The invention provides systems and methods for providing access to a target site. Example systems may include a needle, a grid to guide the needle, a plate with an aperture, a member coupled to the plate and including a semispherical surface, and a hub slideably coupled to the plate by a guide. The system may also include a needle coupled to the hub, the needle including a magnetically trackable sensor positioned in a tip of the needle. The semispherical surface can be positioned against skin of a body and the hub slid relative to the plate along the guide to insert the needle through the aperture in the plate into the body until the tip reaches a target site. The hub can be locked by a lock mechanism when the tip of the needle reaches the target site, and an action performed on the target site through the needle.

Minimally invasive surgical interventions are rapidly increasing in popularity. This is due to the development of new interventional techniques and the desire on the part of both clinicians and patients to decrease procedure-related morbidity and trauma. Minimally invasive interventions are done using catheters, needles, or other instruments that are introduced, targeted, and manipulated without the benefit of the direct instrument visualization afforded by the usual surgical exposure. Using such procedures minimizes trauma to the patient, but severely restricts the physician's view of the underlying anatomy. In contrast, image-guided surgery uses preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans to guide invasive surgical procedures, providing the physician with some guidance.
Typical image guided surgery systems are based on bony landmarks, especially with regard to applications in the brain and spine. One example of a device used for guiding invasive surgical procedures is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,091. The system described therein includes a magnetic positioning system that utilizes a reference probe, an instrument probe, and a magnetic field to magnetically track the instrument probe in the area of interest.
Other systems and methods that provide for efficient access of internal structures of the body are needed.

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services


Provided are a mobile network control apparatus and energy saving method. The mobile network control apparatus for may calculate a first amount of total consumed power consumed by m base stations to provide a first cell as a coverage range, and a second amount of total consumed power consumed by n base stations to provide a second cell including the first cell as a coverage range. The mobile network control apparatus may save energy by initiating an operation of the n base stations on a high power mode, and by suspending an operation of a remaining base station excluding the n base stations if the first amount of total consumed power is greater than the second amount of total consumed power.

1. Field
The following description relates to a mobile network control apparatus and method that may save energy by controlling an operation mode or operation of a base station based on an amount of consumed power.
2. Description of Related Art
A mobile network control apparatus may control a plurality of cells within a service area by initiating an operation of a plurality of base stations. Terminals located within the service area may access a base station to use a service.
For example, the mobile network control apparatus may initiate the operation of the plurality of the base stations, and accordingly may unnecessarily waste energy by maintaining the initiated operation. For example, a base station that has a cell in which a terminal is not located may not need to be operated, however, conventional mobile network control apparatuses may initiate the operation of the base station because the base station is included in the service area of the plurality of base stations.

Mobile network control apparatus and energy saving method


A printing formulation, an electronic device comprising a function layer prepared from the printing formulation and a preparation method for obtaining a functional material thin film by utilizing the printing formulation. The printing formulation comprises at least one functional material and at least one inorganic ester solvent, and the inorganic ester solvent can be selected from alkyl borate or alkyl phosphate.

Currently, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), as a new generation display technology, are prepared by the evaporation process. Vacuum processes used in the preparation process typically cause low materials utilization rate of materials, while the fine metal mask (FMM) is required, resulting in high costs and low yield at the same time. High-resolution full-color display technology realized by using a printing process has been receiving more and more attention in seeking of solutions for the above problems. For example, ink jet printing can produce functional material films in a large area and with low cost. Compared with the traditional semiconductor production processes, ink jet printing is considered as a production technology with great advantages and promising potential due to low energy consumption and water consumption and is environment-friendly. Another new display technology, quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED), cannot be vaporized and must be prepared by printing. Therefore, to realize a printed display, it is necessary to solve key issues in printing inks, related printing processes, and the like. Viscosity and surface tension are important parameters that affect the printing ink and the printing process. A promising printing ink needs proper viscosity and surface tension.
Due to its solution processability, organic semiconductor materials have gained widespread attention and have made remarkable progress in the application of electronic and optoelectronic devices. Solution processability allows the organic functional material to form a film thereof in the device through some coating and printing techniques. Such technology can effectively reduce the processing costs of electronic and optoelectronic devices, meeting the process requirements of large-area preparation. Currently, several companies have reported organic semiconductor inks for printing. For example, KATEEVA, INC disclosed an ester solvent-based organic small-molecule material ink for printing OLEDs (US2015044802A1); UNIVERSAL DISPLAY CORPORATION disclosed a printable organic small-molecule material ink based on aromatic ketone or aromatic ether solvents (US 20120205637); and SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION disclosed a printable organic polymer material ink based on a substituted benzene derivative solvent. Other examples of printing inks involving organic functional materials are: CN102408776A, CN103173060A, CN103824959A, CN1180049C, CN102124588B, US2009130296A1, US2014097406A1, and the like.
Another type of functional material suitable for printing is inorganic nanomaterial, particularly quantum dots. Quantum dots are nanometer-sized semiconductor materials with quantum confinement effect. When stimulated by light or electricity, the quantum dots emit fluorescence with specific energy. The color (energy) of the fluorescence is determined by the chemical formulation, size and shape of the quantum dots. Therefore, by controlling of quantum dot size and shape, one can effectively regulate its electrical and optical properties. At present, the application of quantum dots in full-color are being studied globally, mainly focusing in the display area. Recently, quantum dots have been rapidly developed as electroluminescent devices (QLEDs) for light-emitting layers, and the device lifetimes have been greatly improved. See, for example, such as described in Peng et al., Nature Vol 515 96 (2015) and Qian et al., Nature Photonics Vol 9 259 (2015). Currently, several companies have reported quantum dot inks for printing: Nanoco Technologies Ltd in England has disclosed a method for printing ink formulations containing nanoparticles (CN101878535B). Printable nanoparticle inks and corresponding nanoparticle-containing films were obtained by selecting suitable solvents such as toluene and dodecaneselenol. Samsung Electronics disclosed a quantum dot ink for ink jet printing (U.S. Pat. No. 8,765,014B2), which contains a concentration of quantum dot materials, organic solvents and alcohol polymer additives with high viscosity. A quantum dot film was obtained by printing with the ink, and a quantum dot electroluminescent device was prepared. QD Vision Inc. disclosed a quantum dot ink formulation comprising a host material and a quantum dot material and an additive (US2010264371A1).
Other patents concerning quantum dot printing inks are: US2008277626A1, US2015079720A1, US2015075397A1, TW201340370A, US2007225402A1, US2008169753A1, US2010265307A1, US2015101665A1, and WO2008105792A2. In these published patents, these quantum dot inks contain other additives such as alcohol polymers in order to control the physical parameters of the ink. The introduction of polymer additives with insulating properties tends to reduce the charge transport capacity of the film, causing a negative impact on the optoelectronic properties of the device, and thus limits its wide application in optoelectronic devices.

Printing composition, electronic device comprising same and preparation method for functional material thin film

GUANGZHOU CHINARAY OPTOELECTRONIC MATERIALS LTD.


The present invention provides a magnetic transfer master disk comprising: a master substrate formed by a metal plate, on a surface of which a protruding and recessed pattern corresponding to transfer information is transferred by electroforming, the metal plate being composed of two or more electroforming layers that are different from each other in crystal orientation; and a magnetic layer formed on the protruding and recessed pattern of the master substrate in order to eliminate warpage and distortion of the master disk even if the close contact pressure is increased during transferring magnetic information such as format information to a magnetic disk used in a hard disk device and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic transfer master disk, its manufacturing method and a magnetic transfer method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a magnetic transfer master disk which is suitable for transferring magnetic information such as format information to a magnetic disk used in a hard disk device and the like, and also relates to a method for the manufacturing magnetic transfer master disk and a magnetic transfer method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a magnetic disk (hard disk) used in a hard disk drive which has become popular rapidly in recent years, is once delivered from a magnetic disk maker to a drive maker, and thereafter format information and address information are written in the magnetic disk before it is incorporated in the hard disk drive. The writing operation can be performed by using a magnetic head, but a method for collectively performing transfer from a master disk in which format information and address information are written, is efficient and preferred.
In the magnetic transfer method for collectively performing transfer in a state where a master disk and a disk to be transferred (slave disk) are brought into close contact with each other, the magnetic field generating device such as an electromagnet device and a permanent magnet device is provided on one face or both faces of the disks in close contact with each other, so that information (for example servo signal) provided for the master disk is transferred to the slave disk by applying a transfer magnetic field. Here, in order to accurately perform the magnetic transfer, it is extremely important to make the master disc closely contact with the slave disk uniformly without a gap.
As the master disc used for the magnetic transfer method, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-256644, a disk in which a protruding and recessed pattern corresponding to an information signal is formed on the surface of a substrate and in which a magnetic layer is applied on the surface of the protruding and recessed pattern, is normally used. The magnetic transfer master disk is generally produced through a electroforming process for applying electroforming to an original plate on which information is formed by a protruding and recessed pattern and for laminating a metal plate composed of an electroforming layer on the original plate so as to make the protruding and recessed pattern transferred on the surface of the metal plate, through exfoliating the metal plate from the original plate, through a punching process for punching out the exfoliated metal plate into a predetermined size, and thereafter through a process for applying a magnetic layer on the surface of the protruding and recessed pattern.

Magnetic transfer master disk, its manufacturing method and magnetic transfer method


A data writing method for a block of a multi level cell NAND flash memory including upper page addresses and lower page addresses is provided, wherein a writing speed at the lower page addresses is higher than that at the upper page addresses. The data writing method includes receiving a writing command and determining whether an address to be written with new data in the writing command is the upper page address of the block. The method also includes copying old data previously recorded on the lower page addresses of the block as an old data backup when the address to be written in the writing command is the upper page address of the block and then writing the new data to the address to be written. Thus, old data may be protected while writing data to the upper page address of the multi level cell NAND flash memory.

1. Technology Field
The present invention relates to a data writing method for a flash memory, and more particularly, to a data writing method for a flash memory with a data protection mechanism, a flash memory controller and a flash memory storage drive using the data writing method.
2. Description of Related Art
With the booming market of digital cameras, camera cell phones and MP3s in recent years, demand for memory storage devices by consumers are rapidly increasing. Flash memories having the advantages of non-volatility, power-saving, small size and having no mechanical structure are suitable in portable applications, especially suitable for these types of portable products that are powered by batteries. In addition to the demand of memories embedded in products, there may also be an even larger market of mini memory cards and USB flash disks because a single user may own multiple USB flash disks and mini memory cards. Therefore, the flash memory industry has become extremely demanding in the electronics industry in recent years.
Flash memories have been developed from a single level cell NAND flash memory to a multi level cell NAND flash memory. Due to physical characteristics of the multi level cell NAND flash memory, electronic charges may be unstable in programming some pages of the flash memory, which may affect adjacent pages. Therefore, the multi level cell flash memory has a poor storing reliability despite of its large storage. On the other hand, the storage of the multi level cell flash memory is becoming larger and larger, which makes it increasingly suitable for being used as hard disks (e.g., solid state drives). Under this situation, whether the solid state drive employing the flash memory as storage medium is able to prevail in the market depends mainly on the data storage reliability.
What is needed, therefore, is a data writing method that can increase the reliability in storing data to the flash memory.

Data writing method for flash memory, and flash memory controller and storage device thereof


An over-current protector comprised of multiple over-current protection devices each at various switching temperature and provided with positive temperature coefficient; all devices being stacked and segregated with an reinforced insulation layer and connected in parallel through a conducting mechanism each respectively provided at where in relation to both ends of the device; both conducting mechanisms constituting the terminal electrodes of the over-current protector as a whole for reducing initial resistance, increasing peak resistance, and in turn upgrading voltage withstanding performance.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an over-current protector, and more particularly to one that reduces initial resistance, increase peak resistance, and upgrade high voltage withstanding performance.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Being compact and multi-purpose dominate the design in consumer electronic products today including the handset, Notebook, digital camera (video camera), and PDA. Similarly, the high-efficacy and compact electric installations are demanded for providing good circuit configuration, assurance of normal operation of the entire electric circuitry, and prevention of shortage due to over-current, or over-temperature to the secondary battery or the circuit device.
Therefore, the design of over-current protection circuit has to meet the requirements of high-efficacy and compactness. Over-current protection devices generally available in the market are usually built up with positive temperature coefficient (PTC). They feature lower resistance at low temperature to permit smooth flow of current, and when the electric installation heats up, its temperature rises to a certain, critical temperature, the resistance would drastically increase up to several tens of thousand folds to achieve its purpose of protecting the battery or the circuit device.
However, in practical use, conducting filling material is reduced to increase peak resistance in response to the characteristic of energy consumption; in turn, the initial resistance is also increased to compromise its conductivity.


An image forming apparatus, for use in a printing system including a print client, a printer server, and an authentication server, enables a secure print setting according to received policy information specifying that printing is to be performed using a secure print protocol employing a certificate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which securely transmits print data via a network, a printing method, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, printing can be performed from a print client personal computer (PC) via a network on a device such as an image forming apparatus connected to the network. In such a case, it is necessary for the print client PC to detect the device on the network, and then to install driver software for using the detected device. A standard technique such as Web Services on Devices (WSD) previously proposed by Microsoft Corporation is a specification for performing the above-described series of processes in a simplified manner. The WSD employs, when the print client PC searches for the device on the network, a WS-Discovery specification. The WS-Discovery specification is defined in http://specs.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/04/discovery/ws-discovery.pdf. Further, the WSD employs a secure WSD specification for encrypting network data to be communicated. The secure WSD specification is defined in http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb204786 (v=VS.85).aspx. The secure WSD specification employs Transport Layer Security (TLS) defined by Request For Comment (RFC) 2246.
In using TLS, the print client PC encrypts network data to prevent falsification and eavesdropping of the network data, and performs certificate verification to prevent spoofing. More specifically, when the print client performs certificate verification, server certificate is signed by a public certificate authority (CA) to assure validity of the server certificate. A CA certificate is stored in the print client, the server certificate is stored in a server, and the server transmits the server certificate to the print client, so that the print client verifies the validity of the certificate.
If the print client is to verify the validity of the server by performing certificate verification using TLS, the CA certificate which has a chain relation with the server certificate is to be stored in the print client. However, such an operation requires the public CA to sign the certificate, or a user to independently organize a private CA and have the certificate signed. As a result, cost and effort are required in performing the operation.
To solve such situation, there is a method in which a self-signed certificate is used in TLS to reduce the load in organizing the above-described environment. In such a case, the situation is solved by storing the self-signed certificate in a server side. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-334753 discusses an operation using proxy authentication.
However, since there is no CA certificate in a print client side with which the print client can verify the validity of the certificate transmitted from the server, the print client cannot verify the validity. It is thus previously determined whether to continue the process even when the print client side cannot perform verification, or the user is caused to select whether to continue the process when the certificate is received. If the process is to be continued, it indicates that the server has not been authenticated, so that there is a risk of spoofing. In other words, if the self-signed certificate is used in TLS, the operation cost and effort can be reduced. However, there is a risk of spoofing.

Image forming apparatus, printing method, and storage medium


To generate appendices which uniquely reference an object geographically, a tree of possible paths is generated. The paths are evaluated in accordance with predefined criteria, which are suited for use as termination criteria, at the time the paths are formed. Of the remaining paths, at least that one is coded as an appendix which best fulfills at least one of the criteria.

Various methods are known for transmitting location-specific information, such as traffic messages. For example, in a TMC (traffic message channel), a location is transmitted on the basis of a location code. A geographic position and, thus, also a local allocation of the message are first rendered using a location database in the receiver. For navigational purposes, digital road maps are used, in which the individual objects are characterized by their geographic location and by their street connections. To transmit any location-specific information at all to receivers which contain an appropriate database (receiver database), a coding—also referred to as referencing—is carried out on the basis of a geographic context. This referencing goes beyond the specification of geographic data, since these data are not able to exclude ambiguities. There are, moreover, deviations in the databases, for example due to various manufacturers. Therefore, to describe all these data, referencing appendices are discussed in the following.
German Published Patent Application Nos. 100 38 343.2, 100 09 149.0, and 100 23 309.0 have proposed methods which provide for a reliable referencing in systems having distributed geographic databases. Beyond the original objective of generating references among objects which are, in fact, present in two different databases, but are each described differently, the methods in the aforementioned patent applications enable geographic objects to be navigably incorporated in a database where they originally had not been present. To this end, the object, e.g., a parking garage, is supplemented by appendices, e.g., by the geometry of an access road. On the receiver side, using pattern recognition, an at least partial map matching is achieved, geometric components present on the object side and not in the database being reentered, for example as access roads.

Method for creating appendices that clearly reference the location of an object


The motivation of a participant in an incentive program is enhanced by enabling the participant to set goals, report performance related to the goals, and receive feedback on the achievement of the goals. The feedback includes report(s) and/or reward(s). Motivation is further enhanced by heuristically and dynamically adapting the goals according to performance.

Incentive programs are typically offered by sponsoring organizations to promote the sales of their products or services, or to improve another measure of performance of participating employees and independent contractors of the sponsor. Incentive programs are also known as "promotions." Participants in incentive programs may be a natural person, an animal, or an organization. Participants can receive credits that are accumulated and exchanged for services, such as travel, merchandise, or numismatic funds. Gaining and maintaining the motivation to achieve the rewards can be difficult for the participant. However, it has become well-known and publicized by personal-improvement experts such as Zig Ziglar and Tony Robbins, by various twelve-step behavior modification programs such as the program sponsored by Alcoholic Anonymous Association, and through over five-hundred studies of the effects of goal-setting on work tasks, such as "Motivation Through Conscious Goal Setting, Applied and Preventive Psychology," Locke, E. A., 1996, "Self-Regulation Through Goal Setting," Academic Press, Latham, G. P. & Locke, E. A., 1991, "Further Evidence on the Relationship Between Goal Setting and Expectancy Theories, Organizing Behavior and Human Decision Process," Klein, H. J., 1991, "A Theory of Goal Setting and Task Performance, Prentice Hall," Locke, E. & Latham, G., 1990, "A Test of the Mediating Role of Goals in the Incentive-Performance Relationship, Journal of Applied Psychology," Wright, P. M., 1989 and "The Influence of Monetary Incentives on Goal Choice, Goal Commitment and Task Performance, Organizational Behavior and Human Processes," Reidel, J. A., Nebeker, D. M. & Cooper, B. L., 1988.
A participant who has self-selected a goal is more likely to gain and maintain the necessary motivation to achieve that goal than a participant who has no goal, or a goal that is not self-selected. Perhaps the most common use of goal-setting in business is in the establishment of quotas, incentive plans and bonus qualifiers. In general, such goals are established unilaterally by management, and because the process is top-down, with little or no opportunity for negotiation, the goals are sometimes rejected or ignored, and thus have little or no impact on performance.
Recording self-selected performance goals and recording the actual performance, and then comparing the actual performance to the goals and issuing rewards when goals are met, requires extensive resources. In particular, for organizations that wish to compensate numerous employees, vendors and independent contractors for their performance related to the organization, the resources needed for this highly specialized function are particularly expensive to acquire and reliably maintain. Furthermore, it has been observed that a participant's motivation will diminish over time when the same goals are repeatedly presented to the participant.
There is a need, therefore, for a computerized incentive system that overcomes all the above-described disadvantages. More specifically, there is a need for a computerized incentive system that records self-selected goals and performance of participants, compares the performance to the goals, assigns rewards to the participants pursuant to the comparison and heuristically adjusts the rewards threshold based on the prior history of achievement and performance of the participant.


A product and process for making backside thinned semiconductor image sensing devices employing neutral ion beams to reduce substrate volumes so that the image sensor can be illuminated from the backside, or side opposite etched circuitry. A neutral ion beam is contained in a vacuum chamber that has a fixture for holding a semiconductor image sensor, a control mechanism for controlling the neutral ion beam via the raster mechanism, and a map of the semiconductor image sensor. The image sensor is placed on the fixture within the vacuum chamber and the neutral ion beam removes a predetermined amount of substrate from the backside of the sensor. The result is an image sensor than can be backside thinned at the molecular level

In photo detector array fabrication, it is sometimes necessary to have devices which are thinned from the backside due to operational requirements. These requirements may include but are not limited to; maximizing UV spectral response; minimizing sensitive volume thickness; and antiblooming considerations. Difficulties arise in mechanically or chemically thinning or removing the substrate, if the devices are physically small, or the feature size of the device is small, or the doped layers are very thin. Mechanically stressing the device should be minimized. In addition, thinning the substrate may effectively remove the ground path from the device, depending on design. Accuracy in thinning is necessary to achieve uniformity of response.
Previous techniques within the prior art for backside thinning of image sensors have been disclosed such as the chemi-mechanical illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,251 issued to Poole et al. (hereinafter referred to as Poole). Other prior art techniques have disclosed chemical etching techniques for backside thinning such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,817 issued to Hawkins et al. (hereinafter referred to as Hawkins). Neither of these teachings provide the ability to thin substrates in both a timely and accurate manner.
As can be seen from the foregoing discussion, there remains a need within the art for a method and apparatus that can effectively thin semiconductor image sensor substrates highly accurately and in a timely manner.

Backside thinning using ion-beam figuring


A mounting apparatus providing a horizontal shelf for securely stacking one component, such as a VCR, over a second component, such as a video display. The apparatus has struts which extend downwards from the sides of the shelf to flank the second component when the shelf is placed on top of it. An attachment mechanism in each strut is adjusted to clamp the apparatus securely to the second component. Upward struts may also be provided with similar attachment mechanisms to secure the stacked component to the shelf. The apparatus can be formed a single molded piece or have removable struts which are positioned as needed. The shelf can be a single component or be divided lengthwise and connected in a manner allowing for an adjustable depth.

Televisions and computer display terminals are almost universal fixtures in households and offices. However, these video displays are bulky and there is often the need to stack or otherwise position another component, such as a VCR, above the display to save space. Because the horizontal surface provided on the top of conventional video displays is limited in area, it is often impossible to securely place a component over the display without additional support mechanisms.
One arrangement which allows stacking of components is a cabinet which has separate shelves for the display and other stacked components. However, a cabinet is bulky and may not have sufficient depth to hold the video display. A cabinet may also interfere with the accessibility and ventilation of the components.
Another conventional arrangement is the use of a vertically adjustable holder as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,104 to Sher. The Sher holder is comprised of two horizontal shelves connected by a pair of vertically adjustable supports. The video display is placed on top of the lower shelf and the upper shelf forms an area where other devices may be stacked. However, this arrangement requires that the lower shelf be placed underneath the video display, and thus it may be difficult to install and remove when used with bulky and/or heavy displays. Also, when used with larger displays, the lower shelf may interfere with the stability of the display and no mechanism is provided to secure the stacked component to the upper shelf.
An alternative conventional arrangement for supporting a VCR over a video display is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,342 to Noguera. The Noguera assembly is comprised of a frame which sits on top of the horizontal portion of the television display. The frame has two downwardly extending legs which rest on top of the sloping portion of the display case and can be adjusted so that the frame is horizontal. The width of the frame is adjusted to fit the dimensions of the VCR to be mounted. However, this assembly does not provide a true shelf, but merely a frame which may not properly fit around the stacked component. Also, this assembly is not secured to the television, but instead rests freely on top of it. Therefore, it may be accidentally pushed off of the display, causing damage to the stacked component.


An electric device includes a read only memory (ROM) storing a condition setting program which sets operation conditions and the like of the electric device in accordance with data. When a user changes the operation conditions and the like of the electric device, the user access a homepage of the electric device from his or her own cellular phone, inputs necessary information and command through the cellular phone. When the electric device receives the command, the condition setting program sets the operation conditions in accordance with the received command.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric devices that require input of settings, commands, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, almost all electric devices include some sort of an operation enabling a user to select and set desired operation conditions and the like. For most electric devices, such as a printer or a sewing machine, the operation panel has a simple configuration including only the minimum required operation keys.
However, some commands and the like can not be input through the operation panel because the operation panel has only the minimum required simple configuration. For example, the user will be unable to input a password that include alphabet letters if the operation panel is not provided with alphabet keys or similar mechanism. In this case, the user can connect an external device to the electric device, and user the eternal device to set operation conditions and the like of the electric device. The external device may include, in addition to the minimum required operation keys, a monitor display, alphanumeric keys, and the like.
However, the external unit is manufactured as a separate component from the main body of the electric devices. Accordingly, a number of components increases, so the manufacturing costs increase. Also, a connection member is required to connect the external unit to the main body. Also, the external unit occupies additional space, which prevents from providing a compact sized electric device.
There has been also provided a system including a plurality of personal computers (PC) and a plurality of printers connected to each other via a network, such as local area network (LAN), Internet, or the like. In some cases, the printers connected to such a network are provided with a function to communicate with a remote device via e-mail. For example, the printer can send an e-mail message to a predetermined address so as to notify a user that requested printing has been completed or that an error has occurred during printing operations. Alternatively, a user of the PC can send a print job to the printer using e-mail. In this case, the user can include his or her own e-mail address or any other e-mail address in the e-mail message, so that the printer sends an e-mail message to the specified e-mail address or addresses when necessary.
However, when the user sends a print job to the printer via a communication method other than e-mail, such as via LPR in a pier-to-pier manner or via a server other than a mail server, such as Windows NTRT or NetwareRT, then the user cannot notify his or her own e-mail address to the printer. Therefore, the printer can not send any e-mail message to the user.
Also, the printer generates and sends an e-mail message in accordance with a special print protocol which s based on e-mail protocol. Accordingly, the personal computers need to be provided with a port monitor software that supports the special print protocol, or else the personal computer will be unable to receive the e-mail message from the printer.

Electric device capable of being controlled based on data transmitted from cellular phone


Architecture, systems, and methods for developing, an area-efficient dynamically-configurable memory controller are described. The architecture, systems and methods may provide savings in terms of surface area required for implementing a dynamically configurable hardened memory controller or controllers.

A memory controller provides user logic with read and write access to data stored in a memory device. For example, user logic may send a user command to the memory controller. The memory controller may convert the user command into one or more memory controller commands. The one or more memory controller commands may be sent to the memory to read or write the data.
A memory controller may be implemented on a Programmable Logic Device (PLD) as well as other kinds of devices implemented on integrated circuits. Where a memory controller is implemented using the basic building block logic elements generally provided on a PLD, the memory controller is commonly referred to as a soft memory controller.
In contrast, to facilitate a user's implementation of a memory controller, a PLD may be designed to contain a specialized block of circuitry dedicated to implementing a memory controller. Such circuitry may be described as a memory controller block, and replaces the usual circuitry that would appear in that section of the PLD. A memory controller implemented using such specialized circuitry (i.e., a memory controller block) is commonly referred to as a hardened memory controller. With a hardened memory controller, to implement a memory controller in the field, a user requests a memory controller in the course of programming the PLD, and a memory controller is instantiated in the memory controller block at compile time.

Area-efficient dynamically-configurable memory controller


The application discloses a new system for performing queries and entity resolution on two or more data sources without having to ETL all the documents, entities, and descriptions of entities. Also disclosed, is a method to perform advanced entity resolution without divulging personally sensitive information to end-users and intermediate systems.

Users who are searching for data contained in physically or logically separate data sources (such as databases, flat-files, xml, etc.) typically must issue physically separate queries to each database or warehouse where they are interested in finding data. Additionally, the results which are returned from these separate queries are not correlated, consolidated, nor de-conflicted. Therefore, the user must attempt to determine which pieces of information relate to each other and refer to the same real-world object. This would typically be done either in the user's head or with the use of another application, such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, etc., which requires significant manual work to be done. This can result in incorrect and tiring work, as well as not being readily repeatable. If the number of returns is significant, the user may not even choose to perform this manual process since the amount of information to process is too much for a human to correlate. Moreover, the require information correlation would take simply too much time to do by hand or with tools that were never intended to do such work.
Query Brokers, Federated Queries, and Distributed Queries are not new concepts. The problem is that none of these give a comprehensive view of an entity's history, since none attempt to correlate entities across different data sources. The trick is to correlate entities across the disparate systems in a domain-meaningful way, as well as be able to query additional information from those systems and correlate associations across those systems without permanently storing data either on the user's workstation or on a centralized server. Typically, Query Brokers and other distributed designs return a list of matches to a user's query, but do not even attempt to determine if pieces of information from different systems actually relate to the same real-world object because of the difficulty or potential for incorrect correlations to occur. This work is left up to the user to do "in their head".
There are two ways to solve the problem. First, is a brute-force approach wherein all relevant data pieces are copied from source systems to the destination system and then performing consolidation or de-duplication on the destination system after all pieces of information have been copied. This will in theory work; however, computers, networks, disk drives, etc. may all be too slow for this to be practically achievable for large sets of data. Also, data could be stored in a warehouse, but not all source systems lend themselves to be replicated into a central warehouse, and the storage requirements for such a system may be extremely large.

Methods and apparatus for performing multi-data-source, non-ETL queries and entity resolution


A system and method for providing access to animal food utilizes identification tags on domestic animals, generally attached to a collar. The identification tag generates a signal that is detected by a receiver mounted on an enclosed food container. When the receiver detects a pre-selected acceptable signal from an animal, it activates a motor that causes a movable portion of the container to move to an open position. If the signal is no longer detected by the receiver, it activates the motor to move the movable portion of the container to a closed position. If the receiver detects a signal from an identification tag that is not one of the pre-selected signals, it activates the motor to move the movable portion of the container to a closed position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to feeding devices, systems and methods for domestic animals, particularly dogs and cats, and more particularly to a device, system and method for providing selective access to a container holding animal food or water in a multiple pet household. The system of the present invention is able to distinguish between the animals in the household and provides access to food, water and medication to only those animals that the owner chooses, without the owner having to monitor the container holding the food, water, or medication.
2. General Background and State of the Art
It is estimated that in the United States of America, more than 140,000,000 dogs and cats occupy households as pets. Many households have multiple animals. Typically, in any household having multiple domestic animals as pets, there is a "pecking order," where one or more of the animals is dominant, either because of their nature or size, while other animals in the same household may be more docile or smaller in size.
Adequately feeding and watering the more docile animals in a multiple pet household can become a problem, as the docile animals must wait their turn at the food or water bowl until the dominant animal or animals have had their fill, or the dominant animals will "bully" or push the more docile animals away from the food and water as the more docile animals are trying to eat or drink. It can be difficult and annoying for household members to monitor the situation to be sure that all of the animals are receiving adequate food and water.
There can also exist the situation where one or more animals in a household have special needs that not all of the animals in the household have, such as needing certain medication or specific nutritional foods, such as for puppies, kittens, or older animals.
It is also desirable in many households to leave the animal food or water outdoors where domestic animals may spend much of their time. Leaving food or water outside for the domestic household animals may result in attracting unwanted animals, such as birds, raccoons, possums, or squirrels, who wind up eating the food or drinking the water intended for the domestic animals.
Another problem associated with leaving animal food out for feeding is that the food may become dry, or it may attract insects, whether the food is located inside or outside.
No known device, system or method of feeding domestic animals overcomes the problems associated with trying to adequately meet the nutritional needs of a number of domestic animals having varying physical attributes and nutritional needs, while also keeping away unwanted animals and wasting food.

System and method for providing selective access to animal food


A suturing device including an outer bendable body and an inner bendable needle with a freely bendable angle includes a longitudinally extending outer hollow body having a point and a hollow passage and an inner needle portion or part disposed therein. The outer hollow body is constructed and dimensioned to receive a sized suture needle within the hollow passage with slightly close tolerances welded at its base to a point along the hollow body of the outer part and wherein the outer body includes a lower relatively stiff bendable material and an upper portion of relatively malleable material adjacent to and fixed to the lower portion. Further, the outer hollow body is more malleable as it becomes closer to the point.

Suture needles are well known and have been in widespread use for many years. Such needles come in various sizes and shapes. For example, needles in various sizes are available in straight, ¼ circle, ⅜ circle, ½ circle, ⅝ circle, compound curves and half curved at both ends of a straight segment. Eyed or reusable needles are needles with holes or eyes which are supplied separate from the suture thread. The suture is threaded on site. An advantage is that any thread or needle combination is possible. Swaged or atraumatic needles with sutures comprise a pre-packaged eyeless needle attached to a specific length of thread. With these needles, the doctor or nurse does not have to take time threading the suture which may be difficult with very fine needles and threads.
Suture devices for endoscopic, laparoscopic and intracardiac procedures and the like are also well known. For example, a Li U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,054 discloses an apparatus and method for tying knots in sutures at an interior surgical site. The apparatus comprises an elongated hollow member having a distal portion extending at an acute angle to the major longitudinal axis of the hollow member and terminating in a distal end surface, and a rod being partly flexible along its length and having a J-shaped hook at its distal end, wherein the hook is sized to grapple the suture which is to be manipulated by the device. The rod is received within the interior of the hollow member and adapted to reciprocate relative to the hollow member so that the hook can be moved between (i) an extended position wherein the mouth of the hook is spaced from the distal end surface of the hollow member by more than the thickness of the suture, whereby the suture can be grappled by the hook, (ii) an intermediate position wherein the mouth of the hook is spaced from the distal end surface of the hollow member by less than the thickness of the suture, but the interior base of the hook is spaced from the distal end surface of the hollow member by more than the thickness of the suture, whereby a suture grappled by the hook will be slidably captured to the hollow member, and (iii) a withdrawn position wherein the interior base of the hook is spaced from the distal end surface of the hollow member by less than the thickness of the suture, whereby a suture grappled by the hook will be fixedly captured to the hollow member.
A more recent patent of Tran et al. U.S. Pat. No. 7,758,597 discloses a suturing instrument and method for placing mattress stitches in soft tissues. An elongated shaft with a stationary jaw and a moveable jaw is disposed at the distal end and is coupled to a handle grip at the proximal end and is configured to manipulate the jaws into open and closed positions. The jaws are configured to allow for atraumatic grasping of soft tissues. The stationary jaw is comprised of a serrated face incorporating apertures through which needles attached to opposite ends of a single strand of suture material may be driven out into and through grasped tissue. The serrated upper jaw is configured with needle catch adapted to accept and capture the needles and suture. The handle is released to open the moveable jaw, the instrument may be withdrawn, trailing the suture, and leaving a mattress stitch in the grasped tissue.
Notwithstanding the above, it is presently believed that there is a need and a potential market for a suturing device in accordance with the present invention. There should be a market for such devices to facilitate bending a needle when a surgeon feels a need to bend a suture needle to a certain angle to give them more freedom to do their work. In many cases, when space allows, movement force is applied using ones fingers to bend the needle. This is done by holding the two ends of the needle and by applying some degree of force according to the size of the needle and the manufactured angle to induce a bend. At times and for very fine small caliber needles the actions might affect the strength of the needle and cause the needle to break or to make the needle more malleable and too weak to penetrate certain tissue. Also, in certain areas like in the case of laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery, it is difficult without the presently disclosed device to accomplish a change in an angle.

Bendable suture needle with free varying angle and holder therefor


A deformable member can be used in a well tool for use in downhole oil/gas wells. In one embodiment, a deformable member (46) is described which is deformable between undeformed and deformed positions, and comprises a generally hollow cylindrical body (48) defining a wall (50). The wall (50) includes three circumferential lines of weakness in the form of grooves, with two grooves (52, 54) provided in an outer surface (56) of the member wall (50), and the other groove (58) provided in an inner surface (60). The member (46) is deformed outwardly by folding about the lines of weakness (52, 54, 56) and is used in particular to obtain sealing contact with a tube in which the member (46) is located.

It is known to provide metal to metal seals to carry out a wide variety of sealing operations within tubing such as surface fluid pipe lines and well tubing of an oil or gas well. Such metal to metal seals are complex, expensive to manufacture, must be preformed and often result in permanent deformation so that the seals cannot be reused. Also, it is known to provide resilient seals which do not provide metal to metal sealing in such tubing, are cheap and which are reusable, however, such resilient seals have disadvantages that they do not have the strength of metal to metal seals and cannot be used in aggressive environments which degrade the seal.
Furthermore, it is known to provide a wide variety of tools for carrying out well operations within tubing of a well, such as an oil or gas well, the tools requiring a seal to enable specific well operations to be carried out. Examples of such tools include tubing hangers, packers, bridge plugs, straddles, gravel-pack packers and the like. Each of such tools are often complex, including many interrelated parts, and require complex running, support, activating/deactivating and retrieving tools to achieve sealing and allow the well operation to be carried out using the tool. Furthermore, complex operations are often required to be performed in order to locate, activate/deactivate and/or retrieve the tools.
Similar problems are encountered with tools provided in tubing such as gas or oil pipelines located above ground.
Disadvantages associated with such tools are therefore the relative complexity of the tools, the complexity of the operations which are required to be carried out in order to locate, activate/deactivate and/or retrieve the tools, and the abovementioned disadvantages of presently known seals.
An annular seal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,755 (Mansure) which includes a collapsible bellows. The bellows is expanded for insertion downhole to reduce its outer diameter and is set by compaction to provide a seal or anchor. However, the seal of U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,755 is not initially rigid, which will create problems during running in and tripping out of a borehole, when the seal is in the expanded position. Also, the bellows itself requires support through support shoulders to provide an effective seal/anchor; whilst embodiments are disclosed without such support shoulders, such would be unlikely to provide an effective seal/anchor in harsh downhole environments.


A coating apparatus comprises a head (25) having opposite edges (6, 7) cooperating with each other to provide an outlet (4a) of a coating liquid supply slit (4), and opposing portions (23a, 23b) between which a longitudinal recess (28) is formed, and a plurality of adjusting devices (30) having opposite ends (31, 32) engaged with the opposing portions of the head. A pulling or compressive force is developed between the opposite ends of each adjusting device so as to adjust the clearance (D) of the opposite edges. The adjusting means are movable in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus with their ends being engaged with the opposing portions of the head.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a coating apparatus which can adjust the clearance between edges or between the edge and a web or object.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8 is a left side view, partly in section, of a conventional coating apparatus wherein the clearance between two confronting edges is adjustable. FIG. 9 is a partial front view, on a reduced scale, of the coating apparatus shown in FIG. 8. Referring to FIG. 8, a coating apparatus 1 comprises a split head 5 composed of a first head section 2 and a second head section 3 and including a coating liquid supply slit 4 defined between the first and second head sections 2 and 3 and extending in a longitudinal direction (shown by the arrow A in FIG. 9), a pair of edges 6 and 7 arranged on the top of the head 5 in a confronting relationship and cooperating to form an outlet 4a of the slit 4, a longitudinal recess 8 defined between opposing sides (or portions) 3a and 3b of the second head section 3, and a plurality of adjusting means 10 extending between the opposite sides 3a and 3b of the second head section 3. As shown in FIG. 9, the adjusting means are longitudinally arranged at a fixed interval P.
The edges 6 and 7 may be discrete members. In such a case, the edges 6 and 7 are bolted to the first and second head sections 2 and 3.
Each of the adjusting means 10 comprises a bolt 11 threaded into the side 3a of the second head section 3, a nut 12 threaded on the bolt 11, and a locking member 13 for locking the nut 12 against the side 3b of the second head section 3. The bolt 11 has a front thread 11a and a rear thread 11b. The front thread 11a and the rear thread 11b are different in pitch from each other. Thus, the bolts 11 is in the form of a differential screw and enables fine adjustment. When the bolt 11 is rotated, a pulling or compressive force is developed between the front thread 11a of the bolt 11 and the locking member 13. The edge 7 is deformed under these forces so as to adjust a narrow clearance D of the outlet 4a in the order of a few microns to a few hundred microns.
With the coating apparatus 1, a coating liquid is applied from the outlet 4a of the slit 4 onto a web W of paper Ior plastic film, as supplied from a back-up roll B, so as to form a coating layer C. The thickness of the coating layer C in the longitudinal direction depends on a clearance D. Thus, it is imperative to adjust the clearance D of the outlet 4a in the longitudinal direction (shown by the arrow A).
The coating apparatus 1 may perform a post-coating metering method wherein the amount of a coating liquid as applied from the outlet 4a to the web W is measured before the coating layer C is deposited on the web W. In such a case, the clearance D of the outlet 4a should be widened, for example, about 3.0 to 20.0 mm. The thickness of the coating layer C in the longitudinal direction depends on the longitudinal clearance E formed between the web W and the edge 7. To this end, the bolts 11 of the adjusting means 10 are rotated to deform the edge 7 so as to adjust the clearance E between the web W and the edge 7.
The clearance D of the outlet 4a and the clearance E between the web W and the edge 7 vary depending upon not only one condition, but various conditions, for example, how accurately the edge 7 is machined, how firmly the edge 7 is connected to the head 7, and how high the temperature of a coating liquid is. Thus, it is impossible to determine which portions of the apparatus require adjustment. In the prior art coating apparatus, the distance P between adjacent adjusting means 10 and 10 is minimized to enhance the accuracy of adjustment.
Such an arrangement requires a large number of adjusting means 10 arranged along the length of the apparatus. However, some of the adjusting means 10 may be useless if they are mounted to portions where no adjustment is necessary. Adjustment becomes more difficult as the number of adjusting means increases. It is also difficult to adjust portions between adjacent adjusting means 10 and 10.
In order to overcome the foregoing problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a coating apparatus wherein the location of adjustment can be freely changed in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus.

Coating apparatus having an adjustable head with movable adjusting devices


An apparatus for molding a container has a standby section disposed between a heating section and a blow molding section. A preform is supported by carrier members, and is intermittently carried from the heating section via the standby section to the blow molding section. In the standby section are provided a temperature conditioning member which conditions temperature on the preform carried from the heating section; a positioning plate which positions a carrier member stopped at the standby section; and a cylinder which advances and withdraws the temperature conditioning member with respect to the preform, and simultaneously advances and withdraws the positioning plate with respect to the carrier member. The advanced positioning plate contacts with the carrier member to position the carrier member. The advanced temperature conditioning member is set enabling temperature conditioning of the preform. By withdrawing the temperature conditioning member and positioning plate, the preform may be carried by the carrier member.

The present invention relates to a molding apparatus and method for containers, and particularly to such apparatus and method in which between a heating section and a blow molding section, the temperature of preforms is conditioned in a standby section.
Methods for blow molding a container from a cylindrical preform (parison) include that known as the cold parison or 2-stage method and that known as the hot parison or 1-stage method. In the cold parison method (2-stage method), a preform at room temperature must be heated to at least the temperature at which blow molding becomes possible, or the so-called blow molding temperature, and in the hot parison method (1-stage method), heating is not required for as long as in the cold parison method, but it is still necessary to heat to at least the blow molding temperature since the preform retains the heat from the injection molding stage.
In both of these methods, the heating to the blow molding temperature is carried out uniformly around the circumferential direction of the preform.
On the other hand, when blow molding containers of special shape, such flat containers, if a preform is used with just the above described heating, this produces portions of the container with thick walls and other portions with thin walls since there are portions which are stretched greatly and portions which are stretched much less.
To avoid this situation, it is necessary to apply a temperature distribution to the preform, so that the portions which are stretched more are at a lower temperature than other portions. To apply such a temperature distribution, partial temperature conditioning must be applied to the preform.
However, adding the temperature conditioning apparatus to implement such partial temperature conditioning of the preforms makes the molding apparatus large, and not only is it not possible to save space, but also the cost is increased.


A catalyst, its method of preparation and its use for producing aliphatic ketones by subjecting alkanes C3 to C9 to a gas phase catalytic oxidation in the presence of air or oxygen, and, optionally, steam and/or one or more diluting gases. The catalyst comprises a catalytically active mixed metal oxide phase and a suitable support material onto and/or into which the active catalytic phase is dispersed.

Saturated or unsaturated aliphatic ketones or alcohols, such as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), methyl vinyl ketone(MVK), cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol, are important chemicals used in various applications in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. They are important intermediates and are among the most preferred organic solvents or reagents used in producing other more valuable specialty chemicals or pharmaceutical products. For example, MEK is a stable and low viscosity aliphatic ketone partially miscible in water while completely miscible with most organic solvents. This exceptional solvency makes MEK the second most important (next to acetone) commercially produced ketone for use as an organic solvent in various industrial applications, including coating and paints, adhesives, tapes, and lube oil de-waxing, etc. As another example, MVK is an effective alkylating agent and a useful intermediate with applications in organic synthesis, including the syntheses of pharmaceutical products such as vitamins or steroids. By way of further example, cyclohexanone, in addition to serving as a common organic solvent and reagent, is used as the precursor for making caprolactam, the monomer used for the production of Nylon-6. By way of yet another example, cyclohexanol is the alcohol component of KA oil, a mixture of ketone cyclohexanone and alcohol cyclohexanol. KA oil is the key intermediate for the production of both Nylon-6 and Nylon-6,6.
With respect to the conventional manufacturing of MEK, the most widely used commercial process is a three-step sec-butyl alcohol process, commonly known as the SBA process, which starts with the oxidation of 1-butene in sulfuric acid followed by hydrolysis, acid stripping, neutralization and separation leading to sec-butyl alcohol, which subsequently undergoes gas phase catalytic dehydrogenation with oxides of Cu, Zn or Cr as the catalysts to produce MEK [Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, (2001) 6th Ed.]. There are many drawbacks of the SBA process, mainly relating to the higher manufacturing cost associated with the use of 1-butene as the starting material; the usage and recycling of a large quantity of corrosive sulfuric acid; the multiple steps of oxidation, hydrolysis, neutralization and separation as well as the treatment of a large quantity of acid sludge and other toxic waste generated in the process. Beside the economic drawbacks, the environmental pollution that results from the large quantity of toxic waste generated is very serious, while the energy consumption required for all the production and cleanup steps is substantial. Another commonly used commercial process for the production of MEK is the liquid phase oxidation of n-butane. In this liquid phase process, acetic acid is used as solvent, cobalt and sodium acetates are the homogeneous catalysts, under which condition, n-butane is oxidized by air in the liquid phase to MEK. Although this liquid phase process has been practiced for more than half a century, it is not efficient for MEK production because most of the MEK thus formed is further oxidized to acetic acid and other by-products, due to the difficulty in preventing such further oxidation in the process.
With respect to the conventional manufacturing process for cyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, or the corresponding ketone-alcohol mixture KA oil, the two most used processes are the liquid phase cyclohexane oxidation and phenol hydrogenation. The classical liquid-phase cyclohexane process, developed in the 1940s, is still a preferred process for the industrial production of KA-oil today [Industrial Organic Chemistry, Wiley-VCH Press, (2003) 4th Ed]. In the liquid phase at about 150° C. under high pressure, cyclohexane is oxidized to KA-oil with cobalt salts as the catalysts. Typically, the classical process achieves around 4% cyclohexane conversion and 3.4% yield of KA oil. To improve the extremely low efficiency of this classical liquid-phase process, a modified process involving boric acid was developed in the 1950s. The boric-acid modified process increased the one-pass conversion of cyclohexane somewhat to around 10% and the KA yield to about 9%. This improved conversion rate, however, is achieved at the expense of serious pollution and increased operation costs, as "large amount of solids [wastes] need to be separated and decomposed and boric acid has to be recycled". The conventional liquid-phase cyclohexane process has since been characterized as "the least efficient of all major industrial chemical processes" [U. Schuchardt et al, Synlett 10 (1993) 713]. At the present time, the main drawbacks for liquid phase cyclohexane oxidation are still the low efficiency, pollution and high energy consumption.
The economic incentive to overcome such low efficiency is huge, and has continuously driven research and development efforts worldwide. The majority of such R&D efforts are concerned with modifications of the catalyst system with respect to a wide spectrum of factors ranging from metal element, oxidation state, morphology, chelating agents for organometallic complexes, host or support materials, to catalyst preparation method, etc. Similarly, exploring alternative non-air oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide and tert-butyl hydroperoxide, has continued to be a topic of interest for many researchers. However, none of the modifications of the liquid-phase process have thus far achieved any higher efficiency than the boric-acid modification, and all of these modifications usually come with a set of new problems. Indeed, it seems that the conclusion by the recent review [U. Schuchardt et. al, Appl. CataL A. Gen, 211 (2001) 1] is still fairly accurate that "cyclohexane oxidation [in liquid phase] continues to be a challenge".
In contrast to the extensive research and development efforts devoted to improving the liquid-phase catalytic process for the production of corresponding ketones from alkanes, very few publications have appeared concerning the catalytic production of aliphatic ketones by gas phase oxidation of alkanes. While gas-phase catalytic oxidation of n-butane over VPO catalysts has been well studied and was successfully commercialized in the 1980s, it is for the production of maleic anhydride, and not for the production of any ketones [N. Ballarini, et al, Topics in Catalysis, 38 (2006) 147]. Insofar as is known, no publication to date has described the production of a measurable amount of MEK from n-butane catalytic reaction in the gas phase. Likewise, very few publications have appeared concerning the production of cyclohexanone by gas-phase catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,386,372 to Wagner is directed to solid catalysts of metal or metal oxides of Ag, Cr, Cu, Fe, V etc. for the oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone. The actual example described therein is the oxidation of methylcyclohexane. However, extensive follow-up research on cyclohexane gas-phase catalytic oxidation over 11 solid catalysts, including most of the catalysts claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,386,372, revealed that CO2 and water were the only products found [W. Hoot and K. Kobe, J. Ind. & Eng. Chem., 47 (1955) 776]. It was only in recent years that any further attempts at gas phase catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane were reported, such as those over Zn—Cr—O catalyst [F. Patcas et al, Progress in Catalysis, 8 (1999) 54], over several other oxide catalysts containing transition metals V, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn and Mo etc. [C. Hettige, et al, Chemosphere, 43 (2001) 1079], and over CuOx oxides supported on SiO2 and fiberglass [J. Medina-Valtierra et al, Appl. Cat. A, 238 (2003) 1]. Except for the cyclohexane oxidation over the supported CuOx catalysts (wherein cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol were reported among many other products), all of the other above-mentioned attempts confirmed the early conclusion by Hoot and Kobe that a) CO2 was the main product, and b) no cyclohexanone or cyclohexanol were detected in the product streams. The present inventors attempted to reproduce the oxidation of cyclohexane over the CuOx catalyst supported on SiO2. However, benzene and CO2 were the only products detected, while no cyclohexanone could be found when cyclohexane was subjected to gas phase oxidation over the CuOx/SiO2 catalyst (comparative example-5). The present inventors also investigated a silica supported Au catalyst (comparative example-6) which is said to catalyze the selective oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone in the liquid phase [K. Zhu et al, Catal. Letter. 100 (2005) 195]. This supported gold catalyst, Au/SiO2, was found to be slightly different from the CuOx/SiO2 catalyst in that CO2 was the only product detected from the cyclohexane gas phase oxidation.
Hence, there is a longstanding need for an innovative process involving a novel catalyst useful for the production of aliphatic ketones from heterogeneous catalytic oxidation of C3-C9 alkanes in the gas phase.

Gas phase heterogeneous catalytic oxidation of alkanes to aliphatic ketones and/or other oxygenates


A transmission for a working vehicle equipped with an engine having a horizontal engine output shaft, pair of transaxles for driving right and left drive wheels at variable speeds, and working device comprises a horizontal input shaft, output shaft, first gear train, horizontal PTO shaft, second gear train, PTO clutch and casing. An axial end of the input shaft connects to a flywheel of the engine. The output shaft drivingly connects to the transaxles. The first gear train transmits power from the input shaft to the output shaft. The PTO shaft extends parallel to the input shaft, and is provided with a universal joint connected to the working device. The second gear train transmits power from the input shaft to the PTO shaft via the PTO clutch. The casing supports the input and output shafts and incorporates the first and second gear trains and the PTO clutch.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission adapted for a working vehicle, which is equipped with an engine (referred to as a "horizontal engine") having a horizontal output shaft, a pair of transaxles for driving respective right and left drive wheels, and a working device.
2. Related Art
There is a well-known conventional vehicle, referred to as a "zero-turn vehicle", which is equipped with right and left transaxles carrying respective right and left axles so as to individually drive the respective axles. US 2003/0188909 A discloses a mower tractor (riding lawn mower) as one of such zero-turn vehicles. This mower tractor is equipped with an engine having a horizontal engine output shaft, and a transmission continuing to the engine. This transmission has a horizontal input shaft connected to the engine output shaft, and has a PTO shaft for driving a mower unit serving as the working device. The PTO shaft is extended coaxially to the input shaft and horizontally in correspondence to a horizontal input shaft of the mower unit. The input shaft of the transmission projects outward from an outside end of a casing of the transmission toward the engine, while the PTO shaft projects outward from another outside end of the casing opposite the engine.
The right and left transaxles include respective hydraulic motors for driving the respective axles. A pair of hydraulic pumps are disposed in the casing of the transmission so as to supply hydraulic fluid to the respective hydraulic motors of the right and left transaxles. The supply of hydraulic fluid from the respective hydraulic pumps to the respective hydraulic motors depends on pipes. A gear train for driving these hydraulic pumps is disposed in the casing of the transmission so as to transmit power from the input shaft to pump shafts of the hydraulic pumps. Also, in the casing, a clutch for the PTO shaft is interposed between a final gear of the gear train and the PTO shaft, and a brake for preventing inertial rotation of the PTO shaft is provided interlockingly with the clutch.
A vehicle such as disclosed by US 2003/0188909 A tends to have a large transmission because of the above-mentioned arrangement of the two hydraulic pumps. If a vehicle has a narrowed space close to the engine, it is hard to arrange this type of transmission in the space. Further, pipes are needed to fluidly connect the hydraulic pumps of the transmission to the hydraulic motors of the transaxles. Piping of the pipes needs labor and space.
Then, distribution of the hydraulic pumps such that each of the transaxles includes the hydraulic pump together with the hydraulic motor is suggested. This distribution of the hydraulic pumps between the transaxles will make the pipes unnecessary and will make the transmission compact. In the case where each of the right and left transaxles includes the respective hydraulic pump and motor, the transmission has to be reconfigured suitably to drive the transaxles.


A composition for forming an electrode including a conductive composite of a first material coated with a metal that has a higher electrical conductivity, wherein the first material is at least one selected from the group consisting essentially of nickel, carbon, and copper.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition, an electrode transfer film having the same, and a display panel having the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a composition and an electrode transfer film that are suitable for fabricating finely patterned electrodes of a high definition display panel, and a display panel including the electrodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of display panels use electrodes to control the display of images. For example, a plasma display panel (PDP) is a flat panel display device that includes a plurality of electrodes to control image formation. The PDP uses a plasma or gas discharge phenomenon, wherein a discharge is generated in the panel by applying a voltage potential to electrodes that are separated from each other in a gas atmosphere.
A plasma display panel generally includes electrodes such as address electrodes and display electrodes. One or more of these may be formed of, e.g., a transparent electrode and a bus electrode. In some cases, the address electrode may be patterned and may be formed using a silver paste by a printing method, and the sustain electrodes may include the transparent electrode and the bus electrode. The transparent electrode may be formed by vacuum deposition of a transparent electrode material, e.g., indium tin oxide (ITO), and the bus electrode may be formed by vacuum deposition of chromium, copper and chromium, in sequence, and then etching them in a pattern.
Where the printing method for forming the address electrode uses a paste, it may be difficult to accurately regulate the pitch and width of the electrode. In addition, the vacuum deposition and etching processes for forming the bus electrode may require significant processing time and incur high material costs.
Efforts to produce simple and economically attractive processes for forming electrodes with fine, accurately-controlled line widths have focused on a photosensitive paste method (or a thick layer photosensitive method), wherein a photosensitive composition including an electrode material is prepared, applied and patterned. The photosensitive paste method may include forming a layer on a substrate by printing a paste including photosensitive inorganic particles, forming a pattern on the substrate by projecting ultraviolet (UV) light through a photomask onto the layer, and the firing the patterned layer. This photosensitive paste method may be particularly suited to the manufacture of PDPs, which are continually being refined to have larger areas and greater resolutions. Although the photosensitive paste method may be used, it is limited to silver (Ag).
Silver generally has excellent electrical characteristics. However, its use for the manufacture of electrodes may result in high cost. Further, the patterning of silver-based electrodes may be somewhat unsatisfactory because silver oxide and/or silver sulfide may be generated due to the reaction of the silver electrode with external contaminants such as moisture or impurities formed on the surface of the electrode. In addition, silver-based electrodes may exhibit a relatively short life span and deteriorating electrical characteristics because the electrode may be corroded and undergo color changes.

Composition, an electrode transfer film including the same, a display panel, and a method of forming an electrode


Methods and systems are provided for detecting leaks in a diesel particulate filter (DPF). In one example, a faster leak detection routine may be performed during a single drive cycle to detect large leaks in the DPF. However, if there are no large leaks in the DPF, a slower leak detection may be performed over a plurality of drive cycles, to detected smaller leaks in the DPF.

Diesel combustion exhaust is a regulated emission. Various technologies have been developed for identifying and filtering out exhaust particulate matter (PM) before the exhaust is released to the atmosphere. Diesel particulate filters (DPF) are commonly used for particulate matter (PM) or soot control. The DPF may reduce the amount of PM emissions by trapping (or filtering) the PMs or soot in the exhaust. A particulate matter (PM) sensor located downstream of the DPF in the exhaust passage monitors the filtration efficiency of the DPF and is typically used for detecting leaks in the DPF.
The PM sensor operates by collecting exhaust particulates on a pair of metal electrodes separated by an insulating gap. When the PM sensor is exposed to particulates, the gap is bridged by electrically conductive material, yielding a change in resistance that is observed as an increase in current measured across the PM sensor electrodes. The time required for the current to rise to a threshold level depends on the amount of particulate matter to which the sensor is exposed (degree of leak in the DPF) and the design of the sensor.
One example approach to detect leaks in the DPF is shown by Yahata et. al. in U.S. Pat. No. 8,561,388. Therein, an estimating unit estimates a failure-state energization timing which determines the PM sensor current (or energization) assuming that the particulate filter has failed. Furthermore, a determining unit determines that the particulate filter is in a failure state when an actual energization timing of the PM sensor based on an output of the PM sensor is earlier than the failure-state energization timing estimated. Thus, by monitoring the energization timing of the PM sensor, the failure state of the DPF is determined.
However, the inventors herein have recognized potential issues with such systems. The leak detection described by Yahata et. al. may have issues particularly when lower DPF leaks are to be detected. As such, the actual energization timing of the PM sensor depends inversely on the leak rate of the DPF. In order to detect smaller leaks in the DPF, the energization timing may be longer than a single drive cycle, for example. However, longer timing is contradictory to OBD regulations which allow for only one drive cycle to complete necessary monitoring.
In one example, part of the issues described above may be addressed by a method comprising: adjusting engine operation in response to a particulate matter (PM) sensor coupled downstream of a particulate filter in an engine exhaust and indicating degradation of a particulate filter in the engine exhaust in response to a PM sensor performance within a single drive cycle and over a plurality of drive cycles. In this way, by monitoring the PM levels over a single drive cycle, larger leaks in the DPF may be detected. However if there are no large leaks in the DPF, the PM levels may be continued to be monitored for a longer duration, during the plurality of drive cycles, to detect smaller leaks in the DPF. In this way, larger and smaller leaks in the DPF may be monitored separately.
As one example, a faster leak detection may include indicating a large leak if the PM sensor current exceeds the threshold current within a single drive cycle. Thus, if the PM sensor current reaches threshold within a single drive cycle, then it may indicate that there is a large leak in the DPF, and appropriate mitigating actions may be initiated. However, if no leak is detected during the single drive cycle, a slower detection may be performed that includes monitoring the PM sensor current over multiple drive cycles. If the PM sensor current reaches threshold during one of the multiple drive cycles, then it may indicate that there is a smaller leak in the DPF, and corresponding mitigating actions may be initiated. However, if the PM sensor current stays below the threshold during all of the multiple drive cycles, then it may indicate that there is no leak in the DPF. In this way, by including separate detection methods for small and large leaks, DPF performance may be evaluated during multiple drive cycles.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Dual rate diesel particulate filter leak monitor


A microscope control unit includes at least one connection which is connectable to one or more electrically addressable microscope components or other electrically controllable components. At least one connection parameter of the at least one connection is programmatically configurable. At least one script with script commands is provided on the microscope control unit. At least one terminal is addressable by the script commands.

Microscopes having one or more electrically addressable components are usually referred to as automated microscopes, in which, for example, a digital camera functions as a detector and the images are displayed on a monitor or, for example, the light source can be activated. This can also be a digital microscope, which is characterized in that it dispenses with a tube for visual viewing of the microscope image and generates a digital microscope image and displays this on a display or monitor.
Such automated microscopes generally have a microscope control unit which comprises an electronic unit and a control program, the so-called firmware. A program part must be present in the firmware for each microscope component which is to be electrically addressable. This relates, for example, to components such as camera, x/y table, zoom, illumination, etc. If further addressable components are to be connected to the microscope, the firmware must in each case be modified and subsequently changed on existing microscopes. The microscope control unit can be connected to input devices, such as rotary knobs, switches or touchscreens, but also to a user interface on conventional PCs which runs by means of a so-called human machine interface (HMI software for human machine interface).
For example, DE 10 2010 063 392 A1 shows a digital microscope which dispenses with visual observation and is equipped with an image capturing device, optical and digital, designed to display the object image in a display region and to record inputs in the display region, the microscope being set up to change settings of motorized and/or electrically controllable microscope components on the microscope on the basis of the inputs recorded in the display region of the sensor screen.
Modern microscope systems, in particular, have a microscope control unit, electrically controllable microscope components connected thereto, and a computer (PC) for operation. In this case, the PC can also be used, within limits, to offer the user in a software, automated sequences and boundary conditions for selection, which are then executed by the microscope control unit. Accordingly, operations that are not offered cannot be performed.
EP 1 426 754 A1 relates to the control of an image recording in which a control unit drives the devices required for image recording and a computer unit processes the data of the recorded images. In order to increase the speed, the flexibility and the reproducibility of the image recording, it is proposed to combine control commands for image recording into at least one script and to transmit at least one script from the computer unit to the control unit.

Programmable microscope control unit having freely usable connections, microscope system having a microscope control unit, and method for operating a microscope control unit


This invention relates to both an apparatus and method of forming a thin flexible and to some extent resilient material strap from a supply of sheet film and further wherein the apparatus and method involves the positioning of the formed stretchable strapping about and in binding relation to the exterior of any one of a plurality of various types of packages, articles, etc. The apparatus comprises positioning means which serves to grip a free end of the formed stretch strapping and exert a pulling force thereon to direct it about a predetermined path of travel surrounding the article being bound and subsequently securing a length of the stretch strapping in binding engagement with the exterior surfaces or portions of the article being bound.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates both to an apparatus and method for forming a stretchable strap from a supply of stretchable film material initially having a sheet configuration and once formed to positioning the stretchable strap into securing engagement with an article, package, etc. being bound.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with "strapping machines" specifically designed to bind an article, package, etc. with a strap formed of a plurality of materials most of which are commonly distinguished by being non-elastic or non-stretchable. While the material from which the prior art strapping is formed is naturally capable of a certain amount of flexibility, required to position the strap about the article being bound, none of the prior art strapping material known is capable of any elastic expansion or stretching. More specifically, strapping machines normally use a variety of materials including but not limited to polypropelene, fiberglass, steel or metal and other such non-elastic material. A lack of elasticity in the prior art materials is in fact a requirement based on the design and structural operation of the prior art machines used to bind the various articles or packages utilizing such materials. More specifically, in the operation of the prior art strapping machines, the strapping is fed into the machine from a coil which has been pre-formed. A free end is directed into some type of directing sleeve or channel and a pushing force is exerted thereon. The free end travels the length of the directing or positioning channel and serves to effectively surround the article or package being bound. Once the non-elastic strap is at its intended position it is disposed into engaging relation with the outer surface thereof and connected to itself by a variety of means dependent on the particular prior art material utilized.
While it is of course to be assumed that the prior art strapping machines, as well as the known and commercially existing strapping materials, are operative for their intended function, it is also recognized in the industry that such non-elastic strapping is at least somewhat inefficient and also more expensive than other materials that could be utilized if in fact the technology were available.
The invention herein, to be described in greater detail hereinafter, utilizes a different, more efficient and less expensive material in the formation of a "stretchable strapping" which is still of high strength but which has certain elastic capabilities allowing it to overcome certain problems existing in the prior art and presently commercially available strapping machines and strapping material.

Forming stretch strapping and binding an article therewith

MacIvor, legal representative; Celeste B.


An R-T-B based sintered magnet according to the present invention has a composition comprising: 12 at % to 15 at % of a rare-earth element R; 5.0 at % to 8.0 at % of boron B; 0.1 at % to at % of Al; 0.02 at % to less than 0.2 at % of Mn; and a transition metal T as the balance. The rare-earth element R is at least one element selected from the rare-earth elements, including Y (yttrium), and includes at least one of Nd and Pr. The transition element T includes Fe as its main element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an R-T-B (rare-earth-iron-boron) based sintered magnet.
2. Description of the Related Art
R-T-B based sintered magnets have so good magnetic properties as to find a wide variety of applications including various types of motors and actuators and are now one of indispensable materials for the electronics industry. Also, their applications have been appreciably broadened to keep up with the recent trend toward energy saving.
Lately, however, those motors and actuators are more and more often required to exhibit much higher performance than conventional ones in their rapidly expanding applications including motors for driving, or generating electricity for, hybrid cars or motors for hoisting elevators. And their requirements are becoming increasingly severe nowadays.
One of the old drawbacks of R-T-B based magnets is their relative low Curie temperature of approximately 300° C., at which their ferromagnetism is lost. And their coercivity varies so significantly according to the temperature that irreversible flux loss will occur easily. To overcome such a problem, various measures have been taken. For example, some people tried to increase the coercivity of the R-T-B based magnets by adjusting the combination of rare-earth elements to add. Other people attempted to increase the Curie temperature by adding Co as disclosed in Patent Document No. 1. However, none of these measures will be effective enough to reduce the significant variation in coercivity with the temperature.
Several methods for increasing the coercivity have been proposed so far.
One of those methods is disclosed in Patent Document No. 2, in which heavy rare-earth elements such as Dy and Tb are included in particular percentages in the rare-earth elements. In practice, only Dy and Tb turned out to be effective enough. This method is adopted in order to increase the coercivity of the magnet as a whole, as well as the anisotropic magnetic field of its main phase that determines its magnetic properties. However, those heavy rare-earth elements such as Dy and Tb are among the rarest and most expensive ones of all rare-earth elements. For that reason, if a lot of such heavy rare-earth elements should be used, then the price of the magnets would rise. In addition, as the applications of such R-T-B based sintered magnet have been rapidly expanding these days, resource-related restrictions on those heavy rare-earth elements have become an issue these days because those rare elements are available only in very limited quantities and in very narrow areas.
Another method is disclosed in Patent Documents Nos. 3 and 4, for example, in which the coercivity is increased by introducing an additive element such as Al, Ga, Sn, Cu or Ag. It is not yet quite clear exactly how these elements can increase the coercivity. Nevertheless, it is at least known that the coercivity can be increased by changing the physical properties of a grain boundary phase (which is a so-called "R-rich phase") such as its wettability with the main phase in a high temperature range and eventually changing the microstructures with the addition of those elements. It is also known that those elements can relax the heat treatment conditions in order to increase the coercivity. However, Al, for example, could form a solid solution even in the main phase of the magnet. That is why if the amount of such an additive were increased, the Curie temperature and magnetization of the main phase would decrease, which is a problem.
Furthermore, the additive elements such as Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf and W disclosed in Patent Document No. 5, for example, hinder the growth of crystal grains during the sintering process and reduce the size of the resultant metallurgical structure of the sintered body, thus contributing to increasing the coercivity.
Among these methods, the method that uses heavy rare-earth elements is most effective because the decrease in magnetic flux density is relatively small according to that method. According to any of the other methods mentioned above, however, a significant decrease in the magnetic flux density of the magnet is inevitable. And those methods are applicable to only a narrow field. For that reason, in making magnets actually, these techniques are used in an appropriate combination.                Patent Document No. 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 59-64733        Patent Document No. 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 60-34005        Patent Document No. 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 59-89401        Patent Document No. 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 64-7503        Patent Document No. 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 62-23960
In the prior art, the compositions of magnets have actually been determined by adopting those techniques in an appropriate combination to realize required good magnetic properties (and desired high coercivity, among other things). Nevertheless, there is a growing demand for magnets with even higher coercivity.
An object of the present invention is to provide means for increasing the coercivity effectively with the decrease in magnetization minimized and without always using a heavy rare-earth element such as Dy or Tb.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An elevator including a car placed in an elevator shaft so as to move vertically along a pair of car guide rails, and a counterweight placed in the elevator shaft so as to move vertically along a pair of counterweight guide rails. A rope connects the car and the counterweight. A hoisting machine drives the rope. The hoisting machine is mounted on a base attached to the upper ends of the counterweight guide rails and the upper end of one of the pair of car guide rails.

Referring to FIG. 5, a prior art traction-type elevator has a car 3 that moves vertically by a pair of car guide rails 2a and 2b, and a counterweight 10 that moves vertically along a pair of counterweight guide rails 1a and 1b. A rope 6a connecting the car 3 and the counterweight 10 is driven by a hoisting machine 5. When the hoisting machine 5 is installed in an upper part of an elevator shaft 15, the hoisting machine 5 is supported on the pair of counterweight guide rails 1a and 1b in a space between the car 3 and a side wall of the elevator shaft 15. (Jpn. Pat. App. Hei 7-308515).
In this prior art elevator, the center of gravity of the car 3 that moves vertically along the pair of car guide rails 2a and 2b is apart from the center of the pair of counterweight guide rails 1a and 1b and hence a high force acts on the hoisting machine 5. Therefore, a high bending force act on the pair of counterweight guide rails 1a and 1b.

Elevator with a support for a hoisting machine