cage plate. The openings on their contour edges have bearing lips to retain end surfaces of the rollers. The cage plate has flanges extending lengthwise on its' widthwise opposite edges and bulging sidewise out over the major surfaces of the cage plate to render the cage plate tougher to warp or bend.

Advanced linear motion guide units recently find more extensive applications in any relatively sliding components in machinery as diverse as semiconductor fabricating equipment, machine tools, assembling machines, industrial robots, and so on, and further expected to work with high accuracy while getting smaller and smaller in construction. Encouragement in the recently remarkable downsizing and high-functionality in electronics engineering technology, moreover, calls for the linear motion guide units which can operate with accuracy and high-load capacity even more downsized or compact in construction and further conform to growing demands for high speed operation and high acceleration/deceleration. Especially, the finite linear motion guide unit with cross-roller bearing system is needed to have design for ease of assembly in addition to the downsizing in construction, high-load capacity, high speed operation and high acceleration/deceleration as stated earlier.
Most of prior finite linear motion guide units have a pair of elongated guideway members moveable relatively to each other, and a cage or retainer lying between the guideway members to space away the rollers from each other at preselected intervals The cage or retainer is constituted with a retainer plate which is set to travel over a distance of stroke half the relatively moving stroke of the guideway members. With the finite linear motion guide units constructed as stated earlier, however, the cage or retainer is likely to be off or stray in increments out of a desired location it should be relative to guideway members because of different working conditions including variations in load carried on the finite linear motion guide unit, machining deviations or inaccuracy in the shape of the raceway grooves cut on the guideway members, working geometry where the guide unit operates in an upright posture, high traveling velocity, high acceleration/deceleration, and so on. To cope with the issue stated earlier, most of the finite linear motion guide units have conventionally the cage with means for keeping the cage against straying or wandering from the desired location. A common example of the prior means for preventing the cage from straying installed in the finite linear motion guide units is composed of a rack-and-pinion mechanism in which the cage has a pinion while the guideway members have racks, respectively, so that the pinion comes into mesh with the racks to correct for the relative location of the cage to the guideway members, keeping the cage in place with respect to the guideway members.
In the commonly-assigned Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2010-236 604, there is disclosed a finite linear motion guide unit designed to carry heavier loads. With the prior finite linear motion guide unit, the smaller pitch or distance between the center-lines of adjacent rollers for rolling elements that are installed in a cage or retainer results in the greater number of the rollers lying in a preselected length of the cage to get an effective raceway area where a raceway groove comes into rolling contact with the rollers as wide as possible to thereby enhance the load-carrying capacity. Moreover, the raceway groove of V-shaped in a transverse section is cut larger in depth to make larger the effective width of raceway surface across which the raceway surfaces of the guideway members come into rolling-contact with the rollers, making certain of the heavier load-carrying capacity. In the prior finite linear motion guide unit, moreover, there is provided a rack-and-pinion mechanism to prevent the cage or retainer from wandering or straying out of a desired location even in high acceleration/deceleration operation. With the rack-and-pinion mechanism as stated earlier, a pinion-holder arrangement is designed to have a size allowed to go in a transverse area of a load-carrying race and the pinion-holder arrangement fits in a window in a cage plate.
With the prior finite linear motion guide unit constructed as stated earlier, however, though the raceway grooves are cut larger in depth as shown in FIG. 2 in the patent literature recited earlier and the cage plate is made as thin as possible to render the raceway surfaces coming into contact with the rollers as large as permitted, there is no provision to retain the rollers in a series of elliptical openings made in the cage plate to fit over the rollers. This means that the rollers are liable to easily fall away from the cage plate of the cage or retainer while in assemblage of the finite linear motion guide unit. As a result, the prior finite linear motion guide unit has been difficult to handle it while in assemblage. With the prior finite linear motion guide unit, moreover, as the pinion-holder arrangement is needed to fit into the window in the cage plate the number of the required parts would increase and the construction would be complicated.
Another commonly-assigned Japanese Laid-open patent application No. 2012-021 572 discloses a finite linear motion guide unit having the construction to retain the rollers in the cage plate for the cage to overcome the shortcomings in the patent literature as stated earlier. With the finite linear motion guide unit in the senior application, however, the cage plate is liable to warp or easily flexible because of too thin in thickness, so that the rollers are apt to easily break up from the cage plate of the cage. Thus, this finite linear motion guide unit is difficult to handle it while in assembling the guideway members with the cage plate having therein the rollers.

Finite linear motion guide unit with cross-roller bearing system


A new formulation for making a polyvinyl chloride (PVC, usually referred as vinyl in glove industry) glove has been disclosed in this invention. The resulting glove shows the following superior barrier integrity characteristics by comparing with current vinyl gloves in the market:                Much lower in use failure rate        Improved puncture strength and tensile strength        Better chemical resistance

The art of making PVC gloves was well established a long time ago. Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) and PVC containing copolymers, such as vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, can be conventionally dipped with certain plasticizers.
Historically, due to its poor barrier integrity (low puncture strength and low tensile strength) and the fact that they are very uncomfortable to wear in comparison with natural and synthetic rubber latex gloves, their applications have been very limited. As a matter of fact, PVC gloves are not generally recommended for medical applications.
However, recently, driven by their low cost and the advantage of being free of proteins (that could cause Type I allergy) and being free of chemicals used for conventional rubber sulfur vulcanization (that could cause Type IV sensitivity), the volume of vinyl gloves has been increasing steadily, although mainly in low end applications.
Another shortcoming of vinyl gloves has emerged, "in use failure". It is reported that the "in use" failure rate can be as alarmingly high as 60%. In other words, it simply does not provide the function, hand protection to wearers, that it is designed to provide.
One family of commonly used plasticizers, in PVC products as well as in other gloves, is dialkyl phthalate. They can be toxic and can be extracted by cooking oils, hence they have been banned in food handling in some countries and several states in the USA. Even without such oil contact, they can migrate out of glove matrix to result in brittle gloves.
It is an object of the invention to provide gloves made from PVC that are suitable for medical applications.
It is another object of the invention to provide gloves made from PVC having improved barrier qualities.
It is still another object of the invention to provide gloves made from PVC that are comfortable to wear.
It is yet another object of the invention to use a plasticizer that is polymeric, so that it is more difficult to migrate out of the glove matrix.
It is another object of the invention to use a crosslinking agent
These and other objects will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading the disclosure of the invention.

PVC based medical gloves and formulations therefor

Abstract: The invention provides formulations to make compounds and methods to make such gloves. The new formulations and procedures could be easily realized economically under common vinyl glove production lines. Depending on the desired applications, both powdered and powder free gloves could be produced in the same formula.


This gas imaging device makes it possible to photograph gas without placing a burden on a user while enhancing the evidential reliability of imaging results. This gas imaging device comprises: an infrared imaging section for imaging, under a predetermined first photography condition, infrared radiation from a given area from which gas could leak; an image processing section for generating an image of the given area on the basis of output results from the infrared imaging section; and a control section for, on the basis of vicinity information for the given area and the output results of the infrared imaging section, calculating a reliability indicating whether the first photography condition is suitable for photography of the gas and storing an image of the given area in a storage section in association with at least one from among the reliability and the vicinity information.

In capturing images of gas using an infrared camera, environmental conditions such as measurement distance, wind speed, and background temperature will affect capturing conditions of the gas. Depending on the environmental conditions, some capturing conditions are not suitable for capturing images of the gas. In addition, it has been required that the user can learn which environment is suitable for capturing images of the gas.
The user cannot determine whether the peripheral environment is suitable for capturing images of the gas simply from captured images. To determine suitable conditions for capturing images of the gas, the user acquires environmental conditions using sensors and the like, and determines a reliability degree indicating whether the capturing conditions are suitable for capturing images of the gas by themselves, based on the environmental conditions.

Gas image device and image acquisition method


An apparatus, system, method, and machine-readable medium are disclosed. In one embodiment the apparatus is a network interface controller that includes one virtual function owned by a virtual machine present in the computer system. The controller includes a simple filtering agent that is associated with the first virtual function. The agent enforces simple filter rules for received network packets. The simple filter rules are capable of blocking the network packets from reaching the virtual machine. The apparatus also includes another virtual function that is owned by a virtual machine monitor present in the computer system. The controller also includes a side bounce filtering agent to forward the first network packet to the second virtual function if the first packet is blocked by the at least one of the one or more simple filter rules.

Network virtualization is an important area in data center virtualization and cloud computing. Research in this area has been focusing on performance. Recently, more concerns are placed on the homogeneity between virtual network facilities and existing physical network facilities. Fine-grained control on virtual network is desired. Fine-grained control includes packet filtering. But the more control over packet filtering comes with a price, performance starts to decline with complex packet filtering rules. This is especially true in the cloud computing area. Adoption of public cloud computing services is hampered by a concern with the security of cloud architecture. Cloud service providers seek to have acceptable network protection in their cloud infrastructure. However security dealing with packet filtering generally provides a rich packet filtering capability with compromised performance, or a weak packet filtering capability with ensured high performance.

Cooperated approach to network packet filtering


A computer system is programmed with a plurality of programming instructions for implementing a software function, having an installation utility with logic for generating, if possible, an alternative disk block allocation for a current disk block allocation that will yield improved overall access time for a sequence of disk accesses. In some embodiments, the logic includes logic for tracing the sequence of disk accesses to determine the current disk block allocation, logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation, if possible, using the trace results, and logic for effectuating the alternate disk block allocation, if generated. In one particular embodiment, the logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation employs a random search approach, while in another embodiment, the logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation employs a heuristic approach.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to the performance of disk drives of computer systems.
2. Background Information
In the past decade, performance of microprocessor based computer systems have increased dramatically. In particular, the operating speed of microprocessors have increased from the meager 16 MHz to well over 20 MHz. This trend is expected to continue without abatement. Correspondingly, while not as dramatic, performance of system and input/output (I/O) buses have also improved substantially, ensuring the microprocessors have adequate data to work with and kept busy. However, except for the improvement provided by buffering etc., the performance of disk drive has lagged behind. As a result, users are often deprived of the full benefit of the increased performance by the microprocessors. For example, when starting up an application, because the large majority of time is often spent on loading the application into memory from a disk drive, a user often does not see any difference in performance whether the user is using a system equipped with a 100 MHz microprocessor or a 200 MHz microprocessor. Thus, further improvement in disk drive performance is desirable, and as will be disclosed in more detail below, the present invention provides the desired improvement in disk drive performance as well as other desirable results, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, upon reading the detailed description to follow.

Optimized application installation using disk block relocation


A method for providing a common structure for trace data is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes generating non-compatible trace data at a first provider, converting the non-compatible trace data into a first compatible trace data, generating a second compatible trace data at a second provider, and storing the first compatible trace data and the second compatible trace data as common trace data at a database.

As application development projects are growing larger, tracing is becoming increasingly important. Tracing can be a very useful tool used primarily by software developers to isolate problems, for example, by tracking execution of program code. For example, when developing an application, developers trace the execution of methods or functions within certain modules to identify problems and/or to determine if the program code may be improved. If a particular method takes an inordinate amount of time to complete, the developer may determine the reasons why and/or change the program code to operate more efficiently.
Trace tools are proprietary application programs which use different techniques to trace the execution flows for an executing program. One technique, referred to as event-based profiling, tracks particular sequences of instructions by recording application-generated events as they occur. By way of example, a trace tool may record each entry into, and each exit from, a module, subroutine, function, method, or system component within a trace file (e.g., a time-stamped entry may be recorded within the trace file for each such event). Trace events may also be sent to a console or other output destination.
Conventional trace tools, however, are limited with tracing data from various systems, i.e., when dealing with tracing data of various structures. For example, conventional trace tools do not provide for integration of various trace files of different structures relating to different corresponding systems. This often leads to, at best, delay in reading of errors as the data has to be manually read and, at worst, misreading of errors or even loss of trace data. Tracing is particularly cumbersome when a development project involves a great number of systems, applications, components, modules, developers, and/or multiple interfaces and services.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for providing a common structure for trace data


A tape dispenser with a drawer includes a housing provided with a tape recess on an upper surface, at least a hollow space formed in a lower portion of the housing, and at least one drawer movably received in the hollow space. Two lengthwise sidewalls defining the hollow space are provided respectively with a first fitting member, and the drawer has a second fitting member formed in a rear end. The hollow space has its bottom provided with at least a first slide guiding member to fit with a second slide guiding member provided in the bottom of the drawer to slide thereon. A first stopper is provided at the front end of the first slide-guiding member and a second stopper is provided at the rear end of the second slide-guiding member. When the drawer is pulled out, the second stopper is stopped by the first stopper to prevent the drawer from falling off.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tape dispenser, particularly to one provided with one or two drawers for placing therein small things.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most conventional tape dispensers are provided with a housing composed of an upper housing and a lower housing, a saw-toothed blade fixed on an upper front end of the upper housing for cutting a tape from a tape roll, and a tape recess formed in an intermediate portion of the upper housing for the tape roll to be fitted therein and supported by a shaft to rotate.
However, the housing composed of the upper and the lower housing has a hollow interior with a weight of a sand bag for augment the weight of the tape dispenser to prevent the tape dispenser from move randomly in case of the tape is pulled out from the tape roll for use. But there is left still a large portion of the housing not used effectively, forming a kind of waste.