Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method for automatic prioritization and routing of exams for patients in a medical center based on image classification. The method includes capturing an image and digitizing it, automatically classifying the image based on its content, prioritizing the image based on its classification, and routing the image based on its prioritization and classification to the appropriate medical practitioner.

The present invention generally relates to medical exam prioritization and routing. In particular, the present invention relates to systems and methods for automatic routing and prioritization of exams based on image classification.
Medical practitioners, such as doctors, surgeons, and other medical professionals, often rely upon radiologists to read images of patients to determine where the patient should be routed for further medical care.
Over the last decade or so, acquisition of images for medical purposes has become widely digitized by using such devices as, for example, computed tomography (CT) scanners and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners. When the images are acquired, they are digitized, usually at the source (i.e., within the scanning device). After acquisition, the images are sent to a picture archiving communication system (PACS). The images can then be accessed from the PACS and displayed to radiologists who make assessments of the patient based on the images associated with him or her.
The number of radiology exams and size of studies are increasing in all types of hospitals and imaging centers. The number of radiologists is not increasing as to effectively accommodate this increase in the demand and use of radiology exams in diagnosis and routing of patients. As a result, there is tremendous pressure to increase the productivity of radiologists without affecting the quality of their work. This has become a very challenging issue in the medical field.
Existing systems and technologies are capable of providing images online upon demand and routing the images accordingly. However, many of these systems encounter problems as a result of creating work lists of the images based on body parts and modality types. The images are then accessed by radiologists according to their specialty. These systems do not take into account the criticality of the case and are not designed to make decisions as to who should read the exam based on the findings in the acquired images. The images often have computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) markings. Nevertheless, radiologists still have to examine the images to review the markings and decide to re-assign the exams to another radiologist based on the CAD findings.
Therefore, the main challenge encountered in the hospitals and radiology centers is that the volume of the images in a PACS is increasing, thereby increasing the demand for radiologists, but the number of radiologist is not increasing to accommodate this increase in volume. For example, in a busy hospital, on a given day, exams on the order of thousands are performed that involve imaging. Today, as a number of images for review is increasing, the number of available radiologists is decreasing, and, for a given radiologist, there is a greater amount of work to be done than in previous years. This may have such effects as delaying treatment to some patients especially those who may be in need of expedient care, and possibly misdiagnosing and routing patients to an erroneous destination.
Thus, there is a need for systems and methods for automatic routing and prioritizing of exams to specific destinations based on image classification.

Systems and methods for automatic routing and prioritization of exams based on image classification


Impact resistant properties, especially at low temperatures, melt processing properties, and dimensional stability of thermoplastic elastomer polyurethanes are improved by the addition of a carbonyl modified polyolefin. These improvements are particularly useful for reinforced polyurethanes.

Heretofore, uncured or non-crosslinked polyurethanes having hard segments therein such as made from toluene diisocyanate or methylene bispphenyl diisocyanate have had good physical properties However, as the rigidity of the thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer increases, the low temperature toughness becomes poor. Although thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers have been blended with a variety of polymers, blending with carbonyl modified polyolefins for improved low temperature toughness has been unknown since the same are not compatible with polyurethanes. For example, the Handbook of Thermoplastic Elastomers, edited by Benjamin M. Walker, Chapter 5, Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomers, page 244, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1979, states that color concentrates in low-density polyethylene can be added to polyurethane. However, the amount of the low density polyethylene is utilized in levels of less than three percent since they effect polymer properties and processing.
Heretofore, carbonyl modified polyolefins have been made and have generally been utilized as coupling agents for glass fiber reinforced polypropylene, as a melt adhesive and as a tie layer for coextrusion of polyolefin with aluminum foil.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,890 to O'leary relates to a blend composition containing a very high amount of a polyolefin, for example in excess of 75 percent by weight, and a very low amount of a low hardness polyurethane, for example less than 25 percent by weight.


A system and method of an enterprise mobile message are provided. The system includes a cloud composed of a database, a server, and a push gateway. The server receives an uploaded add subject instruction and a related message to create a new subject block in the database and assigns thereto a subject ID, so as to store the message. The server receives an uploaded reply subject instruction and a related reply message to create a second level block and assigns thereto a second level subject ID, so as to store the reply message. The server delivers the messages and the reply message to the mobile communication device of a corresponding member by a push notification and through the push gateway and an external push host.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cloud technology applicable to mobile communication devices, and more particularly, to a system and method of an enterprise mobile message.
Description of the Prior Art
Mobile communication devices nowadays are often adapted to function as message exchange systems by cloud technology and provided to societies and organizations, but conventional mobile message delivery technology still has too many drawbacks to meet the needs for corporate governance.
Taiwan's Published Patent Application 201312971 (hereinafter referred to as "citation 1"), entitled "Method of Receiving Message", discloses a method of receiving messages. The method is applicable to electronic devices. The method comprises the steps of: receiving a message; getting connected to a server according to the IP established in an electronic device upon the receipt of the message; retrieving a multimedia file from the server; and downloading and playing the multimedia file. The technical problem to be solved by citation 1 is as follows: the frame for displaying a short message is primitive, because the frame merely displays the contents of the short message and provides simple operation functions, such as editing short messages. Users who often keep in touch with each other by short messages not only attach great importance to prompts but also regard a robust short message interface important" (see citation 1, the specification, paragraph [0002]). The technical effect produced by citation 1 is "downloading multimedia files through messages."
Taiwan Patent 573268, entitled "Channel Subscription, Push System, and Method Thereof" (hereinafter referred to as "citation 2"), discloses channel subscription, a push system, and a method thereof, wherein a user connects a mobile communication device to a WML server so as to subscribe to a channel. The WML server produces a subscription list and assigns code SS DTD to the subscription list. A SQL server not only receives and stores SSDTD but also determines whether information pertaining to the channel has been updated in accordance with SS DTD. If the determination is affirmative, the SQL server sends an update message to a push server, such that the push server receives the update message and pushes the update message to the mobile communication device. The mobile communication device receives the update message, and then the user connects the mobile communication device to the WML server in accordance with the update message, so as to download the latest information. The technical problems to be solved by citation 2 are as follows: "1. the user must take the initiative in making an inquiry to check whether the previously subscribed information has been updated, and in consequence the user cannot be informed of the latest message in a real-time manner; 2. the information received by the user is seldom categorized, organized, or managed, and in consequence it is not reader-friendly; and 3. In general, although the subscribed information is received by the mobile communication device, it cannot be categorized, organized, or managed, thereby precluding the user from subscribing to multiple messages" (see citation 2, the specification, Background of the Invention, last paragraph). The technical effect produced by citation 2 is as follows: as soon as information of a channel is updated, a user is informed of the update by push technology so that the user can learn about the latest information instantly; and the channel-related information received by the user is categorized, organized, and managed, such that the user can read it easily."
Taiwan Patent 1359600 (hereinafter referred to as "citation 3"), entitled "Method and System of Subscribing to Mobile Channel Having Delivered Content", discloses a method and system of creating a delivered content for channel subscription in a mobile network, comprising the steps of: creating a subscription from a content provider and a mobile apparatus in the mobile network; and delivering a delivered content to a delivery server. The technical problem to be solved by citation 3 is as follows: " . . . the other alternatives include push and broadcast or community broadcast which complies with SMS; in case of broadcast, it is impossible to standardize delivery in order to meet the requirement of the capability of a specific apparatus or a specific user; therefore the systems do not have intelligence associated with them" (see citation 3, the specification, paragraph [0005]). The technical effect produced by citation 3 is as follows: provide a subscription model and topology, wherein both subscribed information and a delivered content are sent to a delivery server or a content provider.
Citation 4 is directed to providing message exchange service in a person-to-person manner or within an organization by a cloud, a mobile communication device, and push technology, as well as, for example, "Line" application and a back-end system thereof developed by Japan-based LINE Corporation, a subsidiary of South Korea-based NHN, and "WhatsApp" application of Facebook and a back-end system thereof. The technical problem to be solved by citation 4 is as follows: message contents sent through conventional short messages are not diverse enough to bridge the gap of communication vividly and flexibly. The technical effect produced by citation 4 is as follows: providing message exchange (chat room) service in a person-to-person manner or within an organization and rendering message pictures more vivid and flexible.
According to the aforesaid citations, none of the servers of the cloud is equipped with a subject management module to meet the need for "separately recording messages of different subjects even if the subjects are discussed by the same participants." For example, multiple members of a specific group in a company take part in various projects simultaneously, but different project discussion messages cannot be separately recorded due to lack of a subject management module in the prior art, and in consequence all the different project discussion messages are recorded so miscellaneous that the project discussion messages are difficult to distinguish or search for later. The chat room of citation 4 (Line and WhatsApp) requires distinguishing different records by "participant member" (i.e., member-oriented), wherein, when the participant members are the same, the records follow a preceding record. Assuming that "member A", "member B" and "member C" create a chat room for discussing two different subjects of "project A" and "project B" according to citation 4, then "member A", "member B" and "member C" use the same chat room (because the participant members remain unchanged) whenever they are about to discuss different subjects; hence, the chat records (i.e., messages) of "project A" and "project B" are always mixed together.
Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a cloud system and method of an enterprise mobile message and a mobile communication device for use in accessing the cloud, to store messages in separate blocks in a database in accordance with subjects (i.e., subject-oriented), respectively, and provide a graphical user interface disposed at a client end and adapted to check separate subject block messages, thereby enhancing users' working efficiency.

System and method of enterprise mobile message


A data processing system comprises a microprocessor having a burst mode transfer function, a memory receiving an address supplied from said microprocessor to output data designated by the received address, an address decoder receiving and decoding said address supplied from said microprocessor, and a memory control circuit receiving an output of said address decoder and control signals from said microprocessor, for controlling said memory. The system is configured to generate a burst mode transfer period designating signal indicating a period of a burst mode transfer, so that a synchronous burst mode transfer is performed in accordance with the period of the burst mode transfer designated by said burst mode transfer period designating signal, so as to cause said microcomputer to fetch data transferred from said memory by the synchronous burst mode transfer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing system for transferring data in a burst mode transfer between a microprocessor and a memory which are coupled through a system bus.
2. Description of Related Art
Microprocessors show a yearly elevation of their performance and function, and the operating frequency is also elevating to 25 MHz, then to 33 MHz, and further to 50 MHz. On the other hand, an external memory ordinarily used for supplying instructions and data to the microprocessor has only a data transfer rate which is still lower than the operating speed of the microcomputer, although a memory having a high transfer rate has recently appeared but it is expensive. Therefore, the data transfer rate between the microprocessor and the memory has a large influence on overall performance of a system. Most recent microprocessors internally contain a cache memory so that frequently used data is stored in the cache memory for compensating for a difference in the data transfer rate between the microprocessor and the external memory. Even in this case, however, the data transfer rate in the data transfer from the external memory to the microprocessor lowers the performance of the system.
In most microprocessors internally containing the cache memory, the data transfer to the cache memory is performed in a burst mode. Here, the "burst mode" transfer means a data transfer manner in which data is continuously transferred from an external memory to a block having a series of continuous addresses.
One typical example of a synchronous burst transfer is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication JP-A-3-134754 titled "DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM", which will be now described with reference to FIG. 1. The data processing system includes a microprocessor 101, an address decoder 102, a memory control circuit 103a and a memory 104, which are coupled as shown. The microprocessor 101 and the memory 104 are coupled to an external data bus 109 so that data can be transferred through the external data bus 109 between the microprocessor 101 and the memory 104.
Operation of this data processing system in a burst mode transfer will be explained with reference to FIG. 2 showing a timing chart of the data transfer system. First, the microprocessor 101 outputs an effective address 105, and activates a bus cycle start signal (ADS) 106 and a read/write signal (R/W) 107. If an address region to be accessed comes within a cache region, the microprocessor 101 activates a synchronous block transfer request signal (BLOCK) 108.
The address decoder 102 decodes the received address 105, and informs the memory control circuit 103a of whether an address designated region is a high speed memory region or a middle or low speed memory region. In general, a microprocessor based system uses, as a memory, an EPROM (electrically programmable read only memory), DRAM (dynamic random access memory), SRAM (static random access memory), etc. which are selected on the basis of an address.
Since this selection of memory is made within a region of continuous addresses, the address decoder 102 can be formed by for example an address discrimination circuit shown in FIG. 3, which receives the most significant two bits A[31: 30] of a 32-bit address 105 and includes two inverters 140 and 142 and two AND circuits 141 and 143 connected as shown so as to discriminate the memory region (high speed, middle speed or low speed) on the basis of the most significant two bits A[31: 30] of the address.
When the address designated region is the high speed memory region, the memory control circuit 103a receiving the ADS signal 106, the R/W signal 107 and the BLOCK signal 108, outputs a chip select signal CS and a write/read signal WR to the memory 104, and activates a burst transfer enabling signal (BLOCKF) 201 so as to enable a burst transfer and to change the status in synchronism with operation of the microprocessor so as to control the memory. This status transition diagram is shown in FIG. 4. In accordance with the instruction of the BLOCKF signal 102, the microprocessor performs the burst transfer. Therefore, a synchronous burst mode transfer can be performed between the memory and the microprocessor.
When the address designated region is the middle or low speed memory region, the memory control circuit 103 does not enable the burst mode transfer by the burst mode transfer enabling signal BLOCKF 201 as shown in FIG. 5, but a non-burst mode transfer (asynchronous data transfer) in which data is transferred item by item, is performed. In this non-burst mode transfer, the memory control circuit 103 adjust a data set signal (DS) 202 supplied to the microprocessor 101, dependently upon a performance of a memory allocated to a designated address region, so that a time until a data access is adjusted. This DS signal 202 is generated from the ADS signal 106 by for example a circuit shown in FIG. 6, which receives the ADS signal 106 and includes two cascaded delay circuits 144 and 145 and a selector 146 receiving an output of each of the delay circuits and controlled on the basis of whether the designated address region is the middle speed memory region or the low speed memory region.
In the non-burst mode transfer, the above mentioned conventional system can comply with a memory having any performance. In addition, the conventional system can simplify the control of the status transition for the synchronous burst mode transfer, and therefore, can speed up the change of the cache address and the writing to the cache memory.
Now, as a second conventional example configured to perform the burst mode transfer in an asynchronous mode, the microprocessor "i486" available rom Intel Corporation in the U.S.A. will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, elements similar to those shown in FIG. 1 are given the same Reference Numerals.
As shown in FIG. 7, the microprocessor 101 outputs an effective address 105, and activates a bus cycle start signal (ADS) 106 and a read/write signal (R/W) 107. The address decoder 102 decodes the address 105 to discriminate an address designated region and to notify the result of the discrimination to a memory control circuit 103b.
The memory control circuit 103b receives the ADS signal 106 and the R/W signal 107. In addition, depending upon the performance of the memory 104 allocated to the address designated region, the memory control circuit 103b cyclicly changes a burst ready signal (BRDY) 203 indicating that data is set in the burst transfer mode, and also controls the memory 104. In accordance with the value of the BRDY signal 203, the microprocessor 101 changes its status as shown in the status transition diagram of FIG. 8, so that data is fetched into the microprocessor 101 from the memory 104.
Referring to FIG. 9, there is shown an example of a BRDY signal generating circuit 210 included in the memory control circuit 103b. This BRDY signal generating circuit 210 includes a down counter 211 for counting a delay value, an up counter 212 for counting the number of items to be transferred, a delay value setting circuit 213, delay circuits 144 and 145, inverters 147 and 148 and a selector 149, which are connected as shown.
First, an input value to be supplied to the down counter 211 is determined on the basis of the result of the address decoding. When the bus cycle starts, the up counter 212 is reset to "0" by the ADS signal 106. After one cycle from the ADS signal 106, a delay value is loaded to the down counter 211 from the delay value setting circuit 213, and after a further one cycle, the down counter starts its count-down operation so that the value of the down counter 211 is decremented for each clock. When the value of the down counter 211 becomes "0", the down counter 211 outputs a high level signal from its output "OUT", and then, returns to the delay value so as to restart its count-down operation. The output of the down counter 211 is inverted by the inverter 148 so as to generate the BRDY signal 203.
On the other hand, the up counter 212 counts up in response to the output of the down counter 211 so as to count the number of items transferred, as "0".fwdarw."1".fwdarw."2".fwdarw."3".fwdarw."4". When the value of the up counter 212 becomes "4", the up counter 212 generates a high level output signal, which is supplied to a stop input of the down counter 211, so that the down counter 211 stops its its count-down operation.
As mentioned above, since the status changes in accordance with the value of the BRDY signal 203, the data transfer between the microprocessor and the memory becomes an asynchronous burst transfer.
As examples of the operation timing of the second conventional system, FIG. 10 shows a timing chart of a no-wait burst mode transfer, and FIG. 11 shows a timing chart of a one-wait burst mode transfer. As seen from comparison between FIGS. 10 and 11, it is possible to control the wait in the burst mode transfer by the BRDY signal 203. In a middle speed DRAM memory, accordingly, the burst mode transfer becomes possible by using a page mode, and therefore, the data transfer rate can be increased in comparison with the non-burst mode transfer.
In the above mentioned first conventional example, in order to elevate the system performance by increasing the data transfer rate, it is necessary to increase a high speed memory which allows the burst mode transfer, which will result in an increased system cost. For example, assuming that the operating frequency of the microprocessor 101 is 33 MHz (one cycle=30 ns), the address output delay time is 10 ns, and the data input setting time is 10 ns, since the memory 104 is required to have the access time of not greater than 10 ns, an expensive SRAM becomes required. In order to suppress the system cost, if an inexpensive but low transfer rate memory is used and if the data transfer is performed in the non-burst mode transfer or if the clock frequency of the burst mode transfer is lowered, the performance inevitably greatly drops.
The first conventional example was effective when the processing speed of the microprocessor was not so high in comparison with the memory. However, as the processing speed of the microprocessor has remarkably elevated, the first conventional example can no longer meet with the recent technical trend, and therefore, the second conventional example has been adopted. However, the second conventional example has different problems.
In the second conventional example, after the BRDY signal 203 is fetched, a next internal status is fixed. Therefore, in the case of attempting to speed up the operation from the data fetching to the writing of the cache, the no-wait asynchronous burst mode transfer can write to the cache at the same timing as the conventional synchronous transfer shown in FIG. 4, as seen from FIG. 10. However, if the wait is inserted, as shown in FIG. 11, a cycle occupying the internal data bus is inserted to await for the data setting or fixing. Assuming that one block of the cache includes "m" words and the number of waits is "n", the number of cycles required for waiting for internal data setting or fixing becomes "m.times.n".
In order to minimize the number of cycles required for waiting for internal data setting or fixing (the internal bus occupation), if four stages of read buffer are provided to continuously write the cache memory, the timing becomes as shown in FIG. 12. As seen from comparison between FIG. 12 and FIG 10 in which the writing to the cache is speeded up, the time until the last data has been written is elongated by four cycles. In the asynchronous burst mode transfer, there is required an external counter for changing the period of the data setting signal.

Microprocessor using feedback memory address to internally generate bust mode transfer period signal for controlling burst mode data transfer to external memory


Biaryl derivatives are produced by coupling an aryl halide in an aqueous alkaline solution in the presence of a palladium catalyst, using formic hydrazide as the reducing agent.

Functional biaryl derivatives are important inductrial chemicals. They are used in the production of monomers for high performance and other polymers. For example, 3,3',4,4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid (BPTC), 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylic acid and 4,4'-biphenol are monomers used in the manufacture of high performance polyimides, polyamides and polyesters. In addition, the biaryl derivatives are useful in the production of dyes, pharmaceuticals and agrochemical intermediates. These applications require very high purity (often above 99.9%) of the biaryl derivatives.

Method of production of biaryl derivatives


The fuzzy inference circuit includes a sensor sensing a state of a control object, and a charge coupled device storing fuzzy rule function values for at least one fuzzy rule function. The charge coupled device further performs a fuzzy inference on output of the sensor using the fuzzy rule function values to generate a control signal for controlling the control object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuzzy inference circuit, and more particularly, to a fuzzy inference circuit using a charge coupled device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A conventional fuzzy inference circuit will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a conventional fuzzy inference circuit. FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of a fuzzy rule memory using conventional digital logic.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional fuzzy inference circuit includes a control object 1, a sensor 2, an analog to digital (A/D) converter 3, a clock generator 4, a fuzzy rule memory 5, a fuzzy inference engine 6, and a digital to analog (D/A) converter 7.
The sensor 2 senses a state of the control object 1, and transfers the sensed value of the control object 1 to the A/D converter 3. The A/D converter 3 converts an analog signal of the sensor 2 to a digital signal.
The fuzzy rule memory 5 stores fuzzy rule function values through digital logic. The fuzzy inference engine 6 receives a clock signal generated from the clock generator 4 in order to perform a fuzzy inference using the fuzzy rule function values and the digitized sensed value in a well-known manner. The D/A converter 7 converts a digital signal from the fuzzy inference engine 6 to an analog signal to control the control object 1.
Referring to FIG. 2, the fuzzy rule memory 5 includes a first memory 8, a second memory 9, a comparator 10, a selector 11, and a third memory 12.
The first and second memories 8 and 9 store fuzzy rule function values. The comparator 10 compares the fuzzy rule function values from the first and second memories 8 and 9 with each other to output their comparative value to the selector 11. The selector 11 selects either the fuzzy rule function value from the first memory 8 or the fuzzy rule function value from the second memory 9 in response to a selective signal S input from the comparator 10, and transfers the selected value to the third memory 12. The third memory 12 transfers the fuzzy rule function value transferred from the selector 11 to the fuzzy inference engine 6.
Referring to FIG. 1, fuzzy inference engine 6 receives the clock signal from the clock generator 4, the digital signal from the A/D converter 3 and the fuzzy rule function values from the fuzzy rule memory 5, and performs a fuzzy inference on the sensed value using the fuzzy rule function values according to an operational timing established by the clock signal. The fuzzy inferred value from the fuzzy inference engine 6 is converted to an analog value through the D/A converter 7, and supplied as a control value to the control object 1.
The conventional fuzzy inference circuit has a problem in that additional memories such as the first, second and third memories are required to store a digital value when the fuzzy inference is performed using a digital circuit. In addition, since an analog signal is input and output, the A/D converter and the D/A converter are additionally required. For this reason, the conventional fuzzy inference circuit has disadvantages such as high cost and slow process speed.

Fuzzy inference circuit using charge coupled device

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


A current limiting short-circuiting protector is disclosed which utilizes an electronic and thermal feedback principle for achieving precise and rapid release of the protector, which can be readily reset. The principle utilizes a non-linear powerful temperature-dependent resistor in the collector circuit of a field effect transistor which serves as a current valve and through which the total current to be monitored is passed. The circuit replaces a conventional fuse and may also function as a load on/off control means. When a fault occurs in the load, the erroneous current is limited to a much lower value than is the case with a conventional fuse.

There is found in different electronic circuits and units for supplying working voltages to such circuits a need for safety devices in the form of fuses which will trigger when the current in the circuit protected by the fuse becomes excessively high, for instance due to a short-circuit.
The most common type of fuse is the thermal fuse which normally consists of a glass tube which contains a thin filament or wire which melts or burns when a given current passes through the filament, because the product of filament resistance and current generates heat which, when the current is excessive, melts the filament.
A fuse of this kind will function satisfactorily in the event of a complete short-circuit, whereupon the fuse is triggered relatively quickly. In the event of a short-circuit, the fuse permits a high short-circuit current to pass through which is limited solely by the impedance of the supply source. Such high short-circuiting currents are liable to damage conductors, electric contacts and other electronic devices, and may disturb parallel-supplied electronic devices. 0n the other hand, if the current is high and lies close to or immediately above the rated value of the fuse, it may take considerable time for the fuse to trigger, which in some cases can cause considerable problems due to the overloading of other circuit components. Furthermore, a fuse of this kind can be made either slow or quick. Furthermore, when subjected to loads that are close to its rated value, a fuse of this kind may undergo changes caused by aging, such that after a longer installation period the fuse may trigger without the original rated value of the fuse being exceeded.
Presently voltage supply units often have some form of current limitation which permits maximum power to be taken-out by a circuit. This is often achieved by allowing the current to obtain a given maximum value and then reducing the voltage so that the current will never exceed the current limiting value. When the voltage is reduced, this may render the function of many circuits unsafe because a voltage level becomes critical, which may Jeopardize the application as a whole.
In order to overcome this drawback, it is necessary to monitor voltage in addition to monitoring current, so that the current supply will be broken and a fault indicated when the voltage falls beneath a predetermined value. This results in a particularly complex safety system, which may be more comprehensive than the detail to be monitored or supervised. This is a problem, for instance, in equipment which serves many users and where there is a natural desire that a fault that occurs in respect to one user will not interfere with the other users. An example of this type application is found in a telephone network. For instance, if a subscriber suffers a fault, the fault must in no way influence any of the remaining, possibly hundreds of thousands of subscribers. It is important in applications of this nature that the current can be monitored in the simplest but most effective manner, so as to keep installation costs at a reasonable level. Many similar applications are found within the fields of electronics and data technology where an overload protector is desirable and which is rapid and precise without the protector generating radio disturbances and being too complicated. Another desire is that a protector of this kind need not necessarily be replaced with a new component, but can be readily re-set, either manually or automatically, after eliminating the source of the fault.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,083 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,084 teach a current regulating circuit for a direct-current mains unit which is intended to charge rechargeable batteries without the use of transformers, capacitors, or coils. The emitters of a first and a second transistor are connected via a fifth current limiting PTC-resistor which is able to function as a fuse. Instead of using a plurality of transistors in a Darlington circuit, MOS field effect transistors can be used. The PTC-resistor is intended to operate at a nominal temperature of 125.degree. C. during a battery charging process, wherein the charging current will decrease by 0.45% with each degree of increased working temperature for this resistor. The resistor is also preferably obtained by metallizing with a material which will enable the resistor to function as a fuse.
German Patent No. 2,533,182 teaches a circuit arrangement for indicating a triggered or blown fuse in a current supply arrangement, wherein an optoswitch is used to indicate to a display device that its fuse has been triggered.
There is thus a need to provide a current limiting device which is both rapid and precise, and in which the power generated under normal operating conditions will be very small.


A fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite shell for covering the elastomeric layer surrounding the antenna of a measurement-while-drilling borehole formation evaluation tool is disclosed. The shell protects the elastomeric layer and associated antenna from wear and abrasion. If damaged during drilling, the shell may be replaced at the drillsite with minimal downtime.

Measurement-While-Drilling (MWD) electromagnetic propagation based borehole formation evaluation tools for use in oil and gas well drilling applications are known. Typically, electromagnetic based evaluation tools include a housing, which forms part of the drillstring, a transmitting antenna mounted in the housing and a pair of receiving antennas mounted in the housing. Typically, each of the antennas takes the form of a wire loop secured within a circumferential groove surrounding the housing. Each antenna is embedded in a layer of an elastomeric material to protect the antenna from shock, vibration and moisture during the drilling process. An electromagnetic wave is propagated from the transmitting antenna into the formation surrounding the borehole and is detected as it passes the receiving antennas. The signals received are used to calculate electrical properties, e.g., permitivity, resistivity, of the formation.
The elastomeric layer surrounding the antenna is vulnerable to wear, abrasion and adhesive failure between the layer and the tool housing, any one of which may lead to failure of the layer and its associated antenna.
Repair of a failed antenna is particularly burdensome, in that the formation evaluation tool must be removed from the borehole and shipped from the drilling site to a repair facility. This results in considerable downtime and expenses and necessitates maintaining an inventory of replacement tools at the drill site.

Composite shell for protecting an antenna of a formation evaluation tool


In the production of fluorine-containing olefins using a chlorine-containing alkane or a chlorine-containing alkene as a starting material, a process for producing a plurality of useful fluorine-containing olefins with high selectivity using the same raw material, the same equipment, and the same conditions is provided. The present invention provides a process for producing fluorine-containing olefins, the process comprising reacting a chlorine-containing compound represented by a specific formula and anhydrous hydrogen fluoride in the presence of oxidative gas and a fluorination catalyst, wherein the fluorination catalyst is a catalyst in which at least one metal element M selected from the group consisting of Group VIII and Group IX is present together with chromium. This production process can simultaneously produce two or more fluorine-containing olefin compounds, including HFO-1234yf and HFO-1234ze, with high selectivity.

Fluoroolefins represented by the formula: CF3(CX2)nCF═CH2, the formula: CF3(CX2)nCH═CHF (wherein n is an integer of 1 or more, and X is a halogen atom, such as fluorine or chlorine), or the like, are used for various applications, such as functional materials, solvents, refrigerants, and foaming agents. Further, these fluoroolefins are known to be compounds that have a useful structure as monomers or raw materials for producing functional polymers. For example, they are used as monomers for modifying ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymers. Thus, these fluoroolefins are used for various applications and as various raw materials, and are highly useful compounds. Of these fluoroolefins, a compound represented by CF3CF═CH2 (HFO-1234yf) and a compound represented by CF3CH═CHF (HFO-1234ze) show increasing promise as refrigerant compounds with a low global-warming potential.
A fluoroolefin represented by an aforementioned formula is reportedly produced by, for example, reacting a chlorine-containing alkane or chlorine-containing alkene having the same number of carbon atoms, which is used as a starting material, with a fluorinating agent, such anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, in the presence of a catalyst (see PTL 1, mentioned below).
Moreover, of the fluoroolefins represented by the above formulas, HFO-1234yf is known to be produced by continuous vapor phase fluorination reaction of a chlorine-containing olefin, such as CF3CCl═CH2 (HCFO-1233xf), in the presence of a catalyst. HFO-1234yf produced in this manner has particularly attracted attention as a refrigerant with a low global-warming potential.
Furthermore, of the fluoroolefins represented by the above formulas, HFO-1234ze is known to be produced by continuous vapor phase fluorination reaction of a chlorine-containing olefin, such as CF3CH═CHCl (HCFO-1233zd), in the presence of a catalyst. For example, PTL 2 discloses that HFO-1234ze is produced by reacting HCFO-1233zd with hydrogen fluoride in the presence of a copper/chromium catalyst.

Process for producing fluorine-containing olefin


An electronic system includes a user transaction device that provides a device identifier when coupled to a transaction terminal. The transaction terminal is configured to indicate that a transaction is to be performed when coupled to the user transaction device. The electronic system also includes a transaction privacy clearinghouse (TPCH), coupled selectively to the user transaction device when a transaction is to be performed. The TPCH is coupled to receive the device identifier and accessible data. Additionally, the accessible data is to be stored in a public storage area of a memory storage device that can be communicatively coupled to the user transaction device. The TPCH authorizes a transaction based upon the device identifier and the accessible data that includes account information of a user that is authorized to use the user transaction device. Moreover, a transaction is authorized without providing the identity of the user to the transaction terminal. The memory storage device also includes a private storage area for storage of confidential data such that the private storage area is to be encrypted with a key that is to be stored in the user transaction device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device coupled to a removable memory device having a secure storage.
2. Art Background
Transactions are preformed everyday over different networks, such as the Internet, and through point of sale (POS) or bank systems. Such systems are designed to maintain the integrity of the user's credit card, debit card, and account number. However, no measures are taken to ensure the privacy of the user. As the vendor retains information regarding the identity of the user, the user is open to receipt of marketing materials that may result from the data mining of transactions performed on a particular network.
Moreover, consumers of different devices connecting to the different networks and through POS or bank systems are concerned regarding the storage of confidential information including personal information, financial information, etc. in such devices. Some consumers perceive more control over such information handled within a traditional wallet, that is the wallet having this information that a user can simply inspect, to perhaps ensure that this information that could include the consumer's social security number, mother's maiden name, car lock combination, etc. would not be compromised in the even of loss or theft.

Personal transaction device with secure storage on a removable memory device


A solid state electrode for use in determining ion concentration in an aqueous solution comprising an electrically conductive element; a first lipophilic-hydrophobic (hereinafter referred to as LH) layer in intimate contact with the element; and a second LH layer in intimate contact with the first layer. The first LH layer comprises an adhesive, LH polymer having an intrinsic viscosity of from about 0.4 to about 0.9 ml/g; and an LH plasticizer. The second LH layer comprises a LH polymer having an intrinsic viscosity of from about 1 to about 1.5 ml/g; an LH plasticizer, and an LH ion-selective ligand of the ion to be determined.. Preferably, the first LH layer further comprises an LH charge carrier.. As used herein, the term "lipophilic-hydrophobic (LH)" denotes an organic solvent soluble-water insoluble substance.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrode for use in measuring ion concentration. More specifically, this invention relates to a solid electrode for use in measuring unknown ion concentrations in solution.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A review of the ion-selective electrode art is set forth in Buck, Analytical Chemistry, 46(5): 28R (1974); Koryta, Analytica Chimica Acta, 61:329 (1972); and Koryta, Analytica Chimica Acta, 91:1 (1977), said publications and the citations therein being incorporated herein in toto by reference.
In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,649 discloses a solid state electrode comprising an electrically conductive inner element with a salt disposed on a surface portion thereof. The cation moeity of the salt is a cation form of the conductive inner element. A hydrophilic layer is in intimate contact with the salt. The hydrophilic layer includes a water soluble salt of the anion moeity of the salt. A hydrophobic layer is in intimate contact with the hydrophilic layer.
A very serious problem encountered in using an electrode manufactured according to the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,649 is their generally short operable life span.


Device structures and methods for providing carbon nanotube field effect transistor (CNTFET) devices with enhanced current carrying capability at lower densities are disclosed. Apparatuses and methods using CNTFET devices for providing protection from electrostatic discharge (ESD) voltages are also disclosed. According to some aspects of the present disclosure the electrostatic discharge protection circuits are configured with CNTFET diodes and provide protection from electrostatic discharge induced voltages for a protected circuit without affecting the normal operation of the protected circuit. According to some aspects of the present disclosure the methods for providing protection from electrostatic discharge voltages create conducting paths for providing protection from electrostatic discharge induced voltages for a protected circuit without affecting the normal operation of the protected circuit.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to carbon nanotube field effect transistor (CNTFET) devices. The present disclosure also generally relates to device structures and methods for providing CNTFET devices with enhanced current carrying capability at lower densities.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout this specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.
Static electricity is generated when objects obtain electrostatic charges through contact and separation of the objects that causes a transfer of electrons between the objects. The transfer of electrons is determined by the type of contact and separation between the objects, such as rubbing, brushing, or wiping for example, and the properties of the materials of the objects. The transfer of electrons occurs when electrons on the surface of an object are relocated to the surface of another object and the transfer of electrons creates electrostatic charges on the objects. The object that donates electrons obtains a positive electrostatic charge and the object that captures electrons obtains a negative electrostatic charge. The positive electrostatically charged object can cause an electrostatic discharge event when the positive electrostatically charged object is rapidly discharged and the negative electrostatically charged object can cause an electrostatic discharge event when the negative electrostatically charged object is rapidly discharged. The positive electrostatically charged object and the negative electrostatically charged object can be rapidly discharged though direct contact or indirect contact with an object that allows for rapid discharge.
The human body frequently obtains an electrostatic charge through common daily activities, such as walking on carpet, ascending from a fabric covered seat, and removing clothing for example, that cause a transfer of electrons between the human body and other objects. The human body model (HBM) was developed to simulate an electrostatic discharge event caused by the electrostatically charged human body contacting an object that allows for rapid discharge. The human body model uses a HBM circuit 105 shown in prior art FIG. 1A and an ESD current 150 shown in prior art FIG. 1B for calculating the strength of an electrostatic discharge event caused by the electrostatically charged human body. The HBM circuit 105 has a 100 pF capacitor C that discharges through a 1,500 Ohm series resistor R and a switch 107 to the object that allows for rapid discharge. Prior art FIG. 1A illustrates circuit 100 having the HBM circuit 105 electrically connected to an on-chip circuit 110 that receives an ESD current and voltage discharge from the HBM circuit 105. The contact between HBM circuit 105 and pads 120 and 125 associated with the on-chip circuit 110 is shown symbolically by switch 107 transitioning from an open position to a closed position. Pads 120 and 125 may be input pads, output pads, input/output pads, power supply, or ground pads for example. The terms connected, coupled, electrically connected, and electrically coupled are used interchangeably in this disclosure and the terms refer to a connection that allows electrical signals to flow either directly or indirectly from one component to another. The direct flow of electrical signals from one component to another does not preclude intervening passive devices that do not generate electric energy such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors. The indirect flow of electrical signals from one component to another does not preclude intervening active devices such as transistors or flow of electrical signals by electromagnetic induction.
An electrostatic charge stored on the 100 pF capacitor C produces a voltage VCHARGE that is discharged when HBM circuit 105 comes into contact with pads 120 and 125 associated with the on-chip circuit 110. The electrostatic charge is discharged from capacitor C and flows through the 1,500 Ohm series resistor R, switch 107 in a closed position, and into pads 120 and 125 at a rate determined by ESD current source (IESD) 115. The rate of ESD current flow as a function of time, during an ESD discharge based on the human body model HBM 105, is given by ESD current 150 illustrated in prior art FIG. 1B. The ESD current 150 reaches a peak current of 1 Ampere after 10 ns, then drops to 0.5 Amperes after 115 ns, then to 0.37 Amperes (37% of the peak current value) after 180 ns, and then discharges to zero current. ESD current 150 is not defined beyond 180 ns and ESD current 150 beyond 180 ns is not needed to determine the maximum VESD induced across the pads 120 and 125. The ESD current source 115 approximates an ideal current source in which ESD current 150 is independent of the voltage VESD that is induced between pads 120 and 125 by ESD current 150. Therefore, circuit elements in circuit 100 determine the maximum VESD during an ESD event instead of the ESD current source 115 that delivers ESD current 150 independent of voltages that may appear across the terminals of ESD current source 115.
The on-chip circuit 110 includes an ESD protect circuit 130 that is electrically connected in parallel with pads 120 and 125 by nodes 126 and 127 and a protected circuit 140 that is electrically connected in parallel with pads 120 and 125 by nodes 128 and 129. The term node refers to a point of connection or junction where conductors and/or components meet. The ESD protect circuit 130 is designed to protect the protected circuit 140 from being damaged by ESD-driven (induced) voltage surges during handling of the on-chip circuit 110. The ESD protect circuit 130 is traditionally constructed from semiconductor diodes that create conducting paths for dissipating the positive and negative ESD-driven voltages. The semiconductor diodes are used in pairs with a first semiconductor diode for creating a conducting path to limit ESD-voltage surges of a positive polarity to an acceptable value and a second semiconductor diode for creating a conducting path to limit ESD-voltage surges of a negative polarity to an acceptable value. The acceptable values are selected such that the protected circuit 140 will not be damaged by ESD-driven voltages and the acceptable values may be selected based on characteristics of the protected circuit 140. For example, the protected circuit 140 may be constructed from metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) and the acceptable values are selected based on the dielectric breakdown strength of the MOSFETs' gate insulators. However, a circuit designer can select the acceptable values based on other characteristics of the protected circuit 140 and the circuit designer typically selects the accepted values such that ESD protect circuit 130 will be in a nonconductive state during normal chip operation in the ground (zero) to VDD voltage range.

Electrostatic discharge protection circuits using carbon nanotube field effect transistor (CNTFET) devices and methods of making same


Disclosed is a control circuit for controlling a controllable power semiconductor switch, and to a power semiconductor module. The control circuit comprises at least two circuit sets, each having a power driver. The power driver of each of the circuit sets is provided with power via impedance components having an impedance other than zero.

Many power semiconductor circuits feature controllable power semiconductor switches connected in parallel to achieve a higher current switching capacity. In other applications, for instance in inverters, motor controllers, etc. the load paths from two controllable power semiconductor switches are connected in series so as to achieve one or more branches ("half bridges") of the circuit, each branch including a high-side switch and a low-side switch. By using such branches, for example, power inverters including a three-phase bridge circuit ("6 pack) or a two-phase bridge circuit ("4 pack") may be created.
Circuits may be designed symmetrically or also asymmetrically, e.g., in which more than one controllable power semiconductor switch are arranged on the low side as is the case e.g., with converters for switched reluctance machines (SRM) or with interleaved two-transistor forward (ITTF) converters.
For controlling each controllable power semiconductor switch a driver is provided which controls each power semiconductor switch involved in turning it ON or OFF. As a whole, the drivers together form a control circuit. Whilst when operating controllable power semiconductor switches high voltages exceeding e.g., 30 V may be dropped over their load paths, controlling controllable power semiconductor switches is done with relatively low voltages. Thus, in the case of a circuit branch in which high-side and low-side switches are connected in series separate power supplies are needed for controlling the high-side switches and low-side switches. Where a plurality of assemblies involving several circuit branches is provided, the emitter and/or the source contacts may be interconnected with a low impedance the same as in a parallel circuit of two or more controllable power semiconductor switches. In these cases a common low voltage source may be employed to supply the drivers of the low-side switches and the drivers of the controllable power semiconductor switches connected in parallel, respectively, since controlling the controllable power semiconductor switches can be done with a low voltage relative to the emitter or source contact of the respective switch. In such an arrangement the common low voltage source is connected to a central point of the power circuit.
This circuit has two serious drawbacks, however.
For one thing, because of voltages induced in parasitic inductances of the low-impedance conductors connecting the emitter or source contacts of the interconnected low-side switches of two or more circuit branches, ON/OFF switching of at least one controllable power semiconductor switch may result in a parasitic ON of one or more of the controllable power semiconductor switches unintentionally when their reference potential is pulled below the reference potential of the corresponding driver.
For another, the negative feedback at least for one of the low-side power switches is increased due to the inductance common to the load circuit (i.e., the power switches) and to the control circuit (i.e., the drivers) leading to increased power-up losses.
Another possibility is to connect the common power supply of the drivers for controlling the low-side switches at several points to the load circuit, in which case parts of the load current flow via redundant connections in the control circuit but which likewise adds to the power-up losses. Problems like this also materialize when operating several controllable power semiconductor switches connected in parallel.
Although, where pairs of branches, each controlled independently of the other, are involved, especially when the switching power required is small, the increase in the power-up losses is acceptable, additional costs materialize since the controllable power semiconductor switches and/or their heat sinks necessitate a larger rating.
And, although, especially where the switching power is higher, several galvanically decoupled power supplies may be put to use, this too adds to the complexity.
In parallel branched circuit assemblies resistances may be inserted in the connection between the driver and an auxiliary contact of the emitter or source contact—where the gate resistances are correspondingly reduced—but to adequately restrict the currents flowing via the auxiliary contact a prohibitively high resistance would be needed. Due to the drop in voltage across such a resistance any lack of symmetry in the switching action of the parallel controllable power semiconductor switches would be amplified and thus such a resistance would have to be restricted to roughly 10% of the gate resistance.
For these and other reasons there is a need for the present invention.
In the FIGs. like reference numerals identify like elements having the same or corresponding function. Where as illustrated in the FIGs. a permanent coupling of two components is made, for example, by using tracks, resistances, coils, capacitors, transformers, impedance components or the like any such permanent coupling may also be achieved as a switchable coupling, for example, by inserting a controllable power semiconductor switch. The two components can thus be coupled to each other even though this is not expressly mentioned.

Control circuit for a power semiconductor assembly and power semiconductor assembly


Provided is a stage lighting source system with a lamp protection function. The stage lighting source system comprises a lamp, a lamp protection device and a light filter. All are arranged along a light axis sequentially. The lamp protection device comprises a non-transparent structure and a mounting component for mounting non-transparent structure. Light axis passes through the non-transparent structure. Non-transparent structure size does not affect a lamp light emitting effect in the light axis direction. Non-transparent structure fully or partially absorbs and/or reflects light energy from the light filter. The structure is easy and convenient to use, intercepts light energy reflected from the light filter by using appropriate blocking object and structure, effectively controls lamp electrode temperature within an acceptable range, and ensures lamp service life so that a flat light filter without an included angle is applied, and an ideal optical effect is realized.

When a stage lamp is used, if a light filter thereof is used near a light source, the light filter will reflect a lot of light energy, and a part of the light energy reflected from the light filter and a part of the light energy emitted by the light source are converged on an electrode at an upper end of a lamp post at a central position of a lamp. Especially when the light filter is perpendicular to a light axis, more light energy will be converged on the electrode, thus causing that a temperature of the electrode increases sharply, while an excessively high temperature will seriously shorten a service life of the lamp electrode, thus accelerating the failure of the lamp. Therefore, how to reduce the temperature of the lamp electrode under the premise of ensuring an ideal optical effect of the lamp has become an important research topic in the thermal design of stage lighting.
According to the existing lamp thermal control technologies, in order to make the part of the light energy reflected from the light filter no longer pass through a lamp post electrode, a light filter with a certain included angle is used, so that a temperature of the lamp post electrode is controlled not to exceed a standard, and the service life of the lamp electrode is ensured. However, the light filter with an included angle can cause uneven light color projected by the lamp, so that an ideal optical effect of a flat light filter without an included angle cannot be realized.

Stage lighting source system with a lamp protection function


A cyclic olefin addition copolymer includes a structural unit (1) derived from a cyclic olefin compound with a C4 alkyl substituent group and a structural unit (2) derived from a cyclic olefin compound with a C5-12 alkyl substituent group, and optionally includes a structural unit (3) derived from another cyclic olefin compound. The novel cyclic olefin addition copolymers according to the present invention are excellent in melt-formability, transparency and heat resistance, have low water absorption properties, low dielectric constant and low metal content, and are suitably used in optical parts such as optical films. Processes according to the present invention produce the cyclic olefin addition copolymers at high yield with small amounts of catalysts.

Optical materials for lenses, backlights, light guide plates and optical films are naturally required to have high transparency, but there are increasing demands for heat resistance, low water absorption, low dielectric constant, flexibility and toughness.
Known transparent resins used in optical materials are for example polyester resins, acrylic resins, polycarbonate resins, polyacrylate resins and polyethersulfone resins. These resins, however, have insufficient heat resistance, water absorption properties and transparency.
A great number of hydrogenated ring-opened polymers or addition polymers of cyclic olefin compounds are developed as resins having excellent transparency and heat resistance. Because the main chains of these resins are formed of alicyclic hydrocarbons, they have lower absorption in a low wavelength region than aromatic resins.
Many kinds of ring-opened cyclic olefin polymers and hydrogenated products thereof are reported as useful optical materials for the production of lenses or optical disks (for example, Patent Documents 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6). The ring-opened cyclic olefin (co)polymers and hydrogenated products thereof disclosed in these documents have excellent heat resistance, low water (moisture) absorption, good optical properties such as transparency, and high forming properties such as injection moldability.
Further, ring-opened polymers from cyclic olefin monomers having a polar group in the molecule, and hydrogenated products thereof are disclosed (for example, Patent Documents 7 and 8). They have superior heat resistance, optical properties, forming properties and affinity for other materials, and are excellent in post workability such as bonding. However, ring-opened cyclic olefin polymers have a double bond in the polymer main chain and entail hydrogenation to improve heat degradation resistance. As a result, industrial productivity and costs are deteriorated.
It is known that addition polymerization of cyclic olefin compounds gives resins having excellent heat resistance and transparency. Because the polymer main chain has no double bonds, the polymers have high heat degradation resistance and do not entail hydrogenation, and good industrial productivity and cost advantages are obtained. A number of cyclic olefin addition polymers are reported. For example, Patent Documents 9 and 10 disclose addition copolymers of cyclic olefin compounds and α-olefins. In these copolymers, however, a series of structural units derived from α-olefin such as ethylene is sometimes crystallized and the transparency is lowered. Such materials are often not suited for use as optical materials. Further, cyclic olefins and α-olefins greatly differ from each other in polymerization reactivity and consequently the copolymers often have a nonuniform composition and lower transparency.
On the other hand, cyclic olefin addition polymers consisting solely of structural units derived from cyclic olefin compounds are produced with titanium catalysts, zirconium catalysts, cobalt catalysts, nickel catalysts and palladium catalysts, and they show very high heat resistance and transparency as known in the art. It is known that the selection of catalyst determines the polymer's stereoregularity (atactic, erythro-di-syndiotactic, erythro-di-isotactic), addition polymerization mode (addition at 2 and 3 positions, addition at 2 and 7 positions), and molecular weight controllability. For example, norbornene polymers produced with a zirconium metallocene catalyst are non-soluble and do not dissolve in general solvents (Non-Patent Document 1). Norbornene addition polymers produced with a nickel catalyst show good solubility in hydrocarbon solvents such as cyclohexane (Patent Document 11) but are poor in mechanical strength and are brittle (Patent Document 12).
Patent Documents 12, 13 and 14 report that a specific catalyst containing a palladium compound shows high polymerization activity and provides cyclic olefin addition polymers having excellent transparency, heat resistance and mechanical strength. Further, Patent Document 15 teaches that addition copolymerization of a hydrolyzable silyl group-containing cyclic olefin with a catalyst containing a palladium compound affords a cyclic olefin copolymer showing excellent heat resistance and dimension stability. The addition polymers described in these documents have very high heat resistance; however, they cannot be shaped by thermal fusion and forming methods are limited to solution casting methods. The casting methods involve large amounts of solvents, and entail solvent removal and collection and also entail larger facility therefor, thereby lowering productivity and increasing costs.
To lower the glass transition temperature of the cyclic olefin addition polymers and thereby render the polymers melt-formable, it is proposed that alkyl-substituted cyclic olefin compounds may be used as monomers. For example, Patent Document 16 describes addition copolymers having 5-hexyl-2-norbornene. Patent Document 11 and Non-Patent Document 2 describe that a norbornene having a long-chain alkyl group is used as a monomer and the glass transition temperature of an addition copolymer is controlled by changing the chain length and proportion of the norbornene monomers. However, these documents do not describe effects of polymerization catalysts on mechanical strength of obtainable shaped articles. Further, the polymerization catalysts used in the above documents are still insufficient in activity, and post treatments for removing residual unreacted monomers and catalysts are required.
Furthermore, a cyclic olefin having a long-chain alkyl group shows lower polymerization reactivity than norbornene, and copolymerization of these compounds results in a copolymer having a nonuniform composition. Patent Documents 16 and 11 and Non-Patent Document 2 are silent on different reactivity of monomers and composition distribution. The composition distribution becomes more nonuniform as the conversion increases, and the obtainable shaped articles tend to have lower transparency and strength. Accordingly, achieving both high conversion and high transparency is desired. That is, it is desired that economic and productive processes are developed to produce cyclic olefin copolymers having good heat resistance and melt-formability as well as high transparency at high conversion. However, there have been no reports of such production processes.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-S63-21878    Patent Document 2: JP-A-H1-138257    Patent Document 3: JP-A-H1-168725    Patent Document 4: JP-A-H2-102221    Patent Document 5: JP-A-H2-133413    Patent Document 6: JP-A-H4-170425    Patent Document 7: JP-A-S50-111200    Patent Document 8: JP-A-H1-132626    Patent Document 9: JP-A-S61-292601    Patent Document 10: U.S. Pat. No. 2,883,372    Patent Document 11: JP-B-H9-508649    Patent Document 12: JP-A-2006-52347    Patent Document 13: JP-A-2005-162990    Patent Document 14: JP-A-2005-213435    Patent Document 15: JP-A-2005-48060    Patent Document 16: JP-A-H8-198919    Non-Patent Document 1: Makromol. Chem. Macromol. Symp., Vol. 47, 831 (1991)    Non-Patent Document 2: Proc. Am. Chem. Soc. Div. Polym. Mater.: Sci. Eng. Vol. 75, 56 (1997)

Cyclic olefin addition copolymer, process for production thereof, and retardation film obtained from the copolymer


Gel holders for electrophoresis gels are made using fibers, particularly glass fibers, which are affixed to the substrates forming the gel holder using an adhesive. These gel holders can be made by placing a plurality of adhesive-coated fibers between a first planar substrate and a second planar substrate; and applying pressure to the outside of the substrates to adhere the fibers to the first and second substrates. This forms a gel chamber between the first and second substrates which has a thickness defined by diameter of the fibers. Alternatively, uncoated fibers may be laid down in pairs, with a line of adhesive disposed between each fiber of the pair. When the adhesive is cured, it binds the fibers in position as spacers. At the same time, the fibers isolate the adhesive from the gel compartment. In this way, interference of components of the adhesive with the polymerization of the a gel in the gel chamber can be avoided. Gel holders formed using either of these methods may be filled immediately with a gel forming solution such as a polyacrylamide, or they may be stored indefinitely and used as needed.

DNA sequencing may be carried out using automated systems designed for laboratory application. Methods and apparatus for sequencing of DNA are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,811,218; 4,823,007; 5,062,942; 5,091,652; 5,119,316 and 5,122,345, which are incorporated herein by reference.
The general methodology employed in these systems involves breaking up the sample DNA using restriction endonucleases; amplifying (for example with PCR) the restriction fragment of interest; combining the amplified DNA with a sequencing primer which may be the same as or different from the amplification primers; extending the sequencing primer in the presence of normal nucleotide (A, C, G, and T) and a chain-terminating nucleotide, such as a dideoxynucleotide, which prevents further extension of the primer once incorporated; and analyzing the product for the length of the extended fragments obtained. Analysis of fragments may be done by electrophoresis, for example on a polyacrylamide gel.
In performing a nucleic acid sequence analysis on a gel, the characteristics of the gel, including the size and thickness, impact the time and cost required to do the analysis. Since it is desirable to reduce the time and cost of sequencing analyses in order to improve the available of sequencing as a diagnostic tool, it would be advantageous to have a gel which permitted analysis of very small quantities of oligonucleotide fragments in a short period of time. It would further be advantageous to have a disposable, single use gel holder which could be manufactured on a large scale which when filled with a gel would provide these desirable characteristics.
Persons making the very thin gels which can achieve the type of short analysis times and high throughput desired for sequence analysis face several challenges. Significant among these is developing a fabrication technique which defines and maintains a very uniform spacing between the substrates surrounding the gel, so that the gel itself is of uniform thickness. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,929,329 and 5,164,066, which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose the formation of electrophoresis gels using thin films (on the order of 0.10 to 0.02 inches thick), for example made from mylar, or nylon monofilaments as spacers between front and back plates. The spacers are not adhered to the plates, but are simply placed between the two plates and held in place using clamps while the space between the two plates is filled with gel forming solution. After polymerization, the polymerized gel holds the two plates, as well as the spacers in place.
The method of forming electrophoresis gels disclosed in these patents has several drawbacks. First of all, because the spacers have to be positioned and then held in place during the gel-filling operation, the resulting gels are not well suited to large scale production. Furthermore, because gels have short shelf lives, once prepared, and because it is the gel which holds the plates and the spacers together, assembly of the device must occur at the point of use. This too argues against the use of spacers as disclosed in these patents in the production of significant numbers of gels, or in the production of disposable, single use gel holders.
It an object of the present invention to provide disposable, single use gel holders having a very thin gel chamber of uniform thickness, which can be easily manufactured.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of making disposable, single use gel holders having a very thin gel chamber of uniform thickness, which can be easily manufactured.
It is a further object of this invention to provide electrophoresis gels formed within disposable, single use gel holders having a very thin gel chamber of uniform thickness, which can be easily manufactured.

Electrophoresis gels and gel holders having adhesive affixed fiber spacers and method of making same


In a preferred embodiment, a system for launching barges from the deck of a ship, the system including: ramp means selectively positionable along the side of the ship such that a selected one of the barges may be placed on the ramp means and allowed to slide therealong by gravity into water in which the ship is floating.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to launchable barges generally and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a novel system for launching barges from ships.
2. Background Art
There exists a need to have an improved system for launching barges from the main decks of ships. Especially in the military context, it is necessary to be able to rapidly launch cargo carrying barges from ships so that the barges can be self-propelled or towed to shore.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a system for the rapid launching of barges from the main decks of ships.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a system that can be rapidly and easily deployed.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide such a system that can be economically retrofit to existing ships.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.


The invention relates to a device for storing heat, comprising a heat storage medium which absorbs heat in order to store heat and releases heat in order to use the stored heat, and a container for holding the heat storage medium, the container being closed by a gastight cover, and the device comprising volume compensation means in order to compensate for a volume increase of the heat storage medium (3) due to a temperature rise and a volume decrease due to a temperature reduction. The invention furthermore relates to a method for storing heat, in which heat is transferred to a heat storage medium in order to store heat or heat is discharged from the heat storage medium to the heat carrier in order to use the heat, the heat storage medium being held in a container which is closed by a gastight cover, wherein a volume expansion of the heat storage medium (3) is compensated for by a volume increase of the container (1) or by heat storage medium (3) flowing out of the container (1) into a buffer container (21; 63, 65), and a volume decrease of the heat storage medium (3) is compensated for by a volume decrease of the container (1) or by heat storage medium (3) flowing out of the buffer container (21; 63, 65) into the container (1).

The invention is based on a device for storing heat, comprising a heat storage medium which absorbs heat in order to store heat and releases heat in order to use the stored heat, and a container for holding the heat storage medium, the container being closed by a gastight cover. The invention is furthermore based on a method for storing heat, in which, in a heat exchanger, heat is transferred from a heat carrier to a heat storage medium or, in the heat exchanger, heat is discharged from the heat storage medium to the heat carrier, the heat storage medium being held in a container which is closed by a gastight cover.
Devices and methods for storing heat are used, for example, in solar power stations. By using the device or method for storing heat, solar power stations can be operated uninterrupted even in periods without sun, for example at night. In order to allow uninterrupted operation, large solar power stations require very large heat storage tanks. For example, it is known that in the currently widely operated parabolic trough solar power stations with an electrical power of 50 MW, salt storage tanks are used which contain up to 28,000 t of salt as a heat storage medium. The salt is stored in two dually arranged tanks. Under the effect of sunlight, the heat carrier medium heated in the solar field is driven from the cold tank to the hot tank. When unloading, the heat storage medium is taken from the hot tank and cooled in the power station while generating electrical energy. The cooled heat storage medium is returned to the cold tank.
In order to be able to operate solar power stations with a higher power or over a longer period of time without interruption, much larger heat storage tanks are required compared with the currently known devices for storing heat. In this case, on the one hand, it is possible to use a large number of smaller storage tanks, although this entails a large area requirement, or to use large storage tanks.
In order to prevent a negative pressure from being formed in the container, owing to which unreliably large forces act on the shell of the container, unoccupied volume in the containers is filled with a gas. In the case of oxidizable heat storage media, it is also necessary to avoid oxidation. To this end, for example, nitrogen is used as a gas for occupying the volume not filled with the heat storage medium. In the case of heat storage media which cannot be oxidized, air may also be used for this.
In the event of temperature variations in the storage system, the volume s occupied by the heat storage medium change owing to thermal expansions of the heat storage medium. The volume of the gaseous tank content changes to a particularly pronounced extent in this case. The prevalence of high pressures owing to the design of the container necessitates great outlay. For this reason, additional pressure loads on the shell of the container should be prevented. To this end, large containers are preferably operated at ambient pressure. Currently, the volume change due to the thermal expansion of the heat storage medium is ensured by discharging gas to the surroundings when there is a volume increase. Gas then needs to be resupplied when there is a reduction in the temperature of the heat storage medium. This requires the procurement and provision of gas in order to be able to compensate for corresponding variations. When using a heat storage medium with a high vapor pressure, it is necessary to provide for particularly large gas exchange quantities caused by evaporation in the hot storage phase and by condensation in the cold storage phase.
In the case of oxidation-sensitive heat storage mediums, for example oil, the gas undertakes an inerting function. Even in small concentrations, oxygen can lead to oxidation processes of the heat storage medium, in which case detrimental, for example insoluble products may be formed. Undesired deposits can occur as a result of this. The storage capacity of the heat storage medium is furthermore affected by the formation of insoluble products. Currently, separation of high-boiling components by distillation may be carried out in order to remove such undesired deposits. As an alternative, a heat storage medium in which deposits have formed is replaced. In the case of a combustible heat storage medium, a sufficiently large concentration of oxygen together with a significant vapor pressure can also lead to an explosion risk. In the case of substances not sensitive to oxidation as the heat storage medium, for example when using nitrate melts, the device may for example also be operated with air as a gas to compensate for volume variations.
In particular when a gas overhead with an inert gas is necessary, high operating costs are involved. Liquid nitrogen is currently used for volume compensation in solar power stations, which is evaporated and delivered to the heat storage medium. By using large isobaric gas storage tanks with a variable volume, which are also referred to as gasometers, it is possible to construct a gas buffer system. Owing to the variable volume, the excess gas can be collected during the heating and released during cooling. The use of such gasometers, however, is problematic when using heat storage mediums having a significant vapor pressure, since the heat storage medium condenses into the gasometer. In order to prevent condensation, it is necessary to have coolers which effectively condense out heat storage medium which has evaporated in the gas, and recycle it. These devices, however, are very elaborate to construct and operate.
Furthermore, floating lid tanks are also known. Floating lids, however, generally are not made fully gastight and, for example, have wall seals with the container wall. An improvement of the gastightness is achieved, for example, by the use of a second sealing system. For use with the high temperatures of a heat storage tank, however, this solution is not sufficient. Oxygen can reach the material which is oxidation-sensitive at high storage temperatures and undesired solids, or also undesired inert gases such as carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide in the case of heat storage mediums containing carbon, can be formed by oxidation. When using heat storage mediums containing sulfur, sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide can be formed, which can damage the container walls by corrosion.


A superscalar processor includes a scheduler which selects operations for out-of-order execution. The scheduler contains storage and control logic which is partitioned into entries corresponding to operations to be executed, being executed, or completed. The scheduler issues operations to execution units for parallel pipelined execution, selects and provides operands as required for execution, and acts as a reorder buffer keeping the results of operations until the results can be safely committed. The scheduler is tightly coupled to execution pipelines and provides a large parallel path for initial operation stages which minimize pipeline bottlenecks and hold ups into and out of the execution units. The scheduler monitors the entries to determine when all operands required for execution of an operation are available and provides required operands to the execution units. The operands selected can be from a register file, a scheduler entry, or an execution unit. Control logic in the entries is linked together into scan chains which identify operations and operands for execution.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to digital processor systems, and in particular to methods and circuits for controlling the order of execution of operations to maximize processor performance.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical computer program is a list of instructions which when compiled or assembled generates a sequence of machine instructions or operations which a processor executes. The operations have a program order defined by the logic of the computer program and are generally intended for sequential execution in the program order. Scalar processors execute the operations in the program order which limits a scalar processor to completing one operation before completing the next operation. Superscalar processors contain a variety of execution units which operate in parallel to execute and complete multiple operation in parallel. Superscalar processors can therefore be faster than scalar processors operating at the same clock speed because superscalar processors can complete multiple operation per clock cycle while scalar processors ideally complete one operation per cycle.
A superscalar processor typically schedule execution of operations so that operations can be executed in parallel and complete out of the normal program order. Difficulties in out-of-order execution arise because one operation may depend on another in that the logic of a computer program requires that the first operation in the program be executed before the second operation. For example, whether an operation should be executed at all often depends on the result of a branch operation. Processors often predict the result of a branch operation before evaluating the branch operation and proceed with executing operations based on the prediction. The execution must be speculative because the branch prediction may have been incorrect so that the wrong operations were executed. Additionally, many computers require that a system's state be known just before or after an operation generates an error, interrupt, or trap; but when operations are executed out of order, an operation which follows an error in a program may have been executed before the error occurred. Thus, the processor must be able to undo operations which should not have been executed and must be able to construct the system's state following an error.
Superscalar architectures attempt to achieve several somewhat conflicting goals for scheduling operations. One goal is efficient scheduling to maximize parallel execution of operations which are actually required for completion of the program. Another goal is that scheduling circuitry not be overly complex because complexity increases the difficulty in providing a robust error free design and increases circuit size and cost. Still another goal is rapid scheduling so that a processor can operate at a high clock rate. Scheduling circuits which accomplish these goals are desired.

Unified multi-function operation scheduler for out-of-order execution in a superscaler processor


A method of enhancing a visual image of a display is described. The visual image is displayed on a first display of a display device having a first display pixel density and a first display dimension. The display device detects an enhancer device oriented in an operable position to the display device. The enhancer display device has a second display having a second display pixel density higher than the first display pixel density and a second display dimension less than the first display dimension. A spatial orientation is determined between the first display of the display device with the second display of the enhancer display device. The display device sends the visual image and the spatial orientation to the enhancer display device to display a portion of the visual image that is defined by the spatial orientation on the second display in the second display pixel density.

The present disclosure relates to electronic visual displays, and more specifically, to a resolution enhancer system for electronic visual displays.
Electronic visual displays have become ubiquitous. Electronic visual displays perform temporary, video displays for presentation of images transmitted electronically. Electronic visual displays are used in televisions, computer monitors, tablet computers, cell phones, digital signs and touch tables, for example. The types of electronic visual displays may include cathode ray tubes, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma, and light projection technologies. Another feature of electronic visual displays that has become ubiquitous is the ability for a user to interact directly with the visual display by touching it with a finger or object to expand, shrink, move, and perform commands with touch on the visual display.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Resolution enhancer for electronic visual displays

International Business Machines Corporation


Provided are a method and an apparatus for implementing communication from a web page to a client. The method includes: a browser establishing a communication connection with a port when accessing a web page, where the port is a port predefined to communicate with the web page; and sending link information carrying parameters specified by a preset communication protocol to the port, so that the client accesses a client page corresponding to the link information, where the parameters include fields in a service requirement and client page information. A client can be directly called from a web page of a portal web site, so as to guide a user to complete a required service to a designated page, thereby being convenient for the user to operate.

As the network era develops, user applications based on the Internet, such as network games, network shopping and network videos are increasingly broad. Generally, network games, network videos and the like all have their corresponding portal web sites on the Internet, and a user needs to install a corresponding client locally to access a portal web site to implement various interaction operations.
In the prior art, in a case that a client has been installed locally and is not installed for the first time, when it intends to implement some services provided by a portal web site, the local client is started to access a home page of the corresponding web site, and the user voluntarily finds an entry of a designated page. In a case that no client is installed, a corresponding service provided on the portal web site may not be implemented. For example, when a network game client is activated from a portal page embedded in Alipay to receive a red envelope, an ideal implementation manner is jumping directly from Alipay to a corresponding page (not the home page) provided by the network game client for receiving the red envelope. However, the prior art obviously cannot implement this operation. Therefore, the complexity of operation of the user is increased.

Method and apparatus for implementing communication from web page to client

GUANGZHOU UCWEB COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A system and method for customizing communication processing within a communication platform that includes configuring a service handler, which comprises of at least setting execution code of the service handler; setting an association between the service handler and a communication event of the communication platform; detecting the occurrence of the communication event of a communication facilitated through the communication platform; invoking the service handler in response to the event, which comprises: executing the execution code in a serverless execution environment and generating a service handler response; and augmenting the communication in accordance with the service handler response.

There are a number of scenarios when a developer will deploy a small web application to facilitate some functionality. In some cases, an external computing platform may be used to facilitate particular functionality, such as in managing telecommunications. A web application managed by the developer may be required to provide certain types of functionality enabled through the computing platform. Deploying a web application, however, means the developer becomes responsible for operation, reliability, security, and scalability of the infrastructure to support the web application. Burdens such as this can negatively impact the developer's productivity. Thus, there is a need in the communication field to create a new and useful system and method for platform integrated applications. This invention provides such a new and useful system and method.

System and method for platform-integrated custom applications


Method for designing a corrugated roofing sheet made of natural fibers, impregnated with bitumen including a uniform pattern of mutually parallel alternating corrugations borne by a mid-plane, the corrugations defining rounded crests each separated from the next by a rounded trough, the crests and trough being connected by alternately inclined portions, the transverse offset between two successive crests being equal to the transverse offset between two successive troughs and defining the pitch P of the corrugations, the sheet having a thickness E of material substantially constant over its extent, and a height H being twice the distance between the mid-plane and the exterior surface of a crest or twice the distance between the mid-plane and the exterior surface of a trough, these two distances being identical. The height, thickness and pitch values are determined by Fi<H3/(8×E×(H+P))<Fs, where Fi=25 mm and Fs=35 mm.

The hot-bitumen-impregnated cellulose corrugated sheets are known and their dimensions are standardized, whether it is de facto or by normalization.
Given the cost of the material used for making these sheets, in particular the cellulose fibre and the bitumen, it is desirable to reduce the required quantity of material while having interesting mechanical characteristics, in particular as regards the sheet inertia. The quantity of material is directly linked to the volume of material.
Now, the applicant has noticed that the inertia depends, in decreasing order of importance, on the corrugation height, the corrugation pitch, the corrugation radius and the thickness of material, and that the potential other parameters can be neglected. The volume of material depends itself, in decreasing order of importance, on the thickness of material, the corrugation pitch, the corrugation height and the corrugation radius, and the potential other parameters can be neglected.
Due to the fact that the same parameters intervene in these two characteristics of inertia and volume of material, the applicant has produced a formula making it possible to determine values of corrugation height, corrugation pitch and thickness of material that allow obtaining particularly interesting characteristics in terms of inertia-to-volume ratio for a corrugated sheet. The corrugation radius having a low impact on the volume of material, it is not taken into account in the formula.
The produced formula is an inequality. Moreover, in order to generalize the application of the formula, the applicant has more particularly taken into account the inertia per width unit as well as the volume per width unit. By way of information and as shown in FIG. 1, the length L of a corrugated sheet extends parallel to the crests (or troughs) of the corrugations and the width I extends perpendicularly to the corrugations. The width is hence transverse with respect to the corrugations.
A corrugated sheet is known from the document "Onduline Easyline", of the 1st of Jun. 2003, page 1-1, XP055176511, but the dimensional characteristics thereof do not respect the formula proposed. Documents about "AQUALINE" corrugated sheets, respectively XP055176518 and XP055176519, or the patent application WO94/18379, are also known. None of these documents discloses such a formula or exposes such a problem of optimization. Furthermore, the inertia depends on many parameters, both of the dimensional and the composition type, and it is not taught in these documents to select more specifically certain of the parameters for the indicated purpose and for obtaining the formula, or even to modify, still for that purpose, more particularly certain of the parameters of a known sheet rather that the other ones, and to obtain a corrugated sheet having dimensions satisfying the formula.

Method of designing a corrugated sheet and corregated sheet obtained