Methods of fabricating MOSFETs in semiconductor/r devices are disclosed. One example method may include forming an isolation layer on a semiconductor substrate and forming a capping layer thereon, forming an epitaxial active region which is not covered with the isolation layer on said semiconductor substrate by using selectively epitaxial growth, and forming a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode on said epitaxial active region, sequentially. The example method may also include forming a source/drain plug spaced apart from the both sides of said gate electrode in said epitaxial active region, forming a source/drain into said epitaxial active region on which said source/drain plug is formed, forming an interlayer dielectric layer on the entire surface of the resultant structure after the source/drain is formed; and forming contacts in said interlayer dielectric layer, wherein said contacts are connected to said gate electrode and said source/drain plug, respectively.

In general, a MOSFET has a structure including a gate electrode, a source/drain electrode, and an oxide layer therebetween, which are formed on a silicon substrate.
Recently, as semiconductor devices have become highly integrated, miniaturized, and lightweight, physical size of the MOSFET is scaled down, thereby decreasing a valid channel length and causing a short channel effect deteriorating a punch-through between a source and a drain.
To resolve such problems, a source/drain formed in a lightly doped drain (hereinafter referred to as "LDD") structure have been proposed. The source/drain has a shallow junction to decrease the short channel effect. However, in a highly integrated semiconductor device having a MOSFET with a smaller line width, it is difficult to fabricate the LDD structure.
Meanwhile, U.S. Pat. No. 6,521,508 discloses a method for manufacturing a contact plug in a semiconductor device using a selective epitaxial silicon growth process, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,201 discloses a method for forming tungsten (or aluminum) plugs in contact holes of highly integrated semiconductor device. However, as a semiconductor device becomes highly integrated and,miniaturized, contacts connected with the gate electrode, a bit line and contact holes therefore are getting smaller. Accordingly, a contact hole manufacturing process for forming the contacts or contact plugs by depositing a conductive material into the contact holes comes to have limitations when the contact holes are formed in the highly integrated semiconductor device.

Methods of manufacturing MOSFETs in semiconductor devices


A hinge assembly for a manual or automatic air brake valve test fixture that includes a secondary test plate to which a valve device to be tested is mounted from a front load position and then rotated to its usual side location for clamping to the primary test plate, thereby relieving the tester of physical strain encountered heretofore in mounting the valve in a side load position. The hinge assembly is spring-loaded to obtain even, face-to-face engagement of the mating surfaces of the primary and secondary test plates and thereby assure the integrity of the pressure seal therebetween.

This invention relates to apparatus for testing railway car brake equipment and particularly to a valve mounting arrangement for such a brake valve test apparatus.
Brake control valve test devices, such as the manual "AB" Test Rack shown and described in WABCO Instruction Pamphlet No 5039-19 Sup. 1, issued April 1991, and published by the Westinghouse Air Brake Co., Wilmerding, Pa. are provided to test service and emergency portions of various vintage brake control valves, as well as other railroad braking devices according to test codes adopted by the Association of American Railroads. The test procedure is complex in that an array of manually operable control valves must be manipulated in a prescribed sequence, combined with monitoring of pressure gages and timers.
More recently, automated type test devices have been introduced, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,500 which not only removes the need for highly trained personnel, but also eliminates human error in carrying out the required sequence of tests.
In either case, however, the test operator is required to physically mount and secure the valves on a test fixture. As can be seen in the aforementioned Patent, the valve to be tested is mounted sideways to the operator's station in front of the test fixture, thus requiring the operator to lift the valve over the test fixture and into position on the appropriate mounting studs projecting from the fixture end. Not only is this task cumbersome, but is also results in severe physical strain due to the relatively heavy weight of these valve devices.

Hinged assembly for air brake valve test fixture


A method for managing customers for a store includes generating first account identification information from stored account information of a customer. The method also includes transmitting a list of candidate payees within a predefined distance of a current geolocation of a personal communication device of the customer and identifying the store as a party to a transaction with the customer based on feedback. The method still further includes receiving, from the store, a transaction message indicating the customer is a counterparty to the transaction, the transaction message comprising second account identification information received at the communication device of the store from the customer. The method also includes determining the first account identification information matches the second account identification information. The method further includes approving the transaction between the customer and the store in response to determining the first account identification information matches the second account identification information and identifying the store as the party to the transaction.

Merchants like to encourage customers to repeatedly visit their businesses so that merchants can have more opportunities to increase business during these repeat visits. A variety of customer loyalty programs are used for this purpose. A large merchant, which has already automated its business operations with a computer system, can ask a customer to fill out an application form and issue a membership card (or an equivalent instrument) to the customer. The membership card bears identification information (e.g., an account number) to identify the customer. Based on the member identification information of the customer, the computer system tracks the activities of the customer and provides future discounts, rebates or other types of rewards to the customer. If the customer forgets to bring his/her membership card during a transaction, his/her home phone number can be used to identify the member account number so that purchase activity is recorded and rewards may be issued accordingly.
A problem with this approach is that many consumers do not like to release personal information to merchants for privacy concerns. Furthermore, some consumers who are moving at a fast pace do not want to spend time filling out application forms. Moreover, because many merchants are each offering their respective membership reward programs, consumers are tired of having to fill out applications over and over again. In addition, it is not convenient for consumers to carry many membership cards or instruments.
For a small merchant that has not automated its business with a computer system however, a paper coupon (or an equivalent instrument) can be issued to a customer to promote customer loyalty. The customer is responsible for carrying this coupon (or instrument) when conducting a transaction with the merchant. For example, the merchant can record the customer's activities on the coupon (or instrument) based on the dollar amount spent by the customer during each transaction. The customer can redeem the coupon (or instrument) for a reward after the accumulated dollar amount recorded on the coupon (or instrument) reaches a pre-defined level. Once the coupon (or instrument) is redeemed, a new coupon (or instrument) can be issued to the customer again.
A problem with this approach is that many small merchants do not have resources to print and manage these coupons (or instruments). Furthermore, many customers often lose these coupons (or instruments) and thus lose the monetary value they have accumulated on these coupons (or instruments). Very often, a customer may forget to bring the coupon (or instrument) during a transaction. Under such circumstances, customers may become disappointed or frustrated, and the original good intention to induce customer loyalty may have no effect or may result in a negative effect. Moreover, when many merchants offer customer loyalty programs through coupons, it becomes troublesome for customers to carry all of these coupons and such customer loyalty programs actually become a burden.
Many merchants have very light business activity during weekdays, but are extremely busy over the weekends or on holidays. For example, it is common to see a long line of customers waiting to dine at a popular restaurant over the weekend. Many customers may walk away from a restaurant because of the long line. Even in a supermarket, a customer may decide not to purchase anything when she sees a long line at the checkout stand. Merchants are losing potential business when they fail to shorten their lines.
Traditionally, promotions are conducted through mailing of paper-based promotional materials. This is an expensive process. It is often difficult for a merchant to justify the cost of the promotion. Very often, a merchant may end up losing money to go through a promotional campaign. The delay caused by this printing and mailing process may make a promotional campaign ineffective for perishable goods or services. For example, when a restaurant finds out that it has too many empty tables on a particular evening, it has little chance to distribute coupons in time to attract customers to the restaurant that evening. In fact, most promotional materials end up in the trash without being read, which is a waste of natural resources and damages our environment.
Merchants also suffer from fraud losses. Traditional payment instruments, such as credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards, stored-value cards, gift cards, prepaid cards, checks, coupons, tokens, tickets, vouchers, certificates, notes, securities, etc., can be easily stolen and fabricated. For example, by bribing a waiter in a restaurant, a fraudster can easily steal the card information from a guest of the restaurant. The fraudster can use the stolen card information to pay a nominal fee to numerous background search websites on the Internet to find useful personal information based on the cardholder's name shown on the stolen card. A counterfeit card and a counterfeit identification document, such as a driver's license, can be easily fabricated with present technology.
Once a fraudster has stolen or fabricated such card, the fraudster can quickly conduct many illegal financial transactions before the affected financial institutions, organizations or individuals identify the fraud and disable the card. Many individuals, merchants, and financial institutions have suffered tremendous material loss and damages as a result of fraudulent financial transactions.
In fact, theft of financial instruments is easily committed today. Many financial institutions and merchants keep the personal information (e.g., the information of the financial instruments such as credit cards, debit cards, etc.) of their clients in their databases. It is common for employees of financial institutions, merchants, or consumer credit report companies to steal customers' information, commit fraud, and/or sell the information to fraudsters.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The distance of objects to an optical system is estimated. An optical mask such as a diffractive optical element, continuous phase mask, hologram, amplitude mask, or combination thereof is placed within the optics in front of a sensor array such as a CCD, CID or COMAS device. The optical mask encodes the three-dimensional response of the system. The mask is designed to optimize depth estimation, for example, by maximizing Fisher information. A particular implementation creates a point spread function (“PSF”) that rotates as a function of the object position. The image or images obtained with different PSFs may be digitally processed to recover both a depth map of the scene and other parameters such as image brightness. The digital processing used to recover the depth map of the object may include deconvolution of a PSF from detected images.

This application relates generally to optical imaging. More specifically, this application relates to methods and systems for optical imaging and ranging.
In most situations, when dealing with recovering the three-dimensional structure of an object or a scene, the objects are opaque. Such is the case when viewing everyday objects such as a tool or a person. There are usually two variables of interest at each image pixel: the surface brightness (reflectance), and its distance from the camera (depth). These two variables (per pixel) are commonly recovered based on two input images.
There are several known methods to solve the problem of ranging and imaging. These include a variety of techniques for stereo imaging or triangulation in which the images are taken from different viewpoints. By measuring the disparity between the positions of corresponding image points, the distance of the corresponding object point is determined. One specific approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,191, filed Mar. 29, 1984, entitled "Stereoscopic Vision System," the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.
Another approach is based on defocus blur. The image of an in-focus object point will be sharp while the image of a defocused object point will be blurred. The depth estimate of object points can be based on focus sensing with multiple images. This method is called depth from focus.
On the other hand, a more efficient approach is to estimate depth by comparing just two images taken with different settings of the imaging system. This method is termed depth from defocus. Using depth of field (DOF) cues, such as focus and defocus, are also preferable over stereo due to the higher numerical apertures used. This allows smaller diffraction problems and ultimately higher depth resolution. Nevertheless, diffraction limits the depth resolution when classical apertures are used. The depth resolution is determined by the DOF, which is a range of depths for which the blur kernel has no detectable change. Therefore, objects within the DOF will be assigned the same depth and no variations will be detected. This happens at the plane of focus, where the kernel changes slowly (quadratically) as a function of depth due to diffraction. Certain specific techniques are described in A. P. Pentland, "A New Sense For Depth Of Field," IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 9, 523 (1987), and M. Subbarao and Y. Liu, "Analysis Of Defocused Image Data For 3D Shape Recovery Using A Regularization Technique," Proc. SPIE 3204, 24 (1997), the entirety of each of which is herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.
Still other methods for ranging use wavefront encoding as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,521,695, filed Jun. 23, 1993, entitled "Range Estimation Apparatus And Method," the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.
None of these methods can achieve super-resolution beyond the depth of field, which is limited by the numerical aperture of the system. There is, accordingly, a need in the art for improved methods and systems for ranging and imaging.

Method and system for optical imaging and ranging

The Regents of the University of Colorado


In implementations for highlight video generated with adaptable multimodal customization, a multimodal detection system tracks activities based on poses and faces of persons depicted in video clips of video content. The system determines a pose highlight score and a face highlight score for each of the video clips that depict at least one person, the highlight scores representing a relative level of the interest in an activity depicted in a video clip. The system also determines pose-based emotion features for each of the video clips. The system can detect actions based on the activities of the persons depicted in the video clips, and detect emotions exhibited by the persons depicted in the video clips. The system can receive input selections of actions and emotions, and filter the video clips based on the selected actions and emotions. The system can then generate a highlight video of ranked and filtered video clips.

Many people have mobile devices, such as cellular phones, tablet devices, and other types of consumer electronics, many of which have an integrated digital camera to capture digital images and videos. People often capture videos that have a family or personal basis, such as videos of sporting events, activities, family outings, vacations, and the like, with the intention of sharing the videos with other family members and friends. People enjoy sharing personal videos that generally capture human-centric activities as the most representative aspect of the video content. Many people upload and share their videos on any number of various social media platforms, and personal videos is one of the most popular categories of online videos that people share and watch. Notably, the sheer volume of shared personal videos continues to rapidly increase on social media platforms.
Given the ever-expanding volume of video content available for viewing, people also filter and prioritize the video content that may be of interest to them, and the video content with the least amount of irrelevant and/or non-important content. Accordingly, the people who capture videos with the intention of sharing them generally want to highlight the more interesting parts of a video, and filter out the irrelevant content, thus providing video content that is more likely to be viewed, and viewed more efficiently. However, determining and editing down to the engaging highlights of a captured video can be both a tedious and time-consuming task, particularly for those who can readily capture video with any number of mobile devices, yet may not know how to then edit the video before sharing it with others or online via social media.

Highlight video generated with adaptable multimodal customization


Distance and velocity measuring at a plurality of objects using FMCW radar includes repeating measurements using different frequency ramps and including mixing transmitted and received signals, and recording the mixed signal's spectrum. A matching includes recording spectra peaks for ramps, if belonging to the same object, allocating them to each other, and calculating distances and velocities from peak frequencies. A tracking includes identifying with one another objects measured at various times based on distance and velocity consistency. Each measuring cycle includes less than four measurements with different frequency ramps. For each plausible two peak combination recorded, respectively, during first and second measurements of a cycle, distance and velocity of one possible object represented by these peaks are calculated. A measurement's anticipated result, is calculated from distance and velocity of the possible object, discarded if an anticipated result does not agree with the measured result.

Discussed herein is a method for measuring distance and velocity at a plurality of objects using FMCW radar, in which:                measurements are repeated cyclically with at least two different frequency ramps,        in each measurement, the transmitted signal is mixed with the received signal, and the spectrum of the mixed signal is recorded,        in a matching procedure, the peaks that are in the spectra recorded for various ramps and that belong to the same object are allocated to each other, and the distances and velocities of the objects are calculated from the frequencies of the peaks, and        in a tracking procedure, the objects measured at various times are identified with one another on the basis of the consistency of their distance and velocity data.
In particular, discussed herein is a method of this type which is used in ranging systems or distance-control systems for motor vehicles.
From practice, a distance-control system, a so-called ACC (adaptive cruise control) system for motor vehicles is known which works with an FMCW (frequency modulated continuous wave) radar. The functioning principle is described in Winner: "Adaptive Cruise Control", Automotive Electronics Handbook, published by Ronald K. Jurgen, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill Inc., Chapter 30.1 (1999). The radar waves are emitted continuously, and the frequency is modulated in accordance with a ramp function made up of a cyclical sequence of four ramps having different slopes. The ramps form two pairs, each made up of a rising and a falling ramp. The amounts of the slopes are identical within each pair, but differ from pair to pair. By mixing the transmitted signal with the received signal, which is obtained by reflection of the radar waves at a plurality of objects, a low-frequency signal is formed whose frequency corresponds to the difference between the frequency of the transmitted signal and the frequency of the reflected signal. In each individual measurement, the spectrum of the low-frequency signal is recorded during the duration of one frequency ramp with constant slope. In this spectrum, each object is represented by a peak whose frequency f, according to the following equation, is a function of the distance d and the velocity v (relative velocity) of the object:f=|(2*F/c*T)*d+(2*fs/c)*v|  (1)
Meanings of equation terms:                f peak frequency in the low-frequency signal        F frequency deviation (frequency at the end of the ramp−frequency at the beginning of the ramp)        c speed of light        T modulation duration (of the ramp)        fs frequency of the transmitted signal
The first term in equation (1) is proportional to the signal propagation time, d/c and the ramp slope F/T. The second term corresponds to the Doppler shift of the reflected signal.
If only one reflecting object is present, distance d and relative velocity v of this object may be calculated from peak frequencies f1 and f2, which are obtained by two measurements with different ramp slopes. To that end, the following equation system is solved:f1=α*d+β*v f2=γ*d+β*v  (2)with:α=2*f/c*T for the first ramp,β=2*fs/c γ=2*F/c*T for the second ramp
Given a plurality of objects, however, ambiguities occur, because it is not clear which peak belongs to which object. In the known method, this ambiguity is eliminated by performing two additional measurements using a different ramp slope. Since the distances and relative velocities of the objects change slightly at most within the time in which the four measurements are performed, the allocation between the peaks and the objects must be carried out so that the same distances and relative velocities are obtained for the first two measurements as for the last two measurements. This allocation of the peaks to the objects is called matching.
For practical applications, for example, in an ACC system, it is generally necessary to be able to track the measured distances and relative velocities of the various objects over a longer period of time. Therefore, in a procedure known as tracking, the objects measured in one measuring cycle must be identified with the objects measured in a preceding cycle. This tracking procedure is based on the criterion that the distances and relative velocities for each object, measured at various times, must yield a plausible and, in particular, physically possible movement of the object.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,561 discusses a method in which only the distances are measured with the aid of radar, and the object velocities are calculated from the changes in distance. The distances measured for various objects are allocated to the individual objects in such a way that the newly recorded distance data are consistent with the previously calculated velocities.
In contrast, an FMCW radar has the advantage that the relative velocities of the objects can be measured directly. However, it is only possible to differentiate various objects from each other both with respect to their distances and with respect to their relative velocities with a limited resolution.

Method for measuring distances and speeds of several objects by means of an FMCW radar


A voltage from a high voltage power source is applied between a toner support and an opposing electrode to generate an electric field between the two elements which permits the toner carried on the toner support to jump to the opposing electrode side. A control electrode is provided between the toner support and the opposing electrode to control the jumping of the toner. The control electrode is formed with annular electrodes around gates through which the toner passes through. In this arrangement, one or the combination of the followings are featured: At the initial stage of the recording start, the toner support is made to rotate so that the amount of static charge on the toner is stabilized. After the toner is stabilized, the control power source applies a voltage for prohibiting the toner from jumping, to the annular electrodes, then applies a high voltage to the opposing electrode. Thus, the toner can be prevented from erroneously jumping from the toner support.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which directly forms the image on recording medium such as recording paper etc., by causing developer particles to jump thereto and can be applied to a printer unit in digital copiers and facsimile machines as well as to digital printers, plotters, etc.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, as the image forming means for outputting a visual image on recording medium such as recording paper etc., in response to an image signal, an image forming apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Hei 6 No.155,798, for example, in which developer particles, i.e., toner, are made to directly adhere to the recording medium to thereby form a toner image on it, directly.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a printer of the configuration represented by the image forming apparatus defined in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Hei 6 No.155,798 will be described. This apparatus includes an image forming unit 51 having a toner supplying section 52 and a printing section 53. In this apparatus, toner 71 carried in toner supplying section 52 is selectively made to jump to and adhere to a sheet-like recording paper 55 as a recording medium. During this operation, the jumping of toner 71 is controlled in accordance with an image signal so that the toner can selectively adhere to recording paper 55 directly, forming a visual image.
Toner supplying section 52 is composed of a toner reservoir 70 for holding toner 71 as developer particles which are, for example, negatively charged, and a toner support 72 for supporting toner 71 using, for example, magnetic force. Toner support 72 is grounded and rotationally driven in the direction indicated by arrow E in the figure, with its surface speed set at 30 mm/sec, for example. Toner 71 is of a magnetic type having a mean particle diameter of 10 .mu.m, and is electrified with static charge of -4 .mu.C/g to -5 .mu.C/g by a well-known technique. Toner 71 is carried on the peripheral surface of toner support 72 with a mean thickness of about 80 .mu.m.
As to these, referring first to the conventional apparatus configured as shown in FIG. 1, printing section 53 as a part of image forming unit 51 is composed of an opposing electrode 75 made up of an aluminum pipe of, for example, 50 mm in diameter, and a control electrode 76 which is provided between opposing electrode 75 and a toner support 72. Opposing electrode 75 is arranged about 1 mm apart from the peripheral surface of toner support 72, has a high voltage, e.g., 2 kV applied from a d.c. power source 80, and is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 1, with its surface speed set at 30 mm/sec. Therefore, an electric field is generated between opposing electrode 75 and toner support 72 that causes toner 71 supported on toner support 72 to jump toward opposing electrode 75.
Control electrode 76 is disposed in parallel to a tangent plane of the surface of opposing electrode 75 and spreads two-dimensionally facing opposing electrode 75, and it has a structure which permits the toner to pass therethrough from toner support 72 to opposing electrode 75. The electric field formed between toner support 72 and opposing electrode 75 varies depending on the potential being applied to control electrode 76, so that the jumping of toner 71 from toner support 72 to opposing electrode 75 is controlled.
Control electrode 76 is arranged so that its distance from the peripheral surface of toner support 72 is set at 100 .mu.m, for example. Control electrode 76 is composed of a flexible print board (FPC) 76a 50 .mu.m thick and annular electrodes 77 . . . of a copper foil of 20 .mu.m thick. Board 76a has gates 79 . . . having a diameter of 150 .mu.m for passage of toner 71. Around these gates 79 . . . are arranged the aforementioned annular electrodes 77 . . . . Each annular electrode 77 is electrically connected via a feeder line and high-voltage driver (neither is unillustrated) to a control power source 81.
Voltages are applied to electrodes 77 . . . from control power source 81, corresponding to the image signal. Detailedly, when toner 71 supported on toner support 72 is made to travel toward opposing electrode 75, control power source 81 applies a voltage, e.g., 200 V to annular electrodes 77 . . . , so that toner 71 can jump through gates 79 of annular electrodes 77 to the recording paper on the opposing electrode side. In contrast, if the toner need not be passed, the power source 81 applies -200 V to annular electrode 77 to prohibit the toner on toner support 72 from jumping toward opposing electrode 75. In this way, the application of voltages to annular electrodes 77 is performed in accordance with the image signal, so that it is possible to directly form a visual image corresponding to the image signal, on the recording paper 55, by selectively causing the toner to jump.
Here, the rotation of toner support 72, the rotation of opposing electrode 75, the application of voltage to control electrode 76 to prohibit passage of toner 71, and application of the high voltage to the opposing electrode are activated at almost the same time by a common trigger. The transfer time of toner 71 from toner support 72 to recording paper 55 is determined depending upon the amount of static charge on the toner, the distance, and the potential difference applied, between toner support 72 and opposing electrode 75, and in particular, depends on the intensity of the electric field. This time is about 250 .mu.sec, for example. The voltage application time to annular electrode 77 is set longer than the transfer time, specifically at about 300 .mu.sec. Thus, the toner is ensured to adhere to recording paper 55 on opposing electrode 75.
Referring to the conventional apparatus configured as shown in FIG. 2, printing section 53 as a part of image forming unit 51 is composed of an opposing electrode 75 made up of aluminum of about 2 mm thick, and a control electrode 76 which is provided between opposing electrode 75 and toner support 72. Opposing electrode 75 is arranged about 1 mm apart from the peripheral surface of toner support 72 and has a high voltage, e.g., 2 kV applied from a d.c. power source 80. Therefore, an electric field generated between opposing electrode 75 and toner support 72 that causes toner 71 supported on toner support 72 to jump toward opposing electrode 75.
Arranged over opposing electrode 75 is a dielectric belt 73 in contact therewith so that the belt can travel. Dielectric belt 73 is formed endless and is tensioned by at least two support rollers 73a and 73b. When support roller 73b is made to operate, the belt travels in the direction of arrow F. In order for dielectric belt 73 to electrostatically attract recording paper 55 and convey it, a charge supplying roller 74, which abuts dielectric belt 73 with recording paper 55 in between, is arranged downstream with respect to the conveyed direction of recording paper 55. Further, a power source 82 is connected to charge supplying roller 74 in order to cause recording paper 55 to be attracted to dielectric belt 73 by imparting a predetermined amount of charge.
Control electrode 76 is disposed parallel to the tangent plane of the surface of opposing electrode 75 and spreads two-dimensionally facing opposing electrode 75, and it has a structure to permit the toner to flow therethrough from toner support 72 to opposing electrode 75. The electric field formed between toner support 72 and opposing electrode 75 varies depending on the potential being applied to control electrode 76, so that the jumping of toner 71 from toner support 72 to opposing electrode 75 is selectively controlled.
When a high voltage, e.g., 1 kV is applied to charge supplying roller 74 by power source 82, negative charges are injected into recording paper 55 because support roller 73a is applied with 2 kV as stated above. Accordingly, the paper is electrostatically attracted to, and adheres to, dielectric belt 73 so that it can be conveyed to printing section 53 with the travel speed of dielectric belt 73.
Other configurations and operations of the apparatus of FIG. 2 is the same as those of FIG. 1.
These conventional apparatuses suffer from the following problems.
First, in the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1, a high voltage begins to be applied to opposing electrode 73 simultaneously with the application of voltage to other electrodes and the start of rotation of toner support 72. In this case, after a prolonged passage of time has elapsed from the deactivation of the image forming apparatus, or when toner support 72 just starts rotating, the surface of toner support 72 does not have the desired amount of charge and also the thickness of the toner layer supported thereon is not uniform either, so that most toner 71 exhibits unstable performance.
In such an unstable condition, when a high voltage is applied to opposing electrode 75 in order to perform the image forming operation, some toner 71 starts to transfer from toner support 72 to opposing electrode 75 passing through gates 79 even if the voltage which does not cause toner 71 to jump is being applied. This causes the problems that the surface of opposing electrode 75 is stained with toner 71 and that the underside of recording paper 55 being conveyed is stained by the transferred toner on the opposing electrode.
Some of the unstable toner 71 may jump to control electrode 76 due to its potential difference relative to opposing electrode 75 even if a voltage (-200 V in the conventional configuration) not causing toner 71 to jump is applied to control electrode 76. In this way, the adherence of toner 71 to control electrode 76 causes the apparent potentials of annular electrodes 77 . . . to vary due to the electric charge on the toner thus adhering, causing difficulty in the normal passage control of toner. Further, gate 79 for passage of toner might be clogged due to the toner particles adhering to control electrode 76, causing printing to be disabled in the worst case.
Of the unstable toner 71, a considerable amount of toner is reversely charged or has opposite polarity to the desired polarity. If there is such reversely charged toner 71, it adheres to control electrode 76 even if a voltage which will not cause toner 71 to jump (-200 V in the conventional configuration) is being applied. When the reversely charged toner 71 adheres to control electrode 76, the apparent potential of annular electrode 77 varies due to the charge on toner 71 as stated above, thus making it difficult to perform normal toner control. Further, this may make gate 79 clog or cause other troubles, followed by printing deficiency in the worst case.
In the image forming apparatus of FIG. 2, the high voltages applied to control electrode 76 and to opposing electrode are shut off simultaneously as soon as toner support 72 is deactivated at the end of the image recording operation.
Here, since opposing electrode 75 and control electrode 76 stated above have high voltages applied, toner 71 carried on toner support 72 is affected by the electric field created by the high voltages even after the cutoff because of the decay time constant. Since, in particular, a higher voltage is applied to opposing electrode 75 than to control electrode 76, if the supply of voltage to opposing electrode 75 is shut off, the electric field which causes the toner to jump toward opposing electrode will continue to exist because of the decay time constant. Therefore, some of toner 71 carried on toner support starts to transfer toward opposing electrode 75 passing through gates 79.
For the above reason, at the end of image forming, unnecessary toner tends to jump and adhere to opposing electrode 75 thus staining opposing electrode 75 with the toner. In order to prevent such phenomena, if image forming is temporarily stopped, a voltage which prohibits the toner from jumping toward the control electrode or opposing electrode, etc., may be adapted to be applied constantly. However, the maintenance of this voltage during the non-operating state of image forming, only causes waste of energy. Therefore, when image forming finishes, supply of voltage to the electrodes is usually stopped in time with the end of operation.
If the supply of voltage to opposing electrode 75 as well as to control electrode 76 is stopped at the end of image forming, the toner jumps to opposing electrode as stated above, staining the electrode with toner. If the image forming operation is restarted in this condition, the underside of recording paper 55 delivered will be stained disadvantageously.
The supply of the high voltage to opposing electrode 75, in particular, power circuit 80 etc., is not one in which supply and cutoff of high voltage is controlled by means of a relay circuit etc., but one in which the cutoff operation is effected by deactivating the oscillation of the voltage generator, specifically, DC--DC converter etc., to stop the generation of high voltage itself. This feature lengthens the decay time constant further, thus promoting the aforementioned problem of transfer and adherence of unnecessary toner to opposing electrode 75 after the end of image forming.
Of toner 71, some goes to opposing electrode 75 and some adheres to control electrode 76. If the image forming operation is restarted in this condition, the toner 71 adhering to control electrode 76 causes the apparent potentials of annular electrodes 77 . . . to vary due to the charge carried on toner 71, thus making it difficult to perform normal passage control of toner. Further, gate 79 for passage of toner might be clogged due to the toner particles adhering to control electrode 76, causing printing to be disabled in the worst case.
Even though toner 71 does not block gates 79 of control electrode 76, it adheres to the periphery of the gates 79 to make their openings narrower. If the image forming operation is restarted in this condition, the toner adhering to the interior of gates 79 disturbs jumping toner 71 traveling along the desired transfer path so that the toner cannot reach the predetermined dot forming area on recording paper 55. If toner 71 passes through gate 79 but does not reach the predetermined area on recording paper 55, the toner becomes scattered causing fogginess. That is, not only is it impossible to form a normal image but also toner 71 arriving on recording paper 55 causes the image to become blurred, forming a dim image without contrast. This especially causes difficulty in reproducing a halftone image or color image.
Moreover, the image forming apparatus with toner 71 thus adhering to control electrode 76 and opposing electrode 75 at the end of the image forming operation, is often left as it is for a long period of time. For example, suppose that the machine is left until the next day after the end of the image forming operation. Since toner 71 has a property that it clumps more as it is left longer, it becomes difficult to remove the toner which has adhered to control electrode 76 and was left. Once this happened, it is impossible to remove toner 71 by electrostatic force; it is necessary to detach control electrode 76 from printing section 51 and clean and remove it by force using an air brush or a typical cleaning brush. This task is very troublesome, and further brings about difficulty in attachment and adjustment of it to printing section 51 after cleaning.

Image forming apparatus that controls flight of developer particles at the start and/or end of an image forming operation


A unique process cycle and apparatus design separates the consumer (cryogenic) load return flow from most of the recycle return flow of a refrigerator and/or liquefier process cycle. The refrigerator and/or liquefier process recycle return flow is recompressed by a multi-stage compressor set and the consumer load return flow is recompressed by an independent consumer load compressor set that maintains a desirable constant suction pressure using a consumer load bypass control valve and the consumer load return pressure control valve that controls the consumer load compressor's suction pressure. The discharge pressure of this consumer load compressor is thereby allowed to float at the intermediate pressure in between the first and second stage recycle compressor sets. Utilizing the unique gas management valve regulation, the unique process cycle and apparatus design in which the consumer load return flow is separate from the recycle return flow, the pressure ratios of each recycle compressor stage and all main pressures associated with the recycle return flow are allowed to vary naturally, thus providing a naturally regulated and balanced floating pressure process cycle that maintains optimal efficiency at design and off-design process cycle capacity and conditions automatically.

Traditional cryogenic helium refrigeration and liquefaction process cycles are designed at a specified maximum capacity operating point. In actual practice, however, the consumer load often varies depending upon the refrigeration and/or liquefaction consumer (heat) loads. Thus, traditional helium process cycle designs and equipment do not always provide the ability to reduce the refrigeration and liquefaction production while maintaining a high operational efficiency. During reduced consumer loads, traditional process cycle designs require maintaining design point operating pressures or allow varying only a limited number of operating pressures of some components. Thus, the actual operating process cycle (also known as the plant) utility requirements (electric power, liquid nitrogen and cooling water requirements) per unit of refrigeration and/or liquefaction delivered by such a traditional plant significantly increases at reduced consumer loads. Common methods of plant capacity reduction use pressure throttling valves, the addition of load using heaters and/or bypassing the cold and/or warm helium gas capacity produced by the components. Although these mechanisms reduce plant production, they have only limited effect on maintaining high plant efficiency. In fact, the implementation of these methods is analogous to driving an automobile with a fully depressed gas pedal while controlling the speed of the vehicle with the foot brake.
There thus exists a continuing need for a helium production and/or refrigeration cycle (sometimes referred to as process cycle herein) and apparatus that while allowing for reduced production maintains a high operating efficiency of a well designed process cycle operating at the required capacity.


The present disclosure provides methods and systems for tachyarrhythmia therapy involving pacing the heart to prior to the application of a cardioversion/defibrillation shock. One or more pace pulses are delivered to the arrhythmic chamber or chambers. The pace pulses may be delivered to the heart at an adaptable rate selected to organize the electrical activity of the heart. If the pace pulses produce capture, cardioversion/defibrillation stimulation is delivered.

When functioning normally, the heart produces rhythmic contractions and is capable of pumping blood throughout the body. However, due to disease or injury, the heart rhythm may become irregular resulting in diminished blood circulation. Arrhythmia is a general term used to describe heart rhythm irregularities arising from a variety of physical conditions and disease processes.
An abnormally fast heart rate is designated tachyarrhythmia. Tachyarrhythmias may originate in either the atria or the ventricles. Tachycardia is a term generally used to describe cardiac rhythms that are rapid, but relatively organized. Conversely, fibrillation is characterized by rapid, chaotic, and disorganized heart rhythms. Tachycardia and fibrillation may affect either the atria or the ventricles.
Pacemakers have been used as an effective treatment for patients with serious arrhythmias such as bradycardia, a condition characterized by an abnormally slow heart rate. Pacemakers typically include circuitry to sense electrical signals from the heart and a pulse generator for delivering a series of low energy electrical stimulation pulses to the heart. Leads extending into the patient's heart are connected to electrodes that contact the myocardium for sensing the heart's electrical signals and for delivering stimulation pulses to the heart. The pace pulses may be intermittent or continuous, depending on the patient's metabolic demand. The pace pulses are timed to assist the heart in producing a contractile rhythm that maintains cardiac pumping efficiency.
When a pace pulse produces a contractile response in heart tissue, the contractile response is typically referred to as capture, and the electrical cardiac signal corresponding to capture is denoted the evoked response. A pace pulse must exceed a minimum energy value, or capture threshold, to produce a contraction. Detection of the evoked response may be used to verify that the pace pulse has produced capture of the heart tissue.
Cardiac rhythm management systems may include both a pacemaker and a cardioverter/defibrillator. An implantable cardiac cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) typically monitors cardiac activity and delivers high energy electrical stimulation to the heart to interrupt a tachycardia or fibrillation condition. In general, the ICD continuously monitors cardiac activity by analyzing electrical signals, known as electrograms (EGMs), detected by endocardial sensing electrodes. ICDs are generally capable of diagnosing the various types of tachyarrhythmias discussed above, and then delivering an appropriate electrical stimulation therapy to the patient's heart to terminate the diagnosed arrhythmia.
In general, atrial tachyarrhythmias are chronic conditions that are non-life threatening, because the atria only aid in the movement of blood into the ventricles, where the major pumping action of the heart occurs. Conversely, ventricular tachyarrhythmia is a life-threatening event because the heart's ability to pump blood to the rest of the body is seriously impaired if the ventricles become arrhythmic.
In the treatment of chronic cardiac conditions, such as atrial tachycardia or fibrillation, the patient is typically conscious and can feel the electrical stimulation applied to the heart. Thus, it is desirable to reduce the energy of the electrical stimulation for treating arrhythmias, particularly chronic atrial arrhythmias. For both atrial and ventricular tachyarrhythmias, the relative organizational state of the tachyarrhythmia may be related to the amount of energy needed for successful defibrillation therapy.

Cardiac therapy triggered by capture verification


A nail gun has a free end 19a and central potion of a trigger arm 19 positioned within a trigger 11, on an upper end 12a of a safety portion 12 and at a plunger 17, respectively. When the trigger 11 is pivoted on its pivot end 16, pivoting movement of the trigger 11 moves a pivot end 18 of the trigger arm 19 to press the central portion of the trigger arm 19 into contact with the plunger 17 and, with the plunger 17 serving as a fulcrum, to press the free end 19a downward against the upper end 12a of the safety portion 12. If downward movement of the safety portion 12 is obstructed when the trigger 11 is pivoted, the upper end 12a contacted by the free end 19a of the trigger arm 19 serves as a fulcrum around which the trigger arm 19 pivots with movement of the trigger 11, whereupon the central portion of the trigger arm 19 presses the plunger 17 inward so that an activation switch 10 activates a blade 7 to eject a nail through a nose piece 5.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nail gun that drives a nail through, for example, the hole of a connection clasp and to a nail gun that can accurately drive nails into a desired drive position.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of different types of clasp fixing nail guns have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,730 discloses a nail gun that separates nails one at a time from a nail band and supplies the nail to a nail injection hole of the nosepiece. The nail tip is protruded from the end of the nosepiece before the nail gun drives the nail.
The nail gun further has a safety mechanism with a work-piece contact member, an intermediate lever, and an operation lever. The work-piece contact member extends from the nose of the nail gun to the base of the intermediate lever. When the trigger of the nail gun is pressed, the operation lever moves toward or away from an activation plunger, depending on the position of the work-piece contact member and the intermediate lever. That is, the work-piece contact member is raised into its lowermost position as long as the nose of the nail gun is not pressed against a work piece. If the trigger is pressed at this time, the intermediate lever pivots greatly and guides movement of the operation lever away from the activation plunger. On the other hand, when the nose of the nail gun is pressed against a work piece, the contact member is raised into its upper position. If the trigger is pulled at this time, pivoting movement of the intermediate lever is restricted so that the operation lever moves into contact with the activation plunger, thereby setting off a nail driving operation. In other words, the safety mechanism prevents the nail gun from firing when no work piece is present by changing the pivot path of the operation lever.

Nail gun with safety portion mechanism for preventing misfires


According to certain embodiments, a method by a wireless device is provided for resource sensing. The method includes acquiring, from a network node, an indication of resources associated with a first resource pool. The first resource pool is for use in an exceptional communication with another device. A triggering event associated with signalling from the network node is identified. Based on the triggering event, a need for the exceptional communication with the other device is determined. At least one resource is selected from the first resource pool, and a message is transmitted using the at least one resource selected from the first resource pool.

In Release 12, the LTE standard has been extended to support device-to-device (D2D) (specified as "sidelink") features targeting both commercial and Public Safety applications. Some applications enabled by Rel-12 LTE include device discovery. Device discovery allows a wireless device to sense the proximity of another device and associated application by broadcasting and detecting discovery messages that carry device and application identities. Another application consists of direct communication based on physical channels established directly between devices. In 3GPP, all of these applications are defined under the umbrella of Proximity Services (ProSe).
One of the potential extensions of the ProSe framework consists of support of V2x communication, which includes any combination of direct communication between vehicles, pedestrians, and infrastructure. FIG. 1 illustrates example types of V2X communication. From the application point of view, V2X includes at least the following types of communication/services: vehicle to vehicle (V2V), vehicle to infrastructure (V2I), vehicle to pedestrian (V2P), and vehicle to network (V2N).
V2V covers communication between vehicles using V2V applications and is predominantly broadcast-based. V2V may be realized by either direct communication between the devices in the respective vehicles, or via infrastructure such as a cellular network. An example of V2V is the transmission of a cooperative awareness message (CAM) with vehicle status information (such as position, direction and speed), which may be periodically and repeatedly transmitted to other vehicles in the proximity. For example, CAM may be transmitted every 100 ms-1 s. Another example is the transmission of a decentralized environmental notification message (DENM), which is an event-triggered message to alert vehicles. These two examples are taken from the ETSI Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) specification of V2X applications, which also specifies the conditions under which the messages are generated. A main characteristic of V2V applications is the tight requirements on latency that can vary from 20 ms for pre-crash warning messages to 100 ms for other road safety services.
V2I includes communication between vehicles and a Roadside Unit (RSU). An RSU is a stationary transportation infrastructure entity which communicates with vehicles in its proximity. An example of V2I is the transmission of speed notifications from the RSU to vehicles. Other examples include the transmission of queue information, collision risk alerts, and curve speed warnings. Due to the safety related nature of V2I, delay requirements for V2I are similar to the requirements for V2V.
V2P includes communication between vehicles and vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, using V2P applications. V2P typically takes place between distinct vehicles and pedestrians either directly or via infrastructure such as cellular network.
V2N includes communication between a vehicle and a centralized application server or an ITS Traffic Management Center. Such communications may use V2N applications via infrastructure such as a cellular network. One example is a bad road condition warning sent to all vehicles in a wide area. Another example is a traffic flow optimization in which a V2N application suggests speeds to vehicles and coordinates traffic lights. Thus, V2N messages may be controlled by a centralized entity such as, for example, the Traffic Management Center and may be provisioned to vehicles in a large geographical area, rather than in a small area. Additionally, unlike V2V/V2I, latency requirements for V2N are more relaxed because V2N is meant to be used for non-safety purposes. For example, a is latency requirement is typically considered for V2N.
V2x communication may take advantage of network infrastructure when available. However, at least basic V2x connectivity should be possible even where there is a lack of network coverage. Providing an LTE-based V2x interface may be economically advantageous because of the LTE economies of scale. Additionally, a V2X interface may enable tighter integration for vehicle to infrastructure (V2I), vehicle to pedestrian (V2P), and vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communications, as compared to using a dedicated V2x technology. There are many research projects and field tests of connected vehicles in various countries or regions, including projects that are based on the use of existing cellular infrastructure.
V2x communications may carry both non-safety and safety information, where each of the applications and services may be associated with specific requirements sets. Such requirement sets, for example, may relate to latency, reliability, capacity, or other suitable requirements.
Sidelink transmissions, which may also be known as D2D or ProSe, are communicated over the so-called PC5 interface in cellular spectrum. Sidelink transmissions have been standardized in 3GPP since Release 12. Specifically, two different operative modes have been specified in 3GPP Release 12. In one mode (mode-1), a wireless device in RRC_CONNECTED mode requests D2D resources and the eNB grants them via PDCCH (DCI5) or via dedicated signalling. In another mode (mode-2), a wireless device autonomously selects resources for transmission from a pool of available resources that the eNB provides in broadcast via SIB signalling for transmissions on carriers other than the PCell or via dedicated signaling for transmission on the PCell. Therefore, unlike the first operation mode, the second operation mode can be performed also by wireless devices in RRC_IDLE.
In Release 14, the usage of sidelink is extended to the V2x domain. The design of the sidelink physical layer in Release 12 has been dictated by the assumptions of few amount of wireless devices competing for the same physical resources in the spectrum, to carry voice packet for MCPTT traffic, and low-mobility. On the other hand, in V2x the sidelink should be able to cope with higher load scenario. For example, hundreds of cars could potentially contend for physical resources. In V2X, the sidelink carries time/event triggered V2x messages (CAM, DNEM) and provide high mobility. For such reasons, 3GPP has discussed possible enhancements to the sidelink physical layer.
One such enhancement is the introduction of channel sensing. Unlike random resource selection, which is the basis for Release 12 and Release 13 ProSe communications, in V2V, wireless devices continuously sense the channel and search for resources in the different parts of the spectrum that are less interfered. The objective of such sensing is to limit collisions between wireless devices.
Two types of sensing have been considered in 3GPP. The first type is sensing based on received power. Specifically, a wireless device measures the received energy on specific radio resources. Based on these measurements, the wireless device may decide whether the radio resources are considered to be in use by some other wireless device (i.e., 'busy') or not (i.e., 'idle'). As another example, the wireless device may use the measurements to estimate whether the transmitter is far away or nearby. For example, the transmitter may be far away if the signal is weak and nearby if the signal is strong.
The second type of sensing is sensing based on packet contents. Using this type of sensing, a wireless device receives a packet and decodes it. Based on the information extracted from the packet, the wireless device may obtain some knowledge about the utilization of radio resources: For example, by reading a scheduling assignment (SA) packet or receiving sidelink control information (SCI), a wireless device may know in which radio resources to expect data transmissions and what the priority level of the transmitter is. As another example, by reading a data packet, a wireless device may know the position of the transmitter, the ID of transmitter, the type of transmitter, or some other information about the transmitter.
Wireless device mobility can be supported for wireless devices that are using sidelink resources. When such a wireless device is handed over, the sidelink resources with which it has been configured by its serving cell can be included by the source eNB in its "RRC context," may be signalled to the target eNB in the X2 HANDOVER REQUEST message. The RRC context may be defined as RRC Context IE by 3GPP TS 36.423 and TS 36.331. If the target cell is able to allocate the same set of radio resources to the wireless device, the wireless device may be prevented from losing the PC5 connection, thereby minimizing sidelink service disruption, if any, due to handover.
The ProSe protocol also defines techniques to minimize the impact of radio link failures (RLF). During RLF, the wireless device may temporarily lose connection towards the cell to which it is connected. This may be particularly detrimental if the wireless device has been configured with sidelink mode-1 operations, since the wireless device during RLF cannot receive new sidelink grants from the eNB. Therefore, for the whole duration of an A3 event as defined in TS 36.311, the wireless device may not be able to use the sidelink. This may be highly undesired for mission critical applications. To alleviate this problem, a new pool, which may be referred to as exceptional pool in 3GPP specifications, has been introduced. Such a pool is provided by the eNB in broadcast signalling and should be used when the wireless device enters RLF, so that sidelink service interruption at RLF is minimized. This pool may also be used during an RRC re-establishment stage when T301 is active. The exceptional pool may not be limited to RLF applications only. Instead, they may also be used at handover, for example, to reduce the service interruption.
The nature of V2X traffic calls for more accurate resource selection strategies, other than purely random selection as specified in Release 12 ProSe communications. One such strategy is sensing in which the wireless device is required to first sense the medium and measure the quality of the channel before transmitting. Resource selection may take into account such sensing by prioritizing the selection of those physical resources that were judged to be less interfered. In order to be really effective, such a sensing procedure should be performed for a certain amount of time in the order of hundreds of milliseconds or even seconds. As such, there is an impact on service interruption that might not be negligible. In order to mitigate such a problem, the Release 14 sidelink design considers that the communication pool is continuously sensed by the wireless device. However, continuous sensing may not be possible in case of exceptional pool usage.
Since the exceptional pool is used only in exceptional cases such as, for example, RLF to minimize service interruption, the sensing procedure, which may take some seconds, may be detrimental for mission critical services. For example, the sensing procedure may be detrimental for V2V traffic safety services. Additionally, by the time the wireless device has completed the sensing of the exceptional pool (possibly some seconds), the RLF event may already be terminated, neutralizing the benefit of RLF.

Systems and methods for resource sensing for sidelink operation


A cylindrical holder material having a thin deformed portion is located in a press forming die. An optical element material is installed inside the holder material and the holder material and the optical element material are heated to their respective softening temperatures, thereby forming a cylindrical holder from the holder material and an optical element from the optical element material by press forming the holder material and the optical element material that have been heated to their respective softening temperatures. Thus, the optical element is integrated inside the holder and the deformed portion of the holder is deformed towards the outside thereof by a pressing force applied by the optical element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a holder-mounted optical element in which a holder and an optical element are integrated, and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing a holder-mounted optical element formed by press forming an optical element material within the holder.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical element such as lens mounted in a pickup head of a CD player or a lens used in a digital camera requires high precision during its installation. To meet this requirement, a holder-mounted optical element that secures the optical element using a holder is generally manufactured. As a result, it is possible to meet the requirement using the holder. For example, a method of manufacturing the holder-mounted optical element is disclosed in patent document 1. Herein, first, an optical element material is disposed inside a cylindrical holder material and is heated. Then the holder material and the optical element material are press formed using metallic dies, thereby forming the optical element. At the same time, an installation surface for the holder is formed and the optical element is compressed in the holder, thus to integrate the optical element with the holder.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 2793433 (FIG. 3)
However, when press forming the optical element material, if there is any error in the volumetric metering of the optical element material, the thickness of the optical element material is changed. As a result, optical performance is degraded and an ideal optical location should be obtained for adjustment and fixation, causing problems in terms of performance and location determination. As a method to solve such problems, there is a method that the volume error can be reduced by improving precision in the volumetric metering of the optical element material. However, to make sure to obtain the desired effects, it is necessary to handle not only the volume of the optical element material but also the holder shape with high precision.

Method of manufacturing holder-mounted optical element


A centering valve box adapter is provided for supporting a bonnet over a valve box to maintain vertical access to the valve box nut. A plurality of retainers can be affixed to the valve box using the bolts on the valve box. Each retainer has a lip and a keeper. Each keeper has a vertical hole. A plurality of brackets can also be provided. Each bracket can have an interface, an extension and a riser. The interface can be removably received within the hole of the keeper. The plurality of retainers and respective brackets form an assembly that defines a perimeter. A bonnet can be vertically supported on the respective extensions of the brackets. The bonnet is self centering and is laterally bound by the perimeter defined by the risers. The retainers and brackets can be made of stainless steel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a centering valve box adapter that supports and centers a bonnet over a valve box to maintain vertical access to the valve box nut to eliminate the need for excavation by preventing shifting of the valve box.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of valve boxes is well documented in the field of municipal water supply. It is important to install valves at certain intervals within the underground piping so that segments can be opened or closed upon direction of the interested party (be it governmental or private).
It is typical to place a bonnet and vertical pipe over the valve box to allow access to the valve, and in particular to a valve nut that is operable rotationally around the nut vertical axis. The top of the vertical pipe is preferably placed flush with the ground or manufactured surface, and a cover can be provided to restrict unauthorized access to the valve. In theory, a worker can remove the cover and access the valve nut via the vertical pipe with the use of a T-wrench. However, a major problem arises when the valve box moves, shifts or settles and the valve nut is no longer accessible via the vertical pipe. In this situation, excavation of the valve may be necessary. Of course, the excavation is associated with major costs, both in time and in dollars.
Several products have been developed over the years to combat the problems normally associated with shifting or settling of the valve boxes.
One such product is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,378 to Gagas et al., which is titled Gate Valve Adaptor. It is disclosed in this patent that an adaptor is provided for supporting a key box on an underground gate valve. The adapter is taught to include a rectangular metal ring adapted to be seated on the gate valve bonnet flange. A number of radially extending arms are positioned to engage the lower edge of the key box bonnet, and a resilient ring is positioned between the adaptor ring and the key box flange. The rectangular metal ring appears to be configured to match a specific size gate valve bonnet flange. While not problematic in some circumstances, the metal ring may not be useful with gate valve bonnet flanges of dimensions other than a specific size. Also, there appears to be little lateral support for the metal ring to prevent lateral movement that could occur during shifting of the gate valve box. Further, vertical support of the bonnet is dependent upon maintaining the location of the metal ring on top of the gate valve bonnet flange.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,929 to Gagas is titled Liquid Infiltration Prevention Structures for Preventing Liquid Infiltration Manhole Assemblies Gate Valve Sealing Structures for Preventing Settling or Shifting of Key Box Bonnets and Method for Using Said Structures. The adaptor is taught to be provided with a resilient gasket to provide a cushion and create a seal for the bonnet on the gate valve. Yet, the gasket itself will nevertheless be subjected to the environmental stresses. It is possible that the resiliency of the gasket can lead to the gasket being compromised if the valve box shifts, settles or otherwise moves.
U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 546,924 and Des. 548,309 are both to Gagas and titled Gate Valve Sealing Structure. The ornamental designs of the sealing structure appear to simply rest on the valve box near the top of the valve box.
A further product is made by American Flow Control and is named Trench Adapter and Retrofit Valve Box Insert. A self centering alignment ring is provided having a sliding adjuster. The alignment ring appears to rest on the valve box directly beneath the valve nut.
None of these designs incorporate a low profile retainer extending beyond the rim of the upper portion of the valve box, and none of these designs incorporate brackets for vertically and laterally supporting a bonnet.
None of these designs show an assembly with a perimeter entirely outside of rim of the valve box to provide an increased support for increased stability.
None of these designs show a method of assembling the assembly to prevent shifting and settling of the valve box.
Thus there exists a need for a centering valve box adapter that solves these and other problems.


Carbon monoxide is injected into the interior of the meat product along with other materials to produce a desired carbon monoxide saturation level. The amount of carbon monoxide in the added fluid is controlled to produce a desired carbon monoxide saturation level distributed substantially evenly throughout the volume of the meat product. This desired saturation level may vary depending upon the nature of the meat product being treated, however, the saturation level will generally remain at less than 100% or complete saturation for most meat products. The liquid added to meat product may be added simultaneously with the carbon monoxide or may be added as a pre-treatment before application of carbon monoxide or as a post-treatment after the application of carbon monoxide.

It has long been known that meat may be treated with carbon monoxide to maintain a color in the meat product. In particular, carbon monoxide treatment may produce a bright red color in the meat product. U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,835, to Woodruff et al. discloses a process of treating meat products with carbon monoxide to modify the color at the surface of the meat product.
It has also been proposed to use carbon monoxide as a preservative in meat products. U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,829 to Shaklai discloses a process where raw meat is saturated with carbon monoxide to inhibit microbial activity in the meat product. The Shaklai patent also discloses that the carbon monoxide saturation in the meat product produces a color change throughout the meat product.
The change in color from carbon monoxide treatment results from the reaction of carbon monoxide with hemoglobin and myoglobin in meat products to form carboxyhemoglobin and carboxymyoglobin respectively. The microbial activity inhibiting effect of carbon monoxide in meat products is at least in part produced by reducing the oxygen content in the meat product. This reduction in oxygen content creates an unsuitable environment for aerobic microbes. Carbon monoxide treatment may also inhibit the growth and propagation of anaerobic microbes as well.
Despite the benefits, there remain certain problems associated with treating meat products with carbon monoxide. One problem with treating uncooked meats with carbon monoxide is that the treatment may affect the color of the product after the meat begins to spoil and after cooking as well as before. In particular, prior art carbon monoxide treatments may leave the uncooked meat with a bright red color that remains in the meat even after it is cooked. This unnatural red color in the cooked meat product occurs throughout the product where the entire product is saturated with carbon monoxide. Even where only the surface of the meat product is saturated with carbon monoxide, the surface of the cooked meat product may have an unnatural red color and the meat may not brown properly. Thus, although the carbon monoxide treated uncooked meat product may have an appearance that is desirable to consumers, the color in the uncooked meat product may mask spoilage and the color remaining in the cooked meat product may be unacceptable to consumers.

Method for treating meat products with carbon monoxide


A method (10) and system of adjusting a speech output rate to match a speech input rate can include the steps of receiving (12) speech input, computing (14) a speech input rate, and dynamically adjusting (18 or 26) a speech output rate to match the speech input rate. If the type of speech output is TTS, then a rate of TTS can be adjusted (18). If the type of speech output is recorded and alternate text is available, then steps (22 and 24) of counting alternate text available from a recorded output and determining an audio file length is used to compute a default output rate to adjust a recorded output rate. If the type is recorded and alternate text is unavailable, then steps (21 and 24) of obtaining an output word count from a transcription of a recorded speech output and determining an audio file length is used.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the field of speech reproduction, and more particularly to a method and system for matching the speed of speech output to a speech input in a speech application.
2. Description of the Related Art
In current speech application systems, there is no way to dynamically adjust the rate of speech output to match a user's speech input rate. In a very high quality speech system, it would be desirable to dynamically match the rate of speech output to a user's speech input rate to make the system more comfortable and pleasant for the user. There are existing methods for adjusting speech output rates for both artificial and recorded speech, but none of these methods include the ability to match and dynamically adjust to a speech input rate.
An example of such static adjustment is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,553 entitled "Apparatus and method for controlling rate of playback of audio data" which discusses a method and apparatus that controls the rate of playback of audio data corresponding to a stream of speech. Using speech recognition, the rate of speech of the audio data is determined. The determined rate of speech is compared to a target rate. Based on the comparison, the playback rate is adjusted, i.e. increased or decreased, to match the target rate. Although this reference adjusts the playback rate, it is for use in the field of closed captioning video and only teaches the use of rates derived from speech recognition of the audio portion of the video to match the audio output rate to a predefined non-dynamic or fixed target rate. It fails to describe a method for dynamically and automatically matching the speed of speech output (including TTS output) to speech input in a speech application.

Method and system of dynamically adjusting a speech output rate to match a speech input rate

International Business Machines Corporation


An elongate member is coated with a coating, preferably by coextrusion, and the coated elongate member is wound in a helical manner around a mandrel. The coated elongate member preferably has a square cross-sectional shape so that adjacent portions of the coated elongate member engage one another when the coated elongate member is wound around the mandrel. The coated elongate member is then heated so that the coating on adjacent portions of the coated elongate member fuse together to form an integral strcucture. Another layer of material may be provided on the radially inner or outer wall of the coated elongate member.

The present invention is directed to reinforced hollow tubes and their methods of manufacture and use. A specific application of the present invention is for arterial and venous cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) cannulas. The present invention is particularly useful as the arterial return cannula for the cardiopulmonary bypass system described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/282,192 which is incorporated herein by reference. The CPB system has an arterial return cannula which is used to return oxygenated blood to the patient. An aortic occlusion catheter passes through the arterial cannula. The aortic occlusion catheter is used to block blood flow through the ascending aorta and deliver cardioplegic fluid to arrest the heart for performing surgery on the heart and great vessels. The aortic occlusion catheter is inserted through the same lumen in the arterial cannula which is used to return arterial blood to the patient so that the arterial blood essentially passes in the annular space between the aortic occlusion catheter and the arterial return cannula.
An advantage of the CPB system described above is that only one opening in the patient's arterial system is required for both delivery of cardioplegic fluid and return of arterial blood. In order to achieve optimum blood and cardioplegic fluid flow rates, the wall of the arterial cannula must be minimized while retaining enough structural integrity to prevent kinking and/or cracking. The present invention is particularly useful in providing a thin walled cannula which may be used as an arterial return cannula for the system described above.
A known method of making a reinforced cannula is to dip a mandrel in a polymer solution and wrap a metal wire over the polymer. The mandrel is then dipped again to encase the metal wire between two layers of polymer.
Another known method of making a reinforced cannula is to extrude a polymer tubing, wrap a metal wire around the polymer tubing, and extrude another polymer layer over the metal wire.
A problem with the known methods of manufacturing a reinforced cannula is that the spacing between adjacent wires must be relatively large to ensure that the polymer flows between adjacent coils so that the two polymer layers bond together to form an integrated structure. Unfortunately, the relatively large spacing requires a relatively thick polymer layer to provide the necessary strength since the wire has a large pitch. The relatively thick polymer layer is also required to ensure that a sufficient amount of polymer is provided to fill the relatively large space. The resulting cannula has a relatively thick wall.
Thus, a specific object of the present invention is to provide a new method of manufacturing reinforced tubing and, in particular, cannulas for venous withdrawal and arterial return of blood for a cardiopulmonary bypass system.

Method of manufacture of a cannula for a medical device


A copying area display device for a copier and allowing the operator to easily position a document on a glass platen. The device displays an effective image reading area which is easy to see. When a cover plate is opened, a carriage included in a scanner is moved to one of four sides of the effective image reading area. Scales, lamps or movable marks are arranged around the glass platen and on the carriage. Alternatively, a liquid crystal display may be built in or superposed on the glass platen to display the contour of an effective image reading area. When the cover plate is closed, the scanner is returned to a home position thereof.

The present invention relates to a display device applicable to a copier for displaying a copying area.
It is a common practice with a copier to dispose a scanner below a glass platen. While the scanner scans the underside of a document laid on the glass platen, the resulting reflection from the document is incident on the surface of a photoconductive element or on an image sensor. A scale is located at each of two or four sides of the glass platen which the operator of the copier may reference in the event of positioning a document on the glass platen.
The maximum document size available with many of copiers for office use, for example, is A3. This kind of copier has a glass platen dimensioned slightly greater than A3 size. However, since documents of A3 size are rarely copied, compared to documents of the other sizes, only part of the glass platen is usually used as an area for reading a document image, i.e., an effective image reading area. Specifically, to copy a document of A4 size or similar size smaller than the glass platen, the operator has to set the document at a particular area matching the effective image reading area on the glass platen by hand. The above-mentioned scales help the operator so position the document on the glass platen. Specifically, the scales are each provided with graduations representative of regular sizes available with the copier, e.g., A3, B4, A4, B5 and A5. To reproduce a document of A4 size, for example, the operator has only to position the document at the graduation A4 of the scales.
In practice, however, positioning a document by referencing the scales is not easy. Particularly, assume a center registration type copier in which the effective image reading area is determined on the basis of the position of an axis passing the center of the short sides of the glass platen in parallel to the long sides. Then, even when a scale is arranged around all of the four sides of the glass platen, the actual effective image reading area adjoins only one scale and is spaced apart from the other three scales. Therefore, to position a document smaller in size than the glass platen at the effective image reading area, the operator has to determine the approximate position of the effective image reading area with the eye by looking at the three scales slightly spaced apart from the area for positioning the document and the single scale adjoining the area. This kind of scheme prevents the document from being accurately positioned and, in addition, forces the operator to take greatest care in positioning the document.
Moreover, when the operator adjusts a magnification to a desired value by using, for example, a zooming function, the effective image reading area differs from regular sizes. Hence, even with a corner registration type copier having a vertical and a horizontal scale contacting two adjoining sides of an effective image reading area, it is impossible for the operator to read the accurate position of the rectangle of the area on the scales. Therefore, the positioning operation on the glass platen is extremely difficult and time- and labor-consuming.

Copying area display device for a copier


A base station of the present invention performs transmission power control quickly with maintaining communication quality in mobile communications systems, by setting up priority about transmission power control and performing transmission power control sequentially from a channel with a high priority. A channel priority setting unit outputs priority information indicating priority for transmission power control about a plurality of channel information. A power calculation unit outputs total power information of all channels about the plurality of channel information. A power adjustment unit performs power adjustment to the channel information selected on the basis of the priority information when the total power information has larger value than maximum transmission power information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a base station combining a plurality of channel information divided as a unit of transmission power control from all the transmission channels and transmitting downlink data to mobile stations, and a transmission power control method, in mobile communication systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, in mobile communication systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), transmission power control procedure which controls a transmission power to an optimal value based on reception quality is performed in downlink and uplink radio communication channels between a base station and mobile stations. Transmission power control of downlink is achieved in the mobile station by monitoring reception quality and sending control information on the basis of the reception quality to the base station. Also, transmission power control of uplink is achieved in the base station by monitoring reception quality and sending control information on the basis of the reception quality to the mobile station.
Particularly, as to the transmission power control of downlink, the base station increases transmission power to the mobile stations in order to maintain required communication quality in a situation that a number of call channels increases, a radio communication environment deteriorates, or the mobile station gets away from the base station. Increment of the transmission power causes waveform distortion in a transmission power amplifier. Therefore, the base station needs to limit the transmission power so that a total transmission power value to transmit downlink data to the mobile stations does not exceed a maximum transmission power value (upper limit of the total transmission power permitted) set up previously.
A technology of limiting the transmission power in the base station is disclosed in EP 1199819 A1. The base station controls a variable attenuator connected to input side of a transmission power amplifier in order to protect the transmission power amplifier, when the transmission power has approached an output power limit of the transmission power amplifier.
Next, a description will be given in more detail of the base station. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional base station.
In FIG. 6, the conventional base station 101 includes a channel combining unit 102, a digital-to-analog converter (D/A) 103, a mixer (MIX) 104, a variable attenuator 105, an amplifier (AMP) 106, a divider (HYD) 107, a detector 108, an analog-to-digital converter (A/D) 109, a controller 110, a transmission power amplifier (TPA) 111, and a local oscillator 112.
The channel combining unit 102 carries out additive combine of each of received signals (a pilot channel, a control channel, and a plurality of dedicated channels), calculates total power value from the combined signal, and outputs as total power information to the controller 110.
The controller 110 compares the total power information with maximum transmission power information set up previously. Next, the controller 110 compares the maximum transmission power information with the transmission power information (output power of the amplifier 106) output from the analog-to-digital converter 109, when the total power information has exceeded the maximum transmission power information. Furthermore, the controller 110 controls attenuation of the variable attenuator 105 connected to the input side of the amplifier 106 based on the comparative result. That is, the base station can protect the transmission power amplifier 111 by maintaining the transmission power information within the maximum transmission power information of upper limit.
However, in the base station disclosed in EP 1199819 A1, even if there is a transmission channel whose power fluctuation should be avoided, there is a problem that the whole transmission power is attenuated uniformly.
Aside from this conventional technology, in advance of this application, the applicant has proposed the base station which maintains a transmission power of specific transmission channel and can limit the total transmission power (see, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/137,384 (US2005/0265292 A1) and European Patent Appl. No. 05090159.4 (EP1603251 A1) ).
The base station classifies all the transmission channels into a plurality of power classes (for example, a common control channel to all the mobile stations, a communication channel allocated to each of mobile stations, and so on) as a unit of transmission power control, and performs transmission power control for controllable power class. That is, the base station controls the transmission power of the controllable power class in which reduction of the transmission power is allowed, without reducing the transmission power of the control channel to avoid fluctuation of transmission power.
However, when communication channel allocated to each of mobile stations is scheduled to controllable power class of transmission power, there is a problem that the entire transmission power is attenuated uniformly, regardless of communication quality with which each of the mobile station is provided.
As described above, the conventional technologies may affect the quality of the entire communication channels allocated to each of the mobile stations, when the transmission power of the base station has exceeded the maximum transmission power information of upper limit set up previously.

Base station and transmission power control method


An exposure method for exposing a pattern on a reticle onto plural shots on an object, includes the steps of measuring flatness information of each of the plural shots on the object, identifying a shot as a specific shot among the plural shots, the specific shot having flatness that is measured in the measuring step and outside a predetermined range, obtaining positional information by measuring plural measurement points on the object, the obtaining step obtaining more detailed positional information of the specific shot identified by the identifying step than that of a non-specific shot that is not the specific shot, and controlling at least one of a position and a tilt of the object using the positional information obtained by the obtaining step.

The present invention relates generally to an exposure method and apparatus, and more particularly to an exposure method and apparatus used to expose various objects such as a single crystal substrate for a semiconductor wafer, a glass plate for a liquid crystal display ("LCD"), and the like. The present invention is suitable, for example, an exposure method and apparatus that utilizes a step and scan manner for exposure.
Conventionally used projection exposure apparatuses use a projection optical system to project a circuit pattern on a mask (or a reticle) onto a wafer, etc. in manufacturing such devices as a semiconductor device, a LCD device and a thin-film magnetic head in the photolithography technology.
The trend of the fine and high-density integrated circuits requires the projection exposure apparatus to expose a circuit pattern on the reticle onto a wafer with high resolving power. The minimum critical dimension transferable by the projection exposure apparatus (resolution) is proportionate to a wavelength of exposure light, and inversely proportionate to the numerical aperture ("NA") of the projection optical system. The shorter the wavelength is, the better the resolution is. Accordingly, the light source in recent years has been in transition from an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp (g-line with a wavelength of approximately 436 nm) and i-line with a wavelength of approximately 365 nm) to KrF excimer laser (with a wavelength of approximately 248 nm) and ArF excimer laser (with a wavelength of approximately 193 nm). Practical use of F2 excimer laser (with a wavelength of 157 nm) has been promoted. A wider exposure area is also required.
A step-and-repeat exposure apparatus (also referred to as a "stepper") for entirely projecting and exposing an approximately square exposure area onto a wafer with a reduced exposure area is being replaced mainly with a step-and-scan exposure apparatus (also referred to as a "scanner") for accurately exposing a wide screen of exposure area through a rectangular slit with relatively and quickly scanning the reticle and the wafer.
In exposure, the scanner uses a surface-position detector having an oblique light irradiating system to measure a surface height at a certain position on the wafer before the exposure slit area moves to the certain position on the wafer, and accords the wafer surface with an optimal exposure image-surface position when exposing the certain position, thereby minimizing the influence of the flatness of the wafer.
In particular, there are plural measurement points in longitudinal direction of the exposure slit, i.e., a direction orthogonal to the scan direction, at front and back portions of the exposure slit area to measure an inclination or tilt of the surface as well as a height or focus of the wafer surface position. In general, the scanning exposure proceeds in both directions from the front portion and from the back portion (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-45609 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,294).
Japanese Patent Application, Publication No. 6-260391 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,332) proposes a method for measuring and correcting a surface position on a wafer in a scanner. This method arranges plural measurement points on a pre-scan area other than the exposure area to measure the focus and tilt in scan and non-scan directions. Japanese Patent Application, Publication No. 6-283403 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,332) proposes another method for measuring, driving and correcting the focus and tilt in the scan and non-scan directions by arranging plural measurement points in the exposure area.
A description will be given of these proposals with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. Here, FIG. 12 is a schematic sectional view of focus and tilt measurement points FP1 to FP3 on the wafer 1000. FIG. 13 is a schematic sectional view showing the wafer 1000 that has been driven to an optimal exposure image-surface position based on the measurement results. Referring to FIG. 12, the focus and tilt are sequentially measured at the measurement points FP1 to FP3 on the wafer 1000. A pre-scan plane PMP is calculated based on the measurement results from the measurement points FP1 to FP3, and the orientation of the wafer is driven and adjusted to the best focus plane BFP in moving the wafer 1000 to the exposure are an exposure slit 2000, as shown in FIG. 13.
However, the recent increasingly shortened wavelength of the exposure light and the high NA of the projection optical system require an extremely small depth of focus ("DOF") and a strict accuracy with which the wafer surface to be exposed is aligned to the best focus position BFP or so-called focus accuracy.
In particular, they require strict measurement and precise correction of the tilt of the wafer surface in the scan direction or width direction of the exposure slit. A wafer having the bad flatness has disadvantageous focus detection accuracy of the exposure area. For example, when the exposure apparatus has a DOF with 0.4 μm, the flatness of the wafer requires several nanometer order, for example, the flatness of the wafer needs 0.08 μm where it is one-fifth as long as the DOF, or 0.04 μm where it is one-tenth as long as the DOF. While a surface-position detector of the oblique light irradiating system measures the wafer's surface position before the area reaches the exposure slit, the measurement timing is discrete and no information is available or considered about the wafer's flatness between two timings. As a result, there is no information available between timings of the flatness of the wafer.
For example, suppose that this measurement timing is an interval of 3 mm on the wafer 1000 in the scan direction as shown in FIG. 14. Then, when the wafer 1000 has the bad flatness between an interval of 3 mm, for example, between points P1 to P3 in FIG. 14, the surface position offsets by Δ from the pre-scan plane PMP calculated by the measurement at the interval of 3 mm. Here, FIG. 14 is a schematic sectional view showing an offset of flatness between the pre-scan plane PMP and the wafer 1000.
In exposure, the pre-scan plane PMP is adjusted to the best focus plane BFP, and the exposure in FIG. 14 needs a shift by the amount of Δ. This defocus occurs in a direction orthogonal to the scan direction as well as the scan direction. This is due to an arrangement of measurement points of the above oblique light irradiating system, rather than the measurement timing.
The finer measurement timing in the scan direction and the increased number of measurement points in the oblique light irradiating system would reduce an offset error, but might disadvantageously lower the throughput due to the deteriorated scan speed in exposure time, increase measurement time and cost together with the complicated apparatus structure, and grows likelihood of troubles.