A method for increasing gambling operation utilization by gamblers, including the steps of determining the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation occurring as a result of variations in percentage of losses or winnings incurred by a gambler who loses or wins a particular wager at the gambling operation, communicating the percentage variation in losses or winnings on the wager correlated to the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation to gamblers or potential gamblers, and varying the percentage of losses or winnings incurred by a gambler on the wager by an amount correlated to the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation occurring as a result of the variation in the percentage of losses or winnings by the gambler, wherein the variation of the percentage of loss always results in losses less than the amount wagered and the variation in the percentage of winnings always results in winnings greater than the amount wagered.

This invention relates to a method for increasing gambling operation utilization by gamblers, and has application in conventional gambling operations such as casinos, video poker outlets and sports books, horse and dog tracks, and in more recently developed internet-based on-line gambling operations which operate similarly to conventional casinos. The purposes of the invention include increasing the playing time of gamblers, creating incentives to play particular games, and to increasing the utilization of the gambling operation based on given utilization factors. All of these purposes are referred to below generally as increasing the utilization of the gambling operation.
Gambling involves placing a wager, or bet, of a specified amount of money on the outcome of an event, such as the pull of a slot machine handle, the roll of dice, drawing particular cards or combinations of cards, or the outcome of a sporting event. The gambler either wins or loses the wager. If the wager is won, the gambler wins the amount of the wager multiplied by the xe2x80x9coddsxe2x80x9d on the wager. For example, a wager of $100.00 with odds of three-to-one results in winnings of $300.00. If the wager is lost, the gambler typically loses the full amount of the wager, i.e., the full $100.00.
There are many factors that affect the utilization of gambling operations, including the time of day, day of the week, season of the year, weather, competitive entertainment events or other gambling operations, economic conditions, and holiday periods. It is well known that gambling operation utilization varies based on these utilization factors, among others.
Known casino gambling incentives include free or reduced-price rooms, meals, drinks and entertainment, rebates based upon an initial deposit by the gambler and bet volume. Gambling operations have developed sophisticated formulae for tracking betting volume, level of play and the like. However, none of these systems is known to be tied directly to gambling losses.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a method for increasing gambling operation utilization by gamblers.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of increasing the playing time and thus the number of bets made by gamblers.
It is another object of the invention to create incentives for gamblers to play particular betting games.
It is another object of the invention to create incentives for gamblers to play betting games at particular times of day or on different days of the week.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a method for increasing gambling operation utilization by gamblers. The method includes the steps of determining the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation occurring as a result of variations in percentage of losses or winnings incurred by a gambler who loses or wins a particular wager at the gambling operation, communicating the percentage variation in losses or winnings on the wager to gamblers or potential gamblers, and varying the percentage of losses or winnings incurred by a gambler on the wager by an amount correlated to the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation occurring as a result of the variation in the percentage of losses or winnings by the gambler.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the variation of the percentage of loss always results in losses less than the amount wagered and/or the variation in the percentage of winnings always results in winnings greater than the amount wagered.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the gambling operation is a casino.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the gambling operation is an internet-based on-line gambling operation.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the variation in losses or winnings is based on the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation during different times of day during which the gambling operation operates.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the variation in losses or winnings is based on the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation during different days of the week during which the gambling operation operates.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the variation in losses or winnings is based on the effect on the utilization of different games offered by the gambling operation.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the variation in losses or winnings is based on the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation during different seasons of the year.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the variation in losses or winnings is based on the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation during different weather conditions.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the variation in losses or winnings is based on the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation during different holidays.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the variation in losses or winnings is based on the effect on the utilization of the particular games of chance available for play at the gambling operation.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the variation in losses or winnings is based on the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation in relation to other competitive gambling operations.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the variation in losses or winnings is based on the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation in relation to the type of gambler desired by the gambling operation.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the reduction of loss or increase in winnings is credited to the gambler immediately after the result of the wager is determined.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the credit representing the reduction of loss or increase in winnings is valid for use only at the gambling operation issuing the credit.
Gambling businesses are governed by the laws of supply and demand, just as are other types of businesses. It is well known that the xe2x80x9cdemandxe2x80x9d for gambling operations varies by the time of day, the day of the week, the season of the year, weather, holiday periods, competition from other gambling businesses and other forms of entertainment, among others.
The principal xe2x80x9cpricexe2x80x9d entailed in gambling is the bet, or wager, placed by the player. As in any supply and demand equation, there is a particular demand at a particular price. Generally, if price is lowered, demand increases, and if price increases, demand decreases. If a relatively small change in price results in a relatively large change in demand, the demand is xe2x80x9celastic.xe2x80x9d If a relatively large change in price results in a relatively small change in demand, the demand is xe2x80x9cinelastic.xe2x80x9d The elasticity of demand can be determined by use of formulae, or empirically by actually noting the change in demand that results from change in price.
One significant factor in the relationship between price and demand is the extent to which the purchaserxe2x80x94in this case, the gamblerxe2x80x94is aware of the real price and the changes in price.
Free or reduced-price rooms, meals, drinks and entertainment, rebates based upon an initial deposit by the gambler and bet volume are all known ways of reducing the price of placing a wager and thereby providing a greater incentive to gamble. However, these incentives are relatively indirect. They do not necessarily induce the gambler to play longer or place larger or more bets. In many cases, these techniques may not even be recognized by the player as having an effect on the price of gambling.
A core incentive to gamble resides in the fact that any single bet, if won, can wipe out numerous losses. Thus, providing an additional betting opportunity at no or reduced cost to a gambler who is losing is a powerful incentive to the gambler to continue betting in the hopes of winning and recouping lost bets.
In accordance with the invention, losses and winnings by the gambler are controlled and varied in such as way as to draw more players, skew the player towards particular games, lengthen the time spent betting, increase the number of bets and thereby increase the utilization of the facilities of the gambling operation. By properly and directly communicating the variation in the percentage of losses and winnings actually incurred to players and potential players, incremental business can be attracted. It is an important feature of the invention that the communication to the player is direct, immediate, repetitive and variable. As is well known, the gambling operation, i.e., the xe2x80x9chousexe2x80x9d, always wins in the long run. Therefore, incremental increases in gambling activity is certain to translate into greater net revenue to the gambling operation.
There already exists a wide variety of techniques available to monitor variation in gambling operation business based upon the factors referred to above. Physical casinos use sophisticated managerial software to monitor levels of play at all games, including slot machines. Statistical information is also available for monitoring and predicting the ebb and flow of gambling activity.
The more recent phenomenon of internet-based, on-line gambling also presents opportunities to monitor the level of play and provide incentives for incremental play. There are a finite number of players that can access on-line casinos at any given time. This number depends on the number of phone lines, system bandwidth, server capacity, software limitations, as well as other limitations, such as time of day, and others referred to above. There are now an enormous number of directly competitive on-line casinos which can be readily and quickly accessed by a potential player, who can quickly determine which one of any number of such on-line casinos he wishes to patronize.
The invention includes the method of monitoring the level of play in relation to server capacity and other limiting factors, and varying the percentage of losses or winnings incurred by a gambler on the wager by an amount correlated to the effect on the utilization of the gambling operation occurring as a result of the variation in the percentage of losses or winnings by the gambler. The variation of the percentage of loss can be made to always result in losses less than the amount wagered and/or the variation in the percentage of winnings can be made to always result in winnings greater than the amount wagered.
This information can be conveyed to the potential player on the log-in page, and advertised on banner advertising throughout the internet. The advertising can be xe2x80x9cstand alonexe2x80x9d, or can be linked to the on-line casino.
This practice is intended to attract play from other sites by offering a more attractive loss ratio than the competition. A properly programmed general purpose computer can monitor any desired condition and alter the loss and win ratio continuously. The loss ratio can also be used to attract particular player types or groups. For example, if a xe2x80x9chigh rollerxe2x80x9d is evaluating one on-line casino versus another, the loss ratio can be used to entice the player by allowing a rate to be negotiated which is agreeable to all parties. In effect, different loss ratios can be offered to different catagories of bettors.
Similarly, the method can be used to provide an enhanced xe2x80x9cinstant gratificationxe2x80x9d factor designed to convert observers to players by advertising a special loss ratio for a set period of time, or for particular games.
A gambling operation incurs essentially the same fixed costs, no matter how may players are gambling at a particular time. Any additional play increases the opportunity for the gambling operation to increase revenue at little or no additional cost. The method is extremely flexible, and can include crediting the account of the bettor, providing an instant rebate, or otherwise reducing the cash cost to the bettor.

Method for increasing gambling operation utilization by gamblers


In an ink jet type recording head, a flow passage forming substrate includes pressure generating chambers which are communicated with nozzle openings respectively, a common ink chamber for supplying ink to the pressure generating chambers; and ink supply inlets through which the pressure generating chambers are communicated with the common ink chamber. Each of the ink supply inlets is so designed that it has a narrow part, and it is gradually larger from the narrow part towards the pressure generating chamber, whereby the ink supply inlet is increased in length without changing the flow resistance, and the bonding area near the ink supply inlet is increased.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ink jet type recording head of an on-demand system which jets ink droplets in response to printing signals to form dots on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An ink jet type recording head comprises a flow passage unit and a displacement effecting unit. The flow passage unit comprises: a nozzle plate having nozzle openings; a flow passage forming substrate having pressure generating chambers which are communicated with the nozzle openings, a common ink chamber and ink supply inlets; and a vibrating member which sealingly covers the flow passage forming substrate, and which inflates and deflates the pressure generating chambers, being externally displaced. The displacement effecting unit is adapted to apply mechanical energy to the pressure generating chambers through the vibrating member to jet ink.
In the ink jet type recording head, each of the ink supply inlets greatly affect the picture quality of the resultant print as well as each of the nozzle openings, and is an important element which changes the flow passage impedance ratio of the ink supply inlet and the nozzle opening, and the absolute value of the flow passage impedance. Hence, the dimensions and the flow resistances of the ink supply inlet and the nozzle opening greatly affect various characteristics of the recording head such as an ink-droplet jetting speed, a quantity of ink droplet, and an ink-droplet jetting frequency.
This problem may be solved by a technique which has been disclosed, for instance, by Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 5-229114. That is, by anisotropic-etching a silicon monocrystal wafer, the pressure generating chambers, the common ink chamber, and the ink supply inlets of the flow passage substrate can be formed with high dimensional accuracy.
On the other hand, in a recording head for high-density printing, the pressure generating chambers are large in aspect ratio, and walls 45 (FIG. 7) separating the pressure generating chambers from one another are thin, so that the bonding areas for bonding the nozzle plate and the vibrating member to the flow passage forming substrate are extremely small.
In an example of the conventional recording head described above, as shown in FIG. 7, a bonding region 41 on the side of the nozzle openings 40 is large, 800 .mu.m.times.141 .mu.m, while bonding regions around ink supply inlets 43, which are formed on one side of the flow passage forming substrate which is opposite to the other side where the pressure generating chambers 42 are formed, are each small, 25 .mu.m.times.200 .mu.m. The sum of those small bonding regions 44 around the ink supply inlets is also extremely small, about one-twentieth (1/20) of the bonding region 41 provided near the nozzle openings 40, and therefore it is difficult to obtain a sufficient adhesive strength on the side of the ink supply inlets.
Accordingly, at the junctions of the flow passage forming substrate, the nozzle plate and the vibrating member which form the ink flow paths, those components may be separated from one another for instance because of the non-uniform application of the adhesive agent; and the ink may leak from one of the pressure generating chambers into another. Thus, the conventional recording head is low in reliability.

Ink jet type recording head having a flow passage substrate with a stepped configuration and recesses formed in a surface thereof


There are some cases where cracks occur at a plurality of areas on an external electrode when a displacement quantity of a laminated piezoelectric element is large. In such cases, there is a possibility of a voltage not being applied to a portion of the laminated structure due to the cracks caused by a long time drive to cause a reduction in the displacement quantity. A low rigidity layer is arranged on the laminated structure to form a plurality of portions divided by the low rigidity layer in a laminating direction. Each portion is provided with power feeding members on the anode side and the cathode side. Thus, a voltage can be stably supplied to each internal electrode.

Conventionally, with respect to the laminated piezoelectric element, there have been strong demands for a small size element as well as for ensuring a large displacement quantity upon application of a large pressure. Consequently, the element needs to be subjected to a higher electric field, and also used under severe conditions of continuous driving operations for a long period of time. However, in an attempt to ensure the large displacement quantity, a higher stress is imposed on the external electrodes in response to the displacement of the piezoelectric member.
Therefore, an element having a structure in which conductors are connected to a plurality of portions of the external electrode has been proposed. By connecting many conductors to the external electrode, even when a plurality of cracks occur in the external electrode, it is possible to suppress the displacement quantity of the element from being lowered.

Laminated piezoelectric element, jetting device provided with the laminated piezoelectric element and fuel jetting system


The present invention relates to a bottom-to-surface connection device comprising at least one undersea pipe or riser (1, 1a-1b) capable of including a single float (2, 21-27), said float being connected at its bottom end to a junction device (8) creating a leaktight flexible joint between the bottom end of the float (2) and said riser (1a), the connection device being characterized in that said junction device (8) is interposed between and secured to a bottom portion (1a) of the riser going down to the sea bottom and a top portion of the riser passing through said float and rising to the surface, said junction device (8) comprising at least one first laminated abutment in the form of a body of revolution having a plurality of elastomer layers defining surfaces of revolution that are frustoconical in shape or ellipsoidal in section.

Once the depth of water becomes large, a production field, and in particular an oil field, is generally worked from a floating support. The floating support generally includes anchor means for keeping it in position in spite of the effects of currents, winds, and swell. It also generally includes means for storing and processing oil and means for off-loading to off-loading tankers. Such floating supports are generally referred to as floating production storage off-loading (FPSO) supports. Numerous variants have been developed such as so-called SPARS which are long floating cigars held in position by catenary anchoring, or indeed "TLPs" which are platforms having tensioned anchor lines, said lines generally being vertical.
Wellheads are generally distributed over the entire field, and production pipes together with lines for injecting water and control cables are placed on the sea bottom converging on a fixed location, with the floating support being positioned vertically thereabove on the surface.
Some wells are situated vertically beneath the floating support and the inside of the well is then directly accessible from the surface. Under such circumstances, the wellhead fitted with its "Christmas tree" can be installed on the surface, on board the floating support. It is then possible from a derrick installed on said floating support to perform all of the drilling, production, and maintenance operations required on the well throughout its lifetime. The wellhead is then said to be "dry".
In order to keep the riser fitted with its dry wellhead substantially in its vertical position, it is necessary to exert upward traction thereon, which can be applied either by a tensioning system using cables and winches or hydraulic actuators installed on the floating support, or else by floats distributed along the riser and installed at various depths, or indeed by using a combination of those two techniques.
The riser as tensioned by these floats is guided, preferably relative to the floating support, by roller guides situated in a plane, preferably a single plane, enabling a riser to be held and guided relative to the floating support. Cable tensioning means acting as guide means can also be used.
FR 2 754 021 discloses a guide device for a riser provided with floats at its head end, the device including wheels enabling the riser to slide vertically, and also enabling it to turn about a horizontal axis so as to guide its horizontal displacements, so that horizontal translation movements of the riser substantially follow those of the floating supports. FR 99/10417 and WO/2001-11184 also disclose an improved guide device having wheels and friction skids disposed radially around the pipe. That device for holding and guiding the portion of a vertical riser that is underwater and near the surface, in particular within a drilling bay, serves to minimize the reaction forces between said riser and the support structure secured to the barge. Finally, various guide systems are known that involve tensioning by cable means.
Since the underwater depth of certain oil fields exceeds 1500 meters (m), and can be as great as 3000 m, the weight of risers over such depths requires forces to be used for holding them in position that can reach or exceed several hundreds of (metric) tonnes. "Can_type" buoyancy elements are used that are added to underwater structures, mainly to risers connecting ultra-great depths (1000 m-3000 m) to the surface. The underwater pipe then consists in a rising column having an underwater pipe assembled to at least one float comprising a coaxial can surrounding said pipe with said pipe passing therethrough.
The floats in question are of large dimensions, and in particular they have a diameter of more than 5 m, a length of 10 m to 20 m, and possess buoyancy that can be as great as 1000 tonnes, and in general they are disposed as a string one beneath another.
The float and the pipe are subjected to the effects of swell and current, but since they are connected to the FPSO at the surface, they are also indirectly subjected to the effects of wind. This gives rise to lateral and vertical movements that are large (several meters) for the riser-float-barge combination, particularly in the zone that is subjected to swell. These movements generate large differential forces between the riser and the float. In addition, the bending applied to the riser leads to bending moments that are extremely large in the zone where there is a change in second moment of area, as arises whenever there is a connection between the riser and a float.
In order to minimize the forces generated by current and swell and acting on the riser-float combination, floats are generally circular and are installed coaxially around the riser.
In addition, floats are generally secured to the riser in such a manner that the riser-float connection provides sealing to said float so that it can confine a filler gas. The solution that is commonly used consists in embedding the float in the riser by welding, both at the top and at the bottom of the riser. Large amounts of reinforcement are added to ensure that the connection is sufficiently strong.
At such a connection between the riser and a float, the second moment of area changes considerably on passing from the section of the riser to the section of the float.
These large variations in second moment of area lead to stresses being unevenly distributed, thereby generating very localized zones in which stresses can become unacceptable and can lead either to phenomena of sudden rupture, or else to phenomena of fatigue that in turn lead to cracks appearing, followed by collapse. These localized stresses require transition pieces to be used to reinforce the weak zone, said pieces generally being conical in shape and of large dimensions, and being referred to as "tapered joints". In some circumstances, these pieces can be as much as 10 m long, and even under the best of circumstances they require the use of very high performance steels. However, it is often necessary to make use of titanium which is 5 to 10 times as expensive as the best steels. In addition, such pieces are generally complex in shape and they need to be made with extremely high quality so as to provide the expected service throughout the lifetime of the equipment, which lifetime can commonly exceed 25 years.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,952,526 and 3,981,357 disclose junction systems between float-tanks and risers, in which use is made of parts made of elastomer material.
Those buoyancy systems make it possible to reduce the tensioning system situated on board the floating support, and they are generally distributed over a major fraction of the water depth, and in addition they present small buoyancy, generally a few hundreds of kilograms (kg) or possibly one or two tonnes.
The junctions are situated in the top portions of the floats, with the bottom portions of the floats generally being open. Such devices can transfer loads corresponding to lightening only a short length of the pipe, but they are not suitable for floats that are intended to support a very great length of riser, e.g. 500 m to 1000 m or even more, either alone or with the help of additional tensioning systems secured to the floating support, where such lengths are to be found in very deep offshore oil fields, i.e. at depths of more than 1000 m. The buoyancy needed to achieve tensioning solely by means of floats requires considerable forces to be transferred vertically and transversely, and said vertical forces, when applied to the head of the riser, can reach several hundreds of tonnes, and can in particular lie in the range 300 tonnes to 500 tonnes.
In WO/2001-04454 in the name of the Applicant, there is disclosed a novel type of junction between the riser and the can that serves to support and transfer high loads, while mitigating the drawbacks of the above-mentioned floats assembled around said pipe by the pipe being embedded therein.
Those (riser-float) junction means are simple, flexible, and mechanically reliable, and they reduce the phenomena of fatigue and wear due to the stresses acting on the junction which is subjected to loads of several hundreds of tonnes.
More particularly, patent WO/2001-04454 in the name of the Applicant describes a string of floats surrounding a vertical riser, each of said floats being fitted at at least one of its ends with a flexible joint comprising laminated abutments serving not only to provide sealing and to transfer loads, but also to decouple the second moment of area between the structures of said float and of said riser, so that there is practically no longer any zone in which stresses are concentrated at the transition between said float and said riser, thereby making it possible to reduce the complexity of the structure of the connection and also its own weight, thus significantly increasing the efficiency of the float, i.e. its buoyancy compared with its own weight.
Still more precisely, WO/2001-04454 describes junction devices between the riser and the float that comprise laminated abutments made up of layers of elastomer sandwiched between rigid reinforcements, being supported by plates comprising a first plate secured to the pipe and a second plate secured to the float, with said rigid reinforcements and elastomer layers being:                either in the form of superposed washers;        or in the form of tubes or cylinders that are coaxial and adjacent.
In WO/2001-04454, the bottom-to-surface connection is thus continuous in the zone where the float is installed, and the flexible junction serves to decouple the second moment of area of said float from that of said riser.
Current acts over the entire height of the riser, from the sea bottom up to its surface, but swell acts only in a zone close to the surface and decreases in substantially exponential manner so as to become practically zero at a depth of about 80 m to about 120 m. Thus, when using a string of mutually independent floats as described in WO/2001-04454, the top floats are subjected to considerable forces both laterally and vertically since the effects of swell are very large in zones close to the surface, while the bottom floats are subjected to much less stress. The unit dimensions of the floats are limited since they must be capable of being handled on board the barge and then introduced into the derrick in order to be lowered through the drilling bay. Thus, in very great depth, e.g. of 2000 m to 3000 m, the weight of the riser is such that a large number of floats is required, e.g. four or five floats presenting total buoyancy of 400 tonnes to 500 tonnes and extending over a height of about 100 m.
Each of the floats needs to be fitted with laminated abutments so as to minimize the transfer of stresses to the vertical riser which constitutes a highly critical element of the bottom-to-surface connection since it must be capable not only of withstanding very high tensions, but also it must be capable of withstanding the bursting pressure created by the fluid it transports, and also the implosion pressure created by the sea water.
This buoyancy, which is distributed as a multitude of independent floats, requires numerous laminated abutments to be used, each being of high cost. In addition, swell creates differential forces between pairs of adjacent floats, which forces are in addition to the considerable forces to which the riser is subjected at each discontinuity between the riser and a float.
It is thus desired to minimize the number of floats, but when the floats take on large dimensions, the transition zone between the bottom end of the float and the riser concentrates considerable horizontal thrust forces, thereby requiring said riser to be reinforced by a transition piece constituted by a conical forging of great length that is very difficult to fabricate and therefore very expensive, since it is generally made of very high performance metal, such as titanium. When there is only one float, it needs to be enormous when the depth of water is large, and the risk of failure associated with the transition piece then becomes very high and therefore unacceptable because of the high risk of pollution in the event of said bottom-to-surface connection failing or rupturing.
Furthermore, the entire riser behaves like a tensioned cord between the sea bottom and the point situated on the axis of the guide system relative to the floating support, and this leads to vibratory phenomena of the guitar-pendulum type. Water moving in the depth of the water creates drag effects on the structure of the riser and its floats, thereby generating large forces in varying directions, together with vibratory phenomena created by turbulence in the moving water separating from the riser.
Patent WO/2001-53651 in the name of the Applicant describes a device for stabilizing a bottom-to-surface connection of the type comprising a riser tensioned by a float, said tensioned riser being guided at a surface support, preferably in a single plane. Said stabilization device serves to avoid vibratory phenomena of the guitar-pendulum type appearing, thus avoiding localized accumulations of fatigue appearing in the steel as are usually to be encountered in the transition zone between the bottom of the float and the portion of the riser situated immediately below said float, said fatigue phenomena leading rapidly to cracking and then to rupture of the installation.
Nevertheless, that stabilizer device does not make it possible to avoid having recourse to reinforced transition pieces, generally conical forgings of steel or titanium, where titanium presents particularly high performance in terms of resistance to fatigue, but is particularly expensive because of its raw material cost and its difficulty of manufacture.


A reversible fan tray device is provided for a power supply unit. The fan tray device includes a mounting panel to be removably mounted to the power supply, a fan unit secured to the mounting panel to provide airflow through the electronic device, and an interconnection board secured to the mounting panel to provide an electrical connection between the fan unit and the power supply unit. The mounting panel can be positioned in either of two orientations, the first orientation to draw external air into the power supply unit and the second orientation to force internal air out of the power supply unit. The interconnection board mates with a connector on the power supply unit when the fan tray cassette is in either of the two orientations. The interconnection board provides an airflow direction indication to the power supply unit for an existing orientation of the two orientations.

Electronic devices may be used in many types of systems and/or applications, such as control systems, data processing systems, medical systems, telecommunication systems and/or communication networks. Electronic devices may include system controllers, servers, and/or network devices, such as routers, switches, firewalls, and/or network address translators.
In data centers, electronic devices may be installed within a networking rack to provide, for example, a scalable system. Electronic devices may be arranged within the networking rack to provide optimum connectivity with other electronic devices. In addition, airflow direction in networking racks is typically required to go from a cold side to a hot side. The airflow direction through the electronic devices may be changed to accommodate these airflow requirements. Power supply units within electronic devices may include a separate airflow for cooling of the power supply units. When airflow direction through the electronic device is changed, optimal cooling performance may be achieved by also changing the airflow direction through the power supply unit. Often this is required in order to prevent the power supply unit from drawing in hot air from the electronic device itself.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Power supply with reversible airflow design


A method is presented for constructing mechanically stable fins. The method includes forming a fin stack including a plurality of sacrificial layers, recessing the fin stack to form channel fins, depositing a first type epitaxy between the channel fins, depositing a dielectric region over the first type epitaxy, depositing a second type epitaxy over the dielectric region, and removing the plurality of sacrificial layers resulting in formation of a plurality of gaps. The method further includes filling a first set of the plurality of gaps with a p-type work function metal (WFM) to form a p-type field effect transistor (pFET) structure and filling a second set of the plurality of gaps with an n-type WFM to form an n-type field effect transistor (nFET) structure, where the nFET structure is stacked over the pFET structure.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductor devices, and more specifically, to forming a mechanically stable complementary field effect transistor (CFET) without fin collapse.
Slated for 2.5 nm and beyond, a CFET is a more complex version of a gate-all-around device. Traditional gate-all-around field effect transistors (FETs) stack several p-type wires on top of each other. In a separate device, the transistor stacks n-type wires on each other. In CFETs, the idea is to stack both n-type FET (nFET) and p-type FET (pFET) wires on each other. A CFET can stack one nFET on top of a pFET wire, or two nFETs on top of two pFET wires. Since a CFET stacks both n- and p-type devices on each other, the transistor provides benefits related to area.

Mechanically stable complementary field effect transistors

International Business Machines Corporation


An image signal processing apparatus is provided with an image signal generation device for sequentially generating image signals representing light and shade of an original image per every picture element. The image signal processing apparatus is also provided with an extreme portion detection device for comparing the generated image signal of an observation picture element and each of the generated image signals of a plurality of peripheral picture elements which are positioned in the vicinity of the observation picture element, and judging whether the compared observation picture element is an extreme portion or not. The image signal processing apparatus is further provided with a correction device for correcting a level of the image signal of the observation picture element, which is judged to be the extreme portion by the extreme portion detection device, by use of a calculation predetermined with respect to the level of the image signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image signal processing apparatus, which can be suitably used in an optical image reading apparatus of a facsimile apparatus, an image scanner, a copying apparatus and so on.
2. Description of the Related Arts
In such an optical image reading apparatus, a reflected light from an illuminated original is detected by an image reading sensor, and its sensed image signal is inputted to the image signal processing apparatus so as to form an image data corresponding to the original image. In the image signal processing apparatus, the MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) correction method may be employed so as to make the image data more precise with respect to the original image. FIG. 1 are schematic views to explain the MTF correction method.
In FIG. 1a, there are indicated picture elements P1 to P5, while there are indicated outputs N1 to N5 of the corresponding picture elements P1 to P5. Supposing that the picture element P1 is observed, the output N1 of the picture element of interest P1 is influenced by leaking out components from the peripheral picture elements P2 to P5 disposed adjacent in up-and-down and left-right directions with respect to the central picture element P1, and also by a leaking-out component from the picture element P1.
Accordingly, the relationship between the output N1 of the picture element of interest P1 and a true value N0, which is an ideal value corresponding to the real light and shade of the original image at the picture element of interest P1, is established as the following expression (1), EQU N1=N0-4K*N0+K(N2+N3+N4+N5) (1)
wherein, K represents the correction coefficient which value is peculiarly determined by the relevant optical system.
Thus, the true value N0 can be expressed by the following expression (2) from the expression (1). EQU N0={N1-K(N2+N3+N4+N5)}/(1-4K) (2)
In the aforementioned image signal processing apparatus, the MTF correction is performed as for the output N1 according to this expression (2), and thus corrected output is assumed as the true value N0 and utilized in following image signal processes.
The mutual relationship between the correction amount of the MTF correction method and the image signal level is expressed by the following expression (3), EQU N0-N1=[{N1-K(N2+N3+N4+N5)}/(1-4K)]-N1 (3)
wherein, (N0-N1) represents the MTF correction amount.
Thus, the following expression (4) can be obtained from the expression (3), EQU N0-N1={-K(N2+N3+N4+N5-4N1)}/(1-4K) (4)
wherein, the correction coefficient K is in the range as the following expression (5). EQU 0<K<1 (5)
Accordingly, the larger is the difference between the output N1 of the central picture element P1 and the outputs N2 to N5 of the peripheral picture elements, the larger is the correction amount (N0-N1).
FIG. 2 is a graph to explain the MTF. As shown in FIG. 2, supposing that an ideal output difference between a white picture element and a black picture element is V2, and that a detected output difference obtained at the time of the actual detection is V1, the MTF can be expressed by the following expression (6). EQU MTF=V1/V2 (6)
FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the MTF and a spatial frequency of the original image. As shown in FIG. 3, the MTF decreases as the spatial frequency increases. Thus, as the spatial frequency increases, the output difference between the central picture element (P1 in FIG. 1a) and the peripheral picture elements (P2 to P5 in FIG. 1a), decreases.
Accordingly, the purpose of the output correction performed in the optical image reading apparatuses, is in fact to compensate the diminished component due to the increase of the spatial frequency. More specifically, the purpose is to increase the output level difference in case that the output level difference is diminished due to the increase of the spatial frequency. Two examples of the relationships between the picture elements and the output levels are illustrated with the MTF correction amounts A1, A2, in FIG. 4.
In the optical image reading apparatus, it is desirable to make the output correction as for each picture element, regardless of the variation or pattern of the light and shade of the original image. However, according to the abovementioned MTF correction method, the MTF correction amount A1 becomes large when the output level difference between the peripheral picture elements is large as shown in FIG. 4a, while the MTF correction amount A2 becomes small when the output level difference between the peripheral picture elements is small as shown in FIG. 4b, resulting in the drawback that an ideal output correction cannot be always performed.
FIG. 5 are graphs each showing the MTF characteristic of a CCD (Charged Coupled Device) image sensor with respect to a light of the wavelength 550 nm. More particularly, the relationship between the MTF in the X direction (X-MTF) and the normalized spatial frequency as well as the spatial frequency without normalization is shown in FIG. 5a, while the relationship between the MTF in the Y direction (Y-MTF) and the normalized spatial frequency as well as the spatial frequency without normalization is shown in FIG. 5b. Here, the X direction is a direction along the array of the CCD sensor, while the Y direction is perpendicular to the X direction along the original plane.
In FIG. 5a, on one hand, when the normalized spatial frequency is 0.5, the MTF is 0.89. On the other hand, when the normalized spatial frequency is 1.0 i.e. at the Nyquist limit, the MTF is 0.68. This CCD MTF characteristic of FIG. 5a is listed in Table. 1.
The MTF characteristic of a lens is also listed in Table. 1. Namely the lens MTF is 0.79 when the normalized spatial frequency is 1.0, while it is 0.94 when the normalized spatial frequency is 0.5. Here, since a total MTF characteristic of an combinational optical system of such a CCD image sensor and a lens, is equal to their product, this total MTF characteristic is 0.54 when the normalized spatial frequency 1.0, while it is 0.84 when the normalized spatial frequency is 0.5, as also listed in Table. 1.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ NORMALIZED CCD LENS TOTAL SPATIAL FREQUENCY MTF MTF MTF ______________________________________ 1.0 0.68 0.79 0.54 0.5 0.89 0.94 0.84 ______________________________________
In general, the MTF characteristic is regarded to be sufficient when the MTF is not less than 0.6, with respect to an ordinary optical image reading operation. However, as shown in Table 1, when the normalized spatial frequency is 1.0, the total MTF is as low as 0.54. That is to say, a sufficient output can not be obtained. As for the MTF in the Y direction (Y-MTF) shown in FIG. 5b, the situation is also similar.
Consequently, there is a problem that an image defect and an image destruction are caused upon encountering the Nyquist limit, i.e. the limit of the image resolution inherent to the sampling manner of the picture element, and thus an image input operation precisely corresponding to the original image is difficult to perform according to the above-mentioned signal image processing apparatus.


The invention provides an automatic gain control and antenna selection method used in a receiver of a radio communication system. The received signal power is estimated by digital signal processing after analog-to-digital conversion in the system, in order to adjust the gain of the front end analog signal until the magnitude of the analog signal is adjusted to an optimum range of the digital signal processing. In addition, the ADC is utilized to estimate the signal power as the basis of the antenna selection.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a radio communication system, and more particularly to a method for automatic gain control and antenna selection for a radio communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A receiver in a typical radio digital communication system includes at least an antenna, an analog module having radio frequency devices, and a digital signal processing (DSP) module, as shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, a switch 12 switches between two antennas 10 and 11 to select one of them to receive the signal to accomplish antenna diversity. The antenna 10 or 11 receives the signal, which is then processed by the analog module 13 and converted into a digital signal to be transferred to a DSP module 14. The DSP module 14 estimates the power of the digital signal and thus outputs an automatic gain control (AGC) signal to the analog module 13 so as to adjust the gain thereof. On the other hand, the DSP module 14 also outputs a control signal to the switch 12 in order to switch the antenna to receive the signal according to the various conditions.
However, because the power variation range of the received signal of the antenna is quite large, the gain of the analog module 13 has to be properly controlled such that the signal sampled by the ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) of the analog module 13 can be properly processed by the DSP module 14. In order to adjust the gain of the analog module 13 in a digital control manner, the conventional way is to adjust the gain according to whether the signal exceeds a specific range of the ADC. In this way, a specific gain is decreased if the gain is greater than an upper limit of the range; and the specific gain is increased if the gain is smaller than a lower limit of the range. This conventional way is similar to the try and error method and has the advantage that it is unnecessary to calculate the signal power. However, the gain cannot be adjusted to the proper range until the adjustments have been tried several times, and it also takes a longer time to reach the stable state. If the antenna selection has to be performed simultaneously, the required time is unavoidably much longer.
However, in some radio communication system, such as the burst mode transmission system, the transmitted packet only has a relatively short preamble signal for the AGC's antenna selection. If the packet specified by the IEEE 802.11a/g is met, the conventional method may encounter some problems. In addition, the gain cannot be adjusted to the proper range in a relatively short time, and there is no time left for the switching to the proper antenna.

Automatic gain control and antenna selection method for a radio communication system


The present disclosure relates to an image forming device component that includes an elastomeric material having a surface and a triboelectric charging material that may be exposed on the elastomeric material surface. The triboelectric material may be exposed by a finishing process that results in removal of a portion of the material leaving voids in the surface. The surface may have a surface roughness in the range of about 0.1 to 5.0 Ra. The component may include a developer roller in an electrophotograhic printer and may provide contact electrification to a given toner during a printing operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to triboelectric charging materials as applied to a component of an image forming apparatus. Such components may then improve the transport of image forming material such as toner and may also influence toner charging, toner charge distribution and/or the quality of the printed image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many image forming devices, such as printers, copiers, fax machines, or multi-functional machines, utilize toner to form images on media or paper. The image forming apparatus may transfer the toner from a reservoir to the media via a developer system utilizing differential charges generated between the toner particles and the various components in the developer system. In particular, one or more toner adder rolls may be included in the developer system, which may transfer the toner from the reservoir to a developer roller. The developer roll may then apply the toner to a selectively charged photoconductive substrate forming an image thereon, which may then be transferred to the media.

Image forming apparatus component with triboelectric properties


A process and adsorbent for removing contaminants from silicone based solvents is disclosed. The process provides for cleaning a solvent for reuse, and regeneration of the adsorbent. The adsorbents are for adsorbing organic and inorganic compounds that have accumulated in the silicone solvents.

In the dry cleaning process, clothing or other fabrics to be cleaned are contacted with a solvent that removes dirt, oil and other substances from the clothing. This is a method of removing substances that are on fabrics that are not amenable to removal with aqueous based cleaning detergents. After cleaning the clothing and/or fabrics, the solvent is processed to remove the contaminants that were removed from the clothing, such that the solvent is recycled.
A prominent dry cleaning solvent is perchloroethylene. However, perchloroethylene is an environmental and health hazard, and therefore substitute solvents have been developed for use in the dry cleaning process. There has been increasing pressure on the Dry Cleaning industry to use alternatives to perchloroethylene, that are more environmentally friendly. This has led to the development of new dry cleaning solvents, such as one group of solvents based on silicone, or siloxanes. One particular solvent which has been developed by General Electric is decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, also known as D5. In addition, the new solvent delivers superior fabric quality. This has led to the conversion of about 400 dry cleaning sites from perchloroethylene to the solvent D5.
Today, D5 solvent recovery systems typically use a batch-mode distillation process to purify the solvent. The distillation process is expensive and requires daily, manual intervention to clean the bottom of the distillation apparatus. Improvements in the methods of purifying and recycling cleaning solvents can save energy and money.

Regenerable adsorbents for purification of cleaning solvents


A thermal ink jet printhead has a flow directing one-way valve for reducing back-flow directed forces generated by the droplet ejecting ink vapor bubbles, so that most of the bubble generated forces are used to eject ink droplets from the printhead nozzles. The one-way valve is provided by patterning the etch resistant mask to form a flap located at a predetermined position along the ink channels between the heating elements and reservoirs, which is activated by bubble generated forces directed in the opposite direction from the printhead nozzles.

This invention relates to thermal ink jet printheads for use in an ink jet printer, and more particularly to such printheads having ink flow directing valves to reduce back flow caused by vaporized ink bubbles used to expel ink droplets from printhead nozzles.
In existing thermal ink jet printing, the printhead comprises one or more ink filled channels, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,359 to Ayata et al., communicating with a relatively small ink supply chamber at one end and having an opening at the opposite end, referred to as a nozzle. A thermal energy generator, usually a resistor, is located in the channels near the nozzles a predetermined distance therefrom. The resistors are individually addressed with a current pulse to momentarily vaporize the ink and form a bubble which expels an ink droplet. As the bubble grows, the ink bulges from the nozzle and is contained by the surface tension of the ink as a meniscus. As the bubble begins to collapse, the ink still in the channel between the nozzle and bubble starts to move towards the collapsing bubble, causing a volumetric contraction of the ink at the nozzle and resulting in the separation of the bulging ink as a droplet. The acceleration of the ink out of the nozzle while the bubble is growing provides the momentum and velocity of the droplet in a substantially straight line direction towards a recording medium, such as paper.
One problem with this thermal ink jet process is that the bubble growth is symmetrical, thus forcing as much ink towards the supply reservoir in the printhead as is driven out of the channels through the nozzles in the forms of droplets. The droplet velocity of the ejected droplets could be increased, if the pressure force produced by the bubbles were preferentially directed towards the printhead nozzles. This control of the bubble force directions would reduce the required power, improve droplet directionality, decrease the printhead heating during operation, and thus improve printhead energy efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,241 to Shibaike et al. discloses a roofshooter type ink jet printhead having a shutter which either aligns an aperture with the printhead nozzles or covers the printhead nozzles. A series of electrodes on opposite sides of the shutter cause the shutter to move and be electrostatically held in one of the two desired locations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,530 to Hawkins discloses a thermal ink jet printhead which comprises an upper and a lower substrate that are mated and bonded together with a thick film insulative layer sandwiched therebetween. One surface of the upper substrate has etched therein one or more grooves and a recess which, when mated with the lower substrate, will serve as capillary-filled ink channels and ink supplying manifold, respectively. The grooves are open at one end and closed at the other end. The open ends will serve as the nozzles. The manifold recess is adjacent the groove closed ends. Each channel has a heating element located upstream of the nozzle. The heating elements are selectively addressable by input signals representing digitized data signals to produce ink vapor bubbles. The growth and collapse of the bubbles expel ink droplets from the nozzles and propel them to a recording medium. Recesses patterned in the thick film layer expose the heating elements to the ink, thus placing each of them in a pit, and provide a flow path for the ink from the manifold to the channels through an elongated trench, thereby enabling the ink to flow around the closed ends of the channels. The trench in the thick film layer eliminates the fabrication steps required to open the groove closed ends to the manifold recess, so that the printed fabrication process is simplified.

Ink jet printhead with ink flow directing valves


A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having an active region, a plurality of gate electrodes formed on the active region with a gate insulating film therebetween, and a dummy pattern formed on the active region in at least a part thereof between the gate electrodes. The dummy pattern is formed so that a spacing between gate electrodes adjacent to each other, and a spacing between the dummy pattern and the gate electrodes adjacent to the dummy pattern, are within predetermined ranges.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device having gate electrodes, and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
General LSIs using FETs are designed in various ways, by using arbitrary values to a gate-to-gate spacing within the scope of design rules.
However, with progress of shrinkage of elements, it has been known that difference in the gate spacing might affect gate length, impurity distribution, carrier mobility and so forth, and might systematically vary transistor characteristics (see P. Grudowski et al., "1-D and 2-D Geometry Effects in Uniaxially-Strained Dual Etch Stop Layer Stressor Integrations", Symp. on VLSI Tech., p. 76 (2006) (Non-Patent Document 1) and H. Tsuno et al., "Advanced Analysis and Modeling of MOSFET Characteristic Fluctuation Caused by Layout Variation" Symp. on VLSI Tech., p. 204 (2007) (Non-Patent Document 2).
Transistors having diffusion layers at the ends of the active region may make the gate spacing closer to a constant value, by forming a dummy gate on the element isolation region.
However, for transistors having no diffusion layers at the ends of the active region, it is difficult to provide the dummy gate without careful consideration, from the viewpoint of element isolation,
On the other hand, adding constraints to the design of gate spacing may limit the degree of freedom of design, which leads to reduce the competitiveness.
A semiconductor device having, as shown in FIG. 9, dummy gates 116 on both ends of a transistor 103, which has a shape to straddle a diffusion layer 122 and an element isolation region 113, has been proposed (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H8-236767 (Patent Document 1), for example).
It has been reported that, by forming the dummy gates 116 which straddles the diffusion layers 122 and the element isolation regions 113 in this way, variation in the gate length ascribable to gate spacing can be reduced, so that variation in the transistor characteristics may be suppressed.
This configuration is, however, applicable only to transistors having the diffusion layers at the ends of the active region, and is not readily applicable to target transistor having additional transistor(s) formed on one side, or on both sides thereof.
A semiconductor device having, as shown in FIG. 10, dummy gates 216, 217 on the diffusion layers 222 on both ends of a transistor 203, or on the element isolation region 213 has been proposed (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-190589 (Patent Document 2), for example).
It has been reported that, by forming the dummy gates 216, 217 on the diffusion layers 222 on both ends of a transistor 203, or on the element isolation region 213 in this way, variation in the sidewall width ascribable to gate spacing can be reduced, so that the variation in the transistor characteristics can be suppressed.
In the exemplary case of Patent Document 2, the configuration is also employed to the transistor having no diffusion layers formed at the ends of the active region. Formation of the dummy gates in the active region may, however, make the diffusion layer divided into regions on the left sides and the right sides of the dummy gates, so that, in a practical MOS transistor circuit, the dummy gates may be formed only to limited transistors, similarly to the transistor described in the Patent Document 1.
A semiconductor device having, as shown in FIG. 11, dummy gates 316 on the element isolation regions 313 in the vicinity of transistors 303, and a semiconductor device having, as shown in FIG. 14, dummy patterns 317 on the element isolation regions 313 in the vicinity of the transistors 303 have been proposed [see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-289138 (Patent Document 3), for example].
It has been reported that, by forming the dummy gates 316 or the dummy patterns 317 in this way, thickness of a silicide layer 325 on the diffusion layer 322 can be made uniform, so that the variation in the transistor characteristics can be suppressed.
The configuration of forming the dummy gates on the element isolation regions is, however, all the same with that described in the Patent Document 2, and is applicable again only to a limited transistors. Although the configuration is different from that of the Patent Document 2 in that not only the dummy gates but also the dummy patterns are used, the dummy gates or the dummy patterns are formed still on the element isolation region, so that a problem remains in that the configuration is applicable only to a limited transistors which reside at the ends of the active region.

Semiconductor device with dummy pattern within active region and method of manufacturing the same


The inventive subject matter is directed to headset audio systems having resonance chambers designed to improve a system's frequency response in certain ranges. Systems of the inventive subject matter include a casing that both holds a speaker driver and creates two resonance chambers. Each resonance chamber vents to ambient air outside the casing, where the length and cross-sectional areas of each vent can impact the system's frequency response. Each resonance chamber is tuned to a resonant frequency to improve the system's frequency response across a range of frequencies on either side of each chamber's resonant frequency.

The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided in this application is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Headset audio systems are subject to steady improvement, and with their increasing popularity, especially among gamers, a need exists to create headset audio systems that can reproduce sounds with increasing accuracy and fidelity. One way to do this is to create headset audio systems that feature chambers behind a speaker's diaphragm.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,257,607 and 10,171,905 represent efforts made to improve the state of the art in this field. The devices captured in the '607 and the '905 patents feature headset audio systems having chambers, but those chambers are not optimally configured to cooperate with one another in a way that allows for improved sound performance in different frequency ranges. U.S. Pat. No. 9,942,648 is another example of efforts made in this space. The '648 patent describes an earbud audio system instead of a headset audio system, where the earbud audio system includes multiple chambers behind a driver.
But none of these references contemplate advantages conferred by more creative headset audio system configurations featuring multiple chambers that are tuned to have resonant frequencies within certain frequency bands to improve frequency response of headset audio systems within those frequency bands. Thus, a need still exists in the art for improved headset audio systems.
These and all other extrinsic materials discussed in this application are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided in this application, the definition of that term provided in this application applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Systems and procedures which allow for the placement of advertisements in an optimized manner are presented. Systems may be provided which may be configured to optimize a media plan (either automatically or manually, or a combinations of both) using demographic vectors, and may display the optimization results in a quantifiable manner using terms and numbers.

Purchasers of advertising space, for example television advertisements, typically place advertisements according to a media plan. Media buyers attempt to place advertisements based on fairly broad demographics, such as gender, age, employment, income or other definable group. They develop media plans to place their commercials in TV inventory to reach a certain (preferably high) portion of their target demographics.
A media buyer may have one or more products or brands, with associated target demographics, as well as a set of goals for this specific campaign/plan. Goals are typically expressed as a combination of budget ($ cost) and a certain reach. The buyer then will try to meet, or get as close as possible to, the reach goal while attempting to stay within budget. The buyer will look at ratings data, inventory pricing, and rotations, and will try to come up with the optimal allocation of inventory against the goals. Buyers may perform this process for a single product with a single spot, or for a single product with multiple spots (with different target demo audiences for example), or for multiple products (each with one or more spots), or even for multiple advertisers (with one or more spots each). Such buyers may buy large footprints (for example national, or regional distribution) and may not be able to differentiate within the footprint (the only way to fine-tune multiple spots to target demographics may be through managing rotations).
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method to allow for optimized targeting of advertisements in order to produce and demonstrate a better yield.

Targeting television advertisements based on automatic optimization of demographic information


Disclosed are systems and methods for a self-contained multi-modal communication system. The multi-modal communication system comprises a first mobile telecommunication node, which provides a private telecommunication network, a layer 2 (L2) backhaul wireless transceiver, an ethernet switch and an embedded edge cloud compute device. The edge cloud compute device includes an automatic failover detection system, wherein the automatic failover detection system receives as input a plurality of network parameters and automatically performs failover and communication modality switching for one or more communication devices associated with the self-contained multi-modal communication system.

Natural disasters, humanitarian crises, war, and underserved people in rural environments all suffer from a lack of reliable communications. Without an ability to communicate and send data, logistics and information flow slows considerably, crippling decision making & logistics during times of crisis. Recent weather events in Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, and wars throughout the world have left huge populations without the ability to communicate, making recovery and rebuilding efforts difficult.
A primary focus of emergency preparedness is communication availability and reliability at the edge. Unpredictable weather patterns and unexpected environmental conditions may have an adverse impact on communications for first responders and volunteers, making reach-back to cloud services unreliable. By possessing and planning on using varying communication systems which transmit and receive over differing communication modalities gives the communicator options to ensure reliable lines of communication are established. This can be described as communication redundancy with edge core services hosted on the endpoint device.
Communications redundancy also plays a crucial role in military operations. Military personnel must operate various forms of communications equipment to ensure audio and/or data connectivity are maintained in the event of a communications failure at the tactical edge. Should a communications failure occur, military communicators will progress through identified communications systems until contact has been established with the desired unit. These available communication systems differ in form factor, capability, and communication modality.
The variety of communications systems used may also require network services to bridge connectivity, monitor equipment and communication status, and provide much needed updates and repairs.

Multiple communication modes and network services in a self-contained unit


A network system is constructed by connecting a safety PLC constituting a master unit and safety slaves 2 to each other through a safety network 3. The safety slaves each have a device information storage unit 25 for storing individual information and status information of the safety devices connected. The individual information is acquired and stored in advance, while the stored contents of the status information are updated based on the result of monitoring the status of the safety devices in operation. These processes are executed by a MPU 23. In response to a request from the safety PLC, the device information stored are transmitted, so that the safety PLC can collect and manage the device state as well as the normal state of the slave units.

In the programmable controller (hereinafter, referred to as "PLC") used for the factory automation (hereinafter, referred to as "FA"), the on/off information is input from an input device such as a switch or a sensor, and the logic operation is executed according to a sequence program (also referred to as the user program) written in the ladder language or the like. In accordance with the operation result obtained, the signal of on/off information is output to an output device such as a relay, a valve or an actuator thereby to perform the control operation.
The PLC is connected to the input device and the output device either directly or through a network. In the case where a network system connected by a network is constructed, the on/off information is transmitted or received through the particular network. In the process, the information is transmitted by the master-slave method in which the PLC normally acts a master unit and the device as a slave unit.
Recently, on the other hand, a fail-safe system has been introduced in the control operation with PLC. Specifically, the network as well as the PLC and each device are configured of a built-in safety function. The safety function is defined as a function to confirm safety and output data. The safety system is such that in the case where an emergency stop switch is depressed or a sensor such as a light curtain detects the intrusion of a person (a part of the human body) and the network system faces a dangerous situation, the fail-safe function works and the system turns to the safety side, thereby stopping the operation. In other words, the safety function described above allows a signal to be output only in the case where safety is secured in storage and to start the operation of a machine. In the case where no safety is assured, therefore, the machine stops.
The state of a given slave unit can be returned as a response by the slave unit that has received the request from PLC (master unit). As a result, PLC can acquire the status of the slave units connected to a network.
In the conventional network system, though the informed on the slave units connected can be recognized, the information on the input device or the output device connected to a slave unit cannot be recognized from PLC (master unit). The slave unit can be informed of the fact that a malfunction or a fault has occurred. In case of a malfunction, therefore, it is necessary to resort to the site of installation and specify the cause of the malfunction. In the case where a given part is required to be changed, an order for the part is issued and, with the newly acquired part, the installation site is visited again to change the part. This maintenance is complicated, and makes it difficult to take the necessary action quickly. It is still more difficult to monitor the life of the input and output devices connected to a slave unit from PLC, and therefore, a malfunction or fault is often handled only after it has actually occurred.
Even in the case where the installation site of a slave unit or a device connected with the slave unit is visited upon occurrence of a fault or the like, therefore, the status cannot be easily checked if the device is small or installed in the depth or behind other devices. As a result, the status of these input and output devices cannot be accurately grasped, and therefore the cause of a malfunction or fault may not be analyzed sufficiently.
Further, in the case of a network system having security means, the safety devices, though high in reliability and redundancy, are often shorter in life than the devices making up the conventional normal network. Once a malfunction of these safety devices occurs, it leads to the stoppage of the whole system, and therefore has a great disadvantageous effect on the whole system. Consequently, the function of monitoring the devices connected to a slave unit is more crucial than in the conventional system.
An object of this invention is to provide a slave unit and a network system as well as a slave unit processing method and a device information collecting method, in which the information on each device connected to a slave unit can be collected through a network.

Slave units and network system as well as slave unit processing method and device information collecting method


Apparatus for use in an unsupervised public setting to receive a smart card so the card front portion can enter a card reader (20), which safeguards the card reader from vandalism. A card gate mechanism (30) includes a gate device (32) that is moveable between a closed position wherein it blocks the card path (16) and an open position which allows passage of the card to the card reader. At least one lever (34, 36, 38) has a card-engaging part (50, 52, 72) lying along the card path so the lever is deflected by the leading edge (46) of the card to release the gate device so it can open. Preferably, a plurality of card-engaging levers have card-engaging parts which must be deflected by the card leading edge to allow the gate to open, with at least one and preferably two of the levers deflected to the side of the card path by the leading edge of the card. The gate has a roller (100) that rolls along the top of the card when the gate is raised, to avoid scratching the card. A well (110) lies across the entire width of the card path between the card-passing slot and the gate device, to receive any debris that is inserted into the slot.

Cards that store data are becoming more popular, especially chip cards, or smart cards, that include an imbedded memory chip connected to pads on a surface of the card near its front end. A card reader assembly includes a housing with a slot that receives the card and a card reader that comprises contacts that engage the card pads. It is desirable to place some of such card reader assemblies in unattended public places, such as in pay telephones and product and money vending machines, where members of the public insert their own cards through the slots. However, there is a possibility of damage to the card reader assemblies by casual vandals. Such vandals may insert thin objects such as knives or keys, to see if they are able to make the assembly erroneously recognize a smart card and dispense goods, authorize a telephone call, etc. Also, polluters may insert objects such as gum wrappers into the card slot. It would be desirable if the assemblies could block the deep insertion of foreign objects, so they are prevented from reaching the card reader and damaging its pad-engaging contacts. Also, it would be desirable if the assembly were constructed to avoid obstruction of the card path by objects left therein by vandals or inserted therein by polluters.


A rod guide assembly for a shock absorber includes a sintered metal rod guide and a seal. The sintered metal rod guide has a seat. The seal is disposed in the seat and secured to the sintered metal rod guide with a plurality of stake holds.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Shock absorbers for vehicles such as motorcycles, automobiles and trucks, among others, typically have a piston-cylinder assembly with a tube that forms a cylinder containing oil and/or gas and a piston disposed in the cylinder. The piston is connected to a rod that extends from the tube. The rod passes through a rod guide that is positioned within the tube and guides movement of the rod along its central axis.
It can be difficult to adequately seal the oil and/or gas within the cylinder while also allowing the rod to move axially. Furthermore, the rod guide is typically formed of solid aluminum and can be costly to produce and time consuming to manufacture and install.
The rod guide assembly, shock absorber, and methods of the present disclosure addresses these issues, among others, of manufacturing shock absorbers.

Sintered metal rod guide assembly for monotube shock absorber


The present disclosure relates to multifunctional smart faucets able to dispense a plurality of cleaning and personal hygiene liquids. In accordance with aspects and embodiments, a multifunctional smart faucet system is provided comprising a faucet that, in addition to having traditionally plumbed hot and cold water lines, includes a plurality of reservoirs, each of the plurality of reservoirs having a reservoir channel extending from the reservoir through the body of the faucet. The faucet systems disclosed includes a manual push button able to dispense fluids in the reservoirs, as well automated systems for dispensing fluids on intervals and according to pre-determined programming. In some embodiments, the disclosed smart faucet systems are controllable by smart devices with the aid of a dedicated application.

Many diseases are spread from one person to another through contact, whether direct or indirect. Many contagia are spread by contact, directly or indirectly with the hands. Some contagia can be destroyed through the use of water and cleansing agents, such as soaps, antiseptic agents, and the like. Hand washing is thus central to controlling the spread of disease and maintaining good hygiene, both on a personal and at public level.
Household sinks often serve as the central hub for handwashing and the cleaning of other household items. These sinks, in addition to being used for hand washing, may be used to wash dishes, clothes, and other soiled items. As a result, these sinks may have around their basins several different types of soaps, sanitizer for use when the sink is occupied, and other items, including hand lotion for use after hand washing or sanitizing. These items take up space around the sink basin and each time they are accessed, they must be touched, creating a point of contact where germs can be spread from one individual to another. Moreover, in the case of certain activities, soap must be periodically dispensed onto soiled items. This lengthens the time required to complete cleaning. Moreover, if the water is left running while soap is accessed, water is wasted.
There thus exists a need for a multifunctional faucet that is able to disperse a plurality of fluids such that different individual fluids need not be individually stored and accessed on a sink basin. The present disclosure solves this problem by providing a multifunctional smart faucet that connects to a plurality of fluid reservoirs and is able to dispense a plurality of fluids through a single faucet head. The dispensing of a given fluid may be selected manually, or a by one or more predetermined programs. The disclosed smart faucet may have one or more stored predetermined programs in an on-board computer memory that can be selected by engaging with an interface on the faucet that caused the faucet to dispense fluids from the reservoirs in accordance with the program. In some embodiments, the faucet may be controlled by an external device in wireless communication with the faucet. The disclosed faucet may, for example, be controlled by a smart phone application. The smart phone application may have a designated set of programs from which a user can select or may allow a user to design their own programs for operation of the smart faucet.


A security surveillance device that includes an electromagnetic wave sensor for sensing an electromagnetic wave of an external electromagnetic wave source and an anti-tampering arrangement. The anti-tampering arrangement includes a detection window forming a partition between the external electromagnetic wave source and the electromagnetic wave sensor, the detection window includes an outer corrugated surface facing the electromagnetic wave source; an optical arrangement for deploying an optical surveillance beam which is arranged to undergo multiple reflections at the outer corrugated surface of the detection window is provided and the surveillance beam loop is monitored by a control circuitry to monitor tampering.

Monitoring devices comprising electromagnetic wave (EM-wave) sensors are particularly useful in surveillance applications. For example, intrusion detectors comprising PIR (passive infra-red) sensors are commonly deployed in homes, museums, banks, offices, and other commercial and/or industrial establishments for security surveillance. Such intrusion detectors usually operate to detect infra-red (IR) radiation radiated by a moving object and will trigger an alarm when the detected IR level exceeding a pre-determined threshold, corresponding to the detection of an approaching or intruding human being. It is known that living objects emit IR radiation at a wavelength of about 10-12 μm. The more sophisticated IR detectors are equipped with processing circuitry to distinguish between an approaching human body or other living bodies.
Intrusion monitoring devices are frequently subject to tampering by intruders. For example, intruders have been known to apply a mask of lacquer, which is opaque to IR radiation, onto the detection window of an intrusion window to cheat it. Hence, it will be beneficial if there can be provided improved EM-wave detectors, especially IR monitoring devices alleviating shortcomings of conventional devices.

Monitoring devices and intrusion surveillance devices

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.


Predictive models are developed automatically for a plurality of modeling variables. The plurality of modeling variables is transformed, based on a transformation rule. A clustering of the transformed modeling variables is performed to create variable clusters. A set of variables is selected from the variable clusters based on a selection rule. A regression of the set of variables is performed to determine prediction variables. The prediction variables are utilized in developing a predictive model. The development of the predictive model may include modification of the predictive model, review of the plurality of transformations, and validation of the predictive model.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to statistical modeling and analysis. More particularly, the invention relates to development of predictive models.
2. Background Art
Statistical modeling and analysis replaced the use of rule-based decision making during the last decade. Predictive modeling is a form of statistical analysis that is increasingly being used in customer management, underwriting, assessment of business patterns, customer loyalty, product portfolio performances, pricing variations, and so forth. Predictive modeling involves development of mathematical constructs that enable reliable prediction of future events or measurements based on historical information. The results may further be exploited for decision-making, which is related to the profitability of an organization.
Prediction of future events or measurements of a problem under investigation is performed by analyzing modeling variables. The modeling variables are related to different attributes and characteristics of the problem. The number of modeling variables utilized for predictive modeling has grown exponentially over the past few years. In some cases, the number of modeling variables may be up to 10,000 or even more. This leads to increased time and resource requirements for predictive modeling.
Further, it is essential to identify the relationship between a dependent variable and the modeling variables. The manual development of predictive models makes the identification difficult and leads to inclusion of redundant modeling variables. The inclusion of redundant modeling variables may lead to incorrect parameter estimation, increased computation time, confounding interpretations, and increased time requirement for building a predictive model. The manual development may also require more time.
Given the foregoing, what is needed is a method to reduce time requirements for predictive modeling. Further, the method should develop predictive models without manual intervention. The method should also enable manual modification and verification of the developed predictive models.

Automated predictive modeling of business future events based on historical data

American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.


Stability of a power source required to operate an aberration corrector is lowered in a wire aberration corrector. Accordingly, a power source that is more inexpensive than a power source in the related art may be used and apparatus cost may be reduced. A multipole lens that is provided in an aberration corrector includes a plurality of pairs of current lines 101 to 112 that are each provided on the same plane in an axisymmetric manner around an optical-axis 100. The current lines each include a main line section 103 that is parallel to the optical-axis and a return line section 116 that faces the main line section. A current in the return line section flows in a direction opposite to a current in the main line section in components parallel to the optical-axis. A distance R2 between the optical-axis and the return line section is larger than a distance R1 between the optical-axis and the main line section. Noise caused by stability of a power source that supplies a current to the current lines in an excited multipole field is equal to or less than a predetermined level.

An aberration corrector is introduced into a charged particle beam apparatus represented by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) in order to improve resolution. A type of aberration corrector includes a multipole lens provided in multiple stages. The multipole lens that combines a plurality of multipole fields by generating an electric field or a magnetic field corrects an aberration included in a charged particle beam that passes through an inside of the multipole lens. PTL 1 discloses an aberration corrector including a plurality of wedge metal poles that are radially provided in a central axis direction and each of the wedge metal poles is applied with an electric field or a magnetic field to generate a multipole field. PTL 2 and PTL 3 disclose wire aberration correctors that generate a multipole field using magnetic fields generated from a plurality of current lines. Both of the wedge and the wire aberration correctors require high mechanical position accuracy and high power source stability.

Multipole lens, aberration corrector using the same, and charged particle beam apparatus


The present invention relates to a prosthesis comprising one or more bioabsorbable substances insolubilized and/or immobilized in place by a physical method which excludes chemical reagents. A growth factor can be bound to the bioabsorbable substance for simulating growth of, for example, fibroblast and endothelial cells, around and into the prosthesis. The invention can include a porous fabric substrate having the bioabsorbable substance(s) insolubilized and immobilized therewithin by one or more of the physical methods. The physical method can include entanglement, dry-up, thermal crosslinkng, gamma irradiation, ultraviolet irradiation, or swelling up by hyper hydration with electric charge. The invention excludes the use of conventional chemical reagents, such as glutaraldehyde or formaldehyde, which are toxic. Since the invention does not use the chemical reagents of the prior art, it can avoid the toxicity and foreign body reaction problems associated therewith. The prosthesis of the invention does not have blood leakage and provides an excellent antithrombogenicity by rapid completion of neointima formation with endothelial cell lining at an early stage after implantation.

This invention relates to a prosthesis for implantation into a mammal comprising bioabsorbable substances insolubilized by physical methods, instead of chemical-reagent cross-linking, that can be used in place of conventional prostheses coated with bioabsorbable substances and to cytokines insolubilized on the bioabable substances. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such prostheses.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a prosthesis comprising bioabsorbable substances that can prevent blood leakage, has non-thrombogenic property and host cell afnnity, and is free from side effects caused by chemical reagents typically used during the manufactuting process of conventional prostheses. The prosthesis can include growth factor, such as fibroblast growth factor, for stimulating growth of cells into and around the prostheses, such as fibroblasts and/or endothelial cells.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Important and necessary characteristics for a prosthesis are nondegradation strength in vivo, adequate mechanical properties such as morphology retention, softness and flexibility, nonblood leakage and the followings:
(1) Excellent nonthrombogenic effect, PA1 (2) Biological acceptability, such as nontoxicity, noncarcinogenicity, nonimmunogenicity and nonforeign body reaction, and PA1 (3) Excellent healing ability of neointima. PA1 1. A prosthesis comprising a porous substrate and one or more bioabsorbable substances that are insolubilized by at least one physical method such as entanglement, dry-up, thermal cross-linking, gamma irradiation, ultraviolet irradiation, and swelling up by hyper hydration with electric charge. These physical methods do not require chemical reagents which are used for conventional coated prostheses. The prosthesis of the invention can include growth factors, such as fibroblast growth factor, for increasing the rate of acceptance by the host of the implanted prothesis. The invented prosthesis can provide a high affinity for host cells and is free from the side effects caused by chemical reagents. PA1 2. The prosthesis retaining one or more bioabsorbable substance by physical means rather than chemical means of this invention can be prepared by way of repeated inflitration of a porous prosthesis with a dispersed solution of a bioabsorbable substance having low viscosity, such as a viscosity at 22.degree. C. of less than or equal to 1000 mpa's measured with viscometer. When collagen fiber is used as the bioabsorbable substance, the dispersed solution can be a fiber collagen suspension, where the concentration of the collagen is equal to or less than about 1.0 wt. %. Ihe prosthesis can be placed in the collagen fiber solution and/or the collagen fiber solution can be placed inside the prosthesis substrate, and the collagen fibers can be captured within the prosthesis substrate wall, such as within the pores of the prosthesis substrate wall, by providing a pressure differential between inside and outside of the prosthesis. The captured bioabsorbable substance(s) (i.e., collagen fibers) are insolubilized by a physical method, such as entanglement, dry-up, thermal cross-linking, gamma irradiation, ultraviolet irradiation and swelling up by hyper hydration with electric charge. Thereafter, growth factors, such as fibroblast growth factor, can be bound to the bioabsorbable substance(s). PA1 3. A prosthesis made of bioabsorbable substance(s) where the bioabsorbable substance(s) is shaped by itself into a prosthesis without the need for the supporting structure of a porous substrate, and then immobilizing or insolubilizing the bioabsorbable materials in place by the physical method of this invention, such as by dry-up, thermal cross-linking, gamma irradiation, ultraviolet irradiation, and/or swelling up by hyper hydration with electric charge. After the immobilizing or insolubilizing of the bioabsorbable substance(s), growth factors, such as fibroblast growth factor, can be bound thereto. PA1 (1) The tissues and cells are large enough to be easily interstices of the porous substrates, as well as with each other. PA1 (2) The tissues and cells can give suitable environment for host cell migration and proliferation even if they die during sterilization or drying up. If the tissues can maintain their living ability, they will act as promoters of neointima formation on the prosthesis surface. PA1 (3) Autologous tissues and cells can synthesize some cytokines such as cell growth factors. With these cytokines, tissues and cells can maintain their living ability and stimulate each other to survive and to create organs where they are located.
Most cardiovascular wall prostheses are made of woven, knitted or braided polyester fibers or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. To obtain good neointima formation, a porous substrate has been adopted for the prostheses.
To prevent blood leakage through the porous prostheses, they are uually sealed with fresh blood before implantation. This procedure is called "preclotting." Recently, conventional cardiovascular wall prostheses are coated with bioabsorbable substances such as collagen, albumin or gelatin during their manufacturing process instead of predotting during surgery.
These bioabsorbable substances are insolubilized by cross-linking with a chemical reagent such as glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde or diisocyanate. They are, however, cytotoxic, and even after a long period of time, adverse side effects result in causing foreign body reaction against the host tissues. According to recent scientific papers, it is recognized that the healing is always delayed due to noninfectious inflammation, fluid retention around the prosthesis, and/or unusually continuous fever after implantation.
When conventional vascular prostheses are used, porous ones may be selected to yield tissue ingrowth from the adventitia side to the luminal side. Usually, these pores are sealed with a fibrin network produced by fresh blood (preclotting). However, the fibrin network produced by preclotting always has some risk of being dissolved because of fibrinolysis phenomenons. This is especially true when a large amount of anticoagulants is used during and after implantation, and bleeding due to fibrinolysis can result in serious patient conditions. To prevent such undesired bleeding, recent porous vascular prostheses are coated with bioabsorbable substances cross-linked with glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde or diisocyanate. In the present invention, alternative means or methods for such chemical cross-linking is used, as described below.
As to conventional coated prostheses, collagen, gelatin and albumin can be used as bioabsorbable substances. These bioabsorbable substances originally have high affinity to host cells unless they are chemically treated. They can induce an excellent neointima fonration without side effects before chemical treatment, however, their advantages are not employed satisfactorily. From the stand point of safety against bleeding during surgery, conventional coated prostheses have been used in humans despite of their adverse side effects, since recent surgeries require a large amount of anticoagulants during and after implantation. As a natural consequence, undesirable results after conventional prosthesis implantation have been reported in cases of old and/or weak patients, generally patients with poor or high risk conditions. When emphasis is placed on prevention of blood leakage, prevention of the side effects by the coated substances is difficult. This dilemma has been impossible to solve as long as the conventional coated prostheses have been used.
As for the manufacturing process, a highly viscous suspension of the bioabsorbable substances has been used in order to coat and impregnate the conventional prostheses. However, these substances only accumulate on the luminal surface due to their high viscosity, which tends to result in insufficient impregnation inside the prosthesis wall and easy detachment of impregnant from the surface of the prosthesis.

Prosthesis containing bioabsorbable materials insolubilized without chemical reagents and method of making the same