A look ahead detector based on a delay line is used in a pulse amplitude qualifier circuit to qualify detected peaks in a system for the recovery of magnetically recorded digital information. The analog signal is delayed by one cell period to create a delayed replica which is applied to the peak detector. The difference between the analog signal and the delayed replica is applied to a hysteresis flip flop to create a qualifying signal based on a threshold value proportional to the analog signal to gate the peak detected in the delayed replica.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to techniques for detecting flux transitions from magnetic media, typically for the recovery of magnetically recordable digital information from such media and more particularly relates to improvements in qualifying techniques for enhancing the accuracy and reliability of the recovery of magnetically recorded digital information.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital data is conventionally stored on magnetic media in the form of flux transitions on the surface of the media. Data recovery consists of determining the presence, and relative timing, of such flux transitions. As the density of the storage of digital information on magnetic surfaces continues to increase, it has become more difficult to accurately and reliably determine the presence or absence of such flux transitions because of the decreasing magnitude and quality of the analog readout waveform.
The spacing of the flux transitions encodes the data being recorded. The read head detects these transitions to provide positive and negative pulses corresponding to the flux transitions on the media, that is, the sudden reversals of the magnetic field. The signals produced by the read head in response to such transitions are low amplitude and include noise and/or other unwanted signals. Such read head signals are therefore amplified and filtered before peak detection. The filtering is intended to enhance the quality of the signals, representing the flux transitions to be detected, and attenuate the unwanted noise.
In the ideal system, a Read Data Pulse (RDP) would then be detected in the amplified and filtered output of the read head for each actual flux transition in the media. As the requirement for higher density recording formats continues to increase, however, it has become more difficult to faithfully distinguish between genuine RDP's, representing actual flux transitions in the media, and bogus or spurious RDP's which result from other causes, such as noise.
One improvement in flux transition detection has been the development of pulse amplitude qualifying circuits to aid in distinguishing genuine from spurious RDP's based on amplitude. In conventional pulse amplitude qualifying systems, the analog signal from the read head is applied to a peak detector to produce a signal including genuine RDPs. The peak detector output also may contain spurious RDPs resulting from noise or other unwanted signals.
In addition, the analog signal from the read head is rectified to produce a slowly varying DC voltage level proportional to the peaks being detected. The proportionality is typically controlled by a level set circuit at about 50% of the peak amplitude. The level set circuit includes a time constant circuit which permits the DC voltage level to change slowly in accordance with changes in the genuine peak amplitudes in the analog signal due, for example, to a loss in amplitude of the analog signal.
The decay rate is typically about 10% per minimum time interval, that is, about 10% of the time interval between two flux transitions in the magnetic media spaced as closely as permitted by the particular coding scheme being used. The decay rate permits the peak detector to operate properly even during dropouts when the analog signal drops to a lower level. Such dropouts often last for 50 to 200 microseconds and may reduce the analog signal amplitude by as much as 25% or more.
The slowly varying DC voltage level is applied to a hysteresis flip flop to create positive and negative threshold values. The analog signal from the read head is applied to the hysteresis flip flop to produce an output level change whenever the analog read head signal exceeds the appropriate positive or negative threshold value. The output level change is then applied to the signal input of a clocked flip flop while the peak detector output provides the clock pulse so that the timing of the output of the clocked flip flop is controlled by the detected peaks, but qualified by the output of the hysteresis flip flop. The output of the clocked flip flop may then be applied to a bi-directional one shot to produce a conditioned pulse representing genuine RDPs.
In other words, in a conventional amplitude pulse qualifying circuit, a DC voltage set to a controllable proportion of the recent amplitude of the peaks in the analog read head signal is used as a threshold value to distinguish between genuine and spurious RDPs.
However, certain patterns in the analog read head signal are more difficult than others to read and/or distinguish genuine from spurious RDPs. A pattern of flux transitions may conveniently be described as a series of 1's and 0's where the 1's, for example, represent transitions on the media and the 0's represent no transitions on the media at a place on the media where a genuine transition could occur. In this example, a 1 represents an RDP while a 0 represents a lack of RDP. In conventional systems, RDPs may genuinely occur at time intervals which are integer multiples of a basic time interval known as one cell time.
One pattern which tends to cause difficulties in accurate detection is known as the isolated tri-bit pattern in which three 1's occur spaced as closely together as the encoding scheme permits. In the analog signal, the first and third 1 would have a first polarity while the second 1 would have the opposite polarity. The resultant analog signal is the summation of these opposite polarity pulses. The central pulse is often substantially attenuated and therefore often missed, or rejected, by conventional amplitude qualifying techniques. The problem of missed central pulses in an isolated tri-bit pattern is aggravated by dropouts as well as low frequency noise which can appear as a baseline shift, that is, a change in the average level of the analog signal peaks.
Conventional approaches to reducing the isolated tri-bit pattern problem in amplitude pulse qualifying techniques include reducing the level of the DC voltage level applied to the hysteresis flip flop by reducing the proportion of the peak amplitude used to define the level and/or the use of slimming filters. Slimming filters, often used in such systems, narrow the peak widths, reducing the effect of the summation of the isolated tri-bit pattern on the amplitude of the central pulse.
Another pattern which tends to cause similar difficulties in accurate detection is known as the low frequency problem in which isolated 1's are separated by many 0's. Such patterns would ideally have a flat area between the isolated 1's, but such flat areas are vulnerable to noise. One conventional technique for reducing the low frequency problem is to change the filter characteristics to fatten the pulses, that is, reducing any slimming filter effects, and/or to increase the hysteresis threshold.
In conventional systems, the filter and hysteresis level settings are therefore often a compromise between minimizing the isolated tri-bit and the low frequency problems. The combined problem is therefore often called the tri-bit low frequency problem.
In addition, magneto-resistive (MR) read heads are replacing conventional inductive read heads. MR heads, however, are more susceptible to the generation of low frequency noise which is difficult to attenuate by filtering. MR heads therefore accentuate difficulties in accurately recovering data, such as those caused by pattern sensitive problems like the tri-bit/low frequency problem.
What are needed therefore are data recovery enhancements providing more reliable qualifications schemes, especially for use with MR heads.


A system is provided that is capable of providing heat across a produced interval during oil and gas production to minimize or reduce undesirable formation of gas hydrates in the wellbore. In one embodiment, the configuration provides a means to recycle heat generated by an electrical submersible pump. Heat from the pump may be applied downhole. One configuration is capable of providing for downhole separation of gas from produced fluids to reduce or eliminate gas transit through the pump. A heating element also may apply heat to produced fluids. An orifice may apply heat to produced fluids. The wellbore being drilled to a depth having a subterranean formation temperature that is high enough to elevate a temperature of the production fluids to a predetermined temperature such that the temperature of the production fluids is elevated to the predetermined temperature by at least the depth of the wellbore.

A problem in the production of oil and gas from subsea wellbores is the undesirable formation of gas hydrates. A gas hydrate is a crystalline solid consisting of molecules of gas, usually methane, surrounded by a "cage" of water molecules. Gas hydrates have the visual appearance of ice. Methane hydrate is stable in ocean floor sediments at water depths of greater than about 300 meters. Certain temperature and pressure conditions encourage the formation of gas hydrates.
Gas hydrates pose a problem for the oil and gas industry as more deepwater gas enters the supply stream. Gas hydrates may form inside pipelines or in wellbores, slowing or completely blocking flow of hydrocarbons. Hydrate formation is a serious problem for producers moving gas from offshore wells to onshore processing facilities. Clearing plugged lines is expensive and time-consuming, and may take as long as twenty days. It has been estimated that controlling and preventing gas hydrate formation costs the industry hundreds of millions of dollars annually. It is very important to make changes or adjustments in wellbores to reduce the likelihood of gas hydrate formation.
In the production of oil and gas, it is sometimes necessary to employ downhole electrical submersible pumps to assist in moving oil from the formation to the surface in the wellbore. Submersible pumps are used in such operations to provide a relatively efficient form of "artificial lift". By decreasing the pressure at the bottom of the well, more oil can be produced from the well when compared with natural production. Such pumps typically are electrically powered and may be referred to as Electrical Submersible Pumps ("ESP").
ESP systems may be subject to undesirable cavitation if excess gas is present in the flow stream being pumped. Shock waves caused by cavitation in pumps may damage moving parts within the pump. It is desirable to avoid entrained gas in production fluids that are to be pumped by a downhole ESP to avoid damage to pumps.

System, apparatus and method for producing a well


In an example embodiment, data communications to a first database intercepted and divided based on tenant. For each tenant of multiple tenants sharing the first database, the commands to update the one or more records in the first database within the data communications corresponding to the tenant are translated into commands to update one or more records in a second database of a different type than the first database, the translated commands corresponding to the tenant are replayed against a copied version of the first database in the second database, and the performance of the second database in handling the translated commands during the replaying is tracked. Serialization and timely execution, among the translated commands corresponding to the tenant, of execution of the translated commands is maintained during the replaying and synchronization of execution of translated commands between multiple tenants is maintained.

For various reasons, companies may sometimes attempt to migrate their data and their customers' data from one type of database to another. This may be done for business reasons, such as attempting to migrate users of a competitor's database to the company's own in-house database, or for technical reasons, such as improving performance or lowering cost (or any combination thereof). Whatever the reasons, there are often technical challenges in migrating the data from one database type to another database type. One such challenge is that the data itself as well as the schema for the data may need to be modified to fit a completely different database type. For example, when migrating data from an ordinary relational database management system to an in-memory database management system it is necessary to convert the data from being row-based to being column-based. Additionally, when dealing with data of customers, it may be important to perform the migration without any downtime, allowing the migration to be transparent (or nearly transparent) to the customers to ensure an optimal customer experience. Furthermore, the workload on the new database may be different than the workload on the old database (for example, certain commands may wind up putting more strain on the new database than the old database, making resource management important). These aspects, in addition to the typical desires of wanting to ensure data is migrated accurately and efficiently, can be challenging, especially when dealing with large databases.


An expandable, variable compression pouch with an exoskeleton construction, which is a hybrid construction that combines a soft, flexible shell with semi-flexible molded outer components on the back, sides, bottom and front of the flexible shell. These molded components form an exoskeleton that provides structural reinforcement where needed without limiting the essential qualities of expansion or contraction or form fit that is essential to achieve the unique features and superior function of the pouch of the present invention.

In a tactical environment or situation or training or sporting activity the need of the operator, soldier, law enforcement officer, civilian sportsman or other user to carry various gear on one's person, in support of the mission or activity is always present. As such users are continually searching for improved methods and items to carry their gear. Such improvements often include features that increase the amount of gear being carried through a more efficient use of space, modularity in using and arranging such gear specific to a user's needs and improved accessibility to said gear while maintaining a reasonable (and sometimes adjustable) level of security in carrying such items. These items include but are not limited to: rifle magazines, pistol magazines, ammunition, radios, flashlights, batons, handcuffs, flash bangs, hand grenades, batteries, scopes or other aiming devises, or any other items as may be considered useful for their task. Additionally, users seek durability in such carry pouches as their need is essential and their operating locations are often remote.
Devices for the retention and securing of tactical gear are known in the prior art and generally have a pouch having an upward-oriented opening a flap mechanism that obstructs the upward-oriented opening when the flap mechanism is engaged and closed, means for fastening the flap mechanism in a closed position and means of attachment whereby the pouch is either an integrated feature of the clothing of a user or may be otherwise attached to the clothing or accessories worn by a user. These devices are limited in that they slow down access to stored gear. While the flap keeps the gear from falling out of the pouch, it keeps the user from quickly and efficiently removing the gear from the pouch. For example, when the pouch is used to store an ammunition magazine, the flap must first be unfastened and restrained to access the magazine contained within the pouch. This causes a delay when trying to negotiate the flap mechanism, which can be the difference between life and death for a user in a combat situation.
Also known in the prior art are devices for the retention and securing of gear wherein the pouch has an upward oriented opening but no flap mechanism. In these instances, the pouch dimensions must match the dimensions of the gear to provide a tight fit for the gear by virtue of the force of friction between the interior of the pouch and the gear it contains. By tailoring the pouch to ensure a tight fit for a specific gear, the pouch lacks the ability to securely retain and store gear of varying shapes and sizes. Each pouch tends to be designed for a particular size and shape of gear and, therefore, a single user may need to acquire several of these devices in varying sizes and designs to effectively secure, store and retain a variety of gear, such as various shapes and sizes of magazine ammunition.
Other pouch systems designed to carry ammunition magazines, or other similar size items are sometimes constructed as a simple soft fabric, sewn bag or pouch. Since these devices are loose and offer no retention on the items carried, retention straps or flaps as described above are required to retain the carried items securely in the pouch. Additionally, insertion of items into the pouch is often difficult as snagging against the floppy edges of the pouch opening interferes with the smooth reception of the items to be carried.
There is also simple soft fabric, sewn pouches with some elastic quality, which are generally sewn bags that compress against the item being carried and offer some retentive qualities. However, once the item is removed from the pouch the pouch collapses on itself and insertion of another item or reinsertion of the carry item is difficult.
Another known device is a molded, polymer loose fitting pouch or box, which offer space to carry an item, or a small range of similarly sized items, but with no retentive qualities. As such they also require retention straps or flaps to securely retain the carry items as described above.
There are also molded, form fitted polymer precision fitting pouches that are shaped to fit specific items only, with an extremely limited range of what can be carried. Some such pouches allow for a range of tension adjustment to aid in retention and security of the item carried, however, such is limited to only those specific items the pouch is formed to fit.
As such, there is a need for a device to hold a wide range of sized and shaped items that can be inserted into the device with a high level of retention and security for each without straps or flaps. There is also a need for a device that that both securely holds gear of various shapes and sizes but does not hinder the user in accessing the gear by having to open and restrain a flap that covers the opening for insertion of gear.
While there are variable types of compression pouches known in the prior art, the present invention has various advantages and improvements that are not known or described in the prior art.

Expandable carry pouch with variable compression


In exemplary embodiments, operation of microswitches is to be made possible with sterile operating gloves in the operating room. To this end, the disclosure provides that the cover plate be covered with a continuous stiff plastic sheet. The latter plastic sheet is arched so as to be raised in a bubble-like fashion in the region of each switch actuating element. There thus results an edge-free and gap-free surface which can be wiped off with a disinfectant solution. In addition, the invention provides that the interior sides of the bubbles may be printed with symbols. The disclosed embodiments are particularly suited for control consoles which are to be utilized in sterile rooms.

The invention relates to a control console comprising installed microswitches, particularly for the control of apparatus in the operating room.
In the case of all apparatus which are to be utilized in the operating room, the sterilizability of at least all touchable surfaces is necessary. All parts which cannot be sterilized in some form must be covered with sterile sheets prior to the operation. This is virtually not possible, particularly in the case of control consoles in which the displayed measured values must be read off and the switches to be operated cannot be actuated in a blind fashion. If such control console, namely, is wiped off with a disinfectant, in the case of push buttons, the risk always remains that the protruding edges of these push buttons, when depressed, take up germs from the interior of the apparatus and that they will have become unsterile by the time of their release. This leads to the necessity of setting up these control consoles in an auxiliary room. During the operation, an additional operator must be there who operates and monitors the control console at the call of the operating room.


The present disclosure relates to a method and system for dynamically managing one or more communication groups. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method comprises the steps of, determining one or more parameters associated with a user profile of a user subscribed to the dedicated networking platform, determining one or more pre-defined objectives associated with the one or more communication groups, evaluating the user to determine relevance with the one or more pre-defined objectives associated with the one or more communication groups, wherein evaluating comprises generating a relevancy score and recommending the one or more communication groups to the user based on the relevancy score.

Groups and forums on social networking platforms or otherwise are created to serve as a common platform for people with similar interests, objectives and the like, and therefore it is but natural for such groups to have members (i.e. users) in large numbers. However, several platforms created for professional networking, knowledge sharing and more particularly to create learning environment have groups with well-defined objectives and the members of the group are expected to follow the same.
The traditional systems for managing the communication groups use moderators in between the user and the system. For example, as disclosed in granted U.S. Pat. No. 8,271,631B1, a communication group manager is required for scheduling and managing the communication groups.
Further, the user data validation for joining a communication group requires manual screening of each user. The most of the groups available are open to everyone, thus compromising the quality of the group, without proper user data validation.
Furthermore, large numbers of groups are recommended by the systems to the user to join without being aware of user's area of interest or users' profile information. Specifically,
To overcome the above mentioned problems, there exist a need for recommending and dynamically managing the communication groups for one or more users.

System and method for dynamically managing communication groups


A medical examination table includes a base assembly, a table assembly, a table actuation assembly, a wheel assembly, and an actuating mobility assembly. The base assembly configured to support the medical examination table in a first mobility configuration. The table actuation assembly is configured to raise and lower the table assembly relative to the base member to thereby transition the table assembly between a lowered position and a raised position. The wheel assembly is configured to support the medical examination table in a second mobility configuration. The actuating mobility assembly is configured to cooperate with the table actuation assembly to thereby actuate the wheel assembly relative to the base assembly to thereby transition the medical examination table between the first mobility configuration to the second mobility configuration.

Articulating medical examination tables may be provided in medical examination rooms to support and place patients in various positions that facilitate examination and/or the performance of various medical procedures. Conventional examination tables may have a table assembly that includes seat section and a back section supported on a base unit. The seat and back sections are moveable relative to one another and relative to the base so that a patient can be placed in a desired position. The seat and/or back sections may be articulated by actuating mechanisms such as motors, pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, or other devices to move the seat and back sections between the various positions and to adjust the height of the seat and back sections relative to the base.
It may be desirable to clean the floor under a medical examination table on a regular basis in order to maintain a clean medical examination room. In order to facilitate such cleaning, given the size and weight of a medical examination table, it may be desirable to enable a medical examination table to be easily moved along a floor. To the extent that a medical examination table incorporates features (e.g., wheels, rollers, balls, etc.) that enable the medical examination table to be easily moved along a floor, it may be desirable to disable such features when the medical examination table is being used to support a patient. This may prevent undesired movement of the patient with the table along the floor, such as during a medical examination.
While a variety of moveable medical examination tables have been made and used, it is believed that no one has ever made or used a medical examination table as described herein.
The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the technology may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present technology, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the technology; it being understood, however, that this technology is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.

Medical examination table with retractable moving wheels


Described are embodiments of a multilaminate or multiple layer implantable surgical graft comprising remodelable collagenous sheet material, the graft including one or more interweaving members to stitch together the graft to help prevent the layers from delaminating or separating during handling and the initial stages of remodeling. The interweaving members may comprise lines of suture, thread, individual stitches, strips of material, etc. that are woven through the layers of biomaterial in a desired pattern. In one embodiment, the interweaving members comprise a pharmacologically active substance, such as a drug, growth factors, etc. to elicit a desired biological response in the host tissue. In another embodiment, the graft further comprises a reinforcing material, such as a synthetic mesh, within the layers of remodelable biomaterial and stitched together by one or more interweaving members.

The present invention relates generally to implantable naturally derived biomaterials used to reinforce and/or regenerate native tissue.
Remodelable tissue grafts harvested as intact sheets from a mammalian source and processed to remove cellular debris advantageously retain the native structure of extracellular collagen matrix (ECM). This matrix of collagen fibers provides a scaffold to facilitate and support tissue ingrowth, particularly in bioactive graft materials, such as porcine small intestinal submucosa or SIS (Surgisis® Biodesign™, Cook Medical, Bloomington Ind.), that is processed to retain an effective level of growth factors and other constituents that stimulate angiogenesis.
While sheet-derived biomaterials advantageously retain the native structure of the collagen matrix, the use of individual sheets is not optimal for certain clinical applications, such as when repairing or reinforcing a body wall defect (e.g., a hernia). Single layer harvested sheets typically lack the requisite strength and durability when hydrated to permit fixation by suturing or other techniques and provide adequate reinforcement as the implanted collagen matrix degrades and is replaced. To address this limitation, overlapping sheets are laminated together by one of several known techniques, such as vacuum pressing, lyophlization (including press lyophilization), chemical cross-linking, etc., forming a more durable multilaminate construct comprising up to eight layers or more.
Multilaminate implantable ECM grafts have been demonstrated to be effective for clinical applications such as hernia repair, eliminating some of the complications associated with permanent polymeric surgical meshes, which are not resorbed by body. One potential issue with these multilaminate constructs is that the bonded layers can sometimes partially delaminate during handling after hydration, which can make the graft more difficult to suture into place. Furthermore, the separating layers of sheet material can provide pockets for the formation of a seroma, which can inhibit the remodeling process.
There remain needs for improved and/or alternative method of forming a multilaminate graft material. The present invention is addressed to those needs.
The present invention provides, in certain aspects an implantable surgical mesh comprising a plurality of sheets of a remodelable or bioactive collagenous material, such as a collagenous extracellular matrix that is harvested intact from a mammalian source (e.g., porcine small intestinal submucosa, bovine pericardium, porcine or human cadaveric dermis, etc.), wherein the one or more sheets of material are affixed to one another by thread, suture, or one or more strips of material, etc., interwoven through the adjoining sheets, thereby providing a primary or supplemental means of fixation to help prevent delamination of the graft or separation of the layers during handling and/or the initial period of remodeling.
In one aspect of the invention, the plurality of remodelable collagenous sheets is bonded together by a method such as vacuum pressing or lyobonding (bonding using the lyophlization process) prior to the interweaving member(s) being woven therethrough. In one embodiment, the interweaving members include one or more lines of bioresorbable suture material, thread, or another interweaving material that is woven through the graft in a lock stitch configuration or other suitable method. The pattern of stitching may vary according to clinical application and preference, one example including a series of suture lines forming diamond pattern or a single suture line, such as a spiral pattern. The stitching may extend across the entirety of the graft or be limited to the perhiperal regions to reinforce the edges. In an alternative embodiment, the layers of the graft may be secured with a series of discrete or unconnected stitches that are distributed across the graft, particularly along the periphery thereof.
Another aspect of the invention provides an interweaving member that comprises a length of bioresorbable suture, thread, yarn, or strips that include a bioactive agent, such as a medicaments (e.g., analgesics, anti-inflammatory agents, antibiotics, etc.) or agents/substances to stimulate or improve tissue remodeling (e.g., growth factors), whereby the agent is eluted from the interweaving member after implantation. The bioactive agent may be loaded into the suture material, applied or bonded to the outer surface, or incorporated into a separate drug-containing member comprises a separate portion of selected ones of the interweaving members.
A further embodiment of the invention provides a multilaminate graft comprising a first portion comprising one or more sheets of remodelable material, a second portion comprising one or more sheets of remodelable material, and a synthetic mesh material disposed therebetween. The first and second portions that form a 'sandwich' with the synthetic portion and are affixed to one another by at least one or more interweaving members and may be further bonded together by the same process used to form a multilaminate configuration (e.g., lyobonding, vacuum pressing, etc.) or by the use of a bonding agent (e.g., adhesive).
In certain embodiments, an inventive surgical graft will comprise a remodelable collagenous material and at least one interweaving member. In one such embodiment, the remodelable collagenous material will comprise a plurality of sheets disposed in a multilayer configuration, and the at least one interweaving member will be interwoven through the plurality of sheets of remodelable collagenous material such that the sheets are affixed together. In this and some other inventive constructs, at least one interweaving member present in the construct might comprise a bioresorbable material. Additionally or alternatively, an interweaving member might comprise a length of suture, thread, or yarn. An interweaving member might comprise a strip of material. An interweaving member might comprise a plurality of discreet suture points, e.g., woven through a plurality of sheets. An interweaving member, in certain aspects, will be interwoven through a plurality of sheets to create a series of stitches. These stitches might be spaced apart by an average distance greater than about 1.5 mm, with a preferred average distance of between 1-7 mm. Such stitches might comprise a plurality of lines forming a pattern across a surgical graft. A pattern might comprise intersecting lines of stitches, for example, such that the pattern comprises a diamond or other shaped configuration on a graft surface. In certain aspects, a pattern might comprise a line of stitches generally coextending with an adjacent line of stitches in at least one of a concentric or a parallel configuration. Additionally or alternatively, a surgical graft might include a first outer surface and a second outer surface facing opposite thereto, and this surgical graft might further comprise first and second regions of the first and second outer surface. In some forms, the stitch density in a first region of a graft will be greater than the stitch density in a second region, and this first region might generally extend along the periphery of a surgical graft. In other forms, the stitch density in a second region of a graft will be greater than the stitch density in a first region, and this second region might generally be disposed about the center of a surgical graft. Additionally or alternatively, a plurality of sheets might comprise a laminated configuration with at least one interweaving member being interwoven therethrough. Optionally, in some forms, a plurality of sheets will not be bonded to adjacent ones except by at least one interweaving member. An interweaving member might include at least one bioactive agent that is impregnated into and/or surface-applied to the interweaving members with the interweaving member being configured to deliver the bioactive agent into adjacent tissue when implanted. A bioactive agent might be selected from a group consisting of an analgesic, an anti-inflammatory agent, and an antibiotic. A bioactive agent might be effective for stimulation of tissue ingrowth into the plurality of sheets of remodelable collagenous material. In certain aspects, a remodelable collagenous material will comprise an extracellular matrix material that has been harvested intact from a mammalian source and subject to processing to render the material acellular while retaining a level of bioactivity therein. An interweaving member might comprise a durable material that is effective to provide reinforcement of a surgical graft during degradation of a remodelable collagenous material and the establishment of new host tissue to replace the remodelable collagenous material. A plurality of sheets might comprise a multilayer laminated configuration that includes a first group of laminated sheets, a second group of laminated sheets, and a synthetic mesh material disposed therebetween, for example, with the first and second group of laminated sheets being affixed to one another by at least one interweaving member. A synthetic mesh material might comprise polymeric strands having a diameter in the range of 0.04 mm to 1.0 mm, preferably in the range of 0.06 mm to 0.5 mm, and even more preferably less than 0.15 mm, with the strands being configured to persist and reinforce tissue about the site of implantation after remodeling of the remodelable extracellular matrix material is substantially complete.
In yet another embodiment, an inventive surgical graft comprises a remodelable extracellular matrix material and at least one interweaving member. The at least one interweaving member is selected from a group consisting of suture, thread and a strip of material. The remodelable extracellular matrix material comprises a plurality of sheets thereof disposed in a multilayer laminated configuration. The sheets are harvested intact from a mammalian source. The at least one interweaving member is interwoven through the plurality of sheets of remodelable extracellular matrix material to form a plurality of stitches further binding the plurality of laminated sheets together. The at least one interweaving member comprises a bioabsorbable material configured to undergo degradation after implantation of the surgical graft. In some forms, the graft will further comprise a bioactive agent that is impregnated into and/or surface-applied to the at least one interweaving member such that the bioactive agent is delivered into adjacent host tissue when implanted therein.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for manufacturing a surgical graft. This method includes providing a plurality of sheets and at least one interweaving member. The at least interweaving member is selected from a group consisting of suture, thread and a strip of material. The plurality of sheets comprises a remodelable collagenous material that has been harvested from a mammalian source. The sheets are arranged in a multilayer configuration. The method further includes interweaving the at least one interweaving member through the plurality of sheets such that the plurality of sheets are affixed to one another. In some forms, this method will further comprise bonding the plurality of sheets together to form a laminated configuration. Additionally or alternatively, this method might further comprise adding a bioactive agent to the at least one interweaving member such that it is delivered from the at least one interweaving member into tissue disposed adjacent the surgical graft when implanted.
Other objects, embodiments, forms, features, advantages, aspects, and benefits of the present invention shall become apparent from the detailed description and drawings included herein.


A camera system and method of assisting a driver of vehicle for off-road mode use is provided. The camera system includes one or more cameras located on the vehicle to generate images of ground near the vehicle. The generated images are displayed to the driver when the vehicle is detected to be operating off-road and are prevented from being displayed when not off-road. A steering wheel direction indicator may also be displayed to the driver.

Many off-road automotive vehicles are configured with a relatively high ground clearance sufficient to clear obstacles which reduces the driver's ability to see the ground terrain in front of the vehicle when viewed from the driver's seating position. Elevated obstacle clearance results in the diminished visibility of the nearby terrain and any obstacles immediately around the vehicle, such as boulders, cliffs, protrusions and the like which may be commonly present in an off-road driving environment. In some situations, travel on rugged off-road trails may require the assistance of a "spotter" who stands outside of the vehicle to assist the driver as the driver negotiates the vehicle to crawl over and around obstacles on the rugged terrain or narrow trails. It would be desirable to provide for enhanced tools for effectively allowing a driver of the vehicle to negotiate rugged terrain with reduced or no need for a spotter.

Vehicle camera system operable in off-road mode and method


The withstand voltage of an electrolyte solution is able to be increased by adding an additive for electrolyte solutions, which is composed of a compound that is configured from a silicon-containing sulfonate anion represented by formula (1) and a cation of, for example, a quaternary ammonium salt or a quaternary phosphonium salt, into the electrolyte solution.

In recent years, a portable electronic device such as a digital camera, a smart phone, or a tablet device has become remarkably popular. Along with this, demand for an electric storage device such as a secondary battery that can be repeatedly used by charging and is used as a power source for these devices is largely increasing, and demands for higher capacity and higher energy density of the electric storage device are further increasing.
In these electric storage devices, in general, a solution in which an ionic conductive salt is dissolved in an aprotic organic solvent is used as an electrolyte solution.
By the way, in an electric storage device aiming for high-voltage operation, a withstand voltage of an electrolyte solution is a factor determining an upper limit potential of the device. Under a high voltage, an organic solvent and an ionic conductive salt constituting the electrolyte solution are exposed to a high voltage and may be electrically decomposed on a surface of an electrode. An electrolyte solution having a better withstand voltage property is required.
As a technique for improving the withstand voltage of an electrolyte solution, a method for adding various additives to the electrolyte solution has been reported (for example, refer to Patent Documents 1 to 4). However, there is room for further improvement from viewpoints of au effect of improving a withstand voltage and suppression of an increase in internal resistance.
It is known that an ionic liquid has a high withstand voltage. However, the ionic liquid has a problem in terms of ionic conductivity in a range of a low temperature to a normal temperature as compared with a general organic solvent, and is unsuitable for a device operating at a low temperature and a high voltage.

Abstract: In the formula, each R independently represents an alkyl group having 1-8 carbon atoms; and n represents an integer of 2-6).


An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes an inner tube, an outer tube, an ultrasonic blade, and a clamp member pivotably moveable relative to the ultrasonic blade. The ultrasonic blade is acoustically coupled to an ultrasonic transducer. The clamp member pivotably movable relative to the ultrasonic blade between an open configuration and an approximated configuration with respect to the ultrasonic blade, wherein the clamp member is pivotably coupled to the inner tube, wherein the clamp member is pivotably coupled to the outer tube, and wherein movement of the outer tube relative to the inner tube between the first position and the second position transitions the clamp member between the open configuration and the approximate configuration.

The present disclosure is related generally to surgical instruments including ultrasonic instruments. Ultrasonic surgical instruments, such as ultrasonic scalpels, are used in many applications in surgical procedures by virtue of their unique performance characteristics. Ultrasonic surgical instruments can be configured for open surgical use, laparoscopic, or endoscopic surgical procedures including robotic-assisted procedures.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate various embodiments of the invention, in one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

Actuation mechanisms and load adjustment assemblies for surgical instruments


A monitoring apparatus for sensing conditions associated with a package handling system. The monitoring apparatus includes a test package configured for being handled by the package handling system with non-test packages handled by the package handling system. The test package has a housing defining a test package interior and has at least one sensor positioned within the interior for sensing conditions associated with the package handling system. The sensor produces an output signal corresponding to the conditions that it senses. The test package further includes a support positioned within the test package interior and connecting the sensor to the housing so that the sensor is directed generally toward an outside of the test package for sensing conditions associated with the package handling system.

Package handling systems, such as conveyor belt systems moving packages or parcels about a warehouse or delivery hub, sometimes experience operational problems, such as a jam of the packages being handled by the system or a break in a conveyor belt of the system. Operators of these systems sometimes monitor conditions associated with the systems for determining when problems have occurred. Conventionally, if such monitoring is performed at all, it is often performed by personnel walking around the system looking for unwanted events or conditions.
Monitoring a package handling system using people walking around the system can be expensive, especially when it is determined that multiple personnel are needed to effectively monitor the entire system at one time. Monitoring a package handling system using people constantly inspecting the system can also be expensive considering the time periods at which monitoring is desired. For example, considering that some package handling systems may run continuously, monitoring personnel could be needed for most of the hours of a day and even perhaps for 24-hour monitoring. Moreover, personnel often cannot see certain aspects of the package handling system during operation of the system, such as within tunnels or other equipment of the package handling systems through which packages move while being handled.

Apparatus for monitoring a package handling system


A spoolable pipe is disclosed, the spoolable pipe having an internal pressure barrier formed about a longitudinal axis, and a reinforcing layer(s) enclosing the internal pressure barrier. In one embodiment, the reinforcing layer(s) can include fibers having at least a partial helical orientation about approximately thirty and about approximately seventy degrees relative to the longitudinal axis, and, the wall can include at least one external layer enclosing the reinforcing layer(s) and having a permeability at least ten times greater than the permeability of the internal pressure barrier. The reinforcing layer(s) can further include a coating. The pipe can also include an energy conductor(s) integrated with and/or located between the internal pressure barrier and/or the reinforcing layer(s).

(1) Field
The present disclosure relates generally to spoolable tubing, and more particularly to spoolable tubing or pipes capable of operating in a pressure range that may be considered below the pressure ranges generally suited to fiber reinforced composite or metallic spoolable pipe, but above the pressure ranges generally suited to unreinforced polymeric pipes.
(2) Description of Relevant Art
Spoolable tubing, or tubing capable of being spooled upon a reel, is commonly used in numerous oil well operations, although other applications exist. For example, oil well operations include running wire line cable down hole with well tools, working over wells by delivering various chemicals down hole, and performing operations on the interior surface of the drill hole. The tubes are spoolable so that a tube can be used with one well, and then transported on a reel to another well at a different location. Steel coiled tubing is typically capable of being spooled because the steel used in the product exhibits high ductility (i.e., the ability to plastically deform). Unfortunately, the repeated spooling and use of steel coiled tubing causes fatigue damage that can cause the steel coiled tubing to fracture and fail, often without notice. The hazards of operating steel coiled tubing, i.e., risk to personnel and high economic cost resulting from down-time needed to retrieve the broken tubing sections, forces steel coiled tubing to be retired after a relatively few number of trips into a well.
Steel coiled tubing has also proven to be subject to expansion after repeated uses. Tube expansion results in reduced wall thickness with the associated reduction in the pressure carrying capability of the steel coiled tubing. Steel coiled tubing known in the art is typically limited to an internal pressure up to about 5,000 psi. Accordingly, higher pressure and continuous flexing typically reduces the steel tube's integrity and service life.
For example, the present accepted industry standard for steel coiled tube is an A-606 type 4 modified HSLA steel with yield strengths ranging from 70 ksi to 80 ksi. The HSLA steel tubing typically undergoes bending, during the deployment and retrieval of the tubing, over radii significantly less than the minimum bending radii needed for the material to remain in an elastic state. The repeated bending of steel coiled tubing into and out of plastic deformation induces irreparable damage to the steel tube body leading to low-cycle fatigue failure.
Additionally, when steel coiled tubing is exposed to high internal pressures and bending loads, the isotropic steel is subjected to high triaxial stresses imposed by the added pressure and bending loads. The high triaxial stresses result in significant plastic deformation of the tube and diametral growth of the tube body, commonly referred to as "ballooning". When the steel coiled tube experiences ballooning, the average wall thickness of the tube is reduced, and often causes a bursting of the steel tube in the area of decreased thickness.
Steel coiled tubes also experience thinning of the tube walls due to the corrosive effect of materials used in the process of working over the well and due to materials located on the inner surface of the well bore. The thinning resulting from corrosive effects of various materials causes a decrease in the pressure and the tensile load rating of the steel coiled tubing.
Spoolable tubing can also be installed in permanent applications such as in transport of oil and gas and produced materials from wells, or injection of materials into wellbores. Typically in these applications the spoolable pipe is buried, but it can also be installed on surface. Spoolable pipe can also be installed vertically in wellbores in permanent applications including production tubing, casing, or other conduits from surface.
When the ends of a tube are subjected to opposing forces, the tube is said to be under tension. The tensile stress at any particular cross-section of the tube is defined as the ratio of the force exerted on that section by opposing forces to the cross-sectional area of the tube. The stress is called a tensile stress, meaning that each portion pulls on the other.
With further reference to a tube subjected to opposing forces, the term strain refers to the relative change in dimensions or shape of the tube that is subjected to stress. For instance, when a tube is subjected to opposing forces, a tube whose natural length is L0 will elongate to a length L1=L0+ΔL, where ΔL is the change in the length of the tube caused by opposing forces. The tensile strain of the tube is then defined as the ratio of ΔL to L0, i.e., the ratio of the increase in length to the natural length.
The stress required to produce a given strain depends on the nature of the material under stress. The ratio of stress to strain, or the stress per unit strain, is called an elastic modulus. The larger the elastic modulus, the greater the stress needed for a given strain.
For an elastomeric type material, such as used in tubes, the elongation at break may be high (typically greater than 400 percent) and the stress-strain response may be highly nonlinear. Therefore, it is common practice to define a modulus of elasticity corresponding to a specified elongation. The modulus for an elastomeric material corresponding to 200 percent elongation typically ranges form 300 psi to 2000 psi. In comparison, the modulus of elasticity for typical plastic matrix material used in a composite tube is from 100,000 psi to 500,000 psi or greater, with representative strains to failure of from 2 percent to 10 percent. This large difference in modulus of elasticity and strain to failure between rubber and plastics and thus between tubes and composite tubes may permit a tube to be easily collapsed to an essentially flat condition under relatively low external pressure. This large difference may also eliminate the spoolable pipe's capability to carry high axial tension or compression loads while the higher modulus characteristic of the plastic matrix material used in a composite tube is sufficiently stiff to transfer loads into the fibers and thus resist high external pressure and axial tension and compression without collapse.
The procedure to construct a composite tube to resist high external pressure and compressive loads involves using complex composite mechanics engineering principles to ensure that the tube has sufficient strength. Such a composite tube is presented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,921,285, 6,016,845, 6,148,866, 6,286,558, 6,357,485, and 6,604,550 the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. There are some applications in which the high external pressures for which such composite pipes are desirable, may not be present, and thus, other types of reinforced spoolable pipe may be preferable.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A pigment dispersion for ink jetting, including: a pigment (A) represented by the following Formula (A); a pigment (B) represented by the following Formula (B); and water, wherein a content mass ratio of the pigment (A) to the pigment (B) is higher than 1.0. In Formula (A), each of two R1s represents a cyano group and each of two R2s represents a hydrogen atom, or each of two R1s represents a hydrogen atom and each of two R2s represents a tertiary butyl group. In Formula (B), each of two R3s represents a hydrogen atom and each of two R4s represents a chlorine atom, each of two R3s represents a hydrogen atom and each of two R4s represents a hydrogen atom, or each of two R3s represents a hydrogen atom and each of two R4s represents a phenyl group.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to a pigment dispersion for ink jetting, a method of producing the same, an ink set, and an image forming method.
Related Art
In image formation by an inkjet method, a pigment dispersion prepared by dispersing a pigment in a liquid is used as an ink.
For example, as an inkjet ink using, as a pigment, C. I. (Colour Index) Pigment Orange 71, an inkjet ink which contains C. I. Pigment Orange 71, a 1,2-alkanediol having 4 or more carbon atoms, and a specific alcohol compound is known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2013-91704).
Further, pigments are also used for coloring color filters which are used in liquid crystal display devices and the like.
For example, a red resin composition prepared by dispersing a red pigment and C. I. Pigment Orange 71 in a resin and a method of producing a color filter using this red resin composition are known (see, for example, JP-A No. H11-310715).

Pigment dispersion for ink jetting, method of producing the same, ink set, and image forming method


An optical encoder has a single data track which is scanned photoelectrically by a scanning unit. The data track consists of an incremental track and a plurality of overlying code tracks so that it is possible to generate incremental output signals as well as at least coarse absolute positional information by scanning only one track. The scanning unit comprises a first detecting unit with a phased array of photodetectors to scan the incremental graduation. A second detecting unit with a plurality of photodetectors is provided for scanning the code tracks. The code tracks can be used to generate commutation signals for brushless motors.

From the prior art there are rotary encoders known which provide incremental output signals as well as coarse absolute output signals, e.g. commutation output signals. Commutation output signals are necessary in brushless motors where commutation is performed by electronically steering drive current in the motor to the appropriate winding. For this purpose the absolute rotor position has to be determined with a certain accuracy.
There are different ways known from the prior art how to generate the commutation output signals. In a typical method, Hall switches are used to determine the absolute rotor position. The Hall devices are arranged on a circuit board, which is aligned with a magnet on the rotor so that a defined relationship between the Hall outputs and the motor back EMF can be established. This solution has the disadvantage that additional room must be made for the commutation circuit board and for the encoder. In addition, Hall devices are sensitive to acoustic noise, current spikes, temperature and can be difficult to align.
Because of these disadvantages, encoders were developed which provide incremental output signals as well as commutation output signals from a single code wheel. Encoders of this type are sold, for example by the assignee of the present application. Pending patent application Ser. No. 08/980,047, U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,236 assigned to the present assignee describes such an encoder type.
The code wheel of these encoders usually has an incremental track, and at least three additional code tracks for generating the commutation output signals. This results in a minimum of four data tracks arranged concentrically on the code wheel. To provide the incremental output signals from the incremental track at least two photodetectors are necessary which are arranged in a spatial relationship so that two incremental signals are generated which have a phase shift of 90.degree. with respect to each other. For the commutation output signals, each of the code tracks is scanned by a further photodetector which provides either a HIGH output or a LOW output. The combination of the three commutation output signals allows determination of the absolute rotor position within a certain range.

Encoder for providing incremental and absolute position data


An improved cable and cable sheathing arrangement that affords protection for the conductive elements against corrosion, chemical and physical hazards. In exemplary embodiments described herein, the cable includes a plurality of copper conductors that are individually encased in a thermoplastic insulation. An extruded lead sheath surrounds the thermoplastic insulation. Finally, a thermoplastic jacket encloses the lead sheaths of the conductors in surrounding contact to provide a unitary cable. A cost effective cable is provided, and the need for an external metal armor is reduced or eliminated. Additionally, the cable provides substantial and adequate resistance to corrosion and physical hazards.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical cables of the type used in undersea applications such as for electric submersible pumps and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical cables are used to interconnect electric motors to submersible pumps or other equipment in oil and gas wells. These cables ordinarily consist of three solid or stranded electrical conductors that are combined into a single cable.
Electrical cables for submersible pumps and the like contain copper conductive cables that must be protected from the extremely corrosive effects of the well fluids that surround the cable. Typical current designs for submersible pump cables use outer metal armor that is wrapped around a rubber jacket. The jacket surrounds a number of insulated conductors. The armor protects the conductors against impacts and abrasion. Lead sheaths around the insulated conductors are employed with some cables to provide protection against hydrogen sulfide and other corrosive chemicals. This arrangement is sturdy and provides significant protection against external physical hazards. In some of these arrangements, the lead sheaths are applied to the insulated conductors by wrapping lead strips helically around the insulated conductors. In others, the lead sheaths are extruded around the insulated conductors.
A problem inherent to armored cables is that the outer steel armor corrodes over time. Corrosion may occur when stored on the surface or it may occur in a well due to chemical attack. Such corrosion costs the industry millions of dollars annually. The armor can corrode to the point that its integrity is lost. When this occurs, gases trapped within the cable while in a well may decompress while pulling the cable from the well. This may rupture the cable causing the cable to fail electrically. In addition, corroded away portions of the external armor will tend to foul or contaminate the wellbore.
A related consideration for submersible pump cables is the cost and difficulty of manufacture of the cable. Some cable designs that provide sufficient protection against both corrosion and physical hazards are known, however, they are costly and difficult to manufacture. U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,802 issued to Pearson, for example, describes a round submersible pump cable in which the three conductors in the cable are twisted into a bundle in a braid-like fashion. Lead shielding is provided around each of the conductors. In order to manufacture this type of cable, the lead shields must be first encased with an extruded plasticized nylon or other abrasion resistant plastic. The plastic used must have particular properties of pliability, abrasion resistance, and the ability to withstand high temperatures. In addition, the plastic must be compatible with the rubber jacket that surrounds it and, as a result, the number of materials that are suitable is somewhat limited. Further, extruding the abrasion resistant material over the lead shields adds an extra manufacturing operation that must be performed in making the cable and can be costly.
The present invention provides an improved cable and cable sheathing arrangement that affords protection for the conductive elements against corrosion, chemical and physical hazards.
In a first exemplary embodiment, a round cable is described that includes a plurality of copper conductors that are encased in a thermoplastic insulation. In an alternative exemplary embodiment described herein, a flat cable is described that includes a plurality of copper conductors that are individually encased in a thermoplastic insulation and disposed in a side-by-side relation to one another. In both cases, an extruded lead sheath surrounds the thermoplastic insulation. In the case of the rounds cable, the three lead sheathed conductors are cabled together. Finally, a thermoset or thermoplastic jacket encloses the lead sheaths of the conductors to provide a unitary cable. The jacket is in surrounding contact with each of the lead sheaths so that at least a majority of the outer circumference of the sheaths are contacted by the jacket. It is preferred that at least xc2xe of the outer circumference is in such surrounding contact with the jacket, and in the most preferred embodiment, the entire circumference of the sheaths are surrounded by and substantially contacted by the jacket. A cost effective cable is provided, and the need for an external metal armor is reduced or eliminated. Additionally, the cable provides substantial and adequate resistance to corrosion and physical hazards.

Corrosion-resistant submersible pump electric cable


A pressure-sensitive adhesive and retardation layer-attached polarizing plate (4) comprises a retardation layer-attached polarizing plate (3) comprising a polarizing plate (2) that comprises an iodine-based polarizer (1) and a transparent protective film laminated on both sides of the polarizer and a method for manufacturing the pressure-sensitive adhesive and retardation layer attached polarizing plate (4).

A conventional polarizing plate generally used for LCDs includes a polarizer and a transparent protective film bonded to both sides of the polarizer with an adhesive. A polyvinyl alcohol polarizer is generally used as the polarizer, which is produced by adsorbing iodine into polyvinyl alcohol and orienting it by stretching. Triacetylcellulose is generally used for the transparent protective film. In general, the polarizing plate is used in the form of a pressure-sensitive adhesive attached polarizing plate in which an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive layer made of an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive is laminated for stacking on a liquid crystal cell or the like.
In recent years, wide viewing angle and high contrast have been demanded. Therefore, a polarizing plate and a retardation layer (a birefringent layer) are laminated in such a manner that the retardation properties of the retardation layer can match the retardation properties of a liquid crystal cell during black viewing, so that high display quality has become possible by achieving wide viewing angle and high contrast. For example, a retardation layer using a discotic liquid crystal is laminated on a polarizing plate so that viewing angle can be significantly increased because of the oblique viewing angle compensation of a TN liquid crystal.
However, a retardation layer-attached polarizing plate having a laminated retardation layer using the discotic liquid crystal has a problem in which the polarizer can experience the effect of environmental change, such as dimensional shrinkage, so that the retardation of the retardation layer can be changed, the contrast can be reduced, or unevenness of in-plane black brightness can be developed, so that visibility can be significantly reduced.
Against such a problem, some techniques are proposed, which include reducing the thickness of a base film on which a discotic liquid crystal retardation layer is laminated (Patent Literature 1), using a material with a small photoelastic coefficient as the base film (Patent Literature 2), reducing the thermal expansion coefficient of a cellulose acetate film for use as the base film (Patent Literature 3), and increasing the stress relaxation properties of a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (Patent Literature 4).
There is also proposed a method in which an adhesive containing an acetoacetyl group-containing polyvinyl alcohol resin and a crosslinking agent such as glyoxal is used between a polarizer and a transparent protective film in a polarizing plate so that the water resistance of the adhesive interface can be improved, and defects such as delamination (peeling of the edge portion of a transparent protective film from a polarizer) in severe high-temperature and humid environment can be avoided (Patent Literature 5).
Even if the techniques for improving durability are combined as described above to form the retardation layer-attached polarizing plate, however, in the above-mentioned environment, the peripheral portion of the polarizing plate can form peripheral unevenness due to depolarization and can have significantly reduced polarization performance to fail to maintain the visibility.
For on-vehicle applications and the like, it is also required that the visibility should be maintained even in a test simulating a very severe environment, such as a high temperature of 100° C., high temperature and high humidity of 60° C./95% RH, and a thermal shock test including cycles of the conditions of −40° C. and 80° C. However, pressure-sensitive adhesive layers with good stress relaxation properties generally have poor adhesion so that they cannot follow the sudden dimensional-shrinkage behavior of the polarizing plate in a thermal shock test and can suffer from appearance defects such as peeling and foaming.    Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2004-163606    Patent Literature 2: JP-A No. 2001-100036    Patent Literature 3: JP-A No. 2003-55477    Patent Literature 4: JP-A No. 07-198945    Patent Literature 5: JP-A No. 2005-3884

Pressure-sensitive adhesive and retardation layer-attached polarizing plate, method for manufacturing thereof, optical film, and image display


A multimedia server computer or other device can provide multimedia content, as well as summaries of the multimedia content, to one or more client computers. Each of the users of a client computer is identified as being part of a particular group and summaries are generated for each group. Each summary includes those portions of the multimedia content that are most interesting to previous users of the corresponding group.

This invention relates to multimedia content summarization. More particularly, the invention relates to generating and providing summaries of multimedia content based on user feedback.
Multimedia streamingxe2x80x94the continuous delivery of synchronized media data like video, audio, text, and animationxe2x80x94is a critical link in the digital multimedia revolution. Today, streamed media is primarily about video and audio, but a richer, broader digital media era is emerging with a profound and growing impact on the Internet and digital broadcasting.
Synchronized media means multiple media objects that share a common timeline. Video and audio are examples of synchronized mediaxe2x80x94each is a separate data stream with its own data structure, but the two data streams are played back in synchronization with each other. Virtually any media type can have a timeline. For example, an image object can change like an animated .gif file, text can change and move, and animation and digital effects can happen over time. This concept of synchronizing multiple media types is gaining greater meaning and currency with the emergence of more sophisticated media composition frameworks implied by MPEG-4, Dynamic HTML, and other media playback environments.
The term xe2x80x9cstreamingxe2x80x9d is used to indicate that the data representing the various media types is provided over a network to a client computer on a real-time time, as-needed basis, rather than being pre-delivered in its entirety before playback. Thus, the client computer renders streaming data as it is received from a network server, rather than waiting for an entire xe2x80x9cfilexe2x80x9d to be delivered.
In comparison to text-based or paper-based presentations, multimedia presentations can be very advantageous. Synchronized audio/visual presentations, for example, are able to capture and convey many subtle factors that are not perceivable from paper-based documents. Even when the content is a spoken presentation, an audio/visual recording captures gestures, facial expressions, and various speech nuances that cannot be discerned from text or even from still photographs.
Although streaming multimedia content compares favorably with textual content in most regards, one disadvantage is that it requires significant time for viewing. It cannot be xe2x80x9cskimmedxe2x80x9d like textual content. Thus, a xe2x80x9csummarizedxe2x80x9d version of the multimedia content would be very helpful.
Various technologies are available for summarizing or xe2x80x9cpreviewingxe2x80x9d different types of media content. For example, technology is available for removing pauses from spoken audio content. Audio content can also be summarized with algorithms that detect xe2x80x9cimportantxe2x80x9d parts of the content as identified by pitch emphasis. Similarly, techniques are available for removing redundant or otherwise xe2x80x9cunimportantxe2x80x9d portions or frames of video content. Similar schemes can be used with other types of media streams, such as animation streams and script streams.
Although such techniques are available for previewing media content, these techniques lack a semantic understanding of the multimedia content. These techniques rely on assumptions regarding the multimedia content based on the way in which the presentation is made (e.g., the manner in which words and sentences are spoken, the manner in which video frames are sequenced, etc.), rather than an understanding of the importance of the different portions of the multimedia content.
Furthermore, current techniques lack the ability to distinguish between different groups of users. Different groups of people (e.g., the sales department and the legal department of a corporation) may feel that different portions of the multimedia content are interesting. Current techniques do not provide any ability to distinguish between such different user interests.
The invention described below addresses these disadvantages of summarizing multimedia content, providing an improved way to summarize such content.
A system includes a multimedia server computer or other device that can provide multimedia content, as well as summaries of the multimedia content, to one or more client computers. Summaries are generated to include those portions of the multimedia content that are most interesting to previous users, as identified by feedback from the previous users. Thus, the summary presented to a user includes the portions identified as interesting by previous users.
According to one aspect of the invention, each of the users of a client computer is identified as being part of a group and different summaries are generated for each group. Each summary includes those portions of the multimedia content that are most interesting to previous users of the corresponding group. Thus, the summary presented to a user includes only the portions identified as interesting by previous similar users (that is, users in the same group).
According to another aspect of the invention, the summaries are continually updated as each user is presented with the multimedia content and/or a summary of the content. Feedback from each user is collected and used to further refine the summary. For example, a portion of the multimedia content may be dropped from the summary if feedback from subsequent users indicate the portion is not interesting.
According to another aspect of the invention, the multimedia content is separated into multiple different segments or portions. The segments may be pre-determined or alternatively may be dynamically defined. Each of these segments is given a different xe2x80x9cscorexe2x80x9d for each group. These scores are then modified as user feedback is received. User feedback indicating a segment is interesting increases the score of that segment, while user feedback indicating a segment is not interesting decreases the score of that segment. The highest scoring segments are then provided as the summary of the multimedia content.
According to another aspect of the invention, the user feedback includes both explicit and implicit feedback. A user""s inputs during presentation of the multimedia content and/or the summary of the multimedia content are monitored. Explicit feedback may be provided by the user, such as selection of a xe2x80x9cthis is interestingxe2x80x9d button or a xe2x80x9cthis is not interestingxe2x80x9d button. Additionally, implicit feedback may be provided by the user, such as selection of a fast forward button (implying the portion is not interesting) or selection of a rewind or replay button (implying the portion is interesting).

Multimedia summary generation employing user feedback


A water based drilling fluid composition and an additive for water based drilling fluid compositions having as components poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone/sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate) and ferrous sulfate useful in controlling high temperature water loss in drilling a well to recover oil and gas from a subterranean formation in a hostile environment and their methods of use.

In the art of drilling wells to tap subterranean deposits of natural resources, such as gas, geothermal steam or oil, especially when drilling by the rotary method or the percussion method wherein cuttings must be removed from the bore hole, it is necessary to use a drilling fluid, as is well known to those skilled in the art. The subject is discussed more fully in U.S. Pat. No. 3,025,234. In addition to having the desirable rheological properties such as viscosity and gel strength, it is very important that drilling fluids exhibit a low rate of filtration or water loss, that is, the drilling fluid must prevent excessive amounts of fluid, or "filtrate", from flowing from the drilling fluid in the bore hole into the surrounding formation. The loss of water or other fluid from the drilling fluid is prevented by the formation of a filter cake which deposits from the drilling fluid and seals the wall of the bore hole.
Since most drilling fluids are "non-Newtonian" fluids, the apparent viscosity at given conditions of shear rate and shearing stress may change in a non-linear manner with certain parameters. This property makes it difficult to provide drilling fluids which will perform within acceptable ranges during the entire process of drilling a well.
Measurable variables which may characterize the apparent viscosity of a drilling fluid include the plastic viscosity, yield point and the rate and degree of gelation. The viscosity of a fluid normally decreases with an increase in temperature, but certain polymer additives or deflocculating agents may reduce, or even reverse, this tendency. The long-chain polymers which are most effective in achieving this effect are the most vulnerable to breakdown through oxidation, shear and thermal effects, i.e., the duration of exposure to high temperature drilling operations. Also, many such polymers tend to precipitate and/or lose viscosity as well as effectiveness as water loss additives when exposed to dissolved electrolytes, particularly when divalent metal cations such as Ca.sup.++ and Mg.sup.++ are present. In drilling fluids, the resulting vulnerability to breakdown is exacerbated by the density of the mud, which is directly related to the weighting agents required for a given formation pressure. The extremely high temperatures encountered in drilling geothermal wells also tend to cause early breakdown of mud additives.
Breakdown of water loss control polymers or deflocculants causes a large increase in the fluid loss accompanied by an increase in filter cake thickness. The thickness of filter cake will be determined by the solids content of the mud. High density drilling fluids with large amounts of weighting materials produce very thick filter cakes when fluid loss control is lost. These conditions often result in differential sticking of the drill string. It is desirable to develop additives which will enable drilling fluids to retain their proper viscosity and fluid content over a broader range of conditions.
Specifically, water base drilling fluids containing poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone/sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate) provide excellent fluid loss control in hostile environments. Poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone/sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate), however, provides sufficient viscosity in drilling muds that enough of this material cannot be incorporated into high solids muds to attain the degree of fluid loss control that is most desirable. It has now been found that the viscosity 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate) can be reduced by using a suitable additive in conjunction with the poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone/sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate).
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide control of viscosity in drilling muds containing poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone/sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate). It is another object of this invention to provide control of fluid loss in drilling muds containing poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone/sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate). It is another object of this invention to provide drilling muds containing poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone/sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate) in which the viscosity is controlled. It is still another object of this invention to provide drilling muds containing poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone/sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate) in which the fluid loss from the drilling mud is controlled.
Other aspects, objects and alternative embodiments of this invention will become apparent upon reading this specification and the appended claims.

Drilling mud additive comprising ferrous sulfate and poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone/sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate)


The present disclosure, in one aspect, relates to a polyamide solution including an aromatic polyamide and a solvent, wherein the aromatic polyamide includes at least two types of constitutional units, and a change rate of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of a cast film produced by casting the polyamide solution on a glass plate and CTE of the same cast film after being subjected to a heat treatment at temperature of 200° C. to 450° C. (=CTE after heat treatment/CTE before heat treatment) is 1.3 or less.

As transparency is required for display elements, glass substrates using glass plates have been used as substrates for the elements (JP10311987 (A)). However, for display elements using glass substrates, problems such as being heavy in weight, breakable and unbendable have been pointed out at times. Thus, use of a transparent resin film instead of a glass substrate has been proposed.
For example, polycarbonates, which have high transparency, are known as transparent resins for use in optical applications. However, their heat resistance and mechanical strength may not be sufficient to be used for manufacturing display elements. On the other hand, examples of heat resistant resins include polyimides. However, typical polyimides are brown-colored, and thus it may not be suitable for use in optical applications. As polyimides with transparency, those having an alicyclic ring structure are known. However, the problem with such polyimides is that they have poor heat resistance.
For polyamide films for use in optical applications, WO 20041039863 and JP 2008260266(A) each discloses an aromatic polyamide having diamine including a trifluoro group, which provides both high stiffness and heat resistance.
WO 2012/129422 discloses a transparent polyamide film with thermal stability and dimension stability. This transparent film is manufactured by casting a solution of aromatic polyamide and curing at a high temperature. The document discloses that the cured film has a transmittance of more than 80% over a range of 400 to 750 nm, a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of less than 20 ppm/° C., and shows favorable solvent resistance. And the document discloses that the film can be used as a flexible substrate for a microelectronic device.

Solution of aromatic polyamide for manufacturing display element, optical element, illumination element or sensor element


A cover for preventing water and other damage to an external air conditioner compressor/condenser unit is formed as a rectangular housing having vertical sidewalls and a top ceiling portion. An open bottom end of the housing is dimensioned for insertion over an air conditioner compressor unit. The housing has three sidewalls and an open side for abutment against an exterior wall of a house or mobile home. A plurality of rows of pivotal shutters cover each of the sidewalls and top ceiling of the housing and are selectively moveable between open and closed positions. When the air conditioner is not in use, the shutters are closed to protect the unit from the environment. When the air conditioner compressor unit is in use, the shutters are moved to an open position to allow air flow to the unit, while still providing shade to enhance the operating efficiency of the system. The shutters are formed by aligned interlocking sections to allow the housing to be assembled in a variety of different dimensions for use with a variety of different sizes of air conditioner compressor units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air conditioner compressor sectionalized covers, and more particularly pertains to a sectionalized cover for protecting an externally mounted air conditioner compressor/condenser unit from the environment. A typical freon based air conditioning or heat pump system includes an externally mounted compressor/condenser unit provided with a sheet metal housing. These units are exposed to rain and snow, as well as extreme sunshine. The efficiency of these units is degraded when they are heated by the sun. Additionally, these units are subject to damage of the condenser coils by individuals utilizing lawn mowers and other power grass trimming tools adjacent the unit. Finally, these units are typically painted in a green or beige color which is not aesthetically appealing to some individuals. In order to overcome these problems, the present invention provides a sectionalized cover having sidewall and ceiling portions formed by selectively openable shutters to protect such air conditioner units from the environment while allowing air flow when the units are in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of sectionalized covers are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a sectionalized cover is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,904, which issued to B. Mackell on Dec. 22, 1970. This patent discloses an inflatable cargo housing having a sectionalized construction to protect cargo from the elements. U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,275 which issued to L. Ance on Nov. 9, 1971 discloses a collapsible housing for electrical equipment which is formed by a plurality of interconnected sections. U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,210, which issued to H. Austin on Dec. 31, 1974, discloses an interlocking panel construction for protecting a stack of hay bales which is formed from a multiplicity of corrugated panels, each having an inverted-V configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,205, which issued to W. Scott on Dec. 21, 1982 discloses a portable grain storage bin formed from a cylindrical wire mesh outer wall which is pegged to the ground, and an inner plastic lining material which is closed at the top after filling of the bin. U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,646, which issued to H. Lowe on Mar. 12, 1985 discloses a storage structure for housing grain and other granular products in which the normally encountered lateral pressure exerted on the walls of the structure is minimized by the spaced slatted configuration of the wall.
While the above mentioned patents are directed to sectionalized covers, none of these devices disclose a sectionalized cover having a plurality of selectively openable and closeable shutters formed by interlocking segments which is suitable for protecting an air conditioner compressor/condenser unit from environmental and other damage. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of sectionalized covers, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such air conditioner compressor sectionalized covers, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.

Air conditioning compressor sectionalized cover