A step is provided between a substrate surface of a select gate and a substrate surface of a memory gate. When the substrate surface of the select gate is lower than the substrate surface of the memory gate, electrons in a channel upon writing obliquely flow in the step portion. Even if the electrons obtain the energy required for passing a barrier during the oblique flow, the electron injection does not occur because electrons are away from the substrate surface. The injection can occur only on a drain region side from a position where the electrons reach the substrate surface. As a result, the injection of the electrons into a gap region is suppressed, so that the electron distribution comes close to the hole distribution. Therefore, variation in a threshold value upon information retention is suppressed, and information-retaining characteristics of a memory cell are improved.

A semiconductor device in which an electrically-rewritable nonvolatile memory and a microcomputer are mix mounted on a single silicon substrate is widely used in industrial machines, home electronics, vehicle-installed devices, and the like as an embedded microcomputer.
The nonvolatile memory of the above-described semiconductor device stores programs required by the microcomputer, and the programs are read to use as needed. As cell structures of the nonvolatile memory suitable for such a mix mounting, there is a split gate memory cell in which a select MOS (metal oxide semiconductor) transistor and a memory MOS transistor are connected in series.
Among split gate memory cells, more particularly, in a memory cell structure in which a gate electrode of the memory MOS transistor (hereinafter, referred to as a memory gate) is disposed on a sidewall of a gate electrode of the select MOS transistor (hereinafter, referred to as a select gate) by utilizing a self-alignment technique, a gate length of the memory gate can be shorten to a minimum resolution size of lithography or less, and therefore, it is known to achieve a finer memory cell compared with a memory cell structure in which a select gate and a memory gate are individually formed by etching with using a photoresist film as a mask (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-046002 (Patent Document 1)).
The memory MOS transistor among the two types of MOS transistors constituting the split gate memory cell stores information by retaining charges in a gate insulating film, and there are mainly two types for this charge retention. One of them is a floating-gate type (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-363122 (Patent Document 2)) using an electrically-isolated conductive polycrystalline silicon film for a part of the gate insulating film, and the other is a MONOS (Metal Oxide Nitride Oxide Semiconductor) type (for example, Patent Document 1) storing charges in an insulating film such as a silicon nitride film having a property of storing charges.
In both of the above-described two charge-retaining types, a silicon dioxide film having an excellent insulating property is inserted between a charge-storing region and a silicon substrate. However, in the floating-gate type, if a local leakage path occurs in the silicon dioxide film, there is a problem that the charges cannot be retained since the retained charges are leaked to the substrate side through the leakage path. On the other hand, in the MONOS type, there is an advantage that merely the retained charges around the leakage path are leaked since the retained charges are spatially dispersed in the insulating film which is the charge-trapping film, so that extreme reduction in charge retention life does not occur.
FIG. 41 illustrates a cross-sectional structure of a memory cell employing the MONOS type as the charge-retaining method among the split gate memory cells utilizing a self-alignment technique. The memory cell is composed of a select MOS transistor and a memory MOS transistor. After a select gate 8 is formed, a memory gate 15 is formed on a sidewall of the select gate 8 via a gate insulating film 52 in a self-aligning manner. A gate insulating film 54 in the select MOS transistor is composed of a silicon dioxide film, and the gate insulating film 52 in the memory MOS transistor is composed of a triple-layer film in which a bottom oxide film 52a of a first potential barrier film, a silicon nitride film 52b of a charge-trapping film, and a top oxide film 52c of a second potential barrier film are stacked in this order. Although not illustrated, the select gate 8 is connected to a select gate line, and the memory gate 15 is connected to a word line, respectively. Also, a source region 55 in the select MOS transistor is connected to a common source line, and a drain region 56 in the memory MOS transistor is connected to a data line, respectively.
Writing to the memory cell is carried out by turning the select MOS transistor to be on-state and applying a predetermined voltage to the drain region 56 and the memory gate 15 in the memory MOS transistor at the same time. At this time, when setting a condition which generates a high electric field at a boundary region between the select MOS transistor and the memory MOS transistor, hot electrons are generated on a surface of a p-type well 3 in this region, and a part of the hot electrons is injected to the memory gate 15 side (SSI: Source Side Injection). The injected hot electrons are trapped by the silicon nitride film 52b which is a part of the gate insulating film 52 in the memory MOS transistor to write information. On the other hand, erasing of the information is carried out by applying a negative bias and a positive bias to the memory gate 15 and the drain region 56, respectively to generate hot holes by using band-to-band tunneling, and neutralizing the electrons by injecting the hot holes into the silicon nitride film 52b (hot-hole erase).

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


A casing unit of an air conditioning system includes a main path through which air is supplied by a blower unit and in which a first heat exchanger is installed, a bi-path formed by a partition wall to connect the inlet and outlet thereof to the main path and in which a second heat exchanger is installed, a plurality of distribution paths connected to the main path to supply air passed through the main path and/or the bi-path, a bypass to supply the air passed through the first heat exchanger to one of the plurality of distribution paths, and a connection path connected to the bi-path and one of the distribution paths. The plurality of doors are installed in the case to control the flow of air to the respective paths.

The present invention relates to an air conditioning system, and more particularly, to a casing unit of an air conditioning system having a heat exchanger installed inside thereof and paths for controlling the flow of the air, and an air conditioning system employing the casing unit.
In a typical air conditioning system for an automobile, air is blown by a blower unit toward an evaporator through which coolant flows or a heater core through which cooling water of an engine of an automobile flows so that heat exchange with the air occurs to enable cooling or heating of the inside of an automobile. The heat-exchanged air is supplied into the inside of the automobile through ducts, thereby cooling or heating the inside of the automobile.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a case of a conventional air conditioning system.
Referring to the drawing, air supplied from a blower unit 1 selectively passes through an evaporator 100 and a heater core 200 which are installed in a main path 11. Then, the air is supplied to the inside of an automobile through the respective paths 15, 16 and 17 depending on actions of doors 12, 13 and 14 so that cooling or heating is achieved.
However, the above casing unit of an air conditioning system cannot provide separate cooling/heating of the driver's seat and a passenger's seat or the rear seat.
To solve the problem, the heat exchange unit and the blower unit for the front seat and the rear seat must be independently installed. However, such a solution requires much space for installation of both units and is accompanied by complicated support devices such as a compressor, a cooling device for a condensing unit, and a controller.

Casing unit of air conditioning system and air conditioning system for automobiles using the same


An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member by using developer, a temperature detecting portion that detects information regarding the temperature of the developer in the developing device, and a density detecting portion that detects the density of a control image formed on the image bearing member. In addition, a controller controls the amount of the developer supplied to the developing device based on the detection result of the density of the control image, and a change portion changes an electric potential difference between an electric potential of the electrostatic latent image of the control image and a DC bias applied to the developing device so as to compensate for changing developing efficiency caused by temperature, based on the detection result acquired by the temperature detecting portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic type such as a printer or a copier.
2. Description of the Related Art
In image forming apparatuses of an electrophotographic type that form images by charging toner and using an electrostatic force, in a case where the amount of charged toner changes, the density or the quality of an output image changes according to the change. The amount of charged toner markedly changes according to the usage environment, the amount of consumption of toner, and an output elapse time. Accordingly, in a case where some kind of control operation for stabilizing the output is not performed, an output image varies depending on a variety of conditions.
In the case of the image forming apparatuses of the electrophotographic type, toner of almost the same amount as the amount of consumption of toner, which is predicted based on image data, is supplied. In addition, in the case of image forming apparatuses of the electrophotographic type using a two-component developing device that forms an image by using toner and a magnetic carrier as developer, generally, the toner supply amount is adjusted or limited using an output value of an inductance sensor that measures the density of toner in the developer.
In the two-component developing device, the amount of charged toner changes according to a mixing ratio of toner to a magnetic carrier contained inside the developing device. Generally, the lower the ratio of toner is, the larger the amount of the charged toner becomes. As the amount of charged toner increases, the amount of toner adhering to an electrostatic latent image having a constant amount of electric charge decreases. On the other hand, as the amount of charged toner decreases, the amount of toner adhering to an electrostatic latent image having a constant amount of electric charge increases. Accordingly, there is a problem in that the amount of charged toner and the density of an output image change based on the consumption and the supply of the toner.
In order to solve such a problem, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-127757, a patch image used for measuring the density of an output image is output to stabilize the density of the image. A technique has been proposed in which the toner supply amount is controlled to form the amount of charged toner, at which the density of the output image matches a target density, based on the density of the patch image that is measured on an image bearing member. According to such a technique, a mechanism is included which develops the patch image used for a control process and performs control such that a detection result of the density of the patch image is fed back to the toner supply amount.
Then, for a latent image of a predetermined patch image electric-potential, by controlling the toner supply amount such that the density of the patch image is constant, a T/D ratio that is the ratio between toner and the magnetic carrier contained in the two-component developer is changed. As a result, by performing control such that a density reference value of the patch image used for controlling the supply of toner and a read-out density value of the formed patch image match each other, the amount of the charged toner reaches a desired target amount of the charged toner. In other words, the amount of charged toner and the image density can be maintained to be constant through the feedback control of the supply of toner based on the formation of a patch image in a predetermined electric potential condition. However, the amount of charged toner is maintained to be constant only in a case where the developing efficiency does not change.
However, in a case where the toner supply amount is controlled based on the output result of the patch image as above, there may be a case where the action of forming the amount of charged toner to be a target value that is constant is interfered. In the electrophotography technique, since an image is formed by using an electrostatic force, the amount of charged toner can be unchanged. This problem will be described in detail as below.
In a control mechanism for stabilizing the density of the output image through adjusting the toner supply amount based on the output result of a patch image, the density of the patch image is measured to control various adjustments. Accordingly, when the filling ratio (hereinafter, referred to as a "developing efficiency") of charged toner for the development contrast changes according to the toner temperature, the density of the patch image changes even in a case where the amount of charged toner is the target value.
In other words, the characteristics of the toner surface change according to the toner temperature, and the toner parting properties between the toner and the magnetic carrier changes, whereby the developing efficiency changes so as to change the amount of development (the amount of loaded toner). Even in such a situation, the amount of supply of the toner is controlled such that the density of the patch image matches the target density, and accordingly, the amount of the charged toner deviates from the target value.
This will be described below in detail. As the density of the patch image, the amount of toner included in the patch image is determined based on the amount of reflected light. The amount of toner is proportional to the development contrast (an electric potential difference between the electric potential of an image portion and a developing bias (a DC bias applied to a developing sleeve)) and a developing efficiency (the filling ratio of charged toner for the development contrast) and is inversely proportional to the specific charge of toner (electric charge per unit mass of toner). In a case where the temperature does not change so as not to change the developing efficiency, the amount of charged toner (triboelectricity) can be estimated based on the density of the patch image. Accordingly, by controlling the supply of the toner so as to match the target density of the patch image, the amount of charged toner can be controlled to be the target value.
However, as illustrated in FIG. 6A, when the toner temperature rises, the developing efficiency decreases, and accordingly, when the same control process is performed also in a case where the developing efficiency changes due to a change in the toner temperature, the amount of the charged toner deviates from the target value. More specifically, in a case where the developing efficiency decreases, the density of the image decreases at the same specific charge of toner, and the specific charge of toner is determined to be high. Accordingly, the supply of toner is controlled so as to lower the specific charge of toner.
Therefore, even in a case where the amount of development of the toner (this is determined based on the density of the patch image) is optimized for an image bearing member, the amount of charged toner deviates from the target value, and there is a problem in that the process thereafter cannot be appropriately performed. For example, in order to perform a transfer appropriately, the amount of charged toner is insufficient or excessive, and there is a problem in that the density and the quality of the image are degraded.
Thus, the present invention aims for providing a developing device that can suppress variations in the amount of charged toner due to a change in the developing efficiency that is accompanied with the change in the temperature.


Provided herein are isolated proteins isolatable from a Klebsiella spp. Also provided are compositions that include one or more of the proteins, and methods for making and methods for using the proteins.

Bacterial infections now account for some 1.7 million cases of hospital-acquired infections yearly in the United States (4.5 per 100 admissions), with an overall mortality rate in the range of 20% to 60% or 99,000 deaths directly associated with a hospital acquired infection. The economic impact due to such infections is estimated to cost between 5 billion to 10 billion dollars annually in the United States.
Gram negative bacterial infections and their sequalae are frequently lethal. It is estimated that over 700,000 patients become susceptible to bacterial infections each year in the United States alone. Of these, 160,000 actually develop septicemia, resulting in 50,000 deaths annually. The majority of these are hospital-acquired infections due to such gram negative bacilli as E. coli (most common pathogen isolated from patients with gram negative sepsis), followed in frequency by Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Infections caused by gram negative bacteria, including Enterobacteriaceae, continue to be a significant concern in both human healthcare and animal agricultural settings. Bacteria in the family Enterobacteriaceae are a large heterogeneous group whose natural habitat is the intestinal tract of both humans and animals. The family includes many genera and is subdivided into eight tribes including: Echerichieae, Edwardsielleae, Salmonelleae, Citrobactereae, Klebsielleae, Proteeae, Yersineae, and Erwineae. Many species of the Enterobacteriaceae family are often opportunistic pathogens with clinically relevant significance including Escherichia spp., Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Proteus spp., Providencia spp, Serratia spp., Citrobacter spp., Morganella spp., Shigella spp., and Salmonella spp., are among the top twenty organisms responsible for causing infection. When clinically important diseases do occur they are often caused by E. coli, but others can infect and cause debilitating disease. In most cases the bacteria become pathogenic when they reach tissues outside of their normal intestinal environment when normal host defenses are inadequate. This is particularly seen today in the young or elderly; often in terminal stages of a primary infection due to immunological incompetence or immunosuppression; allowing the organism to reach the blood stream to cause sepsis resulting in death or secondary sequalae.
Klebsiella species are rod shaped gram negative, facultative anaerobic bacteria belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae. Today, 7 species are known with demonstrated similarities in DNA homology: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella ozaenae, Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella planticola, Klebsiella terrigena, and Klebsiella ornithinolytica. Klebsiella are ubiquitous in nature. They are often found in a variety of environments such as soil, vegetation, water, and the intestinal tract of humans and animals. In both humans and animals Klebsiella may colonize the skin or hide, pharynx or gastrointestinal tract, and are often regarded as normal flora in many parts of the colon and the intestinal tract. Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca are the two most clinically relevant species in both animal and human populations.
The pathogenicity of Klebsiella can be attributed to multiple virulence factors including production of a heat-stable enterotoxin, capsular polysaccharides (CPS), lipopolysaccharides, adhesins (type 1 and 3 pili, KPF-28 fimbria, CF29K and aggregative adhesin), and iron acquisition systems (Podschun et al., Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 11(4): 589-603. 1998; Yu et al., Emerg. Inf. Dis. 13:986-993, 2007).
Klebsiella in animals are an important cause of metritis and infertility in horses, mastitis in bovine species, hematogenous osteomyelitis originating in pulmonary lesions in cattle, accumulation of pus in the pyothorax in horses, bronchopneumonia in both cats and dogs and a sequelae of secondary infections often following immunosuppression resulting from drug therapy, malnutrition, stress, endocrine diseases and other infections including canine parvovirus and feline immunodeficiency virus infection.
Today agriculture is critical for human welfare as it contributes to food, one major necessity for global survival. A number of factors adversely affect the stability and health of animal populations, by far one of the most important is infectious diseases which can cause widespread death in adult and/or young animals. Bacterial infections in production animals may severely affect all aspects of animal health resulting in tremendous economic losses to all sectors. Today zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases pose a threat to human health. At least 61 percent of all human pathogens are transmissible between animals and humans. Zoonosis make up 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases. The increase in infectious diseases in production animals and zoonotic diseases is primarily due to agricultural intensification, particularly in cattle (beef and dairy), swine, and poultry sectors.
In humans the interactions of Klebsiella range from opportunistic pathogens (mainly in hospitalized patients and community acquired infections) to asymptomatic carriage that frequent the intestinal tract and less frequently the nasopharynx. As nosocomial infections, Klebsiella are mostly associated with infections of urinary and respiratory tracts as well as wound and soft tissue infections that can lead to fatal septicemia. The spectrum of clinical syndromes includes bacteremia, pneumonia, urinary tract infection (UTI), thrombophlebitis, upper respiratory tract infection, cholecystitis, wound infection, osteomyelitis, endogenous endophthalmitis, endophthalmitis; endocarditis, and meningitis. It is estimated that Klebsiella account for 8% of endemic hospital infection and 3-7% of epidemic outbreaks (Stamm et al., Comparison of endemic and epidemic nosocomial infections, pp 9-13. In R. E. Dixon (ed.), Nosocomial infections. Yorke Medical Books, Atlanta, Ga. 1981). Klebsiella cause as many as 14% of cases of primary bacteremia, second only to E. coli as a cause of gram-negative sepsis. Klebsiella has been isolated from bronchial alveolar lavage samples of 21% of patients with cystic fibrosis (Lyczak et al. Clinical microbiology reviews 15.2 (2002): 194-222).
K. rhinoscleroma and K. ozaenae are less common and rarely induce clinical infection. K. rhinoscleroma can induce a chronic inflammatory process involving the nasopharynx, while K. ozaenae induces a chronic atrophic rhinitis characterized by necrosis of the nasal mucosa and mucopurulent nasal discharge.
K. oxytoca has been implicated in neonatal bacteremia among premature infants and in neonatal intensive care units.
The emergence of K. pneumoniae producing carbapenemases has become a global health concern with serious clinical significance in both animal and human health sectors. K. pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPCs) have been shown to confer resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents, including nearly all β-lactams, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides. Carbapenems are a class of β-lactam antibiotics with a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity used to treat infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli and K. pneumoniae that produce extended-spectrum β-lactamases. Carbapenemases are enzymes produced by K. pneumoniae that are capable of inactivating Carbapenems and sometimes other classes of β-lactam. Carbapenemases are found in bacteria belonging to the family of Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp, and Acinetobacter spp. This resistant mechanism limits the number of agents available for the treatment of K. pneumoniae.
In human populations K. pneumoniae infections are common in hospitals where they cause pneumonia (characterized by emission of bloody sputum) and urinary tract infections in catheterized patients. In fact, K. pneumoniae is second only to E. coli as a urinary tract pathogen. It accounts for 6 to 17 percent of all nosocomial urinary tract infection (UTI). Klebsiella infections are encountered far more often now than in the past, and this increased occurrence may be due to the bacterium's antibiotic resistance properties. Klebsiella species may contain resistance plasmids (R-plasmids) which confer resistance to such antibiotics as Ampicillin and Carbenicillin (Wu et al., Clin Microbial Infect, 11: 893-897. 2005). To make matters worse, the R-plasmids can be transferred to other enteric bacteria not necessarily of the same species. Hospital outbreaks of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella spp. are often caused by a new type of strain, an ESBL producer (extended spectrum beta lactamase). The incidence of ESBL-producing strains among clinical Klebsiella isolates has been steadily increasing over the past several years. Frequencies of up to 40% have been reported in certain regions. To treat K. pneumoniae infections, there are few antibiotics available like Cefepime, Polymyxin B, Carbapenem, Meropenem and Imipenem (Parchuri et al., Heart lung, 5: 360-363.2005; Ueda et al., Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 49: 4185-4196. 2005; Sanchez et al. Emerg Infect Dis 19.1 (2013): 133-6).
An alternative to the use of antibiotics for controlling K. pneumoniae is to attempt immunological control through vaccination. Effective vaccines against Klebsiella would greatly alleviate the significant global morbidity and mortality caused by these bacteria. Safe and effective vaccines against Klebsiella have been attempted with limited success. A number of bacterial constituents have been evaluated as potential vaccine development strategies, and include adhesions and fimbriae, capsular polysaccharides, lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and outer membrane proteins. Anti-capsular polysaccharide antibodies were found to provide a high degree of protection against corresponding capsular serotypes (Cryz et al., J Infect Dis, 150: 817-822. 1984; Cryz et al J Clin Microbiol, 23: 687-690. 1986). A 24-valent Klebsiella capsular polysaccharide vaccine was evaluated in Phase I trials that indicated the vaccine was safe (Cryz et al., Infect Immun, 50: 225-230. 1985). Further evaluation of the vaccine revealed a problem faced by anticapsular vaccination was the variability of capsular antigens in the natural Klebsiella populations. The selection of vaccine serotypes in the 24-valent vaccine was based on the most prevalent serotypes derived from bacteremic patients found in Europe and the United States. However, the serotypes included in the vaccine represented only 29% of strains found in other geographical areas, and since these serotypes were not included resulted in lack of efficacy. In addition, it has been shown that active immunization with LPS-containing vaccines can result in the induction of adverse toxic reactions, which are caused by the endotoxin content (Yadav et al., Folia Microbiologica, 50: 83-86. 2005). Other vaccine candidates have been evaluated for controlling Klebsiella infections utilizing cytotoxin toxoids, hepta- or mono-valent bacterial extracts (Libon et al., Vaccine, 20: 2174-2180. 2002) and/or outer membrane proteins such as OmpA (Jeannin et al., Vaccine 20, Suppl. 4: A23-A27. 2002).
In mammals, it has been shown that the response to tissue injury or bacterial infection results in an acute inflammatory response. This response increases capillary permeability and phagocytic infiltration resulting in the clinical signs recognized as inflammation; swelling, fever, pain and redness. If left uncontrolled, this may lead to death. The activation of humoral factors and the release of cytokines mediate systemic events collectively known as the acute phase protein response which results in a cascade of physiological and biochemical events. The duration of this response is directly related to the severity of the injury and magnitude of the systemic infection. It has been well-documented that during bacterial sepsis, major surgery, burns and other bodily trauma there is an alteration in the concentration of a number of metal ions in serum such as, iron, copper, and zinc. For instance, during the acute phase of an infection there is a decrease in plasma levels of iron and zinc and an increase in copper. The alteration of these trace metal ions in serum may directly affect the severity or progression of any bacterial infection.
Metal ions such as iron have been shown to be an essential nutrient for most organisms due to its role in electron transport. Since iron has very low solubility at neutral pH, it must be kept in solution by association with specialized protein carriers such as transferrin in blood, lactoferrin in secretory fluids, ovotransferrin in albumin, and ferritin within cells. It has been recognized that the concentration of free iron normally present in mammalian hosts is not enough to support the growth of bacteria. Hence, the low availability of iron within host species is one of the first barriers to infection that microorganisms must overcome, and it is not surprising that bacteria have developed strategies for obtaining iron from their hosts.
One of the most studied bacterial systems for iron acquisition is that of siderophores, low molecular weight iron ligands that are able to compete with host protein carriers for ferric iron binding (Miethke et al., Microbiol Mol Rev, 71(3): 413-451. 2007). The chelated iron is actively transported into the bacterial periplasm when the siderophore interacts with specific receptor proteins on the cell surface. The energy required for this activity appears to be dependent on the proteins TonB, ExbB, and ExbD (Miethke et al., Microbiol Mol Rev, 71(3): 413-451. 2007). Once the iron has reached the periplasm, it is transported into the cytoplasm via an ATP binding cassette (ABC) transport system (Budzikiewicz et al., Siderophore from bacteria and from fungi. In: Iron uptake and homeostasis in Microorganisms. 1st ed. Caister Academic Press. Chapter 1, 2010. Once the siderophore-iron complex has entered the cytoplasm, the iron is unloaded and the siderophore is either recycled or degraded.
Most Klebsiella strains possess the genes encoding the siderophore receptor proteins FepA, IroN, CirA, FhuA, and FhuE (Williams et al., FEMS Microbiol Lett. 44: 407-412. 1987). A recent study evaluating the effects of single, double, and triple mutants of the fepA, IroN, and CirA proteins to study the specificity of the receptors (Rabsch et al., Infect Immun. 12: 6953-6961 2003). The results suggested that these receptors are not entirely specific; most can utilize the iron from various siderophores and several siderophores can be used by any of the three proteins. In addition, several of the siderophore receptor proteins (iron-regulated proteins) use siderophores produced by other species of bacteria or fungi, a mechanism of iron acquisition referred to as "siderophore piracy" (Jurkevitch et al., Appl Environ Microbiol 58: 119. 1992). The multitude and redundancy of iron uptake systems in Klebsiella underscores the importance that the bacteria give to obtaining iron under various conditions. There is considerable evidence that iron acquisition is an important facet of Klebsiella pathogenesis (Brisse et al., Prokaryotes, 6: 159-196. 2006).
Currently there are no prophylactic Klebsiella vaccines on the market or, according to publicly available information, in active preclinical or clinical development.

Proteins and immunizing compositions containing


A fast and practical method for the analysis of patterned samples of semiconductor integrated circuits, and other materials, determines the thickness and composition of layers fabricated during manufacture. The method employs a measurement spot that is sufficiently large to irradiate areas of two or more different regions of the sample that result from its patterned features, generally at replicable locations. In carrying out the method, one or more of reflectance, transmittance, and radiance spectrance is measured, and the various parameters characterizing the thickness and composition in the patterned areas are obtained using, for example, a model-based analysis of the polarization and amplitude of the emanating radiation, the model parameters being iteratively adjusted to achieve a match with measured values. The method can be made fast and practical by using measurements that are taken both before and also after treatment steps are effected, and/or by using measurements from the same location on designated samples undergoing the same process, to reduce the number of unknown parameters in a reference model.

During the last few decades, the microelectronics industry has succeeded in building increasing amounts of computing power into smaller and denser device geometries on integrated circuit (IC) chips. The advent of dense, large-scale integration has favored the metal-oxide-field-effect transistor (MOSFET) over the bipolar transistor among the devices used in ICs. In many cases there are practical advantages to making the "metal" electrode in the MOS device of poly-silicon. Critical to the development, production and final performance of advanced IC's is the precise control of the poly-silicon layer thickness and the doping density. The poly-silicon layer is typically sandwiched between two SiO.sub.2 layers, i.e., a thermal SiO.sub.2 layer and a cap SiO.sub.2 layer.
Recent developments in microelectronics manufacturing have emphasized highly flexible single-wafer poly-silicon processes, effected in cluster tools. In current practice, process monitoring and control is provided by post-fabrication metrology, performed outside the cluster tool, for the evaluation of film thickness, doping density, uniformity, and defects. The lack of in-line diagnostics, i.e., of data obtained in real-time from within the cluster tool, results in higher manufacturing costs due primarily to the high proportion of off-spec wafers that are produced, excessive material consumption, and undue personnel requirements. The long turnaround times imposed by off-line metrology also result in lower yields and slower learning curves for new processes and products. In order to fully benefit from the implementation of the cluster tool concept, more and better in-line and in situ process monitoring and control instrumentation is needed.
Due to the complexity of the thin film materials utilized in modern electronic, magnetic, and optical devices, in-line process monitoring is difficult to achieve. Among the many problems that are associated with present techniques are the following: 1) Commercial processes currently rely upon reflectance measurements using visible or near infrared light, making in-line analysis of, in particular, polysilicon problematic. This is so because the near-IR and visible optical properties (i.e., n and k) of silicon are highly dependent upon crystallinity, meaning that short wavelength measurements cannot reliably determine accurate thicknesses for as-deposited poly-silicon films, which often contain sample-dependent, spatially varying mixtures of amorphous and poly-crystalline phases. 2) Visible wavelength techniques are insensitive to doping density, and other standard techniques for doping measurements, such as secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), are destructive. 3) The current techniques are incompatible with wafer-by-wafer process monitoring and control, since they cannot directly determine the poly-silicon layer thickness on a product wafer which has only thin (.about.100 .ANG.) thermal SiO.sub.2 or Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 layers. 4) Current techniques cannot determine the thickness of a thermal SiO.sub.2 layer, which is covered by layers that are opaque in the visible wavelength range; furthermore, the presence of a cap SiO.sub.2 layer can interfere with measurement of the thermal SiO.sub.2 layer underlying a poly-silicon film. 5) Film properties on patterned wafers can presently be determined by using a microscope objective to measure small, uniformly coated regions on the pattern, but this is expensive and time-consuming, and is subject to fundamental limitations imposed by diffraction and optical throughput. 6) Current large spot measurement techniques are not suitable for patterned wafers, because they require uniform coverage of the film stack across the entire measurement spot (i.e., blankets). 7) And finally, current techniques require high-speed, precise stage motion, pattern recognition, and auto-focusing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,118, to Wickramasinghe, discloses a method for measuring a trench depth parameter of a material, which method comprises propagating source radiation around a trench and through the material, and analyzing a characteristic variation of an interference signal as a determinant of the trench depth parameter. The interference signal developing as radiation from a base of the trench interferes with radiation propagated from a top surface of the material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,433, to Morrison et al., provides a method and apparatus which permit in situ determinations to be made of the temperature and optical constants of a substrate surface that is being treated, by measurements of radiance, reflectance, and transmittance. These determinations in turn provide, at any given instant during processing, compositional and other information, thereby affording highly effective feedback control of the processing conditions. The apparatus comprises an integrated, small, and relatively inexpensive instrument for process monitoring.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,361, Moyne describes a generic cell controlling method and apparatus for a computer-integrated manufacturing system, which accepts manufacturing operation commands to perform a selected manufacturing operation on a selected manufacturing tool. The sequence of generic steps to be performed by the manufacturing tool is determined, in order to implement the selected manufacturing operation, and each step is used to generate operational instructions for the tool controller.
In accordance with Nishizawa et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,792, the thicknesses of respective layers of a thin multi-layer film of submicron thicknesses can be nondestructively measured exactly and stably without direct contact. An interference waveform dispersion spectrum of light reflected from the multi-layer film is compared to a waveform obtained by numerical calculation using an optical characteristic matrix. Respective layer thickness values obtained from the calculated analysis of the spatial interference waveform are subjected to waveform fitting with actually measured values. The theoretical interference spectrum is recalculated while changing approximate values of the layer thicknesses until a match is obtained to obtain precise respective layer thicknesses.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,581, to Liu et al., provides a method by which the thickness and the free carrier concentration of at least one layer of a structure are determined. An exposed surface of the structure is irradiated using spectral radiation, and the measured reflectance spectrum is compared to a calculated spectrum. Using algorithms that include terms representative of complex refractive indices, layer thickness, dielectric constants, and free carrier concentrations, values are iteratively assigned to the thickness and free carrier concentration parameters so as to produce a best fit relationship between the compared spectra, and to thereby determine those parameters.
In an article entitled "Real-Time Measurement of Film Thickness, Composition, and Temperature by FT-IR Emission and Reflection Spectroscopy," Solomon, P. R., Liu, S., Rosenthal, P. A., and Farquharson, S. (Semiconductor Characterization--Present Status and Future Needs, Ed. Bullis, Seiter and Diebold, AIP Press, pp 545-548, 1996) discuss the methodology, hardware, and software used to perform on-line or at-line monitoring of thin film parameters, i.e., thickness, temperature, and composition (wavelength dependent dielectric function, doping density, impurities, etc). Measurements of combined thickness and composition are made using Fourier transformed infrared reflection spectroscopy.

Spectrometric method for analysis of film thickness and composition on a patterned sample


An actuator includes a drum defining a longitudinal axis and having axially opposed first and second end portions that are rotatable relative to one another about the longitudinal axis. A shape memory element is wrapped around the drum and extends from the first end portion of the drum to the second end portion of the drum to actuate relative rotation of the first and second end portions of the drum about the longitudinal axis by activation of the shape memory element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to actuation, and more particularly to rotational actuation, for example to turn a shaft about its axis.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of devices are known for actuation. For example, servos, stepper motors, hydraulic or pneumatic pistons, and associated linkages and gears can be used to provide actuation for rotating, pivoting, sliding, and the like. A typical servo, for example, includes a motor, a gear reduction system, and sensors with associated circuitry for feedback control of the motor.
As there is pressure to make products smaller and less expensive, there is an ever present desire to make actuators more simple, compact, and at lower cost. The aerospace industry is one example where size, cost, and complexity are very important. One exemplary actuator, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,955 to Bloch, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, uses a shape memory alloy wire wound through six sets of pulleys of a rotary accumulator as the basis for an actuator.
Such conventional methods and systems have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is still a need in the art for actuators that allow for improved simplicity, size, cost, and the like. There also remains a need in the art for such actuators that are easy to make and use. The present invention provides a solution for these problems.


The spindle removal tool is a device for removing, supporting, and moving an entire spindle assembly from semi trucks. It is easier to perform maintenance on the spindle assembly after removing it from the truck. The apparatus is primarily a flat semicircular plate with openings that match the bolt pattern of a semi truck's hub. The plate is bolted to the rim and the entire spindle assembly is disconnected from the truck's axle. The semicircular plate is attached to a support bar that is raised or lowered with a floor jack. The mechanic can roll the entire spindle assembly from underneath the truck and perform maintenance on the shop floor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the maintenance of semi trucks, and more specifically to a tool for removing, supporting, and moving an entire spindle assembly from a semi truck axle shaft. The entire spindle assembly includes the spindle, bearings, washers, hub cap, and hub.
2. Background of the Invention
There are many patents related to spindle puller tools indicating the wide scope of such inventions. Numerous spindle puller tools have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to remove the wheel spindles from the axle shafts of motor vehicles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,827 to Abel; U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,873 to Rotman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,631 to Welch; U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,450 to Pool and U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,528 to Stromberg all are illustrative of such prior art. While these units are designed as spindle pullers they would not be as suitable for the purpose of removing, supporting, and moving an entire spindle assembly from semi trucks. It is easier to perform maintenance on the spindle assembly after removing it from the truck. However, the spindle assembly on semi trucks may weigh in excess of 200 lbs. so it is difficult to manually lift and move. It typically requires two mechanics to manually lift and move the entire spindle assembly, but only one mechanic is required with the spindle removal tool.


A device mounting board includes a metallic substrate, an oxide film formed such that the surfaces of the metallic form are oxidized, an insulating resin layer disposed on the oxide film facing one main surface of the metallic layer, and a wiring layer disposed on the insulating resin layer. The film thickness of a certain partial region of the oxide film disposed below a first semiconductor device is greater than that of the other regions surrounding the partial region of the oxide film. Conversely, the film thickness of the insulating resin layer underneath a second semiconductor device is less than that of the insulating resin layer underneath the first semiconductor device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a device mounting board, a semiconductor module, and a method for fabricating the device mounting board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Although the use of ceramic material that excels in characteristics of thermal conductivity as an insulating layer is suitable for the purpose of spreading the heat generated by a power semiconductor device, a ceramic substrate is very expensive. In contrast, a control semiconductor device generates less heat than the power semiconductor device does. Thus, mounting the power semiconductor device and the control semiconductor device on the expensive ceramic substrate may be more than necessary. Besides, if the power semiconductor device and the control semiconductor device are mixed on the ceramic substrate with high thermal conductivity, the heat generated by the power semiconductor device will be transmitted to the control semiconductor device. This in turn heats the control semiconductor to a high temperature, causing a problem where the control semiconductor device becomes out of control (heat runaway). In order to resolve such a problem, the use of an insulating resin layer in which the insulating resin is filled with a ceramic filler is disclosed in Reference (1) in the following Related Art List.

Device mounting board, semiconductor module, and method for fabricating the device mounting board

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


An improved method and system for providing packet-switched management of switching and handoff functions for a mobile terminal during call setup and user communication phases of a telecommunication session. A radio access network (RAN) including an air-interface base station in communication with the mobile terminal is in communicative contact with a packet-switched core network comprised of a plurality nodes which provide functionality that is equivalent to that of a network of Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs) and Visitor Location Registers (VLRs). A packet-switching backbone network provides communication transport facilities within the core network. Within the core network is a wireless access gateway (WAG) having media channels that provide an interface between the RAN and the core network. An Anchor Packet Gateway (APG) extends the bearer path from the WAG, and hides mobility between WAGs during the user communication phase. A wireless mobility server (WMS) in communicative contact with the WAG and APG serves as a media gateway controller for the WAG and APG, controlling connectivity of the media channels within the WAG and APG. A PSTN Trunking Media Gateway (PTMG) provides connectivity between the core network and the PSTN. A Call Server (CS) in communicative contact with the PTMG and WMS serves as a media gateway controller for the PTMG and WMS, where the WMS presents the appearance of a media gateway to the CS, but in fact functions as a media gateway controller for the WAG and APG. The CS and WMS together present the appearance of a single MSC/VLR to the public cellular or PCS network.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an improved telecommunications system, and in particular to a method and system for incorporating transport and control facilities for voice, multimedia, and data traffic into a distributed packet-switched core network. More particularly, the present invention relates to a managed, packet-switched core network including multiple nodes which together provide packet-switched management of call setup, mobility, and data transfer for a mobile terminal, thereby providing a packet-switched alternative to a network of circuit-switched Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Registers (MSC/VLRs).
2. Description of the Related Art
Utilization of wireless, mobile telephony systems has expanded dramatically in recent years. Such systems typically include cellular or Personal Communication System (PCS) networks. Within such networks, geographic areas are divided into xe2x80x9ccellsxe2x80x9d served by low-power radio transmission facilities. A centralized computer and switching center, known as a Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (MSC/VLR), controls call setup between a mobile terminal (MT) and either another MT or a terminal linked directly to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), in addition to providing connectivity to other telecommunications networks.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrative of an example MSC/VLR configuration within a conventional circuit-switched cellular telecommunications system 100. As shown in FIG. 1, telecommunications system 100 includes the network interconnection of a cellular subsystem 101 to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 130 and a Public Data Network (PDN) 120. Cellular subsystem 101 is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless communications system in the depicted example. Also within cellular subsystem 101 are mobile terminals (MTs) 126 and 127 which may be handheld cellular phones or other mobile terminal user devices.
Cellular subsystem 101 further includes a Home Location Register (HLR) 104, and a pair or Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs) 102 and 103. Associated to MSCs 102 and 103, are a pair of Visitor Location Registers (VLRs), VLR 132 and VLR 133, respectively. HLR 104 is essentially a customer database within cellular subsystem 101 in which subscriber profile information for MTs, such as MT 126, is permanently stored. MSCs 102 and 103 are responsible for the switching of trunk circuits as well as the processing of call setup and mobility management signaling messages. In addition to operating as switches, MSC 102 and MSC 103 also function as telecommunications gateways to PDN 120 and PSTN 130 respectively.
MSCs 102 and 103 perform the necessary switching functions for any compatible MT located within a geographic area associated with a particular MSC, called a MSC serving area. Within cellular subsystem 101, MSC 103 provides call switching functionality between PSTN 130 and MTs 126 and 127. MSCs 102 and 103 also monitor the mobility of their respective served MTs and manage necessary resources needed to effect location registration procedures and carry out handoff functions. Although, in the depicted example, only two MSCs are illustrated in cellular subsystem 101, other numbers of MSCs may be employed depending on the communications system.
Each MT utilizes various radio frequency (RF) channels to communicate with a base station (BS). The RF channels utilized for control functions such as call setup during an origination attempt will be referred to hereinafter as control channels. In CDMA technology, the control channel consists of an access channel for control signaling from the MT, and a paging channel for control signaling to the MT. In contrast, RF channels utilized by MTs to convey voice or other end-user data are sometimes referred to as voice channels, and will be referred to hereinafter interchangeably as xe2x80x9ctraffic channelsxe2x80x9d (TCHs). TCHs may also be delineated according to the source of radio transmission. A Base Station (BS) 125 includes a base station transceiver subsystem (BSTS) 124 and a base station controller (BSC) 123. A TCH for transmitting from a BSTS is called the forward TCH, while a TCH utilized by the BSTS for receiving transmissions from the MT is called the reverse TCH.
HLR 104 is utilized within cellular subsystem 101 to manage mobile subscribers. Subscriber information that associates a serving MSC (MSC-S) with a particular MT is stored in permanent subscriber records within HLR 104. These records contain information such as the serving VLRs 132 and 133, and subscription parameters of MTs 126 and 127. For example, MT identity, Electronic Serial Number (ESN), and subscriber profile data are stored within HLR 104. VLRs 132 and 133 contain a copy of the records of the MTs currently residing within their respective service areas. In addition, VLRs 132 and 133 also keep track of the current location area of each MT in terms of the last accessed cell. This information is only temporarily stored at VLRs 132 and 133 and is removed once the subscribers move out of their respective service areas for a predetermined period of time. Most network equipment manufacturers have adopted a combined MSC/VLR approach such that each VLR is co-located with a MSC.
BS 125 includes the physical equipment for providing radio coverage to defined geographical RF-coverage areas called cells. BS 125 contains the hardware necessary to communicate with MT 126. BSC 123 performs control functions, while BSTS 124 performs the transmitting/receiving function within a given cell utilizing radio transmission/receiving equipment.
The PSTN and other networks include hierarchies of switches that are navigated to provide connections between telephones and other data terminal equipment (DTE). The primary function of a telephony switching system is to interconnect lines or trunks between telephones, DTEs, or other switches. In addition, switching facilities must perform other administrative functions besides switching such as control signaling, route selection, and toll call accounting. Conventional switches, including those incorporated into MSC/VLRs, incorporate some intelligent agent which provides management and control of switch functionality.
There are several problems associated with conventional circuit-switched MSC/VLR implementations such as that depicted in FIG. 1. Scalability of MSC/VLR networks is one such problem. When an MSC""s port, switching, signaling, or processing capacity is exhausted, an entire MSC/VLR unit is often added as the finest increment for increasing network traffic handling capacity. Given this coarse granularity for scaling a carrier""s networks, much of the per-switch dedicated peripheral equipment is underutilized (signaling links, announcement peripheral, conferencing peripheral, etc., for example).
As data traffic continues to increase relative to voice traffic, a conventional MSC/VLR network becomes a less efficient telecommunications management tool. Circuit-switched MSC/VLRs utilize dedicated two-way physical channels in which at least 50% of the allocated bandwidth generally conveys silence and is thus wasted for voice traffic. For data transmission, an even greater bandwidth is typically wasted due to the asymmetric and often bursty nature of data sessions (file transfers, for example). Consequently, carriers often overlay their voice networks with a data network, thereby incurring the costs of operating two networks. Recent developments in wideband wireless transmission have introduced the likelihood that wireless, mobile telecommunications will be increasingly utilized to support multimedia data sessions. Such data sessions will exacerbate current problems with circuit-switched telecommunications.
The nature of conventional MSC/VLR network implementations can result in bottlenecks such as HLR transaction capacity which often limits traffic handling capacity of such networks. As MSC/VLRs are added, mobility-related HLR messaging increases (especially registration signaling), thereby necessitating additional HLRs for such networks. One possible solution within the ANSI-41 network reference model for addressing an excessive HLR transaction load, is to serve multiple MSCs with a single VLR. In most implementations, however, the MSC""s dependence on VLR data renders a decoupled MSC and VLR implementation unfeasible. Finally, a number of efforts have been made, without widespread success, to provide residential, business, and BRI line services to wireless, mobile subscribers.
It can therefore be appreciated that a need exists to address the limitations inherent in conventional circuit-switched MSC/VLR network implementations. Scalable, functional elements that operate in a packet-switched context may be utilized to efficiently accommodate both voice and data traffic, and thus alleviate the aforementioned problems with current MSC/VLR implementations.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a method and system for replacing a circuit-switched network of MSC/VLRs with a packet-switched core network.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a physically decomposed, packet-switched core network for incorporating the voice and data traffic transport and control facilities conventionally provided by networked MSC/VLRs.
The above and other objects are achieved as is now described. An improved method and system are disclosed for providing packet-switched management of switching and handoff functions for a mobile terminal during call setup and user communication phases of a telecommunication session. A radio access network (RAN) including an air-interface transceiver in communication with the mobile terminal is in communicative contact with a packet-switched core network including a plurality of heterogeneous functional nodes. These heterogeneous, scalable nodes in such a core network together provide the functionality that is attributed to multiple MSC/VLRs in a circuit-switched context. Within the core network are wireless access gateways (WAGs) having media channels that provide an interface between the radio access network and the core network. A wireless mobility server (WMS) in communicative contact with the WAGs and anchor packet gateways (APGs), serves as a media gateway controller (MGC) for each WAG and each APG, controlling connectivity of the media channels therein. The WMS also presents the appearance of a single MSC/VLR to the ANSI-41 signaling network, on behalf of other network elements that together provide the functionality of a network of MSC/VLRs. The WMS and APG together hide the mobility and wireless characteristics of the MT on the control and bearer planes respectively. A call server (CS) serves as an MGC for trunking media gateways, and its functionality may be derived from an MSC or Class 5 End Office, depending on the service set to be provided to mobile terminals. A packet-switching network serves as the core network backbone providing packet-switched communication transport facilities between nodes.

System and method for providing packet-switched telephony


A novel antenna system disposed around a conveyor belt for the interrogation of objects passing through the antenna which overcomes centralized dead zone problems is disclosed. A frame antenna which is disposed around the conveyor belt achieves the interrogation and a separate reading antenna, which is disposed hingedly from the top of the frame antenna performs the reception.

Through such an interrogation station, the transponders fitted on the objects are illuminated or charged by means of high-frequency interrogation signals. Such a transponder is generally a passive transponder in which, on the basis of the charge produced by the electromagnetic field, a transmission of its own identification code then takes place. The antenna system used can have the function of transmitting or interrogating antenna and the function of receiving antenna for receiving or reading the identification code. The antenna can be in the form of a frame antenna which is fitted around a conveyor belt, but which as regards to reading of the transponders, has one or more dead zones for certain transponder antenna orientations. For example, there lies a dead zone across the very center of the conventional frame antenna. If a transponder is located within a window which is parallel to the belt and comprises some distance on either side of the center frame axis, and maintains this position throughout the read area of the antenna, the transponder would not be read. Moreover, the accuracy and completeness of this reading also decreases if several transponders are following one another in close succession during the movement along. When transponders are in close succession, because they are relatively far from the read antenna, the transponders appear to be the same distance from the read antenna and thus send back simultaneous transmissions. The result of a simultaneous transmission is an unintelligible identification code. This is particularly the case in a noisy environment, for which a shielding would then be necessary in receiving conditions.


Automatic determination of the complexity associated with converting image content from 2-dimensions to 3-dimensions commences by first determining how many different scenes exist within the image content. Each scene then undergoes analysis to determine its complexity based on the motion, texture and occlusion within the scene. The scene complexities are added to the scene transition complexity and the total gets weighted to yield an overall indication of the complexity of converting of image content from 2-dimensions to 3-dimensions.

Consumer demand for 3-dimensional image content has grown dramatically. Content owners have sought to meet the increased demand by converting existing 2-dimensional content into 3-dimensional content. To convert a movie from 2-dimensions into 3-dimensional requires significant preliminary analysis in order to determine the complexity of such conversion (e.g., the number of scenes, distribution of scene length, occlusions and scene complexity). Knowing the these details, henceforth to be known as conversion complexity, enables more accurate cost estimates and allows a better assessment of the likely outcome of the 2D to 3D conversion.
Currently, estimation of the overall 2D to 3D conversion complexity and hence, cost estimation is determined manually on a scene-by-scene basis. Manual complexity determination incurs high expense in term of the resources necessary to make such a determination. No known automated mechanisms exist for determining the overall complexity of the 2D to 3D conversion and therefore, the likely cost.
Thus, a need exists for an automated technique for determining the complexity of converting a 2-dimensional image into a 3-dimensional image.

Complexity estimation of a 2D/3D conversion


A method for cancelling ghost effects in an image signal processor which is capable of enhancing a convergence rate of a coefficient of a filter and a performance of cancelling ghost effects in a system, by alternately performing the updatings of the coefficients of an FIR filter and an IIR filter in a system using both the FIR filter and the IIR filter, includes initializing an FIR filter bank and an IIR filter bank, updating the FIR filter bank by performing an algorithm for updating a coefficient of a filter with a data having a ghost effect and a data in which a reference GCR data is filtered by the IIR filter, updating the IIR filter bank by performing the algorithm for updating a coefficient of a filther with the reference GCR data and a data in which an X(z) is filtered by the FIR filter bank, and obtaining an FIR filter bank and an IIR filter bank in each of which an error is minimized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for cancelling ghost effects in an image signal processor, and in particular, to an improved method for cancelling ghost effects in an image signal processor which is capable of enhancing a performance of cancelling ghost effects in a system using a finite impulse response (hereinafter, called FIR) filter and an infinite impulse response (hereinafter, called IIR) filter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, multilateral programs for cancelling ghost effects occurring in an image signal processor like a TV set have been studied. A general method for cancelling ghost effects is that a transmitter transmits a ghost cancelling reference (hereinafter, called GCR) signal, and a receiver compares the GCR signal with the stored GCR signal. To do this, each GCR signal differently set in each country is transmitted.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital filter of a ghost effect canceler according to the conventional art, which includes an FIR filter 10 for filtering an input digital signal (Xn) in accordance with a coefficient of a filter and cancelling ghost effects, an IIR filter 9 for filtering an output from the FIR filter 10 in accordance with a coefficient of a filter and cancelling ghost effects, and an adder 12 for adding the outputs from the FIR filter 10 and the FIR filter to define the IIR filter 9.
The operation of the digital filter in a conventional ghost effect canceler having the above construction will now be described in detail.
First, when the digital signal is inputted from an analog/digital (A/D) converter (not illustrated), the FIR filter 10 cancels a ghost effect in the digital signal (Xn) by repeating filterings by predetermined times in accordance with a coefficient of a filter, and the IIR filter 9 receives an output from the FIR filter 10 and again cancels ghost effects in the digital signal by repeating filterings by predetermined times. And the output from the IIR filter 11 is converted into an analog signal in a digital/analog (D/A) converter (not illustrated).
Here, to obtain the coefficients from the FIR filter 10 and the IIR filter 11, a precise algorithm is required, and the most widely adopted one is a least mean square (hereinafter, called LMS) algorithm as shown in FIG. 2.
The LMS algorithm will now be explained.
It is assumed that if an input signal X(n) passes through an unacknowledge system 13, it becomes a GCR signal d(n) which serves as a reference signal.
Here, a subtractor 15 subtracts an output y(n) from an adaptive FIR filter 14 from the GCR signal d(n) to obtain a resultant value e(n) and feeds back the resultant value e(n) to the adaptive FIR filter 14. Here, until the output value e(n) from the subtractor 15 becomes zero (0), the adaptive FIR filter 14 performs a filtering repeatedly to obtain the best coefficient of the filter. The above procedure is the LMS algorithm.
However, since the LMS algorithm is generally used only when the coefficient of the FIR filter is updated, it cannot be adopted in the system using both the FIR filter and the IIR filter.
Further, since the digital filter of the conventional ghost effect canceler sequentially updates the FIR coefficient and the IIR coefficient, when an error occurs in updating the FIR coefficient, the update of the IIR coefficient is influenced, and as a result, a ghost effect quality is not properly cancelled from the image signal.
Moreover, since the IIR filter has a feedback construction, when the FIR coefficient is computed, long ghost effects which must be processed in a region of the IIR filter influence the coefficient, resulting in lowering a performance of cancelling the ghost effects in the system.

Method for cancelling ghost effects in image signal processor


A thermal paper with an image derived from a water-based security ink has more than one means of security. A variable light absorbing and/or transmitting pigment or dye in the ink is a first security and a water repelling agent in the ink is a second security. A pseudo-watermark from the coloration of the ink under ambient conditions is a third security. Visible images can be generated from the printed ink upon exposure to UV or infrared light. Methods of preparing the thermal paper comprise printing the security ink on thermal paper with only one thermosensitive coating on the surface opposite the thermosensitive coating.

Many different means of security are available to prevent duplication of printed commercial documents such as special papers (water marked paper) and special inks (fluorescent inks and other optically variable inks) which form latent images or images that change color.
The use of latent images as a security measure is well known. To be useful as a security measure, latent images must be well camouflaged but readily and easily viewable to the user, preferably by a simple procedure. An example of such a latent image is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,581, which is formed when printing documents using an intaglio process. The latent image is overprinted on the visible image such that the latent image is visible when the document is tilted and viewed at an angle. The latent image is caused by the variation of the slight shadow from the raised ink pattern formed by the intaglio process or other printing method which produces raised ink patterns.
Optically variable inks have been used to provide latent images and images which change color when exposed to a light source other than ambient light. These optically variable inks allow for non-destructive testing of the security feature allowing the printing of such inks to be monitored. Such optically variable inks typically contain a fluorescent compound or photochromic compound which responds to infrared or ultraviolet light. An example of an aqueous printing ink for jet printing which fluoresces under ultraviolet radiation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,593. The dyes described in this reference are water soluble and include fluorescein, eosine dyes and Rhodamine dyes. Representative disclosures of other inks include U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,332, issued to Hayes et al. on May 4, 1982, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,997, issued to Hayes on Apr. 24, 1979. While the use of fluorescent inks and dyes has been effective and versatile, with the advent of todays personal computers and color copiers, conventional security measures such as these have been overcome, particularly where records are only casually inspected, such as sales receipts and transaction records. Therefore, it is desirable to provide additional security measures to supplement the fluorescent pigments and dyes.
Adding additional security measures is complicated by many factors. One is that there are many types of printing inks with compositions adapted to be employed in particular printing operations. For example, the inks for ink jet printers often must be conductive, have viscosity values within a certain range and contain no large particulate matter (below 5 .mu.m) and the ink should not dry within the ink jet over short periods of time. Jet printing processes are described in Report No. 1722-1 of the Stanford University Electronic Research Laboratory dated March 1964, entitled "High Frequency of Oscillography with Electrostatically Deflected Ink Jets", and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,596,275, 4,269,627, 4,153,593, 4,328,332, and 4,150,997.) Special ink formulations are often employed in relief printing, offset printing, intaglio printing, lithography and silkscreening.
Another factor which complicates adding a security measure to a security ink is that water-based inks are preferred to minimize the impact on the environment and avoid flammable vapors during use. This limits the components that can be added to the security ink.
An additional factor which complicates adding a security measure to a security ink is that it is difficult to complement the performance of fluorescent and photochromic pigments and dyes within optically variable inks without interfering with their performance. Parameters such as these place limitations on the additives or other components which can be used with security inks, making it difficult to provide multiple security measures within a security ink.
The above factors must be considered for the inks to be printed on plain paper. Where the security features are desired for thermal paper, the ink has additional requirements due to the special thermosensitive coatings thereon which generate images when activated by heat. The inks must not prereact the reactive components within the thermosensitive coating of the thermal paper to detract from the papers printing performance. Certain chemical factors can adversely affect and degrade the performance of the thermosensitive coating and should be avoided such as some organic solvents (ketones), plasticizers (polyethylene glycol type) amines (ammonia) and certain oils (soy oil).
Direct thermal paper is a thermosensitive recording material on which print or a design is obtained by the application of heat energy. Thermal paper comprises a base sheet and a coating, and like other coated papers, the coating is applied to give new properties to the base sheet. However, a major distinction in thermal paper from other coated papers is that special color forming chemicals and additives are present in the coatings such that when heat is applied by a thermal head, the color forming chemicals react to develop the desired print or image.
The most common type of thermal coating is the dye-developing type system. The three main color producing components in a dye developing-type thermal are colorless dye (color former), a bisphenol or an acidic material (color developer) and sensitizer. These solid materials are reduced to very small particles by grinding and incorporated into a coating formulation along with any optional additives such as pigments, binders and lubricants. This coating formulation is then applied to the surface of paper or other support system using various types of coloring application systems and dried. Images are formed on the coated surfaces by the application of heat to melt and interact the three color producing materials.
To protect thermal paper from environmental conditions, and premature coloration from handling, a number of developments have been made. One is to produce a barrier or protection layer on top of the thermal coating (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,370,370; 4,388,362; 4,424,245; 4,444,819; 4,507,669; and 4,551,738). Another approach is to encapsulate the reactive components in microcapsules which rupture or are permeable when exposed to heat. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,682,194; 4,722,921; 4,742,043; 4,783,493; and 4,942,150. These protective measures will not always prevent premature coloration when exposed to a security ink.


The invention concerns a sintered metal part which has a densified surface and sintered density of at least 7.35 g/cm3 and a core structure distinguished by a pore structure obtained by single pressing to at least 7.35 g/cm3 and single sintering of a mixture of a coarse iron or iron-based powder and optional additives.

There are several advantages by using powder metallurgical methods for producing structural parts compared with conventional matching processes of full dense steel. Thus the energy consumption is much lower and the material utilization is much higher. Another important factor in favour of the powder metallurgical route is that components with net shape or near net shape can be produced directly after the sintering process without costly shaping such as turning, milling, boring or grinding. However, normally a full dense steel material has superior mechanical properties compared with PM components. Therefore, the strive has been to increase the density of PM components in order to reach values as close as possible to the density value of a full dense steel.
One area of future growth in the utilization of powder metal parts having high density is in the automotive industry. Of special interest within this field is the use of powder metal parts in more demanding applications, such as power transmission applications, for example, gear wheels. Problems with gear wheels formed by the powder metal process are that powder metal gear wheels have reduced bending fatigue strength in the tooth root region of the gear wheel, and low contact fatigue strength on the tooth flank compared with gears machined from bar stock or forgings. These problems may be reduced or even eliminated by plastic deformation of the surface of the tooth root and flank region through a process commonly known as surface densification. Products which can be used for these demanding applications are described in e.g. the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,711,187, 5,540,883, 5,552,109, 5,729,822 and 6,171,546.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,187 (1990) is particularly concerned with the degree of surface hardness, which is necessary in order to produce gear wheels which are sufficiently wear resistant for use in heavy duty applications. According to this patent the surface hardness or densification should be in the range of 90 to 100 percent of full theoretical density to a depth of at least 380 microns and up to 1,000 microns. No specific details are disclosed concerning the production process but it is stated that admixed powders are preferred as they have the advantage of being more compressible, enabling higher densities to be reached at the compaction stage. Furthermore it is stated that the admixed powders should include in addition to iron and 0.2% by weight of graphite, 0.5% by weight of molybdenum, chromium and manganese, respectively.
A method similar to that described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,187 is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,883 (1994).
According to the U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,883 bearing surfaces from powder metal blanks are produced by blending carbon and ferro alloys and lubricant with compressible elemental iron powder, pressing the blending mixture to form the powder metal blank, high temperature sintering the blank in a reducing atmosphere, compressing the powder metal blanks so as to produce a densified layer having a bearing surface, and then heat treating the densified layer. The sintered powder metal article should have a composition, by weight percent, of 0.5 to 2.0% chromium, 0 and 1.0% molybdenum, 0.1 and 0.6% carbon, with a balance of iron and trace impurities. Broad ranges as regards compaction pressures are mentioned. Thus it is stated that the compaction may be performed at pressures between 25 and 50 ton per square inch (about 390-770 MPa).
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,109 (1995) patent concerns a process of forming a sintered article having high density. The patent is particularly concerned with the production of connecting rods. As in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,187 no specific details concerning the production process are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,109 but it is stated that the powder should be a pre-alloyed iron based powder, that the compacting should be performed in a single step, that the compaction pressures may vary between 25 and 50 ton per square inch (390-770 MPa) to green densities between 6.8 and 7.1 g/cm3 and that the sintering should be performed at high temperature, particularly between 1270 and 1350° C. It is stated that sintered products having a density greater than 7.4 g/cm3 are obtained and it is thus obvious that the high sintered density is a result of the high temperature sintering.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,822 (1996) a powder metal gear wheel having a core density of at least 7.3 g/cm3 and a hardened carburized surface is disclosed. The powders recommended are the same as in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,711,187 and 5,540,883 i.e. mixtures obtained by blending carbon, ferro alloys and lubricant with compressible a powder of elemental iron. In order to obtain high sintered core density the patent mentions warm pressing; double pressing, double sintering; high density forming as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,937; the use of die wall lubrication, instead of admixed lubricants during powder compaction; and rotary forming after sintering. Compacting pressures of around 40 tons per square inch (620 MPa) are typically employed.
The surface densification of sintered PM steels is discussed in e.g. the Technical Paper Series 820234, (International Congress & Exposition, Detroit, Mich., Feb. 22-26, 1982). In this paper a study of surface rolling of sintered gears is reported. Fe—Cu—C and Ni—Mo alloyed materials were used for the study. The paper reveals the results from basic research on the surface rolling of sintered parts at a density of 6.6 and 7.1 g/cm3 and the application of it to sintered gears. The basic studies includes surface rolling with different diameters of the rolls, best results in terms of strength were achieved with smaller roll diameter, lesser reduction per pass and large total reduction. As an example for a Fe—Cu—C material a densification of 90% of theoretical density was achieved with a roll of 30 mm diameter to a depth of 1.1 mm. The same level of densification was achieved to a depth of about 0.65 mm for a 7.5 mm diameter roll. The small diameter roll however was able to increase the densification to about full density at the surface whereas the large diameter roll increased the density to about 96% at the surface. The surface rolling technique was applied to sintered oil-pumps gears and sintered crankshaft gears. In an article in Modern Developments in Powder Metallurgy, Volume 16, p. 33-48 1984 (from the International PM Conference Jun. 17-22, 1984, Toronto Canada,) the authors have investigated the influence of shot-peening, carbonitriding and combinations thereof on the endurance limit of sintered Fe+1.5% Cu and Fe+2% Cu+2.5% Ni alloys. The density reported of these alloys were 7.1 and 7.4 g/cm3. Both a theoretical evaluation of the surface rolling process and a bending fatigue testing of surface rolled parts is published in an article in Horizon of Powder Metallurgy part I, p. 403-406. Proceedings of the 1986 (International Powder Metallurgy Conference and Exhibition, Dusseldorf, 7-11 Jul. 1986).
According to the prior art many different routes have been suggested in order to reach high sintered density of a powder metallurgical component. However, the suggested processes all include steps adding additional costs. Thus warm compaction and die wall lubrication promote high green density. Double pressing and double sintering result in high sintered density and shrinkage as a result of high temperature sintering also results in high sintered density.
Furthermore, for high load applications such as gear wheels, special precautions has to be taken in account regarding the pore size and pore morphology in order to achieve sufficient fatigue properties. A simple and cost effective method for the preparation of gear wheels and similar products with a high sintered density and mechanical strength, regardless the pore size and morphology, would thus be attractive and the main object of the present invention.

Sintered metal parts and method for the manufacturing thereof


Provided is an air duct suitable for conducting a flow of air. The air duct includes a central layer formed from a fiber glass. The central layer has an inner surface and an outer surface. The air duct also includes a liner layer arranged adjacent to the inner surface of the central layer. The liner layer is formed from an organic material and is substantially free of fiber glass, or is formed from polyester and rayon. The central layer and liner layer are arranged to define a channel for conducting a flow of air.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an air duct for conducting a flow of air, and more particularly to an air duct containing an organic liner material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Air ducts are typically manufactured from resin-bonded fiber glass formed into rigid, rectangular boards. Air duct systems manufactured from such boards are used in commercial and residential air-conducting systems for, ventilating, cooling, heating or dual-temperature service.
The interior surfaces of conventional air ducts are typically lined with a fabric formed from fiber glass fibers or a blend of fiberglass fibers and polymer fibers, such as polyester or styrene fibers. However, use of such liner materials can lead to several problems. For example, liner materials containing fiber glass, and especially a substantial amount of fiber glass, can release glass fibers into the air stream flowing through the air duct, which can be objectionable to particular users.
In addition, the touch and feel of such liner materials, i.e., the coarse texture thereof due to the presence of a substantial amount of fiber glass, can also be objectionable to particular users. Further, fabrics containing fiber glass material are typically formed from a Fourdrinier process, wherein such process can be relatively expensive.
One object of the present invention is to provide an air duct for conducting flowing air, which can reduce or eliminate the amount of glass fibers released from the air duct. Another object of the present invention is to improve the touch and feel of the liner material of the air duct. A further object of the present invention is to provide an air duct which can be produced in a cost-effective manner.
Other objects and aspects of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto.

Air duct containing an organic liner material


An insect trap (100) with spaced apart first and second entry structures (120, 140), includes an entrapment chamber (100) having a first compartment (102) and a second compartment (104) separated from the first compartment with a transverse panel (106). A conical first tapered guide (126) extends from the first entry structure into the first compartment, and a second tapered guide (146) extends from the second entry structure to the second compartment. The guides encourage the target insects to venture further into the trap, while hindering egress from the trap. One or more of the compartments include means for retaining an attractant. Traps having more than two compartments with spaced apart entryways are also disclosed.

Flying insects, for example, various social wasps, including paper wasps, hornets and yellow jackets, can be a significant nuisance and a potential hazard to people and animals engaged in outdoor activities. Such flying insects can be prevalent in rural settings and even in very well developed residential areas. Various species of insects, flying and otherwise, are also common in agricultural settings and in other commercial processing venues, including for example meat packing factories, food processing facilities, and livestock ranches.
Traps for flying insects are known in the art and often have been quite successful at trapping target insects. For example, the inventor of the insect trap disclosed herein pioneered conical element hanging traps, such as the wasp traps described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,941, which issued on Nov. 12, 1985, to Schneidmiller, and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Schneidmiller discloses a transparent cylindrical insect trap that is selective to entrapping wasps. A "wasp" is a generic name applied to insects of the order Hymenoptera, which includes particularly paper wasps, hornets and yellow jackets. The present inventor also discloses certain improvements to the insect trap in U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,880, also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Previously patented trap structures include a transparent, generally cylindrical entrapment chamber that is open at the bottom, and a base that attaches to the bottom of the entrapment chamber, and defines one or more entryways for the target insect. In the prior art device, the entrapment chamber also includes ventilation openings at the top end of the cylindrical entrapment chamber. The entryways in the base are apertures that permit and encourage entry into the entrapment chamber by wasps. An entry cone shaped as a truncated cone or tapered guide, is disposed in the entrapment chamber. The tapered guide is open at the bottom, which is directly adjacent to the perimeter at the bottom of the entrapment chamber, and includes a smaller open aperture at the top end of the tapered guide. Wasps or other target insects enter the trap through the entryways, and fly or climb into the cone, passing through the smaller aperture in its truncated upper end. The target insect thereby becomes entrapped in the cylindrical chamber. Once the target insect is inside the chamber, exiting is highly improbable.
Insect traps may utilize one or more attractants to lure target insects into the trap. The attractant may be as simple as water, or may be a chemical attractant that is targeted to a particular species. For example, the attractant may be an olfactory attractant for the target insect. In one embodiment, the attractant is a volatile attractant formed into a solid with a polyurethane matrix, such that the attractant will evaporate and escape from the matrix over a period of time. The attractant may combine water with a volatile olfactory attractant, wherein the volatile olfactory attractant mixes with vapors from a chemical attractant and/or water in a separate container, the mixed vapors exiting the trap in a plume. An effective attractant plume will attract the target insects toward the trap, and in particular toward the trap entryway. Various attractants or combination of attractants may be used, including both solid and liquid attractants, providing great flexibility in selecting from a range and combination of attractants.
Portions of the trap may be colored and/or reflective to visually attract one or more target insects, and/or a volatile olfactory attractant may be provided to aid in attracting the target insect(s). Any such coloring and attractant may be selected to entice or attract a particular species of insect, providing a high degree of selectivity to the trap.
However, it is known that certain species of insects are territorial, and/or do not co-mingle. Members of a territorial insect species may be mutually or unilaterally antagonistic and/or repulsive toward other insect species. Sometimes mutually antagonistic species share a common environment (such as a residential yard, an orchard, a field, a wooded area, or the like) but avoid or repel each other when they come into close proximity. In such cases, conventional insect traps may be ineffective for one or more desired target species due to the close-proximity repulsion between target species.
However, it is inconvenient, costly and/or unsightly to set out multiple traps in order to attract and entrap multiple species of insects. There remains a need, therefore, for improvements in insect traps that are suitable for entrapping more than one species of insect.

Flying insect trap with spaced entryways


A driving support apparatus is provided with a support control device configured to calculate, based on a remaining distance from a stop position at which a vehicle stops by stop indication of a first traffic signal located in a travel direction of the vehicle to a point of the first traffic signal, an estimated variation distance for a second traffic signal located in the travel direction of the vehicle after the first traffic signal, and create a target vehicle travel state obtained by changing timing to start stopping support at the second traffic signal based on the estimated variation distance; and a support device capable of outputting driving support information to support driving of the vehicle based on a target travel state quantity of the vehicle.

A driving support apparatus mounted on a vehicle to output information for supporting a driver in driving a vehicle is conventionally known. As such conventional driving support apparatus, Patent Literature 1 discloses a device which notifies the driver of a time point at which deceleration should be started when it should stop for a traffic signal based on time for arriving at the traffic signal and time of change in color of light, for example. Patent Literature 2 discloses a device which gives notice of timing to decelerate used on a signal cycle and stop line positional information.


The security paper incorporates, as fundamental characteristic, groups of security yarns which are braided within each group, using at least three yarns so that such braiding presents a very characteristic irregular surface, easily detectable by touch, for identification of the document either by the bank staff or by blind people. The use of yarns of different colours in each braiding allows to form colour combinations which collaborate in the personalization of the yarn and, consequently of the document, for example the colours of the national flag corresponding to the country issuing the document.

With this aim of preventing, or at any rate impairing, the forging of a document, security paper provided inside with sheets or yarns of a suitable nature to personalize the document, and thereby enhance its security, are well-known.
More specifically, security yarns are inserted in the paper at the sheet formation stage, so that they remain in the cellulose fibres, and hence any attempt at removing the same implies either tearing the paper or breaking the yarn, which clearly reveals that the document has been tampered with.
Thus, in theory, the provision of a security yarn stands as security for the genuineness of a document.
However, the contemporaneous evolution of counterfeiting techniques has made it necessary to gradually perfect these security yarns, improving their performance, or to put it otherwise, hindering the tampering or copying thereof by counterfeiters. In this sense, yarns have been provided with microprinted texts, which texts can for instance refer to the country of issue, the face value of the document, the date of issue thereof, and so forth, which texts cannot be perceived at first glance but are easily detected using a small magnifying glass or any other suitable means, such as viewing the same against the light, under ultraviolet light and so on.
Techniques have also been developed which expedite the appearance of the yarns on the surface of the paper at regular intervals, to be detected by touch and hence identified by an expert.
Along these lines of evolution, the applicant himself holds Spanish patent of invention application number P 8902252(1), which describes security paper and a method for obtaining the same, which provides for the security yarns to be obtained from an alloy of magnetic material subject to heat treatment comprising a sudden cooling from a starting temperature ranging between 800.degree. and 1500.degree. C. down to a final temperature ranging between -180.degree. and -225.degree. C., thereby to obtain an amorphous solid, devoid of the usual metallic crystalline structure, so that the obtention of this kind of security yarns by potential counterfeiters is almost impossible.

Security paper for bank notes and other documents


A process and apparatus to implement the process for the disposal of toilet waste in a relatively small space with low input energy. The process to include the following operations: separating the liquid portion from the solid portion of the toilet waste, disposing of the liquid portion of the waste by drainage, forming a mixture by combining the solid portion of the waste with a quantity of flammable material having structural properties that retain air passages within the mixture, storing the mixture in a chamber, and burning the mixture within the chamber.

Worldwide water shortages and the expense of cleaning up polluted water has resulted in an increasing need to dispose of toilet waste without the use of water or centralised sewage processing.
Toilets which do not use water and which do not depend on central sewage processing fall into four types--incinerating toilets, sterling toilets, composting toilets and lined toilets. Incinerating toilets use an external source of energy to heat the waste, evaporate all the liquid waste and burn the remaining solid waste. Disadvantages are the high initial cost, the high operating cost and the use restriction imposed by the incinerating cycles. Similarly, sterilizing toilets use external energy to evaporate urine and heat the feces to kill the bacteria but require the inconvenience of frequent manual clean out for disposal elsewhere. Composting toilets store the waste in an aerated chamber and use aerobic bacteria to digest or oxidise the waste over a long time period. Composting toilets are bulky and relatively expensive installations which need frequent manual attention. Lined toilets surround the waste in plastic and transport it to a storage container for eventual manual removal and separate disposal elsewhere.
None of the foregoing waterless toilets perform their function as conveniently and with as little user attention as a conventional water flushing toilet. However, the water flushing toilet does not have to actually dispose of the waste. It uses clean water to move the waste to a remote location where more expensive disposal processes are undertaken. In many parts of the world this is no longer an economically viable procedure.
Most toilets which combine solid and liquid waste together cannot take advantage of the fact that liquid toilet waste containing urine and any flushing water is much easier to dispose of than solid toilet waste containing feces, paper, diapers, fibrous sanitary items and potentially harmful pathogens. Urine which is normally sterile and constitutes the bulk of human waste is readily absorbed into soil or dispersed in waterways without environmental harm whereas solid toilet waste requires special treatment before it can be released into the environment.
To eliminate a health hazard it would be better to incinerate the solid toilet waste but the high water content and the low heating value of the waste makes this expensive and complicated.