Herbicidal compositions are provided which cause rapid symptomology while delivering long term control of regrowth of plants. The herbicidal compositions comprise N-phosphonomethylglycine or a herbicidal derivative thereof, a bipyridilium or a herbicidal derivative thereof, and at least one surfactant. A herbicidal spray composition is preparable from a particulate solid concentrate or a liquid concentrate. Also provided is a method for killing or controlling the growth of plants comprising the step of contacting the foliage of said plants with an aqueous herbicidal composition of the invention.

Herbicidal compositions comprising the herbicide N-phosphonomethylglycine or derivatives thereof ("glyphosate") are useful for suppressing the growth of or killing unwanted plants such as grasses, weeds, and the like. Glyphosate typically is applied to the foliage of the target plant. After application the glyphosate is absorbed by the foliar tissue of the plant and translocated throughout the plant. Glyphosate noncompetitively blocks an important biochemical pathway which is common to virtually all plants, but which is absent in animals. Although glyphosate is very effective in killing or controlling the growth of unwanted plants, the uptake (i.e., absorption) of glyphosate by the plant foliar tissue and translocation of glyphosate throughout the plant is relatively slow. Visual symptoms that a plant has been treated with glyphosate may not appear until one week or more after treatment.
Although early visual symptoms of plant treatment generally can be achieved using compositions comprising glyphosate and the contact herbicide pelargonic acid, such compositions have several drawbacks. First, they require high application rates of the pelargonic acid. Second, they often do not permanently kill plants. Pelargonic acid attacks the plant very rapidly so that the glyphosate may have insufficient time to translocate into the plant and completely kill the plant. This drawback is particularly evident when the compositions are used to treat perennial plants such as, but not limited to, Johnsongrass. Third, the compositions are difficult to prepare in a stable formulation; the formulations frequently settle or solidify. Even a tank mix requires essentially constant agitation to prevent the pelargonic acid from separating out. Fourth, pelargonic acid is difficult to formulate in a concentrate, therefore, compositions of glyphosate and pelargonic acid are typically sold in dilute "ready-to-use" formulations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,044 discloses herbicidal compositions comprising, for example, glyphosate that are claimed to reduce the time required for systemic phytotoxic symptoms to appear on the target weed. These herbicidal compositions comprise a first ingredient comprising a fatty acid or mixture of fatty acids such as pelargonic acid, also known as nonanoic acid, (the active ingredient in the contact herbicide SCYTHE® and a second ingredient selected from a group of herbicides including glyphosate and paraquat. Scythe® has been observed to rapidly burn plant foliage. A too rapid burn may not allow for the complete translocation of glyphosate throughout the plant. As a result, the plant may later recover and continue growing.
Compositions comprising glyphosate are generally formulated with one or more surfactants to enhance their effectiveness for foliar application. When water is added to a composition formulated with surfactants, the resulting sprayable composition more easily and effectively covers the foliage (e.g., the leaves or other photosynthesizing organs) of plants. Glyphosate salts, for example, have been formulated with surfactants such as polyoxyalkylene-type surfactants including, among other surfactants, polyoxyalkylene alkylamines. Commercial formulations of glyphosate herbicide marketed under the trademark ROUNDUP® have been formulated by Monsanto with such a polyoxyalkylene alkylamine, in particular a polyoxyethylene tallowamine, identified as MON 0818. Glyphosate similarly has been formulated with polyoxyalkylene polysiloxane surfactants, in particular polyoxyethylene trisiloxane surfactants, such as the commercial organosilicone surfactant Silwet® L-77, available from Crompton Corporation. Among the numerous studies of the foliar uptake of glyphosate herbicide combined with Silwet® L-77 are those reported by Field & Bishop in Pesticide Science, 1988, Vol. 24, pp. 55-62; Stevens et al. in Pesticide Science, 1991, Vol. 33, pp. 371-82; Gaskin & Stevens in Pesticide Science, 1993, Vol. 38, pp. 185-92; and Gaskin & Stevens in Pesticide Science, 1993, Vol. 38, pp. 193-200. An extensive review of 160 references relating to the use of organosilicones as adjuvants for agrochemicals was provided by Stevens in Pesticide Science, 1993, Vol. 38, pp. 103-22. In fact, so many studies are reported in this area that OSi Specialties has published a Bibliography of Silwet® Organosilicone Surfactants As Agricultural Adjuvants (1996), which is indexed for computer searching. This reference lists hundreds of published studies of commercial organosilicone surfactants in agricultural applications. This bibliography is available to the public through the publisher's office in Tarrytown, N.Y.
WO 98/35561 discloses aqueous herbicidal compositions useful for controlling woody plants when applied to the bark. These compositions comprise glyphosate and a surfactant composition that comprises one or more polyoxyalkylene trisiloxane surfactants and one or more glycols or glycol ethers.
WO 97/23281 discloses surfactant blends comprising organosilicone compounds and a water-soluble surfactant characterized by hydrophobic groups having from about 4 to about 12 atoms. These surfactant blends are useful as spreading agents for the delivery of agriculturally active ingredients such as herbicides.
EP 0 483 095 A2 discloses aqueous compositions comprising glyphosate, the organosilicone SILWET L-77®, and either propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol or polyethylene glycol.
EP 0 531 269 A2 discloses aqueous compositions comprising glyphosate, the organosilicone SILWET L-77®, and an acetylenic diol.
Herbicidal compositions comprising the herbicide dihydrodipyrido(1,2-a:2′,1′-c)pyrazinediium or derivatives thereof ("diquat") or another bipyridilium, paraquat, also are useful for suppressing the growth of or killing unwanted grasses, weeds, and the like. This contact herbicide typically is applied to the foliage of the target plant and causes rapid disruption of plant cell membranes. It primarily is used as a herbicide to control weeds in noncrop and aquatic areas. Visual symptoms that a plant has been treated with diquat typically appear within 1 to 3 days of application, depending on environmental conditions.
Herbicidal compositions comprising diquat may comprise one or more surfactants. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,679 discloses compositions containing diquat dibromide and organosilicone surfactants such as Kinetic™, an organosilicone surfactant available from Setre Chemical.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,561,099 and 5,658,852 disclose an oil-based agricultural adjuvant comprising an organosilicone compound and a carrier oil. The adjuvant can be used as a spreading agent in combination with herbicides including, but not limited to, glyphosate and diquat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,054 discloses a group of low foaming, superspreading trisiloxane silicone surfactants useful in aqueous spray mixtures comprising herbicides including, but not limited to, glyphosate and diquat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,806 discloses a polyalkyleneoxide polysiloxane surfactant useful as an adjuvant for dispersing, wetting, spreading, and enhancing the efficacy of a herbicide, including, but not limited to, glyphosate and diquat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,700 discloses herbicidal compositions comprising an aryl-5-haloalkylpyrazole and glyphosate, diquat, paraquat or other herbicides.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,205 describes herbicidal compositions containing glyphosate, paraquat or diquat, and a photosystem II inhibitor herbicide. The composition is said to provide early burndown symptoms without excessive reduction in regrowth control as compared to a herbicidal composition containing glyphosate and paraquat or diquat. A composition containing glyphosate and diquat or paraquat in a weight ratio of 20:1 is reported to have produced some early burndown symptoms at the cost of long term or regrowth control. A composition containing significantly less diquat or paraquat is said to provide little by way of visible early burndown symptoms.
Chinese Patent Publication No. 1232614 is said to describe a herbicidal composition containing 41% IPA glyphosate salt and paraquat in a ratio of glyphosate salt to paraquat cation of 25:1 to 2.5:1.
It is an object of the present invention to provide novel herbicidal compositions of glyphosate, a bipyridilium (such as diquat or paraquat) and a surfactant that is of a type and present in a concentration sufficient to allow the plant to uptake a herbicidally effective amount of the glyphosate prior to the substantial onset of bipyridilium induced leaf damage that would prevent or severely reduce further uptake of glyphosate by the plant. Use of such novel compositions for the control of unwanted plants provides rapid bipyridilium symptomology (e.g. rapid burndown) yet with the long term control expected of glyphosate based herbicides.
It is a further object of the invention to provide concentrate liquid and particulate solid formulations of glyphosate, a bipyridilium, and suitable surfactant. Such concentrates can be employed to easily prepare the novel herbicidal compositions of the present invention. A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method of controlling or killing unwanted plants by utilizing the novel herbicidal compositions of the present invention.

Herbicidal compositions containing glyphosate bipyridilium


The invention offers technology for suppressing damage to semiconductor devices due to temperature changes. When flip-chip mounting a silicon chip on a buildup type multilayer substrate having a structure with a thinned core, a core having a small coefficient of thermal expansion is used in the multilayer substrate, and the coefficient of thermal expansion and glass transition point of the underfill are appropriately designed in accordance with the thickness and coefficient of thermal expansion of the core. By doing so, it is possible to relieve stresses inside the semiconductor package caused by deformation of the multilayer substrate due to temperature changes, and thereby to suppress damage to the semiconductor package due to temperature changes.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device. In recent years, high-density mounting has become a useful elemental technology for achieving compactness, light weight and high performance in cellular telephones, digital video cameras and digital still cameras. In some cases, CSP (chip scale packages) consisting of single chips are inadequate to achieve high-density mounting, and packaging methods such as MCP (multi-chip packages) and SiP (System in Packages) have become more common.
The circuit boards, such as interposers and motherboards, used in composite semiconductor chip packages, such as MCP and SiP, require connections between semiconductor chips on a circuit board, so buildup substrates with high wiring density have come into use. Additionally, flip-chip mounting is becoming standard as a method for mounting semiconductor chips to circuit boards.
Here, flip-chip mounting refers to a method of mounting a semiconductor chip to a circuit board, wherein the semiconductor chip surface and circuit board are electrically connected, not by wire connections such as by wire bonding, but rather by projecting terminals known as "bumps" which are arranged in an array.
Flip-chip mounting is held to have the advantage of enabling the mounting area to be reduced as compared to wire bonding. Flip-chip mounting has the additional characteristic of having short wiring and therefore good electrical properties. Flip-chip mounting is suited to the circuits in portable devices, for which there is a strong demand for compactness and light weight, as well as to high frequency circuits in which the electrical properties are important.
The functions of the circuit boards to which the semiconductor chips are to be connected by flip-chip mounting are varied, including packaging substrates such as interposers and main substrates such as motherboards, as are the shapes and types which include both rigid substrates and flexible substrates. Flip-chip mounting is also used in "chip-on-chip" mounting methods for connecting semiconductor chips with each other. Flip-chip mounting is also known as flip-chip bonding, which is a term indicating a bonding method. Additionally, flip-chip mounting is also sometimes abbreviated as FC mounting or FC processing.
In semiconductor elements that are flip-chip mounted, the gap between the semiconductor element and the circuit board is usually filled with a reinforcing resin composition (underfill) to make the semiconductor element, circuit board and junction portion reliable. Such underfills need to be capable of filling into small gaps in a short period of time, be free of voids and filler segregation, have excellent adhesiveness to various materials, and achieve sufficient reliability for the semiconductor element, the circuit board and the junction portion. As materials for underfills, thermosetting resins typified by epoxy resins have been widely used. For example, JPH11-233571A discloses a semiconductor device using a thermosetting resin having specific properties as an underfill.
According to this publication, the semiconductor device is such that the active surface of a silicon chip is made to face a circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board via a conductive material, and the gap between the silicon chip and the circuit board is filled and cured with a thermosetting resin composition. This thermosetting resin composition comprises a straight aliphatic hydrocarbon compound having at least 10 and at most 30 carbon atoms, capable of chemically binding to a thermosetting resin. According to the publication, this composition has high temperature cycling reliability while enabling the silicon chip to be removed at a low temperature with little shear, and without damaging the silicon chip or the circuit board.
Additionally, in the field of interposers, the reduced thickness of core materials, the use of coreless structures in which no core is provided, and layered bodies having wiring patterns formed on resins are used as interposers have enabled the development of thinner buildup type interposers having reduced overall interposer thickness and adapted to high frequencies by shortening the interlayer connection length to meet demands for support of higher density mounting and higher operating frequencies.
However, in these thin buildup type interposers, deformation of the interposers can easily occur due to changes in temperature conditions, and differences in the thermal expansion of the interposer, semiconductor chip and underfill can cause the stresses from ambient temperature changes to damage or destroy the solder bumps.
An example of a technology for the purpose of suppressing damage and destruction to solder bumps due to stresses from such ambient temperature changes in thin buildup type interposer with a coreless structure not having a core is the semiconductor device disclosed in JP 2006-24842A.
According to this publication, the semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor element and an interposer with a coefficient of thermal expansion of at least 16 ppm/° C. on which the semiconductor element is mounted, connected by solder bumps, wherein the gap between the semiconductor element and the interposer and the gaps between the solder bumps are filled with an underfill resin which is then cured. Additionally, the filler resin has a glass transition point at a temperature of 100-120° C., a modulus of elasticity at 125° C. of at least 0.1 GPa and a coefficient of thermal expansion a1 of at most 30 ppm/° C. at lower than the glass transition point. Furthermore, this publication describes that with this composition, it is possible to reduce damage and destruction between the semiconductor element, the interposer and the printed circuit board.
However, the conventional art described in the above publications have room for improvement in connection with the following points.
First, circuit boards and semiconductor chips usually have different coefficients of thermal expansion. Therefore, when a semiconductor device having a semiconductor chip mounted on a circuit board is subjected to a heat history, the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion can cause the circuit board to warp.
While the semiconductor device described in JP H11-233571A pertains to a thin buildup type interposer using a coreless structure that does not have a core, it does not consider thin buildup type interposers having a structure with a reduced core thickness. Generally, the coefficient of thermal expansion completely differs between coreless structures and structures having cores, so the degree of deformation of the interposer due to changes in temperature conditions will completely differ.
Secondly, in recent years, materials different from those that are conventional have come into use as the materials for forming semiconductor chips and materials for the bumps connecting the semiconductor chips to circuit boards, and underfills have also been newly designed in connection therewith. For example, with regard to semiconductor chips, low dielectric-constant films known as "low-k" have come into use as insulating film materials for forming wiring layers. By using such films, it is possible to suppress cross-talk between wires to result in semiconductor devices that operate at high speeds with high reliability. Additionally, materials not containing lead are becoming standard as the materials for bumps in consideration of friendliness to the environment.
The occurrence of damage such as cracks indicated above becomes more marked when low-k layers or lead-free solder are used. Low-k films generally do not have adequate mechanical strength. Therefore, when stresses occur in a semiconductor chip due to the package warpage or the like, cracks may appear in the low-k film even if the degree of stress is not very high. Additionally, since lead-free solders do not have adequate toughness, they can tend to form cracks in the interfaces between the bumps, the semiconductor chip and the circuit board.


In a conventional tablet packing device, a tablet discharged from a tablet case is supplied to a medicine packing unit through a common path such as a hopper. Thus, in the conventional tablet packing device, a large number of types of tablets are collected through the common path, so that a problem of cross contamination (the chipped pieces of the tablet of the type different from that of the tablet to be packed are mixed) occurs. The present invention provides a tablet packing device from which common path is eliminated. The present invention is characterized by including a conveyance unit for conveying a tablet case to a case arrangement section so that a tablet can directly be discharged from the tablet case to a tablet packing unit.

The present invention relates to a tablet packing device which receives a large number of tablet cases receiving tablets (medicines) and which packs the desired number of the tablets of a desired type in each medicine packing paper sheet and which seals the paper sheet.
In a pharmacy and the like, a tablet packing device packs doses of tablets in medicine packing paper sheets. One example of this tablet packing device is shown in FIG. 1 (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,230 B1).
In an upper part 12 of the tablet packing device, a large number of tablet cases 10 are removably received. In each of the tablet cases 10, tablets are received. This tablet case 10 is removed, replenished with the tablets and attached again. This tablet case 10 includes a discharge mechanism capable of discharging the tablets one by one.
The tablets discharged from this tablet case drop down through a vertical common passage 14, and are collected by hoppers 16, 18 in a lower part. Then, the tablets are discharged from the hopper 18 to a packing unit 20, and inserted into a medicine packing paper sheet 22, and then the medicine packing paper sheet 22 containing each dose is sealed.
Another conventional example of the removable tablet case is shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a tablet case 30, and a driving source portion on the side of a main body of the tablet packing device to which this tablet case 30 is attached (see Japanese Patent No. 2632483). That is, the tablet case 30 includes a discharge mechanism for discharging one tablet as one unit from the case, but is not provided with a driving source for driving this discharge mechanism. This driving source is provided on the main body side as shown in FIG. 2. When the tablet case 30 is disposed in the main body of the tablet packing device, a gear 32 on this main body side engages with a gear (not shown) on the side of the tablet case. Therefore, the tablet packing device drives a motor 34 corresponding to the tablet case of the tablet of the type to be discharged, to discharge the tablet. This discharged tablet drops down to the vertical common passage through a discharge passage 36.
The dropping of the dropped tablet into the medicine packing paper sheet will be described with reference to FIG. 3 showing another conventional example. As shown in FIG. 3(a), the tablet drops down to a hopper 40, is guided along this hopper 40, and drops down into a folded medicine packing paper sheet 42. As shown in FIG. 3(b), to allow the tablet to drop down into the folded medicine packing paper sheet 42, both upper ends of this medicine packing paper sheet 42 are opened by guides 44, 46.
After the tablet drops down into the medicine packing paper sheet 42, the sheet containing each dose is sealed by a sealer (not shown).
The outline of this tablet packing device will be described with reference to FIG. 4.
In a tablet packing device 50, a large number of tablet cases 52 are removably received. Each of the tablet cases 52 receives tablets. Moreover, this tablet case 52 includes a discharge mechanism 54 capable of discharging the tablets one by one. When this tablet case 52 is attached to the tablet packing device, the case is connected to a driving source 56.
The discharged tablets drop down through a common space 58, and are collected in a hopper 60 in a lower part. Then, the tablets are discharged from the hopper 60 to a packing unit 62. The packing unit 62 folds a medicine packing paper sheet 66 drawn from a medicine packing paper roll 64, allows the tablets to drop down, and inserts the tablets into the sheet. Then, after each dose is inserted, the sheet is sealed. A roller section 68 includes a roller to transfer the medicine packing paper sheet 66. Moreover, a seal section 70 also includes a roller to transfer the medicine packing paper sheet 66. Furthermore, this seal section 70 also includes a sealer to seal the medicine packing paper sheet 66.
A control circuit 72 of the tablet packing device drives the driving section 56 corresponding to the desired tablet case 52, to discharge the predetermined tablet. This discharged tablet is supplied to the packing unit 62 through the common space 58 and the hopper 60, and received in the medicine packing paper sheet 66.
This tablet is a coated tablet such as a sugar-coated tablet or a simply formed and uncoated tablet (a bare tablet). In the case of this uncoated tablet, small pieces (the small pieces or medicine powder) peeled from the tablet remain in common paths such as the common space 58 and the hopper 60.
Consequently, in the conventional tablet packing device, a large number of types of tablets are collected through the common path, so that a problem of cross contamination occurs (the contamination generated when chipped pieces of the tablet of the type different from that of the tablet to be packed are mixed in the packing sheet).
In a powdered medicine packing device for packing a powdered medicine (powder, a powder medicine), as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-11805, even if a powdered medicine supply path is separately disposed, the powdered medicine can satisfactorily be supplied to the packing unit. This is because the powdered medicine can be transferred even through a thinly formed tube forming the supply path without any trouble. However, the tablet cannot easily be transferred.
Therefore, in the conventional tablet packing device, to suppress the cross contamination, there is disposed a structure in which the supply path can easily be cleaned or a structure in which medicine powder peeled from the tablet does not easily adhere to the supply path, air is blown to the supply path, or air is sucked from the supply path.


Apparatus and method for laying a pipeline on the bottom of an ocean wherein a wheel-like, buoyant body is adapted to carry a single, continuous length of pipe in the form of horizontal convolutions from a first site at which the pipe is wrapped on the body to a second site where the convolutions are moved into vertical positions and the pipe is unwrapped from the body and allowed to gravitate toward and to be laid on the bottom of the ocean. The pipe is wrapped on the body when the latter is horizontally disposed and floating on the water near a dock, and the wrapping can be accomplished whether the elastic bending limit of the pipe is exceeded or not. The body with the convolutions of pipe are towed to the second site while the body and the pipe remains horizontally disposed. Then a tank forming part of the body receives sea water to unbalance the body and cause it to be moved into a vertical position. In this position, the body is simultaneously towed forwardly and rotated about a horizontal axis below the upper level of the water to allow the pipe to be vertically unwrapped from the body and to gravitate therefrom. The body normally has a curvature less than the curvature at which the pipe exceeds its elastic bending limit; however the body could have a greater curvature for some specific uses. A second, smaller tank having a power actuated mechanism therein is coupled by gear means to the body near its outer periphery to rotate the latter upon actuation of the mechanism during a pipe laying operation. The mechanism can also be used to rotate the tank when the body is in a horizontal position near a dock to allow the pipe to be continuously wrapped onto the body after being formed from pipe segments connected together in end-to-end relationship.

The most advanced deep water pipe laying technique now in existence has severe limitations which make the cost of laying pipe excessively high. The maximum criteria of presently known methods include a pipe size of 16 inches in diameter, a maximum water depth of 2,000 feet and a reel radius of 27 feet for carrying the pipe. The maximum weight of a fully loaded reel at this radius is about 2,000 tons. Moreover, for pipes of the above size, the above reel radius causes the pipe wrapped on the reel to have a curvature greatly in excess of its elastic bending limit. This requires reforming apparatus for straightening the pipe as it is unwound from the reel and before it is laid on the bottom of the ocean. Such reforming damages the corrosion coating of the pipe and interrupts the pipe laying process. The coating must be repaired before laying of the pipe can proceed. Further, the reel must be stopped at 1,000 foot intervals to install anodes and cannot under any circumstances handle concrete coated pipe. All of the foregoing limitations and requirements increase the cost of laying a pipeline, and in many cases, the cost is so high that pipe laying plans are abandoned before they can be carried out. This is particularly so when the pipeline is laid under an open sea over several miles. In addition, no other known method of laying large diameter (i.e., 20 inches or greater) pipe for water depths greater than 3000 feet.
Typical disclosures which relate to the laying of pipe from surface vessels include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,855,835 and 3,924,415, British Pat. No. 2884, and Canadian Pat. No. 667,802. All of these disclosures set forth structures which inherently contain some or all of the above limitations.
For the foregoing reasons, a need has arisen for an improved apparatus and method for laying a pipeline at great water depths and over long distances.


A hydrostatic bearing having two axial grooves on opposite sides of the bearing for breaking the rotational symmetry in the dynamic force coefficients thus reducing the whirl frequency ratio and increasing the damping and stiffness of the hydrostatic bearing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hydrostatic bearings and more particularly to hydrostatic bearings having two pads with axial grooves to improve dynamic stability.
2. Description of Related Art
Hydrostatic bearings have been in use for many years. One of the problems encountered with hydrostatic bearings are their stability characteristics. Hydrostatic bearings journals tend to whirl which is an undesirable feature. One of the factors which limits the speed at which a hydrostatic bearing can operate is the whirl frequency ratio, therefore reducing the whirl frequency ratio is a long sought desired end. As the whirl frequency ratio increases the damping capability of the hydrostatic bearing decreases. Many techniques have been introduced to reduce the whirl frequency ratio, among them are roughened bearing surface walls, non-rectangular recess geometries, liquid injection opposite to shaft rotation, increased recess edge downstream losses, and discharge wear rings or end seals. However these techniques all try to reduce the development of circumferencial flow velocity which yields the undesired cross-coupled stiffness coefficients.

Two pad axially grooved hydrostatic bearing


An absorption heat pump apparatus is so formed that solution which has absorbed coolant vapor in absorber to increase in temperature, liquid coolant into which coolant vapor heat been condensed in a condenser, and coolant which has decreased in temperature through flash evaporation of coolant vapor in an evaporator are delivered directly to heat exchangers so as to exchange heat with the outdoor air, respectively. This arrangement makes the use of cold water and cooling water as well as equipment therefor and maintenance thereof unnecessary.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an absorption the heat pump apparatus which absorbs heat of the indoor air and releases the heat into the outdoor air when the apparatus is in cooling operation and which absorbs the heat of the outdoor air and releases the heat into the indoor air when the apparatus is in heating operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional apparatus, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 60-245973, piping arrangements for cooling water and cold water are provided to connect with an absorber, a condenser and an evaporator so that the cooling operation and the heating operation can be switched over to the other by the use of these piping arrangements in different manners for the respective operations.
Alternatively, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 61-168758, there are provided an air-cooled condenser for the cooling operation and a water-cooled condenser for the heating operation, and an air-cooled heat exchanger and a water-cooled heat exchanger are provided and connected with each other through vapor passages to serve as an evaporator and an absorber. These components are switched over in usage in such a manner that, during the cooling operation, the water-cooled heat exchanger serves as the evaporator and the air-cooled heat exchanger serves as the absorber, and that, during the heating operation, the air-cooled heat exchanger serves as the evaporator and the water-cooled heat exchanger serves as the absorber.
In the conventional apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 60-245973, the piping arrangements required for cooling water and cold water are required, gives rise to a problem that it takes much time and much labor to perform the maintenance of the water or these piping arrangements. Further, the apparatus is low in thermal efficiency because the heat is indirectly transferred by means of water, and has a defect that the cooling and heating operations cannot be effected simultaneously because the piping arrangements are used for either the cooling operation or the heating operation at on time.
In the other conventional apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 61-168758, the different condensers are required respectively for the cooling operation and the heating operation, and consequently, it is necessary to switch the vapor conduits of large cross-sectional areas with one another, resulting in a problem that the whole apparatus is large in size. Besides, the absorber and the evaporator are replaced with each other to switch the cooling operation and the heating operation with each other, so that their performances are inferior to those of heat exchangers which are used for an exclusive purposes, and that the cooling and heating operations cannot be performed simultaneously.
In addition, in either conventional apparatus described above, a flowing liquid screen of solution or coolant is formed in each of the absorber, the condenser and the evaporator, and the coolant vapor is absorbed by or condensed on the liquid screen, or the coolant vapor is evaporated from the liquid screen. Accordingly, efficiency of the heat exchange is dependent on the thickness of the liquid screen and the flowing velocity thereof, and it is difficult to improve the capabilities of these devices, whereas the whole apparatus unfavorably is large in size.

Absorption heat pump apparatus with indoor and outdoor heat exchangers


A system includes an electrically conductive handle, a detector, and a controller. The electrically conductive handle is configured to move along a fixed handle path relative to a floor. The detector is electrically coupled to the handle and is configured to detect at least one of a voltage or an electrical charge at the handle during movement of the handle relative to the floor along the handle path. The controller is configured to initiate an event based upon the voltage or charge detected at the handle during movement of the handle relative to the floor along the handle path.

The problem of electrostatic discharge (ESD) is well known, particularly for those who handle sensitive electronic equipment. Static electricity charges can build up on a person when they move. When such an electrostatically-charged person touches an electrically conductive object, an electrical current may be discharged from the person to the object due to the voltage potential difference between the person and object. If the electrically conductive object is sensitive electronic equipment, that equipment may be damaged by the discharged electrical current.


A testing fixture includes a base, a signal source, a workstation and a crimping mechanism. The base is provided with a sloping surface carrying the workstation and the crimping mechanism. The signal source is located on the base. The crimping mechanism applies testing signals transmitted by the signal source to the product to be tested. Additionally, the workstation performs an electrical function test on the product to be tested. The testing fixture can effectively perform an electrical function test on the product to be tested and has an integrated design of the base, the signal source, the workstation and the crimping mechanism, which facilitates management and maintenance. The base is also provided with a sloping surface carrying the workstation and the crimping mechanism to provide the testing fixture with an optimal testing angle, thereby facilitating operation and production.

At present, LCDs (Liquid Crystal Display) have been widely applied in production and living due to its technological advantages. In the production process of LCDs, it is often required to use an auxiliary tool in cooperation with a signal testing machine to conduct LCD tests. The auxiliary tool can provide a signal connection between LCDs and the signal testing machine, and connect testing points of a signal source to corresponding testing points of a product to be tested, so as to finish the testing of the product to be tested under a light-on state.
The current testing fixtures have many defects in application: firstly, the fixture itself and the signal source are separately arranged and must be connected by an external flat cable when in use. In this case, the entire apparatus is in disorder when in operation, which is bad to workshop operation and unified management; and generally speaking, the fixture is operated only on a horizontal surface during signal testing, which fails to provide a good testing angle and does not facilitate fast production. Secondly, a polarizer of the fixture is often directly attached to the surface of a workstation by an acrylic plate, which leads to low transmittance of the polarizer and severe scratches, and greatly increases replacement frequency and omission ratio. Meanwhile, the fixture workstation and a backlight module are often integrated into one piece, i.e., the backlight module is directed fastened to a backlight module slot on the back of the workstation, which renders it difficult to clean and maintain the backlight module; additionally, an installation end of a probe on a fixture indenter is not retractable, such that the indenter, when moving reciprocally, will make the non-testing points broken, thereby leading to unnecessary damages.
Due to the above shortcomings, it is required to provide a testing fixture that can perform an effective electrical function test on the product to be tested, facilitate integral operation, provide an optimal testing angle and is easy to be installed and maintained.

Test fixture for electrical function test of product to be tested

BOE (HEBEI) MOBILE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A film deposition method includes rotating a rotary table by a first angle while supplying a separation gas from a separation gas supplying part and a first reaction gas from a first gas supplying part; supplying a second reaction gas from a second gas supplying part and rotating the rotary table by a second angle while supplying the separation gas from the separation gas supplying part and the first reaction gas from the first gas supplying part; rotating the rotary table by a third angle while supplying the separation gas from the separation gas supplying part and the first reaction gas from the first gas supplying part; and supplying a third reaction gas from the second gas supplying part and rotating the rotary table by a fourth angle while supplying the separation gas and the first reaction gas.

1. Field of the Invention
An aspect of this disclosure relates to a film deposition method, a storage medium, and a film deposition apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There exists a technology where a high dielectric constant material is used for an insulating layer of a memory cell of a semiconductor memory to increase the capacity of the semiconductor memory. Zirconium oxide (ZrO) is an example of a high dielectric constant material. ZrO has a dielectric constant of about 24 to 40, but has a low dielectric strength. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-18707 discloses a technology where the dielectric strength of ZrO is improved by adding aluminum (Al) to ZrO.
Meanwhile, there is a trend to increase the diameter of a semiconductor wafer (which is hereafter referred to as a "substrate") to reduce the costs of a semiconductor memory. Here, increasing the diameter of a substrate makes it necessary to improve the uniformity of a film within a surface of the substrate. For this purpose, for example, a film deposition method called an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method (or a molecular layer deposition (MLD) method) is used.
In the ALD method, one (reaction gas A) of two types of reaction gases that react with each other is adsorbed onto a substrate surface, another one (reaction gas B) of the two types of reaction gases is caused to react with the reaction gas A adsorbed onto the substrate surface, and these steps are repeated. Through this process, a reaction product of the reaction gas A and the reaction gas B is generated on the substrate surface, and a thin film made of the reaction product is formed on the substrate surface.
When, for example, the ALD method is performed with a batch-type film deposition apparatus, the reaction gas A is supplied into a process chamber where substrates are placed so that the reaction gas A is adsorbed onto the surfaces of the substrates. Next, the process chamber is evacuated or purged. Then, the reaction gas B is supplied into the process chamber so that the reaction gas A adsorbed onto the surfaces of the substrates reacts with the reaction gas B. As a result, a reaction product is generated on the surfaces of the substrates. The process chamber is evacuated or purged again, and the above process is repeated until a thin film with a desired thickness is formed on each of the substrates.
Thus, when a film deposition process according to the ALD method is performed with a batch-type film deposition apparatus, the film deposition process needs to include steps for supplying and purging the reaction gas and for supplying and purging the reaction gas B. Accordingly, it generally takes time to form a thin film according to the ALD method using a batch-type film deposition apparatus.
On the other hand, with a rotary-table film deposition apparatus where substrates are placed and processed on a rotary table, it is possible to reduce time necessary for a film deposition process.
In the rotary-table film deposition apparatus, the rotary table is rotated to cause each substrate to sequentially pass through a supply area A where the reaction gas A is supplied, a separation area, and a supply area B where the reaction gas B is supplied. The reaction gas A is adsorbed onto the substrate surface in the supply area A, and is caused to react with the reaction gas B in the supply area B.
Here, with the rotary-table film deposition apparatus, if the cycle of rotation of the rotary table is in synchronization with the timing when the reaction gas A or the reaction gas B is supplied, the amount of the reaction gas A or the reaction gas B adsorbed may vary depending on the substrates. That is, with the rotary-table film deposition apparatus where the reaction gas A or the reaction gas B is supplied directly to one substrate at a time, the controllability of a film deposition process and the uniformity of a thin film on each substrate and the uniformity of thin films on multiple substrates may be reduced.


A linear electromechanical actuator includes back-to-back screw-type actuators whose screw nuts are secured together. During operation, the leadscrew of one screw-type actuator is rotated while the leadscrew of the other screw-type actuator is locked.

This invention relates in general to linear electromechanical actuators and in particular to a screw-type actuator system that is fault-tolerant.
There exists a great need for fault-tolerance in fly-by-wire flight control systems, especially for the control of primary flight control surfaces such as a rudders, elevators, horizontal stabilizers and ailerons. Loss of control of one of these surfaces can lead to catastrophic results.
In a conventional electromechanical fly-by-wire flight control system, an electronic control unit (ECU) sends command signals, via wire, to an electric motor. In response to these command signals, the motor drives a linear ballscrew or Acme-threaded actuator which is linked to the control surface. Should the ballscrew or Acme-threaded actuator jam, the motor fail or a wire break, the primary control surface cannot be controlled.
Linear electromechanical actuators that are fault-tolerant are known to the prior art. A non-jamming screw actuator is disclosed in Klopfenstein U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,815. An outer ballscrew nut is threaded onto an intermediate ballscrew, which is threaded onto an inner screw. A first brake prevents the ballscrew from rotating and a second brake prevents the inner screw from rotating. When a motor rotates the ballscrew nut, the ballscrew and inner screw are moved axially as a unit. In the event of jamming between the outer nut and intermediate ballscrew, the first brake is released, allowing the intermediate ballscrew to rotate with the nut. The rotating ballscrew causes the inner screw to move axially.
Although the screw actuator is tolerant to a single fault, the motor is not. If the motor fails, so too does the system.

Fault-tolerant linear electromechanical actuator


An auxiliary handle (10) comprises a first clamp member (21), a second clamp member (31), an operation rod (40) and a grip (50). By rotation of the operation rod (40), the first clamp member (21) is moved toward a distal end of the operation rod (40), and at the same time, the second clamp member (31) is moved toward a base end of the operation rod (40). Accordingly, the first clamp member (21) and the second clamp member (31) are moved to be close to each other. As a result, an auxiliary handle attachable part (140) of a screw driver (100) is clamped by the first clamp member (21) and the second clamp member (31), and thereby the auxiliary handle (10) is attached to the screw driver (100).

U.S. No. 2011/0120741 discloses an auxiliary handle which is attached to a power tool. The auxiliary handle comprises a first clamp member, a second clamp member, a rod and a grip. The auxiliary handle is attached to the power tool by clamping a gear housing of the power tool by the first and the second clamp members.

Auxiliary handle and power tool having the same


Embodiments of the invention provide a foundation for a wind turbine. The foundation includes a section which is partly embedded in a concrete section and a cover which is arranged across an intersection between the embedded section and the concrete section. In that way, intrusion of water between the sections can be prevented effectively, and the lifetime of the foundation can be increased and/or the maintenance costs can be reduced. A method of making a foundation for a wind turbine and a wind turbine with the foundation are also disclosed.

When laying a foundation of a tower construction such as a wind turbine tower, a reinforced concrete element is often cast and subsequently, the turbine tower is positioned on the concrete element and fixed thereto. Often, the foundation includes an embedment section which is typically made of steel and has a circular shape corresponding to the shape of the tower. The embedment section includes a flange or similar interface for fixing the tower to the foundation.
When laying the foundation, the embedment section is firstly arranged such that the interface, and thus the tower, becomes accurately positioned. Subsequently, the reinforced concrete element is cast inside and about the embedment section whereby the embedment section becomes solidly fixed in a large block of concrete. Finally, the tower is anchored to the embedment section, typically by use of substantially vertical anchor rods or bolts through matching holes in adjacent flanges of the embedment section and the lowest tower section.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,417 discloses an example of a tower construction.
Due to the heavy weight of the tower construction, the connection between the embedment section and the concrete section is exposed to very large forces and cracks in the interface between these two sections are typically unavoidable. It is, however, of utmost importance that the embedment section continuously transfers the forces from the tower to the concrete section throughout the lifetime of the wind turbine.


Provided is a slush molding material which exhibits excellent low-temperature meltability and heat resistance and which can yield a molded product having excellent tensile strength and elongation. The present invention is urethane resin particles (D1) comprising a urethane or urethane-urea resin (U1) that has residues (j) bonded thereto covalently, said residues (j) being residues derived from an at least trivalent aromatic polycarboxylic acid by removing hydroxyl groups, or urethane resin particles (D2) comprising a urethane resin composition (S2) which comprises both a urethane or urethane-urea resin (U2) and a compound (E) that has a residue (j) derived from an at least trivalent aromatic polycarboxylic acid by removing hydroxyl groups, said compound (E) being represented by general formula (1), wherein the residues (j) are linked respectively to urethane or urea groups (u) of the resin (U1) or (U2) by hydrogen bonds.

Conventionally, in order to improve adhesion properties to a core cloth, water-resistant washability, and dry cleaning resistance, there has been suggested a hot melt adhesive composed of a thermoplastic polyurethane resin in which a difference between the softening start temperature and the softening end temperature, and the softening start temperature are set to specified ranges, the temperatures being according to a needle-penetrating mode of thermomechanical analysis. It is stated that this adhesive is also used as a material for slush molding (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Regarding resin particles used for powder coating, electrophotographic toner, and electrostatic recording toner, there have been suggested urethane resin particles which are meltable at low temperatures by adjusting the crystallinity, the melting point, and the molecular weight. It is stated that the particles are also used as a material for slush molding (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).
In recent years, as an instrument panel which is an interior part of an automobile, a slush molded product is used. In order to achieve low cost and high cycle of slush molding as well as long life of a mold, molding at low temperatures is demanded (see, for example, Patent Document 4). On the other hand, a cleavage is located in the instrument panel so as to expand an airbag stored under the instrument panel. For processing of the cleavage, from the viewpoint of design, a method of slitting the rear surface of the slush molded product by using a cutter is employed. However, in the region of high temperatures, the slit on the rear surface is fused by heat and disappears, so that the airbag may not open normally. Therefore, a slush molding material with excellent heat resistance is demanded (see, for example, Patent Documents 5 and 6).
In automobile parts, there is a need for weight saving for the purpose of improving fuel consumption. As a measure for achieving weight saving of interior materials of an automobile, it is considered a measure of making a slush molded body into a thinner form. However, the thinner form reduces mechanical properties of the molded body, so that it is necessary to provide stronger mechanical properties.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An extracorporeal lithotripsy apparatus includes a shock waves source which generates shock wave along an acoustic axis in a propagation direction, with the shock waves being caused to converge, either by a curvature of the shock wave source or by the use of a separate focusing element, at a focus region, the lithotripsy apparatus being initially positioned so that a calculus to be disintegrated is coincident with the focus region. During treatment, the calculus may be displaced from its original, identified position by patient movement, such as due to respiration. In addition to permitting adjustment of the position of the focus region along the longitudinal axis of the shock wave source, adjustable shock wave deflection elements are provided which are pentrated by the shock waves and which interact with the shock waves to deflect the shock waves and thereby cause the acoustic axis to deviate from the longitudinal axis, for permitting selected lateral adjustment of the positon of the focus region to accommodate lateral displacement of the calculus and maintain coincidence of the focus region and the calculus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an extracorporeal lithotripsy apparatus, and in particular to such an apparatus including means for laterally adjusting the position of the focus region so that a calculus which has been laterally displaced from an initial position can still be maintained within the focus region for effective disintegration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Extracorporeal lithotripsy devices are known in the art which include a shock wave source for generating a shock wave in a shock wave transmitting medium, with the shock wave being focused at a focus region. The apparatus is initially positioned so that the focus region is coincident with a calculus to be disintegrated in the body of a patient. Devices of this type are used in medicine, for example, to disintegrate gallstones and kidney stones. The use of these devices is advantageous because a surgical operation or the use of invasive probes are not required, and therefore injury to the patient and the risk of infection are minimized.
An example of such an extracorporeal lithotripsy apparatus is described in German OS No. 33 280 39. The shock waves generated by a shock wave source are coupled into the body of a patient via medium which transmits the shock waves. In the body of the patient, the shock waves are focused, for example, onto a kidney stone and transfer a portion of their energy in the form of compressive and tensile forces, resulting in disintegration of the calculus. Focusing of the shock wave may be done, for example, with an acoustic lens. The focus region in the body of the patient can be displaced along the acoustic axis of the shock waves by displacing the acoustic lens along that same direction. The focus region can thus follow a change in the location of the calculus along the acoustic axes.
Due to respiration or other movement, however, the calculus may also change position transversely relative to the acoustic axis. In the conventional devices, the only way to adjust the position of the focal region to follow a transverse movement of the calculus is to transversely adjust the acoustic axis of the shock wave source. This requires that the shock wave source, or the housing containing the shock wave source, be mounted to permit universal pivoting of the shock source, together with the acoustic lens.
Due to the masses which must be moved, such lateral adjustment is very sluggish, so that the focus region can only be adjusted to accommodate relatively slow changes in the position of the calculus. Changes in the location of the calculus which are caused by respiration are relatively rapid, and a follow-up adjustment of the focus region, if possible at all, can only be accomplished with difficulty in a conventional device. If such a follow-up adjustment is not undertaken, the shock wave source can only be activated when the calculus is again situated in the focus region, thereby significantly lengthening the treatment time.
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,061 wherein the ultrasound echoes, reflected by an examination subject, are focused onto a linear array and can be deflected along the linear array. The apparatus also includes two acoustic lenses by which the reflected ultrasound signals are focused on to the linear array. This ultrasound apparatus also includes two elements each having a wedge-shaped longitudinal section, which are mounted to be rotatable around a common axis in the region between the acoustic lenses. These elements are aligned transversely relative to the propagation direction of the ultrasound signals. The wedge-shaped elements are offset by 180.degree. relative to each other and are rotatable around the common axis with a drive mechanism in different rotational directions, but with the same angular speed. Upon rotation of the elements surround the common axis, the ultrasound signals reflected by the examination subject, and focused onto the linear array by the acoustic lens, are deflected along the linear array in oscillating fashion. The acoustic lenses and the wedge-shaped elements are disposed in a medium which transmits the ultrasound signals.

Extracorporeal lithotripsy apparatus with transversely adjustable focus region


Described is a technology by which independent computing functions such as corresponding to separate operating systems may be partitioned into coexisting partitions. A virtual machine manager, or hypervisor, manages the input and output of each partition to operate computer system hardware. One partition may correspond to a special purpose operating system that quickly boots, such as to provide appliance-like behavior, while another partition may correspond to a general purpose operating system that may load while the special purpose operating system is already running. The computer system that contains the partitions may transition functionality and devices from one operating system to the other. The virtual machine manager controls which computer hardware devices are capable of being utilized by which partition at any given time, and may also facilitate inter-partition communication.

As many computer systems are evolving towards providing entertainment, particularly in mobile and home computer systems, there is an increased need to have computing devices take on attributes more like consumer electronics devices. While originally it was generally nice to have a computer system that can also function similarly to a consumer electronics device such as a DVD player, such similar behavior is becoming standard or a requirement in order to sell computing products in the competitive computer and consumer electronics marketplace. One example requirement is a quick power-on experience. Another example requirement is extending some elements of autonomy, reliability or protection, e.g., a user's game playing should not degrade or crash the appliance-like features of digital video recording.
In conflict with these specialized requirements, to have practical value, a general purpose operating system cannot be very limited. For example, Microsoft Windows® is a platform designed for open and flexible implementations, enabling computer manufacturers, software developers and even users to adapt and implement personal computers in various different usage models, without requiring a specialized operating system for each model. Microsoft Windows® is therefore a very elaborate platform that accommodates a very broad base of capabilities, even though specialized solutions often only use a small fraction of the general-purpose Windows® platform resources that are available. While this platform extensibility is highly valuable in that it ensures flexibility and reduces development overhead, it does require that the platform initialize hardware and prepare to accommodate this very broad base of capabilities, and that many system resources of the operating system be loaded upon boot or be part of the footprint.
Booting a robust (or comprehensive) general purpose operating system can be time consuming, generally taking between fifteen and thirty seconds. This boot delay may be considered acceptable in typical computing environments, but for single-purpose device usage, or consumer electronics feature parity, this delay is unacceptable to customers. Moreover, running everything through a general purpose operating system means that one service or component can crash the system, adversely impacting another service, subsystem or user's usage.

Fast booting a computing device to a specialized experience


A surface layer for forming a cylinder barrel wall of a combustion engine block is proposed. The surface layer has separate phases of components that are separated from the phase of the remaining materials. The surface layer is produced by plasma spraying an iron containing spraying powder, incorporating all components of the layer to be produced. Such a surface layer may be applied easily and shows a significantly improved behavior regarding the machining thereof, without negatively influencing other important characteristics of the layer material, like wear resistance and coefficient of friction vis-à-vis the material of the piston rings. Preferred components of the spraying powder are, besides Fe, Cr, MN, S and C. Moreover, the spraying powder can contain As, Te, Se, Sb and/or Bi.

The present invention refers, in a first aspect, to a surface layer adapted to form a cylinder barrel surface of a combustion engine cylinder block, the surface layer comprising separate phases of components that are separated from the phase and phases, respectively, of the remaining surface materials. In a second respect, the invention refers to a spraying powder suitable for producing such a surface layer, and in a third aspect, the invention also refers to a method of producing a surface layer adapted to form a cylinder barrel surface.
A thermal coating of cylinder barrel surfaces by means of plasma spraying is known in the prior art, e.g. from the document EP-B1-0,716,156 entitled xe2x80x9cCombustion Engine Block with Coated Cylinder Sleevesxe2x80x9d.
The machinability of such layers produced by plasma spraying by honing, lapping or grinding was limited up to now, with the result that the machining costs were relatively high, particularly as far as the machining time and the life span of the tools are concerned.
The machinability of such plasma spraying layers can be considerably improved by the addition of solid lubricating particles, for example by the addition of hexagonal boron nitride (BN), of MoS2 or WS2. Boron nitride or the mentioned sulfides, however, can be added to the layer only to a limited degree because the react with the oxygen of the ambient air or are corroded by the high temperature of the plasma. Thus, they have to be protected by costly envelopes.
Further, the document EP 99 81 1122.3 discloses a method of so-called xe2x80x9creactive sprayingxe2x80x9d in which, by means of controlled addition of oxygen during the plasma spraying process, FeO-(wustites) and Fe3O4-crystals (magnetite) are formed in the plasma spraying layer. Thereby, the coefficient of friction and the machinability are improved.
Finally, the document GB-A-2,297,053 discloses an insertable sleeve member for cylinder barrels that consist of a supereutectic aluminum/silicon-alloy. The sleeve member undergoes, after having been inserted into an engine block, a mechanical machining insofar as its surface is first coarsely and then finely machined. In a last phase of machining, the surface is honed. After the honing operation, those particles that are harder than the micro structure of the base alloy, particularly silicon crystals and intermetallic phases, slightly tower above the real surface of the sleeve member. By means of those exposed particles, the resistance to wear is said to be improved.
Based on that prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a surface layer forming a cylinder barrel surface that can be easily applied to the cylinder surface and that is considerably easier to machine, without negatively influencing other important characteristics of the layer material. In particular, the resistance to wear and the low coefficient of friction vis-à-vis the material of the piston rings cooperating with the surface layer shall be maintained or even improved.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spraying powder for producing surface layers having the above characteristics, and, finally, it is a still further object of the invention to provide a method of applying a surface layer having the above characteristics.
To meet these and other objects, the invention provides a surface layer adapted to form a cylinder barrel surface of a combustion engine cylinder block. The surface layer comprises separate phases of components that are separated from the phase and phases, respectively, of the remaining surface materials. The surface layer is formed by plasma spraying an iron containing spraying powder containing all components of the surface layer to be formed.
The surface layer can be applied either directly to a cylinder wall of an engine block, or to the wall of a cylinder sleeve member to be inserted in to the engine block.
Besides a predominant portion of iron, preferred further components of the coating powder are chrome, manganese, sulfur and carbon. Also suitable are bismuth, lead, tellurium and selenium. The afore mentioned materials can be added in their elementary form or in the form of compositions.
The above mentioned additions form the separate phases upon cooling of the surface layer applied by plasma spraying. Thereby, it is understood that the sprayed-on surface layer has the same composition as the spraying powder.
The spraying powder for producing a surface layer adapted to form a cylinder barrel surface of a combustion engine cylinder block comprises separate phases of components that are separated from the phase and phases, respectively, of the remaining surface materials. The surface layer is formed by plasma spraying the spraying powder, using a rotating plasmatron, whereby the spraying powder contains all components of the surface layer to be formed.

Surface layer forming a cylinder barrel surface, a spraying powder suitable therefor and a method of creating such a surface layer


A supporting structure for a suspension member on a vehicle includes a front cushion and a rear cushion provided between the suspension member and the body of the vehicle. The front cushion is designed with a small spring rate against a load acting longitudinally on the vehicle and a vertical load on the vehicle. The rear cushion provides a large spring rate against a vertical load on the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an independent wheel suspension for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a supporting structure for a suspension member having a front cushion and a rear cushion for protection against shock to the body of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Two types of cushions are usually used for such a wheel suspension. They are shear type and compression type. A shear type cushion, however, provides only a small spring rate against the load acting longitudinally and vertically on the vehicle. A shear type cushion is particularly unsatisfactory for use on the rear side where the influence of a vertical load presents a significant problem. The cushion is not durable enough for use in such application. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to employ a cushion having a considerably large volume.
A compression type cushion advantageously exhibits a sufficiently large spring rate to comply with a vertical load on the vehicle. It provides a relatively large spring rate against the load acting longitudinally on the vehicle. This results in a reduced compliance of the suspension with the longitudinal load, which makes the vehicle less comfortable to ride in. In order to provide a solution to this problem, it is necessary to use a cushion having a large volume to lower its spring rate.

Supporting structure for a suspension member for a vehicle


A method for detecting .beta.-lactamases which may be present in a sample by using a disclosed chromogenic precipitating substrate. A sample is exposed to a disclosed .beta.-lactamase substrate and a colored precipitate forms in the presence of an active .beta.-lactamase.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to assays employing chromogenic reactions in which one of the reagents is a cephalosporin substrate of .beta.-lactamase.
2. Description of Related Art
.beta.-lactamases are enzymes produced by certain bacteria. These enzymes confer on these bacteria resistance to .beta.-lactam antibiotic therapy. The capacity to produce .beta.-lactamase is probably the most important and common cause of resistance to .beta.-lactam antibiotics in bacteria. For instance, if a patient infected with bacteria producing .beta.-lactamase is treated with cephalosporin, many .beta.-lactamases will recognize the cephalosporin and convert it into a metabolite with little or no antibiotic potency. Screening patient samples for .beta.-lactamase activity can avoid subjecting the patient to a course of therapy with inappropriate antibiotics.
.beta.-lactamases also have uses as a label in enzyme immunoassays (EIAs). .beta.-lactamases have very high turnover numbers, are easily available in hiqh purity from many commercial sources, have pH optima compatible with ligand-antibody binding, are relatively stable, have low molecular weight, are inexpensive, and are usually absent in body fluids.
By contrast, other commonly used enzyme labels such as alkaline phosphatase, horseradish peroxidase, and .beta.-galactosidase do not have all of these advantages in common. For instance, horseradish peroxidase requires chromogenic substrates unstable to varying degrees in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, and immunogenicity and mutagenicity of the chromogenic substrates for horseradish peroxidase are potential problems. Another disadvantage is the low yield of the horseradish peroxidase/IgG conjugation and loss of enzyme activity after conjugation. Furthermore, horseradish peroxidase exhibits markedly different stability characteristics at different pH values. Horseradish peroxidase is also difficult to use because of hemolysis problems and cross-reactivity of its substrates with hemoglobin.
.beta.-galactosidase substrates are often subjected to high rates of non-enzymatic hydrolysis leading to high numbers of failed tests. In addition, a loss of enzymatic activity upon enzyme conjugation can occur. Finally, the high molecular weight of .beta.-galactosidase presents problems in some applications. As a result, few if any commercial products exist utilizing .beta.-galactosidase.
Alkaline phosphatase is a readily available enzyme at reasonable cost. However, the efficiency of conjugation of alkaline phosphatase is rather low, typically about 5 percent, and after conjugation, only about 10 percent or less of the immunological activity of the ligand conjugated to alkaline phosphatase remains. Thermal stability of the conjugates of alkaline phosphotase is typically very low. Furthermore, because many samples from humans contain alkaline phosphatase, it is difficult to detect the labelled alkaline phosphatase from the endogenous alkaline phosphatase activity.

Beta-lactamase assay employing chromogenic precipitating substrates


Asynchronous file tracking may include a first process that adds files to a cache and that generates different instances of a tracking file to track the files as they are entered into the cache. A second process, executing on the device, asynchronously accesses one or more instances of the tracking file at a different rate than the first process generates the tracking file instances. The second process may update a record of cached files based on a set of entries from each of the different instances of the tracking file accessed by the second process. Each set of entries may identify a different set of files that are cached by the device. The second process may then purge one or more cached files that satisfy eviction criteria while the first process continues to asynchronously add files to the cache and create new instances to track the newly cached files.

A cache manager may be a process or component for tracking files that are entered into cache of a device, and/or for purging files from the cache according to one or more cache eviction policies. The cache manager may operate independent of one or more other processes of the device that serve requested files in response to user requests, and/or enter the requested files into cache.
Synchronous operation may exist between the cache manager and other caching processes so that the cache manager can have an up-to-date view of what is in cache. For instance, a process may generate an inter-process communication ("IPC") message for conveying to the cache manager each file that is newly entered to cache as a result of a cache miss and/or that is served from cache as a result of a cache hit. The IPC messages may be entered in a queue. Cache manager may update its tracking of files in cache based on the IPC messages.
In a device that receives a high frequency and/or a high volume of requests, the rate at which the IPC messages are generated and entered in the IPC queue may exceed the rate at which the cache manager processes the IPC messages. The IPC message queue may overflow, thereby causing the cache manager to lose track of one or more files that were entered into cache and/or that were requested from cache. The cache manager may also lose track of cached files when the cache manager is unavailable because of a failure, restart, and/or other issue, and one or more other processes of the device continue to add file to and/or remove files from the device cache.
Upon losing track of some cached files, the cache manager may be unable to designate and/or remove those files from cache. Consequently, some files may remain permanently in cache, may reduce the overall cache footprint of the device, and/or may affect the cache-hit ratio of the device. To prevent the tracking issues from impacting the device, the device may be periodically reset, its entire cache may be purged, and the device may then be brought back online. The emptied cache would cause the device to experience a large number of cache misses for a period of time, and to provide poor performance as the cache is repopulated.

Asynchronous tracking for high-frequency and high-volume storage


A linear-FM SAR imaging radar method and apparatus to produce a real-time image by first arranging the returned signals into a plurality of subaperture arrays, the columns of each subaperture array having samples of dechirped baseband pulses, and further including a processing of each subaperture array to obtain coarse-resolution in azimuth, then fine-resolution in range, and lastly, to combine the processed subapertures to obtain the final fine-resolution in azimuth. Greater efficiency is achieved because both the transmitted signal and a local oscillator signal mixed with the returned signal can be varied on a pulse-to-pulse basis as a function of radar motion. Moreover, a novel circuit can adjust the sampling location and the A/D sample rate of the combined dechirped baseband signal which greatly reduces processing time and hardware. The processing steps include implementing a window function, stabilizing either a central reference point and/or all other points of a subaperture with respect to doppler frequency and/or range as a function of radar motion, sorting and compressing the signals using a standard fourier transforms. The stabilization of each processing part is accomplished with vector multiplication using waveforms generated as a function of radar motion wherein these waveforms may be synthesized in integrated circuits. Stabilization of range migration as a function of doppler frequency by simple vector multiplication is a particularly useful feature of the invention; as is stabilization of azimuth migration by correcting for spatially varying phase errors prior to the application of an autofocus process.

The invention herein relates to the field of imaging synthetic aperture radars. More particularly, the invention relates to a linear-FM, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) which implements overlapped-subaperture real-time processing to correct for motion through resolution cells.
As with many applications of imaging devices, the finer the resolution the more useful the imaging devices become; however, the spatial resolution achievable by an antenna, without any coherent processing, is inversely proportional to the antenna's aperture. Thus, for fine resolution, a large antenna is required. To overcome the inability to place a large antenna on an imaging system in motion such as an aircraft or satellite, SAR samples a large aperture by positioning a small antenna at well defined locations along the large aperture. These samples are then coherently combined in the radar's signal processor to generate, synthetically, the resolution appropriate for the aperture traveled by the small antenna. In order to coherently combine the samples, the relative position of the antenna must be known to within a fraction of a wavelength. If the synthetic aperture to be sampled by the radar is a straight line, components of motion away from the line degrade the coherent combination of the samples of the synthetic aperture. The angular relationship between the line-of-sight vector to any point in the scene to be imaged and the undesired motion vector appears as phase modulation of the radar echo when viewed at the radar receiver. Spatially varying phase errors, also dependent on the motion of the radar, occur because the effect is not constant for all locations in the scene.
To achieve finer resolution image processing, the signal processing burden must increase at least as rapidly as the inverse of the resolution squared, assuming that the image area is constant and the X and Y dimensional resolution change at the same rate. Thus, it appears that the requirements for both a real-time, imaging SAR, and fine resolution are in conflict. For this reason, radar systems which efficiently utilize computing devices are particularly important to advancing the state-of-the art in real-time SAR.
Synthetic aperture radars are known in the art. For example, much background is described in "Developments in Radar Imaging", IEEE Transactions On Aerospace and Electronic Systems, Volume AES-20, Number 4, July 1984.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,287 to Mims describes a method of correcting for focus errors and higher order errors that occur in radar processing. The system includes first and second stages for processing radar signals over a plurality of time samples. The first stage derives the signals at each time sample and forms a set of complex signals of point-like scatterers to form a time history. Focusing errors are corrected by generating a set of correcting signals. The method, however, compensates for phase errors common to range and azimuth locations within the imaged area, but cannot compensate for phase errors that vary as a function of location.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,838 to Maeda et al. describes a method of reconstructing original images from synthetic aperture radar image data. In order to speed up the reconstruction of the original image the process for generating a point image pattern and the Fast Fourier Transformation process are carried out once for every certain number of lines. Positional displacement is corrected by multiplying a phase rotation factor by the product of the Fourier image pattern and one line of the image data. The method uses range compression before azimuth compression. However, the method does not use two stages of azimuth compression which implements a subaperture approach.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,370 to Mims describes a method using two stage azimuth processing with range migration compensation being processed after range compression. The method does not combine initial stage azimuth filtering with linear-FM transmitter pulse processing to implement a range-migration correction with a phase rotation.
The prior art processing schemes require inefficient interpolation to compensate for range migration. Moreover, prior art radar architectures suffer from unduly large computational burden and memory requirements of the signal processor by not correcting the received radar phase for undesirable, motion-induced, errors using phase rotations in the local oscillator and sampling rate changes in the A/D converter.
Prior art radar architectures calculate in general purpose computers the time-varying coefficient vectors which are needed in the signal processor and do not synthesize these vectors with digital hardware. Note that range and coarse-resolution azimuth positions are known before the final processing stage, so that some spatially dependent phase errors that limit other techniques such as polar format processing are eliminated.
It is thus an object of the present invention to account for spatially varying effects of motion induced phase errors to achieve high image quality over large scene areas. This object is achieved in the present invention by, inter alia, correcting the radar phase for undesirable, motion-induced, errors using phase rotations in the transmitter, receiver, and signal processor and sampling rate changes in the A/D converter.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a radar and method for imaging that can be efficiently realized in digital hardware.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for radar imaging which implements the method with signal processing operations.
It is yet another object of the present invention to minimize the computational burden and memory requirements of signal processing equipment.
It is yet another object of the present invention to organize processing requirements so that slow time varying coefficient vectors may be produced in general purpose computers and rapidly time varying coefficient vectors may be synthesized in hardware synthesizers.
It is thus an object of the invention to improve image quality at fine resolution of synthetic aperture radar which is degraded because the relative range of near and far images of a scene changes with motion of the radar. The radar herein is designed to change the radar center frequency, f.sub.o, and either the signal sampling rate or the chirp rate based on actual radar motion using a digitally-controlled waveform synthesizer. A further advantage is that this improved image quality can be accomplished in a real-time system without adding to the burden of the radar's signal processor.
It is a further object of the invention to obtain fine resolution with minimal memory requirements. Because of the filtering operation at coarse resolution processing, only A<M coarse-resolution azimuth bins need to be saved, thus achieving the reduction in real-time memory. Moreover, some of the signal processing operations are realized by varying the radar center frequency and either the chirp rate or the A/D sample rate. This process reduces memory requirements.
It is yet another object of the invention to achieve a synthetic aperture radar compensating for motion through range cells. This object is achieved when the spectrum of the signal in each subaperture is shifted by an amount that is proportional to the azimuth bin number of that column.
It is yet another object of the invention to allow for real-time processing concurrent with data collection. Certain functions, namely the coarse-resolution azimuth and the range processing, operate on one subaperture at a time wherein the data are reduced.
It is yet another object of the invention to remove the geometric distortion caused by range-doppler interaction. The feature of the invention which removes the geometric distortion is the use of the chirp-z transform as a last step in the processing. Moreover, a further advantage of this feature is that the invention produces an image with constant azimuth-sample spacing.
These and other objects are achieved with an imaging radar including a linear-FM type doppler radar for producing a received signal; a coarse-azimuth process for producing a plurality of subaperture arrays from the received signal, each subaperture array including a plurality of coarse-azimuth bins; a range process for producing a plurality of range bin vectors, each range bin vector having a plurality of range bins and being produced from a corresponding coarse-azimuth bin of the plurality of coarse-azimuth bins of each of the plurality of subaperture arrays according to the coarse-azimuth bin; and a fine-azimuth process for producing a radar image including a plurality of image lines, each image line being produced from a corresponding range bin of the plurality of range bins of each range bin vector of the plurality of range bin vectors.
These and other objects are achieved with a method of radar imaging including the steps of producing a received signal from a doppler radar having a linear-FM waveform; producing a plurality of subaperture arrays from the received signal, each subaperture array including a plurality of coarse-azimuth bins; producing a plurality of range bin vectors, each range bin vector having a plurality of range bins and being produced from a corresponding coarse-azimuth bin of the plurality of coarse-azimuth bins of each of the plurality of subaperture arrays according to the coarse-azimuth bin; and producing a radar image including a plurality of image lines, each image line being produced from a corresponding range bin of the plurality of range bins of each range bin vector of the plurality of range bin vectors.

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


Systems, methods, and devices are provided for estimating bilirubin levels. In one aspect, a method for estimating the level of bilirubin in a patient includes receiving image data for at least one image including a region of the patient's skin and a color calibration target. Color-balanced image data for the skin region is generated based on a subset of the image data corresponding to the color calibration target and the skin region. The bilirubin level in the patient is estimated based on the color-balanced image data for the skin region.

An estimated 60-84% of newborn infants develop neonatal jaundice, which produces a yellowing of the skin caused by the accumulation of excess bilirubin (hyperbilirubinemia), a naturally occurring compound produced by the breakdown of red blood cells. Although this condition is typically harmless and resolves within a few days, highly elevated levels of bilirubin can lead to kernicterus, a devastating and irreversible neurological condition characterized by deafness, cerebral palsy, profound developmental delay, or even death.
Current approaches for monitoring bilirubin levels in infants typically require repeated testing in a hospital setting. The blood concentration of bilirubin can be determined by the total serum bilirubin (TSB) measured from a blood sample, or via a transcutaneous bilirubinometer (TcB) measurement accomplished using a non-invasive but costly instrument. These tests are often unavailable in resource-poor settings, thus impeding early detection and treatment of kernicterus. Visual assessments, which are frequently used as an alternative to these tests, are often inaccurate and can be confounded by factors such as lighting or skin tone. Accordingly, improved approaches are needed for providing non-invasive, cost-effective screening for excessive bilirubin levels.

Systems, devices, and methods for estimating bilirubin levels


An apparatus which generates a clock signal includes a first phase mixer which generates an initial clock signal based on a first set of reference clocks and a buffer which adds a first predetermined delay to the initial clock signal to produce a first clock signal. A phase detection circuit detects a difference in phase between the first clock signal and a master clock signal, and a control circuit selects a second set of reference clocks based on the difference in phase and a second predetermined delay. A second phase mixer generates an output clock signal based on the second set of reference clocks.

This invention relates to generating a clock signal.
Clocking circuitry for electronic devices, such as a slave RAC (RAMBUS Application-Specific Integrated Circuit Cell), generates clock signals based on a master clock. Typically, the master clock is a strobe clock, such as a CTM or Clock To Master, for sampling data received from a transmission line. The strobe clock runs about 90 degrees out of phase with the leading edge of the data so that the center of each bit is sampled. By contrast, the data is clocked to/from an electronic device at roughly one xe2x80x9ctcoxe2x80x9d earlier than the leading edge of a bit, where xe2x80x9ctcoxe2x80x9d corresponds to the delay between a data clock and valid output data, which is usually an output buffer delay. The data clock is therefore 90 degrees out of phase with the master clock. Clocking circuitry in the device is used to preserve this phase relationship between the master clock and the data clock.
In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to generating a clock signal. This aspect of the invention features generating a first clock signal based on a first set of reference clocks, selecting a second set of reference clocks based on the first clock signal and a predetermined delay, and generating a second clock signal, based on the second set of reference clocks, which substantially compensates for the predetermined delay.
Among the advantages of this aspect of the invention may be one or more of the following. Generating the second clock signal based on the first clock signal makes it possible to obtain a proper phase relationship between the second clock signal and a master clock signal. Moreover, taking into account a predetermined delay in the second clock signal reduces phase discrepancies brought about, e.g., by hardware such as input/output (I/O) buffers and package trace delays. A digital control circuit may be used to introduce the predetermined delay. Use of a digital control circuit reduces phase errors that may be introduced from less reliable circuitry.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, drawings, and claims.


A portable belt sander having a drive pulley capable of being produced at a limited period. The sander includes a main body accommodating therein a motor, a drive shaft rotationally driven by the motor, a drive pulley coupled to the drive shaft, a driven shaft, and an endless polishing belt mounted between the drive pulley and the driven pulley. The drive pulley includes a base section coupling the drive shaft and made from a rigid material, and an outer low hardness section made from an elastomer material and disposed over an outer peripheral surface of the base section and integrally therewith by injection molding. Mating surfaces between the base section and the outer section are irregularly formed.

A portable belt sander includes a drive pulley, a driven pulley and an endless polishing belt mounted over the drive and driven pulleys. Rotation of the drive pulley provides a circulating movement of the belt so as to polish a surface of the workpiece.
A conventional drive pulley 102 is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The drive pulley 102 includes a drive shaft 107 drivingly connected to a motor (not shown), a base section 108, and an outer section 109. The base section 108 is coupled to the drive shaft 107 and is made from rigid or high hardness material such as aluminum and a resin. The outer section 109 is covered or crowned over the base section 108 and is made from a soft or low hardness material such as a rubber having high frictional resistance so as to avoid slippage of the polishing belt with respect to the outer section 109 to ensure circulating movement of the endless belt. Such conventional structure is shown in laid open Japanese patent application publication No. 2000-280157.
The outer section 109 made from the rubber is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the base section 108 by baking (forming) with employing expensive two-part adhesive. Prior to baking, various processes must be required such as degreasing an adhesion surface of the base section 108, drying the surface, coating a first adhesive, drying the first adhesive, coating a second adhesive and drying the second adhesive. Such preliminary processes require almost one day, and rubber forming requires about 10 to 20 minutes. Accordingly, a resultant drive pulley 102 becomes expensive.


Styrene homo-or-co- polymers, the stereoregularity of which is mainly syndiotactic are disclosed, having repeating unit or two or more different repeating units defined by a general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein each R may be the same or different. And a method of preparation of syndiotactic copolymers wherein there are two different repeating units represented by formula (I); wherein the polymerization is carried out with a catalyst comprising (a) a titanium compound and (b) a contact product of an organoaluminum compound and a condensing agent such as water.

The present invention relates to styrene polymers including homopolymers and copolymers having a new stereoregular structure and more particularly to styrene polymers in which the stereoregular structure of side chains relative to the polymer main chain is mainly syndiotactic.
As is well known, styrene homopolymers such as polystyrene and polyparamethylstyrene, and styrene copolymers are generally produced by techniques such as radical polymerization, anionic polymerization, cationic polymerization and polymerization using Ziegler-type catalysts. These styrene polymers are divided into three groups, isotactic, syndiotactic and atactic polymers, depending on the steric configuration of side chains thereof. It has heretofore been known that usual radical, anionic and cationic polymerization methods provide styrene polymers having mainly an atactic structure, and that the polymerization methods using a Ziegler-type catalyst provide styrene polymers having mainly an isotactic structure.
A number of methods of preparing styrene polymers and their structures have been reported. However, preparation of styrene polymers of high syndiotactic structure (excluding such model substances as trimers to pentamers prepared by organic chemical preparation techniques or alternating copolymers wherein styrene is copolymerized with a non-styrene monomer such as methyl methacrylate) has not yet been reported.

Process for producing syndiotactic styrene copolymer


An apparatus for providing traffic alerts includes a distance module, analysis module, transmission module, and signaling module. The distance module measures the distance between a vehicle and an object in front of the vehicle. The analysis decides whether to signal a presence of the object that comprises determining that the measured distance is equal to or less than a threshold distance. The transmission module transmits an alert in response to the analysis module deciding to signal a presence of the object. The signaling module transmits a visual signal to one or more vehicles behind the vehicle in response to receiving the alert from the transmission module. The visual signal has one or more characteristics.

Large trucks such as eighteen wheelers and other oversize vehicles (e.g., buses, trailers, RVs) have high and/or wide profiles. Drivers and passengers of cars and other motor vehicles traveling directly behind these trucks and oversized vehicles typically cannot see in front of them, and as a result cannot gauge traffic conditions ahead. The only indication these drivers have of the traffic conditions ahead come from the truck's brake lights.

International Business Machines Corporation


A touch panel (a position input device) includes a trace group including traces arranged at intervals, and an electrode portion including a driving electrode and a detection electrode. The traces, the driving electrode, and the detection electrode are made of a light transmissive conductive film. The driving electrode and the detection electrode are arranged adjacent to the trace group and include a slit extending along the traces.

In recent years, liquid crystal display devices using a touch panel has been installed in electronic devices such as tablet-type laptop computers and portable information terminals for improving operability and usability. A touch panel has light transmissive properties and position information within a plane display surface of a liquid crystal panel is input via the touch panel with being touched by a finger or a touch pen. Accordingly, a user can directly operate the panel as if a user directly touches images displayed on the liquid crystal panel. An example of such a display device including the touch panel as described in following Patent Document 1 has been known.

Position input device and display device


A relay component is deployed to a Web application. The relay component converts Web software components to a format expected by an integration broker. Developers may then implement an integration strategy entirely in the integration broker and then connect the presentation layer of the Web pages to the integration broker logic via the Web software components. When the data format of the disparate applications changes or is otherwise updated, developers may simply rebind the business object definitions from the integration brokers to Web software components, rather than recoding the entire Web application.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data processing and, more particularly, to application integration in a network data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to building integration workflow endpoints into Web components for a Web application.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heterogeneous computing environments use hardware and system software from different vendors. Organizations often use computers, operating systems, and databases from a variety of vendors. Application integration involves translating data and commands from the format of one application into the format of another. Application integration is essentially data and command conversion on an ongoing basis between two or more heterogeneous systems. Implementing application integration has traditionally been done by tedious programming, or occasionally one package might support the interfaces of one or two other packages. However, the trend today is to use message brokers, application servers, and other specialized integration products that provide a common connecting point.
Many companies also provide a Web presence to their backend systems. For example, a Web application may allow a customer to order a product. Prepackaged "middleware" solutions have become available to Web enable the enterprise. However, interfacing multiple heterogeneous systems with a Web application presents many problems to developers and administrators. Interface solutions are typically specific for a particular back-end application.

Method, apparatus, and program product for building integration workflow endpoints into web components