A firearm can have a backbone, a barrel, a swinging wedge, and a barrel latch, in accordance with one or more embodiments. The barrel latch can be in mechanical communication with the swinging wedge. The barrel latch can have a first position and a second position and the swinging wedge can be configured to maintain attachment of the barrel to the backbone when the barrel latch is in the first position and is configured to release the barrel from the backbone when the barrel latch is in the second position. Thus, the firearm can provide quick barrel changes. Other features enhance the reliability and utility of the firearm.

Semi-automatic and fully automatic firearms are well known. Semi-automatic firearms shoot one bullet each time that the trigger is pulled. Fully automatic firearms continue shooting as long as the trigger is pulled and they have not exhausted their ammunition. Fully automatic firearms are typically capable of relatively high rates of fire, i.e., cyclic rates. For example, the M16 and the M4 have a nominal cyclic rate of 700 to 950 rounds per minute.
Because fully automatic firearms are capable of such high cyclic rates, they are prone to a variety of problems. For example, sustained fully automatic fire can result in barrel overheating. Barrel overheating is particularly problematic when high capacity magazines, such as SureFire's 60 round and 100 round magazines, are being used. High capacity magazines allow longer periods of sustained fire since fewer magazine changes are required to fire a given number of rounds. Fewer magazine changes provide less time for the barrel to cool. Thus, the barrel, as well as other parts of the firearm, can be subjected to increased heat.
Often, the ability to keep firing is limited by barrel overheating. When the barrel of a firearm overheats, accuracy of the firearm is substantially reduced. Further overheating of the barrel can result in malfunction of the firearm. For example, cartridges chambered into an overheated barrel can detonate prematurely, i.e., cook off, particularly in closed bolt firearms. If the barrel is overheated sufficiently it can deform, thereby resulting in a catastrophic failure of the firearm.
Even after the barrel has returned to an acceptable operating temperature, the firearm may be unusable. The barrel and/or other components of the firearm may have been permanently damaged. Changing the barrel of a contemporary firearm such as the M16 or M4 takes a substantial amount of time and is not generally performed in the field. When the firearm is unusable due to overheating and while the barrel is being changed, a soldier or police officer cannot shoot the firearm and is thus undesirably vulnerable to attack.
The inability to shoot a firearm can have disastrous consequence in battlefield and police situations. The inability to shoot has resulted in loss of life in such instances. Therefore, it is desirable to provide systems and methods for facilitating the quick change of the barrel of a firearm and for otherwise enhancing the reliability and utility of the firearm, for example.


Systems and methods are disclosed for generating for display digital content (e.g., an advertisement, a feed item, or some other information) together with digital components (e.g., branding data for the application or the publisher of the application). When the server receives, from a user device, a digital content request, the server can determine whether the digital content request was transmitted in response to an application state being changed to an active focus. Based on determining that the digital content request is being sent in response to an application state being changed to an active focus, the server generates a response that includes digital content and one or more digital components (e.g., branding data), and transmits that response to the user device. When the user device receives the response, the user device generates for display the digital components and the digital content.

User devices (e.g., smart phones and electronic tablets) have been designed to enable a user to open and close a variety of different applications, sometimes referred to as apps. While an app is loading, the publisher of the app can use the device's screen to provide information to the user.

Systems and methods for adding digital content during an application opening operation


Toxic waste waters polluted with high levels of chemical byproducts of various industrial processes (e.g., waste water held in industrial holding ponds) are treated using gas hydrate to extract and remove fresh water from the polluted water, thus reducing the volume of toxic waste water inventories. Extracting fresh water by forming and removing the hydrate raises the concentration of dissolved materials in the residual concentrated brines to levels at which the residual fluid is suitable for use as an industrial feedstock. Furthermore, so raising the concentration of the residual brine will cause certain mineral species to precipitate out of solution, which mineral species are separated from the fluid and may be put to other uses, as appropriate. Food products are also advantageously concentrated by means of gas hydrates.

In general, desalination and purification of saline or polluted water using gas hydrates is known in the art. See, for example, the above-referenced issued patents to which this application is related, the contents of each of which are incorporated by reference and replicated below. According to those patents, a hydrate-forming gas, liquid, or mixture of gases or liquids is combined with water to be treated under pressure and temperature conditions at which hydrate spontaneously forms, i.e., conditions within the hydrate pressure/temperature stability zone for the particular hydrate-forming substance used. The hydrate is then naturally or mechanically separated from the residual brine ("brine" being used herein to refer to either residual saltwater or residual polluted water, depending on the particular context) and allowed or caused to dissociate (melt), thereby releasing fresh water (e.g., for drinking) and the hydrate-forming substance. Alternatively, as taught in co-pending application Ser. No. 10/429,765 filed May 6, 2003 (published Nov. 13, 2003 as Publication No. 2003/0209492), the contents of which are incorporated by reference, hydrate may be caused to form on or collect against a permeable support member, then be caused to dissociate against the support member (e.g., by lowering pressure on the side of the support member opposite to the hydrate), with the released hydrate-forming substance (e.g., gas) and pure water passing through the permeable support member to be collected on the opposite side.
It is also known to conduct hydrate-based desalination in an open-ocean installation, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,873,262 and 3,027,320.
According to the referenced patents and published application, the hydrate may be formed in a hydrate-formation region at the bottom of a body of water (either formed in land or in an open-ocean environment), where the pressure is naturally high enough for hydrate to form. Alternatively, the hydrate may be formed in a pressurized hydrate formation vessel. In either case, the residual brine will have somewhat elevated concentrations of salt (NaCl) or other chemical pollutants, solute(s), or suspended particulate matter.
Where the primary reason for forming hydrate in seawater or polluted water is to obtain water for potable, agricultural, or industrial use, low conversion rates—i.e., relatively small percentage removal of water—are often desirable to maintain the environmental quality of the residual water, which may be returned to its source.
On the other hand, there are certain cases of naturally occurring, highly acidified bodies of water the salinities of which are in the brackish to seawater range and which are toxic to aquatic life. For certain other bodies of water, where the salinity of each of the various dissolved chemical species is much higher than naturally occurring water—the term "salinity" being used here and throughout this application in the broadest sense, as appropriate—and where the pH of the water is dramatically different from naturally occurring water, the environmental concerns associated with them and the water treatment processes typically employed with them may be substantially different from those associated with and used for treating natural seawater or brackish water. These bodies of water are not generally naturally occurring, but are commonly the residue of industrial processes and are commonly referred to as "toxic wastes." In contrast to the case for seawater or brackish water, where total salinity and the amount of suspended matter is naturally occurring and of such compositions and concentrations as to be tolerable for a wide variety of life forms, toxic wastes are inhospitable to a wide variety of life forms and may comprise dangerous biotoxins. Therefore, in these cases, it may be desirable to reduce as much as possible the volume of water that has been made toxic by the presence of dissolved chemical substances.
In that regard, there is a general need in many industries that produce large volumes of toxic waste water to reduce the volumes of such fluids, which may be held in large ponds. For instance, the wet process manufacture of phosphoric acid as practiced in Florida and many other parts of the world requires a large volume of process water that is used as a water source for the phosphoric acid; for gas scrubbing; to slurry the phosphogypsum produced and transport it to storage; to operate barometric condensers; and for a multitude of other uses in the chemical complex. A major portion of the heat released in the process ends up in the process water and is discharged to the atmosphere by evaporative cooling. The process water is stored in holding ponds that provide the large surface area needed for evaporation and cooling of the water. (Other industries, such as the micro-electronics industry, mining, coal beneficiation, and metal coatings industries, can also produce waste water inventories that are held in such holding ponds.)
Such pond water is extremely acidic (pH=1 to 2). (For reference, most fish are killed when the water reaches a pH of 5.6, and entire lakes or other bodies of water are considered to be incapable of supporting normal aquatic life at pH 4.1). Therefore the pond water is a strong biotoxin, which if released can strongly pollute surface and ground waters, surface water including lakes, rivers, and all water that flows on the land surface and ground water being water that has sunken into the ground and resides in or moves through groundwater aquifers. Such pond water contains high dissolved salt, mineral acid, and fluorinated compounds concentrations, as identified in Table 1. The dissolved materials include ammonium, fluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6), hydrofluoric acid, fluorine, and sulfur tetrafluoride.
TABLE 1Phosphoric Acid Process Water Research Background Information.From the Florida Institute of Phosphate Research website<http://www.fipr.state.fl.us/>UntreatedProcessParameterWaterDensity (MDS)1.03–1.05Lab pH2.1Conductivity (μmhos/cm)22,100Turbidity (NTU), 24 hours—Turbidity (NTU), 72 hours—Lab Turbidity (NTU)0.9Color (Pt/Co units)300Calcium, Ca (mg/l)538Magnesium, Mg (mg/l)223Sodium, Na (mg/l)2260Potassium, K (mg/l)210Iron, Fe (mg/l)59Manganese, Mn (mg/l)15Total Chloride, Cl (mg/l)140Total Fluoride, F (mg/l)4120Sulfate, SO4 (mg/l)6200Total Phosphorus, P (mg/l)6600Ammonia Nitrogen, N (mg/l)1240Acidity, CaCO3 (mg/l)—Alkalinity, CaCO3 (mg/l)—Solids, Total Dissolved (mg/l)39,800Solids, Total Suspended (mg/l)22
In Florida, the average yearly rainfall and the pond evaporation rate are approximately equal, according to Florida Institute of Phosphate Research, and it is normally possible to operate an industrial chemical complex with a negative water balance by strict control of the water inputs to the ponds. However, in a year where rainfall is significantly above average or where water management practices fail to sufficiently reduce water inventory, it may become necessary to treat the surplus water and release it to the surface waters in order to avoid an uncontrolled discharge of the untreated process water.
Present treatment practice is to "lime" the water (i.e., add lime to it) to obtain a pH of approximately 4.5; remove the solids formed; lime the water again to a pH of approximately 11; remove the solids formed; air strip the water to remove ammonia; and add sulfuric acid to reduce the pH to approximately 6.5. Although the water will still contain dissolved solids and have a conductivity above discharge standards, under emergency situations it can be discharged to the surface waters under an emergency permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Unfortunately, the residual dissolved salts in industrial pond water present hazards to public health and the environment, and a significant release of pond water can easily destroy most aquatic organisms. Although a significant emergency release of treated water may not have such severe results, it can still cause significant biodegradation and environmental impact.
Thus, there is significant need to control total volume of such industrial pond waters.
In addition to the double-liming technique explained above, two other techniques typically are used to reduce pond water volume along with methods for adjusting the pH of the pond water (double liming).
(1) Evaporation. This is a natural method for reducing the water inventory. Evaporation is widely used in the phosphate industry. Where ponds have a very large surface area, considerable evaporation may occur. Spray techniques can be used to increase evaporation by increasing the surface area of the water. The rate of evaporation is related to the surface area of liquid exposed, the temperature of the liquid, and the relative humidity. In addition, the vapor pressure of pond water is lowered significantly due to elevated dissolved salt concentrations. The lower pond water vapor pressure lowers the rate of evaporation. Further, high humidity, as often exists in Florida, lowers the rate of evaporation; when humidity approaches 100%, little evaporation takes place at all.
Artificial evaporation desalination techniques, such as multi-stage flash techniques, have substantial associated energy costs for heating the pond water (to make the process more efficient in terms of the percentage of water that can be evaporated from a particular volume of water). In addition, because the untreated pond water may be at or close to saturation, evaporation will lead to the formation of large amounts of crystallized scale, which can clog the installation apparatus and render the process less efficient. Thus, application of artificial evaporation desalination techniques appears to be impractical, without prior treatment to lower the pH by causing substantial precipitation of dissolved and suspended matter.
(2) Conventional desalination, Reverse Osmosis (RO). This method is also being used in at least one trial installation to reduce pond water inventory. Osmosis is a natural phenomenon in which a liquid—water, in this case—passes through a semi-permeable membrane from a relatively dilute solution toward a more concentrated solution. This flow produces a measurable pressure, called osmotic pressure. If pressure is applied to the more concentrated solution, and if that pressure exceeds the osmotic pressure, water flows through the membrane from the more concentrated solution toward the dilute solution. This process, called reverse osmosis (RO), removes up to 98% of dissolved solids, and virtually 100% of colloidal and suspended matter.
The membrane must be physically strong to stand up to high osmotic pressure—in the case of seawater, about 2500 kg/m2. After filtration to remove suspended particles, incoming water is pressurized to 200-400 psi (1380-2760 kPa), which exceeds the water's osmotic pressure. As a result, a portion of the water (the permeate) diffuses through the membrane, leaving dissolved salts and other contaminants behind with the remaining water with which they are sent to drain as waste (the concentrate).
RO has a number of well-known limitations, especially in highly saline water and with dissolved solids at or near their saturation limit. A significant limitation with RO treatment of highly saline or highly chemically saturated water is membrane fouling from suspended particulates and scaling. Pond water is a saturated or nearly saturated solution of many salts. Cooling the water or raising the concentration by removing water initiates precipitation of dissolved materials, and scaling of the RO membranes will result. Therefore, RO treatment of the highly saturated pond water requires pretreatment to prevent scaling.
In addition, the little-used desalination method of freezing has been suggested for treating waste pond water. However, this method is very energy-intensive, especially if rapid freezing and subsequent melting is required, in part because the high volume of dissolved solids lowers the freezing point substantially. Also, rapid freezing causes poor rejection of dissolved solids, which can be accommodated within the hexagonal crystal structure of ice. Additionally, residual brines can be overgrown and trapped between ice crystals. Furthermore, in a hot and humid region such as Florida, pond water freezing would be prohibitively expensive.
There is thus strong need for a more versatile, cost-effective technique to decontaminate and reduce industrial pond waste water inventories. Furthermore, there are numerous other processes in which significant volumes of water need to be removed from aqueous or other water-containing products. For example, drying and concentration of food products intended for human or animal consumption is an important part of many industrial processes. Many types of food products such as orange juice, condensed milk, evaporated skim milk, powdered milk, powdered whey, amongst other food products, are concentrated by evaporation, in which considerable amounts of heat must be applied to drive off water.
In the case of dairy and other food products, heat is commonly applied under partial vacuum conditions to lower the boiling point; otherwise, the food will be spoiled, which would require its disposal, or it will have an undesirable cooked flavor. In the case of milk, the temperature must be controlled accurately. Milk is commonly heated under a vacuum that is deep enough to cause the milk to boil at between 40-45° C., and the milk is concentrated to approximately 30% solids concentration under essentially fluid conditions. This concentrated milk is either removed as a relatively viscous fluid, for packaging or other processing that does not involve further concentration, or it is further dried. Alternatively, dry powdered mild is produced through spray evaporation at 200° C. in a chamber filled with hot gas that causes the milk to form small, non-aggregated particles. The powdered milk has less than 5% water content.
Concentrated orange juice and other citrus, fruit, and vegetable concentrates are also produced by evaporation. Sometimes, but not always, the evaporation process also uses reduced pressure evaporators. However, fruit and vegetable juices are more resistant to spoiling when temperatures are raised for evaporative processes. Thus, if reduced pressure is used, the vacuum need not be so deep, and hence as expensive to produce, but the amount of heat that has to be applied is greater. Throughout the process of evaporation, the rate of evaporation slows as the material becomes more concentrated. Lowering of vapor pressure effect is a colligative property that acts broadly throughout the fluid because of the distribution of hydraulic pressure. As concentration increases, the vapor pressure of the water in the fruit or vegetable juice lowers linearly, and more heat must be applied to drive the evaporation process and remove more water. Evaporation thus becomes less efficient under conditions of increasing concentration.
Because of the requirement to apply considerable heat over short periods of time, and often under conditions where vacuum pumping must be carried out continuously, present concentration processes add significant cost to the concentrated food production process. Moreover, the efficiency of the process can decrease significantly with increasing concentration, as noted above. Accordingly, a process for concentrating aqueous or other water-containing food products that does not require such levels of heat input, and that generally remains efficient, is desirable.

Hydrate-based reduction of fluid inventories and concentration of aqueous and other water-containing products


A system for facilitating the recovery of a user's lost item is provided that makes use of tags the user applies to the item and an interactive voice response (IVR) system. When a finder of the item calls a phone number displayed on the tag, the finder is directed to the IVR system. The finder is prompted to identify the item by providing a unique code displayed on the tag. Once the finder provides the unique code, a server in the system receives the phone number and unique code from the IVR system and verifies if there is a user associated with the tag. If so, the server sends a response back to the IVR system to obtain the finder's message indicating the location of the item. After the finder leaves a message, the message is transmitted automatically to the user in real time.

The present invention generally relates to a lost and found system for personal items, and more particularly relates to a system for facilitating the recovery of a lost item of a user using interactive voice response technology.
The problem of locating lost items has troubled people for years. The typical situation arises when people misplace their car key, house key, cell phone, wallet or purse. After coming to terms with the momentary shock that such a loss may evoke, people generally find themselves checking every possible location where the lost item could be, or calling or visiting a myriad of places where they recently went, many times to no avail. The sheer number of portable objects that exist in the world today, ranging from jewelry and electronic devices to vehicles and luggage, has made this problem all the more widespread. Consequently, a need has arisen for an improved system that assists people in recovering their missing items.
Some people have attempted to prevent permanent loss of their items by affixing their contact information to their items for finders to call. The idea behind the approach is that if an owner of an item accidentally misplaces their item in a public place, a finder or passerby who happens to come across the item can notify the owner of the missing item. However, this approach is unfavorable to owners or finders who desire to maintain their privacy. For example, owners may not want to leave their phone number or address in public view for other people to see, and finders who call owners to report missing items may not want their phone number to appear on the owners' caller ID.
Alternatively, many people have attempted to use tracking devices and mobile applications that use cellular, global position satellite (GPS), or Bluetooth technology to assist them in locating their lost items. Typical examples of tracking devices include tags having wireless chips that, when affixed to lost objects, communicate their location to a software application on a mobile device. However, the use of tracking devices and mobile applications are not always dependable. For instance, tracking devices that use Bluetooth technology typically only work if the owner is in close proximity to the lost item. If the owner lost the item in a location not proximal to the owner, such as on a moving bus or at a far-away destination, then the tracking device will not operate.
Furthermore, the location of the missing object itself may interfere with the tracking device or software application. For example, if the tracking device uses GPS technology and the lost item is located in an area with questionable satellite reception, such as an underground subway, then the owner may be unable to find the lost item because the GPS location of the object will be difficult to pinpoint. Moreover, if the lost object is the tracking device or carrier of the software application itself, such as a smartphone or tablet, then the technology is evidently useless for finding the lost item. Additionally, low battery power and sporadic wireless connection failures may also render the tracking device ineffectual.
Hence, there is a need for a system that facilitates the recovery of an owner's lost item while protecting the privacy of owners and finders. There is a further need for a system that facilitates the recovery of a lost item without depending on wireless tracking devices or software applications that use GPS or Bluetooth technology. The present invention meets this and other needs.

Lost and found system for personal items


An improvement in adhesive backed carrier tapes where the adhesion is substantially reduced by using a UV-sensitive adhesive tape which can be irradiated to reduce the adhesion within the compartment where each device will be placed. By reducing the initial aggressive adhesion levels minimally sufficient to retain devices securely as placed, the requirement for a lift pin or pushup pin to assist in removing the component can be eliminated. The principal benefits include substantial increase in throughputs and yields accompanied by proportionate cost reduction benefits.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of packaging systems for automated component handling. Specifically, the present invention relates to carrier tape packaging systems utilizing pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape for component retention. More particularly, the present invention incorporates calibrated levels of low tack adhesion within compartments of adhesive backed carrier tapes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Three basic forms of carrier tape as defined by Industry Standards are presently utilized for packing a wide range of electronic components of varied shapes and sizes in tape and reel formats to facilitate automated processing and assembly handing of these devices. These basic forms of carrier tape are broadly defined by current Industry Standards as: Embossed; Punched; and Adhesive Backed.
Embossed Carrier Tape: (also known as pocket tape or blister tape) consists of a plurality of tub-like cavities formed in continuous lengths of plastic to fit the "3D" outline dimensions of each specific size and shape of device to be placed therein, then sealed for retention in the cavities by a top cover tape of continuous length.Punched Carrier Tape: Comprises a plurality of rectangular-shaped holes pierced through continuous lengths of carrier material (typically paper). Holes are sized to fit the X-Y dimensions of devices to be placed therein and comprise cavities to retain components therein by dual cover tapes of continuous length, sealed to both sides of the punched carrier tape cavities.Adhesive Backed Carrier Tape: Comprises a plurality of compartments of maximum practical size consistent with each industry standard carrier tape width, pierced through continuous lengths of carrier tape material (typically plastic) to which one or more strips at pressure sensitive adhesive tape are affixed to one side to provide an adhesive base within each compartment to retain components placed thereon.
None of the three aforesaid basic forms of carrier tapes offered for sale commercially provide viable solutions for high-speed automated handling of the proliferation of vanishingly small electronic components whose dimensions together with unit weight continue to diminish, seemingly without limit. The vast market for hand-held consumer electronics products such as mobile phones and PDAs with continuing customer demands for "smaller-lighter-more features and lower-cost" has driven reduction of component dimensions and resulting unit mass by orders of magnitude. Typical IC wafer die products in the early 1990's averaged 2 to 5 millimeters per side with thickness dimension of 0.5 to 0.6 millimeters. One decade later, the typical dimensions of functionally equivalent bare die have shrunk to 150 to 250 microns (6 to 10 mils) per side, (cut size) with 50 to 75 micron thickness dimensions. Even full-featured microprocessor die measuring 20 millimeters or more per side are becoming less than paper thin, by means of wafer back grinding, to enable requisite thermal control when in use. Unintended consequences of the foregoing "Sea Changes" in both size and resulting mass of electronic components in general and bare die products in particular include greater fragility of these devices which require further safeguards against damage during handling. In addition, the combination of micron-size footprints and thickness dimensions reduces the mass of each device to the extent that some of the smallest devices can literally defy Newton's Laws of Gravity, and in fact, frequently do so at automated component handling sites. Such particles constitute debris and airborne contamination within clean rooms where such automated component handling takes place and can cause serious injury to machine operators together with irreparable damage to adjacent work in process and processing machinery.
Limitations of present day commercially available carrier tapes to provide needed solutions for problems encountered during automated handling of extremely small low mass electronic components include all of the following:
Limitations of both embossed and punched carrier tapes with cover tapes sealed to retain components within individual cavities.
1. Peel back removal of carrier tape to open each cavity for component retrieval causes very small components to become disoriented within or be ejected from cavities, caused by forces induced by electrostatic discharge together with vibration of carrier tape due to uneven peel-back release of carrier tape from the carrier tape.2. Inability to reduce cavity size to closely match dimensions of tiny components within to maintain component orientation, yet enable components to be removed by conventional pick tools.3. Tendency of very thin devices to migrate to adjacent cavities during reeling and de-reeling of carrier tape. Many of those very thin devices will slide beneath the cover tape, which is not cross-sealed between cavities. This phenomenon is known as "Shingling"Adhesive Backed Carrier Tapes
Pressure sensitive adhesive tape affixed as single or multiple strips to the backside of the component carrier tape must provide an optimum tape-to-component bond, which is minimally sufficient to hold devices securely during automated handling. Excessive adhesion (more than the minimum requirement) will impede rapid, unassisted separation of very small components, especially bare die products, from the adhesive tape backing, using commercially available pick tools for component retrieval and assembly placement.
The choices for adhesive backing tape acceptable for use with carrier tape to contain IC wafer die are limited to those which have been qualified and certified for use in processing IC wafers, and the bare die products singulated therefrom. This restriction is consistent with strict controls of all materials which come into contact with bare IC wafers and wafer die to avoid any measurable amount of contamination which could degrade or cause damage to fragile IC wafer die products. The commercially available pressure sensitive tapes which are qualified and certified for use with bare die vary in adhesive strength ratings. The selection of a minimum adhesive strength is governed by the over arching first requirement for adhesion strength which is sufficient to firmly secure the adhesive tape backing to the base carrier tape material to avoid subsequent de-lamination during reeling and de-reeling.
In point of fact, the minimum adhesion strength of backing tape which is sufficient to ensure its firm attached to the base carrier tape is substantially greater than the minimum adhesive bond strength required for retention of small IC wafer die in fixed repeatable position throughout the entire length of adhesive backed carrier tapes. Accordingly, bare die picked from wafers which have been diced on a solid matrix of qualified wafer dicing tape are individually picked from the dicing tape, assisted by one or more poke-up needles which penetrate the wafer dicing tape backing and rise in unison with the vacuum pick tool to enable separation from the aggressive adhesive dicing tape base.
Adhesive-backed carrier tape offers many advantages for handling these small light weight components and overcomes the major objections voiced by assembly users to conventional pocket tape and punched carrier tape with cover tape(s) for packing and handling extremely small low mass components. However, a major assembly user objection to present forms of adhesive backed carrier tape is the need for a lift pin in each tape feeder to assist the vacuum pick tool in removing each component from the adhesive backing. Such feeders with a lift pin are very costly when compared to feeders for conventional punched carrier tape or embossed pocket tape. In additional these feeders must be custom fitted to each Pick and Place machine platform and integrated with the host computer in order to function successfully. Cost and very limited availability of these special feeders has restricted acceptance of adhesive backed carrier tape to a limited number of high volume production applications.
There are major needs for improved adhesive backed carrier tapes which eliminate the need for a pushup pin or lift pins to assist in removing the component from adhesive backed carrier tape compartments and enable unaided pickup by conventional pick tools used on an automated pick and place assembly machines. There is a further need to provide a choice of predefined consistent low tack levels of adhesion in each compartment to optimize the component-to-tape bonding strength for a wide range of device types and sizes to ensure consistent repeatable capture and take away possession and placement of each device by conventional pick tools without damage to the devices.

Adhesive backed carrier tape with calibrated levels of low tack adhesion for retention of small components


Embodiments of an optical detection apparatus are disclosed which may include one or more of a waveguide, a trench formed in the waveguide, a reflective surface, and a photodetector. The waveguide may be formed in a semiconductor substrate to propagate an optical signal received at a first end of the waveguide. The trench may also be formed in the waveguide having a first sidewall and a second sidewall, the first and second sidewalls forming first and second angles with the waveguide's propagation direction. The second sidewall may include a reflective surface formed thereon. The photodetector may be configured to receive an optical signal propagated in the waveguide, through the first sidewall and reflected from the reflective surface on the second sidewall.

Optical signal generators (e.g., lasers) are widely used in optical transmitters in wavelength division multiplexed ("WDM") optical communication systems. Some optical signal generators use a distributed feed-back (DFB) laser for each channel of the WDM system. The optical signals generated by the multiple DFB lasers are then combined using elements such as arrayed waveguide grating based multiplexer or any other multiplexer. However, because a separate DFB laser is used for each channel, the optical transmitters tend to have increased complexity and cost. Further, the output wavelength of a DFB laser is relatively sensitive to temperature changes (i.e., thermal wavelength drift). For example, applications using DFB lasers need to provide special attention to wavelength stability over the desired temperature range, thereby increasing complexity and cost. Thus, reduction of this temperature dependency is important task on its own merits.
In addition, the optical transmitters typically require circuitry to monitor the power of the optical signal of each channel of the WDM system. This power monitoring circuitry is generally separate from the DFB laser devices (i.e., discrete), increasing the complexity and costs of fabricating the optical transmitters.
Still further, in many WDM applications, the power levels of the optical signals (of the various WDM channels) are equalized. Some approaches use separate attenuator circuits (e.g., thermo-optic Mach Zendher devices) to equalize the power between channels. Again, such circuitry tends to increase the complexity and cost of fabricating optical transmitters.

Method and apparatus to generate and monitor optical signals and control power levels thereof in a planar lightwave circuit


A breast pump includes a milking port which can accommodate a breast, a storage for storing breast milk extracted from the breast, and a milking unit including a tongue section which can press the portion near an areola of the breast, and is configured in such a manner that the peak of the tongue section of the milking unit can be moved continuously in the direction away from the side of the milking port, and the height of the tongue section can be varied by independent movements of a plurality of sections of a deforming device from the side of the milking port to the inner side.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a breast pump in which a peak of a tongue (pressing portion) can be moved stepwise for reproducing the movement of a tongue of a baby who extracts breast milk from the breast.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a breast pump for extracting breast milk in the related art, milking is carried out by pressure difference established by generating a negative pressure in the breast pump. Actual expression of breast milk is significantly affected by a pressure applied to an areola or a portion nearby. Therefore, there is a proposal of a breast pump which can press the breasts (For example, JP-T-2003-521958)
However, since actual expression of breast milk is significantly affected by application of pressure to the areola and the portion nearby as described above, development of a breast pump which can give adequate pressure stimulation to the portion near the areola when milking from the breast is desired.


A bearingless rotor system includes a flexbeam assembly having a first beam and a second beam arranged in a back-to-back orientation with a pitch shaft channeled therebetween. The beams morph into a rotor blade spar at an outboard rotor blade station. The outboard section of the flexbeam assembly receives the full pitch input from the pitch shaft while the most inboard section of the flexbeam assembly is essentially fixed in pitch by a blade attachment to a rotor hub assembly. The flexbeam assembly twist versus span is essentially linear from the most inboard to the most outboard rotor blade stations. The outboard rotor blade station, being attached to the outboard section of the flexbeam assembly, thereby also defines the pitch input equivalent from the outboard rotor blade station to the rotor blade tip.

The present invention relates to a bearingless rotor blade assembly of a rotary-wing aircraft, and more particularly to a flexbeam assembly having a first beam and a second beam with a pitch shaft channeled therebetween, the beams extend to a radial outboard station of the rotor blade at which the pitch shaft ends and the beams morph into a rotor blade spar.
Conventional rotary-wing aircraft have a forward airspeed limited by a number of factors. Among these is the tendency of the retreating blade to stall at high forward airspeeds. As the forward airspeed increases, the airflow velocity across the retreating blade slows such that the blade may approach a stall condition. In contrast, the airflow velocity across the advancing blade increases with increasing forward speed. Forward movement of the helicopter thereby generates a dissymmetry of lift between the advancing and retreating sides of the rotor. This dissymmetry may create an unstable condition if lift is not equalized across the advancing and retreating sides of the rotor.
A rotary wing aircraft with a contra-rotating rigid rotor system is capable of higher speeds compared to conventional single rotor helicopters due in part to the balance of lift between the advancing sides of the main rotor blades on the upper and lower rotor systems.
Aerodynamic drag associated with a rotary wing aircraft having a counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system is primarily due to the additional rotor hub and the interconnecting main rotor shaft assembly between the upper and lower rotor systems. For high-speed rotary wing aircraft, the increased drag resulting from the counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system may result in a relatively significant power penalty.
The aerodynamic drag of the dual counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system may be reduced by a rotor fairing system. Although effective, sealing compatibility of the rotor fairing system with the rotor blades may be complicated by a relatively thick inboard airfoil section typical of conventional flexbeam rotor systems having an airfoil shaped torque tube that surrounds a flexbeam which receive a pitch input. Sealing with the rotor fairing system may be further complicated by a rotor control system which provides a pitch input to each rotor blade at a location typically adjacent to the interface between the rotor fairing system and each rotor blade.
For a high speed counter-rotating, coaxial rotor system, the advance ratio is sufficiently high such that a significant part of the retreating blade is in reverse flow. Because of the large nose-up cyclic pitch on the retreating blade, the inboard section of the rotor blade has an angle of attack well beyond stall, producing significant negative lift and high drag force. The angle of attack beyond stall, flapping clearances, rotor control system pitch input clearances, and the relatively thick inboard airfoil all combine to complicate fairing system integration and result in degradation of the rotor system lift/drag ratio.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a rotor blade for a high speed rotary-wing aircraft flight envelope.

Bearingless rotor blade assembly for a high speed rotary-wing aircraft


An image outputting device receives a plurality of sets of pixel data in a sequential order that constitute an original image. At least part of the received sets of pixel data are rearranged in a predetermined non-sequential order. These rearranged sets of pixel data can be stored in a storage device in sequential order as rearranged. At least a part of the rearranged sets of pixel data are retrieved from the storage device in sequential order and can be output to create a mini sub-image that represents a smaller version of the original image. A header storage area may be provided that can store information on the number of sets of pixel data to be retrieved as well as a magnification rate data. Thus, various mini sub-images can be easily read out without previously producing and storing the various mini sub-images.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image storing-and-outputting device for storing image data and then outputting the image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is conventionally known an image storing-and-outputting device for storing image data and then outputting the image data. The image data is bit map data constructed from a plurality of sets of pixel data arranged two-dimensionally.
FIG. 1(a) illustrates how the image data of a plurality of pixels are displayed on a display screen. FIG. 1(b) shows how the image data is stored in a memory area of the image storing-and-outputting device. As apparent from the drawing, the plurality of sets of pixel data are stored in the memory area in a sequential fashion in correspondence with the order in which the pixels will be displayed on the screen.
Conventionally, there is proposed an image storing-and-outputting device of a type that can output a mini sub-image which represents the original image but which has a reduced size. When instructed by a user to produce a mini sub-image of the user's desired size, the device creates the mini sub-image. Alternatively, the device previously stores data of a mini sub-image of a certain size together with the data of the original image. In this case, the device stores the data of the mini sub-image in a header portion of the memory as shown in FIG. 1(b). The mini sub-image data is produced through thinning the original image data.

Image device that rearranges data for sub-image presentation


Methods and systems are provided for active noise control in a vehicle. The system includes a position sensor for sensing an occupant position. A microphone receives audible noise and generates an error signal corresponding to the audible noise. A first controller is configured to receive the error signal from the microphone and generate a modified error signal by modifying the error signal based on the occupant position with respect to the microphone. A second controller is in communication with the first controller and configured to generate an anti-noise signal based at least in part on the modified error signal. The system also includes a loudspeaker in communication with the second controller for receiving the anti-noise signal from the second controller and producing sound corresponding to the anti-noise signal to negate at least some of the audible noise.

Active noise control ("ANC"), often referred to as "active noise cancellation", has been implemented in vehicles to reduce engine noise and other undesirable noises heard by vehicle occupants. However, such vehicular ANC systems have suffered several shortfalls. For instance, the interior of the vehicle creates a complex acoustic cavity in which audible signals, i.e., sounds, are perceived differently depending on the location. As such, the attempts at noise cancellation are typically more generic in nature, attempting to satisfy either one typical occupant or all occupants, regardless of the actual number of occupants and their positions in the vehicle. As a result, ANC in vehicles is often limited to very low frequencies, e.g., frequencies under 150 Hz.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide noise cancellation that is customized for the current occupants of the vehicle. In addition, it is desirable to provide noise cancellation at frequencies greater than 150 Hz. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.


Ordered, two-dimensional arrays of pyramidal particulates and related methods of preparation.

The optical properties of metallic nanoparticles are interesting because of their fundamental science and potential for emerging applications. For example, their broad optical tunability from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths can be exploited in nanoscale photonics, chemical and biological sensing, and high-efficiency photovoltaic devices. Electromagnetic radiation can interact with metallic nanoparticles through the resonant excitation of their surface free electrons. These collective electron density oscillations, confined to a finite volume, are known as localized surface plasmons (LSPs) and are sensitive to the size, shape and dielectric environment of the nanoparticle.
Both solution-based syntheses and fabrication techniques have been used to generate metallic particles. Most research efforts have focused on the chemical synthesis of nanoparticles because the preparative techniques are relatively straightforward; the size and shape of nanoparticles can be tailored by controlling conditions such as reaction temperature, surfactants, and concentrations of precursors. Spherical particles with sizes less than 50 nm support single LSP resonances that are dipolar in character. Accordingly, their optical properties can be explained reasonably well by the lowest order term in Mie theory. In contrast, larger metallic particles (diameters>100 nm) with anisotropic shapes can exhibit multiple LSP resonances that correspond to higher order modes. Disordered assemblies of 100-nm Ag particles imbedded in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) films showed a dipole resonance as well as a quadrupole resonance as the film was stretched in two-dimensions. Solution-phase synthesis often provides a flexible route to size and shape control of metallic nanoparticles, which can in turn provide tuning and control of their respective optical properties. However, a common drawback of such solution-based preparations, especially with regard to synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles, is the formation of various other shapes in addition to the desired particulate configuration.
Sacrificial templates have been employed in the art for molding the size and shape of free-standing nano- and mesostructures. Typically, solid and supported structures, such as nm-sized pores in anodized alumina membranes or μm-sized etched pits in silicon are used. Electro-deposition of conducting materials or molding of polymers reproduces the shape and structure of the template; the templates are then removed by the appropriate etchants. Free-standing structures such as metallic (and multi-layered) rods, pyramidal tips for scanning probe applications, and μm-sized metallic pyramidal shells have been produced. The μm-sized pyramidal shells, for instance, were found to exhibit tips with radius of curvature r as small as 50 nm. Other types of templates, including silica spheres, have recently been used to fabricate metallic structures with unusual shapes. Such structures were generated by e-beam deposition of metal onto silica spheres followed by etching of the sphere-template. Sub-micron "half-shells" made from different metals as well as "crescent moon" structures with sharp edges in silver were also produced. The edges of these silver shell-structures enhanced the local electromagnetic field, and the Raman scattering of Rhodamine 6G from isolated, individual crescent moon structures could be detected.
Investigations of sub-micron particles have only recently been possible through improved chemical methods and fabrication techniques to generate particles with uniform size and shape. Although multipolar LSP resonances have been seen in the extinction spectra of sub-micron particles, the random dispersion of the particles in solution ensured that all resonant plasmon modes were measured simultaneously, and some peaks were obscured because of polarization averaging. Multipolar excitations can, however, depend on the direction of the propagation wavevector and polarization vector; thus, certain excitation angles can make selected resonances more pronounced. To correlate the orientation of the particles with specific plasmon modes directly, strategies that can both isolate particles and control their orientation are essential. Drop-coating or spin-casting dilute colloidal solutions onto glass slides have resulted in isolated particles although their orientation on the substrate was not well-defined, and the optical properties could only be related to particle shape in a non-uniform dielectric environment. Electron-beam lithography can create individual particles with a controlled orientation, although the shapes are limited to two-dimensional planar structures.

Mesoscale pyramids, arrays and methods of preparation


Structures and systems are disclosed for supporting tablets or displays. A core arm extends from a rear end toward a front end, in which the rear end is pivotably mounted either directly to a mount structure, or to an extension arm that is mounted to a mount structure. The front end is pivotably mounted to a front mount structure. The core arm can include a gas spring to provide counterbalance force, and a non-adjustable friction pack element for up/down resistance to support different payloads. The counterbalance can be set within the payload range, while the friction offsets the sink or float that would occur for lighter or heavier payloads. The structures and systems can thus be readily configured for light or heavy configurations, with or without the use of an extension arm, and can conceal cable routing, which is accessible, via snap fit covers, for easy installation and maintenance.

While mounting arm structures have previously been used to support screens, such as display screens and computer screens, it is often difficult to support different loads, and to position the screen at different heights, within a work environment. As well, it is often difficult to rotate or pivot the supported screen at a desired position.
Furthermore, such screens are often used within a wide variety of work environments, such as within hospitals or other medical or dental facilities, in which cleanliness is important. As it is often required to connect power and/or other cabling to support arms, it is difficult to establish and maintain a sterile environment.

Tablet support arm structures, systems and associated methods


A trailing edge attachment for a composite turbine airfoil. The trailing edge attachment may include an attachment device for attaching the trailing edge attachment to the airfoil. The attachment device may include a plurality of pins extending through the attachment device and into the trailing edge blade. The trailing edge attachment may also include a spanwise cooling channel for feeding a plurality of cooling channels extending between a leading edge of the trailing edge attachment and a trailing edge of the attachment device. The attachment device may be configured to place the leading edge of the composite airfoil in compression, thereby increasing the strength of the composite airfoil.

Turbine airfoils are exposed to high temperature environments within operating turbine engines. Conventional turbine airfoils have been formed from metals and have included internal cooling systems for routing cooling fluids, such as air, through the turbine airfoils to maintain the turbine airfoil within acceptable temperature limits. These internal cooling systems have evolved over time from simplistic systems to very complex cooling systems in an effort to increase the efficiency of the turbine engine. While the efficiency of internal cooling systems has been increased, turbine airfoils formed from heat tolerant composite materials have been introduced as an alternative. For instance, turbine airfoils have been formed from ceramic materials, such as, but not limited to, ceramic matrix composite (CMC), and other such materials. Ceramics can handle high temperature environments without damage but lack the strength and formability of metals.
Use of ceramics in forming turbine airfoils limits the ability to create an aerodynamic trailing edge. More specifically, a ceramic matrix can not be formed into a thin edge, as commonly found in conventional metal turbine airfoils. Rather, a trailing edge of a ceramic turbine airfoil often has a blunt shape. Trailing edge attachments have been developed from other materials, such as conventional metals used to form turbine airfoils, and attached to the trailing edge of a composite airfoil to reduce the aerodynamic losses associated with a blunt shaped trailing edge.

Trailing edge attachment for composite airfoil


Wide band phase modulators used with high power laser carriers convert high-frequency RF signals to phase-modulated optical signals. Higher laser optical power to the modulator produces larger RF signal sidebands. A carrier attenuation filter passes the attenuated carrier and non-attenuated RF modulation sidebands. Carrier attenuation leaves the larger RF signal sidebands. A demodulation filter used with a photodetector or a balanced photodetector pair converts the phase-modulated optical signal back to an electrical signal. Carrier-only attenuation allows high power laser use, avoids photodetector damage or saturation, and provides increased RF link gain, low noise figure (NF) and high spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR). Filtered-out carrier power fed back to the laser source increases to overall system efficiency. An additional optical delay filter with dual outputs used with a polarization multiplexer or a coherent combiner coupler combines signal power to a single photodetector to further increase electro-optic signal conversion efficiency.

Current analog fiber-optic links using intensity modulators are used in both defense, aerospace and commercial applications for transmission of analog radio frequency (RF) signals from antennas. The current fiber-optic links have limited performance, particularly at high RF frequencies (10 to >100 GHz) due to limitations of modulators declining conversion efficiency at higher RF frequencies, and small-area high frequency photodetector with limited optical power handling before non-linear saturation and damage occur. These limitations posed by the modulators and photodetectors severely limit the performance and implementation viability of the conventional RF fiber optic links for these high-RF frequency signal transmission.
This invention is an extension of the invention by the same inventor, described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,660,491, by Suwat Thaniyavarn, issued to EOSpace Inc. on Feb. 9, 2010).
Current analog RF fiber-optic links for higher RF frequency signals have problems to be solved. There are currently no viable RF coax or waveguide transmission lines for transmitting RF signals with extremely high frequencies (10 to >100 GHz) from an antenna, due to high loss, weight and limited bandwidth. Instead, these high frequency RF signals are processed or down-converted near the antenna, resulting in significant loss of fidelity and limited-bandwidth of channelizing techniques.
An analog RF fiber-optic link offers potential for enormous bandwidth, transmission-length independent loss and wideband RF-photonic signal processing. However, current fiber-optic link performance must be significantly improved, particularly for very-high mm-wave frequencies. These problems are due to the fact that although optical modulators (used for converting RF electrical signals into optical signals for signal transmission via optical fibers) and photodetectors (used to convert the transmitted optical signals via optical fibers back to RF signals at the receivers) can be made to operate at extremely high RF frequencies, they are less efficient at higher RF frequencies. In addition, photodetectors capable of very high RF frequency operation are typically very small in size, which is necessary for higher frequency operation, and therefore are only capable of very limited optical power handling. This limited optical power handling issue with high frequency photodetectors means higher-optical power source cannot be used. Limiting optical power at the photodetector means limited RF fiber-optic link performance in terms of poor link loss, high noise figure and lower dynamic range. These issues limit the current implementation of fiber-optic transmission of RF signals at very high RF (20->100 GHz) frequencies.

High-RF frequency analog fiber-optic links using optical signal processing techniques


A system and method for generating power includes a motor assembly, an inertia-assisted, torque-enhanced gearbox, including a flywheel assembly and a clutch assembly, and a generator assembly. The motor assembly is used to drive the flywheel assembly up to the generator's designed operating speed. When the flywheel assembly reaches the generator operating speed, the clutch assembly engages and connects the flywheel assembly to the generator assembly. When the flywheel assembly is connected to the generator assembly, it supplies the generator with the starting torque required to start the generator. The motor assembly then supplies the torque necessary to operate the flywheel assembly and the generator assembly at the generator's designed operating speed. When the generator encounters peak loads, the flywheel assembly also supplies peak load torques to the generator assembly. The generator assembly is operable to supply power to a load connected to the generator assembly.

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for generating electrical power. More particularly, this invention pertains to a system and method of generating power using one or more flywheels.
Power generation systems are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,704 teaches a conventional power generation system that includes a motor that is directly connected to a generator. The motor is powered by an ac power source and is used to drive the generator at its designed operating speed. The generator, in turn, generates power based on the speed at which the motor drives the generator. The system also includes a flywheel, clutch, and combustion engine, all of which are connected to the generator. If power to the motor is interrupted, the clutch engages and the flywheel, which is rotating at the designed operating speed of the generator and contains a certain amount of kinetic energy, is used to supply power to and start the combustion engine. The combustion engine is then used to drive the generator at its designed operating speed.
The system described in the '704 patent has several disadvantages. First, directly coupling the motor to the generator as taught by the '704 patent increases the overall cost of the system. As a result of the direct coupling, the motor must be capable of supplying the starting and peak load torques for the generator, both of which are greater, and, in some cases, substantially greater, than the typical operating torque required to operate the generator at its designed operating speed and only occur during relatively small portions of the overall operating time of the generator. The generator starting torque is the torque required to start the generator, the peak load torque is the torque required to handle the peak load on the generator, and the operating torque is the torque required to maintain the generator at its designed operating speed. More importantly, these torque requirements require the selection of a motor capable of supplying the higher starting and peak load torques rather than a motor capable of supplying the lower generator operating torque. Motors capable of supplying the starting and peak load torques are more expensive than motors capable of supplying the generator operating torque.
Second, the system in the '704 patent will fail if the generator creates a load on the motor that exceeds the motor's torque output capacity. In some applications, it is difficult to accurately determine the maximum torque that will be required by a system and, as a result, it is difficult to select the correct motor for those applications. While this issue is normally dealt with by building in a safety factor and selecting a motor that has a torque output capacity a certain percentage higher, for example, 20% or 30%, than any expected torque requirements, it is possible that the safety factor can be exceeded. If the safety factor is exceeded, i.e., the torque output capability of the motor is exceeded, the motor will fail and systems that are connected to the generator and relying on its power output will be unable to operate properly. Furthermore, selecting a motor with a built in safety factor requires the selection of a motor having a higher torque capability than required for a particular application and, as indicated above, increases the overall cost the system.
What is needed, then, is a less expensive power generation system having a motor generator combination that will not fail if the generator requires torques, including starting and peak load torques, that exceed the torque output capabilities of the motor.


A photodiode array includes a p-side electrode provided on each p-type region formed by selective diffusion and an n-side electrode connected to a non-growth part of an InP substrate and extends to the top surface side of an epitaxial multilayer. A wall surface of an edge at the non-growth part side of the epitaxial multilayer is a smooth surface. A lattice defect density in a portion of the edge of the epitaxial multilayer is higher than a lattice defect density in the inside of the epitaxial multilayer. Furthermore, the non-growth part of the InP substrate to which the n-side electrode is connected has a flat surface continuous from the inside of the InP substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photodiode array, a method of manufacturing the same, and a detecting device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a photodiode array having responsivity in the near infrared, a method of manufacturing the same, and a detecting device, such as an image pickup device or a sensor, including the photodiode array.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photodiode array including an absorption layer composed of InGaAs having responsivity in the near infrared is used in imaging using space light, a sensor for a biologically relevant substance etc. Accordingly, many research and development have been carried out. In such a photodiode array including an absorption layer composed of InGaAs, an electrode (p-side electrode) of each photodiode (pixel) has the following structure. The p-side electrode of each photodiode is connected to a p-type region where Zn (p-type impurity) that has been selectively diffused from the top surface of an epitaxial multilayer is distributed, and further connected to a read wiring of a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) (M. J. Cohen, M. J. Lange, M. H. Ettenberg, P. Dixon, and G. H. Olsen, "A Thin-Film Indium Gallium Arsenide Focal Plane Array for Visible and Near Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging" 1999, IEEE, pp. 744-745). An electrode (n-side electrode) that provides each photodiode with a common ground potential is connected to an InP substrate or buffer layer containing an n-type impurity in a high concentration. The n-side electrode is connected to a ground terminal of the CMOS. Consequently, photogenerated charges generated by being detected by the photodiodes are read by the CMOS and form an image. In this structure, by separately forming p-type regions for respective photodiodes, a p-n junction or a p-i-n junction is independently formed in each photodiode. Accordingly, each of the photodiodes of the above photodiode array does not have a mesa-type structure, in which crystallinity tends to be decreased.
In the case where a p-type region is formed by selective diffusion of Zn, a surface of an n+InP substrate or an n+ buffer layer is exposed, and an n-side electrode is connected to the exposed surface. For this purpose, an edge of an epitaxial multilayer including an InGaAs absorption layer is etched (mesa-etched). The common n-side electrode is connected to a margin (i.e., non-growth part) which is a surface of the exposed n+InP substrate or buffer layer. This n-side electrode is formed so as to extend along a wall of the edge of the mesa-etched epitaxial multilayer and to have the same height as the height of the p-side electrode at the top surface side of the epitaxial multilayer. The n-side electrode is connected to a predetermined terminal of a CMOS, the terminal being arranged in a planer shape. That is, in this photodiode array, each of the photodiodes does not have a mesa-type structure, but the photodiode array has a mesa-type structure.
In the above-described photodiode array including an absorption layer composed of InGaAs, the photodiodes are separately formed by introducing a p-type impurity from the top surface of an epitaxial multilayer, and thus each of the photodiodes does not have a mesa-type structure. However, when the photodiode array is viewed as one unit, the area of the photodiode array forms a mesa-type structure. When an edge of an epitaxial multilayer is mesa-etched, large irregularities due to a difference in the etching rate or the etching plane direction between materials are formed on a wall of the mesa-etched edge. A large number of man-hours are required in this first etching because etchants are changed in accordance with the types of material of each layer constituting the epitaxial multilayer. In order to remove such large irregularities, it is possible to add a correction to the wall of the edge of the epitaxial multilayer by performing additional etching. The additional etching also requires a large number of man-hours. In the case of mass production, performing the above-mentioned first etching and additional etching requires a very large number of man-hours, thereby increasing the manufacturing cost. On the other hand, when only the first etching is performed, and if an n-side electrode is formed on the wall of the edge of the epitaxial multilayer, the wall having large irregularities thereon, the irregularities inhibit, for example, a flow of a gas phase and a smooth deposition of a deposition material of the n-side electrode. As a result, a problem that the n-side electrode is not continuously formed (i.e., disconnection) occurs. It is sufficient that one n-side electrode is formed at any position of the photodiode array, but such irregularities are disposed around the periphery of the edge of the epitaxial multilayer. Accordingly, the problem of disconnection may occur regardless of the position at which the n-side electrode is formed.

Photodiode array, method of manufacturing the same, and detecting device


A system and method for MAC-PHY rate matching combines carrier sense signal and rate matching techniques to implement close loop rate matching. An adapter entity responds to each carrier sense deferral to throttle the MAC until rate matching is achieved.

Many networking devices adhere to the IEEE802.3 standard as their layer 1 and 2 interface. The layer 2 entity is known as the MAC (Medium Access Controller) and the layer 1 entity is known as the PHY (PHYsical layer). IEEE802.3 defines an interface between the MAC and the PHY, known as the MII (Medium Independent Interface).
FIG. 1 depicts the layered model of Ethernet that includes a Media MAC layer and a PHY layer. The MAC layer is responsible for, among other things, controlling access to the media and the PHY layer is responsible for transmitting bits of information across the media. In Ethernet, the interface between the MAC and the PHY is specified by IEEE 802.3 and has evolved from the 10 pin MII for 10/100 Ethernet, to the 20 pin GMII (Gigabit Media Independent Interface) for GE (Gigabit Ethernet), to the 36 pin XGMII (10 Gigabit Media Independent Interface) for 10 GE.
Thus, in a typical implementation, the MII operates at a speed of 100 or 10 mbps (MegaBits Per Second). The MAC sends Ethernet frames to the PHY at this rate and the PHY then sends the frame out on the medium. Typical PHYs operate at the same rate as the MAC/MII.
Certain newer implementations couple the MAC/MII with a PHY that is incapable of operating at the full rate. One example is an Ethernet-over-DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) PHY that might transmit at 15 mbps. Since the MAC and MII operate at a fixed rate (either 10 or 100 mbps in this case), a method must be used to throttle the MAC so that it does not overload the PHY.
This throttling is also known as "MAC-PHY rate matching". There are four existing methods for MAC-PHY rate matching.
The first two methods depend on signals generated to indicate carrier sensing and collision detection. As is known in the art, Ethernet utilizes a shared medium protocol know as CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection). Each node connected to the medium may transmit a message as long as no other message is currently being transmitted on the medium. Thus, each node listens to the medium prior to transmitting, for example by monitoring the current flow in a wire, to see if a carrier (signal) is being transmitted by another node. If a carrier is detected the PHY asserts a carrier detect signal that causes the MAC to delay transmission of a frame.
Additionally, it is possible for collisions to occur because one node may start to transmit after another node has transmitted but before the carrier is detected due to the delay of the propagation of the carrier. A node monitors its own transmission to detect a collision, for example by detecting a higher current than due to its own transmission. If a collision is detected then the PHY asserts a collision detect signal that causes the MAC to abort the transmission of the frame (collision back off).
The first MAC-PHY rate matching technique uses "collision back off". As described above, collision back off is a feature of Ethernet in which the PHY signals to the MAC if another device on the network begins to transmit at the same time as the PHY. (The two transmitters thus "collide".) In this case, the PHY signals to the MAC that a collision has occurred and the MAC ceases transmission, waits a random interval and tries to transmit again.
When used for rate matching, the PHY signals a collision when its buffers are full and the MAC tries to transmit another frame. In this case, the MAC will back off and try again. If the buffers have room, the PHY will accept the frame. Otherwise it will again signal collision.
The second method for rate matching uses an Ethernet feature called "carrier sense deferral". In an Ethernet network, as described above, the PHY asserts a carrier sense signal to inform the MAC when another device on the network is transmitting. This assertion of the carrier sense signal is called a "deferral". To prevent collisions, MAC will not transmit while the PHY is asserting carrier sense.
The PHY can assert the carrier sense signal when its transmit buffers are full to prevent the MAC from transmitting any more frames. Thus, carrier sense deferral may be used for rate matching. This method is described in IEEE802.3ah "Ethernet in the First Mile" standard.
The third method for rate matching uses MAC "Pause frames". A "Pause frame" is a special Ethernet frame that, when received, instructs a MAC to stop transmitting. After a certain period, the MAC then resumes transmission. Pause frames are usually sent from remote network devices to the MAC.
In the case of rate matching, the PHY inserts a Pause frame in the received data stream which in turn instructs the MAC to stop transmitting. The PHY sends the pause frame when its transmit buffer is filled to a defined level. The buffer needs to be large enough to accept any frames that the MAC may transmit while receiving and processing the Pause frame. Using Pause frames allows the MAC and PHY to transmit and receive data at the same time, an improvement over using the collision signal for rate matching.
The fourth method of rate matching is known as "traffic shaping". Typically, a MAC with data to transmit will use an IPG (Inter-Packet Gap) of 0.96 microseconds (for 100 mbps operation) between each frame. If the MAC has knowledge in advance of a desired traffic rate (the "target rate"), a traffic shaper on the MAC can increase the length of the IPG accordingly, thus reducing the rate at which frames are sent to the PHY equal to the target traffic rate. The PHY still needs a buffer to store each frame because the frames traverse the MII at 100 mbps, but in this case the MAC can wait for the buffer to be nearly empty before sending the next frame. Traffic shaping is currently employed on many Ethernet switches as a way to manage congestion on network links.
As will be described more fully below, each of these techniques has drawbacks and a need exists for an improved technique for MAC-PHY rate matching.

Closed loop method and apparatus for throttling the transmit rate of an ethernet media access controller


A test method based on a test system for five-dimensional space effects of ground surface settlement caused by dual-mode shield construction is provided. First, manufacturing a formation similarity material model; then, laying ground surface monitoring points in longitudinal and transverse direction; installing a shield machine model, and performing shield construction, the shield machine model adopts a double-shield body mode; performing five-dimensional monitoring during shield construction; designing an observation method for ground surface settlement data in step length and time dimension, and acquiring five-dimensional data in combination with three-dimensional scanning; and finally, performing deformation information processing according to the monitored data, so as to realize an acquisition of the five-dimensional data.

Shield machine is mainly divided into a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) for tunneling a hard rock interval, an Earth Pressure Balance Shield Machine (EPB) for tunneling a soft rock interval, and a dual-mode shield construction under complex formation conditions. However, a TBM method, an EPB method, or a dual-mode shield method has common construction characteristics during construction, that is, there is a process of propulsion by the shield machine and a process of installing the segments. It can be known by analyzing these two specific operation conditions that the process of propulsion by the shield machine will generate disturbance to stratum soil. For example, the shield propulsion step length used in a certain rail transit line is 1.5 m, which causes ground surface settlement inevitably. In the process of installing the segments after each propulsion step length is completed, it usually needs to shut down the machine for about 40 minutes. A phenomenon of the ground surface settlement still occurs continuously during this period of time.
To sum up specific engineering situations mentioned above, with a shield tunnel being continuously tunneled, the phenomenon of the ground surface settlement will occur. The ground surface settlement not only spreads in the three dimensions of X, Y, and Z, but also continuously evolves along with the two dimensions of the tunneling step length (L) and time (T) for the shield tunnel. Therefore, they are defined as a "five-dimensional" space effect of the ground surface settlement caused by the shield tunnel construction.
At present, the total amount of the ground surface settlement is mostly predicted by using finite element software or a Peck formula. Finite element calculation needs to establish an accurate model. However, physical properties of each layer of rock in a real formation environment are ever-changing, so it is very difficult to model. The Peck formula is a simple method for calculating the ground surface settlement, whereas there are many assumptions in usage of the formula, so there will be great errors in calculation results.
Test systems or test methods for traditional models can only perform qualitative studies generally because they need to simplify prototypes and are limited in terms of similarity material, boundary conditions, the size effect of test equipment, consolidation drainage, and the like, which is difficult to accurately reflect the "five-dimensional" effects of the ground surface settlement. Therefore, there are great limitations on the study of an evolution law of a ground surface settlement tank. And, there are great difficulties in terms of transformation from test results to the prototypes, direct usage in construction control, and the like.

Test method based on test system for five-dimensional space effects of ground surface settlement caused by dual-mode shield construction

China Construction Fifth Engineering Division Corp., Ltd.


A mitre joint for a metallic frame of a fenestration unit includes first and second frame members; a connector configured to locate the first and second frame members in relation to one another; and first and second fasteners configured to secure the first and second frame members to the connector. The connector has a first arm configured to extend within a hollow profile defined by the first frame member, and a second arm configured to extend within a hollow profile defined by the second frame member. A longitudinal axis of each of the first and second fasteners is configured to be parallel to a longitudinal axis of the respective connector arm. Each of the first and second fasteners is configured to engage the respective frame member when the respective connector arm extends within said frame member.

Frames for windows, doors and other types of fenestration unit are often provided by connecting a series of frame members with a joint at each corner of the frame.
It is known to assemble a metallic frame for a fenestration unit by attaching frame members to corner connectors, e.g. connecting four frame members at four corner connectors to create a standard four-sided frame. It is known to locate and secure a first frame member to a corner connector, and then to locate and secure a second frame member to that corner connector. Connecting frame members one at a time may be necessary due to the fastener arrangement used, or the design of the corner connector. However, such an arrangement often makes no allowance for inaccuracy during manufacture of the frame components, or damage that may occur to the frame components, for example during transport to a site. Misalignment of the frame members with respect to one another can result, so that a watertight or well insulated seal cannot be formed between a pane and the frame, so that the frame may not allow fitting of the required pane or panel, may not fit within the opening, or may simply not have a neat finish.
Other connection systems require a large investment in specialist machinery to simultaneously connect first and second frame members to a connector. Such systems use punches to deform the frame members to mechanically engage around the connector. This also prevents any subsequent adjustment of the alignment, so if not aligned properly during the operation, both frame members and the connector have to be scrapped.
There are other difficulties with existing joints. Transportation of several individual components may be required, during which components may be mislaid or separated from their assembly/remainder of the assembly. Joints may need to be assembled on site, which can be difficult with a number of intricate components. The fitting between each frame member and the connector may require the end of the frame member to have a particular internal profile, which may involve substantial amounts of material. This can be expensive in particular with e.g. aluminium frames.
The connector may not be well supported by the frame member, and issues of uneven load distribution may arise.
The present teachings seek to overcome or at least mitigate one of more of the problems associated with the prior art.


In a computer system, an improved tool and method for debugging complex computer programs is disclosed. The tool extracts critical debugging information from computer memory and/or remote storage memory and uses this information to graphically depict call relationships among various functions comprising the program which is the subject of the debugging operation. Debug commands are accepted by the tool through a graphical user interface using operations performed by the user directly on the graphical representation of program functions. The ability of the tool to accept user commands through the graphical user interface and to display critical debugging information using this same interface greatly facilitates program debugging.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and method for locating and correcting errors in a computer program and, more particularly, to a system and method for graphically displaying the structure of a program and controlling the execution of the program during the software debugging process.
2. Description of Related Art
Newly created computer programs often include one or more inadvertent errors. Some software errors can result in the complete failure of a software system, while others may result in incorrect behavior. Although commercial software developers will typically devote 50-70% of their total development time to checking the computer program for errors and correcting those errors, it is almost inevitable that some errors ("bugs") remain even in production versions of the software released to the public. There is, therefore, a great need for an efficient and effective means for "debugging" software.
Debugging is the process of identifying and isolating a software error so that the problem can be corrected. Usually this involves examining the lines of code comprising the software program and/or observing the program's execution to determine the cause for the aberrant behavior.
In the prior art of debugging a program, a user may first read the program line-by-line to try to locate the error or errors. However, following the flow of a program by reading it line-by-line can be extremely difficult and time consuming, even in a relatively simple program. If the program contains many loops, subroutines, function calls, variables and the like, the user may not be able to trace the sequence of program execution, and hence may not be able to determine the effect of the execution of each line of the computer program.
"Debuggers" are software diagnostic tools that provide users with mechanisms for viewing and controlling the execution of programs (including the program states and the values of variables) for the purpose of helping the user identify errors in the program code. With prior art debuggers, the user can control the operation of the defective software program by inputting one or more debug commands and observing the results of the subsequent program execution. For example, a debugger command may be invoked to set a "break point" at a location in the defective program. The effect of a break point is to suspend program execution when the location of the break point is reached. The user can then cause the debugger to display the values of selected variables. State-of-the-art debuggers can also display several lines of disassembled machine code and/or the corresponding lines of source code occurring before and after the break point. Even state-of-the-art debuggers, however, do not predict where and whether a program will branch. Therefore, a deficiency in current state-of-the-art debuggers is that the lines of code which they display following the point of suspension are simply the next consecutively numbered lines of code in the program. Such lines of code may not necessarily be the code which will be executed when the user resumes operation of the program.
Typical debug commands include: a "step command," in which the program is executed one line at a time, with the lines of code possibly being displayed as they are executed; a "watch value command," which displays the changing value of a selected variable while the program is running; a "trace command," which displays a list of active functions on the stack; a "data break command," which stops execution of the program upon the occurrence of a user-selected condition, such as a variable achieving a predetermined value; and an "assign command," which assigns a user-selected value to a variable.
Notwithstanding the wide-spread use of debuggers, debugging can still be difficult and time consuming. One reason for this is that prior art debuggers are text-based, i.e., the debuggers provide the user with information in the form of a series of lines of text and accept commands in a similar format. For example, with prior art debuggers the user may type in an instruction which causes the debugger to place a break point in a particular line of a program or, using a mouse, "point and click" on a line of code to place a break point at the beginning of that line. Upon the occurrence of the break point, prior art debuggers can display lines of text containing the disassembled machine code executed up to the break point, the corresponding line or lines of source code and the value of certain selected variables.
The operation of a debugger at this text-based level has numerous disadvantages. For example, the user must be intimately familiar with the organization of the program being debugged, since the debugger can only display the lines of code comprising the execution path actually traversed by the program; the debugger cannot tell the user which alternative execution paths could have been taken by the program using a different set of input data. Prior art debuggers also do not tell the user which functions could be called by the particular function located at the break point. The user must deduce this information by examining the displayed code. Thus, to fully appreciate the state of the program at the break point, the user must figure out and retain a complex mental picture of the various execution paths which the program might have taken to have reached its current state and the various execution paths it might take once the next debug command causes program execution to resume.
Users of prior art debuggers frequently find themselves in a situation somewhat analogous to a cross-country traveller without a road map who, upon reaching each successive intersection, must ask for the name of the closest town in each direction. Without a road map showing all the roads that lie between the embarkation point and his or her destination, the traveller cannot plan the most efficient way to get to the ultimate destination. Instead, using only trial and error, the traveller can easily get lost, may have to backtrack and will frequently find himself or herself going down dead end streets.
Despite many advances in debugging technology, creating defect-free software is an elusive goal that is far from being achieved. In fact, the trend toward increasingly complex software systems makes achieving this goal even more difficult. Thus, the debugger is one of the most important tools affecting a programmer's productivity. It is surprising therefore, that despite the considerable effort which the software industry has devoted to debuggers, their use is still so cumbersome. (The inventors believe that this results from the fact that prior art debuggers are based upon a model that was developed to support traditional character-based terminals.)
In view of the above, it is clear that there exists a need for an improved debugging tool. In particular, there exists a need for a debugging tool that can abstract critical debugging information from increasingly complex software, display that information in a dynamic and useful graphical format and, in addition, allow the user to control program execution through operations performed directly on the graphical representation of the program.

Tool and method for diagnosing and correcting errors in a computer program


Disclosed is a test cell and a method for detection of a preselected ligand in a liquid sample such as a body fluid. The test cell includes an elongate outer casing which houses an interior permeable material capable of transporting an aqueous solution and defining a sample inlet, a test volume, and a reservoir volume. The reservoir volume is disposed in a section of the test cell spaced apart from the inlet and is filled with sorbent material. The reservoir acts to receive liquid transported along a flow path defined by the permeable material and extending from the inlet and through the test volume. In the test volume is a test site which includes a first protein having a binding site specific to a first epitope of the ligand immobilized in fluid communication with the flow path. The test site can be observed through a window of the casing.

This invention relates to assays for ligands, e.g., antigens, in a liquid sample such as a body fluid. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for the detection of a ligand in a body fluid such as urine using a conjugate comprising colored particles and a novel flow-through test cell.
Many types of ligand-receptor assays have been used to detect the presence of various substances, often generally called ligands, in body fluids such as urine. These assays involve antigen antibody reactions, synthetic conjugates comprising radioactive, enzymatic, fluorescent, or visually observable metal sol tags, and specially designed reactor chambers. In all these assays, there is a receptor, e.g., an antibody, which is specific for the selected ligand or antigen, and a means for detecting the presence, and often the amount, of the ligand-receptor reaction product. Most current tests are designed to make a quantitative determination, but in many circumstances all that is required is a positive/negative indication. Examples of such qualitative assays include blood typing and most types of urinalysis. For these tests, visually observable indicia such as the presence of agglutination or a color change are preferred.
Even the positive/negative assays must be very sensitive because of the often small concentration of the ligand of interest in the test fluid. False positives can also be troublesome, particularly with agglutination and other rapid detection methods such as dipstick and color change tests. Because of these problems, sandwich assays and other sensitive detection methods which use metal sols or other types of colored particles have been developed. These techniques have not solved all of the problems encountered in these rapid detection methods.
It is an object of this invention to provide a rapid, sensitive method for detecting ligands in body fluids. Another object is to provide an assay which has high sensitivity and fewer false positives than conventional assays. A further object is to provide a test cell for detection of low levels of ligands in body fluids. Another object is to provide an assay system which involves a minimal number of procedural steps, and yields reliable results even when used by untrained persons.
These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, drawings, and claims.

Test device and method for colored particle immunoassay


Disclosed in some examples are methods, systems, machine readable mediums that provide a network-based joint investment platform that enforces agreed-upon decision rules on jointly managed investments and provides collaboration and decision-making support tools for joint managers to make decisions about taking actions related to one or more jointly-managed assets. The platform may provide for configuring a plurality of decision rules that identify which managers can take which actions and under what conditions. The joint investment platform may enforce the decision rules by requesting any specified approvals according to the decision rules. Once those rules are satisfied, the joint investment platforms may execute the requested actions. If the required approvals are not obtained, or the rules provide no path to approval, the action may not be executed.

Investment decisions may be made by one or more individuals or groups of individuals that own the investment or are authorized to manage the investment. These investment managers may utilize one or more online tools to manage the investment and to take actions on those investments including buying, selling, trading, or the like.