A data driving circuit of a liquid crystal display for selectively switching and multiplexing voltages in accordance with a bit order of input data is disclosed. The data driver circuit includes: a voltage distributor that selects one of a first voltage and a second voltages as first output voltage in accordance with the most significant bit of input data including a plurality of n data bits, that multiplexes the first voltage and the second voltage to be output as one of more multiplexed output voltage is one of the first voltage and the second voltage selected in accordance with bits of the input data lower in significance than the most significant bit, and that outputs the first voltage as a final output voltage; and an output buffer that is driven by the first output voltage, the one or more multiplexed output voltages, and the final output voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display, and more particularly to a data driving circuit of a liquid crystal display that is adaptive for selectively switching and multiplexing voltages in accordance with a bit order of input data.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A typical liquid crystal display controls light transmittance of liquid crystal cells in accordance with video signals to thereby display a picture. An active matrix type of liquid crystal display that includes a switching device for each liquid crystal cell is particularly suited for displaying moving pictures through active control of the switching devices. A thin film transistor (hereinafter, referred to as "TFT") is typically used as the switching device in active matrix liquid crystal displays as shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, a liquid crystal display of the active matrix type converts a digital input data into an analog data voltage on the basis of a gamma reference voltage and supplies the analog data voltage to a data line DL. Concurrently a scanning pulse is supplied to a gate line GL, to turn on the TFT to thereby charge a liquid crystal cell Clc from the analog voltage applied to the data line DL.
A gate electrode of the TFT is connected to the gate line GL, a source electrode is connected to the data line DL, and a drain electrode of the TFT is connected to a pixel electrode of the liquid crystal cell Clc and to an electrode of a storage capacitor Cst.
A common electrode of the liquid crystal cell Clc is supplied with a common voltage Vcom.
When the TFT is turned-on, the storage capacitor Cst charges a data voltage applied from the data line DL and maintains the voltage charged to the liquid crystal cell Clc until a new data voltage is to be charged.
When a gate pulse is applied to the gate line GL, the TFT is turned-on to establish a conductive channel between the source electrode and the drain electrode to thereby supply a voltage on the data line DL to the pixel electrode of the liquid crystal cell Clc. The arrangement of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal cell Clc are controlled by an electric field generated between the pixel electrode and the common electrode to modulate an incident light.
A configuration of a liquid crystal display of the related art including pixels having the above-described structure is shown in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 2, the liquid crystal display 100 of the related art includes a liquid crystal display panel 110, a data driving circuit 120, a gate driving circuit 130, a gamma reference voltage generator 140, a backlight assembly 150, an inverter 160, a common voltage generator 170, a gate driving voltage generator 180, and a timing controller 190.
The liquid crystal display panel 110 includes a liquid crystal layer between two glass substrates. On the lower glass substrate of the liquid crystal display panel 110, the data lines DL1 to DLm and the gate lines GL1 to GLn cross each other with the data lines DL1 to DLm substantially perpendicular to the gate lines GL1 to GLn. The crossings of the data lines DL1 to DLm and the gate lines GL1 to GLn define liquid crystal cells. A TFT is provided at each crossing of a data line DL1 to DLm and a gate line GL1 to GLn. Each TFT supplies a data provided on a data line DL1 to DLm to the liquid crystal cell Clc in response to a scanning pulse applied to the gate electrode of the TFT. The gate electrode of each TFT is connected to one of the gate lines GL1 to GLn while the source electrode of the TFT is connected to one of the data line DL1 to DLm. Further, the drain electrode of each TFT is connected to the pixel electrode of the respective liquid crystal cell Clc and the corresponding storage capacitor Cst.
The TFT is turned-on in response to a scanning pulse applied via a gate line among the gate lines GL1 to GLn connect to the TFT gate. Upon turning-on of the TFT, a video data on the data line among the data lines DL1 to DLm that is connected to the drain of the TFT is supplied to the pixel electrode of a corresponding liquid crystal cell Clc.
The data driving circuit 120 supplies analog data voltages to the data lines DL1 to DLm in response to a data driving control signal DDC that is supplied from the timing controller 190. Further, the data driving circuit 120 samples and latches digital video data RGB that are supplied from the timing controller 190 and then converts latched data into analog data voltages for realizing a gray scale at the liquid crystal cell Clc of the liquid crystal display panel 110 on the basis of a gamma reference voltage supplied from the gamma reference voltage generator 140.
The gate driving circuit 130 sequentially generates a scanning pulse or a gate pulse in response to a gate driving control signal GDC and a gate shift clock GSC supplied from the timing controller 190 to be applied to each of the gate lines GL1 to GLn. The gate driving circuit 130 determines a high level voltage and a low level voltage of the scanning pulse in accordance with the gate high voltage VGH and the gate low voltage VGL supplied from the gate driving voltage generator 180.
The gamma reference voltage generator 140 receives a high-level power voltage VDD to generate a positive gamma reference voltage and a negative gamma reference voltage and supplies the positive and negative gamma reference voltages to the data driving circuit 120.
The backlight assembly 150 is provided at the rear side of the liquid crystal display panel 110, and is energized by an AC voltage and current supplied from the inverter 160 to irradiate a light onto each pixel of the liquid crystal display panel 110.
The inverter 160 converts a square wave signal generated at the interior thereof into a triangular wave signal, and then compares the triangular wave signal with a direct current power voltage VCC supplied from the system to generate a burst dimming signal proportional to the result of the comparison. When the burst dimming signal is generated, a driving integrated circuit IC (not shown) controls a generation of the AC voltage and a current within the inverter 160 to controls the generation of AC voltage and current to be supplied to the backlight assembly 150 in accordance with the burst dimming signal.
The common voltage generator 170 receives a high-level power voltage VDD to generate a common voltage Vcom, and supplies the common voltage Vcom to the common electrode of the liquid crystal cell Clc provided at each pixel of the liquid crystal display panel 110.
The gate driving voltage generator 180 is supplied with a high-level power voltage VDD to generate the gate high voltage VGH and the gate low voltage VGL, and supplies the generated gate voltages to the gate driving circuit 130. Herein, the gate driving voltage generator 180 generates a gate high voltage VGH having a voltage level greater than a threshold voltage of the TFTs provided at each pixel of the liquid crystal display panel 110 and a gate low voltage VGL a voltage level less then the threshold voltage of the TFTs. The gate high voltage VGH and the gate low voltage VGL generated in this manner are used to establish a high level voltage and a low level voltage respectively of the scanning pulse generated by the gate driving circuit 130.
The timing controller 190 supplies digital video data RGB provided from an external system such as a TV set or a computer monitor, to the data driving circuit 120. In addition, the timing controller 190 generates a data driving control signal DCC and a gate driving control signal GDC using horizontal/vertical synchronization signals H and V in response to a clock signal CLK and supplies the data driving control signal DCC and the gate driving control signal GDC to the data driving circuit 120 and the gate driving circuit 130, respectively. As shown, the data driving control signal DDC includes a source shift clock SSC, a source start pulse SSP, a polarity control signal POL, and a source output enable signal SOE. The gate driving control signal GDC includes a gate start pulse GSP and a gate output enable signal GOE.
The structure and function of a data driving circuit of the related art included in the above described liquid crystal display will be described in detail hereinafter.
Referring to FIG. 3, a data driving circuit 120 of the related art includes a decoder 121, a switching part 122, a multiplexing part 123, and an output buffer 124. The decoder 121 receives 3 bits of data and outputs eight selection signals to the switching part 122. The switching part 122 switches a gamma reference voltage from the gamma reference voltage generator 140 in accordance with eight selection signals from the decoder 121 to output a first voltage V1 and a second voltage V2. The multiplexing part 123 multiplexes the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 from the switching part 122 in accordance with a supplied plurality of 3 bit data. In other words, the multiplexer outputs 8 voltages each having output levels of either the first voltage V1 or the second voltage V2, with the pattern of voltage levels among the 8 outputs determined by the supplied 3 bit data. The output buffer 124 is driven by the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 that are multiplexed by the multiplexing part 123 to buffer an input data.
The multiplexing part 123 multiplexes the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 from the switching part 122 in accordance with a received plurality of 3 bit data to output voltages having the first and second voltage levels, V1 and V2 to selective ones of the first to eighth output terminals Vo1 to Vo8. The multiplexing and outputting functions of the multiplexing part 123 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4.
Referring to FIG. 4, if '000' data are received, the multiplexing part 123 multiplexes the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 from the switching part 122 to output eight first voltages V1, using the first to eighth output terminals Vo1 to Vo8, to the output buffer 124.
If '001' data are input, the multiplexing part 123 multiplexes the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 from the switching part 122 to output seven first voltages V1, via the first to seventh output terminals Vo1 to Vo7, to the output buffer 124, respectively and, at the same time output one second voltage V2, via the eighth output terminal Vo8, to the output buffer 124.
If '010' data are input, the multiplexing part 123 multiplexes the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 from the switching part 122 to output six first voltages V1, via the first to sixth output terminals Vo1 to Vo6, to the output buffer 124 respectively and, at the same time output two second voltage V2, via the seven and eighth output terminals Vo7 and Vo8, to the output buffer 124, respectively.
If '011' data are input, the multiplexing part 123 multiplexes the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 from the switching part 122 to output five first voltages V1, via the first to fifth output terminals Vo1 to Vo5, to the output buffer 124, respectively and, at the same time output three second voltages V2, via the sixth to eighth output terminals Vo6 to Vo8, to the output buffer 124, respectively.
If '100' data are input, the multiplexing part 123 multiplexes the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 from the switching part 122 to output four first voltages V1, via the first to fourth output terminals Vo1 to Vo4, to the output buffer 124, respectively and, at the same time output four second voltages V2, via the fifth to eighth output terminals Vo5 to Vo8, to the output buffer 124, respectively.
If '101' data are input, the multiplexing part 123 multiplexes the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 from the switching part 122 to output three first voltages V1, via the first to third output terminals Vo1 to Vo3, to the output buffer 124, respectively and, at the same time output five second voltages V2, via the fourth to eighth output terminals Vo4 to Vo8, to the output buffer 124.
If '110' data are input, the multiplexing part 123 multiplexes the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 from the switching part 122 to output two first voltages V1, via the first and second output terminals Vo1 and Vo2, to the output buffer 124, respectively and, at the same time output six second voltages V2, via the third to eighth output terminals Vo3 to Vo8, to the output buffer 124, respectively.
If '111' data are input, the multiplexing part 123 multiplexes the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 from the switching part 122 to output one first voltage V1, via the first output terminal Vo1, to the output buffer 124 and, at the same time output seven second voltages V2, via the second to eighth output terminals Vo2 and Vo8, to the output buffer 124, respectively.
The output buffer 124 includes a current source 124-1, eight NMOS transistors N_TR1 to N_TR8, and eight NMOS transistors N_TR9 to N_TR16. The current source 124-1 switches the applied current to a ground. The first eight NMOS transistors N_TR1 to N_TR8 are driven by the first voltage V1 or the second voltage V2 output from the multiplexing part 123 to supply a current from a load 124-2 to the current source 124-1. The second eight NMOS transistors N_TR9 to N_TR16 are driven by a voltage from the load 124-2 to supply a current from the load 124-2 to the current source 124-1. The eight NMOS transistors N_TR1 to N_TR8 and the eight NMOS transistors N_TR9 to N_TR16 are arranged to be symmetrical to each other.
The NMOS transistor N_TR1 includes a gate that is connected to the first output terminal Vo1 of the multiplexing part 123, a drain that is connected to the load 124-2, and a source that is connected to the current source 124-1. The NMOS transistor N_TR1 is driven by the first voltage V1 that is output via the first output terminal Vo1 of the multiplexing part 123 to supply a current from the load 124-2 to the current source 124-1.
The NMOS transistor N_TR2 includes a gate that is connected to the second output terminal Vo2 of the multiplexing part 123, a drain that is connected to the load 124-2, and a source that is connected to the current source 124-1. The NMOS transistor N_TR2 is driven by the first voltage V1 or the second voltage V2 that is output via the second output terminal Vo2 of the multiplexing part 123 to supply a current from the load 124-2 to the current source 124-1.
The NMOS transistor N_TR3 includes a gate that is connected to the third output terminal Vo3 of the multiplexing part 123, a drain that is connected to the load 124-2, and a source that is connected to the current source 124-1. The NMOS transistor N_TR3 is driven by the first voltage V1 or the second voltage V2 that is output via the third output terminal Vo3 of the multiplexing part 123 to supply a current from the load 124-2 to the current source 124-1.
The NMOS transistor N_TR4 includes a gate that is connected to the fourth output terminal Vo4 of the multiplexing part 123, a drain that is connected to the load 124-2, and a source that is connected to the current source 124-1. The NMOS transistor N_TR4 is driven by the first voltage V1 or the second voltage V2 that is output via the fourth output terminal Vo4 of the multiplexing part 123 to supply a current from the load 124-2 to the current source 124-1.
The NMOS transistor N_TR5 includes a gate that is connected to the fifth output terminal Vo5 of the multiplexing part 123, a drain that is connected to the load 124-2, and a source that is connected to the current source 124-1. The NMOS transistor N_TR5 is driven by the first voltage V1 or the second voltage V2 that is output via the fifth output terminal Vo5 of the multiplexing part 123 to supply a current from the load 124-2 to the current source 124-1.
The NMOS transistor N_TR6 includes a gate that is connected to the sixth output terminal Vo6 of the multiplexing part 123, a drain that is connected to the load 124-2, and a source that is connected to the current source 124-1. The NMOS transistor N_TR6 is driven by the first voltage V1 or the second voltage V2 that is output via the sixth output terminal Vo6 of the multiplexing part 123 to supply a current from the load 124-2 to the current source 124-1.
The NMOS transistor N_TR7 includes a gate that is connected to the seventh output terminal Vo7 of the multiplexing part 123, a drain that is connected to the load 124-2, and a source that is connected to the current source 124-1. The NMOS transistor N_TR7 is driven by the first voltage V1 or the second voltage V2 that is output via the seventh output terminal Vo7 of the multiplexing part 123 to supply a current from the load 124-2 to the current source 124-1.
The NMOS transistor N_TR8 includes a gate that is connected to the eighth output terminal Vo8 of the multiplexing part 123, a drain that is connected to the load 124-2, and a source that is connected to the current source 124-1. The NMOS transistor N_TR8 is driven by the first voltage V1 or the second voltage V2 that is output via the eighth output terminal Vo8 of the multiplexing part 123 to supply a current from the load 124-2 to the current source 124-1.
The eight NMOS transistors N_TR9 to N_TR16 each have a gate and a drain that are connected to the load 124-2, and a source that is connected to the current source 124-1. The eight NMOS transistors N_TR9 to N_TR16 are each driven by a voltage from the load 124-2 to supply a current from the load 124-2 to the current source 124-1.
As described above, in the data driving circuit of the related art, the multiplexing part 123 receives n bits data to output 2n voltages to the output buffer 124. Thus, the number of output terminals of the multiplexing part 123 and the number of signal lines connected to the output terminal are doubled for each unit increase in the number of bits of input data. As a result, there is a problem in that the data driving circuit has a complex structure and occupies a large area.

Data driving circuit of liquid crystal display for selectively switching and multiplexing voltages in accordance with a bit order of input data


A novel control device and a method for using the device for the calorimetric quality assurance of photographic documents or any color and monochrome products printed on any type of supports. The inventive control device is embodied in the form of an improved reflective spectrophotometer which also makes it possible to read bar codes. The use of the novel control device requires the use of a novel method which enables any user of a production machine to be assigned with an unique alpha digital identifier for any arbitrary product configuration leading to an arbitrary chromatic response (reflectance spectrum or colour spectrum obtained according to a printed file values) which are considered by the competent user as desirable and retainable for certain products.

The present invention relates to a new Control Device and its associated Process for calorimetric quality control of photographic documents and print works of any kind, produced by using any type of printer, printing press, textile impression machine, serigraphic machine, film recorder, photo processing machine, by using all sorts of inks, photographic pigments or toners, on all sorts of papers, paperboards, textiles or other media supporting the document. The concerned quality controls extend of course to computer to plates systems, which can be regarded as monochrome printers.

Device and method for controlling the calorimetric quality of any printed document


A system and methods for comparing differences and similarities of at least two models including generating corresponding metamodel maps, visual representation of the models, and conducting a series of phases of comparison of the models using a mapping index, wherein the mapping index includes the metamodel maps and the visual representation of the models to produce a comparison output.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data and software model comparison. Further, the present invention relates to methods and systems for comparing differences between different model types.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modem technical development is almost always based on using certain modeling techniques. Models may be either created from scratch and serve as design for a future implementation or may be extracted from an existing system to help understand and modify it. They may also originate as a combination of the two, for instance in the case when an "as is" model is first used to describe an existing system and then modified to describe a "to be" system.
As sometimes different companies or different teams come with models meant to describe the same reality, it becomes necessary to compare them. A comparison may reveal both the common elements and the differences between two models. This type of comparison and the detailed analysis related to it is referred to herein as "gap analysis."
Gap analysis does not necessarily may occur between the same type of models or between different types of models. The models are considered as being of the same type if they are based on the same metamodel and of different types if they have different metamodels. For instance two relational database schemas have the same type (but potentially different objects), while relational and hierarchical database schemas are of different types. Even when the two models are of different types a comparison is possible, as certain matches between them could be achieved. For instance, a relational table (which appears in a relational database schema) may be matched to a hierarchical record (which appears in the hierarchical schema).
Thus, there remains a need for methods and systems for comparing models even where model type differs, both for models having different metamodels and same metamodels.

System and method for metamodel-based gap analysis


A porphyrin metal complex that can form a stable oxygen complex and acts effectively as an oxygen infusion, which comprises:    a transition metal ion M of period 4 or 5 coordinating to a porphyrin derivative represented by the following general

Hemes or porphinatoiron(II) complexes existing in hemoglobin and myoglobin play a role in the in vivo transport and storage of oxygen, and can reversibly bind and release molecular oxygen according to the partial pressure of oxygen. Since the 1970s, many reports have been made on studies to achieve oxygen adsorption-desorption functions similar to those of such natural hemes using synthetic porphinatoiron(II) complexes. Examples of early reports include J. P. Collman, Acc. Chem. Res., 10, 265 (1977) and F. Basolo, B. M. Hoffman, J. A. Ibers, ibid, 8, 384 (1975). Particularly, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(α,α,α,α-o-pivalamidophenyl)porphinatoiron(II) complex (hereinafter referred to as "FeTpivPP complex") (J. P. Collman, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 97, 1427 (1975)) is known as a porphinatoiron(II) complex that can form a stable oxygen complex in ambient temperature conditions.
The FeTpivPP complex can reversibly bind and release molecular oxygen in ambient temperature in organic solvents such as benzene, toluene, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran or N,N-dimethylformamide, in the presence of an axial base such as 1-alkylimidazole and 1-alkyl-2-methylimidazole. Further, the same oxygen adsorption-desorption functions is seen even under physiological conditions (water-phase system, pH 7.4, ≦40° C.) by incorporating this complex into a bilayer membrane vesicle consisting of phospholipids (e.g., E. Tsuchida et al., J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans., 1984, 1147 (1984)).
Here, the important point is that, firstly, as mentioned above, the addition of excess moles of the axial base molecule is required for the FeTpivPP complex to bind and release oxygen reversibly. However, certain imidazole derivatives that are widely used as axial base show pharmacological action, and often exhibit high internal toxicity. Also, when using phospholipid vesicles, the coexisting imidazole derivatives cause the morphology of the vesicles to become unstable. In order to reduce the amount of the axial base to a minimum, an imidazole derivative must be introduced into the molecule by covalent bonding.
The present inventors have considered that if, for example, an alkylimidazole derivative is covalently bonded as a substituent in the molecule of a porphinatoiron(II) complex, a stable oxygen carrier may be provided without external addition of an axial base, and have, so far, synthesized FeTpivPP analogues having substituents on the 2-position of the porphyrin ring, and observed reversible oxygen adsorption-desorption reaction for systems wherein such analogues were incorporated into phospholipid vesicles or human serum albumin (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Provisional Publication Nos. 59-164791, 59-162924 and 8-301873).
However, because the oxidation reaction of the central iron(II) is usually promoted in aqueous solutions than in organic solvents, the stability of the resulting oxygen complex is significantly low. In other words, reversible oxygen coordination activity is expressed only when the central iron of the porphyrin complex is in a divalent state; when the central iron is oxidized to form an iron(III) complex, the oxygen coordination activity is lost entirely (see, for example, Momentau et al., Chem. Rev., 110, 7690 (1994)). The aforementioned prior art technologies developed by the present inventors, wherein the porphinatoiron(II) complex is dispersed in water, not only have the effect of uniformly dissolving the porphinatoiron(II) complex in water, but also of extending the stability of the oxygen complex by providing a hydrophobic space in the vicinity of oxygen coordination site. However, when considering the use of such aqueous solution and dispersions of porphinatoiron(II) complex as artificial oxygen carriers, for example as a substitute for red blood cells, designing and synthesis of a porphyrin molecular structure that is capable of forming a more stable oxygen complex was desired.
The invention of the present application has been developed in view of the above situations, and an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide a porphyrin metal complex that is effective as an oxygen infusion.

Porphyrin-metal complexes and oxygen infusions containing the same

Abstract: wherein R1 is an alicyclic hydrocarbon group which may contain a substituent, R2 is an alkylene group and R3 is a group which does not hinder the coordination of an imidazolyl group to M.


An ultrasonic probe comprises an elongate structure having a longitudinal axis; a first array of ultrasonic transducer elements extending along an outer surface of the elongate structure in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis; a second array of ultrasonic transducer elements extending along the outer surface of the elongate structure in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis; and a third array of ultrasonic transducer elements extending about the elongate structure in a direction so that it images a plane perpendicular to that imaged by at least one of the first array and the second array, the third array being disposed in a space between the first array and the second array. An electronics module for use with the probe, and an additional probe, to produce internal images of a patient.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus used for ultrasonic imaging. More particularly, it relates to apparatus for simultaneous imaging in both longitudinal and transverse views. More specifically, it relates to apparatus for imaging for purposes of medical diagnosis and treatment, especially for diagnosis and treatment of organs such as the prostate.
2. Prior Art
There are various situations in which it is necessary to do ultrasonic imaging to assist in medical diagnosis and treatment. For example, prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers found in men. Treatment options include "watchful waiting", hormonal therapy, brachytherapy, or surgery. Three types of surgery are used. The classical "open" procedure, radical prostetectomy, and the newly developed laproscopic and cryosurgery procedures. All procedures have risks. Both the open procedures and the laproscopic procedures have significant risks of causing impotence and incontinence. With both brachytherapy, and cryosurgery the prostate is left in vivo, and therefore the risk of complications is much lower, and the recovery time is quicker.
In brachytherapy, trains of seeds are implanted in rows in the prostate. Cryosurgery is done in a similar fashion, except that cooling needles are inserted in eight to twelve locations in the prostate. Cold gases are circulated through the needles, and the prostate is monitored by ultrasound imaging for the formation of ice balls, which indicates proper operation of the device. Both of these procedures may be preformed under local anesthetic.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, ultrasound guidance is used in order to properly locate the needle holding the seeds for brachytherapy or the needles for cryosurgery. In FIG. 1, those skilled in the art will recognize the following bladder B, prostate P, urethra U, rectum R, perianal wall Pe, operator 10, ultrasonic probe 12, needle grid block 14, needle 16, needle core 18, and seeds 20.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, in the prior art, the typical bi-plane ultrasonic probe 22 used has a linear transducer array 24 to image the sagital or longitudinal view, and a micro-convex curved array 26 for the transverse view. The linear array is usually 50 mm long, and is not long enough to visualize the entire prostate in many patients.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the micro-convex array 26 is at the end of the probe, and its imaging plane 28 does not intersect the linear array's imaging plane 30. This causes the operator to have to constantly move the probe to different positions along the rectum during the procedure. This is time consuming, and more importantly, causes the prostate to move, leading to more uncertainty as to where the seeds are being placed.

Ultrasonic imaging device, system and method of use


A high density, low capacitance, interconnect structure for microelectronic devices has unlanded vias formed with organic polymer intralayer dielectric material having substantially vertical sidewalls. A method of producing unlanded vias includes forming a planarized organic polymer intra-layer dielectric between conductors, forming an inorganic dielectric over the conductor and organic polymer layer, patterning a photoresist layer such that openings in the photoresist layer overlap portions of both the conductor and the intra-layer dielectric, etching the inorganic dielectric and then concurrently stripping the photoresist and anisotropically etching the organic polymer intra-layer dielectric. A second conductor is typically deposited into the via opening so as to form an electrical connection to the first conductor. A silicon based insulator containing an organic polymer can alternatively be used to form the intra-layer dielectric.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to microelectronic structures and fabrication methods, and more particularly to an unlanded via structure and methods of making the same.
2. Background
Advances in semiconductor manufacturing technology have led to the development of integrated circuits having multiple levels of interconnect. In such an integrated circuit, patterned conductive material on one interconnect level is electrically insulated from patterned conductive material on another interconnect level by films of material such as silicon dioxide. Connections between the conductive material at the various interconnect levels are made by forming openings in the insulating layers and providing an electrically conductive structure such that the patterned conductive material from different interconnect levels are brought into electrical contact with each other. These structures are often referred to contacts or vias.
A consequence of having multiple layers of patterned conductive material separated by an insulating layer is the formation of undesired capacitors. The parasitic capacitance between patterned conductive material, or more simply, interconnects, separated by insulating material on microelectronic devices contributes to effects such as RC delay, power dissipation, and capacitively coupled signals, also known as cross-talk.
One way to reduce the unwanted capacitance between the interconnects is to use an insulating material with a lower dielectric constant. Unfortunately, low dielectric constant materials tend to not have sufficient mechanical strength to support the multi-level interconnect systems typical of complex integrated circuits. A hybrid approach is possible wherein an intra-layer low dielectric constant material is disposed between the interconnect lines and planarized, and then a layer of mechanically stronger but electrically less desirable material is formed as an inter-layer dielectric.
Another issue that confronts manufacturers of integrated circuits is that of packing density. One aspect of packing density, often referred to as pitch, is the width of an interconnect line and the space required between those lines. When a via is formed between two interconnect levels it has been required that there be overlap of the opening by the underlying conductive material. In some cases this requires that the minimum width of the underlying conductive material be increased to provide a landing for the via opening. FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-section of a landed via between metal lines on two different interconnect levels. The increase in minimum width to accommodate the overlap requirement increases the pitch, and correspondingly decreases the packing density.
A way of reducing the pitch is to remove the requirement of having a landed via. That is, unlanded vias offer increased packing density. However, the process of unlanded via formation has proved to be incompatible with the hybrid low-dielectric constant intra-layer material capped with a mechanically stronger inter-layer dielectric.
What is needed is a structure that supports high packing density while simultaneously providing low parasitic capacitance between interconnect layers, and methods of making such a structure.

Unlanded via structure and method for making same


A speaker system is provided with a housing adapted to mount to a support. A driver is supported by the housing and arranged to project sound about a first axis extending at an offset angle relative to a longitudinal axis extending from the housing. A waveguide extends from the driver to define a cavity extending along the first axis. The waveguide includes a first segment formed at a first angle relative to the longitudinal axis, and a second segment formed at a second angle relative to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second segment is arranged opposite the first segment and the second angle is greater than the first angle to collectively provide an asymmetrical sound pattern in a first plane.

A loudspeaker typically includes one or more drivers that are each coupled to a horn. The horn includes an input throat and an output mouth. The throat is sized to match the acoustic impedance and exit diameter of the driver and to reduce distortion of the acoustic signal. The mouth is typically large enough to project sound efficiently at a desired frequency. The horn guides the acoustic signal or acoustic energy into particular directions or regions. The horn includes a waveguide that extends between the throat and the mouth to constrain and control the radiation of acoustic energy. The surfaces of the waveguide produce a coverage pattern of a specified total coverage angle that may differ horizontally and vertically. The coverage angle is a total angle in any plane of observation (although typically horizontal and vertical orthogonal planes are used) about a reference axis that extends normal to the face of the loudspeaker. The coverage angle is evaluated as a function of frequency and corresponds to the angle at which the intensity of sound, or sound pressure level (SPL), is half of the SPL on the axis.
Audio systems may include a plurality of loudspeakers to provide sound from multiple locations in a horizontal plane (e.g., "surround" sound). Audio systems may also include loudspeakers to provide sound within a vertical plane, including floor or wall mounted loudspeakers in combination with loudspeakers mounted to the ceiling. Loudspeakers that are mounted to a surface, e.g., the floor, wall, or ceiling, may be rotated to adjust the coverage pattern toward a target listening area. However, speakers that are mounted within a wall may be difficult to rotate due to the narrow depth of the wall.

Speaker system with asymmetrical coverage horn

HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED


A method of machining a tip profile of a blade for a turbomachine includes coupling the blade to a component of the turbomachine; supporting the component on a machining apparatus, the machining apparatus being configured to remove material from the blade according to a cutting path defined within a coordinate system of the machining apparatus, wherein the component is supported such that a datum axial end face of the component is aligned with a datum of the coordinate system of the machining apparatus; and machining the blade according to the cutting path. A system for machining a tip profile of a blade for a turbomachine accomplishes the method.

When manufacturing blades, e.g. rotor blades and stator blades, for axial turbomachines it is desirable to achieve accurate and consistent clearances between the tips of the blades and a corresponding casing or rotor of the turbomachine that is adjacent to the tip of the blade when the turbomachine is operating. Reducing the tip clearance may improve the efficiency of the turbomachine, as gases passing through the turbomachine may be encouraged to pass between aerofoils of the rotor and stator blades, rather than passing over the tips of the blades. It may therefore be desirable to minimise tip clearances. However, if the tip clearances are too small, the tip of the blade may rub against the rotor or casing during operation of the turbomachine, which may be undesirable.
In order to improve tip clearance accuracy and consistency, blades are typically manufactured with a length that is greater than the expected nominal length of the blade. The blades are then assembled into the rotor or casing of the turbomachine and the tips of the blades are machined using a previously proposed tip machining method such that a distance between the leading edge tips of diametrically opposed blades is equal to a predetermined distance.
The predetermined distance between the blade tips may be determined by considering the expected axial position of the tips of the blades within the assembled turbomachine and the diameter of a gas path of the turbomachine at the expected axial position. The expected axial position may be determined by considering the nominal dimensions of each of the components of the turbomachine.
With reference to FIG. 1, due to manufacturing tolerances that are applied to dimensions of a blade, e.g. rotor blade 10, such as the chord length, aerofoil twist angle, etc, and the rotor that the blade is coupled to, the axial position of the leading edge of the blade may vary. In FIG. 1, the rotor blades are shown in three different positions, a first blade 10a is shown in a maximum forward position, a second blade 10b is shown in a nominal position and a third blade 10c is shown in a maximum rearward position.
As depicted in FIG. 1, by using the previously proposed machining method, the leading edge tip 12a, 12b, 12c of the blade may be machined to the same diameter d regardless of the axial position of the blade. Hence, the tip clearances 14a, 14b, 14c that are created between the blade tips 12a, 12b, 12c and the casing 20 may vary depending on the axial position of the leading edge of the blades 10. In other words, the tip clearance of the blades may be affected by the manufacturing tolerances applied to the blades that may affect the axial position of the leading edge of the blade when assembled onto the turbomachine.
It is often desirable for the blades of turbomachines to be refurbished after a period of operation of the turbomachine. Refurbishing the blade may involve the removal of material from the leading edge of the blade and/or the blade tip. After refurbishing the blade and reinstalling the blade into a turbomachine, the axial and/or radial position of the blade may have changed. Hence, it may be desirable to repeat the process of machining the tip of the blade. If the position, e.g. the axial position, of the leading edge tip of the blade changes during refurbishment, and the blade tip is then machined such that the distance between diametrically opposed blade tips is once again equal to the predetermined distance, the tip clearance will also be affected.
In some cases, when material is removed from the blade during refurbishment, the shape of the blade may be outside the tolerances allowed for newly manufactured blades. The variation of tip clearances of refurbished blades may therefore be greater than for newly manufactured blades, which may reduce the efficiency of turbomachines that are fitted with refurbished blades.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,826 discloses a machine for grinding the rotor blades of an aeronautical engine is equipped with a CNC control and its header is a rotatable header provided with at least two grinders of different abrasive materials, wherein each of them is coupled to the header for being selected and then positioned in contact with the different stage blades with the cooperation of the CNC. The machine for grinding also includes a measuring unit fixed to the machine bed for controlling the radius of the blade stage, slides to displace the header in two directions and equipment to rotate the header an angle about its central transverse axis. The CNC has registered the values of the grinder diameters and the fixed position data of the respective grinder profile relative to the central axis.
EP1875986 discloses a method for contour grinding wide blades at high speed, according to which a wheel is used the grinding contour of which has a width dimension that is less than the width of the tip of the blades to be ground, said contour being defined by a straight area followed by an arched area at one end, with the straight area of which a straight grinding is carried out to deburr the tip of the blades, whereas with the arched area the contour grinding is carried out by rotating the grinding wheel relative to the blades.
EP2730370 discloses a method involving removing a housing part exposing rotor blades to be machined. A grinding device is arranged in a region of a rotor blade to be machined such that a tip of the blade is machined by using a grinding disk of the device. The machining region is screened off by arranging a screening device to counter a release of grinding dust from the screened-off region. Suction extraction is provided such that the extraction extracts the dust from the screened-off region. The tip of the blade is grinded in-situ for producing predetermined radial gap width.
It is therefore desirable for a method of machining the tips of blades to be provided that improves the accuracy and consistency of blade tip clearances, particularly for refurbished blades.


At least two dumbbells are releasably connected to the axial ends of a barbell. The dumbbells include a dumbbell connector portion positioned axially on a weight of the dumbbell, and the barbell includes a barbell connector portion on the axial ends of the barbell. The dumbbell connector portion engages the barbell connector portion to connect the dumbbell to the barbell. The dumbbell connector portion can be received in a recess of the weight. The user selects two dumbbells of a desired weight and connects the barbell with the dumbbells. The device is then utilized for exercise.

a. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dumbbells and barbells used for exercising with weights.
b. Description of Related Art
Weights have been used for exercising for many years. There are several different kinds of weights, such as free weights and weight machines. Dumbbells are a type of free weight which are designed to be used with only one hand. Frequently two dumbbells will be used together with one dumbbell being grasped in each hand of the person exercising. Another type of free weight includes barbells. The term barbell refers to a bar or rod which usually has weights attached on both ends. The user generally grabs the barbell with both hands and lifts and maneuvers the barbells.
Barbells usually are adjustable, wherein the user selects the amount of weight and then loads the weight on to the barbell. Frequently the weights are cylindrical with a hole in the middle, wherein the barbell is slid through the hole until the weight abuts against an inner collar near one side of the barbell. After the desired amount of weight is slid up against the inner collar, an outer collar is slid against the weights to abut the weights opposite the inner collar. Therefore, the weights on the barbell are held in place between the inner and outer collar. This is done on both sides of the barbell so the weight is evenly balanced. Many barbells have a length of 32 inches between the two inner collars. There are many varieties of collars and weights which can be used with barbells. One example includes threaded barbells, wherein the outer collar is corresponding threaded and twists onto the barbell until it is locked into position.
Some dumbbells have adjustable weights, whereas other dumbbells are designed for a fixed weight. With the adjustable weight dumbbells, the user selects the amount of weight and then secures this weight to the dumbbell, similar to the barbell. Dumbbells which have a fixed weight are generally provided in a set so that the user will select the amount of weight he wants to exercise with and picks dumbbells with that weight. The user then exercise with those dumbbells. When the user desires to use dumbbells of a different weight, he returns the ones he was using to a rack or storage place and selects different dumbbells with the weight he desires.
There are dumbbells which have connecting devices so that the dumbbell can be connected to the end of a barbell. In this case, the dumbbell is used as a weight on the barbell. The user will typically place his hands on the barbell with the entire dumbbell being positioned outside of the hands of the person exercising.

Dumbbells with connections for a barbell


The ornamental article is a bangle or ring which can house a watch or item of jewelry. The article has two or more planar portions fixed at a 90° angle and a display area that spans the surface of at least two of the planar portions to form a continuous angled display area.

(1) Field of Invention
The present Invention relates to an ornamental article for personal use which can be worn on the wrist, ankle or finger. More particularly, the present Invention relates to a bracelet, anklet, wrist watch or ring which is worn on the wrist, ankle, finger or toe.
(2) Related Art
Bracelets and anklets are ornamental bands or chains which are worn around the wrist or ankle, respectfully. They can take a variety of shapes.
Wrist watches are generally circular in shape and comprise a single planar housing which houses the watch mechanism and a band which is coupled at both ends of the housing and is used to secure the watch to the wrist of the user. Rings are generally circular in shape and are worn on the finger or the toe, but can take on other shapes besides circular.
There is always a need for a new and useful ornamental article that can be worn on the wrist, ankle, finger or toes.


A non-metallic coupling for coupling a first fluid conduit to a second fluid conduit includes a sealing sleeve configured for a fluid tight sealing engagement of the first fluid conduit to the second fluid conduit. A coupling member is configured to apply a sealing force to the sealing sleeve. The coupling member includes a first portion and a second portion hingedly connected to the first portion. A latch is configured to lock the first portion to the second portion.

The field of the disclosure relates generally to couplings for fluid connections, and more particularly to non-metallic coupling assemblies for fluid connections.
Typically, fluid couplings for mechanical systems of vehicles, such as aircraft, are fabricated from metal or metal alloys. Such metallic parts are relatively heavy and may increase the likelihood of corrosion of other parts in contact with the metallic couplings, such as by bimetallic (i.e., galvanic) corrosion. Such metallic parts may also negatively impact a lighting protection and isolation scheme on an aircraft.


An improved furnace is provided which can be field modified to change the pressure drop across the inducer. The pressure drop is modified to accommodate vertical or horizontal venting and adequately lined and inadequately lined chimneys. A first rate of flow of combustion byproducts into the vent system is used when the chimney is adequately lined and a second relatively higher rate of flow is used when the chimney is inadequately lined. The rate of flow is changed by inserting or removing an obstruction in the flow of combustion byproducts. The obstruction could be a tab or choke placed at the inducer outlet or a similar device in the inducer inlet. When the tab is in place the flow of combustion byproducts is reduced. When the tab is removed, the flow rate increases. Alternatively, the inducer inlet could be adjusted to increase or decrease the amount of air flow through the inducer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a method of venting a furnace. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved method of venting a furnace which allows for field modification of the furnace depending on the type of installation required.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In conventional gas-fired forced air furnaces a thermostat senses the temperature in the comfort zone relative to a predetermined set point temperature. When the temperature is below the set point, the thermostat closes to supply thermostat ac power to the furnace as a call for heat. This initiates a sequence of events that ultimately causes the furnace to come on. An inducer motor is enabled to flow air through the heat exchangers for combustion, after which a gas valve is actuated to supply gas to the gas burners. An ignition device is also actuated to light the burners. In some furnace designs, a flame sensor then proves burner ignition. Then, after a predetermined blower delay time, which varies with furnace design, the furnace blower is actuated. The blower circulates room air from the return air duct over the furnace heat exchangers to pick up heat from the hot combustion products (carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, excess air and water vapor). The heated circulating air then goes into the supply air plenum and is distributed by ductwork back to the living space. When the living space is warmed sufficiently to reach the thermostat set point, the thermostat terminates the call for heat. When this happens, the blower and burners go through a shut off sequence and the furnace awaits the next call for heat.
After passing through the heat exchanger, the combustion byproducts are vented outside of the structure through a vent pipe. The vent pipe can be oriented either predominantly horizontally through a side wall of the structure or predominantly vertically through the roof of the structure. When the inducer motor is in operation, a substantial step-up in pressure occurs between the intake of the inducer housing (the collector box) on the one hand, and the outflow of the inducer housing (the relief box) on the other hand. Typically there is negative pressure (relative to atmospheric pressure) at the intake. The pressure at the outlet of the inducer housing is slightly negative for conventional vertical vent systems, and substantially positive for horizontal side vent systems.
One problem with furnaces in the past is that with a horizontally vented furnace, the furnace is affected by wind conditions such that under certain outside conditions, such as high wind conditions, back pressure can cause the inducer to become overloaded. However, a vertically vented furnace is not affected as much by wind conditions because of the buoyancy of the heated air and the angle of incidence of wind on the vent termination. In order to minimize the decrease in pressure drop across the inducer caused by wind in a horizontally vented furnace and improve wind resistance, the pressure drop across the inducer must be great enough to offset the back pressure.
A second problem with furnaces of the past relates to condensation in the chimney. In a vertically vented furnace, based on geographic location, furnace input, and liner interior dimension, the chimney can either require relining, if it is inadequately lined or be adequately lined. The lining can be a tile liner or a pipe inserted into the chimney. Unlined chimneys are more susceptible to damage (i.e. spalling and cracking when exposed to freezing conditions) caused by condensation in the chimney. Condensation is more likely to form in the chimney with more efficient contemporary furnaces. This occurs because the flue gasses are relatively cooler in a higher efficiency furnace than in a lower efficiency furnace and because the amount of excess air in higher efficiency furnaces is reduced. The cooler, reduced mass flow of flue gasses is more likely to condense water vapor on chimney walls and is less able to dry the walls during operation. In a lower efficiency furnace, less heat is transferred to the room air, causing the flue gasses to be warmer. Past lower efficiency designs also had greater amounts of excess air in the vent system. The warmer, higher mass flow of flue gasses removes more moisture from the chimney walls. Thus, in the past, when installing a high efficiency furnace with an unlined or inadequately lined chimney, a liner would have to be installed in the chimney, increasing the cost of the installation. Prior to the time the furnace is installed, it is not known whether the chimney will be lined or unlined.


The present invention discloses a method for improving channel estimation in a communications network. The method comprises estimating first channel characteristics of first sub-carriers carrying pilot signals; obtaining second channel characteristics of second sub-carriers carrying data using the first channel characteristics of the first sub-carriers with an algorithm that comprises selecting a first process from the group consisting of two-dimensional interpolation and extrapolation channel estimation algorithms, breaking down the first process, according to a predetermined rule, into second processes selected from the group consisting of one-dimensional interpolation and extrapolation channel estimation algorithms, and calculating the second channel characteristics of the second sub-carriers carrying data; demodulating and decoding the data carried in the second sub-carriers using the second channel characteristics; obtaining channel information about the first and the second channel characteristics from demodulating and decoding the data; and revising the first and the second channel characteristics using the channel information.

The present invention relates to a method for improving the accuracy of a channel estimation process in a communications network. More specifically, it relates to estimating a channel response function of all sub-carriers in a network employing an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) method, based on unevenly distributed pilot signals.
Channel estimation for receivers in a wireless communications network is performed by using training signals or pilot signals. In a network employing an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) method, a training signal occupies all sub-carriers of an OFDM symbol while a pilot signal only uses a portion of the sub-carriers of an OFDM symbol.
Since it takes all sub-carriers to send a training signal, the network incurs high overhead and thus reduces the available channel bandwidth. In addition, training signals must be transmitted regularly, which also results in a decrease in bandwidth. Therefore, it is not practical or efficient for a network employing a burst mode transmission method for high data rate applications to use training signals for channel estimation
On the other hand, a pilot signal uses only a portion of the sub-carriers of an OFDM symbol, which makes it a better choice for channel estimation. In a burst mode transmission, predetermined pilot signals are inserted into the data stream. The predetermined pilot signals facilitate channel tracking and channel estimation for coherent detection.
Predetermined pilot signals are distributed evenly or unevenly in the time and frequency domains, i.e. the pilot signals occupy some sub-carriers at some of the times evenly or unevenly. In a wireless communications network equipped with multiple antennas, having an antenna adds another dimension for the distribution of pilot signals, i.e. the pilot signals occupy some sub-carriers at some of the times on some of the antennas.
The channel characteristics of pilot sub-carriers are correlated. The degree of correlation depends on the difference in frequency, namely the "distance" between the sub-carriers. The closer the two sub-carriers are, the more correlated their channel characteristics are. The channel characteristics of data sub-carriers are estimated based on the channel characteristics of the neighboring pilot sub-carriers.
Conventional channel estimation algorithms use training signals or evenly distributed pilot signals to compute channel characteristic information, and they may incorporate some type of decision feedback mechanism. These algorithms, however, do not guarantee accurate channel information due to the fact that pilot or training signals are often impaired by channel noise, interference, Doppler shift effect, and a frequency offset of a mobile channel. In other words, the channel characteristics are estimated with impaired signals.
As such, what is desired is a method and system for improving the accuracy of channel estimation based on unevenly distributed pilot signals for high data rate burst mode communications networks, such as (WiMAX).

Method and system for improving channel estimation in a communications network


A material test specimen design is taught for the determination of critical train and stress states for multiaxial fracture. The objective of the specimen is to increase the amount of data obtained per specimen while retaining simplicity in testing procedure by using standard tension testing machines to generate the primary deformation of the specimen. The specimen, in conjunction with analytical or computational simulation, uses nonuniform deformation fields produced by secondary and tertiary strain concentrations to generate and track these multiaxial strain states to fracture. Typically, the primary deformation is uniaxial tension of a panel, the secondary strain concentration is a circular hole in the panel and the tertiary strain concentrations are areas of reduced thickness within the deformation field of the circular hole. Multiaxial strain ratios from -0.50 to -0.10 and control over fracture initiation sites may be generated by a test specimen design of the type taught by this invention.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to a material test specimen for conducting stress and strain measurements and more specifically to a test specimen tailored to provide information on multiaxial stress and strain states in a controlled manner under tensile deformation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Identification of the fracture limit surface for multiaxial strain states, as shown in FIG. 1, is needed for manufacturing process design, structural design and structural integrity prediction. This is particularly true for strain-path-dependent fracture in metal alloys. Current practice in multiaxial strain state fracture limit diagrams is based on two existing methods for determining material mechanical behavior under multiaxial stress states; "tension-torsion-internal pressure" testing apparatus and the "hydrostatic bulge" testing apparatus. The material specimens are either hollow cylindrical tubes of uniform wall thickness or sheet specimens of uniform thickness, respectively. Both of these specialized test procedures are effective but require specialized test equipment which is generally specifically designed and dedicated to the purpose of multiaxial material characterization and testing. Both procedures have a low "data yield" per specimen, producing one strain history and one fracture datum point per specimen. Both test procedures also strive to preserve homogenous deformation fields for their ease of data reduction that such direct measurement allows. Determining a complete fracture limit diagram for multiple stress states requires many individual tests and is time consuming and expensive.
This invention teaches a new material test specimen geometry, wherein, the geometry features commonly referred to as "stress concentrators" generate stress and strain gradients in the material under test, supplemented by computational simulation of the test specimen.
The computational simulation of material test specimens, as a means of using nonuniform material deformation fields, has been used by K. S. Pister, Constitutive Modeling and Numerical Solution of Field Problems, Nuc. Engng. Design, Vol. 28, pp. 137-146, 1974; Idling et al., Identification of Nonlinear Elastic Solids by a Finite Element Method, Comp. Meth. Appl. Mech. Engng., Vol. 4, pp. 121-142, 1974; Norris et al., A Computer Simulation of the Tension Test, J. Mech. Phys. Solids, Vol. 26, pp. 1-19, 1978; and Matic et al., The Relationship of Tensile Specimen Size and Geometry Effects to Unique Constitutive Parameters for Ductile Materials, Proc. Royal Soc. Lond., Vol. A417, pp. 309-333, 1988; for nonlinear elastic and elastic-plastic constitutive parameter determination.

Test specimen design incorporating multiple fracture sites and multiple strain material fractures

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A conveyor device includes a conveyor belt with a surface oriented towards the outer face of the conveyor belt. The surface has a plurality of microstructures with protruding regions such that an object adheres to the surface when the object comes into contact with the surface on the basis of the resulting van der Waals forces.

The present invention relates to a conveyor belt with improved adhesive properties as well as to a conveyor arrangement comprising such a conveyor belt.
In the technical field, conveyor belts are used in different fields of application. One field of application is, for example, the delivery and discharge of products at different machines, for example packaging and/or filling machines or the like. In this case, the conveyor belts are always adapted to the geometry and size of the products to be conveyed. This approach however results in the need for a frequent format change when changes in the shape and/or size of the products to be conveyed occur. Besides the resulting set-up times, said format changes lead to an undesirable machine down time. In addition, problems contingent on installation space can ensue, so that the required conveyor belts cannot always be arranged in optimal supply positions. A molded body is known from the German patent specification DE 10 2008 053 619 A1, which has a hierarchical structure consisting of first and second threads. As a result, the molded body can be used as an adhesive device which is employed as adhesive tapes, patches or as the surface of parts of a robot. The German patent specification DE 10 2007 062 844 A1 furthermore discloses a conveyor device for transporting bottles in compartments with a circulating chain and driving dogs for moving the compartments, wherein adhesive means having Gecko structures are provided on the driving dogs, said Gecko structures being formed by a plurality of micro-protrusions on the driving dogs.

Conveyor device with improved adhesive properties


An integral front fork and handlebar unit for attachment to the head tube of a bicycle includes a unitary member which is arranged into a handlebar portion for use in steering the bicycle, a front fork portion attaching to the front wheel of the bicycle and a connecting portion for joining together the handlebar portion and the front fork portion. The entire unit has a forward protruding wedge shape and is continuous in nature without any openings or voids with the exception of the front fork which splits into two front wheel support arms disposed on opposite sides of the front bicycle wheel. As part of the unitary and integral construction, a generally cylindrical post is provided on the center line of the unit and this post is received by the head tube of the bicycle in order to provide the rotational pivot for transferring steering forces from the handlebar portion to the front fork portion.

The present invention relates in general to bicycle construction concepts for the front fork and handlebars. More specifically the present invention relates to an integral front fork and handlebar unit providing greater structural integrity, strength and control.
In typical or conventional bicycle constructions the front wheel fork or yoke includes a pair of oppositely disposed wheel supports which are joined by a cross member and thereby connected to a front fork pivot tube. The pivot tube is received by the head tube of the bicycle frame and the handlebars are attached in order to control the steering of the front wheel. One of the drawbacks with this multipiece, multi-interface construction is its lack of structural integrity and strength. If the various connections are not secure or the desired alignment not exactly correct, the bicycle will not respond and will not be controlled in an optimum fashion.
Another aspect of typical or conventional bicycle construction is the open design of the frame and wheels. The rider is not shielded and while a forward leaning or crouching position may reduce the drag coefficient, the aerodynamics are still very inefficient. In order to improve the aerodynamics of bicycles and to shield the rider from wind, fairings have been designed as an adaptation of windshields and have been extended to cover virtually the entire height of the combined bicycle and rider. Another improvement for the aerodynamics of a bicycle is the disk wheel or the use of a wheel cover.
While fairings have been designed in a variety of styles and configurations, they are not "legal" for cycling competition, such as triathlon competition, when they are attached to the bicycle as a separate component. It would be an improvement to such competition bicycles if the aerodynamics could be improved in a manner that would be considered as legal by the cycling governing bodies. If the improved aerodynamics could be combined with an integral front wheel fork and handlebar unit, a number of advantages can be provided. The novelty of such a proposed design will be appreciated from a review of certain prior references which are listed and discussed below.
In U.S. Pat. No. Des. 313,381 which issued Jan. 1, 1991 to Moeller an ornamental design for a bicycle is disclosed. This ornamental design provides a stylized and sculptured frame and although something similar to a front wheel fork is shown, there is no head tube and no pivot tube. The obvious problem with this design is that there is no means to steer the bicycle, but that is simply one difference from the present invention. Another difference between the present invention and the Moeller design is that the Moeller bicycle is a dedicated design. The front fork and handlebar arrangement is not usable on or adaptable to any other standard bicycle.
The following references are similar in that they each disclose a fairing addition to a two-wheel vehicle, such as a bicycle or motorcycle. The focus of each reference is on the specific design of the add-on fairing and how it attaches to the remaining structure, including the attaching hardware. This group of patent references includes the following:
______________________________________ Patent No. Issued Patentee ______________________________________ 3,891,265 June 24, 1975 Blackburn 4,066,290 January 3, 1978 Wiegert 4,813,583 March 21, 1989 Carpenter 4,423,901 January 3, 1984 Shumard 4,655,497 April 7, 1987 Mallett ______________________________________
Blackburn discloses a windscreen fairing for attachment to the handlebars of a bicycle in order to protect the hands, torso and face of a bicycle rider. The windscreen fairing includes a sheet comprised of a clear, flexible material and a series of slots and holes for receipt of attaching brackets which are in turn attached to the handlebars.
Wiegert discloses a lightweight bicycle fairing which is attachable to the handles of the bicycle by a pair of mounting rods forming a rigid and stable mounting structure and by clamps attaching to the front-wheel fork. The design of the fairing provides a streamlined rounded surface to the front of the bicycle and a relatively large concave enclosure to the rear to cover the upper portions of the bicycle and rider as viewed from the front.
Carpenter discloses a rigid aerodynamic shell in order to increase the aerodynamic shear efficiency of a bicycle laden with luggage bags, luggage racks and/or luggage attached to the luggage racks. The aerodynamic shells substantially frontally surround or enclose the luggage bags, racks and luggage attached above the front and rear wheel of the bicycle. The shells are pivotably connected to the bicycle to provide access to the bags, rack and luggage.
Shumard discloses a motorcycle fairing apparatus having a pair of vertically spaced, transversely extending cross members which mate with the motorcycle frame and support a pair of longitudinally extending side plates having upwardly facing mounting surfaces which mate with complimentary mounting surfaces of a fairing.
Mallett discloses a bicycle fairing for attachment to the handlebars and front wheel of a bicycle. The fairing is constructed of a lower portion having a sheet-over-frame construction and an upper portion having a window therein. The window is comprised of a flexible, resilient pane which is unframed to provide the bicyclist with an unobstructed line of vision.
The fact that the fairings are attached to the bicycle as a separate component means that this type of structure is not "legal" for competition bicycles, such as those used in triathlons. Each of these fairings as disclosed by the listed references could also be modified or reworked such that they could be used on other vehicles. In contrast, the present invention is limited to a bicycle due to the integrated and unitary design of the front wheel fork and handlebars as well as the unitary and integral design of a front fork post in the present invention which is used as the means of attachment to the head tube of the bicycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,995,795 which issued Mar. 26, 1935 to Clark discloses a casing for bicycle accessories in order to provide a way of carrying bicycle equipment. The design involves a modification to the front wheel fork but it does not involve any interface with or modification to the handlebars.
Another patent of possible interest with regard to the present invention is U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,728 which issued Apr. 27, 1982 to Tatch. This patent reference discloses an apparatus for enhancing the aerodynamic travel capabilities of a ground-travelling vehicle having a frame. Anchor means are attached to the frame and an aerodynamic fairing surrounds the frame and is attached to the anchor means with biasing means. The biasing means are arranged to create a generally upright vertical pivot axis about which the fairing can pivot within predetermined limits.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,333 which issued Oct. 25, 1983 to Bothwell discloses a motorcycle including a frame and a fairing mounted on the frame. The fairing comprises a molded shell formed to provide a bridge portion having two depending side portions which define with the bridge portion a cavity of generally inverted U-shape and cross section, a hollow front portion extending upwardly and forwardly from the side portions and forwardly from the bridge portion and a rear portion extending rearwardly from the bridge portion.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 136,565 which issued Oct. 26, 1943 to Snell discloses an ornamental design for a bicycle which includes a complete body casing of a teardrop shape. This design has limited relevancy to the present invention in that it relates only in its attempt to improve the aerodynamics of the bicycle.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 138,304 issued Jul. 11, 1944 to Boynton discloses an ornamental design for a bicycle which includes a contoured body covering constituting the majority of the bicycle frame. The design does not involve any integration of the front wheel fork and steering means, which is a steering wheel.
As will be clear from the following descriptions and illustrations, the present invention does not provide an attachment to an otherwise complete bicycle. Rather, the present invention is an actual component part of the bicycle and there is effectively no bicycle without the invention. The present invention incorporates and integrates a unitary construction concept providing not only a handlebar portion as well as the front wheel fork portion but also includes a post for attachment to the head tube of the remainder of the bicycle. In the present invention these portions being of a unitary and integral construction have an intermediate portion which bridges between the front wheel fork and the handlebar portions so as to provide a continuous and uninterrupted forward facing surface and the geometry of this surface additionally provides various aerodynamic benefits. However, a primary focus is on the strength, stability and control of the bicycle by means of this integral front wheel fork and handlebar unit.

Front fork and handle bar unit for a bicycle


An apparatus for applying a uniform retention and extraction force to a computer expansion board. The apparatus includes a body with upper and lower retaining members that define a retention channel between them sized to receive an edge of an expansion board. At each end of the catch body pins are provided that extend into a support structure, which is mounted to the computer chassis adjacent a mounting surface for the expansion board. A handle assembly is provided with arms pivotally mounted to the support structure. Each arm includes a dowel that extends into a groove in the catch body. During operation of the mechanism, a handle attached to the arms is moved to pivot the arms and force the catch body from an open position to a closed position with the side pins riding in the guide slots and the dowels riding in the grooves of the catch body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved mounting mechanism for computer expansion boards and, in particular, to a device that can automatically retain and extract an expansion board within or from a computing device.
2. Relevant Background
Computing devices (i.e., servers, personal computers, and the like) are generally produced with an "open architecture" design to allow additional functions to be later added to the device. A motherboard on each computing device supports the main processing components and provides electrical connections to the motherboard and to ancillary components such as power supplies, disc drives, and the like. To add additional functionality to the computing device, expansion boards (also referred to as expansion cards, expansion modules, adapter cards, accessory cards, and so on) can be inserted into an expansion socket on the motherboard. Examples of expansion boards include but are not limited to graphics cards, sound cards, network cards, modems, and printer ports.
Expansion boards are printed circuit boards with one side or edge thereof including metal plated electrical connectors for mounting into a plug-in expansion board socket or other electrical connectors within the computing device. The plug-in expansion board socket typically includes spring-loaded contacts that mate with and retain the metal plated electrical connectors of the expansion board. To load the expansion card into an expansion socket in the motherboard, a user grasps the card and urges the connectors into the socket until the spring-loaded contacts are fully engaged with the edge connectors of the expansion board. Various types of clips and brackets are typically provided to try to restrain or stabilize the other or opposite side or edge of the expansion board. With horizontal expansion boards, the board is held in a horizontal orientation and pressed downward into the spring-loaded contacts, and clips and brackets are positioned at a number of locations about the edge to try to prevent the board from moving or excessively vibrating.
As computer systems have become more complex and space within servers and other computing devices has risen to a premium, expansion boards have become correspondingly denser with more components and circuitry being included on each expansion board. For instance, a blade server is an individual server having processors, memory, storage, network controllers, an operating system, and other components. Many blade servers can slide into a central chassis, which provides for high performance but also increased density. Also, the expanding use of lead-free solder creates weaker interconnects between the components on the expansion board. As a result of these and other design changes, expansion boards have become increasingly fragile and are highly susceptible to damage both during installation and removal of the boards. Additionally, the connectors on the expansion board often experience localized strain when a user is wiggling or flexing the expansion board to release the connectors from the spring-loaded contacts of the plug-in expansion board socket in the motherboard.
Hence, there remains a need for improved devices for mounting expansion boards within the box or chassis of a computer device such as a server. Preferably, such mounting devices would facilitate both installation and removal of the expansion board and would also provide a stabilizer to minimize risk of damage during movement of the computer device (e.g., during shipping or other movements that may cause the device and its boards to flex or vibrate).

Expansion board retention and extraction mechanism


The embodiments described herein can be used to enable one-time or few-time programmable memories to work with existing consumer electronic devices (such as those that work with flash—an erasable, non-volatile memory) without requiring a firmware upgrade, thereby providing backwards compatibility while minimizing user impact. As such, these embodiments are a viable way to bridge one-time or few-time programmable memories with existing consumer electronic devices that have flash card slots. These embodiments also allow future consumer electronic devices to be designed without updating firmware to include a file system customized for a one-time or few-time programmable memory.

Modular, portable, non-volatile memory devices are available that can be readily connected to and disconnected from host devices such as digital cameras, digital audio recorders, and personal computers. Traditional memory such as flash cards used in these devices is rewritable, allowing a memory address to be erased and rewritten for system or user purposes. The creation of lower-cost memory technologies that are either one-time programmable (OTP) or few-time programmable (FTP) allow new usage models with host devices that are analogous to film in an analog camera where one can simply take and print pictures while saving the low-cost card as a "negative." Ideally, one would be able to use this low-cost card in a standard flash camera, but the technologies are not necessarily compatible, as portable devices typically use the DOS FAT12/16 file system, which requires system structures to be erasable. Updating the firmware in the device with a file system customized for OTP or FTP memory technology can solve this problem, but this would limit the total available market to new cameras with the software upgrade or else would require users to upgrade their existing cameras with software in the field. Thus, there exists a need to build a hardware controller solution that allows an OTP or FTP memory card to be used in an existing camera relatively seamlessly to the end user—a backwards-compatible controller (BCC).
The preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the attached drawings.

Method and apparatus for using a one-time or few-time programmable memory with a host device designed for erasable/rewritable memory


The present invention relates generally to subterranean well construction, and more particularly, to improved methods for producing gas from subterranean formations that include coal seams. The method according to the present invention includes the steps of drilling at least one substantially vertical well bore intersecting the coal seam, drilling at least one substantially horizontal well bore disposed substantially within the coal seam and exiting from the at least one substantially vertical well bore, and fracturing the coal seam along the at least one substantially horizontal well bore using a hydrajetting tool to produce a plurality of fractures. The plurality of fractures is spaced to maximize interference between the fractures and enhances the production of gas from the coal seam of the subterranean formation. A plurality of substantially horizontal well bores can also be drilled. The plurality of substantially horizontal well bores can be spaced to maximize interference between the substantially horizontal well bores.

Subterranean formations that include coal seams can contain substantial quantities of methane gas. Extracting this gas may help protect mining personnel from dangerous exposures to methane and may allow the producer to derive profit from sale of the gas as an energy source. While conventional reservoirs store methane as a free gas under pressure, coal's unique structure allows it also to store gas through adsorption onto its surface. The gas adsorbs into micropores that dot the surface of coal. The high density of these micropores yields 10 to 100 square meters of surface area per gram of coal, giving coal beds the capacity to adsorb significant amounts of gas. The amount of gas a particular coal bed can store depends on the interplay of several factors other than its structural properties, such as the temperature and pressure of the reservoir, the composition of the coal, and the composition and molecular properties of the gas.
Generally, the closer wells are spaced, the greater gas recovery may be over the economic life of the wells. Wells are ideally spaced to maximize gas liberation by minimizing the reservoir pressure in the coal seam across a large area. Because coal stores gas by adsorption, producers must depressurize coal beds to desorb the gas from the coal to begin gas flow. The lower reservoir pressure allows the gas to diffuse out of the coal. A reduction in reservoir pressure can be achieved by spacing many wells in close proximity, with the actual distance between each well determined by the permeability of the coal seam, among other factors. The production of gas by one well will reduce the pressure in the reservoir and affect production by neighboring wells. This well "interference" is determined by a number of factors, including, but not limited to, permeability, permeability anisotropy and well spacing. By spacing wells to maximize interference, coal beds can be rapidly depressurized to stimulate gas flow. Wells are spaced to yield maximum interference within four to six years to allow for maximum production within an economic time frame. Because subterranean water often accompanies methane gas in coal seams, reservoir pressure can also be reduced by removing this water while preventing localized water recharge. The less distance a water or gas molecule must travel to a well, the greater production will be within the economic time frame of the wells. Well spacing is therefore a critical design element in any gas production system.
Horizontal wells allow for close well spacing without the high cost and negative environmental impact of drilling closely spaced vertical wells. Members of the mining industry have produced methane from coal beds for years with horizontal wells rather than with vertical wells alone. Horizontal wells used to produce methane have been drilled as branches of well bores that are initiated at the depth of the coal seam from vertical mine shafts or well bores. The horizontal wells have been drilled in patterns that require drilling extensive networks of horizontal well bores, such as pinnate patterns. However, while drilling extensive networks of horizontal well bores in coal seams may be cheaper than drilling a multitude of closely spaced vertical wells alone, doing so may still be economically infeasible. The more drilling a project requires, the more costly and time-consuming it will be. Although horizontal wells of the prior art reduced the number of vertical wells needed to extract methane from coal beds, the prior art still requires drilling multiple vertical wells. Depending on the characteristics of the formation, seam and site, these vertical wells may need to be spread over entire the surface of a coal seam if prior art patterns are used.
Well bore instability limits the applicability of prior art horizontal well systems more than the characteristics of a particular reservoir. Horizontal well systems of the prior art have provided for open hole operation. That is, the horizontal well bores have lacked linings or casings. Collapses of unlined and uncased well bores in coal seams are quite common, as coal seams often do not have the strength to withstand extensive open hole operations. Fracturing open hole well bores in coal seams can be particularly hazardous. Linings and casings increase well bore stability and thus are generally desirable. However, as with drilling, lining or casing extensive networks of horizontal wells can be prohibitively expensive.

Method of optimizing production of gas from subterranean formations


In a coprocessor which processes operands and issues a result word which may include overflow, result and truncation fields and which normally sets a truncation indicator if truncation is employed, the setting of the truncation indicator is inhibited under certain conditions to facilitate later handling of the result. Determinations are made as to whether the result and truncation fields of the result word are zero and as to whether the overflow field is non-zero. If the result and truncation fields are zero, the setting of the truncation indicator is inhibited notwithstanding a non-zero value in the overflow field. Break point position information is processed to obtain masks of bits having logic "1" values for testing the result and truncation fields and logic "0" values for testing the overflow field, the masks then being logically ANDed with the result word. If the result of the ANDing process is a logic "0", the truncation indicator is inhibited from being set.

Modern mainframe computer systems and also modern workstations and, often, personal computers employ math coprocessors within a central processing unit (CPU) which are especially logically configured to efficiently and somewhat independently perform mathematical computations and hand the result to another part of the central processor or transfer the result to a memory. Other logic manipulation processes ongoing in the CPU are not burdened with this task such that the overall efficiency of the computer system is improved, particularly in performing applications intensive in computations.
Many math coprocessors process operands in increments of a full word, for example, BCD character by BCD character or eight-bit character by eight-bit character. The total result is then "reassembled" in a late stage of the processor. This total result, however, may constitute three components; viz.: the result of actual interest, a higher order overflow portion which may or may not be of interest and a lower order portion which may be subject to truncation. More sophisticated coprocessors track certain characteristics of the actual result including whether truncation has taken place. That is, if truncation has been performed on an actual result, a truncation indicator is set, and this information is supplied to the main processor as a flag which is susceptible to test to determine subsequent action. Typically, if the truncation indicator is set, indicating that a given actual result has been truncated, more processing steps are required than if the result has not been truncated.
There are, however, conditions in which truncation has taken place on a given result, but, for subsequent handling by the CPU, the fact of truncation is irrelevant. For example, the entire unadjusted total result may be all zeros. A more subtle instance is when the actual result field and the truncation field are all zeros, but the overflow field may or may not be all zeros. In both instances, it is desirable to inhibit normal setting of the truncation indicator in order to eliminate later unnecessary special handling of the actual result of a coprocessor operation, and it is to this end that the present invention is directed.

Conditional truncation indicator control for a decimal numeric processor employing result truncation


The present invention relates to a character information processor having a function by which the user can obtain a character to be inputted by inputting a code corresponding to the character.. The character information processor of the present invention includes: code input means through which the code is inputted; and a plurality of code-character conversion tables which are associated with different code systems and each of which contains relationships between codes and their corresponding characters under the code system. Also, the processor includes eligible character retrieving means for retrieving each of the plurality of code-character conversion tables to find out a character corresponding to the code inputted through said code input means so as to output the character thus found as an eligible character with respect to each of the plurality of code-character conversion tables; display means for displaying, on a display screen, one or more eligible characters supplied from the eligible character retrieving means; and selecting means for selecting one character as a desired character out of the one or more eligible characters thus displayed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a character information processor having a function of directly inputting a character to be inputted. The present invention is applicable to, for example, a tape printing apparatus adapted to print arbitrary character information on a tape.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A tape printing apparatus, which is one of character printing apparatuses, is designed to facilitate preparation of a label originated by the user which is to be attached on a spine cover of a file or the like.
A conventional tape printing apparatus has a key which is provided on an operation panel and adapted to input characters so that a desired character string can be previously inputted by operating the key.
Also, the conventional tape printing apparatus has a tape feeding mechanism by which a tape can be fed and discharged through a tape discharging outlet.
Further, the conventional tape printing apparatus has a printing mechanism, including a thermal head, and a tape cutting mechanism provided in this order on the path for allowing the tape to be fed.
In the tape printing apparatus, when a print instruction key is operated, control means controls the tape feeding mechanism to feed the tape at a predetermined speed, and controls the tape printing mechanism to print the previously inputted character string on the tape thus fed.
Also, when printing of the character string is completed, the control means further controls the tape feeding mechanism to vacantly feed the tape (i.e., to feed the tape without performing printing on the tape) until a portion of the tape on which printing is completed is entirely positioned outside the tape printing apparatus, then causes the feeding of the tape to be stopped.
After the feeding of the tape is stopped, the tape portion on which the character string is printed is cut off by the tape cutting mechanism which is driven by the user or driven automatically.
Thus, a label originated by the user having thereon a desired character string can be obtained.
Meanwhile, in the tape printing apparatus, when a kanji is included in the label to be prepared, it is common that the reading of the kanji is inputted in the form of hiraganas and then the inputted hiraganas are converted into a kanji. Kanjis and hiraganas are letters which are used in the Japanese language system. Kanjis are ideograms while hiraganas are phonograms. The reading of a kanji can be expressed by means of hiraganas.
If the user cannot input a desired kanji into the apparatus when he does not know the reading of the kanji, the apparatus is inconvenient to the user.
Under the circumstances, it is common that the apparatuses are equipped with a function by which the user can directly input a desired kanji simply by designating a kanji code allocated to the desired kanji. When the user intends to input a kanji "", he can accomplish his intention by inputting a Kuten code "2033" serving as the kanji code.
Thus, the function of inputting a kanji by using a kanji code is a very useful when inputting a kanji whose reading is unknown. At present, there coexist many kinds of code systems which offer such kanji codes, including a Kuten code system, a JIS code system, and a Shift JIS code system.
Under the above circumstances, it may happen that the code system to which the user is accustomed does not coincide with the code system which the tape printing apparatus has. In such a case, if he inputs a code under the code system to which he is accustomed, the kanji eventually displayed on the screen may be different from the kanji which the user intends to obtain. In such a case, the user must consult the operation manual of the tape printing apparatus to find out a code allocated to the kanji which the user intends to obtain, and then newly input a correct code.
However, the user who is accustomed to a code system different from that provided in the apparatus may regard such operations as a burdensome and inefficient procedure, so that the user may feel that the usability of the tape printing apparatus is poor.
Further, when the user is not accustomed to handling such operation manuals, it is very difficult for him even to reliably perform such a procedure. If he fails to obtain the desired kanji through conversion of input code, he will be liable to have difficulty in performing the subsequent operations.