A method and apparatus for providing welding-type power are disclosed. They include a source of welding-type power and at least one welding system peripheral. Each includes a network module that has boot loader software. A network is connected to the two network modules, and the network has connection for updates that is capable of receiving software updates. The network connection for updating may be on a user interface module, disposed inside or outside of a housing of the source of welding-type power and may include an RS232 connection. The network modules may include application software. The peripheral may be a wire feeder, a robot interface, or any other peripheral. A second peripheral, with a network module and boot loader software, may also be connected to the network. The updating can occur when the system is powered up. The software update is obtained from a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, or over the internet.

Welding power supplies or systems are available for a wide variety of processes, and with a wide variety of sophistication. Welding-type power supply or system, as used herein, includes power supplies or systems that provide welding, cutting or heating power, and may include a controller, switches, etc. Traditionally, a good weld required an experienced welder, not only to properly execute the weld, but to properly select operating parameters (such as output voltage, current, power, pulse width, wire feed speed, etc.)
Now, robots are available that execute the weld. Also, pre-determined welding programs that set operating parameters are available. These may be input to a welding-type system by a user using a user-interface such as a keypad, touch screen, control knobs, etc. Also, programs can be stored as application software and transferred to the welding-type system (where they are usually stored in non-volatile memory that is part of a controller). Application software, as used herein, includes software and data that controls a welding system before, during or after a weld, such as setting operating parameters, setpoints, etc.
It may be desirable to change application data because of improvements in the program, or improvements in the data, or because the welding-type system is used for a new or different application. Also, it may be desirable to change application software for multiple components of a welding-type system, such as the power supply, wire feeder, and robot interface.
The process of updating application software can be tedious—either entering the information through a serial interface board-by-board, or replacing a component such as an eprom (by removing the eprom and reprogramming it). Both of these procedures require removing the housing, which can be difficult.
Accordingly, a method and apparatus for updating software in a welding-type system that is easy, fast and economical. Additionally, the method and apparatus would preferably be useful over a network, so multiple components could be updated.

Welding-type power supply with boot loader


A method of calculating leg prices in trading of a combination order on a market having set price rules is provided. The combination order comprises a combination of instruments of at least two different kinds that are traded for a single net price and each kind of instrument is associated with a respective leg price. The method comprises the following steps: a) assigning seed price values to all leg prices but a last leg price; b) calculating the last leg price by means of the assigned seed price values and a net price for the combination order; c) checking whether the last leg price complies with the price rules; d) if the last leg price does not comply with the price rules, modifying the seed price values; and repeating steps c) and d) until the last leg price complies with current price rules or for a predetermined number of times. This attains compliance with the tick step rules and in turn avoids the use of secondary price algorithms, which may lead to costly and time-consuming manual re-booking.

In so-called combination trade a bidder places on the market a single price for a combination of different financial instruments. These individual instruments may be shares, options etc., or any combination thereof. A combination order could for example be "Sell 2 instruments A, buy 3 instruments B for a combination net price of $10".
A combination order is listed as a single instrument on the market. Thus, in order for a combination order to be executed, all the involved instruments must be traded as a single order. This combination instrument could be a or a standard combination defined by the system operator or a so called tailor made combination (TMC) defined by a party trading in the system. The strategy is the specific relation between the different instruments making up the combination, i.e., the ratio between the amount of the respective instruments traded. The number of different instruments, or so-called legs, could vary from two, as in the example above, up to four or even more, although two is the conventional number of legs in a combination order.
When a combination order is executed, the price for the different kinds of instruments traded has to be determined, the so-called leg prices. In the above given example, there is one leg price for the two instruments A and another leg price for the three instruments B. One reason for this need to determine leg prices is because the different instruments could have been traded for different clients of the broker, for example. Another reason could be that that the leg prices should be booked on different accounts.
When determining the leg prices, first the market is looked at and prices are assigned to the different legs. However, in the end it is common to end up with a set of leg prices that does not match the combination net price. Therefore so-called seed price values which are first estimates of the leg prices are used. These seed price values are subsequently modified if required so as to arrive to a set of leg prices that matches the combination price.
One way of finding the seed price values is to look at the current bid and ask prices on the market for the individual instruments and assign the leg prices accordingly in any desired order. In the situation where the market has just opened and there are no orders and there have been no trades on all the series, the seed price value for the last leg will be the theoretical value or default values will be used. The theoretical value is the value of an instrument as determined by a specific model based on the model's input parameters. This could clearly lead to the legs trading at prices totally out of the market. As soon as real orders will be placed on the series and/or trades take place (i.e. a "last paid" exists), the theoretical value will no longer be used as seed price value.
A market maker is a trader responsible for providing quotes. Thus, the market maker is obliged to give an estimated bid or ask price for an instrument on demand. This is another way of finding the seed price values.
In current stock market exchange systems, all calculations are computer generated. In some prior art computer systems, when generating the leg prices for a combination trade, two algorithms are used. First, the "ordinary price algorithm" is used, which tries to use seed price values taken from the market (i.e. bid, ask, theoretical value, last bid or ask etc.). If the ordinary price algorithm for some reason fails, a "secondary price algorithm" is used, which is called when all attempts made by the "ordinary" algorithm fail.
The main difference between the two algorithms is that the latter does not make use of the current market picture to define a seed price value and therefore generates whatever kind of prices that do match the combination net.
When trading combination orders, and particularly tailor made combination orders, a few situations could lead to the legs trading at incorrect prices. In this case incorrect prices do not necessarily mean that the combination net is not matched but that the leg prices are consistent with the market picture but do not comply with the tick step rules, i.e., the rules relating to the minimum price fluctuation available in a marketplace expressed in terms of points, ordinary fractions, or decimal fractions of a point of the price or rate. An example thereof is given in Table 1a below.
TABLE 1aNetPay/ActionInstrumentRatioLeg PricesPriceReceiveBuyA8859.0SellB−250.46862.0Paywherein "Action" is either Buy or Sell, "Instrument" is a kind of financial instrument in the respective leg, "Ratio" is the number of instruments traded, "Leg Price" is the price that could be generated by the primary or secondary price algorithm, "Net Price" is the total price set in the order, and "Pay/Receive" indicates whether the Net Price is positive or negative.
An example of tick size rules for instruments A and B is given in Table 1b below. It reports the allowed tick steps for different interval and it also indicates that only one decimal is allowed.
TABLE 1bStep sizeLower limitUpper limit0.10.10.90.51.049.51509991010009999999
The market picture for the instruments A and B is given in FIG. 1c below.
TABLE 1cInstrumentBidAskA938.0938.0B19.527.5
In the above, example the current theoretical value for the A leg price is 938 and the combination net is 6862. The ordinary algorithm sets the A leg to the theoretical value and calculates the B leg price as follows:B Leg price=(8*938−6862)/25=24.72
This price, which is consistent with the market picture, is discarded because the tick step rule allows only one decimal, see FIG. 1b. The result is that the system uses the secondary price algorithm, which will generate trades for 859 for the A leg, i.e., the original leg price, and 0.4 for the B leg. These had to be manually re-booked to e.g. 939 and 26. This adds a further step in the leg price generation, thus introducing associated costs and delays.
It could also be so that legs trade at prices that are too far away from the actual spread on the market. Also in this case the leg prices are usually not compliant with the tick step rules.
Thus, a first problem in prior art systems is that the calculated leg prices do not comply with the tick step rules. This in turn results in that the system is forced to use the secondary price algorithm.
The second problem is a result of the use of the secondary algorithm as all the attempts made by the ordinary one have failed to find valid prices. Whenever the "ordinary" algorithm fails and the secondary price algorithm is called prices that are totally unrelated to the market picture could be generated, as long as the combination net price is matched. This is done in order to make the trade possible. The "incorrect" leg prices will then need to be re-booked manually by the market control to more appropriate prices.
When calling the secondary algorithm usually no checks are made that the generated prices are compliant with the allowed tick steps but the system only checks that the prices have the correct number of decimals.


A load-controlled actuating arrangement utilizes a control loop that includes at least one position measuring system, a control unit and at least one measuring system of an electric motor or at least one pressure sensor of a pressure circuit. The signals of the measuring system of the electric motor or of the pressure sensor are transmittable to the control unit and the motion of the convertible top is adjustable by the control unit.

The invention relates to a load-controlled hydraulic actuating arrangement, particularly for a convertible top, according to the species of the claims.
The convertible tops of today are equipped with drive systems that allow a fully automated actuation. For this purpose, motors are arranged for the different single motions of the top in the kinematic system and are controlled via an electronic circuit. This solution has the disadvantage that the load of the motors during the motions cannot be recorded and the motor output cannot be adjusted. The positions of the individual components are sampled for the exact control of the motion sequence via limit switches, and thus a mere sequential run of the motions is generated.
The motion speed of the convertible top can vary in the operating mode due to exterior conditions such as wind from the front or rear side, relative wind or the inclined position of a car to which the convertible top belongs. Undesired approaching speeds of the top parts, e.g. towards the latching units, are the consequence, or it may be necessary to avoid the actuation of the top if the driving speed is too fast. If the top parts collide with objects that are located in the motional path, the resulting increase of the motor output is not identified, resulting in damage to the system.
The patent publication AT 402 280 B describes a hydraulic actuating arrangement for a convertible top with a number of working cylinders that are connected to a common pressure circuit via separate control elements, a control unit that is connected with the control elements and at least one feedback unit that is also connected with the control unit and is used to control the final position of the working cylinders. The feedback unit is provided with at least one pressure sensor in the pressure circuit, and its output signal as a function of time is used together with the defined switching sequences of the single control elements for the final position control of the individual working cylinders.
A system provided with a measuring equipment designed as a rotary potentiometer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,747. This system can realize the motions not only sequentially, but coherently as a function of a particular motional behavior.
The disadvantage of these two solutions is the fact that the load of the motors during the motion cannot be registered, and therefore, it is not possible to adjust the motor output.


A job management device includes a display unit, an authenticating unit and a job display processing unit. The display unit displays information. The authenticating unit determines whether a user is previously authorized to use an image forming apparatus. The job display processing unit executes a job display processing by which the contents of print jobs to under execution and prior to execution among print jobs accepted by the image forming apparatus are arranged in an execution order and displayed on the display unit, the job display processing unit configured to, in the job display processing, identifiably display the contents of a print job inputted by an authenticated user who is determined by the authenticating unit to have prior authorization to use the image forming apparatus and unidentifiably display the contents of the print jobs inputted by users other than the authenticated user.

The technology of the present disclosure relates to a job management device which displays the contents of a print job.
In the related art, there is known, e.g., a technology in which the contents of a print job accepted by an image forming apparatus or the execution status of a print job are displayed on a display unit of the image forming apparatus or a display unit of an external device. In this technology, for example, a user name (owner name) of a user who has inputted a print job, a thumbnail image (preview image) indicating a print target image, a print target document name, and the like are displayed as the contents of a print job.


The present invention provides means and methods for functionalizing a polypeptide of interest at its C-terminus with an amino acid derivative.

Protein engineering has become a widely used tool in many areas of protein biochemistry. For example, protein fusion tags are indispensable tools used to improve recombinant protein expression yields, enable protein purification, and accelerate the characterization of protein structure and function. Solubility-enhancing tags, genetically engineered epitopes, and recombinant endoproteases have resulted in a versatile array of combinatorial elements that facilitate protein detection and purification. However, also protein modifications are of importance to study structure and function relationships.
Instead of the random labeling of amino acids, such as lysine residues, methods have been developed to (sequence) specific label proteins. Next to chemical modifications, tools to integrate new chemical groups for bioorthogonal reactions/modifications or chemoselective modifications have been applied. Alternatively, proteins can also be selectively modified by enzymes. By modifying existing amino acids or introducing non-natural amino acids, proteins can be manipulated at the single amino acid level. Several methods involving the site-specific modification of proteins have been reported in the last decade. This allows the spatial and temporal control of proteins in vivo, as well as single molecule tracking. Modifications are introduced during protein translation, as post translational modification or chemically, after protein isolation.
After translation, almost all proteins require post-translational modifications (PTMs) before becoming mature. The oxidation of cysteines is a common PTM and is important for protein folding and stability. Other PTMs increase the functional diversity of proteins by the modification of amino acids including phosphorylation, glycosylation, ubiquitination, nitrosylation, methylation, acetylation and proline cis-trans isomerization. Site-specific enzymatic PTMs are of particular interest since they can be used to manipulate and/or study proteins.
Examples for PTM are membrane associated modifications facilitated by farnesyl-and N-myristoyltransferases. In another approach the native formylglycine generating enzyme (FGE) is used to introduce formylglycine in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The aldehyde tagged protein can be readily functionalized with aminooxy- or hydrazide-functionalized biomolecules. Besides the modification of other proteins, some enzymes can be used for self-modification such as human O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyl transferase (hAGT), cutinase and halo alkane dehalogenase.
A straightforward class of enzymes for modifying proteins after translation are the ligases. Biotin ligase (BirA) was shown to accept also a ketone isostere of biotin as a cofactor. Ligation of this biotin analog to proteins bearing the 15-amino-acid acceptor peptide (AP) was demonstrated in vitro and in vivo, followed by subsequent ketone-hydrazine conjugation. Second, the microbial lipoic acid ligase (LpIA) was used to specifically attach an alkyl azide onto proteins with an engineered LpIA acceptor peptide (LAP). Another ligase is the intein-based protein ligation system. A prerequisite for this intein-mediated ligation method is that the target protein is expressed as a correctly folded fusion with the intein, which may be challenging.
Another set of post-translational modifications is performed by phosphopantetheinyl transferases (PPTases). PPTases transfer a phosphopantetheinyl (P-pant) group through a phosphodiester bond onto peptidyl/acyl carrier protein (PCP/ACP) domains. These typically 80-120 residues long domains are present on nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), polyketide synthases (PKSs), and fatty acid synthases (FASs). Interestingly, orthogonal fluorescent labeling of cell surface receptors was demonstrated by using the PPTases Sfp and AcpS selective peptide tags
Instead of exploring the chemical space in which biomolecules can be modified by functional groups and subsequently incorporated in proteins of interest, some general applicable enzymatic modifications preexist in nature. Transpeptidation is, for example, catalyzed by sortases, a transpeptidase from Staphylococcus aureus, has emerged as a general method for derivatizing proteins with various types of modifications. For conventional sortase modifications, target proteins are engineered to contain a sortase recognition motif (LPXT) near their C-termini. When incubated with synthetic peptides containing one or more N-terminal glycine residues and a recombinant sortase, these artificial sortase substrates undergo a transacylation reaction resulting in the exchange of residues C-terminal to the threonine residue with the synthetic oligoglycine peptide, resulting in the protein C-terminus being ligated to the N-terminus of the synthetic peptide (WO 2013/003555).
Other techniques for protein engineering are based on chemoselective ligation and incorporation of modified amino acid residues which may serve as joint connection for the addition of functional moieties such as drugs, dyes, etc. (Hackenberger, C. P. & Schwarzer, D. Chemoselective ligation and modification strategies for peptides and proteins. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 47, 10030-10074, doi:10.1002/anie.200801313 (2008)).
Site-specific modification of proteins has emerged as powerful tool to study proteins at the single amino acid level. However, it is still challenging to engineer a protein after its translation, i.e., making post-translational modifications, since the reactions required to functionalize a translated protein, e.g. by adding a label at only one specific amino acid are oftentimes difficult, time- and material-consuming. Thus, there is still a demand for engineering a protein so as to have readily available a protein with an adaptor that allows a functionalization of said polypeptide.
The present application satisfies this demand by the provision of means and methods for equipping a protein of interest at the C-terminus with an amino acid or amino acid derivative according to the invention which allows a functionalization of said protein as described herein below, characterized in the claims and illustrated by the appended Examples and Figures.
The inventors have unexpectedly discovered that, in contrast to the widespread prejudice in the prior art, tubulin-tyrosine ligase (TTL) is able to functionalize polypeptides modified to comprise a TTL-recognition sequence, with an amino acid or amino acid derivative according to the invention, other than tyrosine or derivatives thereof. In other words, the present inventors transferred action of TTL out of its context, i.e., its action on tubulin and showed that TTL is also active on heterologous substrates such as peptides or polypeptides that merely contain a TTL recognition sequence at their C-terminus, but are otherwise not structurally related to α tubulin, i.e., non-tubulin peptides or polypeptides and they showed that TTL is able to ligate such peptides or polypeptides to amino acids and derivatives thereof according to the invention, which are structurally different to the naturally applied tyrosine (see Examples 9-11). Thus, TTL is able to incorporate an amino acid or amino acid derivative according to the invention, which is different to tyrosine, into a non-tubulin polypeptide in a non-natural environment, while it was taught in the art that TTL is strictly tubulin and tyrosine dependent.
Accordingly, this finding enables the attachment of an amino acid or amino acid derivative according to the invention to a plethora of different polypeptides, and, by further addition of other moieties, opens new perspectives for research, diagnosis, and treatment. The ability of TTL to ligate various amino acids including non-natural amino acids and derivatives thereof according to the invention, allows the incorporation of amino acid derivatives, which are itself fluorescent, like tryptophan derivatives or coumarin derivatives and thereby a fluorescence labeling of proteins and polypeptides in a single step (see Examples 9-11). A subsequent bio-orthogonal functionalization of protein or polypeptide can thereby be omitted, resulting in a simplified method to produce labeled proteins and polypeptides, since only one final purification step is needed. Another advantage is the small size of tryptophan or coumarin derivatives compared to common fluorescent labels like Alexa-Fluor or Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), resulting in reduced steric bulk and thereby a reduction of a potential steric clash of the fluorescent label with other biologically active molecules and/or with interaction partners of the labeled protein or polypeptide. Further, by making use of the action of TTL, it is possible to functionalize a polypeptide of interest (POI), since an amino acid or amino acid derivative according to the invention added by TTL to the C-terminus of a protein having a TTL recognition sequence allows coupling of moieties by way of a non-peptidic bond which serve, e.g. as labels, enzymes, drugs, etc. Thus, having recognized and proofed that TTL is active on heterologous substrates such as peptides or polypeptides that merely contain a TTL recognition sequence at their C-terminus, but are otherwise not structurally related to α tubulin, makes TTL a tool for equipping a POI with an amino acid or amino acid derivative according to the invention that acts as versatile adaptor that itself is connected with moieties which functionalize a POI for, e.g. research, diagnosis, and treatment.
Tubulin-tyrosine ligase (TTL), which was first isolated from brain extracts in 1977, catalyzes the post-translational retyrosination of detyrosinated α-tubulin. It has a marked degree of sequence conservation from echinoderms to humans, and exhibits >96% identity among mammalian orthologs (Szyk et al. (2011), Nature Struc Mol Biol 18(11): 1250-1259). Remarkably, the enzyme is indispensable for cell and organism development, and TTL suppression has been linked to cell transformation and correlates with poor prognosis in patients suffering from diverse forms of cancers (Prota et al. (2013), J Cell Biol 200(3): 259-270).
In nature, TTL plays an important role in recurrent α-tubulin detyrosination/tyrosination cycles. The high substrate specificity of TTL has early been acknowledged. Even before TTL had been isolated, Acre et al. (Arce et al. (1978), J. Neurosci. 31: 205-210) reported in 1975 that when brain extracts are incubated with radioactive tyrosine, the label is only incorporated into α tubulin. In 1994, Rüdiger et al. (Rüdiger et al. (1994), FEBS J. 220: 309-320) assessed TTL substrate requirements by using a variety of synthetic peptides corresponding to the C-terminal sequence of α-tubulin.
Interestingly, the prejudice that αβ-tubulin or fragments thereof were the only substrate accepted by TTL for efficient tyrosination persisted in the prior art. In consequence, research on TTL activity was, in the following years, confined to assess whether TTL would accept tyrosine derivatives and attach them to the αβ-tubulin heterodimer. For example, Kalisz et al. (2000), Biochim Biophys Acta 1481: 131-138 pioneered in generating recombinant TTL in E. coli. The recombinant TTL exhibited similar catalytic properties as the mammalian brain tissue derived enzyme and was capable of covalently incorporating nitrotyrosine into the C-terminus of α-tubulin in vitro, albeit at 35-fold lower affinity than for tyrosine. Recently, Banerjee et al. (2010), ACS chemical biology 5: 777-785 successfully employed the TTL to conjugate a fluorescent label to αβ-tubulin. The authors developed a two step labeling systems under mild conditions and used 3-formyltyrosine as a TTL substrate and attached it to the C-terminus of α tubulin. Subsequently, 7-hydrazino-4-methyl coumarin was added by hydrazone formation to the modified tubulin as a fluorescent label under mild conditions, allowing fluorescently labeled tubulin to retain its ability to assemble into microtubules. Again, the authors here emphasize that the only TTL substrate is the C-terminus of α tubulin with the minimal requirement of EE as the last amino acids.
However, the idea to use TTL for attaching an amino acid (or derivatives thereof) according to the invention, in particular other than tyrosine (or derivatives thereof) to polypeptides, in particular other than tubulin, did not evolve—presumably because preceding studies implied that a unique interaction between TTL and αβ-tubulin was required in order to enable tyrosination, i.e. ligating αβ-tubulin with tyrosine. Recently, the prejudice has been confirmed by two studies conducted by (Szyk et al. (2011), Nature Struc Mol Biol 18(11): 1250-1259) and (Prota et al. (2013), J Cell Biol 200(3): 259-270).
Szyk et al. (2011), Nature Struc Mol Biol 18(11): 1250-1259 determined the crystal structure of frog TTL. The study revealed that TTL has an elongated shape and is composed of an N-terminal domain, a central domain and a C-terminal domain, which together form the active site of the enzyme. The authors further reported that TTL recognizes tubulin by a bipartite strategy. It engages the tubulin tail through low-affinity, high-specificity interactions, and co-opts what is otherwise a homo-oligomerization interface to form a tight hetero-oligomeric complex with the tubulin body. Put it differently, Szyk et al. clearly teach that TTL is highly specific for tubulin and tyrosine and for its action it requires a tight interplay with tubulin.
Prota et al. (2013), J Cell Biol 200(3): 259-270 recently revealed the structural basis of TTL-tubulin interaction and tubulin tyrosination. Interestingly, based on the structural information obtained during the study, the authors conclude that a characteristic bipartite αβ tubulin-TTL binding and α tubulin tail-TTL binding mode account for the high specificity of TTL for α tubulin. The authors state that the complex bipartite interaction mode observed between tubulin and TTL reveal how the enzyme has specifically evolved to recognize and modify tubulin with tyrosine; they virtually preclude that the enzyme modifies additional substrates.
The only indication, that TTL might also accept polypeptides other than tubulin was recently provided by Schumacher et al ((2015) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 54, 13787-13791). The authors reported that recombinant TTL was repurposed to attach tyrosine or small tyrosine derivatives like 3-N3-L-tyrosine or 3-formyl-L-tryrosine to polypeptides containing a short tubulin-derived recognition sequence (Tub-tag). The possibility that TTL might be able to attach amino acids or amino acid derivatives other than tyrosine or derivatives thereof is neither mentioned nor suggested.
In sum, the prior art implies that TTL may be able to vary the polypeptide substrate for the ligation reaction, i.e. employing also polypeptides different to the natural substrate αβtubulin, but being restricted to tyrosine or small tyrosine derivatives as coupling partners. Clearly, the finding of the present invention, allowing the ligation/tailing by TTL of amino acids or derivatives thereof, other than tyrosine, was unexpected and could not be foreseen (see Example 6). It was also surprising and unexpected, that TTL ligates amino acids and amino acid derivatives other than tyrosine to virtually any polypeptide carrying a TTL recognition motif (see Example 7).

Unusual substrates of tubulin tyrosine ligase


An improved HE LINAC-based ion implantation system is disclosed utilizing direct digital synthesis (DDS) techniques to obtain precise frequency and phase control and automated electrode voltage phase calibration. The DDS controller may be used on a multi-stage linear accelerator based implanter to digitally synchronize the frequency and phase of the electric fields to each electrode within each stage of the accelerator. The DDS controller includes digital phase synthesis (DPS) circuits for modulating the phase of the electric field to the electrodes, and a master oscillator that uses digital frequency synthesis or DFS to digitally synthesize a master frequency and phase applied to each of the DPS circuits. Also disclosed are methods for automatically phase and amplitude calibrating the RF electrode voltages of the stages.

In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, ion implantation is used to dope semiconductors with impurities. High energy (HE) ion implanters are used for deep implants into a substrate in creating, for example, retrograde wells. Implant energies of 1.5 MeV (million electron volts), are typical for such deep implants. Although lower energy may be used, such implanters typically perform implants at energies between at least 300 keV and 700 keV. Some HE ion implanters are capable of providing ion beams at energy levels up to 5 MeV. A LINAC (LINear ACcelerator) is often used to accelerate the ions to achieve these high energy levels required at the wafer.
A LINAC is a chain of accelerating assemblies (e.g., stages or slices), applied usually in a straight line. When a beam of ions is accelerated by a LINAC, and applied to a semiconductor substrate to implant the ions into the surface of the semiconductor substrate or wafer, we call the process "ion implantation".
Digital frequency synthesis (DFS) and digital phase synthesis (DPS) are techniques for creating continuous waveforms with high precision and high reproducibility. Their use in communication systems dates from the mid-1970s, and today they are an integral component in nearly every modem at any communication speed. The two methods taken as a whole are frequently called DDS (Direct Digital Synthesis). This powerful method of phase synthesis has also been applied to research type linear accelerators, where it replaced less accurate analog control systems or was incorporated into digital-signal processing (DSP) systems that have accreted significant circuit functionality to simplify and reduce the physical size of the implementation of the LINAC control system.
The control of the many electrode phases in a LINAC used as an ion-implantation process tool in a production environment, however, introduces phase-control challenges not common to research accelerators. For example, the specific set of data representing the operating electrode voltage amplitudes and phases for the entire accelerator system (a "dataset") may need to be reproduced on multiple tools in multiple locations, and the dataset may need to be applied and brought to a fully operational state on the tool quickly. It is particularly important that this dataset be quickly reproduced on a production LINAC when multiple ion implantation processes are applied to the same substrates (e.g., wafers) in what is commonly called a "chained" implant process.
In addition, because manual calibration methods are presently used, the ability to transport and implement a dataset among two or more otherwise similar LINAC-based ion-implantation machines is affected by the accuracy with which the non-variant "static" component of the phase errors of the many electrode voltages have been removed from the system during calibration. Such manual phase and amplitude calibrations induce a "human factor" of measurement variations during the calibration process generating machine-specific phase delay errors.
Referring to FIG. 1, a typical high energy ion implanter 10 is illustrated, having a terminal 12, a beamline assembly 14, and an end station 16. The terminal 12 includes an ion source 20 powered by a high voltage power supply 22. The ion source 20 produces an ion beam 24 which is provided to the beamline assembly 14. The ion beam 24 is then directed toward a target wafer 30 in the end station 16. The ion beam 24 is conditioned by the beamline assembly 14 which comprises a mass analysis magnet 26 and a radio frequency (RF) LINAC 28. The mass analysis magnet 26 passes only ions of an appropriate charge-to-mass ratio to the LINAC 28. The LINAC 28 includes a series of resonator modules or acceleration stages 28a-28n, each of which further accelerates or decelerates ions from the energy they achieve from prior stages. The accelerator stages are individually energized by a high RF voltage which is typically generated by a resonance method to keep the required average power reasonable.
The linear accelerator stages 28a-28n in the high energy ion implanter 10 individually include an RF amplifier, a resonator, and an accelerating electrode. The resonators, for example, operate at a frequency of, for example, 13.56 Mhz, with a voltage of about 0 to 150 kV peak-to-peak, in order to accelerate ions of the beam 24 to energies over one million electron volts per charge state. As the ion beam 24 travels through the various accelerator modules or stages 28, some of the ions therein are properly accelerated, whereas others are not. Inefficiencies in ion transport are increased by the errors produced by inaccuracies in the phase calibrations of the electrodes as well as the phase synchronization between the electrodes.
It is necessary to precisely control the frequency and phase of each electrode during implantation of high-energy ions onto a workpiece, such as a semiconductor product. It is important in a production environment, that the dataset representing the electrode voltage amplitudes and phases for an accelerator of an ion implantation system be quickly reproduced and be made fully operational on multiple tools in multiple locations. This is particularly important when the dataset is reproduced on a production LINAC during a "chained" implant process. Accordingly, there is a need in the production environment for an improved HE LINAC-based ion implantation device, utilizing the advantages of direct digital synthesis DDS and a means of automatic phase and amplitude calibrations that avoids the need for error prone manual calibration methods.

Application of digital frequency and phase synthesis for control of electrode voltage phase in a high-energy ion implantation machine, and a means for accurate calibration of electrode voltage phase


An ID setting method and system capable of easily setting IDs of a plurality of display units. The ID setting system includes a plurality of display units connected through an input port and an output port to each other, and a control unit that controls assignment of an ID to each of the plurality of display units. Each of the display units compares a present ID to an initial ID, and disables a connection between the output port and an another display unit when the present ID and the initial ID match. Accordingly, a user can easily assign IDs to each of the plurality of display units.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to an identifier (ID) setting system, an ID setting method and a display unit using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to an ID setting system capable of easily setting IDs of a plurality of display units, an ID setting method and a display unit using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As control technologies for display apparatuses develop, various display apparatuses, for instance, a display apparatus easily accessible in daily life, such as an information bulletin board including an advertising image and the like, to a display apparatus applied to a new art form, such as a video art, are being developed. Particularly, various visual effects may be created by using several tens or hundreds of display apparatuses.
To control a plurality of display apparatuses, a control technology is needed that is capable of separately controlling the respective display apparatuses. To implement such control, the respective display apparatuses must be identified. Conventionally, IDs were set, which were made up of letters or figures that identify the plurality of display apparatuses, and the plurality of display apparatuses have to be individually operated.
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a conventional ID setting method. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a currently set ID 20 and an ID 30 to be changed by an input of a user are shown in an ID setting control window 10. The currently set ID 20 will be an initial ID set when a display apparatus is fabricated, and if the initial ID has not changed, the ID setting control window will display the initial ID. In FIG. 1, it is assumed that the initial ID was set to a value of '0' 25. At this time, when the user inputs a number into a number input blank 35 to change the ID of the display apparatus, the ID is set to the input number. That is, if the user inputs the value of '01' into the number input blank 35, the corresponding display apparatus is set to have an ID of '01'.
To set the IDs of the display apparatus, the user will have to individually set the IDs of each of the display apparatuses. Also, if the setting of the IDs is performed using a remote control or the like, any display apparatuses adjacent to one another may be operated together in response to a single signal generated from the remote control. Thus, to set an ID of any one of the display apparatuses, other display apparatuses should be turned off, or set not to react to the signal generated from the remote control.
In the conventional ID setting method described above, there is a problem in that, as the greater the number display apparatuses, the inconvenience of setting the IDs increases. Also, if the plurality of monitors is set to a same ID by mistake, controlling the display apparatuses becomes impossible.

ID setting system, ID setting method and display unit using the same


A semiconductor device includes a capacitor and a resistor. The capacitor includes a first plate, a capacitor dielectric layer disposed over the first plate, and a second plate disposed over the capacitor dielectric layer. The resistor includes a thin film. The thin film of the resistor and the first plate of the capacitor, formed of a same conductive material, are defined in a single patterning process.

Capacitors and resistors are standard components in many semiconductor integrated circuits. For example, the capacitor can be used in in various radio frequency (RF) circuits (e.g., an oscillator, phase-shift network, filter, converter, etc.), in dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) cells, and as a decoupling capacitor in high power microprocessor units (MPUs); and the resistor is typically used together with the capacitor to control respective resistances of other electronic components of at least one the above-mentioned circuits.

Semiconductor device including capacitor and resistor

SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING CAPACITOR AND RESISTOR


A crash cushion system to envelop at least one bridge pier. The system has two impact heads, one facing one traffic flow direction and the other facing an opposite traffic flow direction. The heads are connected to multi-stage box beam energy absorbers which are in turn connected to a tubular frame structure which envelops the bridge piers. The frame is spaced apart from the face of the pier sufficiently to avoid an impacting vehicle's snagging the frame and contacting the pier structure. Anchorage cables to stiffen and support the sides of the envelope are positioned inside the frame's parallelogram shape.

The present invention relates to a traffic crash attenuation system or crash cushion system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system, method and apparatus for absorbing kinetic energy from an impacting vehicle in a controlled and safe manner. The system is used with roadside safety devices such as guardrails and median barrier end treatments. Even more specifically, the present invention is a system applied to shield bridge piers in the median of divided highways.
Current safety treatments at bridge pier sites include installation of guard rails on each side of the piers to form an envelope with W-beam bullnose ends. In some applications, crash cushions are installed on the two ends of the pier configuration with concrete walls constructed in the spaces between adjacent piers.
The present system consists of two energy-absorbing crash cushions combined with a tubular frame or structure to envelop the bridge piers. The crash cushions provide protection for end-on impacts while the tubular side structure shields the bridge piers from oblique impacts by errant vehicles. The tubular structure around the bridge piers is modular in nature and can be adjusted to accommodate different number, size, and spacing of bridge piers. The energy-absorbing capabilities of this new crash cushion are based on tube bursting technology described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,308,809 and 6,437,570 and incorporated herein by reference. This basic "guardrail envelope" treatment has some limitations which the present invention addresses.
Initial testing of prototypes of the present invention indicated snagging of the engine hood and the left-front fender on the upstream side of the bridge pier, thus causing the engine hood to be pushed backward and into the base of the windshield. This engine hood to windshield contact resulted in noticeable damage to the windshield. Based on the engine hood snag and resulting windshield damage, there was a potential for penetration of the occupant compartment during impact. The present invention avoids the hazards posed by interaction of vehicles with the bridge piers. This has been evidenced by crash testing utilizing a pickup truck weighing approximately 2,000 Kg impacting the present invention system at a speed of 100 km/h and at an angle of 25 degrees at the critical impact point (CIP) of the system.
Testing revealed that there must be sufficient space between the guardrail side structure and the adjacent face of any of the bridge piers to allow for the dynamic deflection of the guardrail. Without this space, an impacting vehicle may reach and impact the pier. An excessive space between the guardrail side structure and the pier, such as may occur when the guardrail is installed on a sloping grade away from the pier, may adversely effect the performance of the guardrail.
The present invention solves these problems of protecting vehicles from impacting bridge piers.


Stabilization of aqueous resinous dispersions containing a pigment of a divalent metal such as strontium chromate is disclosed. Stabilization is achieved by incorporating a chelating agent in the dispersion.

Aqueous anionic resinous dispersions containing pigments of divalent metals such as strontium chromate are well known for coating aluminum substrates where the strontium chromate provides for outstanding corrosion protection. Unfortunately, these dispersions are unstable. It is believed the divalent metal cation causes the anionic resin to settle out from the dispersion. It would be desirable to stabilize such aqueous resinous dispersions.

Stabilizing aqueous anionic resinous dispersions with chelating agents


A sensor alignment system and method is provided that facilitates the precise alignment determination of satellite sensors. The system and method utilizes an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to facilitate alignment determination of multiples sensors on a satellite. The system and method performs a roll of the satellite around a preliminary sensor active axis, using the IMU to measure the rotation rate in both magnitude and direction. The sensor input is monitored by the IMU during the roll around the preliminary sensor axis. The data from sensor output obtained during the roll can be processed to calculate the difference between the preliminary sensor axis and the actual sensor axis. From this calculation the actual alignment of the sensor axis can be determined. Furthermore, by performing this alignment determination operation for multiple sensors the relative alignment between sensors can be determined.

Satellites are being in increasingly diverse range of important applications. Today, satellites provide a host of communication, weather, military and scientific services. The increasing use of satellites makes their operational accuracy of increased concern.
For example, many satellites provide a mission sensor that provides important data about some physical quantity. For example, weather satellites may provide radar system that tracks changes in weather. A communication satellite may provide an antenna that receives and transmits remote communication transmissions. An intelligence satellite may provide images of a selected location on the earth's surface. In each of these cases, the mission sensor provides an important service for the operation of the satellite.
One important issue in the calibration of these satellites is the determination of mission sensor alignment. Typically, past methods of determining the alignment of the mission sensor have relied upon a complicated procedure on the ground. This ground alignment typically involves setting up the mission sensor and representing its operational axis with some type of optical reference surface. The sensors may not even be activated during this procedure. Unfortunately, this type of alignment procedure is time consuming and expensive. Additionally, this on-the-ground alignment suffers from inherent limitations. For example, the optical reference may not precisely represent the sensor active axis. As another example, the effects of Earth's gravity on the satellite may distort the alignment when compared to its eventual operational environment. Additionally, aligning the mission sensor to optical reference surfaces suffers from inherent inaccuracies.
Thus, what is needed is an improved system and method for determining the alignment of satellite sensors that provides for increased accuracy and reduced costs.

In-orbit satellite sensor alignment determination


Mixing nozzle fitments and beverage devices containing the mixing nozzle fitments are provided. In an embodiment, the mixing nozzle fitment includes a first shaft defining an inlet passage, a second shaft defining a curved outlet passage and attached to the first shaft, and a coupling member attached to the second shaft. The coupling member defines a passage that leads into the curved outlet passage of the second shaft. The mixing nozzle fitment can be used in any suitable beverage dispensing device.

The present disclosure generally relates to beverage dispensing devices. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to mixing nozzle fitments for dispensing beverages.
There are a variety of beverage dispensers currently on the market. Some beverage dispensers operate by dispensing a hot or cold ready-to-drink fluid directly into a container such as a cup. Other beverage dispensers operate by dispensing a powdered or liquid concentrate along with a separate diluent through a beverage dispensing nozzle and into a container or cup to form the drink. The relative flows of the concentrate and diluent into the cup can be controlled to maximize the qualities of the beverage such as mixing and foam production. Nevertheless, many of the beverage dispensers suffer from quality control issues related to insufficient mixing of the concentrate and diluent or accumulation of the concentrate in the beverage dispensing nozzles.


An adjustable flow control device is provided which has a valve body containing a series of orifices of varying diameter and an indexable valve cover which includes at least one flow conduit which can be positioned and locked in a sealable manner over a chosen orifice while the remaining part of the valve cover closes off the other orifices of the valve body. Due to the device having fixed size orifices, each orifice will provide a fixed specific fluid flow rate for any predetermined pressure loss across the orifice. The device is suitable for use on all types of gas and liquid fluids.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flow control device. It is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with an adjustable flow control device which contains a plurality of orifices of varying diameter.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
There are many applications in the air and gas industry where a dependable and constant flow of air or gas is required. In particular, for twin tower pressure swing devices as used for compressed air drying and gas generation, a fixed orifice valve is particularly useful. An inherent part of such pressure swing devices is the use of a purge or re-generating stream of compressed air or gas from the high pressure 'on-stream' tower to the low pressure regenerating 'off-stream' tower. In all cases this purge air or gas effectively re-conditions the sorbent in the 'off-stream' tower.
The design of control valve arrangements on pressure swing devices varies considerably but in its simplest form, the tower switching is typically done using two shuttle valves and two exhaust valves which have proved both cost effective and extremely reliable. A variation on this valve arrangement is to use a shuttle valve for switching the inlet flow from one tower to the other and using two non-return valves for controlling the outlet flow of each tower. Non-return valves have the advantage of providing a means to prevent back flow through the pressure swing device which can cause severe damage to the sorbent. In such configurations the purge flow normally travels through a conduit in a by-pass arrangement circumnavigating the non-return valves however U.S. Pat. No. 8,262,784 and EP 2205339 describe a non-return valve with a single integral fixed orifice. The vast majority of such non-return valves are circular in design and are spring loaded in a normally closed position to prevent back-flow. However under normal process flow conditions the pressure differential across the valve forces the valve open to allow the process gas to pass downstream.
The proportion of purge flow to process flow is controlled by either an adjustable variable area flow control valve or a fixed orifice arrangement. Variable area control valves are relatively expensive and require a flow meter to set the correct proportion of purge flow furthermore they can be easily tampered with by unskilled operators causing the drier to work inefficiently. Although the use of fixed orifice valves is extremely useful and cost effective they also have a significant problem in that the orifice size is normally pre-set at the factory in line with a pre-ordered specification, and cannot easily be changed on site as generally a replacement serviceable component is required. Pressure swing devices have many variables affecting the required purge flow rate, for instance: change in pressure or temperature, change in process flow, change of required dew point, change of generated gas quality (i.e. purity of generated gas) and even change of altitude. It would therefore be extremely useful to have an adjustable flow control valve which could be easily and precisely adjusted to suit the conditions on-site.
One object of the present invention is to address the above problem.


A system for authenticating a user attempting to access a computing device or a software application executing thereon. A data storage device stores one or more digital images or frames of video of face(s) of authorized user(s) of the device. The system subsequently receives from a first video camera one or more digital images or frames of video of a face of the user attempting to access the device and compares the image of the face of the user attempting to access the device with the stored image of the face of the authorized user of the device. To ensure the received video of the face of the user attempting to access the device is a real-time video of that user, and not a forgery, the system further receives a first photoplethysmogram (PPG) obtained from a first body part (e.g., a face) of the user attempting to access the device, receives a second PPG obtained from a second body part (e.g., a fingertip) of the user attempting to access the device, and compares the first PPG with the second PPG. The system authenticates the user attempting to access the device based on a successful comparison of (e.g., correlation between, consistency of) the first PPG and the second PPG and based on a successful comparison of the image of the face of the user attempting to access the device with the stored image of the face of the authorized user of the device.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also correspond to embodiments of the claimed inventions.
Protecting computing devices, and in particular, mobile computing devices, from unauthorized access is becoming more than indispensable in these days. In particular, mobile computing devices, or simply, mobile devices, such as laptop computers, smartphones, and table computers, or simply, tablets, are pervasive in personal life and the business world. They are storing increasingly more highly sensitive information such as personal contacts and multimedia information, usernames and passwords, emails, browsing histories, business secrets, and personal health conditions. At the same time, mobile devices may be lost, stolen, or hacked. For example, according to one study, 70 million smartphones are lost every year, with only 7% recovered, and 4.3% of company-issued smartphones are lost/stolen every year. In addition, according to another study, the malware infection rate on mobile devices rose to 0.75% in Q2 2015 from 0.68% in December 2014, and there were as many Google Android devices infected with malware as Microsoft Windows laptops in the second half of 2014 alone.
User authentication of mobile computing devices, or simply, mobile authentication, is widely adopted to protect mobile devices from unauthorized access and has two forms. First, a user is authenticated to unlock a mobile device. Second, many mobile software applications, or simply, "apps", such as banking apps and password managers authenticate the user before the user can access and use these apps. Mobile authentication traditionally follows a password approach based on Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), alphanumeric passwords, or pattern locks. As functionalities of mobile devices keep improving, people have recently developed more secure and/or usable mobile authentication techniques based on behavioral biometrics such as user input habits, physiological biometrics such as fingerprint or facial recognition, and de-authentication techniques based on proximity.
Embodiments described herein focus on improving and augmenting the security of facial recognition, or "face authentication", functionality on mobile devices. As the name suggests, face authentication verifies or identifies a person by validating selected facial features from a digital image or a video frame of the person's face. The facial features of a person are quite unique and difficult to forge. So face authentication has been very popular in various traditional application scenarios, e.g., gate and automated border control systems. It has also been introduced into mobile devices as a strong authentication method since Google Android 4.0, as well as many apps such as the BioID facial recognition app available from BioID, and the MobileID app available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Although embodiments of the invention described herein focus on face authentication on mobile devices, it is appreciated that the embodiments can be generalized to other scenarios and devices involving face authentication.
Face authentication is vulnerable to both photo-based forgery attacks (PFA) and video-based forgery attacks (VFA). In PFA (or VFA), the adversary uses a photo (or video) containing the user's frontal face to bypass the otherwise highly-secure face authentication system. Both PFA and VFA are fairly easy to conduct, as the victim's photo or video or digital images usually can be easily found online, e.g., on popular social network sites. The adversary may also capture the victim's photo or video without being noticed, e.g., in crowded public places or through a camera with telephoto capabilities or a high-definition video camera recorder, even from a long distance.
The prior art defenses against PFA and/or VFA rely on "liveness detection", which attempts to determine that the submitted face photo or video of the legitimate user is indeed captured in real time. The user's eye blink, lip movement, or head rotation in a video have been proposed as live indicators according to some prior art schemes. These schemes are effective against PFA but invalid for VFA. The prior art countermeasures against both PFA and VFA either use an infrared camera to obtain a thermogram—a record made by a thermograph, an instrument that produces a trace or image representing a record of the varying temperature or infrared radiation over an area or during a period of time—of the user's face, or utilize texture analysis to detect the existence of a printed photo, or explore motion analysis to detect the existence of two-dimensional (2D) images. Besides the disadvantage of very high computation complexity, these methods require additional sensors or advanced cameras unavailable in commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) mobile computing devices.
The accelerometer in almost all COTS devices has recently been explored for liveness detection against PFA and VFA. One prior art approach compares small motions extracted from a recorded video of a user's frontal face and the motions from the accelerometer to see if the motions are consistent. Similarly, another prior art approach compares two motion vectors independently extracted from a recorded video of a user's frontal face and the accelerometer of the mobile device for liveness detection. Although these schemes allegedly are very effective against PFA and VFA, they require the legitimate user to move the mobile device in front of him/herself in some predefined manner, which can be inconvenient or even socially awkward. In addition, the randomness of the user-generated mobile device movement may be too limited so that the adversary may have a good chance to successfully imitate the user after careful observations.

Method and apparatus for authenticating a user of a computing device

Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University


Method, application, and medium of remote management of a computer system using voice and gesture based input are disclosed. An application module is executed on a processor of a computing device. The application module (a) displays a first user interface on the computing device, the interface allowing a user to enter a first input which includes at least one of a voice input and a gesture input, (b) receives input data which include at least one of audio input data and multitouch input data from the computing device representing the first input, (c) determines, based on the input data, a first command from a plurality of commands targeted to a baseboard management controller (BMC) managing a computer system, (d) constructs a first message including the determined command, and (e) sends the first message to the BMC over a network.

A user typically is required to stay close to a computer connected to a network in order to monitor and manage computer systems through baseboard management controllers (BMCs). It is, however, difficult for a user to monitor and maintain the computer systems when he is not in the office and has no access to a networked computer.
Remote computing devices such as Smartphones and tablets with network access become more and more common nowadays. Using remote computing devices gives users more flexibility and convenience, and increases productivity and quality of services. With advancement of technologies, a user is able to provide voice and gesture based inputs to remote computing devices. Therefore, using a remote computing device to manage computer systems through baseboard management controllers (BMCs) with voice and gesture input may become possible.
Therefore, unaddressed needs exist in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

Method and apparatus of remote management of computer system using voice and gesture based input


A swim aid flotation device for supplementing the buoyancy of a swimmer's lower body torso and legs while allowing the swimmer the ability to kick their legs includes a unitary or two part foam member generally in the form of an inverted T-shape with the horizontal part of the T-shape connected to the vertical part of the T-shape. The vertical portion has an expanded top portion and keeps the device positioned between the legs while the horizontal portion straddles the legs. A flexible woven strap connects the device with a loop around the swimmer's body at the waist keeping the device positioned in the crotch area of the swimmer. This provides sufficient buoyancy without need for squeezing the legs together, maintains the swimmer's body in a more horizontal swim position and allows scissor leg kicks or other types of leg kicking motion.

There are a number of swim aid flotation devices on the market generally known as pull buoys. AH of these current devices supplement flotation of the swimmer's body and generally immobilize the legs while allowing development of the arm portion of the swim stroke. The most commercially common of these are the pull buoys related to U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,704, and other buoy products that generally have a top flotation cylinder and bottom flotation cylinder connected by cords or straps. Similar swim aids are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,793,549 and 4,929,205, and have air/water buoyancy adjustment features.
Other swim aids are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,083,067 and 4,362,518, and are comprised of a single unit form with a joining section of reduced thickness that is in the shape of and doubles as a kick board.
All of these current devices require the squeezing of the swimmer's legs to hold the devices in place, thus mostly immobilizing the legs and prevent scissor leg kicking motion. This is a significant disadvantage of the aforementioned prior art devices.
The flotation device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,322 allows scissor leg kicking motion, however ft has a "U" shaped configuration that clamps to the swimmer's mid-torso and is connected by a fixed damping bar type member, and is generally designed for kicking in place while the swimmer's body is floating in a vertical position or connected to a fixed cord. There is a swim aid training device shown in now U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,000 that is generally in a rotated and one piece H shape that provides flotation by attaching to the lower calf area of a swimmer's legs thus immobilizing the swimmer's legs and preventing a scissor kicking motion.
A multi-purpose float is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,505, which has a kick board type device with a turning bar that straddles the legs, but does not hold the device on the swimmer thus requiring the squeezing and immobilization of the legs for kicking. Finally, there are other flotation devices on the market that attach by wrapping around the individual legs or lower torso of the swimmer allowing free motion of the legs, but are unrelated to the improvements provided by the present invention.
Generally, the prior art concentrates on providing buoyancy to the swimmer while immobilizing the swimmer's legs so that the swimmer can concentrate on developing the arm stroke. None of the prior art pull buoys allows for the alternating scissor kicking motion of the legs while wearing the invention in the preferred upper leg position.


In order to balance out the effects of the electrical and mechanical relaxation of a piezo-electric bending element which has a control area that moves in response to an applied control voltage against an elastically applied counterforce, the counterforce is applied by way of a separate external loading system. In addition, the bending element can be pre-tensioned elastically against the action of the counterforce by means of a clamped end.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a piezo valve with a piezo-electric bending element, this having a control area that can be moved against an elastically applied opposing force as a function of an applied control voltage.
2. The Prior Art
Valves of this kind which, in keeping with their most frequent application, are frequently referred to as electro-pneumatic converters, are already known. These incorporate a piezo-electric, mostly a piezo-ceramic bending element as a regulating element, and this is fixed at one end. When it is in the switch position in which no voltage is applied, the moveable control area of the bending element that is opposite the end that is clamped is pre-tensioned and lies against an air-inlet valve such that this valve is closed so as to be pressure-sealed. When a control voltage is applied, the bending element is then raised from the air inlet valve seat, against the pre-tensioned counterforce, which means that this valve is then opened to permit the flow of medium. Also known are arrangements in which, according to the same principle, there is a changeover between an inlet and an outlet valve seat, so that a selectable change in the flow of the medium can be effected by the position of the control area.
Because of the properties of piezo-electric materials, the bending elements in this type of valve entail the disadvantage that if they are acted upon mechanically and/or electrically over a longer period of time, their rest position changes. The corresponding property is also referred to as relaxation, and a distinction is drawn between two basic types. The change in shape that takes place under mechanical loading over a longer period of time is referred to as mechanical relaxation, and this is oriented against the direction of the pre-tensioning force. The change in shape that can be identified when an electrical control voltage is applied over a longer period of time, and which is perceived as an increase in the bending, is referred to as electrical relaxation, and this acts in the direction of the electrical bending. It is known that both the mechanical and the electrical relaxation can only be reversed in part and, taken together, they change the adjusted position of the bending element to an unacceptable extent that can, for example, lead to the fact that, after the bending element has been acted upon for a longer time by the voltage, the control area of this will not return to the other switched position, even after the control voltage is switched off and this, in turn, can mean that the valve seat that is associated with the resting position can no longer be closed.
It is an object of the present invention to so improve a piezo valve of the type described in the introduction hereto, that the disadvantages addressed above, which are a consequence of electrical and mechanical relaxation, are avoided and that, in particular, it can be ensured that the bending element functions reliably even after longer-lasting switching cycles.


An improved solar cell of the type including a semiconductor substrate having a shallow p-n junction adjacent its front surface, a rear electrode affixed in adherent mechanical and electrical contact with the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a front generally grid-shaped electrode including an array of narrow, elongate, parallel fingers and at least one bus bar extending at right angles to the fingers in electrical contact therewith affixed in mechanically adherent and low resistance electrical contact with the front surface of the semiconductor substrate. The improvement includes the removal of the bus bar portion of the front grid-shaped electrode from intimate mechanical and electrical contact with the front surface of the semiconductor substrate. The improvement increases the open circuit voltage and efficiency of the solar cell, and allows the bus bar portion of the grid shaped electrode to be formed of materials different from the finger portions of that electrode thereby providing cost advantages and design flexibility without detriment to solar cell efficiency. A method of making the improved solar cell also is disclosed.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to photovoltaic cells. More particularly, the invention relates to a solar cell having an improved conductive front grid-shaped contact configuration, and a method of forming same.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
Photovoltaic cells essentially comprise a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type having a shallow P-N junction formed adjacent the front surface thereof. The cells require electrical contacts (generally metallic in composition, and sometimes referred to as "electrodes") on both their front and rear surfaces in contact with the semiconductor substrate in order to be able to recover an electrical current from the cells when they are exposed to solar radiation. These contacts are commonly made of aluminum, silver or nickel. For example, a common arrangement with solar cells having a silicon substrate is to make the rear contact of aluminum and the front contact of silver.
The contact on the front surface of the cell is generally made in the form of a grid, comprising an array of narrow, elongate, parallel fingers that extend in one direction, and at least one elongate bus that intersects the fingers at a right angle. The width, number and arrangement of the fingers is such that the area of the front surface adapted for exposure to solar radiation is maximized. Further, in order to improve the conversion efficiency of the cells, it has been found beneficial to provide a thin anti-reflection coating of a material such as silicon nitride or an oxide of silicon or titanium on the front surface of the cells.
Solar cells formed utilizing a semiconductor substrate having a shallow P-N junction adjacent its front surface, with that surface being coated with an insulating coating such as silicon nitride, therefore, are well known in the art. Such substrates sometimes will be referred to hereinafter as "solar cell blanks". It will be understood by those skilled in the art that a typical solar cell blank might consist of an EFG-grown silicon substrate of p-type conductivity having a P-N junction located about 0.5 microns from its front surface, and having a silicon nitride coating about 800 Angstroms thick on its front surface. Equivalent solar cell blanks also are well known. For example, single crystal silicon substrates, cast polycrystalline substrates, epitaxial silicon on metallurgical grade silicon or fine grain polysilicon layers formed by chemical or physical vapor deposition, can all be used in the formation of a solar cell blank. Similarly, n-type as well as p-type material may be used, and shapes other than flat stock are permissible, e.g., a circular piece of material, or substrates having an arcuate or polygonal cross-section.
The rear surface contact is commonly formed by coating substantially the entire rear surface of a solar cell blank with an aluminum paste, and thereafter, heating the coated solar cell blank so as to alloy the aluminum with the silicon substrate. Normally, the aluminum coating covers the entire rear surface with the exception of a small area adjacent the periphery of the rear surface. The exterior surface of the aluminum tends to oxidize, however, thereby increasing the resistance of a soldered contact between the aluminum surface and a tab used to connect the solar cell electrically to adjacent solar cells or an external electrical circuit. Accordingly, it has been found useful additionally to leave apertures through the aluminum coating in the central portion of the rear surface area. A silver containing ink then is used to fill these apertures and slightly overlap the adjacent aluminum layer. These silver areas create locations for the attachment of the tabs to the rear contact of the solar cell which are more efficient than direct attachment to the aluminum.
The grid-shaped contact on the front surface has been formed in various ways. For example, in some cases the grid pattern is formed on the front surface by screen printing or some other technology, and thereafter fired to complete the alloying of the metal particles contained in the ink to the silicon substrate. The substrate with the grid pattern alloyed thereto is then coated with the anti-reflective coating. A more direct approach of first coating the semiconductor substrate with the anti-reflective coating, and thereafter applying the grid contact also has been utilized in the art. To accomplish the latter objective, portions of the anti-reflective coating have in some cases been etched away so as to expose portions of the front surface of the semiconductor substrate in the desired grid electrode pattern. Thereafter, the front contact is deposited or otherwise formed on the front surface in the region where the anti-reflective coating has been etched away.
Another approach to the formation of the front contact on a solar cell blank is the so-called "fired-through" method. That method consists of the following steps: (1) applying a coating of a metal/glass frit ink or paste to the front surface of a solar cell blank in a predetermined pattern corresponding to the configuration of the desired grid electrode, and (2) heating the coated solar cell blank at a temperature and for a time sufficient to cause the metal/glass composition to dissolve the anti-reflection coating and to form an ohmic contact with the underlying front surface of the semiconductor substrate. The "fired through" method of forming contacts is illustrated by PCT Patent Application Publication WO 89/12312, published 14 Dec. 1989, based on U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 205304, filed 10 Jun. 1988 by Jack Hanoka for an Improved Method of Fabricating Contacts for Solar Cells. The concept of firing metal contacts through an anti-reflection dielectric coating also is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,197, issued to Y. Nagahara et al. for "Solar Cell with Paste Contact" .
The so-called "fired through" technique presupposes the use of thick film technology wherein a suitable paste or viscous ink forms a relatively thick metal-containing film on the solar cell blank which when fired will dissolve the anti-reflection coating and bond to the underlying silicon or other semiconductor. In U.S. patent application No. 666,334, filed 7 Mar. 1991 by Jack I. Hanoka and Scott E. Danielson entitled "Method and Apparatus for Forming Contacts", there is disclosed an improved method for direct writing such a thick ink film on the front surface of a solar cell blank or other substrate. In that method, the discharge orifice of the pen is located far enough above the moving surface of the solar cell blank that the pen does not contact the ink deposited on the blank. This in turn allows more efficient solar cell manufacturing operations, and the formation of finger contacts having greater aspect ratios (i.e., the ratio of finger height to finger width) than was theretofor possible. The resulting increase of finger height, without a corresponding increase in finger width, is desirable because the finger is thereby capable of carrying greater current without an increase in so-called "light shadowing" (i.e., the preclusion of solar radiation from reaching the front surface of the solar cell blank).
As alluded to above, the contact pattern on the front surface of the solar cell blank generally comprises at least one bus and an array of narrow, elongate, parallel fingers intersecting the bus at a right angle. This configuration optimizes the amount of radiant solar energy that can reach the front surface of the solar cell blank, while at the same time providing an efficient means to collect and transmit the current generated in the semiconductor substrate. Both the fingers and the bus have heretofore been alloyed directly to the semiconductor substrate. This is true both in the process wherein the grid contact is formed on the semiconductor front surface and later coated with an anti-reflective coating, and also in the process wherein the grid contact is formed on the front surface of a solar cell blank to directly contact the underlying semiconductor either through openings etched in the coating or by being fired through the coating. The resulting front grid-shaped electrode configuration has provided economy to the process because the entire metallization pattern (bus bars and fingers) can be printed at the same time in the same processing steps utilizing the same materials (generally metal containing inks).
Improvements to the electrical characteristics of the front solar radiation receiving sides of solar cells are constantly being sought in the art. Several of the better known ways to accomplish such improvements are the provision of better light trapping capability to the cell, reduction of the shadowing of the front surface of the solar cell blank by the grid pattern, and the reduction of both the ideal and non-ideal components of the emitter saturation current density at the front of the cell. The ideal emitter saturation current density is made up of three components: recombination in the emitter layer, recombination at the semiconductor/anti-reflective coating interface, and recombination at the metal/semiconductor interface. Significant increases in solar cell efficiencies will require reductions in all of the sources of recombination. In addition, advances in the art which will simplify manufacture and/or reduce costs without adverse effect upon presently attainable solar cell efficiency and/or life expectancy also are desirable.


A part washing apparatus includes a centrifugal filter and an ultra filter provided as a single base unit. A washing chamber is provided to enclose one or more industrial parts for cleaning with a washing solution, which is collected in a washer bath. The washing solution is then pumped through a centrifugal filter to remove contaminants from the washing solution and subsequently pumped through an ultra filter a filter configured to remove further contaminants from the washing solution.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to improving washer performance for machined and all other types of parts that require washing. More particularly, the present invention relates to a washer bath including a filtration system for removing emulsified oil and oil attracted to the soap, dirt and free oil.
2. Description of Related Art
During a typical lathe or other machining operation, metal chips of varying size and shape are formed. After a machining operation, the machined part needs to be cleaned. The cleanliness of the machined part is generally determined by all of the debris and/or oil remaining that is not removed or dissolved by the cleaning solutions.
Industrial washer baths are used to remove the debris such as metal chips as well as swarf (generally smaller particles than the chips), oil, chemical compounds, dirt and the like. Industrial baths are known to include centrifuges or ultra filters. That is, related art washer technology requires using the centrifuge and ultra filter units separately on a washer clean tank. The washer bath life extension process in the related art has not been successful in using an ultra filter or centrifuge separately to extend the washer bath life.
The chips that remain after the machining operation of the part that have not yet been removed from the part, have oil on them and the oil is attracted to the metal of the part and the metal of the chip. The force produced by the weight of the chip is less than the force created by the oil's attraction to the part and chip. The current soap technology uses surfactant or OH— to get between the oil and the part to break the surface tension of the oil/part boundary. When swarf dirt passes thru the filter devices of the related art, the dirt will come into contact with the oil on the part and the swarf is attracted to the oil.
Typically, a water based coolant is used in the process of machining the part and an emulsifier is used the hold to oil molecules to the water molecules. When the coolant is removed from the part in the washer, the this oil will go into solution. However, in the washer bath, this oil will attract swarf in the fluid. As a result, the oil and swarf can be passed through the filter and the dirt can be deposited back onto the part reducing the effectiveness of the cleaning operation.
During use, an ultra filter has the fluid pumped through the inside of the membrane filter. The good soap passes from inside to outside of the membrane and the bad soap, the oil, and swarf stays on the inside of the membrane. The fluid pumped through the inside of the membrane is returned to a tank called a concentrate tank. As the bad soap, oil and swarf percent increases in the concentrate tank, the filter effectiveness decreases. Since the tank has no method of removing swarf and free oil, the fluid flow of the good soap will be stopped and the tank must be dumped. However, the turning on and off of the fluid flow to the ultra filter membranes causes pressure shock to the membrane, which will lower the life of the membrane. Even further, the return from the membrane is above the input to the pump which supplies the membrane. As such, the oil and swarf are kept mixed in the solution. Accordingly, the ultra filters used in the related art require high maintenance, such as cleaning the filter membrane frequently.
In washer baths, the efficacy of the soap used to clean the parts should be tested to determine if the soap can continue to clean the parts. As discussed above, the soap includes chemicals that are attracted to the oil and also includes a surfactant that helps to break the oil and dirt surface tension. If the bath has more oil than chemicals that are attached to the oil, then the soap is used up. The related art does not provide a clean and efficient process to measure this condition or to measure the amount of soap available to clean. The related art soap testing method requires a measurement of the parts to determine when the soap can no longer clean the parts. Further, there is no way to measure the chemicals in the soap to determine if harmful chemicals are being built-up in the bath. Again, the parts must be measured, which is a time consuming process. Accordingly, the related art does not provide a method to measure soap effectiveness.

Washer bath using centrifuge and ultra filter

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America


A friction stir welding tool is used in welding structures. The tool comprises a shoulder and a probe extending from the shoulder. The probe has at least three sections equiangularly arranged around the longitudinal axis of the probe, each section comprising at least three contiguously arranged flats arranged about the axis of the probe. The flats are so arranged that the normal axes of the flats converge in a direction towards the axis of the probe thereby resulting in the sections each having a generally convex shape. The probe also includes a threaded portion disposed between each pair of adjacent generally convexly shaped unthreaded sections.

Friction stir welding is a relatively new welding process, a summary of the background to which may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,317 (Thomas et al), U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,592 (Midling et al), WO 93/10935 (The Welding Institute), and WO 95/26254 (Norsk Hydro A.S.), the specifications of which are hereby fully incorporated herein by reference thereto. Generally, the term "friction stir welding" is understood to encompass any method of welding in which a probe of material harder than the work-piece material is caused to move relative to the work-piece to generate frictional heat causing the work-piece in the region of the probe to become plasticised, the probe effectively entering the work-piece. The probe is conventionally caused to rotate about the probe axis and to move along the work-piece along the length of the weld to be formed.
Studies have been made into how the shape of the FSW tool affects the welding process. One such study is described in the papers entitled "Development of Tri-vex friction stir weld tool" by P. A. Colegrove and H. R. Shercliff and published in two parts (Parts 1 & 2) in "Science and Technology of Welding and Joining 2004" (at pages 345-361 of Vol. 9, No. 4). The report describes various tool shapes including a "Tri-flat" tool, a "Tri-flute" tool and a "Tri-vex" tool. The Tri-flat tool is characterised by a cross-section having three flat regions equiangularly arranged about the axis of the tool, the Tri-flute tool has a cross-section that comprises three concavely shaped regions equiangular arranged about the axis of the tool and the Tri-vex tool has a cross-section that comprises three convexly shaped regions equiangular arranged about the axis of the tool. The report compares the loads on the tool necessary to effect FSW welding and concludes that the loads are lower in relation to the Tri-vex tool than the Tri-flute tool. The report describes the use of a Tri-vex tool to weld thin plate (having a thickness of 6.35 mm) using a pin/probe length of 6.2 mm. Experiments subsequently conducted using such a FSW tool having a Tri-vex tool shape and a pin length of 20 mm to weld together workpieces of a thickness of the order of 20 mm have produced weld joints suffering from defects. It has been found that the defect size produced by the Tri-vex tool can be improved by increasing the spindle speed but this results in the joint being subjected to excessive heat, which in turn gives reduced mechanical properties and a large heat affected zone.
It appears therefore that the use of a Tri-vex FSW tool to join thick work-pieces would not be suitable for joining aluminium alloy materials for use in aircraft manufacture as a result of the difficulties in producing joints of sufficiently high quality. Furthermore, the Tri-vex FSW tool is costly and complicated to manufacture as a result of the need to accurately machine three convexly shaped surfaces at three respective positions around the periphery of the tool and then machine threads onto said convexly-shaped surfaces.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved FSW tool. Additionally or alternatively it is an aim of the present invention to provide a FSW tool that is able to produce in thick workpieces welds of a quality suitable for use in the manufacture of aircraft. Additionally or alternatively it is an aim of the present invention to provide a FSW tool that is able to produce welds of a quality equivalent or better than one or more of the FSW tools of the prior art mentioned above, but with reduced loads on the FSW tool during welding and/or without increasing joint heat input when compared to the use of the corresponding prior art FSW tool.


Some embodiments include an accelerator waveguide to receive RF power, the accelerator waveguide comprising a side cavity, an element fixedly disposed within the side cavity, and a device coupled to the element, wherein the device and the element are operable to control a resonant frequency of the side cavity.

1. Field
The embodiments described herein relate generally to particle accelerators. More particularly, the described embodiments relate to particle accelerators capable of providing a plurality of radiation dose rates.
2. Description
A particle accelerator produces charged particles having particular energies. In one common application, a particle accelerator produces a radiation beam used for medical radiation therapy. The beam may be directed toward a target area of a patient in order to destroy cells within the target area by causing ionizations within the cells.
A conventional particle accelerator includes a particle source, an accelerator waveguide and a microwave power source. The particle source may comprise an electron gun that generates and transmits electrons to the waveguide. The waveguide receives electromagnetic waves from the microwave power source, which may comprise as a magnetron or a klystron. The electrons are accelerated through the waveguide by oscillations of the electromagnetic waves within cavities of the waveguide.
The accelerating portion of the waveguide includes cavities that are designed to ensure synchrony between electrons received from the particle source and the oscillating electromagnetic wave received from the microwave power source. More particularly, the cavities are carefully designed and fabricated so that electric currents flowing on their surfaces generate electric fields that are suitable to accelerate the electron bunches. The oscillation of these electric fields within each cavity is delayed with respect to an upstream cavity so that a particle is further accelerated as it arrives at each cavity.
A conventional particle accelerator may output particles at a particular dose rate that depends upon, among other factors, the electron current received from the particle source and the power of the electromagnetic wave received from the microwave power source. A different dose rate may be achieved, in some instances, by varying the electron current and the power of the electromagnetic wave. However, varying these factors may cause an undesirable change in the value of the energy of the output particles.

Electronic energy switch for particle accelerator


A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant cultivar is disclosed, characterized by a somewhat open-centered flower with bright yellow ray florets, and a mounding, free-branching growth habit. The new variety naturally blooms in the first two weeks of September.

The new cultivar is the result of an induced mutation produced from the parent Chrysanthemum plant variety 'Gedi Two Pad' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,501) using gamma ray treatment at a dose of 20 Gy. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by Dirk Pieters in a controlled environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium, in September, 2002.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar 'Gedi Three Pyel' by terminal cuttings and tissue culture was performed in Oxnard, Calif., and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type on successive generations.

Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Gedi Three Pyel’


An apparatus comprising a measuring unit for measuring a property of microwaves by transmitting microwaves through a fluid containing matter to be measured, a storing unit for storing a correction parameter set of a sensitivity coefficient and a mixture ratio concerning the matter to be measured, and a calculating unit for calculating a concentration of the matter to be measured from the property of the microwaves obtained by the measuring unit and the correction parameter set obtained in the storing unit.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring by using microwaves the concentration of dissolving matter, such as pulp suspension liquid, in which suspended matter (e.g., pulp) and/or an additive is dissolved.
When microwaves are incident on water, the microwaves have a phase lag (.theta..sub.1) behind that in the case where microwaves are incident on a vacuum (air). When microwaves are incident on a suspension, such as sludge or pulp liquid, a greater phase lag (.theta..sub.2) results.
This phenomenon is represented by the following equation: EQU Concentration X=C.multidot.a.sub.k .multidot..increment..theta.=C.multidot.a.sub.k .multidot.(.theta..sub.2 -.theta..sub.1) (1)
where C: a correction coefficient, a.sub.k : a sensitivity coefficient, .theta..sub.1 : a phase lag in a case where microwaves are incident on reference liquid, and .theta..sub.2 : a phase lag in a case where microwaves are incident on suspension liquid.
The difference between the phase lags (phase difference: .theta..sub.2 -.theta..sub.1) is proportional to the sum of the concentration of suspended matter and the concentration of dissolved matter.
In recent years, concentration meters based on the above principle have been developed, and disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publications Nos. 4-238246 and 5-322801. The developed or disclosed concentration meters have many advantages, one of which is little influence of adhesion of suspended matter or bubbles in the liquid.
As regards pulp suspension liquid used in papermaker plants, a plurality of additives are added to produce each product (paper) in a constant mixture ratio. Assume that a pulp concentration (concentration of pulp as suspended matter) or additive concentration (concentration of an additive as dissolved matter) is measured by means of the concentration meter based on the aforementioned principle. When the concentrations of the additives (additives A and B) are individually measured, the indication of the concentration meter is proportional to the concentration, as shown in the equation (1) and FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a result of measurement of individually measuring the pulp concentration and additive concentrations by a microwave concentration meter.
Since pulp and the additives A and B are different in physical properties, the sensitivity a.sub.k in the equation (1) is different between the additives. If the additives are mixed, the sensitivity of the mixture cannot be necessarily expected accurately, so that an error may arise in the measured concentration value depending on the mixture ratio. Further, in the case of the concentration meter based on the above principle, it is necessary to obtain in advance a reference phase lag (.theta..sub.1) using reference liquid, for example, service water, which has a concentration of substantially zero. This operation is called zero adjustment or zero-point adjustment.
To execute such a zero adjustment operation, it is necessary that a piping system including the concentration meter have a structure as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, to perform zero adjustment, a stop valve 52 on the side of a bypass pipe 51 is first opened to allow pulp suspension to pass through the bypass pipe, and then, stop valves 53, 54 on the side of a main pipe 55 are closed. Thereafter, the portion of the main pipe between the stop valves 53 and 54 is filled with reference liquid through a supply port 57. Thus, the zero adjustment of the concentration meter 56 is completed.
As described above, in the conventional concentration meter using microwaves, the measured concentration value may involve an error depending on the mixture ratio of the additives added to the pulp suspension. Moreover, to perform zero-point adjustment, the concentration meter must comprise a bypass pipe and stop valves, and an operation using them are required to fill the concentration meter with reference liquid.

Method and apparatus for measuring concentration of matter in liquid by using microwaves