A transposition device that can be applied with one hand to the neck of a string instrument provides continuously adjustable pressure to adjust the musical sound of a string and includes a frame with a yoke and a first arm extending from one end of the yoke. A movable second arm is attached to the opposite end of the yoke by a first pivot. The second arm includes a cam follower and a compliant material on an inner surface. A cam movably attached to the frame by a second pivot contacts the cam follower of the second arm. When the cam moves from a first position to a second position, the second arm moves from a disengaged position to an engaged position that presses a string of a string instrument with a continuously adjustable pressure. The user selects the pressure desired while the capo is being installed on the neck of the string instrument. The cam may be exposed or it may be enclosed by a portion of the frame.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a tuning device used to change the key of a string instrument having a neck over which extends one or more strings.
2. Description of Related Art
A capo, also known as a capo tasto or capodastro, is a device that is applied to the neck of a stringed instrument such as a guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, ukelele and the like to depress the strings of the instrument and. thereby shorten the effective vibrating length of the strings to alter their sound.
Applying a capo to a stringed instrument commonly requires the use of both hands. This is often an awkward process requiring moving the instrument or the performer's hands or both from a playing position to another position for the installation or removal of the capo, after which the playing position must be resumed. This process can be distracting to both the performer and the audience. Therefore it is desirable to have a capo which can be easily installed and removed with a minimum of instrument or performer movement.
When a capo is applied to a string instrument, the capo depresses a string against a fret resulting in a change in string tension and variation in intonation. It is desirable to apply only the minimum pressure necessary to secure contact of the string with the fret for the capo to work most effectively. Excess pressure increases intonation loss and distortion. A capo which can apply a continuously variable amount of pressure would allow the performer to minimize intonation loss and distortion.
Typically, capos which provide pressure adjustment must be preset before use on a stringed instrument. For example, the capo described by Wilkerson in U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,432 uses a toggle mechanism and an eccentric cam for a pivot to clamp the capo to the neck of a stringed instrument. The user must adjust the cam prior to placing the capo on the instrument's neck. The pressure applied by the toggle mechanism reaches a maximum when the toggle passes a top dead-center position, after which the applied pressure is reduced. The user must also balance the amount of pressure desired when the capo is installed with the amount of pressure necessary to move the toggle mechanism past the top dead-center position. In a related example, the capo in Wilkerson's U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,165 requires the user to first adjust a screw prior to placing the capo on the instrument. In operation, a lever moves a roller bearing pivot from a first recess to a second recess. The motion of the bearing pivot presses a lower arm against the neck of the instrument, providing the clamping action. Again, the user must preset a pressure adjustment prior to installing the capo, and the selected pressure is a compromise between the pressure desired when installed and the pressure needed to move the bearing pivot from the first to the second recess.
Another problem with traditional capos is their inability to adjust the amount of pressure applied while the capo is being installed by the user. It would be preferable if pressure adjustment were continuous so the user could adapt the capo's operation to changing environment or performance needs. Both Wilkerson '432 and Wilkerson '165 must be adjusted prior to installation and are not easily adjusted during installation. Ronca U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,648 provides a capo with a clamping lever having an apex or cam. The apex must pass over a pivot axis where maximum pressure is applied before reaching a stable clamping position where a lesser pressure is applied to the neck of the instrument. No pressure adjustment is available Ronca '648.
Traditional Capos are designed to depress all of the strings of a string instrument. A capo which allows a performer to depress a subset of all strings would increase the harmonic variety available to the performer by creating pedal tones or drones.
A capo is therefore desired which can be installed and removed with a minimum of instrument or performer movement. Operation with one hand is advantageous. The capo should also continuously variable pressure which can be selected by the user while the capo is being installed.

Continuously adjustable capo for one hand operation


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor includes providing a mold defining a planar capillary space; placing a measure of precursor in fluid communication with the capillary space; creating a vacuum around the mold and within the planar capillary space; melting the precursor; allowing the melted precursor to flow into the capillary space; and cooling the melted precursor within the mold such that the precursor forms a semiconductor, the operations of melting the precursor, allowing the precursor to flow into the capillary space, and cooling the melted precursor occurring in the vacuum.

1. Field of Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to the preparation of silicon-based semiconductor materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
The vast majority of wafers for solar cells for photovoltaic devices are made by processes which add substantial costs and impart defects that significantly reduce performance. Virtually all wafers are made by "wire sawing" wafers from larger ingots or blocks of silicon. The wire sawing has several defects and cost and yield elements. The vibration in the wire sawing action causes micro-cracks in the wafer which diminishes efficiency, causes downstream failure from subsequent cracking; these micro cracks are typically 15-25 microns deep from both sides. As the wafer is processed in downstream in line processing and assembly and shipping these stresses can put a moment on the crack and propagate a crack, which is especially costly as value is added to the wafer as a cell, as a module and even as it is installed making this defect very expensive. The wire sawing is expensive in labor and in expendables and amortization of expensive equipment. The "yield losses" of silicon from the wire sawing, including the cleaning of the ingot, the machining of the "loaves" and the losses from wire sawing often approach or exceed 70%. The inescapable micro cracks limit how thin the wafers can be made, thus forcing the industry to use wafers thicker than otherwise desired.
Virtually all the ingots prepared for machining are made by one of two processes. Multigrain silicon ingots made by melting silicon in crucibles constructed of rebonded fused silica. These rebonded fused silica crucibles are fabricated from glass quality silica sand containing 350 ppm Fe2O3. The sand is melted and then ground slip cast into the desired shape and the rebonded, thus putting the Fe2O3 into solution. The crucible is then filled with lumps of solar grade silicon, 7-9 nines pure, and melted in a furnace in a vacuum with a low grade vacuum and kept at temperature for about 56 hours. During this time about 80% of the volume of silica in the crucible transforms from amorphous silica to a crystalline form called cristobalite, the cristobalite precipitating in a pure form and thus zone refining the now iron rich glass into the grain boundaries which flows and rapidly defuses throughout the silicon melt. As well, the silicon steals oxygen from the crucible, and carbon monoxide in the atmosphere reacts with the silicon as well. This results in much reduced efficiency in the resulting solar cells along with a large volume of silicon cleaned from all surfaces because of the contamination therein from carbon and oxygen.
Single crystal ingots made by the Czochralski process by drawing a crystal from a liquid pool of silicon held in an essentially pure quartz crucible. The quartz in this case is much purer than the rebonded fuses silica crucible, but there is much more flow of silicon in the crucible resulting in large amounts of oxygen distributed throughout the ingot thus reducing efficiency.
Because of the rates of diffusion in the silicon melts and the length of time at temperature, it is not possible to dope with boron, phosphorous or arsenic and maintain doping precision and accuracy required. For this reason, an N type wafer has not been possible despite its advantages.
For these reasons these technical approaches have been compromised by very low yield on silicon, often 30% or less; very high costs for one use crucibles; high cost from long times and large masses at high temperature; high costs from wire sawing and its associated processes; low yield from downstream and in process failure from micro cracking; low efficiency due to contamination from processing; and an inability to make a very thin wafer.
In the field of fabricating silicon semiconductor wafers, there is a need for methods and processes that increase in yield on silicon to 90% or higher from 30% or lower, maintain very high purity resulting in higher efficiency, and display an ability to make very thin wafers, as thin as less than 50 microns, thus potentially reducing the silicon per wafer by as much as 88% compared to current practices. It is also desirable to eliminate micro cracks and downstream and in process failures, reduce labor and energy costs, and move beyond expensive single-use crucibles.

Method for producing a semiconductor using a vacuum furnace


In some embodiments, the amplification method may comprise producing a reaction mix comprising: a nucleic acid sample, a polymerase, nucleotides, a forward primer that hybridizes to a sequence in the bottom strand of a fragment in the sample, and a reverse primer. The reverse primer has a hairpin structure comprising a loop, a stem and a 3′ overhang of at least 8 nucleotides, wherein the 3′ overhang hybridizes to a sequence in the top strand of the fragment. Subjecting the reaction mix at least two rounds of denaturation, renaturation and primer extension conditions results in extension the forward and reverse primers to produce an amplification product that contains: a double stranded region comprising a nick adjacent to the 5′ end of the reverse primer, and the loop of the first hairpin primer. Primer sets and kits for performing the methods are also provided.

Next Generation sequencing (NGS) methods typically generate millions of "reads" that originate from individual molecules of DNA. Some methods, such as nanopore sequencing methods or Pacific Biosciences SMRT technology, report sequence information from individual single molecules of DNA. However, it can be difficult to achieve suitable signal to noise ratios with single molecules, making it difficult to distinguish biological sequence changes from errors. Therefore, a number of NGS platforms such as 454, Illumina, and SOLID use a method of "clonal amplification" to generate many identical copies of individual DNA molecules. These copies are segregated in individual "clusters," or on beads, which were seeded by an individual DNA molecule. Sequencing reactions proceed on the identical copies in parallel, multiplying the signal.
Generally speaking, the clonal amplification methods fall into two classes: bead based, and surface based. Bead based methods often involve emulsion PCR, for example as commercialized by 454 and Ion Torrent technologies. Examples of surface based amplification methods include the "bridge amplification" method commercialized by Illumina and the "wildfire" or "avalanche" method described by Life Technologies. Due to technical difficulties of working with micron sized beads (clogging, enrichment of beads with DNA attached, packing uniformity), higher surface densities of amplified DNA colonies on a flow cell can generally be achieved using surface amplification methods.
Among other things, the present disclosure provides a way to amplify DNA. The method can be used to amplify DNA molecules in solution or on the surface of a support. In some embodiments, amplification may result a "cluster" of amplification products that can be sequenced by any convenient method.


A method of recycling and purifying cleaning chemicals used in the production of semiconductor circuits and containing hydrofluoric acid and or hydrochloric acid. Recycling of such chemicals is accomplished using separation and reconstitution steps Hydrofluoric acid and hydrochloric acid cannot be distilled directly from a chemical solution as they form azeotropes with water. A low vapor pressure substance such as sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid is used to break the azeotrope while increasing the purity of the recovered chemicals and decreasing disposal problems. The method is useable at the point of use of the chemicals.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for generating or regenerating chemical substances, and more particularly to a method of recycling high purity hydrofluoric acid and hydrochloric acid. The method of this invention is particularly useful for point-of-use generation and recycling of high purity wafer cleaning chemicals.
2. Background Information.
Ultra large scale (ULSI) semiconductor devices manufactured today incorporate design line widths which are less than a micron, and dielectric films which are thinner than 300 angstroms. These features, which are expected to become even smaller over time, are extremely sensitive to contamination during their manufacture. As feature size decreases, the circuit devices, commonly referred to as chips or wafers, will become even more sensitive to contamination.
Contaminants which adversely effect ULSI devices come in various forms. Particles can cause open or shorted circuits and non-integral dielectric films. Organic and inorganic conlaminants, both metallic and nonmetallic, can result in poor film quality and decreased device performance and reliability. Metallic contaminants can be especially damaging. Taken as a whole, contaminants result in a large portion of device yield loss.
The processes presently used in the fabrication of ULSI devices rely heavily on chemical reagents, both gaseous and liquid. Wet cleaning solutions presently account for approximately 25% of the steps used in wafer manufacturing. In general, liquid reagents used in these processes contain much higher levels of contaminants than do gaseous reagents. In view of these contamination levels, the wafer manufacturing industry is attempting to decrease the reliance on liquid chemicals. However, gas phase cleaning procedures have proved difficult to develop, especially procedures for removal of particles and metallics. Hence, liquid based cleaning procedures are expected to be used for at least another decade. Thus reduction of contamination in these liquids is highly desirable. The industry predicts that tenfold reductions in contaminants every three to four years are required.
In a typical facility, relatively large volumes of liquefied chemicals are used in cleaning. An estimate of the volume of chemical usage by a large facility producing state of the art ULSI devices is as follows:
______________________________________ Chemical Type Usage (l./mo.) ______________________________________ 96% Sulfuric acid 30000-60000 30% Hydrogen peroxide 20000-40000 28% Ammonium hydroxide 10000-20000 37% Hydrochloric acid 5000-10000 49% Hydrofluoric acid 5000-10000 ______________________________________
These chemicals are highly toxic, highly corrosive and can pose environmental costs associated with their distribution, use and disposal. Large volumes of additional chemicals are required to neutralize the spent chemicals. The cost of treating the spent chemicals sometimes exceeds the cost of purchasing the chemical. Considerable cost reductions could be achieved if the chemical usage was reduced or if the chemicals were recycled.
In the past, various methods have been used or proposed to recycle liquids such as those listed above. Examples of such methods include carbon adsorption, reverse osmosis, ion exchange, membrane filtration, ultrafiltration and distillation However, these devices and methods have significant limitations and shortcomings.
Despite the need in the art for an a recycling method for cleaning chemicals such as aqueous hydrochloric acid (HCl), hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrobromic acid (HBr) and nitric acid (HNO.sub.3), which overcomes the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art, none insofar as is known has been developed or proposed. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of recycling HCl and HF used in various chemical processes which overcomes the limitations and shortcomings of the prior art. It is a particular object of this invention to provide a method which is useful for regenerating high purity hydrochloric acid and hydrofluoric acid used in the manufacture of ULSI circuits. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a method which is useable at the point of use of these cleaning chemicals, thus increasing manufacturing yields of ULSI circuits and reducing manufacturing costs.

Point-of-use recycling of wafer cleaning substances


A system for depositing one or more layers, particularly layers including organic materials therein, is described. The system includes a load lock chamber for loading a substrate to be processed, a transfer chamber for transporting the substrate, a vacuum swing module provided between the load lock chamber and the transfer chamber, at least one deposition apparatus for depositing material in a vacuum chamber of the at least one deposition chamber, wherein the at least one deposition apparatus is connected to the transfer chamber; a further load lock chamber for unloading the substrate that has been processed, a further transfer chamber for transporting the substrate, a further vacuum swing module provided between the further load lock chamber and the further transfer chamber, and a carrier return track from the further vacuum swing module to the vacuum swing module, wherein the carrier return track is configured to transport the carrier under vacuum conditions and/or under a controlled inert atmosphere.

Organic evaporators are a tool for the production of organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). OLEDs are a special type of light-emitting diodes in which the emissive layer comprises a thin-film of certain organic compounds. Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) are used in the manufacture of television screens, computer monitors, mobile phones, other hand-held devices, etc. for displaying information. OLEDs can also be used for general space illumination. The range of colors, brightness, and viewing angle possible with OLED displays are greater than that of traditional LCD displays because OLED pixels directly emit light and do not require a back light. Therefore, the energy consumption of OLED displays is considerably less than that of traditional LCD displays. Further, the fact that OLEDs can be manufactured onto flexible substrates results in further applications. A typical OLED display, for example, may include layers of organic material situated between two electrodes that are all deposited on a substrate in a manner to form a matrix display panel having individually energizable pixels. The OLED is generally placed between two glass panels, and the edges of the glass panels are sealed to encapsulate the OLED therein.
There are many challenges encountered in the manufacture of such display devices. In one example, there are numerous labor intensive steps necessary to encapsulate the OLED between the two glass panels to prevent possible contamination of the device. In another example, different sizes of display screens and thus glass panels may require substantial reconfiguration of the process and process hardware used to form the display devices. Generally, there is a desire to manufacture OLED devices on large area substrates.
One step in the manufacturing of large scale OLED displays, which brings various challenges, is the masking of the substrate, e.g. for deposition of patterned layers. Further, known systems typically have a small overall material utilization, e.g. of <50%.
Therefore, there is a continuous need for new and improved systems, apparatuses and methods for forming devices such as OLED display devices.

System for depositing one or more layers on a substrate supported by a carrier and method using the same


A dielectric layer 32 variable in dielectric constant in dependence upon the strain is formed on at least a part of an outer peripheral surface of a bar 31 having a circular cross section. Interdigital electrodes are faced to the dielectric layer to thereby form a single capacitor. The interdigital electrodes have a plurality of linear electrodes 34a and 34b inclined at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a center axis of the bar. Preferably, the dielectric layer is provided with a cylindrical insulator 33 faced thereto with a small gap kept therebetween, and the linear electrodes are formed on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical insulator. The linear electrodes may be formed directly on the surface of the dielectric layer.

This application is a U.S. National Phase Application under 35 USC 371 of International Application PCT/JP00/06148 (not published in English) filed Sep. 8, 2000.
This invention relates to a torque sensor and a torque detecting method and, in particular, to a torque sensor and a torque detecting method which are suitable for an electric power steering apparatus in an automobile or a power-assisted bicycle.
Conventionally, in order to supplement a force to manipulate a steering wheel (hereinbelow, referred to as a wheel), an electric power steering apparatus has been developed. The electric power steering apparatus is an apparatus which detects a torque applied to the steering wheel from a driver and, in response to the torque thus detected, makes an electric motor provided in a steering mechanism generate a driving force for steering assistance. In comparison with a hydraulic power steering apparatus, the above-mentioned apparatus has such characteristics that no engine power is consumed to drive a hydraulic pump and that the controllability is excellent because the supplemental driving force is electrically controlled.
The above-mentioned electric power steering apparatus is required to have a torque sensor simple in structure and capable of carrying out non-contact detection from the viewpoint of reliability and cost. FIG. 1 shows one example of the torque sensor which is applicable for such use.
In the torque sensor of FIG. 1, a torsion bar 11 made of a material variable in magnetic permeability due to strain, that is, a magnetostrictive material is incorporated between an input shaft and an output shaft for input and output of the torque. On the outer periphery of the torsion bar 11, two coils 12 and 13 are placed with a given distance kept therebetween. On the surface of the torsion bar 11, elongated slits 14 inclined at xc2x145xc2x0 with respect to its center axis are formed in correspondence to the two coils 12 and 13.
When the torque is produced between the input shaft and the output shaft, the torque is applied to the torsion bar 11 so that torsional strain is produced in the torsion bar 11. Generally, the torsional strain generated in a solid cylinder or a hollow cylinder is decomposed into elongation strain in a direction of 45xc2x0 with respect to the longitudinal direction of the solid cylinder or the hollow cylinder and compression strain in a direction perpendicular thereto. Consequently, the elongation strain and the compression strain are respectively caused to occur in the directions of the slits 14 formed on the surface of the torsion bar 11. The magnetic permeabilities of the respective portions change in the manner such that one is increased while the other is decreased, and have levels substantially proportional to the torque applied.
As a result, the inductances of the two coils 12 and 13 change in the manner such that one is increased while the other is decreased. Each of these two coils 12 and 13 is connected to a ground terminal through a fixed resistance as an impedance element, and an a.c. voltage having a predetermined frequency is applied between the fixed resistance and the ground terminal. At this time, a terminal voltage of each of the coils 12 and 13 is supplied to a differential amplifying circuit. In this event, the differential amplifying circuit produces an output voltage proportional to the magnitude of the torque applied. Therefore, it is possible to detect the magnitude of the torque according to the above-mentioned output voltage.
Typically, an electric motor including a strong magnet is used in an automobile or a power-assisted bicycle. In order to avoid the influence of a magnetic field generated from the magnet, a robust magnetic shield is required. This brings about a drawback that the structure around the torque sensor becomes complicated.
Further, the electric power steering apparatus requires a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering direction in order to control the steering supplementing force produced by the electric motor by detecting a steering speed and a steering angle simultaneously when the torque applied to the wheel is detected as described above. The above-mentioned steering angle sensorgenerally adopts a method of detecting the N-pole and the S-pole of a multipolar ring-shaped magnet by the use of a Hall device. In order to prevent a magnetic field leaking from the ring-shaped magnet from influencing the above-mentioned magnetostrictive material, a shield for the torque sensor portion is required also. This results in a drawback that the structure becomes complicated.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a capacitive torque sensor which does not require a magnetic shield and has a simple structure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a torque detecting method using the above-mentioned capacitive torque sensor.
According to the present invention, there is provided a capacitive torque sensor including a bar having a circular cross-section, a dielectric layer which is formed on at least a part of an outer peripheral surface of the bar and which is variable in dielectric constant in dependence upon the strain, and a pair of interdigital electrodes facing the dielectric layer and forming a single capacitor, the interdigital electrodes comprising a plurality of linear electrodes inclined at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a center axis of the bar.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a torque detecting method using a capacitive torque sensor comprising a bar having a circular cross-section, a dielectric layer which is formed on at least a part of an outer peripheral surface of the bar and which is variable in dielectric constant in dependence upon the strain, and an interdigital electrode capacitor facing the dielectric layer and inclined at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a center axis of the bar, the method comprising the steps of activating a modulating operation in response to a change in capacitance of the interdigital electrode capacitor to produce a modulation frequency signal, and detecting a torque from the modulation frequency signal.

Capacitive torque sensor and method of detecting torque


Disclosed is a controlled autolysis method for making biological tissue substantially acellular by exposing the biological material, prior to any fixation thereof, to at least one buffered solution having a pH in the range from about 5.0 to 8.0 and a temperature in the range from about 12.degree. C. to 30.degree. C. for a sufficient period of time to render at least one region of the biological material substantially acellular while substantially preserving the structural integrity and non-cellular structural components of the biological material. Also disclosed is a method of making a bioprosthetic heart valve using biological material that has been treated by controlled autolysis and a method of treating a mammal having a defective heart valve using a bioprosthetic heart valve made, in part, by controlled autolysis.

Disorders of the cardiac valves cause significant morbidity and mortality. These disorders affect persons of all ages and can result from congenital or degenerative conditions, as well as from the sequelae of infections. Stenosis and insufficiency of the aortic or mitral valves have a greater incidence than stenosis and insufficiency of the tricuspid and pulmonary valves.
Treatment of cardiac valvular disorders can require replacement of the defective valve with a prosthetic valve. There are two types of prosthetic heart valves. "Mechanical valves", the first type, are composed wholly of materials not derived from living organisms. Mechanical valves currently in use have either a ball-valve construction, a tilting disc construction or a hinged leaflet construction.
"Bioprosthetic valves", the second type of prosthetic heart valves, are composed in whole or in part of biological material. Bioprosthetic valves generally comprise a supporting stent and a plurality of leaflets. The leaflets generally comprise biological material, while the stent, if present, generally comprises non-biological material, at least in part. The biological material of the leaflets, can be of autologous tissues, such as pericardium, fascia lata or cardiac valves. Alternately, this material can be derived from homologous tissue, such as non-autologous human tissue for human implantation, or can be xenogeneic.
Each type of prosthetic heart valve has advantages and disadvantages. Mechanical heart valves are durable but they carry a significant risk of thrombus formation with secondary complications. Chronic anticoagulation therapy decreases the incidence of thrombotic related events to between 1% to 4% per patient year. (Criscitiello, M. and Levine, H.: Thromboembolism and Prosthetic Heart Valves. Hospital Practice. Dec. 15, 1992:69-96.) Chronic anticoagulation therapy, however, carries with it a risk of hemorrhage similar in incidence to that of the residual risk for thrombotic events. (Barnhart, G. et al.: Degeneration and Calcification of Bioprosthetic Cardiac Valves. American Journal of Pathology. 1982, 106/1:136-139.)
Bioprosthetic valves initially approximate the hemodynamic properties of the natural valve. They carry a smaller risk of complications secondary to thrombus formation than do mechanical valves. Thus, chronic anticoagulation therapy need not be instituted in most patients. Bioprosthetic valves, however, carry a significantly higher risk of calcification than mechanical valves.
Calcification of bioprosthetic valves develops more rapidly in children, which have an incidence of calcification of about 40% to 50% at 4 years, than it develops in adults, which have an incidence of calcification of between 5% to 20% at 10 years. (Carpentier, A. et al.: Techniques for Prevention of Calcification of Valvular Bioprostheses. Circulation 70 (suppl I). 1984, I-165 to I-168.) Calcification causes thickening, retraction and reduced mobility of the leaflets and can lead to stenosis, insufficiency or both. Hence, calcification is an important limitation on the useful life expectancy of the currently used bioprosthetic valves. Since treatment of a functionally compromised bioprosthetic heart valve frequently requires replacement with a new valve, limitations on the useful life expectancy of a bioprosthetic heart valve are both a serious medical problem for the patient and a financial drain on the medical system.
Several methods to decrease or prevent bioprosthetic heart valve mineralization have been described in several patents since the problem was identified. Generally, the methods involve treating the bioprosthetic valve with various substances prior to implantation. Among the substances reported to work are sulfated aliphatic alcohols, phosphate esters, amino diphosphonates, derivatives of carboxylic acid and various surfactants. Nevertheless, none of these methods have proven completely successful in solving the problem of post-implantation mineralization. Thus, there remains a need for the bioprosthetic heart valve resistant to post-implantation mineralization.

Biological material pre-fixation treatment


A method of the present invention is provided for removing low molecular weight contaminants from a contaminant-containing material. This contaminant-containing material can include alcohol compounds, aldehyde compounds and peroxide compounds. The method comprises providing an alcohol oxidase enzyme-based catalyst system including coimmobilized transition metals comprising platinum and copper for catalytically oxidizing the contaminant-containing material. Then, the contaminant-containing material is catalytically oxidized in the presence of the alcohol oxidase enzyme-based catalyst system to form organic acid compounds. The organic acid compounds can then be removed.

Previous work in this area provided a proof-of-concept for the utilization of immobilized enzyme beds as biocatalytic reactors. see Jolly, C. D. and Bagdigian, R. M., "Application of Biocatalysts to Space Station ECLSS and PMMS Water Reclamation" SAE Technical Series 891442; and Putnam, D. F., et al, "Space Station Hygiene Water Reclamation by Multifiltration", presented at the 21st ICES, July 1991. A 7 cc urease bed was demonstrated to be capable of removing 30 mg/L urea for a volume of 35 liters, a throughput of 5 L/cc media. The material also integrated with multifiltration media to remove all measurable urea from waste shower water. An alcohol oxidase bed was demonstrated to be effective for only 800 mL throughput of a solution containing 50 ppm(v/v) methanol. It was determined that the enzyme was rapidly denatured by the hydrogen peroxide produced in the enzymatic reaction. It was concluded that a means of decomposing the H.sub.2 O.sub.2 in situ was required if reasonable bed life was to be attained. Several methods were defined at that time.

Method for removing low molecular weight contaminants


A method is provided for optimizing power consumption of a digital circuit which provides operational functionality based upon operating demands. The digital circuit is subject to a supply voltage level and a clock frequency. The method includes determining an acceptable delay value, from a plurality of predetermined acceptable delay values, for the digital circuit based upon current operating demands and the clock frequency. The supply voltage level and the clock frequency are applied to a delay monitor circuit. The delay experienced by the delay monitoring circuit is measured. The measured delay is compared with the determined acceptable delay value. Based on the outcome of the comparing step, the supply voltage level applied to the digital circuit is selectively adjusted. An arrangement for implementing the method is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to digital circuitry, and more particularly, to the management of power consumption of digital circuitry.
2. Related Art
In many electronic applications, and in particular in the medical device field, power consumption is an important consideration in product design. With respect to implantable medical devices, power consumption can be a critical issue. The power for an implanted device can be supplied from an external device through the skin using a wireless link or percutaneous lead, or, alternatively it can be supplied via an implantable battery. In each case, the available power within the implant is limited. As such, to provide the implant with a sufficiently useful operating lifetime, the limitations on the power supply push demands to lower the power consumption of the device.
One way to reduce the power consumption is to reduce the supply voltage of digital circuitry such as is found on an integrated circuit (IC). However, reducing the supply voltage produces consequential drawbacks. When reducing the supply voltage, the delay of the digital cells increases and as a result the timing of the circuitry becomes a critical consideration. As such, for digital circuitry, there may be a lowest threshold supply voltage level which provides optimum power consumption. However, going below such a threshold would result in the circuit not meeting the timing which is necessary for the designed function of the circuit. Such an optimal point would be dependent on the IC processing, the specific IC parameters, temperature, aging of the device, the patient's settings and operating demands. Hence, the supply voltage level which provides the optimal power consumption can differ from chip to chip. Further, the optimum supply voltage level for the one circuit will change dynamically as operating demands will change depending upon a patient's requirements.
An example of a conventional implantable hearing system is illustrated in FIG. 1. The system consists of an external part 12 and an internal part 14 (i.e. the so-called implant). External and internal parts 12, 14 communicate with each other using a wireless link 16 through the skin. Both internal and external parts 12, 14 can consist of one or multiple components. For example, an external sound processor 18, for capturing the microphone signal and conditioning the signal before sending it to the implant 20. Other external components could be a remote control 22, a programming interface, a diagnostics device, additional microphones, etc. The internal part 20 typically has a stimulator component that is responsible for stimulating the auditory nerve. Internal components may also include an implantable battery, implantable microphone, a receiver for a wireless link, etc.
As shown, each component can include a number of ICs which provide different required functions. In the illustrated example, the sound processor 18, as well as the implant 20, each includes a digital IC 24, 26. Such an IC can contain some analog blocks, but the majority of the IC consists of digital logic and memories.

Optimizing power consumption of a digital circuit


A communication system includes a first remote terminal unit (RTU) outputting first RTU data, a second RTU outputting second RTU data, and a remote control center applying a first RTU weight, which is a weight for the first RTU, to the output first RTU data and a second RTU weight, which is a weight for the second RTU, to the output second RTU data, and generating state estimation information for the first and second RTUs on the basis of the first and second RTU data to which each of the first and second RTU weights are applied.

The present disclosure relates to a communication system and an operating method thereof, and particularly, to a communication system capable of controlling a remote terminal unit (RTU) of a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and an operating method thereof.
A supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system is defined as a communication system for collecting, receiving, recording, displaying, at a remote control center (RCC), state signal data (or points) of a plurality of RTUs using an analog or digital signal on a communication path and allowing the RCC to supervise and control each of the RTUs.
The SCADA system is typically a system for supervising and controlling, in a centralized manner, many kinds of remote facilities such as power generation, transmission, and distribution facilities, a petrochemical plant, an iron and steel making facility, and a factory automation facility, etc.
The SCADA system performs functions of a supervising system for performing a pre-determined operation according to a state of an RTU, for example, an alarm function, a supervising and controlling function for selectively operating the RTU manually or automatically, and an instructing function or displaying function of the supervising system for receiving, displaying, or recording a state signal of the RTU.
The RCC of the SCADA system periodically obtains a state signal (or state value) at determined times, generates system analysis information (or unique algorithm) used for controlling the plurality of RTUs on the basis of the obtained state signals, and controls each of the RTUs on the basis of the generated system analysis information.
Furthermore, the RCC may receive the state signal (or value) ("open" or "close") from a cutout (a specific RTU) and at the same time, receive signal quality information ("good" or "suspect") that is information including whether each state signal is normal or erroneous, generate analysis information on each RTU in correspondence to the received signal quality information, and may collect the analysis information on the plurality of RTUs to perform state estimation on lines provided with the plurality of RTUs.
The state estimation may be defined as specific information for controlling the lines provided with the plurality of RTUs.
However, in related art, there is a limit in matching the state estimation, since weights are given to each facility group. In detail, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the RCC converts each RTU data output from each of the plurality of RTUs (e.g. a transformer, generator, and load) included in each line into each RTU group data, corrects the each converted RTU group data by adding a weight for each RTU data, integrates the corrected RTU group data into line data, and performs state estimation on each of the lines on the basis of the integrated line data.
In this case, there is no choice to perform state estimation on the basis of each RTU group data, and since it is difficult to reflect each state data of each RTU included in each RTU group, there is a limitation of degradation in matching of the state estimation.
Moreover, the RCC may receive the state signal (or value) (e.g. "open" or "close") from each RTU and at the same time, receive signal quality information (e.g. "good" or "suspect") including whether each state signal is normal or erroneous, generate analysis information on each RTU in correspondence to the received signal quality information, and may collect the analysis information on each RTU to generate system analysis information that is analysis information on the plurality of RTUs.
In particular, while a data signal having quality of "GOOD" is output from a specific RTU, once a data signal having quality of "SUSPECT" is output, the data signal having quality of "SUSPECT" becomes used and matching of the state estimation becomes further lowered.

Communication system and operating method thereof


A laminated metal composite of low flow stress layers and high flow stress layers is described which is formed using flow constraining elements, preferably in the shape of rings, individually placed around each of the low flow stress layers while pressure is applied to the stack to bond the layers of the composite together, to thereby restrain the flow of the low flow stress layers from the stack during the bonding. The laminated metal composite of the invention is made by the steps of forming a stack of alternate layers of low flow stress layers and high flow stress layers with each layer of low flow stress material surrounded by an individual flow constraining element, such as a ring, and then applying pressure to the top and bottom surfaces of the resulting stack to bond the dissimilar layers together, for example, by compression rolling the stack. In a preferred embodiment, the individual flow constraining elements surrounding the layers of low flow stress material are formed of a material which may either be the same material as the material comprising the high flow stress layers, or have similar flow stress characteristics to the material comprising the high flow stress layers. Additional sacrificial layers may be added to the top and bottom of the stack to avoid damage to the stack during the bonding step; and these additional layers may then be removed after the bonding step.

This invention relates to a laminated metal composite, comprising alternating layers of low flow stress material and high flow stress material, and formed using flow constraining elements around each low flow stress layer; and a method of making same.
A composite is a combination of at least two chemically distinct materials with a distinct interface separating the two materials. A metal matrix composite (MMC) is a composite material composed of a metal and a nonmetallic reinforcing agent such as silicon carbide (SIC) or graphite in continuous or discontinuous fiber, whisker, or discrete particulate form. A laminate is a material composed of several bonded layers. It is possible to have a laminate composed of multi-layers of a single type of material bonded to each other. However, such a laminate would not be considered to be a composite. The term "laminated metal composite" (LMC), as used herein, is intended to include a structural material composed of: (1) layers of metal or metal alloys interleaved with (2) a different metal, a metal alloy, or a metal matrix composite (MMC) containing strengthening agents.
It is possible to form a laminate containing two or three different materials with or without a bonding agent. Practical applications are discussed in E. S. Wright et at., "Laminated-Metal Composites", in Metallic Matrix Composites, ed. K. G. Kreider, 1974, Academic Press, New York, at pp 37-99. Examples of laminated materials include multi-layer plywood, multiple ply laminates of boron or carbon fiber-reinforced plastics, and Arall laminates (Aramid fiber reinforced aluminum alloy laminates). Most of the industrial metal laminates, however, contain only two or three layers with thin surface layers cladding a thicker substrate material. Such cladded metal laminates have been used for several decades, due to their cost effectiveness and resistance to wear and corrosion. Kum et at., in J. Mech. Phys. Solids, Vol. 31, 1983, at pp. 173-186, describes metal laminates made of two component metals such as art ultrahigh carbon steel and mild steel. Chowla et at. in Proc. 2nd International Conference on Composite Materials, 1978, discuss, at pp. 1237-1245, the forming of metal laminates composed of aluminum alloy and stainless steel using press or roll bonding techniques. However, metal laminates having five or more component layers are virtually non-existent.
Kum et at., in J. Mech. Phys. Solids, Vol. 31, 1983, at pp. 173-186 have shown that multi-layer laminated metal composites (LMCs) can have damage critical properties superior to those of their component materials. Damage-critical properties essentially represent the resistance to crack initiation and propagation. The resistance to crack propagation is improved in LMCs, because the propagating crack is blunted or eliminated by interlayer delamination. Crack initiation by fatigue and impact can be suppressed by applying a crack-resistant hard layer on the surface.
Laminated metal composites (LMCs) formed from alternate layers of high strength and low strength materials have been found to have excellent damping, fatigue, fracture, wear, and impact properties and could be useful as structural materials for machine tools, buildings, transportation vehicles, and aircraft.
The stress of a component layer impacts the quality of a laminate upon deformation, such as compression rolling. Stress is defined as the load per unit of area. The stress of an individual component layer can be referred to as the flow stress of the layer. In addition, the flow stress may be regarded as the quantity of stress which will cause the material to flow at a given strain and predetermined temperature. A layer with low flow stress flows much more readily than a layer having high flow stress. The flow stress of a material is thus understood to be a relative term. Generally, soft metals have a lower flow stress that hard metals.
Laminates containing two or three layers are made by roll-bonding. Multilayer laminates have been made by stacking alternate layers of component materials and then press-bonding or roll-bonding the resulting stack at an elevated temperature by imposing a large deformation, f the component materials are not too different.
However, laminated metal composites (LMCs) containing component layers having substantially dissimilar flow stresses, i.e., differing by greater than at least 10%, and usually differing by an order of magnitude or more, are difficult to produce by press bonding since those component layers having the lower flow stress will deform prematurely and extrude out of the stack. For example, laminates of a high strength steel and a low strength aluminum alloy are difficult, if not impossible to make by press bonding a simple stack of such differing materials at an elevated temperature near the melting point of the aluminum alloy. In the latter case, the flow stress of the aluminum alloy is far smaller than that of the steel component at the same temperature.
Referring to prior art FIGS. 1 and 2, an initial stack of such dissimilar materials is illustrated at 2 in FIG. 1. Layers 4, 8, and 12 comprise a high flow stress material such as a high strength steel, while intermediate layers 6 and 10 comprise a low flow stress material such as a low strength aluminum alloy. When pressure is applied to this stack, such as by the aforesaid compression roll bonding, much of the low flow stress layers 6 and 10 extrude from the stack, as shown at 16 and 18 in prior art FIG. 2, resulting in the formation of very thin low flow stress layers 6' and 10', as also shown in FIG. 2.
Nakatate, in Japan Patent document 60-148688, addressed this problem of bonding a stack of plate materials having a large difference in deformation resistance by providing frame members around each side of a rectangular stack, then welding the frame members to the stack, and then passing the welded stack through press welding rolls to bond the layers of the stack to one another. While this method apparently provides the desired retention of the low flow stress material in the stack, it requires the provision of weldable materials in the stack to weld the stack to the individual frame members placed on each side of the illustrated rectangular stack.

Laminated metal composite formed from low flow stress layers and high flow stress layers using flow constraining elements and making same

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


Methods and apparatus are provided for soft decision decoding using reliability values based on a log base two function. A signal is processed to determine one or more reliability values for a soft decision decoder by computing one or more log-likelihood ratio (LLR) values using a log base two function. The soft decision decoder may employ, for example, a belief propagation algorithm. The soft decision decoder can decode, for example, Low-Density Parity Check codes or turbo codes.

Errors can occur when information is transmitted between a transmitter and a receiver. Error correction codes, such as Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes, are often used to detect and correct such errors. LDPC codes are block codes based on a parity check matrix, H. See, for example, R. G. Gallager, "Low-Density Parity-Check Code," IRE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol. IT-8, 21-28 (January 1962). LDPC codes are useful in high speed data transmission systems, for example, over a medium or carrier or via electromagnetic radiation, such as satellite communications, wireless transmissions, fiber optics, electrical wiring or cable and a variety of storage media, including hard disk drives, optical disks, and magnetic bands.
A given LDPC code is defined by a parity check matrix, H. A non-zero entry of the parity check matrix defines a parity check used to detect and correct errors in the received codeword. An LDPC parity check matrix is said to be sparse. In other words, there are a small number of non-zero entries in the matrix relative to the size of the matrix. If the parity check matrix, H, has dimension (n−k, n), a codeword is said to be n bits long with k information bits and n−k parity check bits. A parity check matrix for an (n, k) code has n columns and n−k rows.
Typically, a soft decision decoder for decoding LDPC codes and other turbo codes compute reliability values based on log likelihood ratios (LLRs). Typically, these reliability values require natural log or exponential computations. It has been found, however, that natural log( ) and exp( ) are inconvenient to implement with binary numbers. A need therefore exists for a soft decision decoder with reduced computational complexity.

Methods and apparatus for soft decision decoding using reliability values based on a log base two function


In one embodiment, a satellite radio receiver is capable of simultaneously processing (i) a first radio channel that is playing on a first speaker and (ii) a second radio channel, different from the first radio channel, that is not playing on the first speaker. The second radio channel can simultaneously be playing on a second speaker, be recorded onto a non-volatile memory, and/or have its processing modified. A user can control the satellite radio receiver using vocal commands, while the first channel is playing on the first speaker. The radio receiver has a microphone connected to a voice-recognition command interpreter that includes an interfering-sound canceller, which reduces sounds interfering with the vocal commands, and a command-recognition module, which recognizes vocal commands and provides a control signal to a multi-channel control processor, which processes and controls the first and second radio channels, received from corresponding decoders connected to a satellite radio receiver antenna.

1. Field of the Invention
The current invention relates to multimedia receivers, and particularly to multimedia receivers capable of simultaneously decoding multiple radio channels.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditional radio receivers are analog devices that tune to a particular frequency that corresponds to a particular broadcasting station. The analog signal recovered by the receiver can then be manipulated in many ways known in the art, such as, for example, adjusting the signal's amplitude or recording the signal onto electromagnetic media. Digital radio systems comprise digital receivers that decode a channel of a broadcast digital radio signal and retrieve the signal of a station of interest. The broadcast digital radio signal may contain data for multiple stations, but only one station is decoded at any given time for the user to listen to and control.
A satellite radio is one type of digital radio system wherein broadcasting antennas are located on earth-orbiting satellites. A satellite radio receiver is a popular option for automobiles since it allows a user, i.e., a driver and/or passenger, to listen to a selected station, out of scores of available stations, from any automobile location across an extremely large area. For example, a single digital radio satellite can broadcast to about half of the North American continent. In contrast, the coverage area of terrestrial broadcasting antennae is geographically much more limited, often limited to a radius of several miles.
One implementation of a satellite radio system is the Satellite Digital Audio Radio System (SDARS). SDARS uses satellite antennas in concert with terrestrial retransmission antennas to provide users broad and robust coverage. The terrestrial retransmission antennas are useful in urban landscapes where, because of tall buildings nearby, a digital radio receiver may have difficulty receiving the signal provided by an orbiting satellite. An SDARS system is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,724,827 to Patsiokas et al, incorporated herein by reference.
Digital radio receivers are now becoming available which can decode two or more digital radio channels simultaneously, wherein each channel can tune to a separate station, i.e., each channel is independently tunable. One use of such systems is to stream a selected audio station on one channel while streaming traffic or weather data on a second channel for visual display. Another use is to allow a user to listen to one selected channel while recording a second channel for later playback. Novel means for controlling multiple simultaneously decoded channels would be useful.

Control of a non-active channel in a multi-channel receiver


A trigger sprayer contains a valve element that vents air from a pump chamber of the sprayer, while priming the pump, to the interior of a liquid container to which the sprayer is attached. In an alternate embodiment, the valve element includes an integral check valve.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a trigger sprayer containing a valve element that, while the pump is being primed, vents air from a pump chamber of the sprayer to the interior of a liquid container to which the sprayer is attached.
2. Description of the Related Art
A pressure buildup sprayer is a general category of sprayer in which liquid dispensed from the sprayer is first raised to a certain pressure level before it is dispensed from the sprayer. Typically, sprayers of this type contain a manually operable pump that draws liquid from a container to which the sprayer is attached, and dispenses the liquid from a nozzle orifice of the sprayer. Positioned within the sprayer between the pump and the nozzle orifice is a pressure regulator or pressure buildup valve that regulates the pressure of the liquid dispensed from the nozzle orifice. In operation, as liquid is drawn from the container to the pump and is then made to flow from the pump toward the nozzle orifice in response to actuation of the pump, a pressure regulator positioned in the liquid flow path between the pump and nozzle orifice prevents the flow of liquid to the orifice until the liquid is raised to a certain pressure level at which the regulator opens communication to the nozzle orifice and the liquid is dispensed from the sprayer.
In prior art pressure buildup sprayers, difficulties are frequently encountered in first priming the pump of the sprayer with liquid from the container to which it is attached. In priming the sprayer pump, air in the pump chamber must be displaced as liquid from the container is drawn into the pump chamber. However, due to the compressibility of the air in the pump chamber, it is often difficult to raise the pressure of the air by actuation of the sprayer pump to the level required to open the pressure regulator and permit the air to be displaced from the pump chamber and through the pressure regulator and the nozzle orifice. Frequently, the biasing force of the pressure regulator valve in prior art pressure buildup sprayers is too large to be overcome by the increased pressure of the air in the pump chamber when priming the pump due to the compressibility of the air.

Trigger sprayer having air vent sleeve with integral check valve


A method and arrangement for processing signals emitted by a plurality of apparent emitters that is detected by an Electronic Measures System/Direction Finder unit (ESM1). The ESM1 unit is adapted to identify a real emitter and at least one false emitter among said apparent emitters, based on the variance of emitter characterizing parameters for each apparent emitter. When false and real emitters have been identified, this information may be used to suppress clutter from false emitters, and/or to determine the position of the real emitter using observations from only one ESM/DF unit.

Electronic Support Measures/Direction Finder sensors receives signal from emitters, creates emitter description and determine bearing to emitters. An example of such a receiver is shown in FIG. 1.
The illustrated system includes a number of antennas 12 a-c, each with an individual receiver channel 13 a-c. In the processing unit 14, the relationships between the signals received on the antennas are used to find the direction to the emitter source 11. The "signature" of the signals from an emitter 11 may be used to identify the emitter.
In order to identify an emitter, the received signals is made subject of a rather complicated processing involving the following steps:                Pulse processing, determination of (at least):                    Carrier frequency (RF)            Pulse Width (PW)            Pulse Power (P)            Time Of Arrival (TOA)            Direction Of Arrival (DOA).                        De-interleaving, (sorting of pulses by emitter) by using one or more of the calculated pulse parameters.                    The result of the de-interleaving process is a number of pulse trains, one per apparent emitter.                        Emitter Processing, determination of improved emitter describing parameters; this is mainly an improved pulse processing process using information gained in the de-interleaving process:                    Improved pulse parameters and statistics: RF, P, DOA            PRI (mean, stagger pattern, jitter pattern) by means of TOA            Emitter antenna parameters (dwell time, and scan time, rotating or oscillating) by means of P and TOA.
Processing of signals in ESM/DF systems are described in further detail in international patent application PCT/NO2004/000412, also owned by the present applicant.
The type of sensors described above is well known. When two or more sensors observe the same emitter, it is possible to determine the position of the emitter. With only one emitter, though, only bearing determination has traditionally been possible.
Current solutions for determining emitter position involve two or more sensors which need to communicate in order to create a cross-bearing or similar. In some operative scenarios involving mobile sensors, only one sensor is observing the emitter or radio-communication restrictions limits the ability to communicate with other sensors. Thus, with traditional methods, only bearing to the emitter is possible.
If the range, i.e. the distance to the emitter, could be determined in addition to the bearing, the position of the emitter would be known. A well known method is to use knowledge of the emitter to estimate range from received power:
  S  =                              P          t                                  G          t                                              A            r                                4                        π                                                                                R              2                                          ⇔      R        =                                        P            t                                          G            t                                          A            r                                    4                                                              π                                                              S
Where S is received signal strength, Ar is the antenna aperture, R is range. The estimate requires good knowledge of the emitter output power and antenna gain (PtGt) which must be known upfront and stored in an emitter database and also a good calibration of the ESM receiver. A minor variation of 3 dB will result in an error in the range estimate 30%, thus the accuracy of this method is usually limited. Thus, the accuracy is low at best and the method requires very good knowledge of the emitter in question.
In addition we have the effect of reflexes, which is a well known problem. ESM/DF sensors in a coastal scenario will often receive reflexes from surrounding steep cliffs, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Here, an emitter 21 is emitting signals that are scattered in several scattering points 26, 27, 28, 29 along a coastline 25 with steep cliffs. This effect may produce a multitude of apparent emitters even if only one real emitter is present. The extra emitters arising from reflected signals are called false emitters in the following description.

Method, use of said method and arrangements in an electronic support measures system


An access management system includes a database configured to store access data including account identifiers and accessor identifiers, wherein the access data indicates particular accounts that have been accessed by particular accessors. The access management system also includes a computer system that receives a reservation request comprising an account identifier and an accessor identifier and determines whether the account identifier is included in the database. The computer system also determines, in response to the account identifier being present in the database, whether the access data correlates the account identifier to the accessor and authorizes the reservation of the one or more resources in the account by the accessor in response to the access data correlating the account identifier to the accessor.

The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Access controls may be used to regulate who has permission to access certain resources, such as information, land, personal property, money, or any other item of value. However, vulnerabilities in access controls may develop or be discovered. Such vulnerabilities may be remedied by replacing the access controls, but this can be a costly and time-consuming process. Furthermore, until the access controls are replaced, resources may be unavailable, even to people who have a right to access them.
Attempts to reduce the expense of replacing access controls have typically been focused on limiting the scope of access controls. For example, resources may be compartmentalized into accounts that are each associated with a separate access control. Thus, if one account is compromised, the other accounts remain unaffected. However, limiting the scope of access controls does not change the fact that when an account is compromised, replacing the associated access controls is still a costly and time-consuming process that renders resources temporarily inaccessible.
Digitizing access controls has also had some effect in reducing the amount of time and money typically involved in replacing access controls. For example, instead of replacing the entire infrastructure associated with a mechanical access control, replacing a digital access control may involve replacing or reprogramming affected components of the infrastructure. Nevertheless, the downtime and costs associated with replacing even digital access controls may still be significant.
Thus, an approach for further reducing the downtime associated with replacing access controls would improve the usability and effectiveness of access control technology.
While each of the figures illustrates a particular embodiment for purposes of depicting a clear example, other embodiments may omit, add to, reorder, and/or modify any of the elements shown in the drawing figures. For purposes of depicting clear examples, one or more figures may be described with reference to one or more other figures, but using the particular arrangement depicted in the one or more other figures is not required in other embodiments.

Automatic correlation of account identifiers to account accessors


A control system controls an image forming unit that includes a charging device, an image bearer to be charged by the charging device, a light-emitting device array including a plurality of light emitting devices, and a driving causing the light emitting devices to emit light to form a latent image on the image bearer. The control system includes a storage unit, a corrector, and a controller. The storage unit is configured to store a light-amount correction value of each of the light emitting devices. The corrector is configured to correct a pixel value of each pixel in image data, based on the light-amount correction value of each light emitting device stored in the storage unit. The controller is configured to control the driver to cause each light emitting device to emit light based on image data for which a pixel value of each pixel has been corrected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control system, an image forming system, a control method, and a computer-readable recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus that prints an image on a recording medium through an image bearer, components that respectively perform charging, exposure, development, and transfer, is provided around the image bearer, and an image forming unit that performs a series of image forming (also referred to as "printing" or "recording") processing including image forming is provided. Moreover, in such an image forming apparatus, a light-emitting device array in which plural light emitting devices such as light emitting diodes (LED) are aligned, for example, in a main scanning direction (also referred to as "line direction") that is perpendicular to a sub-scanning direction is also provided.
In image forming performed by the image forming unit, first, a drum-shaped or a belt-shaped image bearer is uniformly charged by a charging unit. Movement of a drum-shaped image bearer and the like in the sub-scanning direction is also expressed as "rotating" or "turning". Moreover, movement of a belt-shaped image bearer and the like in the sub-scanning direction is also expressed as "rotating". Subsequently, the light-emitting device irradiates a charged surface of the image bearer with light in a line unit in the main scanning direction (hereinafter, simply "line") according to image data, thereby exposing the charged surface. As a result, an electrostatic image (also referred to as "electrostatic latent image") by light emission is written on the charged surface of the image bearer. Subsequently, by developing the electrostatic image with toner, a toner image is formed on the charged surface. The formed toner image is directly transferred onto a recording medium by a transfer unit, or is transferred onto a recording medium after the image is transferred to a belt-shaped or a drum-shaped intermediate transfer body. The recording medium to which the toner image is thus transferred go through a fixing unit to have the toner image fixed thereon, and is, thereafter, ejected out of the apparatus.
Problems that is concerned about when the light-emitting device array is used in the image forming apparatus are variation in optical output of the multiple light emitting diodes in the light-emitting device array caused at the time of manufacturing the light-emitting device array, and nonuniformity in light amount caused by an assembly error and the like of each light emitting device and an equal-magnification image forming device (rod lens array). The nonuniformity in light amount can cause deterioration of an image, and can appear as vertical streaks in an image printed out. Furthermore, deterioration of an image can include an image skew and the like caused by deviation of a main/sub image position due to an assembly error of the light-emitting device array and the image bearer, or inclination of a main scanning line.
Based on such a background, in the light-emitting device array used in an image forming apparatus, a correction function to make the light amount uniform among the light emitting devices is provided therein in some cases. This correction function is as follows. That is, a correction value to make the light amount uniform is calculated in advance for each of the light emitting devices, and light-amount correction data indicating the correction value is stored in a storage unit such as a read-only memory (ROM). By correcting a driving current to be supplied to each of the light emitting device independently, by using the light-amount correction data of each of the light emitting devices, the light amount is equalized (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-177088).
However, by a method of correcting the driving current of each of the light emitting devices independently as in the above conventional technique, it is necessary to provide a digital-analog converter (DAC) that corrects a driving current based on the light-amount correction data independently for each of the light emitting devices, resulting in an increase in device cost. For example, in an image forming apparatus supporting a resolution of 1200 dots per inch (dpi) and an A3 width (297 mm), approximately 14000 pieces of LED devices are provided. Therefore, if a current correction circuit such as a DAC is provided independently for each of the LED devices, a large scale integrated circuit is required to be designed and mounted therein, leading to a significant increase in device cost.

Control system configured to correct variations in optical output of light emitting devices, image forming system, control method, and computer-readable recording medium


A process for preparing a device and a device including a substrate; an interlayer disposed on the substrate, wherein the interlayer comprises a cured film formed from an interlayer composition, wherein the interlayer composition comprises: an epoxy compound; a polyvinyl phenol; a melamine resin; a solvent; an optional surfactant; and an optional catalyst; a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on a surface of the interlayer; a semiconductor layer disposed on the interlayer, wherein the semiconductor layer is disposed into a gap between the source and drain electrode; a back channel interface comprising an interface between the semiconductor layer and the interlayer, wherein the interlayer serves as a back channel dielectric layer for the device; a dielectric layer disposed on the semiconductor layer; a gate electrode disposed on the dielectric layer. Also an interlayer composition and an organic thin film transistor comprising the interlayer composition.

The present invention is directed to an interlayer composition and devices formed therefrom.
For printed electronics, various metal nanoparticle inks including silver inks are broadly used in electronic device integrations. The printed conductor inks are often used as electrodes for various devices such as diodes and transistors. Therefore, in addition to high conductivity, the conductor ink should ideally provide a suitable interface for charge injection in device applications. Challenges often encountered include the ink wetting on the substrates which affects printing quality (printing line quality/resolution), uneven or not smooth surface of the substrate which makes the printing impossible, the loss of the ink conductivity and poor ink adhesion to substrates.
Previously Xerox® Corporation developed silver nanoparticles and inks which can be solution processed by ink jet printing for various electronic device applications. Xerox® Corporation has invented a nanosilver particle which is stabilized by an organoamine U.S. Pat. No. 8,765,025, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes a metal nanoparticle composition that includes an organic-stabilized metal nanoparticle and a solvent in which the solvent selected has the following Hansen solubility parameters: a dispersion parameter of about 16 MPa0.5, or more, and a sum of a polarity parameter and a hydrogen bonding parameter of about 8.0 MPa0.5 or less. U.S. Pat. No. 7,270,694, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes a process for preparing stabilized silver nanoparticles comprising reacting a silver compound with a reducing agent comprising a hydrazine compound by incrementally adding the silver compound to a first mixture comprising the reducing agent, a stabilizer comprising an organoamine, and a solvent.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/866,704, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes stabilized metal-containing nanoparticles prepared by a first method comprising reacting a silver compound with a reducing agent comprising a hydrazine compound by incrementally adding the silver compound to a first mixture comprising the reducing agent, a stabilizer comprising an organoamine, and a solvent. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/188,284, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes conductive inks having a high silver content for gravure and flexographic printing and methods for producing such conductive inks.
Xerox® Corporation has developed flexographic and gravure inks based on silver nanoparticle technology. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/594,746, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes in the Abstract thereof a nanosilver ink composition including silver nanoparticles; polystyrene; and an ink vehicle. A process for preparing a nanosilver ink composition is described comprising combining silver nanoparticles; polystyrene; and an ink vehicle. A process for forming conductive features on a substrate using flexographic and gravure printing processes is described comprising providing a nanosilver ink composition comprising silver nanoparticles; polystyrene; and an ink vehicle; depositing the nanosilver ink composition onto a substrate to form deposited features; and heating the deposited features on the substrate to form conductive features on the substrate.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/573,191, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes in the Abstract thereof a nanosilver ink composition including silver nanoparticles; a clay dispersion; and an ink vehicle. A process for forming conductive features on a substrate is described including providing a nanosilver ink composition comprising silver nanoparticles; a clay dispersion; and an ink vehicle; depositing the nanosilver ink composition onto a substrate to form deposited features; and heating the deposited features on the substrate to form conductive features on the substrate. Inks have been successfully formulated in non-polar solvents such as decalin and bicyclohexyl and successfully printed using inkjet printing technologies.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/981,419, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes in the Abstract thereof an interlayer composition including an epoxy resin; a polyvinyl phenol; a poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) polymer; a solvent; an optional surfactant and an optional catalyst. A device including a substrate; an interlayer disposed thereon; and conductive features; wherein the interlayer is formed from a composition comprising an epoxy resin; a polyvinyl phenol; a poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) polymer; an optional surfactant and an optional catalyst. A process for forming conductive features on a substrate including depositing an interlayer onto a substrate; thermally curing the interlayer; depositing a conductive composition onto the interlayer to form deposited features; and annealing the deposited features to form conductive features.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/099,937, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes in the Abstract thereof a composition formed from ingredients comprising: an epoxy; a polyvinyl phenol; a cross-linking agent; an epoxy silane; and a solvent. A printable medium and other devices made from the composition are also disclosed.
A thin-film transistor (TFT) is a special kind of field-effect transistor made by depositing thin films of an active semiconductor layer as well as the dielectric layer and metallic contacts over a supporting (but non-conducting) substrate. A common substrate is glass, because the primary application of TFTs is in liquid-crystal displays. This differs from the conventional transistor, where the semiconductor material typically is the substrate, such as a silicon wafer. Organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) technology involves the use of organic semiconducting compounds in electronic components. A thin film is a layer of material ranging from fractions of a nanometer (monolayer) to several micrometers in thickness.
In order to provide a high performance printed organic thin film transistor (OTFT), a controllable line width with a minimal line-to-line spacing is required for the OTFT source and drain electrode printing. In addition, the electric properties, such as charge-trapping and emission at the interface of the interlayer and a semiconductor, are of importance as they affect transistor performance.
Solution based all-additive printing processes enable low cost fabrication of electronic devices on a large area flexible substrate. These printing processes offer several advantages including fast prototyping with on-demand custom device; patterning devices at low temperature, and applying to a broad range of applications for electronic device manufacture.
Many of these printing processes use organic semiconductors. Organic thin-film transistors (OTFT) have low electron or hole mobility. Because of this low mobility, the desired device performance requires a large ratio of the thin-film transistor (TFT) channel width to channel length (W/L). In order to achieve a high transistor current during device on state, it is desired to make the channel length, which is the dimension of the gap between the source and drain electrodes, as small as possible. Shown in FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a top-gate OTFT 10. The OTFT 10 includes a substrate 12 and thereupon an interlayer 14. Source electrode 16 and drain electrode 18 form a gap or channel 20 therebetween. Semiconductor layer 22 is disposed between the gap 20. Gate dielectric layer 24 is disposed upon the semiconductor layer 22. Gate electrode 26 is disposed upon the gate dielectric layer 24. A voltage applied to the gate electrode imposes an electric field 28 into the semiconductor channel, which accumulates or depletes charge carried in the channel. The back channel interface 30 is the interface between the semiconductor layer 22 and the interlayer 14. Since the semiconductor layer 22 is thin (typically 50 nanometers), the gate voltage has a strong field effect at the back channel interface 30. In an undesired situation, charges may be moved in and out from the interlayer 14 to the semiconductor 22, causing poor device performance in terms of slow subthreshold slope and higher off-state leakage current.
Solution processable conducting materials including silver nanoparticle inks play an important role in electronic device integrations. Silver nanoparticle inks can be easily dispersed in suitable solvents and used to fabricate various conducting features in electronic devices such as electrodes and electrical interconnectors by low-cost solution deposition and patterning techniques and especially by ink jet printing technologies.
The conductive features formed from metal nanoparticles such as silver nanoparticle inks on suitable substrates, including glasses and flexible plastic substrates, must have sufficient adhesion and mechanical robustness characteristics to enable proper electronic device fabrications and functions. However, one of the issues is that adhesion on certain substrates such as glasses and polyimide may not be adequate in some instances for robust device fabrications. The adhesion issue was tackled previously by addition of a small amount of polymeric materials including polyvinyl butyral (PVB) resin in silver conducting inks as an adhesion promoter. This approach is suitable for some applications. However, a potential disadvantage of this method is that the electrical conductivity of printed conductive features from such inks could, in some instances, be decreased significantly. Therefore, it is necessary to develop effective methods to improve adhesion and enable formation of devices with robust mechanical properties without sacrificing electric conductivity of metal nanoparticle inks used in electronic device applications.
Currently available compositions and methods are suitable for their intended purposes. However a need remains for improved electronic device compositions and methods. Further, a need remains for an improved method for providing sufficient adhesion and mechanical robustness characteristics while also maintaining desired electrical conductivity of the printed conductive features. Further, a need remains for an interlayer composition having the characteristics of film forming capability, adequate film adhesion, in embodiments, adequate film adhesion to glass substrates, ability to accept conductive ink, in embodiments silver ink, wherein a film formed from the interlayer allows desired adhesion of conductive ink to the film, non-polar solvent based silver ink wettability, and desired conductivity. In embodiments, what is desired is an interlayer composition providing a combination of these desired characteristics; that is, an interlayer composition that provides all of the following characteristics: film forming ability, film adhesion to glass, ink adhesion to film, non-polar solvent based ink wettability, and desired conductivity. Further, a need remains for a high performance printed organic thin film transistor (OTFT) and improved method for preparing same, providing a controllable line width with a minimal line-to-line spacing which is required for the OTFT source and drain electrode printing. In addition, a need remains for an improved device and process providing electric properties, such as charge-trapping and emission at the interface of the interlayer and a semiconductor. Further, a need remains to address the issue that organic thin-film transistors (OTFT) have low electron or hole mobility. Because of this low mobility, the desired device performance requires a large ratio of the thin-film transistor (TFT) channel width to channel length (W/L). In order to achieve a high transistor current during device on state, a need remains for improved devices and processes to make the channel length, which is the dimension of the gap between the source and drain electrodes, as small as possible.
The appropriate components and process aspects of the each of the foregoing U.S. patents and patent Publications may be selected for the present disclosure in embodiments thereof. Further, throughout this application, various publications, patents, and published patent applications are referred to by an identifying citation. The disclosures of the publications, patents, and published patent applications referenced in this application are hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains.


A candle having a plurality of tabs securely positioned with a heat sensitive adhesive on the outside of the candle at various levels therealong. When the candle is burning at the level where the tab is located, the tab becomes detachable and may be pulled away from the candle for revealing a message previously hidden by the tab.

This invention relates generally to candles comprising a container with wax therein. More specifically, the invention relates to candles including a container with wax therein and having hidden messages spaced along the length thereof, which may be revealed as the wax is consumed.
In the past, candles were constructed having messages formed in the container for the wax. These messages were hidden by the wax, but as the wax at the rear of the message was consumed, the message became visible. With this type candle a special container having the desired messages formed therein, is required. Such special container is substantially more expensive than the cost of a container for a commonly used candle. Moreover, the messages were not always completely hidden, and with some effort the message could be deciphered.
The subject invention utilizes a conventional container for candles. A sheet having a plurality of tabs extending along the length thereof is secured to the container. Messages are hidden by the tabs. The tabs may be removed from the sheet to reveal the messages, when the candle is burning at the level where a corresponding tab is located.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the subject invention to provide a candle having a plurality of hidden messages, which may be revealed at different intervals of time during the burning of the candle.
Another object is to provide a candle having a plurality of tabs which are detachable when the heat generated by the candle has reached a predetermined intensity.
Another object is to provide a candle having tabs which are detachable when the temperature has reached approximately 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

Candle having removable tabs for revealing messages