A method and an apparatus are provided for providing a layout based on a handwriting input. A first input is received from a user. The first input includes handwriting data. A layout is created based on the handwriting data. A second input is received from the user. Content of the second input is arranged in the created layout.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and an apparatus for providing a layout for a terminal, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for providing a layout based on a handwriting input.
2. Description of the Related Art
A layout is a format for effectively arranging components such as characters, pictures, symbols, photographs, and the like, in a restricted space for design, advertising, or editing.
In order to conveniently arrange images or characters, methods of arranging specific images in a fixed layout of an album format, such as, for example, photostory albums, have been used.
However, while such methods of arranging images in a fixed layout or a limited number of layouts are convenient, they do not allow the free arrangement of characters or images to be displayed in a format desired by a user.

Method and apparatus for providing layout based on handwriting input


Performing an electrokinetic treatment on different samples includes identifying an electrical signal that is appropriate for use in the treatment of each sample. The identification of the electrical signals results in different electrical signals being identified for different samples. The electrokinetic treatment of a sample results in that sample being exposed to the electrical signal identified for that sample. Accordingly, different samples are exposed to different electrical signals. An electrokinetic treatment employs one or more electrokinetic phenomena to cause movement of one or more agents within the sample relative to the sample. In some instances, the method also includes using each of the electrokinetically treated samples to generate an electrochemical sample and then performing an electrochemical analysis on each of the electrochemical samples.

A variety of assays include using an electrochemical sensor to detect the presence and/or amount of an agent in a biological sample. Biological samples generally contain compounds in addition to the agent. These compounds are often a source of noise in the results of using the electrochemical sensor. The quality and reliability of these results can be improved by reducing this noise. The noise can be reduced by preparing a sample before using the sample with the sensor. As a result, there is a need for methods and/or system that can be used prepare samples before assays.

Sample dependent selection of parameters for use in electrokinetic treatment of the sample


A method for detecting an eventual channel intended to a designated user equipment among n channels received by the designated user equipment during a given duration, each channel received during the duration carrying encoded data masked with an identifier associated to a user equipment. The method includes a selecting phase having a demasking step demasking the received masked encoded data of each channel with the identifier of the designated user equipment, a decoding step decoding the demasked encoded data of each channel to obtain a set of digital decoded data for each channel, a calculating step calculating, from each set of digital decoded data, a global information representative of a confidence in digital data received on the physical channel, and a detecting step detecting the channel from all the global information.

An application of the invention is directed in general to the field of wireless communication systems. One of possible applications is the third generation mobile communications standard 3 GPP, and particularly in the release 5 and beyond wherein a high data rate service called High Speed Downlink Packet Access or HSDPA is defined.
A HSPDA service is made possible by use of a new shared channel called High Speed Downlink Shared Channel or HS-DSCH, mapped to several physical channels in the physical layer. A set of physical shared channels, presently up to 4, namely High Speed Shared Control Channels or HS-SCCH, is used to transmit all necessary control information for correct decoding and demodulating of HS-DSCH.
Only one HS-SCCH can be allocated to a user during a determined duration. However since several users might share the same HS-SCCH set and physical channels therein, the same HS-SCCH can be allocated to another user after the determined duration. The HS-SCCH is thus a discontinuously transmitted shared channel. The user equipment doesn't know which control channel is meant for it.

Method and system for blindly detecting a discontinuously transmitted shared channel, in particular blind high speed shared control channels detection


Apparatus and method for reading and writing information onto a hard disk drive is provided. The apparatus includes a suspension assembly for a hard disk drive. The suspension assembly includes at least two spring extensions that couple to a proximal portion of a load beam. These spring extensions are disposed by a vertical offset and couple to the load beam on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the load beam. The method for operating a disk drive apparatus includes following by a suspension assembly from a reference position to a second position a vertical movement of a rotating disk. The suspension assembly is predisposed to move from the reference position to the second position by a vertical offset between a first and second spring extensions of the suspension assembly. A read/write head coupled to the suspension assembly is in closer alignment to a selected track during the vertical movement in the second position than if the first and second spring extensions are disposed to be co-planar.

The present invention generally relates to techniques for operating a disk drive apparatus. More particularly, the present invention provides techniques for reading and writing information onto a hard disk drive that compensate for flow induced vibrations, commonly called disk flutter. Merely by way of example, the present invention is implemented using vertically offset spring extensions (or hinges) in a head suspension assembly, but it would be recognized that the invention has a much broader range of applicability.
A hard disc drive (HDD) unit generally uses a spinning storage medium (e.g., a disk or platter) to store data. A read-write head is positioned in close proximity to the spinning storage medium by an HSA (Head Stack Assembly). Mounted on the HSA, a suspension assembly commonly includes a base plate, a load beam, and a flexure trace gimbal to which a slider is mounted. The slider supports the read-write head element. The load beam is generally composed of an actuator mounting section, a spring region, and a rigid region. The spring region gives the suspension a spring force or preload counteracting the aerodynamic lift force created by the spinning medium during reading or writing. A gimbal is mounted at the distal end of the load beam and supports the slider allowing the head to have pitch and roll movement in order to follow the irregularities of the disk surface.
Demand generally requires increased HDD storage capacity, which generally compels higher data track densities for the storage medium. Furthermore, the demand for faster rates of data seeking and accessing also leads to higher rotational speeds. A significant obstacle associated with increasing rotational speeds and storage capacity is often head positioning accuracy as the bead flies above the spinning storage medium.
A significant obstacle to head positioning accuracy is disk flutter. Disk flutter is an aero-elastic instability induced by the coupling of the spinning storage medium and the air surrounding the media resulting in disk vibration modes. These flow induced vibrations can physically cause an off-track misalignment of the head to the desired track resulting in failure to access or write data on the right track. Problems associated with disk flutter become more intolerable with higher track densities and disk rotation speeds.
Accordingly, novel solutions for operating hard disk drives to substantially reduce off-track misalignment induced by disk flutter are needed.

Hard disk drive suspension employing a vertical offset to reduce track mis-registration induced by disk vibration


A machine for forming an elongate swale in an earth surface includes a motor for powering the machine along a predetermined path of travel, a first blade housing, a second blade housing, the first and second blade housings being positioned on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of symmetry of the machine at a predetermined angle with respect to the earth surface. A first disc is rotatably mounted in the first blade housing and a second disc is rotatably mounted in the second blade housing. The first and second discs are counter-rotated by the motor. Each of the discs has at least two blades secured to an outer peripheral edge in diametrically opposed relation to one another. The two blades include a digging blade a sweeping blade. Each digging blade depending downwardly from the plane of the disc and each sweeping blade extending upwardly from the plane of the disc.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to machinery. More particularly, it relates to a swale-digging machine that may be towed by a tractor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A swale can be a natural depression formed in land. It can also be a man-made depression such as an elongate ditch. For example, a swale may be formed in farmland to collect rainwater as a water conservation measure. In an orange grove formed by multiple rows of orange trees, an elongate man-made swale may be formed between each row of trees so that each row of trees grows in dry ground that is elevated relative to a swale on each side of each row. The swale collects rainwater and each tree can draw upon the water in the swale as needed. In this way, the earth directly under the branches of the tree remains dry as required for the health of the tree. Advantageously, the trees that benefit from the swale provide shade which decreases the rate of water evaporation from the swale.
Several tools for digging swales have been invented, but they operate very slowly, traveling at speeds less than a quarter mile per hour. Moreover, some of the known devices form swales having steep banks with the removed earth stacked at the top of the banks. These swales re-fill when rain causes the stacked earth to slide down the steep banks.
Thus there is a need for a swale digging machine that operates at a faster rate of speed than the known machines, which builds swales having banks that are not steep, and which does not stack the removed earth at the top of the banks where it can be washed back down into the swale by rainfall.
However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art how the needed structure could be provided.

Machine for digging or refurbishing swales


A parallelogram suspension assembly for a vehicle with a brake port through the axle seat for positioning of brake components to maximize overall suspension clearance.

This invention generally relates to a parallelogram suspension assembly for a vehicle, and more specifically to one having a brake component port through the axle seat. The suspension of this invention is particularly directed to one of a unitized structure wherein all of the operational components of the suspension, including brake components, are provided within the assembly itself. Thus, each of the suspension assemblies of this invention is self-contained, or unitized, such that the entire parallelogram arrangement may be included therewith.
Parallelogram suspensions are known in the art, as are such suspensions which also utilize air springs located rearward of a depending hanger and mounted between an axle seat or beam or the like and the chassis for resiliently supporting the chassis on the axle. Such a suspension is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,323 to Raidel. Prior to the Raidel patent, such suspensions had not been "unitized" in the sense that all of the operational components of the suspension are contained within each such suspension. The Raidel patent resolved many of the problems with prior art parallelogram suspensions by providing a unitized parallelogram air spring suspension wherein all of the operation components were provided with the suspension and mounted at the end of the axle for easy access and installation while maintaining a compact design resulting in preferred clearance of suspension components and limiting overall suspension weight.
In the parallelogram arrangement of prior art suspensions of this general type, including the Raidel suspension, it has been customary to suspend brake components from a surface of the suspension which significantly reduces overall suspension clearance and affects overall dynamics of suspension operation. Generally, to install the suspensions of this type is was preferable to attach brake cylinders and lines either below the suspension arm or inboard of the suspension arm. It is believed that the parallelogram arrangement of the prior art resulted from problems of space limitations in providing a unitized parallelogram arrangement and brake component location which problems have not heretofore been solved.
The Inventor has solved the problems inherent in brake component placement on parallelogram suspension arms by providing a brake port through the arm between the air springs and adjacent the axle. A brake cylinder, or other brake components, is mounted to the axle, the wheel or at other conventional attachment locations. The brake port is provided at a specific location transversely through the axle seat, substantially adjacent the axle. Generally, the brake components cannot be attached directly to the suspension unit. However, the orientation of the brake port through the axle seat adjacent the axle allows the brake components to project through the port without contacting the periphery of that opening. By placing brake components, such as lines and brake cylinders substantially within the suspension arm itself, spring clearance and ground clearance are maximized.
Generally, the suspension of this invention includes a hanger depending from the vehicle chassis to which the forward ends of at least two vertically spaced torque rods are pivotally mounted. A vehicle axle is rigidly secured to an axle seat having a portion extending forwardly of the axle seat but located rearward of the hanger and a portion extending rearward of the axle seat. Air springs are located rearward of the hanger and mounted between the chassis and the forward and rearward extensions of the axle seat for resiliently resisting axle movement upon loading and unloading of the axle.
The forward portion of the axle seat defines a pocket in which the rearward ends of the torque rods are pivotally mounted, the upper torque rod being offset downwardly to provide clearance from the axle seat. The entire parallelogram arrangement, including fasteners and openings for brake components is unitized as a single assembly along with the other operational components of the suspension while still providing compactness in design.
At least one of the torque rods may be mounted directly to the axle rather than the axle seat. In such an embodiment, it is preferred that at least one torque rod is attached at its forward end to the hanger bracket or chassis and at its rearward end to a bracket mounted to the axle inboard the suspension. In another embodiment, two or more torque rods may be attached to a bracket on the axle rather than to the suspension.
The rearward extension of the axle seat defines a compartment for housing various brake components it is preferable, however, to provide a brake port transversely through the sides of the axle seat so that the brake cylinder, or similar component, can be positioned substantially within the confines of the axle seat but remain accessible for service and replacement. This orientation of the brake components within the port attributes to suspension compactness with full utilization of space. Brake lines and similar component may be fit into the brake port itself or within the compartment(s) of the axle seat. Notches or similar openings may be provided in the periphery of the brake port to accommodate brake lines or brake components.
In this way, the unitized suspension assembly of this invention is particularly unique in its integration and orientation of a brake port within the axle seat structure of a parallelogram suspension.

Parallelogram suspension assembly with brake port


The present invention includes a resin-molded product including at least one magnet having opposite faces extending in directions intersecting with a magnetizing direction of the at least one magnet. The present invention also includes a resin portion molded with the at least one magnet by an insertion molding process, wherein the opposite faces of the at least one magnet are substantially entirely embedded within the resin portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to resin-molded products and methods of manufacturing the resin molded products.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-84503 teaches a device having a rotational angle sensor and used for detecting an open angle of a throttle valve disposed within a throttle body. The rotational angle sensor includes magnets (permanent magnets), a rotational member (a rotor) fixedly mounted to a shaft portion of the throttle valve, and a stationary member (a sensor cover) that includes a magnetic detecting element. The rotational angle of the rotational member can be used in a non-contact manner based on an output signal from the magnetic detecting element.
In some cases, the rotational member is a resin-molded product that is molded by an insertion molding process, in which resin is molded within a mold with magnets inserted into the mold. FIG. 8 shows a conventional rotational member that is a resin-molded product.
As shown in FIG. 8, a rotational member 130 has a substantially cylindrical resin body 138 and a pair of right and left magnets 134 each having a substantially quadrangular prism-like configuration. The magnets 134 are disposed on the inner circumference of the body 138 and are positioned symmetrically with each other, so that one face 134a of each magnet 134 is entirely exposed to the inner space of the resin body 138. Another face 134b of each magnet 134 intersecting with the face 134a is substantially completely positioned within the resin material of the body 138.
In the molding process to create the aforementioned structure (the resin body 130 with the magnets 134 inserted into a cavity of a mold), an unbalance can occur between the pressure of the molten resin applied to the face 134a and the pressure of the molten resin applied to the face 134b. Thus, the pressure applied to the face 134a may be low, while the pressure applied to the face 134b may be high. Due to this unbalance, a moment M may be produced to force one end (lower end as viewed in FIG. 8) of each magnet 134 in a direction radially outward with respect to the body 138 about the other end (upper end as viewed in FIG. 8) of each magnet 134. In an extreme case, the magnets 134 may be break.
Thus, there is a need in the art for resin-molded products and methods of manufacturing the resin-molded products, which can prevent or minimize breakage of magnets.

Resin-molded products and methods of manufacturing the same


A coin deposit and summation device having a coin denomination identification mechanism and a coin denomination summation mechanism. The device determines different mechanical movement paths according to different diameters of different coin denominations, with each mechanical movement path resulting in a mechanical trigger corresponding to the identified coin denomination; each resulting mechanical trigger drives a mechanical counter wheel to perform denomination summation once according to the identified coin denomination. The device can be designed to achieve denomination identification and summation of 0.5, 0.25 and 0.2 dollar coins.

The present invention discloses a coin deposit and summation device that belongs to the coin deposit technical field according to the International Patent Classification (IPC), particularly a mechanical coin denomination summation device that is applied to a moneybox or other products for deposit and storage. The present invention can be designed such that it is applicable to the deposit and summation of even 0.5 dollar coins, 0.25 dollar coins and 0.2 dollar coins.
A traditional moneybox is a coin container that receives coins through a coin slot. However, a user of the moneybox does not know how many coins have been put into the moneybox. A deposit device has appeared on the market comprising a counter for the number of coins. Because of different coin denominations, such as 1-dime coins, 5-dime coins and 1-dollar coins, the above device can only count the total number of the deposited coins, but cannot distinguish between denominations and thus cannot do the summation according to denominations. Besides, the existing counter for the number of coins, generally using decimal summation, cannot do the 0.5-unit summation. Although an electronically operated moneybox is able to achieve the denomination summation function, it needs an electric circuit and has to consume electric energy, and cannot be used without electricity, further, an electronically operated moneybox is not friendly to a low carbon environment since its battery has to be dumped and replaced when it is depleted.
Chinese patent publication CN2733469Y discloses an intelligent counting moneybox comprising an upper cover, a counting component, a dialing component, a casing component and a bottom cover component, which can both count while the coins are deposited and open the door automatically after the deposited coins reach a certain amount. Chinese patent publication CN201163424Y discloses a coin deposit accumulator, in which when each time a coin is deposited, the drive component will drive the corresponding counting roulette to rotate once, and meanwhile a group of digits displayed on the display window will be added up once, thereby achieving the summation and display function for the coins. However, the solutions disclosed by the above two literatures are just summation of quantity, without solving the problem of denomination summation.

Coin deposit and summation memory device


Remote on-demand site link testing is provided. A site link tester (SLT) system includes an SLT connected to a customer's VoIP phone system. The SLT is configured to communicate with a front end client application operating remotely on a user's computing device. The packet-capture application receives instructions from the client application to perform a packet capture in association with the SLT's network interface and/or to operate as an emulated VoIP endpoint and conduct a test call (e.g., to confirm the customer's VoIP system's compliance with 911-associated legislation or to troubleshoot a VoIP issue). Results of the packet capture may be sent to the client application and analyzed for remotely diagnosing and troubleshooting VoIP-related problems. Using the SLT system, the technician is enabled to perform 911-associated legislation compliance and diagnose VoIP issues on-demand from a remote location, which can reduce or eliminate the need for a technician to be on-site.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that is increasingly being used for voice, data, video, and audio communications sessions. Currently, to troubleshoot VoIP-related issues (e.g., call signaling or network conditions) that affect VoIP, a VoIP service provider technician may be required to go to the customer's site to conduct test calls and to diagnose and troubleshoot the issue. As can be appreciated, this can be costly for the VoIP provider in terms of travel time, technician hours, and monetary costs associated with travelling to the customer's site, and may be inconvenient for the customer. Additionally, while waiting for the technician to make an on-site visit, the customer may experience service outages. Additionally, in some examples, to place test calls from the customer's VoIP system, the technician may be further required to lease a softphone license from the customer, which can further prolong diagnosing VoIP issues.
In some examples, as part of setting up new VoIP service at a customer site, one or more test calls to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) from a VoIP endpoint may be required for verifying the VoIP system's compliance with 911-associated legislation (e.g., direct 911 dialing, on-site notification capabilities conveyance of a correct dispatchable location). Currently, this may also require the VoIP service provider technician to make one or more on-site visits to conduct the test calls.
It is with respect to these and other general considerations that embodiments have been described. Also, although relatively specific problems have been discussed, it should be understood that the embodiments should not be limited to solving the specific problems identified in the background.

Site link tester via unique phone emulation


The invention is based on a rechargeable battery-operated hand machine tool (10) having an electric drive motor (18) accommodated in a housing (12) and powered by a rechargeable battery (20), which motor is used to drive a tool (16), and having an actuating means (14) for switching the drive motor (18) on and off.

The invention is based on a rechargeable battery-operated hand machine tool.
Rechargeable battery-operated hand machine tools have an on/off switch that permits the operator to initiate operation of the hand machine tool in a controlled way. Usually, this switch can be used to set the speed within a certain range. It is therefore essentially up to the operator to determine the operating behavior and thus the running time of the unit on a single charge of the battery. In designing the hand machine tool, a compromise must always be found between high dynamics of the hand machine tool and favorable efficiency with the accompanying long-running time of the hand machine tool on a single battery charge.
If the hand machine tool is designed for high-efficiency, then under certain circumstances, this can give the operator the impression that the tool is not very powerful. On the other hand, if the hand machine tool is designed for high dynamics, then this does in fact give the operator the impression that the hand machine tool is powerful, but the running time of the hand machine tool on a single battery charge decreases sharply.

Abstract: A mechanism (22) is provided, which is capable of reducing the discharging of the battery (20) during operation.


A mounting substrate includes an imprinted structure on one side for containing electrical bumps. The imprinted structure is imprinted and also cured under conditions that allow retention of significant features of the cured polymer film. A chip package is also made of the imprinted structure. A computing system is also disclosed that includes the imprinted structure.

1. Technical Field
Disclosed embodiments relate to mounting a microelectronic device on a substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
Various techniques have been tried to prepare imprinted substrates such as printed wiring boards (PWBs). As thermal management becomes more challenging due to miniaturization, dielectric particulates in the underfill material have become more important to lower the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the underfill composite. As the percentage of low CTE filler particles has increased, capillary flow of the underfill composite has become more difficult.
As the circuitry of the semiconductor devices grows smaller, lower dielectric constant insulators are needed to maintain good electrical performance. As the dielectric constant of the insulator lowers, these materials lose some of their mechanical robustness. The underfill material therefore protects the die from mechanical stress. The low CTE filler assists in this function. To assist in lowering the mechanical stress, the low CTE filler is selected to have a CTE that is close to that of the die. The advent of these highly filled underfills necessitated a closer look at the no-flow underfill process. The no-flow underfill process includes dispensing the underfill material on the substrate before attaching the die. The no-flow process experiences the entrapment of some filler particles between the solder bump and the bond pad. Consequently, the particulates decreased the quality of the electrical contact between the bond pad and the bump.

Embossing processes for substrate imprinting, structures made thereby, and polymers used therefor


Methods, media, and means for forming asynchronous logic networks are provided. In some embodiments, methods for forming an asynchronous logic network are provided. The methods include: receiving a logic network including vertices and signals, wherein the vertices include vertices with multiple output signals; determining a set of signals of the signals included in the logic network to be covered; selecting at least one vertex in the logic network to cover each signal in the set of signals; replacing the at least one selected vertex with a robust vertex; and replacing at least one non-selected vertex with a relaxed vertex.

A logic network can be represented, for example, as a directed acyclic graph of vertices and edges, where the vertices are partitioned into primary inputs, primary outputs, and internal vertices. A Boolean function can be associated with each internal vertex in a logic network. A Boolean function, ƒ, with n inputs and m outputs can be defined as a mapping ƒ: Bn→Bm, where B can have the value 1 or 0. Input values of the logic network can be set on to the primary inputs and processed by the internal vertices. Calculated output values of the logic network can be produced at the primary outputs. Logic networks can be defined using various notations, such as, for example, using Boolean equations, hardware description languages, specifications, netlists, logic diagrams, and/or binary decisions diagrams.
The description of a logic network can be unbound (i.e., be technology-independent) or bound (i.e., be made of components that are instances of a given technology library). Typically, logic networks are first described using an unbound notation. However, for example, to actually make a digital circuit or test certain properties of a prospective digital circuit, the logic network typically needs to be bound to a given technology library. Technology mapping can transform an unbound logic network to a bound network. Various systems and methods exist to perform technology mapping and these systems and methods can be included in, for example, computer automated design (CAD) tools.
Challenges in designing and/or improving logic networks and/or circuits include, for example, reducing size, reducing area, and/or ensuring timing-robust implementations. However, in attempting to address some of these challenges, a circuit designer typically attempts to be careful to not introduce problems, such as, for example, timing hazards. Timing hazards can be caused by the timing delay of different components (e.g., logic gates, latches, multiplexers, etc.) in a circuit. When certain paths through a circuit allow a variable-change to propagate faster than other paths, a timing hazard may result. For example, if a logic gate accepts two inputs (e.g., input one and input two) and a new value for input one arrives before the corresponding new value for input two arrives, the gate output may change to reflect the arrival of input one, despite the fact that other gates leading to input two have not yet stabilized. As a result, the output of the logic gate will change before the entire sub-circuit leading to input two has stabilized. In this case, input two will not be observed by the gate, and later changes on input two may eventually cause incorrect values to appear on the gate output.
Logic networks and/or circuits can be designed to be, for example, asynchronous or synchronous. Unlike a synchronous circuit, an asynchronous circuit component is not governed by a clock circuit or global clock signal. Instead, the component waits for a signal or signals that indicate completion of instructions and operations. Circuits can be entirely asynchronous or entirely synchronous, while others can include both asynchronous and synchronous components and these components can communicate.
Avoiding and/or removing timing hazards can be a challenge in synchronous CAD flows, especially as, for example, process, temperature, and voltage variations increase in deep submicron designs. One approach to address this challenge present in synchronous designs is the use of asynchronous circuits that can accommodate timing discrepancies. Furthermore, asynchronous designs, as compared to synchronous designs, can reduce power consumption, reduce electromagnetic interference, improve robustness to parameter variations, and provide modularity of design.
One way of avoiding timing hazards in asynchronous logic networks is to ensure that the network is designed such that its output changes only after all its inputs have changed, such a network can be referred to as input-complete. An input-complete asynchronous logic network can be formed, for example, from a synchronous logic network, by replacing every logic gate in the synchronous logic network with an input-complete asynchronous block.

The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York


A method and apparatus for sealing off flow in a pipeline for the purpose of repairing the line includes a combination of a restraining rod and inflation bag which can be installed on either or both sides of the intended site of repair; and a flexible sleeve is provided for use in association with the entry ports and any associated valve members for insertion of the restraining rod and bag to prevent the escape of gas from the line during the insertion procedures. Once the line is repaired, the restraining rod and inflation bag can be removed and the entry ports completely sealed off.

The repair of gas mains can present substantial hazards to workmen and others in the vicinity who are exposed to large volumes of gas if the main is not effectively sealed off against leakage. Various types of inflationary bags have been devised to stop-off cast iron and large diameter steel pipe and, while these have been designed to discourage any tendency to be blown downstream due to slippage or leakage, have not been completely failsafe in use. Moreover, a serious problem in connection with the installation of inflationary bags is the loss of gas through the sidewall of the pipeline when the bag or other restraining device is being installed. For example, ALH Systems, Inc. of Wiltshire, England manufactures and sells stop-off equipment including Gas Bags in which the bag is assembled around a flexible central inflation rod to discourage the bag from slipping along the interior of the pipeline under gas pressure once the bag has been inflated into the desired position. Such bags are satisfactory from the standpoint of sealing off the interior of the pipeline but do not avoid the risk of slipping or being blown downstream through the pipeline under gas pressure and thus not effectively seal the interior of the line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,470 to Carruthers is directed more to the use of primary and secondary bags which are independently inserted into a pipeline to be repaired with the primary bag being inserted into position against a support disk and the secondary bag mounted directly against a column which is inserted through a hole in the pipe but does not address the problem of sealing off the wall of the pipe during the insertion of the bags, support disks and column and to adequately cap off the insertion holes once the job is completed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,204 to Brister discloses the use of a bag which is inserted through an insertion apparatus, and the bag is filled with water and frozen in place. U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,984 to Young et al utilizes an inflatable plug inserted into a pipeline but which is primarily designed for use in oil platform applications. U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,721 to Yie et al discloses an inflatable sleeve for restricting fluid flow in a pipeline using different forms of cartridges.
Notwithstanding the various approaches that have been taken in the past, there is a continuing need and demand for a novel and effective method and means for sealing off sections of a gas main and in which the gas main is sealed off from leakage or escape of gas throughout the entire operation beginning with the insertion of sealing devices into the line and concluding with removal of the sealing devices and particularly the inflation bags once the job is completed.

Method and apparatus for temporarily sealing off pipelines


A highly reliable, high voltage AC/DC LED device with integrated protection mechanism is disclosed. The protection element can be a current-limiting resistor, monolithically integrated on LED chip, or a discrete resistor assembled in the lamp package or submount. The protection elements may also include other parts integrated on a submount.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the design and implementation of AC/DC semiconductor light emitting diode devices and lamps with high reliability by the incorporation of one or more integrated protection mechanisms. In some embodiments, the AC/DC LED is directly powered by an AC voltage (i.e. 100V, 110/120V or 220/240V line voltage, or 6.0 VAC, 12 VAC, 18 VAC and 24 VAC, etc.) or a high DC voltage (i.e. 12V, 48V, etc.). These embodiments can be used in LEDs for low power devices for indication and high power devices for general illumination or lighting. The integrated protection elements have the function of reducing and/or easing the influence of voltage variations on device performance and lifetime.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional LEDs, because of physical limitations, have traditionally only been run under very low DC voltages (roughly between 1V to 5V depending on semiconductor materials used) because of device limitations.

AC/DC light emitting diodes with integrated protection mechanism


Systems, methods and devices for mobile ground-to-air and air-to-ground communication network acceleration. The aircraft-based data acceleration device, system and method creates a faster connection to increase data throughput by accelerating, compressing (when possible) and or caching frequency transmitted data streams. The data communication network acceleration system and method integrates use of acceleration, compression, and caching technologies in the ground-based communication system and the aircraft-based data communication accelerator and corresponding onboard data communication router.

There are several types of satellites deployed into orbit around the earth. Some satellites reflect communications directed at the satellite. Many satellites carry repeaters for receiving and retransmitting a received communication. In recent years, satellites have been placed in orbits synchronous with the earth's rotation, thereby providing continuous communications capabilities in almost all regions of the globe.
If a satellite is placed in synchronous orbit above the equator to revolve in the same direction of the earth's rotation and synchronized with the earth's rotation, the satellite will continually remain above a fixed point on the surface of the earth. Many communications satellites have been placed in these synchronous orbits to cover different regions of the globe.
Generally, active communications satellites are orbiting repeaters with broadband characteristics. A signal from a ground station is intercepted by the satellite, converted to another frequency, and retransmitted at a moderate power level to an end user receiver. This provides much better signal strength at the receiving end of the circuit as compared with a signal that is merely reflected from a passive satellite. Active communications satellites are placed in synchronous orbits, making it possible to use them with fixed antennas, a moderate level of transmitter power, and at any time of the day or night. Synchronous satellites are used for television and radio broadcasting, communications, weather forecasting, and military operations.
Further, a constellation of satellite systems is used to cover major regions of the globe to enable ground-to-aircraft (and aircraft-to-ground) communications via the satellite systems. One example of such a constellation is INMARSAT III, which currently comprises four satellites located in geostationary orbits, each generally covering a region of approximately one-fourth of the globe with a certain amount of overlap between regions. These satellites are referred to as AOR-W (Atlantic Ocean Region—West), AOR-E (Atlantic Ocean Region—East), IOR (Indian Ocean Region), and POR (Pacific Ocean Region). Another satellite constellation example is INMARSAT IV, which will comprise three satellites providing the same coverage as the four INMARSAT III satellites it will replace as well as additional services, such as Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) and Swift Broadband (SBB).
INMARSAT® satellites support various different types of communications services to the aeronautical market. These services are currently defined as AERO H, AERO H+, AERO I, Swift 64, and AERO M. SBB will also soon be available and is similar to BGAN but designed for AERO. All of these services are generally available to aeronautical users. An airborne satellite communication system can provide an aircraft with multiple digital voice, fax, and real-time Internet communications capabilities. These systems are specifically adapted for use in global two-way, ground-to-air communications by aircraft operators requiring global voice, fax, and Internet communications for their flight crews and passengers.
As the general communications need to transmit more data in larger files at faster speeds grows, so too does the need for faster connections and increased data throughput. This holds true for any communications system, whether strictly ground-based, air-to-ground, or ground-to-air. One way developers of ground-based systems have addressed this need is through the use of acceleration and compression technologies. Acceleration and compression can be achieved through any number of techniques to reduce data traffic volumes such as selective caching, vertical data analysis, adaptive packet compression, packet aggregation and flow control, and so on. This ground-based technology contributes to increasingly faster connection speeds.
Prior art ground stations typically only provide connection speeds of 33.6 kbps on a single Mobile Packet Data Service (MPDS) channel or up to 256 kbps on a four-channel system. For example, one current method for obtaining greater speeds in a Swift 64 ground-to-air communication system is to install additional Swift 64 units on the aircraft and combine the units to create a higher speed connection. This method of using more channels, without increasing the data transfer rate across any individual channel may increase overall connection speed, but not in an efficient, cost-effective manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,660,579 to Jensen, which is incorporated by reference in its' entirety, titled Communication network acceleration system and method describes mobile ground-to-air and air-to-ground communication network acceleration that reduced the cost of airborne communication services by creating a faster connection and increasing data throughput. In one embodiment, the communication network acceleration system and method provide as much as a four-fold increase over standard high-speed data rates. This increase is made possible in part through the integration, implementation, and use of acceleration and compression technologies in the ground system that supports communications to and from an airborne terminal.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,761,793 to Mitchell, which is incorporated by reference in its' entirety, describes a method of data compression for compressing a web page with graphics files, text files, JAVA scripts, and HTML files. This method is used for storing the graphics files, the text files, the JAVA scripts, and the HTML files in a temporary directory. The graphics files are sorted into lossless and lossy file groups. The lossy files, the lossless files, the text files, the JAVA scripts, and the HTML files are concatenating and then compressed to yield a compressed web page. The lossy files may be de-featured and transcoded before concatenation. The lossless files may be subsampled or decimated before concatenation to match client display size. Lossy files may be de-featured to match client display size by subsampling and reducing image fidelity. Optimal file concatenation size range is determined to optimally develop compression performance while minimizing latency. The concatenated file size is regulated to the optimal file concatenation size. The '793 patent only deals with HTML/Javascript and requires temporary directories.
To solve the problems of disparate connections speeds between ground-based and ground-to-air based communication systems associated with the prior art systems and methods, what is needed is methods and systems that expand the capability of compression and acceleration to support multiple air-to-ground communication systems.

Data compression and acceleration for air to ground communications


An internal nasal dilator and compound delivery apparatus preferably includes a U-shaped clip having septum engaging pads, and first and second nostril expanders, wherein the pads engage the septum along planar surfaces, each of the expanders include a conforming outer-nostril wall engaging element and a flexible arm interconnecting the engaging element and clip, and at least a portion of the dilator is formed of a porous material, such as an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, configured to retain and discharge over a period a quantity of compound.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mechanisms and methods for dilating nasal passages and delivering medication, drugs, or other compounds to a user. More particularly, the present invention concerns an improved internal nasal dilator for increasing nasal breathing efficiency and for delivering a compound within the nostrils of a user, over a period.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
It is well documented that collapsed or constricted nasal passageways result in a multitude of bodily problems, including sleep apnea, sinus infection, and other respiratory ailments. Another well-known problem associated with reduced passageways is snoring. In this condition, audible sounds produced by the vibration of the soft palate and internal nasal structure can be a nuisance to persons within hearing distance and can affect the quality of sleep of the snoring person. Furthermore, it is also known to be desirous to increase the flow capacity of nasal passageways during exercise, athletics, or otherwise strenuous activity.
To alleviate these problems and better achieve these desires, a variety of nasal dilator mechanisms, including external and internal versions, have been developed over time. Prior art external nasal dilators, typically used during athletic or strenuous activity, often take the form of an adhesive strip that is worn on an exterior portion of the nose and function to lift the walls of the nasal passages. Unfortunately, the frictional grab-strength required by these external dilators often causes discomfort or damage to the skin and soft facial tissues of the user. The external placement required of these dilators exposes them to a variety of forces arising from rubbing against objects, such as pillows, that can prematurely dislodge the dilator.
Prior art internal nasal dilators, on the other hand, function within the nostrils of the user, and as a result are not subject to being prematurely dislodged by external forces. These dilators are typically held in place by a clamping mechanism that pinches the septum generally along two contact points, or by stretching the nostrils enough to result in a compressive force on the dilator sufficient to hold it in place. The non-adjustability of these dilators, however, is problematic given that there are an infinite number of sizes and shapes of human nostrils. The pinching mechanisms of these dilators are also problematic in that they cause discomfort to the user, including pain where prolonged usage is necessary. The fact that some of these internal dilators must stretch the nostrils to a greater extent than is necessary to simply dilate the nostril also causes further discomfort and noticeability.
The prior art also includes nasal dilators combined with gaseous or vapor delivery systems for providing a measured flow of medicine to the user. These combinations, however, typically require that an external source be securely connected to the dilator during usage, which makes them problematically cumbersome. Connection to an external source also reduces comfort by limiting the user to certain positions in order to ensure proper operation, which may further inhibit the user from sleeping. Furthermore, these combinations include notoriously complex mechanical, electrical, or pneumatic components that make their manufacture time-consuming and expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,188 to Ellis (Ellis '188), for example, discloses an internal dilator having an internal medicine source. In that arrangement, an anti-histamine layer (27) is not attached to an external source, see FIGS. 8A-8E. The layer (27) is attached to other permeable filter layers and overlays the outlet of the nostrils when in place. However, locating the antihistamine near the outlet of the nostrils reduces the effectiveness of delivery and may be wholly inappropriate for other types of medicines, drugs, or compounds because the proximity to ambient air outside the nose results in a measurable percentage of undelivered medicine. Locating the source up-stream from the mucosal lining within the nasal passageway further diminishes the effectiveness of the combination by preventing the administration of medicine during exhalation. Furthermore, the structure of the disclosed mechanism is so large (relative to the volume of the nasal passages) and complex that it may inhibit airflow during normal breathing and may be prohibitively costly to manufacture.
Thus, due to these and other problems and limitations in the prior art, there remains a long felt need for an improved nasal dilator s that dilates the nostrils without substantially restricting the flow of air during respiration, and delivers a desired dosage of compound within the nostrils without extraneous devices or mechanisms.

Internal nasal dilator with porous compound delivery material


A labelling system which can protect a very wide variety of items from theft. The system requires four elements in combination: 1) A readily understandable message on an item which describes the state the owner intends the item to be in and further asks observers to take appropriate action should the item not be in that state. 2) The message must be easily detectable by people nearby. 3) The message must be changeable, at least once, to reflect a change in the state of the item it is on but, it must only be changeable by the owner and anyone he or she chooses. 4) The message must be very difficult to tamper with or hide without leaving a trace.

From time immemorial, people have tried to prevent theft. They have devised all manner of means to physically stop it including locks, safes, fences, bars, cut-off mechanisms and computer passwords. And they have come up with many systems that identify things as stolen or being stolen. Such "theft identifying systems" can be divided into five types:
1) Permanent Markings
An example is "GOVERNMENT PROPERTY" on a pen signifying that the pen may be stolen if it is outside a government building. The flaw of permanent markings is they can't be changed to reflect a change in the marked item.
2) Seals
Seals reveal whether a thing has been tampered with. They can stop tampering in certain cases but are unsuitable for safeguarding most things.
3) Alarms
Thousands of alarms have been invented not all using sound to inform. The thing that distinguishes alarms is that they require a tripping mechanism to set them off. These mechanisms can often be disarmed and usually add significant costs. Also, alarms are not usually suitable for protecting individual items.
4) Special Inspection Methods
An example is the putting of magnetic strips inside books. If not demagnetized, these strips sound an alarm at special detectors at the exits of bookstores. Another example is the stationing of an inspector at the exit of Baggage Handling in an airport to make sure luggage isn't stolen. Special inspection methods are usually costly and often impractical.
5) Lockable Labels
Certain theft identifying inventions are labels which can be changed but only by the owners of the items the labels are on. These labels might be called "lockable labels" (LLs). A LL is one key element of the system disclosed in the "Description" section below. Theft identifying inventions have cropped up in the past using LL's. For instance, many theft preventing devices using LL's have been patented for preventing the theft of cars. Three examples:
T. McNally, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 1,249,798) discloses a sign which is locked over a car's license plate. The sign says, "STOP THIS CAR IF IN MOTION". This sign cannot be removed by a thief without destroying the license plate. M. Downey (U.S. Pat. No. 1,392,869) discloses a sign which is built into the side of a car. The sign can be locked into a position where it says "OWNER OUT". J. Hughes (U.S. Pat. No. 1,636,513) discloses a symbol with two matching elements, one detachable. If the detachable element is missing observers are supposed to realize that the car should be parked. In all these cases, if a thief puts the car in motion, the inventions allow observers to identify the car as being stolen.
These inventions do fall under the system disclosed below. Yet, they are all narrowly designed for motor vehicles (and in one case a bike (E. Andersen, Denmark, U.S. Pat. No. 437,983)) and do not disclose the system disclosed below. Moreover, they can only be changed back and forth between two messages, namely saying whether a car should be in use or not.
Methods related to LL's have been used to safeguard credit cards. Three examples: G. Gibson U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,317) discloses a credit card which can be physically separated into two parts. If both parts are not present, the credit card cannot be used. N. and L. Butterworth (U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,455) disclose a credit card which has digit keys on it and an electrical circuit inside connected to two Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) which indicate whether the card should be accepted or rejected. Only when the proper Personal Identification Number (PIN) is entered will the green LED indicate "ACCEPT". In these kinds of systems, a thief cannot use a stolen credit card in a store because he or she cannot verify ownership.
Such methods are related to LL's because of the peculiar nature of credit cards. Credit cards are nontransferable and are only supposed to "work" when the owner's identify has been verified. The patented methods physically stop a thief from verifying identity. Hence these methods can be considered physical deterrence much like the yanking of the distributor cap from a car engine is physical deterrence. They can also be considered LL's because when the owner's identity has not been verified, the credit cards carry an implicit or explicit message, "DON'T ACCEPT." The owner can change this message by verifying his identity whereas a thief cannot. However, the methods above for protecting credit cards clearly are not suitable for protecting a wide variety of items.
H. Bochmann (U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,894) discloses a circuit which aids in the recovery of stolen car radios and certain other electronic equipment. The invention allows the owner to enter owner identification information into a radio's memory. This information can only be entered or changed after the proper PIN has first been entered. The information is displayed on the radio's display upon the pressing of a "recall" switch. Further, if the radio is ripped out of the car, the invention can lock the information on the display. This invention shares two similarities with the system below. First, the information can only be changed by the owner. Second, it is impractical for a thief to remove the information. Bochmann's circuit improves on the idea of a serial number. It can therefore deter theft.
It is however different from the system disclosed below. First, it does not prevent theft by indicating that an item is stolen. It is possible that it can do this by displaying the rightful owner of an item. Still, this information does not by itself imply that an item is stolen. The item might just be in the hands of a friend of the owner. Second, the information can be removed from the display with the press of a button. Therefore, a thief is not forced to leave the information showing. In the case where the information is locked onto the display because the radio has been removed from its source of power, this invention can more rightly be considered an alarm with a physical deterrence feature rather than a passive system which is not tripped and which does not affect the functioning of the item it is on. Third, this invention is limited to electronic items which have memory, input and display elements. People who see the invention above probably will not know whether the item it is part of is stolen and even if they do suspect it is stolen, few will be prompted to take action. People who see the system below will know whether the item it is part of is probably stolen and many will be prompted to take action.

Labelling system for deterring the theft of a very wide variety of items


Method and electrochemical cells for producing xylo-pent-1,5-diose are provided. The xylo-pent-1,5-diose may be formed in a solution initially comprising D-glucuronic acid or D-glucuronic acid glycoside. The xylo-pent-1,5-diose may be formed by electrochemical oxidative decarboxylation of the D-glucuronic acid or D-glucuronic acid glycoside in the solution in the presence of a graphite foil electrode with improved current efficiency and/or current density.

Xylitol is a commercially available polyol with unique health benefits. It is traditionally produced from the reduction of xylose isolated from xylose-rich biopolymers, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,989,569, 3,558,725, and 4,008,285. As these process are resource and cost intensive, researchers have sought for novel methods for the production of xylitol. These include various synthetic chemical processes, the use of microorganisms, and processes such as fermentation. As the structure of xylitol is similar to that of glucose, one can produce xylitol-precursors by decarboxylating carbon-6 of glucose. D-Glucuronic acid (glucose with carbon-6 oxidized to a carboxylic acid) and its derivatives are ideal candidates for such a decarboxylation. Heikkila et al., in published US patent application US2003/0097029, describes the production of xylitol from sources including glucuronic acid. However, in every case where D-glucuronic acid is used as the starting material, it is first hydrogenated to yield L-gulonic acid, which is then decarboxylated by either hypochlorous acid (Example 5) or by the Ruff Degradation (Example 6), both standard carbohydrate decarboxylation methods, to yield L-xylose. Despite these developments, there remains a need to produce xylitol in a manner that is low cost and yields high-purity product.
Stapley et al., in published US patent application US2005/0272961, describe a novel electrolytic oxidative decarboxylation technique using the otherwise decarboxylation-resistant D-glucuronic acid or D-glucuronic acid glycoside as a substrate to yield xylo-pent-1,5-diose, which is easily hydrogenated to xylitol. However, to realize the commercial viability of the electrolytic decarboxylation of D-glucuronic acid or D-glucuronic acid glycoside, there remains a need for an anode which converts D-glucuronic acid or D-glucuronic acid glycoside to yield xylo-pent-1,5-diose with a desirably high current efficiency and high reaction selectivity. Therefore, there remains a need for improved methods and electrodes for performing the electrolytic oxidative decarboxylation of glucuronoside substrates with improved current efficiency and/or reaction selectivity.

Methods for the electrolytic production of xylo-pent-1,5-diose


Systems and methods for detecting targets using pulse-compressed radar signals are disclosed. In one application, relatively small targets that are masked by the time-sidelobes of a larger target's return signal can be detected. The methods include a signal expansion type algorithm that is used to process the pulse-compressed return signal. Specifically, a generalized Fourier expansion expression having a summation of PSF terms is used to expand the pulse-compressed signal. Each term represents a respective target and includes a point spread function and a complex coefficient. The signal expansion procedure can be used to determine a set of optimum complex coefficients, with one coefficient for each range bin. Doppler frequency can be used together with range to optimize the complex coefficients. Next, targets are detected by analyzing each range bin to determine whether the corresponding complex coefficient has an absolute magnitude greater than a pre-determined threshold.

Pulse radar systems are capable of detecting remote targets and measuring the position (e.g. range), the radar cross section (i.e. size) and the velocity of the detected targets. When pulsed signals are used, the time period corresponding to the round trip travel of the pulse can be used to calculate target range. When pulses having relatively long pulse durations are employed, it is often difficult to detect and accurately calculate the range of two or more closely spaced targets. Specifically, with long pulses, the scattered returns from closely spaced targets overlap, preventing the return signals from being properly distinguished.
Short pulses, on the other hand, can be used to resolve closely spaced targets. However, with the use of short pulses, pulse energy becomes a consideration. Indeed, all other things being equal, a short pulse has less energy than a long pulse. When pulses having insufficient energy are used, the return signals produced have a correspondingly low energy, and cannot be detected. One reason pulse energy becomes important when contemplating the use of short pulses, is that radar systems are limited in terms of peak power. As a consequence, these radar systems, by themselves, cannot produce a short pulse having sufficient energy to detect relatively small targets.
Pulse compression is a technique that can be used to reduce the duration of a pulse while maintaining a relatively large pulse energy. Thus, pulse compression can be used to effectively produce short pulses having sufficient energy to detect relatively small targets. Typically, modern pulse compression techniques introduce a wideband, coded modulation into the pulse. Examples of this wideband modulation include linear frequency modulation and pseudo-random phase modulation.
When a coded pulse encounters a target, a scattered signal containing the code (or a variation thereof) is created. This scattered signal is then received and processed to locate the code within the scattered return signal data. For this purpose, the correlation property of the code can be used. More specifically, a correlation function defined by
      r              (      k      )        =            ∑              l        =        1            N                          c                          (                      k            -            l                    )                                  c                          (          l          )                    can be used to find a so-called "zero offset" between the code and the correlation function. The location of this "zero offset" results in a peak when pulse power (usually measured in db) is plotted against range. This peak is indicative of the target range. Unfortunately, during this process, so-called "time-sidelobes" are created and show up together with a peak in the pulse-compressed signal. Oftentimes, the time-sidelobes of a relatively large target's return signal mask the peak of a relatively small target's signal return. In the absence of a suitable technique to overcome this problem, small targets that are in close proximity of a large target may be undetectable.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide radar systems and methods suitable for the purposes of detecting a plurality of closely spaced targets of differing radar cross section. It is another object of the present invention to provide radar systems and methods for detecting a relatively small target having a return signal that is masked by the time-sidelobe of a relatively large target's return signal. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide radar systems and methods for detecting targets which are easy to use, relatively simple to implement, and comparatively cost effective.

System and method for sidelobe reduction using point spread function expansion


A method is used to start up a fuel cell electrically in a fuel cell installation, especially a fuel cell for use in a motor vehicle, with a gas-generating system producing a hydrogen-containing gas flow. The gas flow from the gas-generating system and an oxygen-containing gas flow are brought together and combusted after the fuel cell. The fuel cell is started up electrically as a function of a temperature course existing in the region of combustion of the gas flows.

This application claims the priority of German patent document 100 54 842.3, filed Nov. 4, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a method for electrically starting up a fuel cell in a fuel cell installation.
It is generally known from the state of the art that starting up a fuel cell in a fuel cell installation electrically may take place (in order to avoid damaging the fuel cell, especially the membranes of a PEM fuel cell) only when there is a sufficiently large flow of the hydrogen-containing gas originating from a gas-generating system and with a sufficiently high concentration of hydrogen in the fuel cell.
Therefore, in a very simple solution of this problem, a certain period of time is allowed to elapse after the start of the gas-generating system, before the fuel cell started up electrically. In this case, empirical values are used, which imply that after the elapsed time, it is a very likely that a flow of gas of adequate quality and amount is present in the region of the anode space of the fuel cell.
In order to optimize the starting-up process of such a fuel cell installation and to determine the presence of an adequate amount and an adequate quality of hydrogen-containing gas, Japanese publication JP 630 45 766 A1 discloses a temperature detector that is disposed in the region of a reformer of the gas-generating system. Once the reformer of the gas-generating system has reached a specified temperature, it is assumed that the reformer is operating correctly and that the appropriate amount of hydrogen-containing gas can be made available in the gas-generating system. A similar procedure is also disclosed in Japanese publication JP 021 58 061 A1.
It is a common feature of the two Japanese publications that the fuel cell or the anode space of the fuel cell has a bypass line, so that the gas originating from the gas-generating system is passed through the fuel cell only where the electrical switching-on of the fuel cell is imminent.
The two Japanese publications have the serious disadvantage that the condition of the gas-generating system can be determined only from the temperature in the region of the gas-generating system, from which corresponding conclusions concerning the correct working capability of the gas-generating system are then drawn. However, it is particularly disadvantageous that the quality and the amount of the hydrogen in the reformate itself cannot be determined.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for the electrical starting up of a fuel cell in a fuel cell installation with a gas-generating system, which ensures that when the fuel cell is started up, a sufficient amount of hydrogen-containing gas with a sufficient concentration of hydrogen is available to operate the fuel cell.
Pursuant to the present invention, preferred embodiments of the present invention include combining a hydrogen-containing gas flow from a gas-generating system and an oxygen-containing gas flow downstream of a fuel cell; combusting the combined gas flows; and starting up the fuel cell electrically as a function of a temperature existing in a region of the combined gas flows.
The special advantage lies in the comparatively simple construction, which only requires that a temperature sensor be present in the region of combustion of the two gas flows downstream from the fuel cell.
A further decisive advantage is that the combustion takes place only downstream from the fuel cell, so that it can be ensured, by the course of the temperature, that the appropriate amount and quality of hydrogen-containing gas is supplied to the fuel cell. It is not assumed, as it is in the state of the art, that such a gas would, in all probability, have to be produced in the gas-generating system.
The space-saving method, using simple and robust components, has the advantage of a very high operational reliability and ensures a correspondingly long service life, without requiring a complex system of surfaces sensors.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method for electrically starting up a fuel cell


The present invention relates to a system and methodology facilitating material-driven processing in an industrial controller environment. Various models supported by database objects are provided to automatically and dynamically map inventory systems/processes to control systems/process such as in batch or recipe operations. A material model is provided that tracks to an inventory database and includes such aspects as defining material types and containers to house such materials. An area model maps the material model to possible units and equipment modules to process the materials. These models include phased-based parameters that define amounts of material that flow into and out of a determined area for processing the materials. Before, during and/or after automated manufacturing operations, object binding operations occur between material-based servers associated with an inventory system and batch servers associated with a process-control system. Such binding includes Just-In-Time or on-demand binding at run time, and relates material requirements of a recipe (or batch) to the units and equipment that are available to produce the recipe.

Industrial controllers are special-purpose computers utilized for controlling industrial processes, manufacturing equipment, and other factory automation, such as data collection or networked systems. In accordance with a control program, the industrial controller, having an associated processor (or processors), measures one or more process variables or inputs reflecting the status of a controlled system, and changes outputs effecting control of such system. The inputs and outputs may be binary, (e.g., on or off), as well as analog inputs and outputs assuming a continuous range of values.
Measured inputs received from such systems and the outputs transmitted by the systems generally pass through one or more input/output (I/O) modules. These I/O modules serve as an electrical interface to the controller and may be located proximate or remote from the controller including remote network interfaces to associated systems. Inputs and outputs may be recorded in an I/O table in processor memory, wherein input values may be asynchronously read from one or more input modules and output values written to the I/O table for subsequent communication to the control system by specialized communications circuitry (e.g., back plane interface, communications module). Output modules may interface directly with one or more control elements, by receiving an output from the I/O table to control a device such as a motor, valve, solenoid, amplifier, and the like.
At the core of the industrial control system, is a logic processor such as a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) or PC-based controller. Programmable Logic Controllers for instance, are programmed by systems designers to operate manufacturing processes via user-designed logic programs or user programs. The user programs are stored in memory and generally executed by the PLC in a sequential manner although instruction jumping, looping and interrupt routines, for example, are also common. Associated with the user program are a plurality of memory elements or variables that provide dynamics to PLC operations and programs. These variables can be user-defined and can be defined as bits, bytes, words, integers, floating point numbers, timers, counters and/or other data types to name but a few examples.
Industrial controllers are often employed in integrated manufacturing operations that can often involve high-complexity manufacturing processes. Such processes which are sometimes referred to as batch processes are involved in many areas of modern production. These areas include substantially any type of packaged products that are commonly found in grocery stores or other distribution outlets. For example, these products include pharmaceuticals, beauty products, soap, consumer goods, fine chemicals, beverages, candies, sugar, flour, pastries, boxed items such as cereals, frozen products, cheeses, and so forth. Often, complex factory equipment arrangements and programming are provided to produce all or portions of such products. Programming is often provided in terms of Sequential Function Blocks and Charts that relate logical/programmed production operations to equipment assets that control the operations. Thus, conventional programming processes and models are defined in terms of the equipment that produces a given product. This type of programming model, however, can be inflexible, inefficient and costly in terms of asset utilization and in terms of material controls. For example, programmers typically need to create process or logic steps for each material in a recipe. In one example, an ice cream recipe may include steps such as: ADD_CREAM, ADD_EGG, ADD_SUGAR, and ADD_MILK. It becomes even more complicated if there is more than one storage container for each material. For example, if cream is stored in five different containers, a programmer would need five control operations, five equipment allocations, and five recipes simply to get cream from the appropriate container. An operator then has to choose the recipe to run based on where the cream is stored. Thus, many permutations of recipes are required when sugar, eggs and milk are stored in different containers as well. As can be appreciated, if process changes are involved, or if some of the above ingredients need deployed in different processes, then complex manufacturing changes, programming, inventory planning, and material processing need to be re-designed and accounted for. Therefore, equipment-based programming models typically lead to less than efficient asset utilization and generally lead to increased inventory costs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Material reservation distribution system and method


A polyethylene composition comprising a base resin is disclosed herein. The base resin includes an ethylene homo- or copolymer fraction (A1), and an ethylene homo- or copolymer fraction (A2). Fraction (A1) has a lower weight average molecular weight than fraction (A2). The base resin has a melt flow rate MFR21 of equal to or less than 8.0 g/10 min and a density of 930 to 950 kg/m3. The polyethylene composition has a melt flow rate MFR5 of 0.01 to 0.3 g/10 min, a flow rate ratio FRR21/5 of equal to or more than 20 and a ratio of the weight average molecular weight and the number average molecular weight (Mw/Mn) of equal to or less than 30. Also the polyethylene composition has a tensile modulus of less than 1000 MPa. Also a process for the production of a polyethylene composition comprising polyethylene base resin is disclosed herein.

This disclosure relates generally to a polymer composition and a process for production of the polymer composition. Especially, the disclosure relates to a multimodal ethylene composition comprising at least two ethylene homo- or copolymer fractions. Also the disclosure relates to an article, such as a pipe or fitting made of the polymer composition and a use of the polymer composition for the production of the article.
Pipes made from polymer compositions have many purposes of use, such as to transport liquids or gas. Typically pipes must be able to withstand pressure, because liquids or gas usually are pressurised. Polymer compositions comprising polyethylenes are nowadays frequently used for manufacturing pipes. Such polymer compositions may comprise e.g. two or more polyethylene fractions with different weight average molecular weights. Such polymer compositions are frequently called multimodal and they have good chemical and physical properties. Fractions may contain ethylene homo- or copolymers. The content of comonomer can be varied as well as the type of the comonomer, which usually is alpha-olefin comonomer. The composition of each of the fractions as well as the relative proportions between the fractions (often called as the split) has significant influence on the properties of the multimodal composition. Furthermore, the polymerisation conditions, e.g., reactor types, reactant concentrations and the type of the polymerisation catalyst have a remarkable influence on properties of fractions.
EP 1574549 discloses a pipe made of a bimodal linear low density polyethylene composition. Either Ziegler-Natta catalyst or metallocene catalyst were used in the preparation. The composition has a density (ISO 1183) of 910-940 kg/m3, an E-modulus (ISO 527) in the range of <800 MPa and a melt flow rate (MFR2) at 190° C./2 kg of <2 g/10 min. The pressure resistance data of bimodal polyethylene materials polymerized in the presence of Ziegler-Natta catalyst are on the level of PE80 requirements.
WO 2008/064809 discloses a polyethylene composition comprising a polyethylene base resin, which comprises two fractions. The first fraction is an ethylene copolymer and the second one is either ethylene homo- or copolymer having a higher molecular weight than the first fraction. A single-site catalyst (SSC) is used to polymerize first and second fractions. A density of the base resin is less than 940 kg/m3 and a melt flow rate (MFR2) at 190° C./2.16 kg is 0.01-10 g/10 min. The composition has a flexular modulus of from 300 to 820 MPa. This composition is intended for flexible PE 100 materials, but the base resin made in the presence of SSC suffer from low processability and low resistance to sagging due to narrow molecular weight distribution (MWD) and a lack of high molecular weight (HMW) tail.
WO 2008/064810 discloses a pipe made of a polyethylene composition comprising a polyethylene base resin. The first fraction is an ethylene copolymer and the second one is either ethylene homo- or copolymer having a higher molecular weight than the first fraction. A single-site catalyst (SSC) is used to polymerize at least one of the first and second fractions. The density of the base resin is less than 940 kg/m3 and a melt flow rate (MFR5) at 190° C./5.00 kg is at least 0.20 g/10 min. The polyethylene composition has a time to failure of at least 250 h measured according to ISO 1167 at 95° C. and 4.3 MPa. This composition is also intended for flexible PE 100 materials, but the base resin made in the presence of SSC suffer from low processability and low resistance to sagging due to narrow molecular weight distribution (MWD) and a lack of high molecular weight (HMW) tail.
WO 2008/040504 discloses a polyethylene composition comprising a base resin comprising two ethylene homo- or copolymer fractions. The polyethylene compositions of the examples have a flow rate ratio FRR21/5, which is the ratio of MFR21, and MFR5, of 19.6 to 20.8. The shear thinning index SHI(2.7/210), which is a ratio of the viscosities of the polyethylene base resin at shear stresses of 2.7 kPa and 210 kPa was less than 20. These results serve as a measure of the broadness of the molecular weight distribution, which is comparatively narrow. Such narrow polymers suffer from low processability and low resistance to sagging.
It is desirable to have pipes of good coilability facilitating easy installation and avoiding fractures in the material; if the pipe is too stiff fractures may occur. Therefore the density of material needs to be sufficiently low, but generally a low density corresponds to a poor pressure resistance. The flexibility of the material should be at least on the same level as that of the PE80 resins but the pressure resistance should meet the requirements of the PE100 materials. According to ISO 9080 polyethylene pipes are classified by their minimum required strength, i.e. their capacity to withstand different hoop stresses during 50 years at 20° C. without fracturing. PE80 pipes withstand a hoop stress of 8.0 MPA (MRS8.0) and PE100 pipes withstand a hoop stress of 10.0 MPa (MRS10:0). To meet the PE80 requirements with multimodal resins manufactured by conventional Ziegler-Natta catalyst the density needs to be at least 940 kg/m3 and to meet the PE100 requirements the density needs to be above 945 kg/m3. Usually, the lower is the density of the material, the better is the flexibility.

Polymer composition and a process for production of the polymer composition


This invention provides an aqueous/t-butanol solvent-system, facile reconstitute, submicron-reconsitiute preliposome-lyophilaye and method of its preparation and use.

A barrier to the successful commercialization of liposomes has been the absence of adequate control over the methods for manufacturing liposomes in large quantities. For regulatory and therapeutic concerns, reproducible products are a necessity. There are numerous published methods for liposome production. Two significant technical concerns govern the commercial usefulness of production methods: content uniformity, and sterility. Hitherto, those production methods that produced liposomes of acceptable content uniformity and sterility had the ancillary problem of size regulation. Previous to the present invention, formulations of preliposome-lyophilate, upon reconstitution, were distributed over a range of diameters larger than 1 micron. This has proven less than ideal for particular therapeutic applications, particularly as to applications benefited from avoidance of the RES.
The use of less than 4% surfactant has been reported (22) to yield stable liposomal preparations. However, the reported procedure required evaporation of toxic organic solvents to prepare a lipid film. Formation of submicron liposomal preparations from such system required sonication. This procedure results in retained organic solvents at levels unsuitable for clinical formulations. Further reconstitution of a thin film presents a material not suitable as a precursor for liposomal preparation due to the substantial difficulty in reconstitution.
Japanese Patent Application No. 91-177731 (Pub. No. 6-183953) (25) discusses a preparation of micelles and what are described as "small vesicles" obtained by treating mixture of phospholipid and nonionic polyoxyethylene surfactant with ultrasonic waves in aqueous solution. The described procedure entails 5% or more of surfactant. No lyophilization of this material was reported.
Japanese Patent Application No. 93-13786 (Pub. No. 6-227966) (26) discusses a thermosensitive liposome preparation for releasing anticancer drug comprising up to 30% nonionic surfactant and phospholipid. This preparation was not disclosed to be lyophilized.
The original liposome preparation of Bangham, et al. (J. Mol. Biol., 1965, 12:238-252) involves dissolving phospholipids in an organic solvent which is then evaporated to dryness leaving a phospholipid film on the reaction vessel. Next, an appropriate amount of aqueous phase is added, the mixture is allowed to "swell," and the resulting liposomes which consist of multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) are dispersed by mechanical means. This technique provides the basis for the development of the small sonicated unilamellar vesicles described by Paphadjopoulos et al. (Biochim. Biophys. Acta., 1968, 135:624-638), and large unilamellar vesicles.
Unilamellar vesicles are produced using an extrusion apparatus by a method described in Cullis et al., PCT Application No. WO 87/00238, published Jan. 16, 1986, entitled "Extrusion Technique for Producing Unilamellar Vesicles" incorporated herein by reference. Vesicles made by this technique, called LUVETS, are extruded under pressure through a membrane filter.
Another class of liposomes are those characterized as having substantially equal lamellar solute distribution. This class of liposomes is denominated as stable plurilamellar vesicles (SPLV) as defined in U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,803 to Lenk, et al., monophasic vesicles as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,579 to Fountain, et al. and frozen and thawed multilamellar vesicles (FATMLV) wherein the vesicles are exposed to at least one freeze and thaw cycle; this procedure is described in Bally et al., PCT Publication No. 87/00043, Jan. 15, 1987, entitled "Multilamellar Liposomes Having Improved Trapping Efficiencies," each of which are incorporated herein by reference. Honda et al. Japanese Patent Pub. No. 60-155109 describes hydrogenated liposomes requiring 5% fatty acid.
Anthracycline antibiotics, namely doxorubicin (Dox), daunorubicin and idarubicin, are among the most effective and widely used anticancer agents. However, their use is limited by acute side effects, mainly acute myelosuppression and chronic cardiotoxicity and natural or acquired drug resistance (1, 2). Liposomes have been extensively studied by different investigators as carriers of this class of compounds. Liposome incorporation has been shown to reduce the cardiotoxicity of Dox in animals (3) and its gastrointestinal side effects and vesicant activity in humans (4). Tumor-targeted formulations of liposomal-Dox are now being evaluated in humans (5). Other interesting studies have shown that multidrug resistance (MDR), a common mechanism of acquired resistance to anthracyclines and other drugs, may be overcome in vitro and in vivo in bone marrow cells by using Dox encapsulated in liposomes containing certain lipids such as cardiolipin or phosphatidylserine (6,7).
The development of pharmaceutical formulations of liposomal-Dox has encountered a great number of technical problems due to the tendency of Dox to leak from the internal aqueous space of the lipid vesicles into the external aqueous milieu. The development of the remote loading technique, which basically consists of keeping the drug protonated inside the liposomes by creating an acidic pH, thus abrogating its ability to cross the liposome membrane, has resulted in formulations with optimal encapsulation efficiencies (8). Still, all liposomal formulations of Dox currently in clinical trials consist of small unilamellar vesicles in suspension and, therefore, particle size stability due to aggregation of particles remains a potential problem.
An alternative approach to enhance the therapeutic index of this class of compounds is the use of new and potentially less toxic and more active analogs. Although a great number of analogs have been synthesized and studied, most of these efforts took place before the phenomenon of MDR was described and well characterized. However, during the last few years, several sub-families of anthracyclines with non cross-resistance properties have been described (9, 10, 11). Because most of them are highly lipophilic and, therefore, not suitable for i.v. administration in water solutions, they require the development of a delivery system for their i.v. administration.
There is a continuing need for improved anticancer drugs, and particularly for improved formulations for delivering anticancer agents to the appropriate sites in a patient's body, while minimizing undesirable side effects.

Submicron liposome suspensions obtained from preliposome lyophilizates

Abstract: In one embodiment this entails a modified method for the preparation of a submicron and stable liposome formulation of the non-cross-resistant anthracycline Annamycin is described. The optimal lipid composition was DMPC:DMPG at a 7:3 molar ratio and the optimal lipid:drug weight ratio 50:1. The selected formulation is a preliposome lyophilized powder that contains the phospholipids, Annamycin, and 1.7 mg Tween 20 per mg of Annamycin. The liposome suspension is obtained on the day of use by adding normal saline at 37° C. (1 ml per mg Annamycin) and hand-shaking for one minute. The presence of Tween 20 is essential in shortening the reconstitution step (from >2 hours to 1 minute), avoiding the early formation of free drug crystals, and reducing the median particle size (from 1.5 μm to 0.15-0.20 μm) without destruction of the liposome vesicles. The chemical stability of the preliposome powder at room temperature was >3 months and the chemical and physical stability of the liposome suspension at room temperature >24 hours. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the formulation was equivalent to that prepared by the standard evaporation method. The results of the study indicate that small amounts of surfactant may be used to enhance the reconstitution step and reduce the liposome size of lyophilized liposome formulations of lipophilic drugs.

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System


A control valve for a fluid dispensing device comprises a valve stem, a valve body, a cap and an adjustment mechanism. The elongate valve stem has a flange. The valve body comprises a valve bore in which the elongate valve stem is configured to translate, and a flow path intersecting the valve bore and into which the valve stem penetrates. The cap is joined to the valve body to receive the valve stem such that the flange is positioned between the valve body and the cap. The adjustment mechanism changes a position of the cap with respect to the valve body to vary a distance between the cap and the flange which adjusts the force, and thereby the pressure at which the valve opens.

The present invention is related to liquid dispensing systems. In particular, the present invention relates to airless sprayers for dispensing paints, varnishes and the like.
Paint sprayers are well known and popular for use in painting of surfaces, such as on architectural structures, furniture and the like. Airless paint sprayers provide a high quality finish due to their ability to finely atomize liquid paint. These airless paint sprayers are typically coupled to a paint source, include a pumping mechanism that draws in the paint, and include a small, shaped orifice through which the paint is discharged. The pumping mechanisms are typically driven by an electric motor, which is operator actuated by a trigger. Airless paint sprayers are capable of pressurizing liquid paint to upwards of 3,000 psi [pounds per square inch] (˜20.7 MPa). Due to these high pressures, paint sprayers often include a relief valve positioned between the pumping mechanism and the discharge orifice.
A conventional relief valve comprises a simple spring-biased valve that opens at an overpressure condition. Additionally, the valve can be manually actuated to prime the pumping mechanism and to relieve pressure and drain paint after operation is completed.
Some airless sprayers have complex, separate pressure control devices, such as an electronic transducer, a bourdon tube, or a spring-loaded pressure-actuated piston, to activate an electrical switch to turn on/off the motor. For example, fluid delivery systems have been outfitted with Bourdon tubes to provide a visual indication of pressure. In other designs, a bourdon tube, or other pressure transducer, is provided that automatically turns the drive motor off when a threshold pressure level is exceeded, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,232 to Krohn et al, which is assigned to Graco Inc. Spraying is thus interrupted while pressure within the system rebalances as the motor turns off and on, resulting in varying system pressure, potentially diminishing the quality of the sprayed finish. There is, therefore, a need for improving control over spray parameters in airless sprayers; in particular, one providing essentially continuous control of pressure without costly and/or complex components, and light in weight for hand-held applications.

Control valve for airless sprayer pressure adjustment


Systems and methods thereof for image correction are provided in an exemplary method, an image is received and pixels therein are read. A frequency value is calculated for each of the color scale values, representing how many pixels correspond to each of the color scale values. A color-scale threshold is acquired by limiting summation of frequency values from the brightest end to the color-scale threshold being a minimum value exceeding or equaling a ratio of pixels. Lower/upper limits are acquired by respectively adding/subtracting a range value to/from the color-scale threshold. A weighted value is acquired for the pixels with pixel values between the lower color-scale limit and the upper color-scale limit. The updated image is generated by replacing pixel values between the lower limit and upper limit with the weighted value.

The present invention relates to bitmap image processing technology, and more particularly, to systems and methods thereof for image correction.
A bitmap image is a map or organized array of pixels of bit-based information, often mapped at hundreds of pixels. For example, an 3 inches by 2 inches bitmap image with a resolution of 300 pixels per inch produces 900 pixels by 600 pixels-, that is, 540000 pixels totally.
The bitmap image contains three types of images, black and white, grayscale, and RGB. A black and white bitmap image contains the least information for each pixel, i.e., information regarding whether each pixel is black or white. Using the binary counting method, a grayscale bitmap (black to white) has a color depth of 256. Each pixel is represented as having one of 256 different grays (values), including black and white. An RGB bitmap image has a color depth of 16.77 million colors, 256×256×256. Each pixel has information for each of the 3 RGB colors. Each pixel in the bitmap array describes a layer of one of 256 values for red, one of 256 values for green and one of 256 values for blue.
Scanning documents by reflective scanners have been used in a variety of processes for digitalizing an original document to a machine-readable version (i.e., a bitmap image). A problem associated with digitizing an original document is bleed-through, wherein a pattern interferes with text and/or images to be digitalized due to the penetration from the reverse side of scanned monochromic or chromatic documents, resulting in digitalization degradation. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional digitalized bitmap image. Area 11 is a bleed-through pattern penetrating from the reverse side of a scanned document after scanning. In addition to bleed-through patterns, watermarks may also degrade the digitalization, and both bleed-through patterns and watermarks can be defined as shadow patterns. In view of these drawbacks, a need exists for a system and method of image correction that removes shadow patterns from bitmap images.

Image correction systems and methods thereof