A shift operation device includes: a shift operation member including: a shaft portion; and an arm portion protruding in a radial direction with respect to a center axis of the shaft portion and being rotated around the center axis to perform shift operation of a gear; and a plurality of shift rail members, each of which includes: a rail portion; a shift fork portion; and a shift lug portion capable of being engaged with the arm portion. An engagement portion of the shift lug portion includes a pair of columnar projections arranged at positions mutually different in the shift direction and the select direction. When the shift lug portion is retained in a neutral position, pressure receiving surfaces of the columnar projections are approximately positioned on a reference orthogonal surface superimposed on the center axis and orthogonal to the rail portion.

The present invention relates to a shift operation device of an automatic transmission provided on a driving-force transmitting system of a vehicle.
As a transmission provided on a driving-force transmitting system of a vehicle, a mechanical automatic transmission is known.
The mechanical automatic transmission enables automatic gearshift by actuating an actuator to operate a gearshift mechanism and connect/disconnect a clutch. For example, as shown in FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B, a shift operation device of the automatic transmission is provided with a shift shaft 100 capable of moving in a shift direction sf and in a select direction se, shift lugs 120 formed in an outwardly protruding manner respectively on parts of shift rails 110 arrayed in parallel in the select direction se, and shift forks 131, 132, 133 integrally joined to other parts of the shift rails 110, respectively.
The shift shaft 100 is provided with a control finger (select member) 140 protruded in a radial direction, and a pair of pawl portions 121, 122 are formed at each of the shift lugs 120 with an interval in the shift direction sf.
In the above-described mechanical automatic transmission, the shift shaft 100 is moved by an actuator to arrange the control finger 140 between the pair of pawl portions 121, 122, thereby pressing and moving the pair of pawl portions 121, 122 selectively in one or the other direction of the shift direction sf. Then, the shift fork 131 working therewith shift-actuates a corresponding gear (not illustrated).
Incidentally, a dual clutch-equipped automatic transmission in which two clutches are incorporated between the above-described automatic transmission and an engine which is a driving source has been developed. This automatic transmission is provided with a first main shaft and a second main shaft, and the first and second main shafts change a rotating force coming from each of the clutches and transfer the rotating force to each of corresponding auxiliary shafts, thereby the changed rotation from each of the auxiliary shafts is transmitted to transmission output gears.
In the above-described dual clutch-equipped automatic transmission, a state in which one gear is connected to one of the clutches via the first main shaft is switched to a state in which a target gear is connected to the other of the clutches via the second main shaft. In this instance, the shift operation of the target gear is completed in advance and, thereafter, one of the clutches is disconnected. Thus, it is not necessary to be in a neutral state at the time of gearshift, and a seamless gearshift can be achieved.
A shift operation device adopted in the above-described automatic transmission is, for example, as shown in FIG. 15A, that where a current gear is a fourth speed gear, the gear is shifted to a target gear, for example, a first speed gear, while the current gear is retained as it is. As shown in FIG. 15B, immediately thereafter, a shift withdrawal of a previous gear (here, the fourth speed gear) is performed during the proceeding of the synchronization of the target gear. A description will be given by referring to a trace shown by the double dotted chain line. In this shift withdrawal, first, it is necessary to smoothly conduct a step (1) for deviating in a select direction from a position of the target gear (first speed gear), a shift step (2) for returning to a neutral line N, a select step (3) for moving to a gear (fourth speed gear), a shift step (4) for moving to the gear (fourth speed gear), a select step (5) for moving into the gear (fourth speed gear) and a shift withdrawal step (6) for moving to the neutral line N (indicated by the double dotted chain line) of the gear (fourth speed gear).
In addition, JP-A-2001-304411 has proposed a shift operation device including a pair of pawl portions provided on each of the shift lugs. Since an interval between the pawl portions is widened in a shift direction, a shift member is allowed to merely move in a select direction from a space between the pair of pawl portions on a shift lug which is in a shifted state so as to be placed between the pair of pawl portions on the shift lug of a target gear in a neutral state, thereby simplifying the movement of the shift member.
As described above, in the dual clutch-type automatic transmission, it is necessary to shift a target gear and perform a shift withdrawal of a current gear in this order at the time of gearshift. Therefore, the movement of the control finger 140 is complicated which results in a prolonged gearshift time.
In particular, in the technique disclosed in JP-A-2001-304411, for the purpose of solving the complicated movement of the control finger 140, the shift member (control finger) can be placed into a space between a pair of pawl portions when the shift member moves in a select direction even in a state that a shift rail of any gear is shifted. For this reason, the pair of pawl portions must be arranged, with an interval between them opened relatively widely. Then, a problem is posed that a wider interval as described above will result in a poor load transmitting efficiency. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, it is necessary that an interval between a pair of pawl portions 121 is set greater as shown in a state of L1 indicated by the solid line than a state of L1′ indicated by the double dotted chain line. Consequently, the pawl portions 121 are pressed by the shift member 140 in a state greatly inclined toward the shift direction.
In this case, where a force of the pawl portions 121 acting on a wall surface by a rotating torque T of a control shaft 100 is given as a tangential force F, a distance from a contact point a of the shift member 140 with the pawl portions 121 to a shaft center C of the control shaft 100 is given as a distance L2 and an inclined angle of a line connecting the contact point a with the shaft center C in a shift direction is given as an angle α, a component force of the tangential force F in the shift direction, that is, a component force P1 which allows the wall surface of the pawl portion 121 to move in the shift direction, or an orthogonal direction, can be obtained by the following formula (1).P1=F*COS α=T*COS α/L2  (1)
In the above formula (1), on the assumption that the distance L2 is constant irrespective of the angle α, it is apparent that the component force P1 is decreased with an increase in the angle α in a range of 0 to 90 degrees. Therefore, as disclosed in JP-A-2001-304411, a larger interval L1 between the pair of pawl portions 121 will decrease the force P1 pressing the wall surface of the pawl portion 121 toward the shift direction, that is, an orthogonal direction, thereby it is necessary to make greater the force P1 pressing toward the shift direction in shifting operation than in a shift withdrawal operation. However, it is difficult to move the shift lug 129 in the shift direction at a higher transmission efficiency, and a larger driving source (for example, an electric motor) is needed for outputting an operation force required due to a decreased transmission efficiency of the operation force, which will result in a larger-sized device and the loss of energy. Alternatively, a greater operation force requires a reduction gear greater in reduction ratio and prolongs the time of moving the shift member accordingly. This poses a problem in reducing the gearshift time.

Shift operation device of automatic transmission

Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


A fluidic ejection cartridge and protective tape therefor. The fluidic ejection cartridge has a cartridge body for an organic solvent-based fluid having a cover closing a first end thereof, an ejection head on a second end thereof opposite the first end, and side walls attached to the first and second ends between the first and second ends, wherein the side walls comprise a first side wall, a second side wall opposite the first side wall, a first end wall attached to the first and second side walls, and a second end wall opposite the first end wall attached to the first and second side walls. A removable tape is attached to a nozzle plate of the ejection head and to a portion of the first side wall, wherein the removable tape comprises a polymeric backing film and a platinum-cured silicone adhesive.

Fluidic ejection cartridges may be used in variety of applications, including for instance inkjet printing applications, medicinal fluid delivery applications, and vapor delivery applications. The amount of time such cartridges remain in transit from the manufacture and/or in storage (prior to installation and use) may constitute a large portion of the lifecycle of the cartridge. In some instances, the shipping and storage time may even constitute the majority of the lifecycle of the cartridge. Consequently, it is important that the operability of the cartridge not degrade during storage, even if the cartridge remains in storage for an extended period of time.
During shipping and storage of the fluidic ejection cartridges, a protective tape is used to cover the ejection head and ejection nozzles on the ejection head. The protective tape prevents contamination of the ejection head, prevents seepage of fluid from the ejection head, and reduces the amount of solvent evaporated from the fluid in the cartridge during shipping and storage of the cartridge. Prior to use, the protective tape is removed from the fluidic ejection cartridge to expose the ejection nozzles.
Conventional pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) sealing tapes that are used to seal the nozzle holes in an ejection head are typically an acrylic type adhesive with a polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene terephthalate backing film. However, when the fluidic cartridge contains an organic solvent rather than an aqueous-based fluid, the acrylic adhesives in conventional protective tapes may be solubilized by the organic solvent causing fluid leaking from the cartridge and/or premature peeling of the tape from the ejection head.
In order to assure that the protective tape does not prematurely peel off of the ejection head, a suitable tape and adhesive system must be found that will not be readily solubilized by the organic solvents present in the fluidic cartridge, and that provides a protective tape having a suitable peel strength. Accordingly, what is needed is a pressure sensitive adhesive tape sealing system that can be used with fluidic cartridges that contain organic solvents rather than aqueous-based fluids.


The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for treating and/preventing diseases and conditions associated with premature termination mutations. The methods disclosed herein comprise the step of administering to the subject a therapeutically effective dose of a compound described herein that induces read-through of the premature termination codon. The methods of the present disclosure may further comprise treating the subject with enzyme replacement therapy wherein the enzyme replacement therapy is selected for the disease or condition to be treated. Furthermore, the present disclosure provides method of pharmacologically suppressing premature termination codons in a subject in need of such suppression.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), an anion channel primarily localized to the apical membranes of secretory epithelial cells lining the airways and multiple organs. Among the most common mutation class, premature termination codons (PTCs) in CFTR lead to translation termination due to an in-frame nonsense mutation in the coding sequence, resulting in nonfunctional CFTR protein (Welsh M J, et al. Cell; 73:1251-1254; 1993). PTCs are the proximate cause of ˜11% of CF causing alleles and many other genetic diseases (Sloane P A, et al. Current opinion in pulmonary medicine; 16:591-597; 2010).
Efforts to develop treatments for CF patients with nonsense mutations have focused on strategies to promote termination suppression (also known as translational read-through) of PTCs. Translational read-through is accomplished when an amino acid carried by near-cognate aminoacyl tRNA is inserted into a polypeptide chain at the erroneous stop codon, allowing translation to continue, and partially restoring full-length, functional protein (Bedwell D M, et al., Nat Med; 3:1280-1284; 1997; Howard M, et al, Nat Med; 2:467-469; 1996). Several phatmacologic approaches to induce read-through have been discovered, yet none has yielded an optimal combination of efficacy and safety. For instance, in vitro work has demonstrated that certain aminoglycosides can promote read-through and have been tested in clinical trials with mixed results (Clancy J P, et al., Am J Respir Crit Care Med; 163:1683-1692; 2001; Clancy J P, et al., American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology; 37:57-66; 2007; Wilschanski M, et al., N Engl J Med; 349:1433-1441; 2003; Wilschanski M, et al., N Engl J Med; 349:1433-1441; 2003; Wilschanski M, et al., Am J Respir Crit Care Med; 161:860-865; 2000; Sermet-Gaudelus I, et al., BMC Med; 5:5; 2007), but are not well suited for long-term use. Synthetic aminoglycoside derivatives optimized for translation suppression of the eukaryotic ribosome have exhibited improved read-through and reduced toxicity when compared in vitro. Ataluren (formerly PTC124) is an orally bioavailable small-molecule that induces read-through. In a sub-set analysis, ataluren demonstrated a modest treatment benefit in CF patients not using chronic inhaled tobramycin, which interferes with its effect (Kerem E, et al., Lancet Respir Med 2014), a finding currently under prospective evaluation.
An attractive strategy for development of non-toxic, orally bioavailable, and efficacious read-through agents is to evaluate the utility of compounds already approved for clinical use, thus facilitating rapid evaluation of promising compounds in humans. The present disclosure provides new compounds for use in treating diseases and conditions mediated, at least in part, by the presence of a PTC. Such diseases and conditions include, but are not limited to, genetic conditions in which a PTC codon produces a non-functional polypeptide, such as but not limited to, CF. The present disclosure also provides methods for increasing the stability level of a mRNA transcript that is involved, at least in part, in a disease or condition, wherein the mRNA transcript contains a missense mutation as a result of read-through suppression by a compound of the present disclosure. Such diseases and conditions include, but are not limited to, genetic conditions in which a PTC codon produces a non-functional polypeptide, such as but not limited to, CF. The present disclosure further provides compounds for use in the above methods and pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds.

Methods and compounds for stimulating read-through of premature termination codons


An apparatus for conducting impact events for use in conjunction with a hzontal accelerator includes a base having tracks attached to the top thereof; a seat slidably attached to the tracks, the seat capable of moving independently of the base and along the tracks, the seat for positioning a test dummy before and during an impact event; a barrier positioned and arranged adjacent one end of the base for impacting the test dummy, the barrier having load cells for generating signals in response to the impact between the test dummy and the barrier; an attenuator for impacting the seat and accelerating the seat up to the velocity of the base when the base is accelerated by the horizontal accelerator; and an anti-reverse mechanism for retaining the seat after the seat is accelerated up to the velocity of the horizontal accelerator. In operation, a test dummy is positioned on the seat and secured, if desired. The seat is slidably positioned on the base the desired distance from the barrier. The horizontal accelerator is fired, in accordance with a predetermined acceleration profile. As the base accelerates, the seat contacts the attenuator wherein the dummy begins to slide off the seat and impact the barrier. The load cells in the barrier generate signals in response to the impact. After the seat contacts the attenuator, the anti-reverse mechanism retains the seat adjacent the barrier.

The present invention relates to impact test devices for measuring and evaluating laboratory collision events that attempt to simulate, for example, automobile or airplane crashes. More specifically, but without limitation, the present invention relates to a test apparatus for simulating side impact crashes for use in conjunction with a horizontal accelerator that provides a desired initial velocity component.
It is often desirable to study and evaluate the effects of automobile, airplane and other crashes that cause damage and injury due to impact and rapid deceleration. Such study and evaluation is oftentimes conducted in laboratories wherein a crash event is simulated under controlled conditions. Various methods and devices have been utilized by those skilled in the art to conduct a simulated crash event.
One common test involves impacting a target vehicle in the side with either another vehicle or a movable barrier as required by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Specification 214. Although useful and successful, this testing method requires a large test area and is expensive due to the damage and/or destruction of the test vehicles. In addition, the setup for conducting such a test is complex, thus making setup and repeatability difficult. The lack of repeatability makes conducting comparative testing under identical test conditions impossible. As a result, the validity and acceptance of the test results is brought into question by the scientific community. The high associated costs and complex setup also makes conducting a large number of tests prohibitive.
Another test involves a decelerative sled which impacts a deformable material to provide a desired acceleration profile. This method causes difficulty in maintaining the initial position of the test dummy while the test dummy is accelerated up to the final impact velocity.
There is thus a need in the art to provide an apparatus that may be used to simulate collision events, such as side impact collision events and the like, that may be used in a small area. There is also a need to provide an apparatus that will carry out such impact events yet minimize destruction of or severe damage to the test equipment and associated test pieces. There is also a need to provide an apparatus that will produce repeatable results that will be acceptable to the scientific community.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that will produce reliable, repeatable results.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that can be operated in a relatively small area.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that will carry out impact tests yet minimize or eliminate destruction or damage to the test equipment and associated test pieces.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


Techniques for automated incident triage and diagnosis are described. A method of automated incident triage and diagnosis may include receiving incident data associated with an incident, identifying one or more mitigation actions to resolve the incident using at least one machine learning model based at least on the incident data, and automatically executing the one or more mitigation actions to mitigate the incident.

An incident occurs when a product or a system fails, impacting its customers, and causing losses and damages both to the product business and the customers. For example, if a service stops responding in a provider network, then the service or a closely related service or system is experiencing an incident. Correctly triaging and diagnosing such incidents as quickly as possible is necessary to mitigate the impact on the provider network, its services, and its customers, and bring the affected product or system state back to normal operation. Such incident investigation in real time is usually complicated, as it involves many possible factors and possible causes, and therefore mostly depends on personal knowledge of the incident participants who attempt to resolve it manually. This can lead to services being unavailable for an extended period of time while the incident is investigated, diagnosed, and mitigated.


In one embodiment, a semiconductor structure is disclosed. The structure includes both a silicon and a cadmium telluride layer. Each may have a (100) lattice orientation. A plurality of buffer layers are disposed between the silicon layer and the cadmium telluride layer. Each of these buffer layers has a lattice constant which is greater than the lattice constant of the layer below it and less than the lattice constant of the layer above it. As examples, these buffer layers may comprise zinc sulfide, zinc selenide, zinc telluride or zinc tellurium selenide.

A number of semiconductor applications require the formation of a cadmium telluride (CdTe) layer over a silicon (Si) substrate. For example, a larger CdTe substrate can be formed in this manner. While silicon can be formed in substrates of eight to twelve inch diameters or more, CdTe substrates are typically sized at about 4 cm.times.6 cm. Therefore, an increase of more than thirteen times can be achieved if the CdTe can be grown on an eight-inch silicon wafer.
Another application which requires cadmium telluride layers formed on silicon substrates is found in infrared detectors. Cryogenic infrared detectors are typically made of small band gap (about 0.1-0.2 eV) semiconductors such as HgCdTe (mercury cadmium telluride) grown on CdTe (with approx. 4% ZnTe added for lattice matching to HgCdTe) substrates and operate as photodiodes or photoconductors by photo absorption to produce electron-hole pairs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,373 describes a hybrid system with HgCdTe photoconductors bonded to silicon signal processing circuitry.
A problem arises because of the huge thermal mismatch between the silicon and the mercury cadmium telluride. One way to overcome this thermal mismatch problem is to provide a second silicon layer formed on the other side of the HgCdTe substrate so that the HgCdTe is sandwiched between the two silicon layers. In this manner, the thermal mismatches will cancel.
One way to form this layer is to epitaxially grow cadmium telluride (CdTe) on a silicon wafer. For example, R Sporken et al., Molecular beam epitaxial growth of CdTe and HgCdTe on Si (100), Appl. Phys. Lett. 55(18) (1989), p. 1879, teaches a method of forming a CdTe layer on a silicon substrate. A HgCdTe layer can then be grown upon the CdTe layer by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), or liquid phase epitaxy (LPE).
However, a problem exists because of the lattice mismatch and crystal structure between the cadmium telluride and the silicon. For example, direct growth of cadmium telluride on silicon (100) using MBE or MOCVD gives cadmium telluride (111) on silicon (100) leading to a non-parallel epitaxy. This non-parallel epitaxy is undesirable and therefore a method of growing cadmium telluride (100) upon silicon is presently desired, that can be applied to other orientations such as (211) to maintain parallel epitaxy.
Other techniques have utilized ZnTe as a buffer layer between Si and CdZnTe. See e.g., T. J. de Lyon et al., Direct molecular-beam epitaxial growth of ZnTe (100) and CdZnTe (100)/ZnTe (100) on Si (100) substrates, Appl. Phys. Lett., 63 (Aug. 9, 1993), p. 818. In this case, single-crystal CdZnTe (100) films were grown on Si with the use of ZnTe buffer layers.

Method of forming a cadmium telluride/silicon structure


An X-ray imaging system is provided. The X-ray imaging system includes an X-ray radiation source. The X-ray imaging system also includes a source controller coupled to the source and configured to command emission of X-rays for image exposures. The X-ray imaging system further includes a digital X-ray detector configured to acquire X-ray image data without communication from the source controller, wherein the digital X-ray detector includes a photovoltaic device, and the digital X-ray detector is configured to determine one or more of a beginning, end, or duration of an image exposure via the photovoltaic device.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to X-ray imaging systems and more particularly to X-ray imaging systems using digital detectors having photovoltaic devices.
The advent of digital X-ray detectors has brought enhanced workflow and high image quality to medical imaging. However, many of the earlier radiographic imaging systems employ conventional X-ray imaging using film as the X-ray detection media. In order to obtain images from these systems, the imaging medium must be transported and processed after each exposure, resulting in a time delay in obtaining the desired images. Digital radiography provides an alternative that allows the acquisition of image data and reconstructed images on the spot for quicker viewing and diagnosis, and allows for images to be readily stored and transmitted to consulting and referring physicians and specialists. However, the cost of replacing the earlier conventional radiographic imaging systems with digital radiographic imaging systems may be imposing to a hospital or tertiary care medical center. Hence, there is a need to retrofit the earlier radiographic imaging systems for digital radiography in a cost effective manner involving as few components of the systems as possible.

X-ray system and method with digital image acquisition using a photovoltaic device


A system, method and medium correcting brightness of an image, and more particularly, a system, method and medium correcting brightness of an acquired image to achieve a target brightness. The system includes an initial brightness sensing unit to sense an initial brightness of the image from an initial exposure, and an image correction unit to correct the brightness of the sensed initial image toward a target brightness using predetermined brightness information corresponding to a sensed brightness environment of the image.

1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a system, method and medium correcting brightness of an image, and more particularly, to a system, method and medium correcting brightness of an image and capable of correcting brightness of an acquired image to a target brightness.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to correct brightness of an image acquired by an image acquisition apparatus such as a camera or a camcorder, the difference between a current brightness of the acquired image and a target brightness of the acquired image is generally treated as an error. If the error exceeds a predetermined level, an exposure time and a gain are adjusted so that the current brightness of the acquired image can be adjusted to approach the target brightness.
In this case, the image acquisition apparatus performs a feedback loop in which the brightness of the acquired image is repeatedly corrected through the adjustment of the exposure time and gain until the error continuously caused by the difference between corrected brightness of the acquired image and the target brightness comes within the predetermined level.
When the brightness of the acquired image is repeatedly corrected until it becomes the target brightness, a correction value, used in the repeated corrections, may be set high so that the brightness of the acquired image reach the target brightness in a short period of time. However, with such large correction values, there is a risk that the corrected brightness of the acquired image will overshoot the target brightness, thereby causing oscillation. Consequently, system stability can be undermined. On the other hand, if the correction value is set too low for system stability, a time-consuming feedback loop becomes necessary.
Therefore, as determined by the present inventors, a method of correcting the current brightness of an image to a target brightness in a short period of time without causing oscillation is desirable.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-125285 discusses a technique of storing information regarding the relationship between an exposure time of a camera and the brightness of an image in a database (DB) and referring to the stored information when necessary. Thus, this technique avoids the cycle of feedback control and its time-consuming control process. However, not all information regarding all possible relationships between the exposure time of the camera and the brightness of the image can be stored in the DB due to the huge quantity of necessary relationships. In addition, after data of a certain point is stored in the DB, the remaining points whose data is not stored must be inferred, e.g., through data interpolation. In addition, here, the relationship between the exposure time of the camera and the brightness of the image also varies according to the model of camera. Hence, the relationship is limited to a particular camera and does not have generality and flexibility. As a result, a separate DB must be implemented for each camera model.

System, method and medium correcting brightness of an image


A memory may be configured to rearrange and store data to enable a conflict free mode for a memory access pattern required by a coder-decoder(codec) and configured to output a plurality of data from a plurality of banks of the memory in parallel. In addition, a data interconnection unit is configured to shift the plurality of data output from the memory and provide the shifted data to a plurality of operation units as input data. The operation result from each of the plurality of operation units is stored in a region of the memory.

1. Field
Example embodiments may relate to image processors, and for example, to a single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) processor used in processing images, a memory structure, and/or a method for storing data in the memory structure.
2. Description of Related Art
With technical advancements for digital signal processing, storage media, and transmission modes, technical services localized to voice information have evolved into multimedia solutions. For example, in the development of terminal apparatuses and multimedia service areas such as digital televisions, internet protocol televisions (IPTVs), and video-on-demand (VOD), compression/restoration techniques have been utilized, e.g., H.264, for higher quality images or pictures. However, because a higher-quality image compression/restoration technique may consume a higher quantity of operations than a normal mode, a higher-quality image compression/restoration technique may increase a demand for a programmable hardware structure as a video coder-decoder (for example, a video codec) solution for assisting a standard of multiple image compression in accordance with convergence of functions and services.
To meet the demand for the programmable hardware structure, various platform patterns of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or digital signal processors (DSPs) were developed for image compression and/or restoration. However, these hardware structures may have problems of compatibility and/or increased costs. In order to overcome such problems, single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) processors that offer higher efficiency and/or a lower cost were developed. A conventional SIMD processor may accept a single instruction in common for a plurality of SIMD arrays through processing elements (PEs) each provided in the SIMD array, and/or execute the received instruction in parallel. Each PE may include an operation circuit such as an arithmetic and logic unit (ALU).
As the conventional SIMD processor processes a plurality of data with a single instruction, the conventional SIMD processor may be able to more easily enhance data processing capability. For example, the conventional SIMD processor may be suitable for a repetitive routine with strong parallelism in operation, and the conventional SIMD processor is widely employed in processing multimedia, graphics data, or voice communications. There are various kinds of conventional SIMD processors, e.g., MMX, SSE, MAX-1, MAX-2, and Altivec. In efficiently utilizing a parallel processing architecture, such as an arrayed processing structure or a very long instruction word (VLIW) represented by SIMD, data may need to be supplied with an arrangement that allows available operation units to be normally enabled in operation. Accordingly, a conventional SIMD processor may be internally associated with a permutation unit as a circuit for arranging data within the conventional SIMD processor. FIG. 1 shows a general structure of a prior art SIMD processor 10.
Referring to FIG. 1, the prior art SIMD processor may include a vector arithmetic and logic unit (vector ALU) 20, a permutation unit 30, a vector register 40, and/or a memory 90. While FIG. 1 depicts one of the vector arithmetic and logic units (vector ALUs) 20, processing parallel data at a relatively higher frequency (e.g., fast parallel data processing) requires a plurality of the vector ALUs 20 coupled with each other in parallel. Responding to an input of an instruction, the prior art SIMD processor 10 may load and store data from a memory 90 into a vector register 40. Data stored in the vector register 40 may be rearranged through the permutation unit 30 and provided to the vector ALU 20. The vector ALU 20 may process the rearranged data provided from the permutation unit 30. The permutation unit 30 may be used with a crossbar or battery network to rearrange data for global multimedia operations.
A technique known as the 'conflict free' technique may arrange data so as to make access to a memory bank of a simple linear array in various parallel modes permissible. Data rearrangement or reassignment by the conflict free technique is carried out through the permutation unit 30. The permutation unit 30 may execute operations of multiplexing, shifting, and/or rotations by complex permutation networks and plural stages. Therefore, data rearrangement may take a relatively long amount of time. Accordingly, a higher cost for accessing the memory 90 and/or a longer data rearrangement time through the permutation unit 30 may reduce the operational efficiency of the prior art SIMD processor.

Memory array structure and single instruction multiple data processor including the same and methods thereof


A synchronous clock regeneration system is implemented in a modem to enable the generation of a clock waveform at the same frequency as that of the transmitting device. The synchronous clock regeneration system receives an error signal indicating the timing difference in the receiving modem and the remote modem. The value in the error signal is added to a value in an offset integrator which integrates all of the error signals produced in a given transmission. The data is then relayed to a modulo subtractor which subtracts a predetermined value from the data if the value of the data is greater than the predetermined value. The data is then introduced to the offset integrator for integration and to a waveform generator. The waveform generator uses the data to offset a supply waveform an appropriate amount to match the frequency of the remote modem. As a result, the waveform generator produces a waveform that synchronously and smoothly tracks the clock waveform generated by the remote modem.

Modems transmit and receive digital data to and from a network system, such as the general switch telephone network (GSTN). Typically, a network will communicate a string of digital data for every oscillation of its internal clock crystal. A string of digital data often represents a "symbol," and the number of symbols communicated in one second is referred to as the "symbol rate." It should be noted that a string of digital data may be a single bit or multiple bits of data information. Many modems demodulate data at a symbol rate different from that of the network's symbol rate and different from that of the symbol rates of other modems. Therefore, most modem designs include techniques for interpolating or decimating data from one symbol rate into the symbol rate used by the receiving modem. When demodulating information from a remote modem with a different symbol rate, it is desirable for the receiving modem to generate a clock waveform having the same frequency, and hence symbol rate, as that of the remote modem.
Conventional modems generate a clock waveform through a hardware device capable of receiving a supply signal and offsetting the supply signal to generate a clock waveform. In most conventional modem designs, this waveform generator is supplied by a signal within the receiving modem that has already been interpolated or decimated to correct for the timing differences between the remote modem and the receiving modem. Therefore, the signal supplying the waveform generator contains the necessary information for the waveform generator to match the frequency of the remote modem. However, it is desirable for the waveform generator to be supplied from an independent source rather than from a signal within the receiving modem. As used herein, an "independent source" is any source other than the receiving modem that generates a supply signal for the waveform generator. For example, it is desirable for the waveform generator to be supplied by a signal directly from a network in communication with the receiving modem. However, since a signal from such an independent source has not already been interpolated or decimated to correct for the timing differences between the receiving modem and the remote modem, a supply waveform from the independent source contains no information indicating how much the waveform generator should offset the supply signal in order to match the clock frequency of the remote modem.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry for providing a system and method for regenerating a synchronous clock waveform in a receiving modem using a supply waveform from an independent source.

Synchronous clock regeneration system for generating a clock waveform at a specified frequency


A brass instrument having a mouthpiece connected by a pipe to a valved body which is in turn connected to an output bending and a bell thereby defining an air duct. The bell and the output bending are formed of separate and detachable parts. The brass instrument has an intermediate section between the output bending and the bell and a coupling member for detachably coupling the intermediate section to the output bending and to the bell respectively. The intermediate section has a plurality of subsections in telescopic relation to one another and parts for adjusting an overlap between the plurality of telescopic subsections so as to change a length of the intermediate section whereby to alter a tone of the instrument.

The general procedure normally used to tune a trumpet consists of a variation of the length of the so-called "flue pipe". Such variation is achieved by means of extensible sections which enable a longer flue pipe.
Obviously, since the tonality of a trumpet depends on the length of the flue pipe, in order to achieve different notes of the musical scale it is necessary to enlarge or shorten the length of such flue pipe, thereby modifying the route of the air flow and providing the instrument the necessary distance to obtain a frequency which determines its proper general tuning.
Up to now, trumpet manufacturers based the tuning of the instrument on a part known as "tudel", formed by a series of extensible pipes known as "general pump", which can be lengthened to tune the trumpet. Such "tudel" is a part located before the so-called instrument "body". Therefore, the tuning section of trumpets is located before the so-called trumpet body.
When the musical instrument does not enable its tuning at the tudel, due to its length, the manufacturer has either to lengthen such tudel, as in the case of the Piccolo trumpet or to lengthen the bell itself, previously denominated flue pipe. Such lengthening is performed at the end of the body. This tuning procedure is normally applied to the so called B-Cb trumpet.
In summary, trumpets can be tuned either at the mouth side or "tudel" section, at the "general pump" section, which is the bend located before the body, before the tudel itself, or even at the bell section located after the instrument body. This section is formed by a single piece comprising the bell and the relevant output bending.
When the tuning is to be performed after the trumpet body, it is necessary to replace such bell, i.e., the section comprising the output bending and the relevant bell.
On the other hand, and as far as the structure of the instrument is concerned, in the case of trumpets and similar instruments, they are formed by different properly assembled metal parts. Sometimes, such parts are of a cylindrical shape, with or without curved sections, normally, semi-circumferential, although they can also present a trunco-conical shape with a curved generative, as it is the case of the bell.
In any case, a metal pipe or plate is used to obtain such pieces. They are conveniently shaped by means of a deformation either through a hot- or cold- process. These pieces are usually moulded, either manually, by means of hammers or any other adequate tool, or mechanically, by means of hydraulically- or mechanically operated shaping machines.
Obviously, and since most pieces are generated ones, the use of plates increases the complexity of the operation, especially when they have to be closed. Therefore, it is more appropriate--in principle--to use pipes. However, they also present--especially when manufacturing bells--the problem derived from the difference in diameters, and therefore, they usually different wall thicknesses, with an excessive thickness on the end with larger diameter and an insignificant thickness at the other end.
Another fact to be taken into consideration is that mouthpieces used by brass instruments are normally formed by a single piece split into three different parts, the "output cone", which is directly attached to the instrument, and more specifically, to the section known as tudel. Therefore, such output cone can have different inner dimensions, depending on the needs of the musician. The second part of the mouthpiece is the so-called "bowl", which determines a cavity to collect vibrations produced by the lips of the musician. Such bowl, depending on the characteristics of the musician and the type of music being played, will have a larger or smaller size, with different accepted shapes and deepness. The third part is formed by the so-called mouthpiece "ring" or "edge", which is the element coming into contact with the lips of the musician. This part is considered to be very critical, due to the preferences of the musician, as far as the shape of the rings is concerned.
The three elements forming the mouthpiece of a brass instrument are normally formed by a single piece, which, in some instances can have a detachable edge or ring. Therefore, neither the bowl nor the output cone can be varied and the musician will have to purchase a complete set each time he wishes to use a specific mouthpiece, without the possibility of replacing them by others more suitable to his specific needs or preferences.

Enhancements introduced into brass instruments and method for the manufacturing of parts for such instruments


A collapsible chair having a backrest, at least one backrest support rod, and a backrest rod anchor coupling the backrest to the backrest support rod, wherein the backrest rod anchor comprises a rod end receiving portion coupled to a backrest attachment portion, the backrest support rod is at least partially enclosed by the rod end receiving portion of the backrest rod anchor, and the backrest is attached to the backrest attachment portion of the backrest rod anchor.

Flaccid back chairs, as used herein, are chairs having a backrest formed from a material or combination of materials that crumple, fold or bend and which provide support by being combined with a pair of support rods or some other support structure having members substantially more rigid than the backrest. A common example of a flaccid back chair is a collapsible chair having a fabric backrest stretched between two vertical support rods. Numerous other examples of flaccid back chairs can be found by referring to the chairs described in the set of U.S. patents in class 295, subclass 47, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In some instances, the backrest portion of a flaccid back chair hangs from a cross member that extends horizontally across the back of the chair, while in other instances the backrest portion slides onto the ends of two or substantially more vertical support rods. Such vertically supported flaccid back chairs are of particular interest because of a tendency for the backrest to suffer damage at the point of contact between the ends of such vertical support rods and the backrest, and because of inefficiencies of known methods of producing such chairs.
In many instances such vertical support rods are coupled to a backrest by forming elongated pockets in the backrest, and sliding the ends of the support rods into the pockets. It is important to note that forming the pockets substantially increases the time required to form the chair. As such, methods of forming flaccid back chairs that provide a faster alternative to the use of cloth pockets are desirable.
It is also important to note that if one leans on or otherwise pushes down on a center portion of the backrest of such a vertically supported flaccid backed chair, one is essentially forcing the ends of the support rods against the top of the pockets. Doing so has a tendency to cause excessive wear on the seams of the pocket, and/or on the material from which the pocket is formed. As such, it is desirable to utilize a method of supporting a backrest that results in less wear when downward pressure is applied to a center portion of the backrest. In response,
The following disclosure provides for methods and apparatus that increase durability and reduce production time of flaccid backed chairs.

Collapsible chair with backrest rod anchor


A secure access system, including a stationary computing device that controls access to secure data over a secure network, including an authorized area of authentication (AAA) generator, generating an AAA for administering the secure data, an AAA validator, validating a mobile computing device that a request to access the secure data over the secure network, by verifying that a current location of the mobile device is within the AAA, and an access controller, enabling the mobile device to access the secure data, only in response to the validator affirmatively validating the mobile device, and a mobile computing device including a location identifier, dynamically identifying a current location of the mobile device, a connection controller for logging into the secure network, and an access requestor, submitting to the access controller via the secure network (i) an access request for the secure data, and (ii) the current location of the mobile device.

Enterprises store sensitive and private company and customer data on secure file servers. As users become more mobile, it is becoming common for users to remotely access files on these file servers via their mobile computing devices. Typically, a user can login to an enterprise file server using a basic user ID and password, over a secure network such as a virtual private network. This is a relatively weak form of security, and data breaches often occur where sensitive data is accessed and used by unauthorized people.
As such, it would be of great advantage to provide an additional layer of security for remote access to file servers via mobile devices.


An electronic ballast includes a rectifier and filter circuit, a DC/AC inverter circuit and a resonant circuit. An input of the rectifier and filter circuit is connected to an outside power supply, its output is connected to the inputs of DC/AC inverter circuit, an output of the DC/AC inverter circuit is connected to inputs of the resonant circuit, and an output of the resonant circuit is connected to a lamp. In addition, a feedback driver circuit and a filament current loop are connected to the lamp at its input. An input of the feedback driver circuit is connected to the filament current loop, and its output is connected to the control terminal of the DC/AC inverter circuit. Electrical signals of the filament current loop control the DC/AC inverter circuit drive the resonant circuit through the feedback driver circuit. The filament capacitor is disconnected from the lamp when the filament is broken.

Conventional electronic ballasts include a rectifier and filter circuit, a DC/AC inverter circuit, a resonant circuit and the like. At present, however, some ballasts keep on working when the lamp filament is disconnected. During this time, it is possible to break and melt the lamp and thereby cause hydrargyrum leakage, which is a serious hidden danger for safety.

Electronic ballast with life-ended protection


Kraft pulp is bleached to a brightness of about 90 CPPA or greater, without the use of chlorinated organic compounds that has commercially acceptable strength properties. During production of the kraft pulp it is subjected to extended delignification, by adding kraft white liquor to a first recirculation loop in the digester, and/or a second, wash, recirculation loop in the digester; or by conventional pulping followed by two oxygen stages, with washing between the stages. The extended delignification pulp is then subjected to ozone bleaching, with an ozone dosage of less than 1.0% (preferably less than about 0.5%). The ozone bleaching sequence may be a (ZE)P(ZE)P sequence.

In the production of bleached kraft pulp there have been increasing regulatory and market demands to reduce or eliminate the presence of chlorinated organic compounds in pulp products and bleaching effluents. In order to properly react to such demands, it is necessary to eliminate the use of chlorine gas or any other chlorine containing compound. However the removal of the chlorine based bleaching agents makes it extremely difficult--in fact impossible under present technology--to achieve desired brightness levels, especially if the pulp produced is to have acceptable strength properties. For example oxygen delignification must be utilized, and multiple stage oxygen delignification--especially with chelating treatment to control deleterious metal ions--has been shown to offer advantages in delignification and selectivity, especially when there is between stage washing (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,556). However there are practical limits governing both the extent of delignification and the quality of pulp obtainable using oxygen delignification alone.
Of other available bleaching agents, perhaps the most promising is ozone. It has been demonstrated that ozone is a highly effective delignifying agent, however ozone has seen only marginal commercial acceptance to date in the pulp industry. The main obstacles to commercial utilization of ozone have been the chemical cost of ozone when large doses are needed, and the degradation of pulp strength that typically occurs relative to conventionally bleached pulps.
Thus, there has long been a need for bleached kraft pulp with commercially acceptable strength properties without the use of chlorine based bleaching agents. According to the present invention, it is possible to finally achieve that goal. This is accomplished according to the present invention by utilization of ozone in order to take advantage of its powerful delignifying effect, while limiting the amount of ozone applied to the pulp to less than 1%, and while holding pulp degradation to a minimum.
According to the present invention, the basic approach that is taken is to have a pulp with minimum Kappa Number and maximum strength before it is subjected to ozone bleaching sequence. This is accomplished according to the present invention by utilizing kraft pulp produced from extended delignification processes. Continuous digesters sold by Kamyr, Inc. of Glens Falls, N.Y. under the trademark "MCC" have, since 1988, been utilized to produce under a process known as modified continuous cooking a strong softwood kraft pulp with a Kappa Number of about 23 to 25 (this compares with the Kappa Number of about 30-32 achieved in conventional kraft ("CK") pulping of softwood). A variation of the modified continuous cooking process, practiced in digesters sold by Kamyr, Inc. of Glens Falls under the trademark "EMCC", practice a process known as extended modified continuous cooking. Such a process can produce softwood pulps having an even lower Kappa Number, typically 18-20, while maintaining a high pulp viscosity--comparable to that for a CK pulp at a Kappa Number of 30.
Another procedure that may be utilized to produce extended delignification pulp--allowing the production of high brightness, high strength bleached pulp without chlorine based bleaching agents--is to subject CK pulp to multiple stage oxygen delignification, with between stage washing, such as described in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,556. While the pulp produced according to this aspect of the invention has lower brightness and strength properties than pulp produced as set forth above, they are still within the commercially acceptable range.
The extended delignification pulp is, according to the invention, subjected to ozone bleaching, with an ozone dosage of less than 1.0% on pulp by weight (and preferably less than about 0.75% and most desirably less than about 0.5%), to produce a chlorine free bleached pulp with brightness of about 90 CPPA or greater. While a number of ozone bleaching sequences may be acceptable, one that is particularly advantageous is that described in co-pending application Ser. No. 07/721,780, filed Jun. 28, 1991. The bleaching sequence shown therein is (ZE)P(ZE)P, the (ZE) stages being ozone followed by extraction without washing between them. There is washing between the (ZE) and P stages. This bleaching sequence--especially if preceded by a pretreatment stage to remove metal ions, and two oxygen stages with between stage washing--produces excellent brightness (well over 90 CPPA) pulp, with good strength properties. Even though the pulp so produced has viscosity lower than CK pulp, it has been found that the lower viscosity does not mean less strength, and the T+2B value for pulp according to the invention is comparable to chlorine compound bleached VK pulp.
According to one aspect to the present invention, a method of continuously kraft pulping and then bleaching comminuted cellulosic fibrous material utilizing an upright digester having top, bottom, and central portions is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) Passing comminuted cellulosic fibrous material entrained in kraft white liquor into the top of the digester. (b) Extracting black liquor from at least one screen between the top and bottom of the digester. (c) At a first portion of the digester withdrawing and recirculating liquid in a first recirculation loop. (d) Adding kraft white liquor to the first recirculation loop. (e) Adjacent the bottom of the digester withdrawing and recirculating liquid in a second, wash, recirculation loop. (f) Withdrawing kraft pulp from the bottom of the digester, steps (a)-(e) being practiced to produce pulp having a Kappa Number comparable to about 25 or below for softwood. And, (g) ozone bleaching the kraft pulp with an ozone dosage of less than 0.1% on pulp by weight, to produce a chlorine-free bleached pulp with brightness of about 90 CPPA or greater. The procedure just described is Kamyr, Inc. 's modified continuous cooking process (hereafter "M"), typically practiced in an MCC.TM. digester. The method can include the further step of adding kraft white liquor to the second recirculation loop, in which case Kamyr, Inc. 's extended modified continuous cooking (hereafter "E") process is practiced, typically in a Kamyr EMCC.TM. digester.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of producing bleached kraft pulp is practiced comprising the following steps: (a) Subjecting kraft pulp to two stage oxygen delignification with between stage washing to produce pulp having a Kappa Number comparable to about 12 or less for softwood. And, (b) ozone bleaching the oxygen delignified kraft pulp with an ozone dosage of less than 1.0% on pulp by weight, to produce a chlorine-free bleached pulp with brightness of about 90 CPPA or greater.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for the production of kraft pulp having a brightness of greater than 90 CPPA and commercially acceptable strength, without utilizing chlorine containing bleaching compounds, and with minimal use of ozone. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.

Modified digestion of paper pulp followed by ozone bleaching


In a twin screw marine vessel that has two engines arranged in tandem along the vessel's centerline, a drive system allows both engines to drive the propellers or, alternatively, either engine to drive both propellers independently (e.g. one in forward, the other in reverse) while the other engine is disengaged and shut down. The output of each engine engages and disengages with one of two chain drives with the use of a clutch. A third clutch is provided between the two chain drives for selectively engaging and disengaging the chain drives with one another. An under/overdrive unit on the output of each chain drive is linked to a respective port or starboard V-drive via a universal drive shaft. Each V-drive has an internal transmission for selective clockwise or counter clockwise rotation of a correspondingly driven one of the port and starboard propellers. The under/overdrive units allow for a change in gear ratio between single engine and twin engine drive for maximum efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to drive systems on multi-engine marine vessels and, more particularly, to a drive system on a twin screw marine vessel that allows both engines or, alternatively, either engine to individually operate both propellers.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Conventional motor driven boats often use two or more engines, wherein each engine is adapted to drive a single propeller. The use of twin screws, wherein one propeller is on the port side of the boat's centerline and the other propeller is on the starboard side of the boat's centerline, allows for easy maneuvering and turning of the boat at low speeds when the boats rudders have minimal affect. The use of twin screws is particularly useful when docking and maneuvering a boat in tight areas (e.g., a canal or marina).
While there are definite benefits to the use of twin screws in a marine vessel, the need to operate both engines, particularly at low speeds, is highly inefficient. Additionally, if one engine fails, the motor vessel can only operate on a single engine driving a single propeller. In this instance, it is difficult to steer, maneuver and dock the vessel. Moreover, inboard engines are typically mounted in side by side relation in a conventional motor driven boat in order to drive the corresponding port or starboard propeller. This arrangement with each engine offset relative to the centerline of the vessel is not to ideal for lateral stability.
My previous invention, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,790 places both engines along the centerline of the boat to provide the best dynamic and static center of gravity. In at least one embodiment of my previous invention, two engines, arranged along the longitudinal centerline of a boat are connected to a drive system for driving two propellers. With the use of dog clutches, both engines or, alternatively, either engine, can operate both propellers. This allows for numerous advantages, particularly in the instances of failure to the engine.
Notwithstanding the numerous advantages of my previous invention, the ability to operate the boat on one engine driving twin screws at cruising speeds is problematic. It has since been discovered that a change in the gear reduction ratio when operating twin screws on the single engine allows the boat to obtain higher cruising speeds while operating on the single engine. Changing the gear reduction ratio between single engine operation and twin engine operation has been achieved with the use of under/overdrive units connected to the universal drive shafts for each propeller. Moreover, is has been discovered the use of two chain drives, one for each screw, is optimal in order to selectively operate both screws on twin engines or, alternatively, on either engine independently.

Single and multi-engine drive system for a twin screw vessel


An elastomeric switch is provided having self cleanings contacts. The switch includes a substrate and a switch actuator configured for reciprocating motion along an axis generally perpendicular to a surface of the substrate. A first switch contact, including a contact surface generally perpendicular to the actuator axis of motion is, carried by the switch actuator. A second switch contact is cantilevered from the surface of the substrate. Reciprocation of the actuator in a first direction toward the substrate acts to force the first contact against the distal end of the second contact. The two contacts are deflected together as result of further reciprocation of the actuator in the first direction. As the contacts are deflected, the distal end of the second contact is scraped across the contact surface of the first contact, thereby removing contaminants and other debris from the contact surface of the first contact. As the contacts are deflected, the second contact is mechanically biases against the first contact to eliminate contact bounce.

The present invention relates to an Improved Elastomeric Switch particularly adapted for low current switching applications, and for use in harsh environmental conditions.
Elastomeric Switch Assemblies generally comprise an elastomeric keypad mounted over a substrate having at least one pair of stationary contacts mounted thereon. Often such switch assemblies will include more than one switch, and the number of contact pairs formed on the substrate will correspond to the actual number of switches to be included in the assembly. The Elastomeric keypad is generally formed of a resilient material such as silicon rubber, and will include a number of raised tactile button actuators. Clearly, the number of actuators included in the keypad will correspond to the number of fixed contact pairs formed on the substrate. When assembled, the keypad is mounted over the substrate, with each tactile button is located over a fixed contact pair. Each individual switch within the assembly further includes a moving contact mounted between each corresponding tactile button and fixed contact pair. A particular switch is closed when its associated tactile button actuator is pressed downward toward the substrate. The tactile button actuator acts against the moving contact, forcing it against the fixed contact pair to create a conductive path through the switch. When the tactile button actuator is released, the resiliency of the elastomeric keypad lifts the actuator to it normal raised position, the moving contact is pulled away from the stationary contacts, and the circuit is opened.
Such elastomeric switch assemblies are well know and widely used. However in certain applications, including those applications where the switches are switching very low current loads, or are operating in particularly dirty environments, the performance of such switches has been inadequate. A major problem with the present generation of elastomeric switch assemblies has been contact bounce. Contact bounce is a phenomenon that results from the particular geometry of present day elastomeric switches. Generally, the tactile button actuator will act against the moving contact in a linear manner, pressing the moving contact at a right angle onto the fixed contacts. The moving contact engages the fixed contacts and closes the circuit as the tactile button actuator reaches the bottom of its stroke. Because the fixed contacts are formed on the rigid surface of the substrate, the moving contact has a tendency to "bounce" as it engages the two fixed contacts. This bouncing action has a tendency to rapidly open and close the switch circuit prior to the contacts settling into a fully closed position. This can result in false data signals being received at the logic circuitry charged with evaluating the state of the switch. Presently this problem has been resolved by taking multiple readings of the switch state in order to determine the validity of the switch state. This adds both complexity and cost to the evaluating circuitry.
Another problem with currently used elastomeric switch assemblies has been the buildup of contaminants on the switch contacts. This is an especially acute problem in applications where the switch must operate in a dirty environment filled with airborne contaminants. Opening and closing the switch will generally create a small amount of arcing which can fuse contaminants to the surface of the contacts. Over time, as the contaminants build up, the contact resistance of the switch increases. In low current switching applications such increased contact resistance can be extremely detrimental to the quality of the signal being conducted through the switch. In fact, with sufficient contact resistance the signal can be completely blocked. Therefore, an improved elastomeric switch is desired which will eliminate or greatly reduce contact bounce, and will prevent contaminants from building up on the surface of the contacts. Such a switch should allow contact overtravel beyond the point of initial contact engagement, with at least one switch contact being mechanically biased against another. Further, the switch contacts should be configured to provide a self cleaning operation wherein contaminants are removed from the contact surfaces with each operation of the switch in order to maintain a low switching resistance. Such a switch should be especially adapted for switching low current loads and be capable of extended use in environmentally harsh conditions.


A full color flat panel display module is formed of a matrix of pixels in rows and columns. Each pixel is formed of respective red, green and blue solid state light emitting diodes that can form any color on that portion of a CIE curve that falls within a triangle whose sides are formed by a line on the CIE curve between 430 nm and 660 nm, a line between 660 nm and a point between 500 and 530 nm, and a line between the 500-530 nm point and 430 nm.

Electronic displays are those electronic components that can convert electrical signals into visual images in real time that are otherwise suitable for direct interpretation—i.e. viewing—by a person. Such displays typically serve as the visual interface between persons and electronic devices such as computers, televisions, various forms of machinery, and numerous other applications.
The use of electronic displays has grown rapidly in recent years driven to some extent by the personal computer revolution, but also by other utilitarian and industrial applications in which such electronic displays have begun to partially or completely replace traditional methods of presenting information such as mechanical gauges, and printed paper.
One of the most familiar types of electronic display is the conventional television in which a cathode ray tube (CRT) produces the image. The nature and operation of cathode ray tubes has been well understood for several decades and will not be otherwise discussed in detail herein, except to highlight the recognition that the nature of a CRT's operation requires it to occupy a three-dimensional area that generally is directly proportional to the size of the CRT's display surface. Thus, in the conventional television set or personal computer, the CRT display tends to have a depth that is the same as, or in some cases greater than, the width and height of its display screen.
Accordingly, the desirability for an electronic display that can use space more efficiently has been well recognized for some time, and has driven the development of a number of various devices that are often referred to collectively as "flat-panel displays." A number of techniques have been attempted, and some are relatively well developed, for flat-panel displays. These include gas discharge, plasma displays, electroluminescence, light emitting diodes (LEDS), cathodoluminescence, and liquid crystal displays (LCDs). To date, flat panel technologies have been generally widely used in certain portable displays and in numerical displays that use fewer (i.e. less than several hundred) characters. For example, the typical display on a hand-held calculator can be characterized as a flat-panel display even though it tends to operate in only one color, typically using either LEDs or LCDs.
Light emitting diodes have generally been recognized as likely candidate devices for flat panel displays for a number of reasons. These include their solid state operation, the ability to make them in relatively small sizes (thus potentially increasing resolution), and potentially a relatively low cost of manufacture. To date, however, flat panel displays incorporating LEDs have failed to reach their theoretical potential in the actual marketplace.
LED flat panel displays have lacked success in penetrating the technology and the marketplace for several reasons. One basic reason is the lack of suitable or commercial acceptable LEDs in the three primary colors (red, green and blue), that can be combined to form appropriate true color flat panel images. In that regard, color can be defined for certain purposes as "that aspect of visual sensation enabling a human observer to distinguish differences between two structure-free fields of light having the same size, shape and duration." McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, 7th Edition, Volume 4, p. 150 (1992). Stated differently, color can be formed and perceived by the propagation of electromagnetic radiation in that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is generally referred to as "visible." Typically, if the electromagnetic spectrum is considered to cover wavelengths from the long electrical oscillations (e.g. 1014 micrometers) to cosmic rays (10−9 micrometers), the visible portion of the spectrum is considered to fall from about 0.770 micrometers (770 nanometers "nm") to about 0.390 micrometers (390 nm) Accordingly, to emit visible light of even a single color, a light emitting diode must produce radiation with a wavelength of between about 390 and 770 nm. In that regard, the theory and operation of light emitting diodes and related photonic devices in general are set forth in appropriate fashion in Sze, Physics of Semiconductor Devices, Second Edition, pp. 681-838 (1981) and will not otherwise be discussed in great detail herein, other than as necessary to describe the invention. A similar but more condensed discussion can be found in Dorf, The Electrical Engineering Handbook, pp. 1763-1772 (CRC Press 1983).
In order for a display of light emitting diodes to form combinations of colors, those diodes must emit primary colors that can be mixed to form other desired colors. A typical method for describing color is the well-recognized "CIE chromaticity diagram" which was developed several decades ago by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), and a copy of which is reproduced herein as FIG. 6. The CIE chromaticity diagram shows the relationship among colors independent of brightness. Generally speaking, the colors visible to the human eye fall on the CIE chart within an area defined by a boundary. As FIG. 6 shows, the boundary is made up of a straight line between 380 and 660 nm, and a curved line which forms the remainder of the generally cone-shaped area.
Although the color perceptions of individual persons may of course differ, it is generally well understood and expected that colors visible by most persons fall within the boundaries of the CIE diagram.
Accordingly, the color output of electronic displays, including flat panel displays, can be plotted on the CIE diagram. More particularly, if the wavelengths of the red, green, and blue primary elements of the display are plotted on the CIE diagram, the color combinations that the device can produce are represented by the triangular area taken between the primary wavelengths produced. Thus, in FIG. 6, the best available devices are plotted as the lines between the wavelengths of about 655 or 660 nanometers for aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) red devices, about 560 nanometers for gallium phosphide green devices, and about 480 nanometers for silicon carbide (SiC) blue devices. Gallium phosphide can also be used in red-emitted devices, but these generally emit in the 700 nm range. Because the human eye is less responsive at 700 nm, the devices tend to lack brightness and thus are often limited to applications where maximum brightness is less critical. Similarly, silicon carbide blue devices have only been commercially available for approximately a decade. As the triangle formed by joining these wavelengths on the CIE diagram demonstrates, there exist entire ranges of colors in both the upper and lower portions of the CIE diagram that even these most recently available displays simply cannot produce by the limitations of the physics of their LEDs.
Stated somewhat more simply, although certain LED displays can be described as "full color," they cannot be classified as "true color" unless and until they incorporate LEDs that are respectively more green, more red, and more blue, and that are formed from devices that can have sufficient brightness to make the devices worthwhile. For simplicity's sake, however, the terms "full color" and "true color" are used synonymously hereinafter.
In regard to color and brightness, and as set forth in the reference materials mentioned above, the characteristics of an LED depend primarily on the material from which it is made, including its characteristic as either a direct or indirect emitter. First, as noted above and as generally familiar to those in the electronic arts, because blue light is among the shortest wavelengths of the visible spectrum, it represents the highest energy photon as among the three primary colors. In turn, blue light can only be produced by materials with a bandgap sufficiently wide to permit a transition in electron volts that corresponds to such a higher energy shorter wavelength photon. Such materials are generally limited to silicon carbide, gallium nitride, certain other Group III nitrides, and diamond. For a number of reasons, all of these materials have been historically difficult to work with, generally because of their physical properties, their crystallography, and the difficulty in forming them into both bulk crystals and epitaxial layers, both of which are generally (although not exclusively) structural requirements for light emitting diodes.
As noted above, some SiC blue LEDs—i.e. those in which SiC forms the active layer—have become available in commercially meaningful quantities in recent years. Nevertheless, the photon emitted by SiC results from an "indirect" transition rather than a "direct" one (see Sze supra, § 12.2.1 at pages 684-686). The net effect is that SiC LEDs are limited in brightness. Thus, although their recent availability represents a technological and commercial breakthrough, their limited brightness likewise limits some of their applicability to displays, particularly larger displays that are most desirably used in bright conditions; e.g.. outdoor displays used in daylight.
Accordingly, more recent work has focused on Group III (Al, In, Ga) nitrides, which have bandgaps sufficient to produce blue light, and which are direct emitters and thus offer even greater brightness potential. Group III nitrides present their own set of problems and challenges. Nevertheless, recent advances have placed Group III nitride devices into the commercial realm, and a number of these are set forth in related patents and copending applications including U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,993 and Ser. No. 08/309,251 filed Sep. 20, 1994 for "Vertical Geometry Light Emitting Diode With Group II Nitride Active Layer and Extended Lifetime"; Ser. No. 08/309,247 filed Sep. 20, 1994 for "Low Strain Laser Structure With Group III Nitride Active Layers"; and Ser. No. 08/436,141 filed May 8, 1995 for "Double Heterojunction Light Emitting Diode With Gallium Nitride Active Layer", the contents of each of which are incorporated entirely herein by reference.
As another disadvantage, flat panel displays in the current art are generally only "flat" in comparison to CRTs, and in reality have some substantial thickness. For example, a typical "flat" LED display is made up of a plurality of LED lamps. As used herein, the term "lamp" refers to one or more light emitting diodes encased in some optical medium such as a transparent polymer, and with an appropriate size and shape to enhance the perceived output of the LED. In turn, the lamps must be connected to various driving circuits, typically a multiplexing circuit that drives rows and columns in a two-dimensional matrix of such devices. These in turn require appropriate power supplies and related circuitry. The net result are devices that—although thin compared to CRTs—do have significant physical depth.
For example, LED flat panel displays of any size are typically always several inches in depth and few if any are produced that are less than an inch in depth in actual use. Indeed, some of the largest flat panel displays with which the public might be familiar (i.e. stadium scoreboards and the like) use either enough LEDs or incandescent lamps to require significant heat transfer capabilities. For example, a stadium-size flat display is typically backed by an atmospherically controlled space; i.e. an air conditioned room; to take care of the heat that is generated.
Accordingly, the need exists and remains for a flat panel display formed of light emitting diodes that can produce a full range of colors rather than simply multiple colors, and which can do so in a truly thin physical space.


A method and apparatus are provided for reducing pollutants in the exhaust gases produced from the combustion of a fuel by introducing hydroxyl and associated radicals and oxidizers into at least one of the precombustion and postcombustion gas stream of the combustion engine upstream of the catalytic converter and treating the exhaust gases with the catalytic converter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for reducing pollutants in the exhaust gases produced by the combustion of fuels. More particularly, the invention relates to such a method and apparatus wherein the reduction in pollutants is achieved by introducing hydroxyl radicals "OH" and other free radical intermediaries and oxidizers such as O, H, HO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O.sub.2 into the precombustion or postcombustion gas stream of a combustion engine.
2. Background
As is well-known in the art, an internal combustion engine draws in ambient air which is mixed with fuel for combustion in a combustion chamber or cylinder and the resulting exhaust gases are expelled. Ignition of the air/fuel mixture in the cylinder is typically achieved by an ignition device, such as, for example, a spark plug or the like, or adiabatic compression to a temperature above the fuel's ignition point.
In certain internal combustion engines, such as for example, gasoline engines commonly in use today, air is inducted via an air intake duct or port which conveys the ambient air to a carburetor or a fuel injection arrangement where the air is mixed with fuel to create an air/fuel mixture. The air/fuel mixture is then conveyed via an intake manifold to the combustion chamber or cylinder of the engine. In diesel-type engines and engines using fuel-injection arrangements, the air and fuel are conveyed separately to the combustion chamber or cylinder of the engine where they are mixed.
After the air/fuel mixture has been burnt, the resulting exhaust gases are expelled from the combustion chamber to an exhaust manifold. The exhaust gases then may be conveyed by an exhaust pipe to the catalytic converter where pollutants are removed.
The flow of air to the combustion chamber, including the flow of the air/fuel mixture if applicable, as used herein is referred to as the precombustion gas stream, and the resulting flow of exhaust therefrom is hereinafter referred to as the postcombustion or exhaust gas stream. As used herein, the precombustion and postcombustion gas streams are collectively referred to as the combustion gas stream.
Internal combustion engines which operate by the controlled combustion of fuels produce exhaust gases containing complete combustion products of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) and water (H.sub.2 O) and also pollutants from incomplete combustion such as carbon monoxide (CO), which is a direct poison to human life, as well as unburnt hydrocarbons (HC). Further, due to the very high temperatures produced by the burning of the hydrocarbon fuels followed by rapid cooling, thermal fixation of nitrogen in the air results in the detrimental formation of Nitrogen Oxides (NO.sub.x), an additional pollutant.
The quantity of pollutants varies with many operating conditions of the engine but is influenced predominantly by the air-to-fuel ratio in the combustion cylinder such that conditions conducive to reducing carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons (a fuel mixture just lean of stoichiometric and high combustion temperatures) cause an increased formation of NO.sub.x, and conditions conducive to reducing the formation of NO.sub.x (fuel rich or fuel lean mixtures and low combustion temperatures) cause an increase in carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons in the exhaust gases of the engine. Because in modern day catalytic converters NO.sub.x reduction is most effective in the absence of oxygen, while the abatement of CO and HC requires oxygen, preventing the production of these emissions requires that the engine be operated close to the stoichiometric air-to-fuel ratio because under these conditions the use of three-way catalysts (TWC) are possible, i.e., all three pollutants can be reduced simultaneously. Nevertheless, during operation of the internal combustion engine, an environmentally significant amount of CO, HC and NO.sub.x is emitted into the atmosphere.
Although the presence of pollutants in the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines has been recognized since 1901, the need to control internal combustion engine emissions in the United States came with the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970. Engine manufacturers have explored a wide variety of technologies to meet the requirements of this Act. Catalysis has proven to be the most effective passive system.
Automotive manufacturers have generally employed catalytic converters to perform catalysis. The purpose is to oxidize CO and HC to CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O and reduce NO/NO.sub.2 to N.sub.2. Auto emission catalytic converters are typically located at the underbody of the automobile and are situated in the exhaust gas stream of the engine, just before the muffler, which is an extremely hostile environment due to the extremes of temperature as well as the structural and vibrational loads encountered under driving conditions.
Nearly all auto emission catalytic converters are housed in honeycomb monolithic structures with excellent strength and crack-resistance under thermal shock. The honeycomb construction and the geometries chosen provide a relatively low pressure drop and a high geometric surface area which enhances the mass transfer controlled reactions. The honeycomb is set in a steel container and protected from vibration by a resilient matting.
An adherent washcoat, generally made of stabilized gamma alumina into which the catalytic components are incorporated, is deposited on the walls of the honeycomb. TWC technology for simultaneously converting all three pollutants comprises the use of precious or noble metals Pt and Rh, with Rh being most responsible for the reduction of NO.sub.x, although it also contributes to CO oxidation along with Pt. Recently less expensive Pd has been substituted for or used in combination with Pt and Rh. The active catalyst is generally about 0.1 to 0.15% precious or noble metals, primarily platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) or rhodium (Rh).
Because the exhaust gases of the combustion engine oscillate from slightly rich to slightly lean, an oxygen storage medium is added to the washcoat which adsorbs (stores) oxygen during any lean portion of the cycle and releases it to react with excess CO and HC during any rich portion. Cerium Oxide (CeO.sub.2) is most frequently used for this purpose due to its desirable reduction-oxidation response.
The recent passage of the 1990 amendment to the Clean Air Act requires further significant reductions in the amount of pollutants being released into the atmosphere by internal combustion engines. In order to comply with these requirements, restrictions on the use of automobiles and trucks have been proposed, such as, employer-compelled car pooling, HOV lanes, increased use of mass transit as well as rail lines and similar actions limiting automobile and truck usage at considerable cost and inconvenience.
An alternative to diminished automobile and truck usage is decreasing emissions by increasing the efficiency of the internal combustion engine. This approach will have limited impact since studies show that most of automobile-originated pollution is contributed by only a small fraction of the vehicles on the road, these vehicles typically being older models having relatively inefficient engines and aging catalytic converters which inherently produce a lot of pollution. Any technological improvements to the total combustion process will not be implemented on these older vehicles if they require extensive or expensive modification to the engine or vehicle.
In addition, while considerable gains have been made in recent years to reduce the amount of pollutants in the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine of vehicles such as automobiles and trucks, it is a considerable technological challenge and expensive to further reduce the amount of pollutants in the exhaust gases of the internal combustion, even though exhaust emissions of automobiles and trucks currently being manufactured do not meet proposed Environmental Protection Agency standards.
In lieu of decreasing exhaust emissions by increasing the efficiency of the internal combustion engine or decreasing the use of automobiles, a further alternative would be to increase the efficiency of the catalytic converter or catalysis. The conversion efficiency of a catalytic converter is measured by the ratio of the rate of mass removal of the particular constituent of interest to the mass flow rate of that constituent into the catalytic converter. The conversion efficiency of a catalytic converter is a function of many parameters including aging, temperature, stoichiometry, the presence of any catalyst poisons (such as lead, sulfur, carbon and phosphorous), the type of catalyst and the amount of time the exhaust gases reside in the catalytic converter.
Attempts to increase the efficiency of catalytic converters has not been sufficiently successful. Modern TWC catalytic converters help, but they are expensive, may have difficulty in meeting the future emission requirements, and have limitations in their performance lifetime. Catalytic converters also suffer from the disadvantage that their conversion efficiency is low until the system reaches operating temperature.

Method for using hydroxyl radical to reduce pollutants in the exhaust gases from the combustion of a fuel


A new and distinct zonal geranium plant with red colored flowers above medium green foliage. The plant is suitable for pot planting or as a bedding plant.

xe2x80x98Fiwoscarlxe2x80x99.
The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Pelargoniumxc3x97hortorum known by the varietal name xe2x80x98Fiwoscarlxe2x80x99. The new variety was discovered in 1998 in a selective breeding program in Dresden, Germany. The new variety is the result of combination breeding between 40 stellar-type unnamed, unpatented selections from breeding group 97K-34. Plants of the new geranium differ from the plants of the breeding group in having stronger leaf zonation, shinier flowers, and pointed upper petals. The new variety was frist asexually reproduced by cuttings in Dresden, Germany in 1999. The new variety has been trial and field tested and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics and remain true to type through successive propagations.

Variety of geranium plant named xe2x80x98Fiwoscarlxe2x80x99


An inkjet recording ink including an aqueous medium having dissolved or dispersed therein a dye having a specific property or structure, and containing at least one antiseptic is provided, which can ensure excellent ejection stability and color hue even after long-term aging of the ink and exhibit excellent weather resistance.

Accompanying recent popularization of computers, an inkjet printer is widely used for printing letters or drawing an image on paper, film, cloth or the like not only at offices but also at homes.
The inkjet recording method includes a system of jetting out a liquid droplet by applying a pressure from a piezoelectric element, a system of jetting out a liquid droplet by generating a bubble in the ink under heat, a system of using an ultrasonic wave, and a system of jetting out a liquid droplet by suction using an electrostatic force. The inkjet recording ink used therefor includes an aqueous ink, an oily ink and a solid (fusion-type) ink.
Among these inks, an aqueous ink is relatively superior to oily ink or solid (fusion-type) ink in view of production, handleability, odor, safety and the like and therefore, is predominating as the inkjet recording ink at present.
The coloring matter used in such an inkjet recording ink is required to have high solubility in a solvent (ink medium), enable high-density recording, provide good color hue, exhibit excellent fastness to light, heat, air, water and chemicals, ensure good fixing to an image-receiving material and less bleeding, give an ink having excellent storability, have high purity and no toxicity, and be available at a low cost.
However, it is very difficult to find out a coloring matter satisfying these requirements in a high level. Among these requirements, good color hue and excellent fastness are conflicting in many cases and regarding the coloring material for magenta or cyan ink, a coloring matter satisfying the above-described requirements, particularly a coloring matter satisfying both good magenta or cyan color hue and light fastness high enough to withstand the oxidative atmosphere, can be hardly obtained.
Accordingly, although various dyes and pigments for use in inkjet recording have been already proposed and are actually used, a coloring matter satisfying all of the requirements described above is not yet found out at present.
Conventionally well-known dyes and pigments having a color index (C.I.) number can hardly satisfy both color hue and fastness required of the inkjet recording ink.
As for the dye capable of improving the fastness, azo dyes derived from an aromatic amine and a 5-membered heterocyclic amine have been proposed in Patent Document 1. However, these dyes have a problem of bad color reproducibility due to undesirable color hue present in the yellow and cyan regions.
Patent Documents 2 and 3 are disclosing an inkjet recording ink with an attempt to satisfy both color hue and light fastness. However, in use as a water-soluble ink, the coloring matters used in these patent publications are insufficient in the solubility in water. Also, when the coloring matters described in these patent publications are used as a water-soluble ink for inkjet recording, there arises a problem in the fastness to humidity and heat.
In order to solve these problems, compounds and ink compositions described in Patent Document 4 have been proposed. Furthermore, an inkjet recording ink using a pyrazolylaniline azo dye for improving the color hue and light fastness is described (Patent Document 5). However, these inkjet recording inks all are insufficient in the color reproducibility and fastness of the image output.
It has been also found that when an image is recorded on an inkjet special glossy paper for photographic image quality and put on a wall in a room, the image sometimes exhibits extremely bad preservability. The present inventors assume that this phenomenon is ascribable to some oxidative gas in air, such as ozone. This phenomenon scarcely occurs when the air flow is shut out, for example, by putting the image in a glass-made frame, but in this case, use conditions are limited.
This phenomenon is outstanding particularly in the case of inkjet special glossy paper for photographic image quality and raises a large problem for current inkjet recording systems where one of important characteristic features is the photographic image quality.
Furthermore, the aqueous ink is found to readily putrefy and cause a problem that when the ink is aged for a long period of time, the ejection property is seriously worsened due to putrefaction. It is also found that when a single antiseptic is used, the tolerance of bacteria increases and the effect is disadvantageously less expressed.

Ink-jet recording ink and method of ink-jet recording