The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device and display control method thereof. Each sub-pixel of the liquid crystal display device includes multiple display regions and multiple control switches for controlling the display regions to receive corresponding data voltages, wherein, the multiple control switches includes a first control switch set and a second control switch set, and the first control switch set and the second control switch set are connected in parallel with the same data line. Through the above way, the present invention can increase the pixel aperture ratio of the wide-viewing-angle liquid crystal display device and decrease the power consumption.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of the display technology, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display device and a display control method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
The liquid crystal display (LCD) market are growing rapidly and expanding its field of application continuously. Especially, in the application of large-size liquid crystal display device, it requires having a wider range of viewing angles, and the wide viewing angle liquid crystal display device easily generates the color shift problem when displaying.
In order to solve the color shift problem, the prior art mainly disposes multiple display regions for each sub-pixel unit such as shown in FIG. 1. A sub-pixel unit 100 includes three display regions 110,120,130. With reference to FIG. 1, three transistors 111,121,131 corresponding to the three display regions 110,120,130 are connected in series with a data line D for obtaining a data voltage provided by the data line D. When displaying, through the preset width/length ratio of the channel of each transistor, it controls the distribution of the data voltage applied to each display region in order to control the tilt degree of the liquid crystal molecules for adjusting the transmittance of the light.
However, when the distribution voltage of the display region 110 is close to the data voltage provided by the data line D as shown in FIG. 1, the preset channel width of the transistor 111 is very small. Because of the limitation of the TFT fabrication process, the channel width cannot be infinitely small. Therefore, it is required to dispose a large channel width for the transistor 121 (or the transistor 131) such that the difference of the distribution voltage for the both becomes small.
Or, when the distribution voltages for the display regions 120 and 130 are equal, because of the impedance of the transistor 111, 121, the preset channel width of the transistor 131 is very small. Because of the limitation of the TFT fabrication process, its width cannot be infinitely small. Therefore, the channel width of the transistor 121 required to be preset is large.
In both cases, the preset channel width of the transistor 131 is large so that the areas of the opaque transistors are increased so as to decrease the aperture ratio of the pixel and increase the power consumption.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide a liquid crystal display device and a display control method thereof in order to solve the above problems.

Liquid crystal display device and display control method thereof

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd


A stereoscopic lens docking station used for detachably connecting to an electronic device. The electronic device includes a first lens module and a first transmission interface. The stereoscopic lens docking station includes a chute, a second lens module, and a second transmission interface. The chute is located next to the first lens module. The second lens module can slide along the chute to a position corresponding to the first lens module. The second transmission interface is used for communicating to the first transmission interface, and for electrically connecting to the second lens module, allowing the electronic device to control the second lens module to capture an image, and obtain the image; whereby the two images captured by the first lens module and the second lens module can be integrated to form a three-dimensional image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stereoscopic lens docking station; more particularly, the present invention relates to a stereoscopic lens docking station for capturing a three-dimensional image.
2. Description of the Related Art
As technology develops, many portable electronic devices (such as a mobile phone, a camera, or a walkman) are designed to be thin and light, and include various functions to meet the customers' requirements. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a mobile phone for capturing a three-dimensional image is developed. The mobile phone 100 includes a stereoscopic lens module 110 for capturing a three-dimensional image. The stereoscopic lens module 110 includes a first lens 111 and a second lens 112. The position of the first lens 111 and the position of the second lens 112 are fixed and arranged in certain spacing. The first lens 111 and the second lens 112 respectively include image sensors 1111, 1121. The image sensors 1111, 1121 are designed as a horizontal rectangle shape for capturing an image which matches the feature of human binocular vision that the width is greater than the height.
According to the three-dimensional imaging principle, the three-dimensional image is formed from two images of two different perspectives of a same scene, and the two positions of the two images must be on a same horizontal line. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, if the user wants to use the mobile phone 100 to capture a three-dimensional image, the user must place the mobile phone 100 horizontally (as shown in FIG. 1), allowing the first lens 111 and the second lens 112 to be on the same horizontal line for capturing the three-dimensional image. However, if the user places the mobile phone 100 vertically, then the first lens 111 and the second lens 112 will not be on the same horizontal line, such that the user cannot capture a three-dimensional image. Therefore, the mobile phone 100 can only be used for capturing a transverse three-dimensional image, and the mobile phone 100 cannot be used for capturing a vertical three-dimensional image.
Furthermore, because the mobile phone 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes the elements for capturing the three-dimensional image, such as the stereoscopic lens module 110 and other elements, the thickness of the mobile phone 100 is greater than that of a common mobile phone. Currently, the thickness of the mobile phone for capturing the three-dimensional image is about 12 millimeters, and the thickness of a common smart phone with a common lens module is about 7˜9 millimeters. Therefore, according to the present technology, if the mobile phone includes the function of capturing three-dimensional images, then the thickness of the mobile phone will not be great enough to meet the requirement of the customer.
Furthermore, only a few companies produce and sell the abovementioned mobile phone with the stereoscopic lens module 110; this kind of mobile phone is more expensive than the common mobile phone with the common lens module; opportunities to capture three-dimensional images are not as numerous as those to capture normal images. Therefore, for the user who already has a mobile phone with a common lens module, or the user with brand loyalty who only uses mobile phones of a specific brand, it is not the best choice to purchase the mobile phone with the stereoscopic lens module.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a new device which can be applied to a mobile phone with a single lens module, allowing the mobile phone with a single lens module to be able to capture the transverse and vertical three-dimensional image, and allowing the mobile phone to keep its original thickness and weight.


A system and method are provided for using a first aircraft to retrieve a second aircraft. The first aircraft is typically larger than the second aircraft. A minimum airspeed of the first aircraft is typically greater than a maximum airspeed of the second aircraft. The first aircraft flies in a substantially circular pattern and extends a tow line, such that the tow line forms a substantially helical shape behind and below the first aircraft. Due to the helical shape, there is at least one point along the extended tow line at which the speed of the tow line is substantially equal to the speed of the second aircraft. The second aircraft can readily latch onto the tow line at that point, thereby minimizing potential damage otherwise caused by differential airspeeds.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to aircraft recovery systems. More particularly, this invention relates to a system and method for recovery of a smaller unmanned aerial vehicle (micro aerial vehicle (MAV)) by a larger unmanned aerial vehicle.
2. Background Art
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has proven to be an essential surveillance tool. UAV technology is so pervasive, that unmanned aircraft are not uncommon on the daily television news. Though larger UAVs are typically shown, the variety of vehicles in the field is actually much larger. In general terms, though, the types of aircraft can be divided into two different groups. In the first group are the long range, high altitude, and relatively high speed UAVs, with optical sensor and/or synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payloads. In the second group are micro air vehicles (MAVs). MAVs can be hand launched, have limited endurance, operate at low altitude, and travel at lower speeds. FIG. 1 illustrates a large unmanned aerial vehicle and a micro aerial vehicle flying side-by-side, thereby demonstrating their relative size and speed. Nonetheless, MAVs provide high quality, narrow field-of-view imagery that can be useful in law enforcement and border patrol.
A system or method that synergistically combines the advantages of both MAVs and larger UAVs will yield a truly revolutionary capability. For example, a larger UAV can be used as a mother-ship to both deliver and recover MAVs. This creates the capability of rapidly deploying MAVs at much farther distances than ever before. Once deployed, the MAVs can be used to gain high quality narrow field-of-view surveillance, or perhaps land in remote locations and engage in long term monitoring activities. To avoid loss of the aircraft technology and data, to minimize use of personnel in perhaps difficult environment, and to allow reuse of the MAV and sensor payload, the MAV can rejoin the UAV mother-ship. Unfortunately, no satisfactory method truly exists for recovery of MAVs by a UAV at the present time.
If the UAV and MAV had similar flight envelopes, then the problem would be relatively straightforward. This is generally not the case, however, as larger UAV's suitable to the task can fly only as slow as 70-260 knots, while small MAVs have a top speed of only about 30 knots. This disparity in speed means that the capture problem is significant.
One of the earliest studies into a "long line" loiter technique was performed and patented (U.S. Pat. No. 1,829,474) by C. Chilowsky. The invention introduces the idea of an aircraft orbiting at a specified radius and velocity, from which hangs a payload orbiting with a much smaller radius and velocity, and provides some basic calculations for determining the relation between the two radii.
Today the system introduced by Chilowsky is primarily used to collect and deploy equipment and supplies, specifically in remote areas. Missionary groups frequently perform "bucket drops" from a circling plane to provide isolated villages with gifts and provisions. The most widely publicized of these drops is known as Operation Auca. During these drops, a Piper PA-14, piloted by missionary Nate Saint, would circle in a tight spiral over Waodani jungle territory in Ecuador. While in this maneuver, a second man lowered a basket of supplies as gifts to the tribe, who in turn, would send back gifts of their own. This proved to be an effective means of delivery between the two parties and correspondence continued for over three months. The bucket method continues to be used, with many investigations into making it a more efficient and sophisticated air delivery system. For example, such a system could be employed to lower supplies onto a sea-going vessel, among other types.
Another example of a use of the "long line" technique involves the use of two orbiting aircraft as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,436. In this system, two aircraft enter into a circular orbit centered around the payload to be transported. A cable with a small weight or drogue shoot is attached to each of the aircraft and lowered to the payload. While the aircraft continue to orbit, the cable is lowered and attached to the payload by ground personnel. The payload is then lifted a safe distance from the surface before a de-orbit procedure is initiated, in which one of the aircraft (aircraft A) reduces its bank angle thereby increasing its orbital radius. With the second aircraft (aircraft B) maintaining its current bank angle, it quickly approaches the first until the two are flying parallel to each other with the payload dangling between them; the cables are then reeled in to reduce drag. At no point during this procedure do the aircraft change their speeds. Upon arriving at the delivery site, the aircraft release the cables and again enter into a circular orbit (by applying different bank angles). Once in the circular pattern, the payload is decelerated with the use of a small parachute and the two aircraft slowly descend until the payload makes contact with the surface.
In addition to the transfer of equipment and supplies, it has also been suggested that this system be employed in the surveillance of enemy territory, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,573. According to this configuration, an aircraft lowers sensors and other equipment from its fuselage until they are a certain distance apart, enabling the observation of the area below the aircraft while the aircraft maintains a safe position.
As is self evident of many of the examples discussed above, each relies on the skill of the pilot to accurately identify the target area, as well as to maintain the location of the payload once circular flight has been established. This task is further complicated by the presence of wind which can result in vertical oscillation of the payload. It is clearly desirable to develop a method to counteract this effect as well as one that will place less emphasis on the skill of the pilot or controller. One possible solution to this problem was proposed in 1998 by using electronic sensors and detection devices as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,618. Near-stationary positioning of the payload can be accomplished in a number of ways. In the first, a GPS sensor positioned on the aircraft can be used to alter the aircraft's trajectory to ensure the center of the circular flight path coincides with the target area; alternatively the sensor may be placed on the payload and the aircraft can be repositioned to match the payload coordinates with those of the desired location. A third approach again places a sensor on the payload capable of detecting signals from the target and determining the relative position between them. Near-stationary vertical motion is established by situating an altitude sensor on the payload, the output of which is delivered to the orbiting aircraft. By monitoring the payload altitude, the aircraft can either change its velocity, altitude, or the length of the line to maintain desired height. In addition, the positioning of thrust devices on the payload could enable it to move independently of the aircraft to which it is attached (for small increments).
Research into long-line placement of objects continues undiminished. For example, Pavel Trivailo and a team of engineers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia are currently exploring new applications for the "bucket drop" maneuver, working on an automated system that will allow them to pick up and place payloads with minimal impact. Such a system will be highly beneficial for rescue missions and deliveries in areas in which human access is extremely difficult. To this end the team performed numerous simulations based on fuzzy logic, the Chebyshev-pseudospectral method, and optimal flight configurations to analyze the dynamic properties of a towed payload, specifically the control laws that govern the cable and the cable-payload assembly. In performing these simulations, they were able to identify the factors that contribute most to the stabilization of the cable (length, thickness, aircraft speed, etc.). With these factors determined, they developed a system controller that monitors and adjusts the position of the payload by automatically letting out or reeling in the tow line.
It should be noted that while all of the above prior art examples appear to be, at the least, interesting uses of long-line placements of objects, none of the prior art recognizes, teaches, suggests, or comprehends that extending a long line from an aircraft can be used for anything more than placement and/or retrieval of objects on or near stationary locations. Therefore, notwithstanding all of the above, a need still exists for the safe capture of micro UAVs (MAVs) by larger UAVs such that the needs of various police, firefighting, border patrol, drug enforcement, and military agencies are met.

System and method for the retrieval of a smaller unmanned aerial vehicle by a larger unmanned aerial vehicle


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving a vehicle identifier (VID), the VID uniquely identifying a vehicle of a user, receiving a response that indicates the user and that provides user information associated with the user, the user information including one or more of behavioral information and disbursement information, and at least partially performing an operation based on the user information.

People conduct repetitive activities based on daily routines. For example, a person visiting a fast food restaurant may often order the same order each visit. As another example, a person visiting a fueling station may often refuel their vehicle with the same type of fuel. Some activities people perform require authentication, which is implemented to ensure that a person is who they purport to be. For example, a user can attempt to access an automated teller machine (AMT) to retrieve cash. In some examples, authentication can be achieved based on a plurality of authentication factors (e.g., card, device, user credentials).

Vehicle identifier communication and authentication

United Services Automobile Association (USAA)


A vehicle installed monitoring system which allows a driver of a bus or a like vehicle to observe an area outside the vehicle and around the vehicle door. The vehicle installed monitoring system comprises a video camera mounted on the vehicle and connected to a monitor disposed near the driver. The video camera is mounted so as to view the area surrounding the vehicle door, and includes an attached microphone which transmits noises around the area to the monitor. The monitor includes a video display and a loudspeaker to allow the driver to audio-visually monitor the area surrounding the vehicle door. The monitor also includes a reminder device, a flashing light in this case, which attracts the driver's attention and reminds the driver to inspect the monitor and verify that the area around the door is clear before driving off. The camera, microphone and monitor are activated when the driver opens the vehicle door. The flashing light is activated when the driver closes the vehicle door and remains activated for a predetermined time period. The camera, microphone and monitor remain activated until the driver operates a reset switch to reset the monitoring system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle installed monitoring system and more particularly to a vehicle installed monitoring system for allowing a driver of a bus or a like vehicle to monitor an area around a door of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A driver of a bus or a like vehicle always needs to be aware of the presence of people near the bus when operating the bus. The need to be aware of the bus surroundings is especially important during the frequent bus stops when passengers are entering onto or exiting from the bus. During these stops, the driver should be able to fully observe and monitor all areas of the bus and areas surrounding the bus so that the driver can prevent or quickly react to potentially dangerous situations.
Of particular importance is the area immediately surrounding the door due to the constant movement of passengers through this area during the frequent stops. The heavy amount of passenger movement through this area can create dangerous situations because passengers in this area may not be fully prepared for the movement of the bus when the bus begins moving off and the driver may start driving off without realizing that passengers are fully clear of the bus. It is not uncommon for a person exiting the bus to have a piece of clothing, or an article they are carrying get caught onto the bus door or side as the bus begins moving off, creating a potentially dangerous, or even life threatening situation. This problem is especially acute in the operation of school buses since children are more likely to exit the bus hurriedly and may not be particularly careful as they exit.
The possibility of the occurrence of the above described situation may be increased by the fact that the bus driver is usually unable to observe the entire area around the door. The driver of a conventionally configured bus while seated is unable to monitor the outside peripheral areas of the door, and therefore may be unaware of any dangerous situations which may exist in that area. Additionally, the driver may be distracted and unable to check that all passengers have safely exited from the bus. Again, this problem may be especially acute in the operation of school buses. Further, the driver may have fallen into the habit of quickly driving off without checking that all passengers have safely exited and cleared the area around the bus.
In order to avoid the above described situation, what is needed is a vehicle installed monitoring system that provides video images of the exterior area surrounding the bus door and reminds the driver to inspect the images each time the bus door is closed prior to driving off. Conventional vehicle installed monitoring and observation systems do not provide such capabilities.
One type of a vehicle installed monitoring system comprises a video camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle which allows a driver to monitor the area around the rear of the vehicle and to verify that the area is clear before backing up the vehicle. Such systems are used frequently with, for example, large trucks which are backed into loading areas to take on cargo. These rear observation systems may be activated when the driver places the vehicle in reverse. However, such a system is used to verify that an area behind a truck is clear, and thus is not suited for monitoring an area around a bus door and reminding the driver to inspect a video image during certain operations.
Another type of vehicle installed monitoring system comprises a video camera and a recorder device disposed inside the vehicle and is designed to monitor and record activity inside the vehicle. One such system includes a video camera mounted inside the front of a school bus facing the passenger area such that the video camera can monitor and record the activity inside the bus. However, such a system is designed to monitor the passenger area of the vehicle and is not suited for allowing the driver to monitor blind spots outside the bus around the vicinity of the bus door.
Yet another type of vehicle installed monitoring system comprises a video camera mounted on the vehicle's dash board to record events which occur in the immediate front vicinity of the vehicle. Such systems are commonly installed in, for example, police vehicles to provide evidence of the activities around the police vehicle and to record characteristics of stopped persons and vehicles. Again, such a system is not designed to allow the driver of a bus or a like vehicle to monitor an area around the exterior of the door and is not suited for use on a bus or a like vehicle.
Therefore, what is needed is a vehicle installed monitoring system for use with a bus or a like vehicle which allows a bus driver to monitor the area immediately surrounding the bus door to verify that potentially dangerous situations do not exist in the monitored area before driving off.
What is also needed is a vehicle installed monitoring system for monitoring an area around a bus door which reminds the bus driver to inspect a video image provided by the monitoring system immediately after closing the bus door prior to driving off. The reminder mechanism may remain activated for a predetermined time period following the closing of the door and may automatically deactivate after the predetermined time period. The monitoring system may further allow the driver to manually reset the monitoring system after the reminder mechanism is automatically deactivated.


A method of preparation of substituted halogenodiazines which are useful as intermediates in the synthesis of novel unfused heterobicyclic compounds, and the products thereof.. The reaction consists of the addition of an organolithium reagent with subsequent dehydrogenation of the addition product. The reaction takes place in one reaction vessel, without isolation of the substituted halogenodihydrodiazine intermediate. The reactions proceed at moderate temperature and in a short amount of time, which decreases the probability of side reactions and increases yield. Furthermore, the workup step is conducted under two-phase conditions to prevent hydrolysis of the substituted halogenodiazine to a substituted hydroxydiazine. The method is easy, efficient and results in a high yield of product.. The substituted halogenodiazines are used as intermediates in the synthesis of unfused heterobicyclic compounds containing an aromatic moiety, diazine, and another aromatic moiety, such as thiophene, benzene, or naphthalene, which have biological activity.

The present invention relates to organic synthesis, and is in particular a method of preparation of substituted halogenodiazines and unfused heteropolycyclic compounds.
Halogenodiazines are important intermediate compounds in organic synthesis. Halogen atoms, F, Cl, Br and I, adjacent to ring nitrogens are easily replaced by a variety of common nucleophiles such as hydroxide ions, alkoxides, mercaptides, and amines. For example, L. Strekowski, et al., in Roczniki Chem. 49, 1017 (1975), reported a method for the synthesis of methoxy-and dimethylamino-5-bromopyrimidines in which they reacted 2,4-dichloro-5-bromopyrimidine with dimethylamine and sodium methoxide to produce the corresponding substituted pyrimidines. L. Strekowski, et al., found that the halogen atom in the C-4 position is more labile toward nucleophilic displacement than the halogen at the C-2 position, and that the reaction is regioselective.
Before the nucleophilic substitution of the halogen ortho to nitrogen in the diazine is undertaken, simple halogenodiazines can be modified by reaction with organometallic reagents. Brown, Cowden and Strekowski, in Aust. J. Chem., 35, 1209 (1982), showed that 2-chloropyrimidine could be treated with thien-2-yl lithium or thiazol-2-yl lithium to produce 2-chloro-4-(thien-2'-yl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidine and 2-chloro-4-(thiazol-2'-yl)-3,4dihydropyrimidine, respectively. The nucleophilic anion attacks the pyrimidine ring ortho to the ring nitrogen. The resulting dihydropyrimidines were oxidized by potassium permanganate (KMnO.sub.4) in acetone to yield the substituted halogenopyrimidines.
The dehydrogenation of substituted halogenodihydropyrimidines with KMnO.sub.4 is synthetically difficult for several reasons. First, manganese dioxide, a KMnO.sub.4 reaction byproduct, is a finely dispersed solid which is difficult to remove from the reaction mixture. Dehydrogenation with KMnO.sub.4 also requires the isolation of the dihydro-addition product of the organolithium reagent with halogenopyrimidine before the oxidation step. This is necessary because KMnO.sub.4 is not soluble in ether solvents normally used for reactions with organolithium reagents. The solvent removal step is time consuming and contributes to a lower yield. The oxidation typically is performed at elevated temperature, resulting in further side products and lower yield. Oxidation of the dihydropyrimidine with KMnO.sub.4 also requires large volumes of anhydrous acetone. For example, Brown, et al. used 1200 ml of anhydrous acetone solvent in the dehydrogenation of 4.6 grams of 2-chloro-4-(thien-2'-yl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidine. If the solvent is wet, the halogenodihydropyrimidine is hydrolyzed to the hydroxy compound, 2-hydroxy-4-(thien-2'-yl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidine. Furthermore, it is difficult to prepare large volumes of strictly anhydrous acetone.
In addition, only a small amount of product is recovered due to the synthetic difficulties involved in the two step procedure requiring the addition of an organolithium reagent and subsequent dehydrogenation of the addition product under different solvent conditions. Brown, et al. reported a yield of approximately 37% for the synthesis of 2-chloro-4-(thiazol-2'-yl)-pyrimidine using potassium permanganate as the oxidizing reagent. Similarly, S. Gronowitz and J. Roe, in Acta Chem. Scand. 19, 1741 (1965) reported yields of 37% for the two step synthesis of 4-(2'-thienyl)-5-bromopyrimidine and of 47% for 4-(2'-thienyl)-2-bromopyrimidine, prepared using potassium permanganate to dehydrogenate the organolithium addition product.
In a variation of the two step procedure to produce substituted halogenopyrimidines, Elmoghayar and coworkers (Acta Chem. Scand. B 37, 160 (1983); Acta Chem. Scand. B 37 109 (1983)) reacted 2,4-dichloro-5-halopyrimidine with a Grignard reagent in the presence of a catalyst, dichloro-[1,3-bis(diphenylphosphinopropane]nickel (II) [NiCl2 (dppp)]. When alkyl Grignard reagents are used, the product is a mixture of 2,4-dialkyl-5-halopyrimidine and 2,4-dichloro-5-halo-6-alkyl-1,6-dihydropyrimidine in a ratio of 7:1 (47%:7%). When an aralkyl Grignard reagent is used, the only product recovered is 2,4-dichloro-5-halo-6-aralkyl-1,6-dihydropyrimidine, which is dehydrogenated in a separate step with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ), with an overall yield of 34%. Similarly, Rise and coworkers, Acta Chem. Scand. B 37 613 (1983), reacted 5-cyano-2-methylthiopyrimidine with a Grignard reagent to form 5-cyano-2-methylthio-4-phenyl-3,4-dihydropyrimidine, which was isolated and then dehydrogenated with DDQ in a second step to 5-cyano-2-methylthio-4-phenylpyrimidine, with a yield of 40%. 5-Cyano-4-methylthiopyrimidine was similarly prepared, with a yield of 45%.
Dihydropyrimidines can also be dehydrogenated with nitrobenzene. For example, as described by T. Kauffmann, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 18, 1 (1979), 4-(2'-pyridyl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidine was dehydrogenated with nitrobenzene to produce 4-(2'-pyridyl)pyrimidine in 30% yield.
These methods of synthesis of substituted halogenopyrimidines, in which an organometallic compound is reacted with a halogenopyrimidine and the intermediate dihydro-addition product is isolated before dehydrogenation, under conditions which encourage side product formation, are difficult and inefficient.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an easy, efficient method of synthesis of substituted halogenated diazines which results in a high yield of product.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method to add a functional group to a halogenodiazine which does not hydrolyze the halogen group.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide novel substituted halogenodiazines which may be used as intermediates in organic synthesis.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide novel unfused heteropolycyclic compounds having biological activity.

Method of preparation of halogenated diazines

Georgia State University Foundation, Inc.


The annular combustion chamber having ceramic matrix composite material walls is mounted inside a metal casing by linking members fastened to the chamber by brazing. The linking members comprise a plurality of inner linking tabs and a plurality of outer linking tabs connecting the chamber to the inner and outer metal shrouds of the casing, each linking tab has a first portion fastened to the outside surface of a wall of the combustion chamber by brazing, the first portions of the linking tabs being spaced apart from one another circumferentially so that the brazed connections between the chamber and the linking members occupy a set of limited zones that are spaced apart from one another.

The present invention relates to mounting a combustion chamber having a wall made of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material inside a metal casing, in a gas turbine. The field of application of the invention is more particularly that of industrial gas turbines and of turbojets or turboprops for airplanes.
It is common practice for a gas turbine combustion chamber to be made of metal and to be mounted or secured inside a metal casing by linking members, ferrules or tabs, that are made of metal. Using a metal for the wall of the chamber is appropriate so long as it is possible to ensure effective cooling of said wall. However, there is a need to increase temperatures within the combustion chamber in order to increase the efficiency of the gas turbine and reduce polluting emissions. The use of metals for combustion chamber walls can then become inappropriate, even when implementing cooling as effectively as possible. Proposals have therefore been made for the walls of combustion chambers to be made out of ceramic matrix composite materials, such as composite materials having a silicon carbide (SiC) matrix and presenting good strength at high temperatures.
A problem which then arises is that of connecting the CMC combustion chamber to the metal casing, because of the differences between their coefficients of thermal expansion.
Document FR 2 825 783 proposes connecting the inner and outer annular walls of a CMC combustion chamber of a gas turbine to inner and outer metal shrouds of a metal casing by means of elastically-deformable metal linking tongues. Those metal tongues are secured at one end to a metal ferrule fastened to the inner or outer metal shroud, and at an opposite end to a CMC ferrule that is brazed onto the outside face of an inner or outer wall of the combustion chamber.
Accommodating the differential changes in dimensions between the combustion chamber and the metal casing is thus made possible by the flexible linking tongues having CMC-on-CMC connections at the combustion chamber end and metal-on-metal connections at the casing end. However, the brazed connection between the CMC ferrule and the annular wall of the combustion chamber leads to real difficulties. An effective brazed connection requires the spacing between the surfaces that are to be brazed together to be well controlled in order to guarantee a uniform thickness of brazing material and in order to avoid harmful discontinuities in the brazing. Unfortunately, given the processes whereby CMC parts are manufactured, the dimensional tolerances thereof are greater than is the case for metal parts. It is therefore very difficult to guarantee uniform spacing between two complete annular surfaces that are to be connected together by brazing.

Gas turbine combustion chamber made of CMC and supported in a metal casing by CMC linking members


The present disclosure describes methods for determining the functional consequences of mutations. The methods include the use of machine learning to identify and quantify features of all atom molecular dynamics simulations to obtain the disruptive severity of genetic variants on molecular function.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is a computer method for studying the movements of atoms and molecules. MD provides the time dependent behavior of atoms and molecules in a system. MD simulation was developed in the late 70s. With the development of high performance computing, MD simulation has advanced from simulating several hundred of atoms to simulating 500,000 atoms or more.
MD is the method of choice for studying large molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. Proteins were once thought to have a rigid structure. It is now believed that proteins are highly dynamic structures. The study of the dynamics of macromolecules, such as protein and nucleic acid, is complex and requires computers and the in silico study of the macromolecular structure and macromolecular dynamics in order to obtain accurate information.
Machine learning (ML) evolved from the study of pattern recognition and computational learning theory in artificial intelligence. ML provides systems with the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed. Thus, ML focuses on the development of computer programs that can access data and use it to learn for themselves. In recent years, researchers have shown that MD simulations and ML can be integrated to create more accurate in silico computer prediction models. As an example, these models can be used to quickly predict new compounds that have potential as drug candidates.
The Human Genome Project has enabled the ability to sequence the human genome as well as genomes for other species, which has in turn permitted the identification of sequence variations in the human gene genome. These sequence variations are caused by mutations which result in diseases, different reactions to drugs, and natural phenotypic variations in individuals in the population. It is essential understand how these mutations alter protein function.
Recent studies using MD and ML have only provided limited insight into the role of these mutations in the human and other species. There is a need to develop an accurate method of using MD and ML, for example, for predicting variants associated with a particular disease in order to provide proper and optimal treatment or with a particular trait that might be desirable for a crop or animal.

Mining all atom simulations for diagnosing and treating disease


A connection device for connecting a coaxial cable to a printed circuit card, the device comprising:

The present invention relates to a device for connecting a coaxial cable to a printed circuit card.
For connecting coaxial cables to printed circuit cards, devices are known that comprise a tubular socket suitable for being fixed to the card, and a plug suitable for mounting on the end of the coaxial cable and for inserting in the socket.
There exists a need to be able to connect a coaxial cable to a printed circuit card in a direction that is perpendicular to the card.
The invention satisfies this need by means of a connection device for connecting a coaxial cable to a printed circuit card, which device is particularly simple, low cost, and reliable, and comprises:
a tubular socket suitable for fixing to the card; and
a plug suitable for being mounted at the end of a coaxial cable, said plug comprising a tubular plug body and a central contact for connection to the central conductor of the cable,
the socket and the plug being arranged so that the plug can be inserted into the socket in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the printed circuit card, wherein the socket comprises a resilient portion suitable for urging the plug body towards the printed circuit card along said direction so as to hold the central contact of the plug pressed against a conductive track of the printed circuit card.
The resilient force exerted by the resilient portion of the socket serves throughout the life of the connector device to hold the coaxial cable mechanically and reliably to the printed circuit card so as to avoid any interruptions in the electrical connection between the cable and the card.
Preferably, the central contact of the plug has a projection that bears against the conductive track of the printed circuit card, enabling electrical contact to be made directly between the central contact of the plug and the conductive track of the card.
In an embodiment, the resilient portion of the socket is constituted by a plurality of elastically deformable tabs defined by slots formed over at least a fraction of the height of the socket.
Advantageously, the socket has a narrowing in its section in its elastic portion.
The plug body may have a cylindrical central portion extended at each end by a respective tapering portion comprising a top tapering portion having a bearing surface for the elastically deformable tab and a bottom tapering portion whereby the plug is engaged in the socket, the height of the top tapering portion being preferably greater than that of the bottom tapering portion.
Since said bearing surface slopes relative to the axis of the plug body, the tabs, when they press against said surface, exert a force that urges the plug body towards the printed circuit card.
The large bearing surface area provided in this way contributes to providing good mechanical retention of the plug body against the card.
In another embodiment, the resilient portion is constituted by at least one flexible tongue that is folded towards the inside of the socket.
In practice, the central conductor of the cable is mechanically and electrically connected to the central contact of the plug by solder ring or by crimping. According to the invention, the plug body has at least one opening for passing the tools that are necessary for performing the soldering or crimping operations.
Since the outer conductor of the coaxial cable is usually mechanically and electrically connected to the body of the plug by soldering or crimping, the plug body advantageously includes at least one opening for passing the tools that are necessary for performing soldering or crimping operations.
The projection of the central contact of the plug may be rigid.
In the invention, an insulating sleeve is provided that is suitable for being inserted between the projection of the central contact of the plug and the body of the plug.
The insulating sleeve can be elastically deformable, e.g. being made of elastomer, and in particular of silicone.
In a variant, the insulating sleeve is made of polymer foam.
In a particular embodiment, mechanical clearance is provided between the insulating sleeve and the projection of the central contact of the plug, allowing the central contact to move axially.
Advantageously, the device includes an outer bearing piece engaged around the resilient portion of the socket and holding said resilient portion in contact with the plug body.
This bearing piece ensures that the fixing of the plug body in the socket is reliable by preventing the resilient portion thereof from deforming in a direction that would disengage the plug body from the socket.
The bearing piece can be constituted by a cap, in particular a polymer cap.
In a variant, the bearing piece is a resilient ring engaged around the resilient portion of the socket.
The invention also provides a method of connecting a coaxial cable to a printed circuit card in a direction perpendicular to the plane of said card, the method comprising the following steps:
mounting a socket on the printed circuit card, e.g. by soldering, the socket including a resilient portion;
mounting one end of the coaxial cable on a plug comprising a plug body and a central contact, by connecting the central conductor of the cable to said central contact and by connecting the outer conductor of the cable to the plug body e.g. by soldering or by crimping; and
mounting the plug body in the socket in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the printed circuit card, the resilient portion of the socket deforming during said mounting and at the end thereof exerting a force that is directed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the printed circuit card so as to hold the central contact of the plug against a conductive track of the card.

Device for connecting a coaxial cable to a printed circuit card

Abstract: the socket and the plug being arranged so that the plug can be inserted into the socket in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the printed circuit card. The socket comprises a resilient portion suitable for urging the plug body towards the printed circuit card along said direction so as to hold the central contact of the plug pressed against a conductive track of the printed circuit card.


Cooking apparatus, comprising a support structure, a cooking vessel having an opening therein, a cover controlling access to the vessel, and cover actuation apparatus. The cover actuation apparatus pivots the cover, and optionally includes slide structure enabling the cover to slide out of full overlying relationship with the vessel opening to a partially overlying relationship, before the pivoting action occurs. Optional biasing structure biases the cover upwardly from a position overlying the vessel opening. Preferred structure combines both sliding action and pivoting action to displace the cover from over the vessel opening, and to present the cover to the opening for sealing over the cooking vessel.

This invention relates in general to commercial size cooking apparatus. The invention relates especially to deep fryers wherein food is cooked in edible oil. Specific application is found for the invention is fast food restaurants, which cook food under pressure in an oil environment, such as for cooking deep fried chicken, fish, and the like.
Restaurant space is generally divided between public space where customers are served, and cooking space, referred to herein after as the kitchen, where food is prepared. Since all space comes with an associated cost, there is a tension between the amount of space to be allocated to a given function and the cost of that space. Once the restaurant facility has been constructed, the operator of the restaurant typically makes infrequent changes to the space allocation. Thus, the space available in the kitchen is generally fixed for extended periods of time, measured in years.
The floor space in the kitchen can in general be thought of in terms of "fixed equipment space", namely space allocated to equipment which is fixed in place, "transient space", namely space which is occupied by equipment and supplies on a temporary basis, and "people space", namely space which must be available to be occupied by the kitchen workers, for their required movements about the kitchen as they perform their kitchen tasks.
As the needs of customers and/or the business change, it may be desirable to change the activities which take place in the kitchen. For example, new cooking equipment may need to be purchased and installed in the existing space. Where, for example, the quantity of food to be cooked in a given time span should be increased, it is desirable to be able to install a larger-capacity cooker. But such larger-capacity cooker must fit into the overall existing space in the kitchen.
Where the cooker design remains the same, only larger in size, the "fixed equipment space" demands of the cooker are greater than with the previous cooker. In such situation, the operator of the kitchen typically must choose between the larger-capacity cooker and a loss of either "transient space" or "people space". But in an efficiently-operating kitchen, loss of either "transient space" or "people space" can result in loss of efficiency attributable to such loss of "transient space" or "people space".
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide cooking apparatus which provides increased throughput capacity of cooked food utilizing conventional cooking practices, without increasing the quantity of floor space occupied by the cooker.
It would also be desirable to provide such cooker while maintaining the same cooking process, in order that the process changes required by the kitchen workers be controlled, as well as in order to produce an identical cooked food product.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide novel cooking apparatus which provides increased throughput capacity, utilizing conventional cooking practices, without increasing the quantity of floor space required by the cooker.
It is another object to provide such cooker while maintaining the same cooking process as lesser-capacity cookers of conventional structural design.
It is a more specific object to provide closure structure for cooking apparatus wherein the cover is opened and closed for accessing an opening in the cooking vessel by a combination of movements of the cover which include sliding the cover partially out of an overlying relationship with the cooking vessel, and pivoting the cover away from the opening.
It is a further object to provide cooking apparatus wherein the cover actuation apparatus pivots the cover away from an overlying relationship with the cooking vessel and is biased toward such lifting movement by a plurality of gas springs.
It is yet a further object to provide methods of removing a cover of a pressure cooking vessel, which include lifting the cover upwardly to a position generally overlying the cooking vessel and sliding the cover transversely away from the opening of the cooking vessel, and subsequently pivoting the cover away from the opening of the cooking vessel.


An electrophotographic toner including: a binder resin, wherein the binder resin has one glass transition temperature Tg and the glass transition temperature Tg of the binder resin is within 25° C. to 65° C. as measured in second heating with a differential scanning calorimeter at a heating rate of 5° C./min, and wherein a phase image of the binder resin obtained with an atomic force microscope (AFM) of tapping mode contains first phase difference regions and a second phase difference region such that the first phase difference regions are dispersed in the second phase difference region, where the first phase difference regions correspond to greater phase difference regions and the second phase difference region corresponds to a smaller phase difference region when an intermediate value between a maximum value and a minimum value of the phase differences is used as a threshold.

In electrophotographic apparatuses and electrostatic recording apparatuses, electric or magnetic latent images have been developed into images by the use of toner. For example, in an electrophotographic process, an electrostatic image or latent image is formed on a photoconductor, and then the latent image is developed by using a toner to form a toner image. Typically, the toner image is transferred onto a transfer material such as paper and then fixed by means of, for example, heating.
A toner typically includes a binder resin in an amount of 70% by mass or more. Since most of the binder resins are made from oil resources, there are concerns of depletion of the oil resources and the issue of global warming caused by discharge of a carbon dioxide gas into the air due to heavy consumption of the oil resources. If a binder resin can be synthesized from a plant which grows by utilizing carbon dioxide gas in the air, the carbon dioxide gas can be circulated. Namely, there is a possibility of preventing the global warming and the depletion of the oil resources. Therefore, polymers derived from plant resources (i.e., biomass) are receiving attention recently.
In attempting to use polymers derived from plant resources as a binder resin, a toner including polylactic acid as a binder resin is disclosed (see PTL 1). Polylactic acid is a commonly-used, easily-available polymer formed from plant resources as raw materials. It is known that polylactic acid is synthesized through dehydration condensation of lactic acid monomers or through ring-opening polymerization of cyclic lactides of lactic acids (see PTLs 2 and 3). However, when polylactic acid is directly used alone for the production of a toner, it is difficult to obtain necessary properties for a toner. This is because the concentration of an ester group is higher than that of a polyester resin, and the molecular chains bonded together via the ester bond are formed only of carbon atoms.
In one possible measure to overcome this problem, polylactic acid and a second resin different therefrom are mixed together or copolymerized to thereby ensure physical properties and thermal characteristics required for toner. For example, there has been proposed that a terpene-phenol copolymer is incorporated as a low-molecular-weight ingredient into a polylactic acid biodegradable resin for improving thermal characteristics (see PTL 4). This proposal, however, does not achieve both desired low-temperature fixing property and desired hot offset resistance at the same time, and the polylactic acid resin has not been practically used for toner. Furthermore, polylactic acid is quite poor in compatibility and dispersibility with polyester resins and/or styrene-acryl copolymers commonly used for toner. Thus, when such polylactic acid is used in combination with other resins, it is considerably difficult to control the composition of the uppermost surface responsible for important properties of toner such as storageability, chargeability and flowability.
As an example of attempting to solve the above existing problem through copolymerization, there has been reported a block copolymer resin formed between polyester resins other than polylactic acids and defined in D/L ratio of polylactic acids (see PTL 5). However, the strength of the binder resin formed from polylactic acids with this method is not necessarily high. As elucidated from studies conducted by the present inventors, the toner, the binder resin of which has low strength, causes background smear and scattering accompanied by stress applied during long-term stirring when used in the developing process.
In general, a binder resin for toner is designed to provide a toner with suitable chargeability and fixability as well as is required to have strength. When a rein having low strength is used, the produced toner is cracked or chipped by contact stress in the developing process. Toner dust formed as a result of chipping is easier to make the inside low-melting-point wax to be exposed thereon. Since such toner dust has large electrostatic or non-electrostatic attachment force onto a carrier, it remains on the carrier to cause toner filming. The carrier contaminated by toner filming decreases in ability to charge toner particles. As a result, so-called background smear occurs where toner particles are attached (printed) on blank portions. Similarly, as has been known, when the amount of charges which the toner can receive from the carrier decreases, the ability to electrostatically retain the toner on the carrier surface also decreases, so that the toner is scattered in the developing device during stirring to contaminate the developing device (i.e., toner scattering). The above-described problem similarly arises for the binder resin formed from polylactic acid. At present, satisfactory results have not yet been attained for improvement in durability of toner against stress applied during long-term stirring.

Electrophotographic toner, developer containing the toner, and image forming apparatus


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising determining a first processing condition to apply a predetermined processing to a base body in a reaction chamber of a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus, processing the base body based on the determined first processing condition, measuring one or more process parameters which vary the processing capability of the process on the base body during the processing, determining a second processing condition during the processing so that the processing amount is a set value, from a reference state representing the relation between the processing capability and the process parameter, and the measured value of the process parameter measured during processing, and changing the processing condition from the first processing condition to the second processing condition during the processing, and performing the processing based on the second processing condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device manufacturing method for forming semiconductor devices at excellent repeatability.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the conventional process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the repeatability of the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device is not always stable. Causes are attributable to stability of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, such as instability or deterioration of a heating device or plasma generating device of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus itself and aging effects due to deposits accumulated in the reaction chamber or the like, and are sometimes also attributable to semiconductor wafers.
Since the repeatability of the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device is not stable, the processing amount such as film forming amount or etching amount may fluctuate from the set values, and the manufactured semiconductor device may fail to exhibit the designed performance.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor device


A system and techniques are described for managing key-value pairs using an architecture that does not restrict its users to any specific platform or storage subsystem. According to one aspect of the invention, the repository is portable in that the architecture need not change based on the environment and platform in which the repository is used. Rather, the portion of the architecture that is platform-specific is limited to plug-ins at a storage abstraction layer of the repository. The plug-ins expose the same storage abstraction interface to the other layers of the repository, but are implemented to interact with different platforms and storage subsystems. Consequently, in response to being ported from one platform to another, the repository may simply change the plug-in to invoke for persistent storage operations.

Many types of information are commonly stored in the form of key-value pairs, where the "key" portion of the pair is a label, and the "value" portion of the pair provides a value associated with the label. For example, information about the configuration of a computer system may include the following key-value pair: ("memory", 512M) to indicate that the amount of dynamic memory in the computer system is 512 megabytes.
Typically, a software program or system that needs to store large amounts of key-value pairs will include a repository for storing the information, and include logic for managing the repository. When such repositories are used for storing configuration data, the repositories are often referred to as registries.
When each program or system that requires a key-value pair repository implements and manages its own repository, the result is a proliferation of proprietary repositories and a massive duplication of work. To address this problem, key-value pair repository designers can expose an application programming interface (API) to their repository to allow certain third-party applications to make use of their repository. For example, an operating system may allow third-party applications designed for the operating system to store key-value pairs in the repository that is managed by the operating system.
Unfortunately, such "open" repositories do not provide a general solution because they are typically tied to a specific platform or storage subsystem, and are therefore not portable or useable as general-purpose key-value pair repositories. Because they are designed using certain assumptions about the environment and platform in which they will be used, they are generally not available for use by applications or systems that do not conform to those assumptions.

Persistent key-value repository with a pluggable architecture to abstract physical storage


Devices that are adapted to insert corneal implants onto corneal tissue. Methods of using the devices include inserting the corneal implant into a pocket created in the cornea. Methods of use also include inserting the corneal implant onto corneal tissue after a flap has been created in the cornea. The devices can be adapted to deliver fluid to an implant holding space to at least assist in the deployment of the implant from the holding space and onto corneal tissue.

Corneal implants can correct vision impairment by positioning them on corneal tissue by creating a change in curvature of the anterior surface of a cornea and/or creating multifocalities within the cornea due to intrinsic properties of the implant. Corneal implants include onlays and inlays, but as used herein can also refer to contact lenses, or even to corneal replacement devices. An onlay is an implant that is placed over the stromal part of the cornea such that the outer layer of the cornea, i.e., the epithelium, can grow over and encompass the implant. An inlay is an implant that is implanted within corneal tissue beneath a portion of the corneal tissue by, for example, cutting a flap in the cornea and inserting the inlay beneath the flap. Both inlays and onlays can alter the refractive power of the cornea by changing the shape of the anterior cornea, by having a different index of refraction than the cornea, or both.
There is a need for improved apparatuses, systems and methods for inserting a corneal implant onto corneal tissue, including inserting it within a pocket created in the corneal tissue.

Corneal implant inserters and methods of use


A sewing machine capable of embroidery sewing includes a plurality types of embroidery frames which hold a workpiece cloth; a carriage that has the embroidery frame detachably attached thereto by sliding the embroidery frame in a predetermined direction; a frame moving unit that moves the carriage in two directions intersecting in a horizontal plane; a control unit that controls the frame moving unit; a detection that detects a type of embroidery frame attached to the carriage; an operation instructing portion that allows a user to instruct movement of the embroidery frame to a predetermined position suitable for attachment/detachment of the embroidery frame, the operation instructing portion outputting a movement instructing signal to the control unit when operated; and a validating unit that validates operation of the operation instructing portion provided that an attachment of a specific type of embroidery frame is detected by the detection mechanism.

Sewing machines capable of embroidery sewing have been conventionally provided in the field of household sewing machine also. Such sewing machine capable of embroidery sewing generally includes, in its sewing machine body, a frame moving unit for moving an embroidery frame holding a workpiece cloth. The embroidery frame is provided with an inner frame and an outer frame and a workpiece cloth is clamped therebetween. The embroidery frame is detachably attached to the carriage of the frame moving mechanism by horizontally sliding the same in the longitudinal direction (from the front side to the rear side).
The sewing machine sews embroidery patterns on the workpiece cloth by moving the carriage having the embroidery frame attached thereto freely in the horizontal direction (X- and Y-directions) by the frame moving unit. The embroidery frames are interchangeable with frames of a plurality of types in various shapes and sizes such as round or rectangular shapes depending upon the size (shape) of the embroidery or the workpiece cloth.
Nowadays, a clamp-type embroidery frame provided with a lower frame and an upper frame for clamping the workpiece cloth therebetween and a clamp mechanism for retaining the workpiece cloth by pressing the upper frame against the lower frame have been suggested and reduced to practice to replace the conventional embroidery frame provided with the inner and outer frames which were of general use. For instance, Japanese Patent Application H08-252387 A (page 4, FIG. 3) discloses a clamp type embroidery frame provided with a base frame (lower frame) in frame-form; a presser frame (upper frame) clamping a workpiece cloth between the base frame; and a connecting member connecting the presser frame vertically swingably to the base frame; and a pair of left and right clamp mechanism unlockably pressure-locking the presser frame to the base frame.
Embroidery frames of general use provided with conventional inner and outer frames have been designed in relatively low vertical height (being generally thin). Thus, regardless of the position in which the embroidery frame (carriage) is stopped, the embroidery frame is allowed to pass through between the embroidery presser foot and the needle plate upper surface without interference, thereby allowing smooth attachment/detachment of the embroidery frame by being slid in the longitudinal direction. However, the above mentioned clamp-type embroidery frame, as compared with the aforementioned general embroidery frame, has greater vertical dimension at its clamp mechanism portion. Thus, as for the clamp-type embroidery frame, the attempt to attach/detach the embroidery frame at a given stopped position may cause the clamp mechanism portion to fail in passing through the space between the embroidery presser foot and the needle plate upper surface and consequently be damaged by colliding with the embroidery presser foot.
In this context, Japanese Patent Application 2002-18166 A (page 4, FIG. 2) discloses a compact sewing unit creating patches by mounting a cloth to a compact embroidery frame. The sewing unit is provided with a sewing unit body for sewing embroidery on a cloth; a safety cover for covering a sewing unit body; and an embroidery frame detachably attached to the sewing unit and a sewing cartridge equipped with a hollow sewing needle. Since the sewing unit is structured such that the sewing unit body is covered by the safety cover, the embroidery frame is arranged to be moved to a predetermined removing position (position situated outside the opening of the safety cover) for removing the embroidery frame after completion of embroidery sewing.
In the light of the above, a sewing machine provided with a clamp-type embroidery frame may also employ a configuration of moving the embroidery frame to a predetermined removing position (position in which the clamp mechanism does not interfere with the embroidery presser foot upon attachment and detachment of the embroidery frame). However, when the configuration of moving the embroidery frame to a predetermined removing position on a consistent basis after every completion of embroidery sewing is employed to a sewing machine capable of using both the embroidery frame of general use provided with inner and outer frames and the clamp-type embroidery frame, the following problem is encountered. That is, the generally used embroidery frame being detachable at any given position makes an unfruitful movement to the predetermined removing position, consequently reducing work efficiency.

Sewing machine capable of embroidery sewing


A method for fabricating a multiple layer silicon nitride film on a semiconductor substrate is provided herein. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a multiple layer silicon nitride film on a semiconductor substrate includes providing a substrate over which the multiple layer silicon nitride film is to be formed; and forming the multiple layer silicon nitride film in a single processing reactor by: (a) depositing a base layer comprising silicon nitride on the base structure; (b) depositing a middle layer comprising a stress-controlling material on the base layer; and (c) depositing a top layer comprising silicon nitride on the middle layer. The stress-controlling material selectively increases or reduces the stress of the multiple layer silicon nitride film as compared to silicon nitride alone.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to methods for depositing silicon-based materials. More specifically, the present invention relates to chemical vapor deposition techniques for fabricating multi-layer silicon nitride films.
2. Description of the Related Art
Silicon nitride films are commonly utilized in the fabrication of devices that form integrated circuits. These films must possess varying characteristics depending upon the particular application for which the film is being deposited. One characteristic that is critical to control for certain applications is film stress. For example, in some applications, it is desirable to form a silicon nitride film having a higher stress (as compared to an underlying silicon substrate) so as to improve electron mobility through the silicon. Such improved electron mobility increases the speed of an NMOS/NFET device.
In other applications, it is desirable to form a silicon nitride film having a lower stress (as compared to an underlying silicon substrate) so as to minimize dislocation of the layer from, for example, the underlying substrate or to minimize the formation of dislocations in the substrate itself. Such dislocations are detrimental to device functionality as they scatter electron/hole motion and/or enhance diffusion where it is undesirable to do so. In addition, present manufacturing techniques utilize different processing tools to fabricate the spacer structures, resulting in increased time and cost of these components.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved method for fabricating silicon nitride films.

Method for fabricating controlled stress silicon nitride films


The present invention provided a printing apparatus including: an ink storage section; a detection unit detecting an ink remaining amount of the section; a printhead; an air communication section communicating with the section and air; a suction unit; and a control unit. When a predetermined transport-preparation condition regarding transport of the printing apparatus is satisfied, the control unit saves information about the ink remaining amount detected by the detection unit and controls the suction unit to drain ink in the air communication section through the printhead. When a predetermined start-up condition is satisfied, the control unit controls, based on the information, the suction unit to suck ink from the printhead.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
As a printing apparatus typified by an inkjet printing apparatus, a printing apparatus coping with printing media of relatively large sizes such as A1 size and A0 size has been proposed. A printing apparatus of this type includes an air communication section which makes an ink storage section, such as an ink tank storing ink, communicate with air. The printing apparatus is configured so that the ink liquid level in the air communication section becomes lower than the ink discharge face of a printhead in the direction of gravity. By this water head difference method, the inside of the printhead can be kept at a negative pressure. For this reason, if the printing apparatus is greatly tilted, ink sometimes leaks from the air communication section.
After installing a printing apparatus, if the printing apparatus needs to be transported to another place (also called secondary transport), it may be greatly tilted. There has been proposed a measure to drain the entire amount of ink in the printing apparatus before secondary transport (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-313829).
In general, an inkjet printing apparatus includes a suction device which sucks ink from a printhead in order to maintain the printhead performance. When draining ink in the printing apparatus before secondary transport, this suction device can be used to automate the work. However, ink drained by the suction device cannot be reused in general. If the entire amount of ink in the printing apparatus is drained, a large amount of ink is wasted. If air is mixed in an ink supply path when draining ink in the printing apparatus, ink is not discharged in use.


A clip supports an elongated electrode within a nozzle of an electrosurgical handpiece used in gas electrocoagulation. The clip is preferably formed from a cylindrical tube which has been deformed into a configuration which has a central conduit-like section which engages and supports the electrode and two opposed conduit-like lobe portions which extend outward and slightly compress against the nozzle to hold the electrode and clip in place in the nozzle. The clip is formed by deforming a segment of a cylindrical tube into the clip around the tube. The clip and the attached electrode are inserted into the nozzle by resiliently compressing the clip by inserting a narrow end of the clip into a rear end of the nozzle and pushing the clip and the nozzle together, thereby resiliently compressing the clip as it slips into the nozzle.

Electrocoagulation involves the coagulation of bleeding tissue by the application of electrical energy to the tissue. Conductive gas electrocoagulation involves conducting electrical energy to the tissue as arcs in ionized conductive pathways in a flowing stream of inert gas. A more complete description of conductive gas electrocoagulation is available in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,781,175, 4,901,719, and 4,901,720, all assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
During conductive gas electrocoagulation, the conductive gas jet is typically delivered to the tissue by a handpiece that the surgeon manipulates. Gas and electrical energy are delivered from an electrosurgical apparatus to a transfer electrode located within an electrically insulated gas nozzle located within the handpiece. The gas flows through the nozzle and over the electrode where it is ionized by the electrical energy applied to the electrode. Electrical energy is transferred from the electrode as arcs in conductive pathways in the gas flowing to the tissue.
It is desirable that the transfer electrode be fixedly mounted and centered within the gas nozzle, to achieve the best energy transfer and electrical insulating characteristics. Furthermore, the energy transfer characteristics are enhanced by exposing a maximum amount of the electrode to the flow of gas within the nozzle. As a result of these and other considerations, prior art handpieces have utilized complex structures to center the electrode within the nozzle.
Prior art handpieces, as typified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,781,175 and 4,901,719, have required the construction of a one piece ceramic molded nozzle and electrode assembly to retain and center the electrode within the nozzle. The molded assembly is formed by centering the electrode within a mold, inserting ceramic material into the mold, and allowing the ceramic material to harden around the electrode. Once completed, the nozzle and electrode assembly is secured to the remainder of the electrosurgical handpiece. Although effective, these prior art nozzle and electrode assemblies are somewhat costly to manufacture, due to the costs of the insert molding used to form the assembly.
The nozzle and electrode assembly described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 592,810, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention, is a unitary, molded assembly which is slip fit within a gas supply tubing at the handpiece. This type of assembly reduces the cost of a conductive gas electrocoagulation handpiece because of its convenient use of the gas supply tubing to achieve some of the functionality of the handpiece. However, the structure which creates the nozzle and supports the electrode is still a single molded unit.
Alternatives to molding the nozzle and electrode supporting structure around the electrode involve the use of centering devices to locate the electrode within a length of prefabricated ceramic tubing which serves as the nozzle. This type of support is generally located at a midpoint of the electrode and is intended to function in conjunction with another support at the rear of the electrode to maintain the electrode in the center of the nozzle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,426 is an example of such an arrangement. As described in this patent, the support member supports the electrode only along a limited length of the electrode, and thus the rear end of the electrode requires additional support within the handpiece body. One difficulty with this type of arrangement is maintaining the electrode in the centered position. Movement of either the middle or rear support can shift the position of the electrode and adversely affect its operating characteristics. Furthermore, although this support arrangement is simple in concept, it can be difficult to employ practically because of difficulty in assembling the nozzle, electrode and handpiece to obtain support for the rear end of the electrode.
It is with regard to this background information that the improvements available from the present invention have evolved.

Technique for incorporating an electrode within a nozzle


A segmented variable sweep wing for an aircraft has a plurality of wing segments. A structural device movably affixes the wing segments to the fuselage of the aircraft adjacent each other at their root areas. The structural device moves the segments conjointly to a power position where the segments are perpendicular to the fuselage and spaced from each other. The structural device also moves the segments conjointly to a cruise position wherein the segments are swept back at an angle with the fuselage and in abutment with each other thereby forming a unitary continuous surface airfoil.

The present invention relates to a variable sweep wing aircraft. More particularly, the invention relates to an aircraft having a multitude of wings comprising a segmented variable sweep wing.
The requirements of high lift configurations of conventional wings are in conflict with structural requirements of wings. Conventional wings are equipped with high lift devices, such as slats and flaps, to assist in landing and take off. Modern aircraft require lightweight and efficient wing structures. The mechanical drive systems of conventional wings make it very difficult for them to be structured efficiently.
The principal object of the invention is to provide a variable sweep wing having a lighter weight and more efficient structure than a conventional wing of such type.
An object of the invention is to provide a variable sweep wing of simple structure which is mounted on the aircraft by relatively simple means and is controlled in sweep and configuration by simple means.
Another object of the invention is to provide a variable sweep wing of simple structure which is efficient, effective and reliable in operation at take off, cruise and landing of the aircraft.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a variable sweep wing which is of segmented structure and controllable in sweep position to provide a unitary continuous surface airfoil when swept back at an angle with the fuselage in a cruise position and the segments are spaced from each other when perpendicular or near perpendicular to the fuselage of the aircraft in a power or high lift position.


A method is disclosed for storing and releasing hydrogen from a mass of transition metal borohydride particles, or a mass of mixed, transition metal and alkali metal-containing, borohydride particles where hydrogen is to be released by heating the mass of particles upon a demand for hydrogen in a hydrogen-using application. Particles of a metal hydride are mixed with the metal borohydride particles to form a mass of hydrogen storage particles. The composition and amount of the metal hydride mixed into the hydrogen storage particles serves to react with boron from the borohydride particles to form a metal boride and to suppress release of diborane as hydrogen is released from the heated metal borohydride particles.

Metal borohydrides containing BH4− complexes are attractive candidates for compact hydrogen storage because of their large hydrogen content relative to their weight and volume. Simple alkali metal or alkaline earth metal borohydrides such as LiBH4 (18.5 wt % hydrogen), NaBH4 (10.7 wt % hydrogen), Mg(BH4)2 (14.9 wt % hydrogen), and Ca(BH4)2 (11.6 wt % hydrogen) are too stable, requiring high temperatures (300-500° C.) to release hydrogen, and even partial re-absorption of hydrogen requires high H2 pressures. Moreover, intermediate phases such as Li2B12H12 can form during decomposition at high temperature, and once formed these phases strongly inhibit reversibility.
Transition metal borohydrides and mixed alkali metal-transition metal borohydrides are less stable, and therefore could be suitable candidates for hydrogen storage. Transition metal borohydrides include the borohydrides of chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, scandium, titanium, vanadium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium. Mixed borohydride compounds of one of such transition metals and an alkali metal such as lithium, sodium, or potassium may also be formed. Unfortunately, in many cases the borohydride decomposes through the emission of diborane gas (B2H6) in addition to yielding hydrogen gas. Such emission is clearly deleterious; first, most of the available hydrogen is tied up as diborane rather than being released as H2, second, diborane evolution permanently removes boron from the material, and third, diborane may present environmental issues.
There is a need for a method of recovering hydrogen from transition metal borohydrides and mixed alkali metal-containing and transition metal-containing borohydrides while reducing or eliminating the evolution of diborane gas.

Mitigating diborane release from borohydride-based hydrogen storage materials


A concentrator multiplexes network data from different links in a network and carried on a plurality of lower speed lines into multiplexed network data carried on a higher speed line. A line interface module demultiplexes the multiplexed network data carried on the higher speed line, assembles the demultiplexed network data into cells, and reassembles cells into packets for analysis. A single distributed network analyzer analyzes the reassembled network data.

Distributed network analyzers (DNAs) are used to analyze data from a network. Generally, DNAs receive data from a network through a line interface module (LIM). The size of a LIM, however, limits the number of inputs physically available for the LIM to receive data from a network. Therefore, a respective DNA can only receive and analyze a relatively small amount of data because of the input limitation imposed by the LIM. As a result, a plurality of LIMs and DNAs are required to analyze a large amount of data from a network.
For example, FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the conventional use of DNAs to receive and analyze a large amount of data from in a network. Referring now to FIG. 1, a plurality of LIMs 5, 6, 7, and 8 receive a plurality of lines 20, 21, 22, and 23, respectively, which carry data from the network. DNAs 10, 11, 12 and 13 receive data from LIMs 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. Typically, the data carried by lines 20, 21, 22 and 23 is from a plurality of links in the network.
It is desirable to simultaneously monitor and analyze large quantities of data from a network. However, it is expensive to use a plurality of LIMs and DNAs. Moreover, the use of a plurality of LIMs and DNAs increases the size and complexity of the total amount of required equipment. In addition, there are difficulties in coordinating monitoring and analysis of a plurality of DNAs.
It is desirable to simultaneously monitor large quantities of data at a remote location and analyze said data at a local location and use the network that is being monitored to carry said data from the remote location to the local location.
It is desirable that the analyzer be able to analyze asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) formatted data and also to perform the inverse multiplexing over ATM (IMA) function.

Apparatus and method for low cost, multi-port protocol analysis and monitoring


A paint or coating composition and method for detecting vapor or liquid reactants, such as ammonia. The composition is composed of ethyl cellulose as a binder, a filler, such as amorphous silica, and a dye, such as bromophenol blue. The composition serves as a passive detector for vapor or liquid reactants when applied to selected surfaces as a paint. The composition is capable of detecting extremely low concentrations of vapor. Further, the composition is capable of regenerating to its original color, thereby providing repeated detection capability.

The detection of the presence of certain vapors or liquid reactants, such as ammonia or amino compounds, is quite important, particularly when the presence of such vapors or liquid reactants indicates the presence of toxic chemicals or biological warfare agents, or the undesirable leakage of a gas from an enclosure. A number of prior apparatus and methods for detecting vapors and liquid reactants are known in the art. Nevertheless, the art does not teach or suggest a sprayable, brushable, or trowelable paint which incorporates in its dried film the combined properties of vapor permeable, liquid repellant film and an accessible indicator which can detect extremely low concentrations of reactant, such as ammonia, and regenerate the original color. More particularly, prior art does not teach the extraordinary contribution of amorphous silica as intensifier of sensitivity.

Method for detecting vapor and liquid reactants


Crapless Craps, a game that has existed for more than 20 years, is a modification of standard craps designed to eliminate the possibility of the pass line bettor losing on the come-out roll. However, it has several serious drawbacks that have prevented it from achieving significant popularity with the gambling public. No-Crap Craps is a modification of Crapless Craps created to overcome these shortcomings. This aim is achieved by regarding every number except 7 as a point number, but with numbers 2 and 3 grouped together as 2-or-3, and numbers 11 and 12 grouped together as 11-or-12. When betting against the shooter, a seven-out after point 11-or-12 pays half. The result is that the house advantages of the pass line bet and the don't pass bet are exactly those of standard craps.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of games, specifically to games played with dice, and more specifically to the casino game of craps.
2. Prior Art
Craps is a casino game played by rolling a pair of dice repeatedly. The principal bet in craps, known as the pass line bet, works as follows. On the first roll, called the "come-out" roll, there are three possibilities. If 7 or 11 is rolled (a "natural"), the pass line bet is won. If 2, 3, or 12 is rolled (a "craps number"), the pass line bet is lost. If any other number is rolled, namely 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the shooter's "point." If the point is repeated before 7 is rolled, the bet is won. If 7 is rolled before the point is repeated, the bet is lost. The pass line bet pays even money.
The pass line bet can be lost in either of two ways: Either the shooter rolls a craps number (2, 3, or 12) on the come-out roll, or he establishes a point and subsequently "sevens-out." In the former case, the same shooter continues to roll the dice. In the latter case, a new shooter takes control of the dice. Since most players at the craps table bet with the shooter, the shooter is motivated to win as many and lose as few pass line bets as possible before the inevitable seven-out. Rolling a craps number on a come-out roll is therefore something almost every shooter wants to avoid.
With this in mind, the casino game of Crapless Craps™ was first offered in 1981 at Bob Stupak's Vegas World. The game is not patented (its first usage was prior to 1981 in illegal private games), but its name is a registered trademark, owned by Bob Stupak (reg. no. 1610171, Aug. 14, 1990). The same game is also offered in several Mississippi casinos under the name Never Ever Craps™, a registered trademark of Grand Casinos Inc. (reg. no. 2590230, Jul. 9, 2002). The idea behind Crapless Craps is that, if, by a minor change in the rules, the possibility of losing a pass line bet on the come-out roll could be eliminated, the game would be considerably more enjoyable.
In Crapless Craps, therefore, the craps numbers 2, 3, and 12 are no longer automatic losers for the pass line bettor, but becomes points, just like 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. Similarly, 11 is no longer an automatic winner for the pass line bettor, but becomes a point. Consequently, the rules for the pass line bet are as follows. On the come-out roll, there are two possibilities. If 7 is rolled, the pass line bet is won. If any other number is rolled, namely 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12, that number becomes the shooter's point. If the point is repeated before 7 is rolled, the bet is won. If 7 is rolled before the point is repeated, the bet is lost. The pass line bet pays even money.
The beauty of Crapless Craps is that it retains the basic structure of standard craps, while eliminating the the possibility of losing the pass line bet on the come-out roll. Unfortunately, there are three serious drawbacks to Crapless Craps, which have relegated the game to an insignificant role in the world of casino gambling. (For example, it is currently offered at only one Las Vegas casino.) The three drawbacks are the following.
(a) In standard craps, one can bet with the shooter or against him. To bet against the shooter, one makes a don't pass bet, which is the reverse of the pass line bet (i.e., the criteria for winning and losing are reversed, and the bet pays even money), with one exception: If 12 is rolled on the come-out roll, the don't pass bet is tied rather than won. In Crapless Craps, there is no don't pass bet, so one is obliged to bet with the shooter. Although only a small percentage of crapshooters bet the don't pass consistently, many like to have it available when the table is "cold." Also, having the ability to bet on either side of a proposition helps to provide some assurance that the game is honest.
(b) In standard craps, even after a point has been established, the player still has at least a 1 in 3 chance of winning his pass line bet, regardless of the point. In Crapless Craps, if the point 2 or the point 12 is established, the shooter has only a 1 in 7 chance of winning his pass line bet. This is only marginally better than losing with certainty on the come-out roll.
(c) In standard craps, the house advantage for the pass line bet is 1.414 percent. In Crapless Craps, the house advantage for the pass line bet is 5.382 percent. In a fast-paced game such as craps, this distinction is huge and is largely responsible for the game's lack of success in the casino marketplace. In short, the game is widely regarded as a sucker game.

No-crap craps: crapless craps done right


An improved connector for coaxial cables includes a connector body, a compression sleeve and an attachment connecting the compression sleeve and the connector body. The attachment has a length defined to permit insertion of the compression sleeve into the connector body without having to detach the compression sleeve from the attachment.

The conventional coaxial cable typically consists of a centrally located, inner electrical conductor surrounded by and spaced inwardly from an outer cylindrical electrical conductor. The center and outer conductors are separated by a dielectric insulating sleeve, and the outer conductor is encased within a protective dielectric jacket. The outer conductor can comprise a sheath of fine braided metallic strands, a metallic foil, or multiple layer combinations of either or both.
Coaxial cable connectors are known in the art and typically include a connector body, nut, post and compression sleeve made of electrically conductive materials. These F-type coaxial cable connectors are typically threaded onto an RF port to electrically integrate coaxial cables to various electronic devices such as TV's and the like. An example of such a connector is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,257 to Szegda, herein incorporated by reference.
Snap together connectors, are known in the art and an example is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,834,675 and 4,902,246 to Samchisen or U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,662 to Stabile, et al. The Samchisen connector has a compression sleeve with an annular attachment integrally formed with one end of the sleeve. The annular attachment is also sized to fit within a shoulder portion of the connector body. This permits the compression sleeve to be packaged in combination with the connector body. To install this connector to the coaxial cable, the compression sleeve is slid over one end of the cable. The cable is then prepared by removing a portion of the cable jacket and folding the braided shield back to expose the dielectric insulation and center conductor. The compression sleeve is then separated from the connector body and the cable is inserted into the connector body. The compression sleeve is then pushed into the body until the cable is secured within the connector body and the installation is complete. The Stabile connector has a compression sleeve with a retaining ring integrally formed with one end of the compression sleeve. The retaining ring is sized to fit within a flat exterior surface of the connector body. This permits the compression sleeve to be maintained as part of the connector assembly prior to assembly of the connector. The retaining ring is disengageable from the compression sleeve prior to and during installation of the coaxial cable within the connector body.
Although this connector facilitates pre-installation handling and storage, the reality is that even in this instance the user can accidentally drop or lose the compression sleeve once it is separated from the connector body. During the installation of the connector shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,834,675 and 4,902,246 and 5,769,662 the compression sleeve must be detached from the connector body. Thus, mishandling or loss of the compression sleeve remains a serious problem during the critical installation phase, especially if the user is located in an awkward area, such as on a telephone pole.
In light of the foregoing, an objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved connector wherein the compression sleeve is not separated from the attachment during installation of the cable to the connector body. The compression sleeve remains at all times connected to the attachment prior to, during and after installation. Accordingly, this will ensure that the compression sleeve will never be lost.