A device for optical detection of a target gas in gas mixtures includes an operation and evaluation unit, a measurement cuvette with optically reflective surfaces on its interior walls and a gas inlet to the environment, a radiation source, a measuring detector and a reference detector unit provided on the measurement cuvette. The measuring detector and the reference detector unit detect the light of the radiation source and produce electrical signals corresponding to the intensity of the detected light. An optical bandpass filter element, constructed to transmit light of a measurement wavelength, is arranged upstream of the measuring detector. An optical double-bandpass filter unit, that transmits light of a first reference wavelength and light of a second reference wavelength, is arranged upstream of the reference detector unit. The operation and evaluation unit operates the radiation source and acquires the electrical signals of the measurement detector and the reference detector unit.

The possibility for analyzing gas mixtures is an essential boundary condition in the monitoring of industrial plants for an incident-free and safe operation, especially against the background of the increasing degree of automation. To make it possible to recognize gases escaping in case of an incident as accurately and rapidly as possible, for example, in major industrial plants, in petrochemical plants or on drilling platforms, it is desirable to detect the discharge of gases that are hazardous for health even at low concentrations with a high measuring sensitivity directly at the sites of possible incidents.
Optical gas detector systems are especially suitable for detecting low concentrations with a high measuring sensitivity.
Optical gas detector systems, which are arranged as selected measuring stations at a plurality of measurement points in a defined area in an industrial plant or are arranged distributed in a large area, are known from the state of the art.
These optical gas detector systems with optical point detectors comprise a light source, a measuring cuvette penetrated by the light, a narrow-band optical filter and a detector for measuring the light intensity. Absorption of light by the gas to be measured leads to a reduced detector signal, which is analyzed as a measured variable.
Furthermore, gas measurement systems, with which gas concentrations of larger areas or surfaces are detected, are known from the state of the art. Such systems comprise a transmitter with a light source and with a directed receiver with detector, as well as additional optical elements for guiding the light beam. The light beam passes over distances in the range of a few m up to 50 m, 200 m or even more as an optical measured section from the transmitter to the receiver. Such a measuring unit, also called open-path measurement system, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,854.
An arrangement with a measuring cuvette communicating with the ambient gas is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,923,035. The measuring cuvette forms an optical measured section between a light source and a detector. The mean path traveled by the light beam in the cuvette determines the optical measured section and hence the optical path length of the measurement arrangement, the arrangement being able to be selected to be an arrangement in which the light source and the detector are arranged directly opposite each other. One mirror or a plurality of mirrors may be arranged for beam deflection or for extending the optical path length in an arrangement in which the light source and the detector are arranged on the same side for reasons of construction, or the walls of the cuvette may be made or arranged such that they reflect light, such that this leads to mirroring and/or multiple reflections in the cuvette, which extends the optical path length from the light source to the detector. Cuvettes designed in this manner are also called multi-reflection cuvettes in the state of the art. Such multi-reflection cuvettes are made completely reflecting on the inner side of the wall in the overwhelming majority of embodiments, so that part of the quantity of light emitted in an undirected manner reaches the detector over a longer path due to multiple reflections on the wall when a radiation source with undirected light beam is used. Another part of the quantity of light reaches, reflected only once, the detector over a shorter path. An arrangement for a locally limited measurement at a measurement point according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,923,035 is called a so-called point detector, for distinction from an open-path arrangement according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,854, because locally limited measurements can be carried out with such a measurement arrangement. An industrial area can be purposefully and specifically monitored, for example, via a spatially distributed array of a plurality of such point detectors at a plurality of measurement points. A special form of such point detectors is a mobile manual measurement device for measurement tasks that are limited in space, i.e., selected measurement tasks, with the special feature that the measurement point can be selected by the user as a variable and mobile measurement point.
The intensity of the light beam detected at the detector, which intensity can be measured by the measurement arrangement, is determined by the absorption properties of the gas or gas mixture present in the cuvette and the length of the optical path length. The presence and the concentration of certain gas components or gas species in the area of the measured section can be inferred from the spectrum detected and the signal intensity of individual wavelengths in the spectrum in a very precise manner.
Depending on the measurement task, the optical path length is determined by the structural conditions of the measurement environment. In a measurement arrangement for use in a locally limited single-point measurement for concentration measurement, the structural conditions, such as the dimensions of the housing and the length of the cuvette, preset the optical path length in a range of a few cm, for example, in a range of 3 cm to 23 cm. Besides the optical path length as twice the overall length of the cuvette in case of the use of a radiation source with undirected light beam, further optical paths are obtained statistically due to the multiple reflection in measurement arrangements with multi-reflection cuvettes, in which the light is emitted, originating from the radiation source, into the cuvette, is reflected on the opposite wall and on the lateral walls and reaches the detector arranged next to the radiation source. A mean optical path length is thus obtained, which is greater than that determined by the actual overall length. For example, in case of an overall cuvette length with an inner dimension of 5 cm, an effective optical path length of 7 cm to 50 cm is obtained, depending on the construction and the reflection properties of the multi-reflection cuvette. In an application for concentration measurement by means of an open-path measurement system in the free field, the optical path length is in the range of a few m to more than 50 m and up to 200 m or even more.
These structural conditions lead to design criteria and selection criteria for the selection of a suitable measurement wavelength M for a high-resolution and specific measurement of the concentration of a certain gas. It is desirable, in principle, for the highest sensitivity possible to be present over the entire measuring range in the presence of a concentration of the target gas in the gas mixture.
Furthermore, multireflection cuvettes are advantageous in the sense that no collimated light beam is necessary as a light source, unlike in an open-path free field arrangement according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,854, in which the light source (transmitter) and detector (receiver) must be exactly aligned with one another and the light beam per se is aligned, for example, by a laser light source, or additional optical components, such as lenses and/or mirrors are present for focusing, guiding and deflecting the light in case of using a light source without a limited beam collimation in the light source itself. Multireflection cuvettes are especially advantageous for practical use because, unlike in the case of a construction with mirror elements as an individual reflection point in case of contamination of the only mirror element, measurement still continues to be possible in case of partial contamination of the reflecting surfaces in the cuvette. This insensitivity to locally limited local contaminations arises from the fact that since the light is coupled from the light source into the multireflection cuvettes in the undirected form, statistically locally random and varying reflections occur on the reflecting surfaces, both as single, double and even multiple reflections, before the light reaches the detector. As a result, a locally limited local contamination does not become an effective drawback for the gas concentration measurement due to the statistically random and continuously varying reflections.
In a practical implementation with a measuring range of interest for monitoring explosion limits of a target gas, it is advantageous that, for example, the presence of a target gas in the measuring cuvette with a concentration corresponding to the lower explosion limit brings about light absorption, which causes a reduction of the signal at the detector in the range of about 10% to 15%, for example, for the target gas methane. Furthermore, the most uniform rise possible of the characteristic curve of the light absorption or of the reduction of the signal at the detector over the measuring range of interest is desirable. This leads, on the one hand, to a marked measurement effect due to the target gas, and, on the other hand, further light absorption due to cross sensitivities to other gases and the effect of environmental conditions, such as temperature fluctuations, effect of air pressure and effect of moisture, can be accepted, without the light being able to be absorbed, for example, by water of condensation almost completely at the optical path length.
To make it possible to achieve this design criterion concerning the light absorption, measurement wavelengths specifically suitable for the measured gas are to be selected in combination with suitable optical path lengths.
To make it possible to measure low concentrations with high measuring sensitivity, it is necessary to adapt the construction of the measurement arrangement and the adaptation of the components of the measurement arrangement to the measurement task and to the environmental conditions for the operation of the measurement arrangement very accurately. It is essential for high sensitivity of the measurement and for specific selectivity for certain target gases that the measurement wavelength be selected for the target gas and for the optical path length of the measured section in the cuvette. The overall size of the cuvette is preset essentially by the space available for installing the gas-measuring device, but the space available for installation has its limitations for mobile gas-measuring devices concerning applicability for mobile applications. The length of the measured section within the cuvette is limited, on the one hand, by the losses of light over the measured section itself and the light absorption by the target gas, and further essential limitations arise from the losses that occur due to the optical components and are due to the sensitivity of the detector used.
The possibility of distortions of the measurement due to environmental conditions such as cold, heat and humidity is an essential parameter affecting the precision of the measurement arrangement. The moisture in the cuvette can be reduced, in principle, in case of use in a moist measurement environment by reducing the relative humidity within the cuvette and by preventing condensation on the walls of the cuvette as well as on the light source and detector.
Heating of the optical system is a known and effective method for this according to the state of the art, as this is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,406,854.
Such heating is not quite uncritical for using the measurement arrangement in areas with explosion hazard. To prevent an explosion of the possibly explosive gas present in the environment due to possible electric sparks or an energy discharge in the measurement arrangement, it is absolutely necessary to design the measurement arrangement such that no sparks or critical quantity of energy, which could cause ignition of a gas mixture in the measurement environment, can pass over from the measurement arrangement into the measurement environment. Furthermore, if no explosion occurs in the measurement arrangement proper, the explosion must remain limited to the measurement arrangement and must not pass over or flash over into the measurement environment. The entry of gas from the measurement environment to and into the measuring cuvette is designed in a specially secured manner for this by means of a protective element. The entry of gas is provided with a special protective element in such an explosion-proof design.
A gas sensor of an explosion-proof design is known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,285,782, wherein the gas exchange takes place via a gas exchange opening, which is provided with a dust filter consisting of a sintered material or a metal gauze and with a moisture protection filter as a protective element.
In an expanded embodiment, the gas sensor described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,285,782 has an infrared detector with at least one gas-specific measuring channel 1, 2, 3, as well as a reference channel 0, which has a zero signal, i.e., a signal that is not affected by the target gas. To take into account and compensate environmental effects, a temperature sensor, a moisture sensor and a pressure sensor are additionally provided at the infrared detector.
Despite a protective element at the gas outlet opening, heating for the measurement arrangement may be carried out with a moderate quantity of energy only in the explosion-proof design, so that, for example, a temperature rise of 5° C. to 10° C. relative to the ambient temperature is reached. A temperature rise by 10° C. in the measuring cuvette at an ambient temperature of 10° C. and a relative air humidity of 100% causes a reduction of the relative humidity of the air to about 70% to 80%, so that condensation is prevented from occurring. Any reduction in the relative humidity of the air in the measuring cuvette brings about, in principle, a reduction of the impairment of the measurement by water of condensation or droplets of water in the cuvette.
Measurement tests have revealed that measurement is affected especially in measurement arrangements for the infrared optical measurement of gases and gas mixtures in case of a design embodiment as multireflection cuvettes of an explosion-proof design with a protective element and despite heating if the measurement arrangement was exposed to a moist measurement environment during the operation before or is exposed now to such a moist measurement environment.
A solution concerning avoiding condensation for a measurement arrangement of a non-explosion-proof design can be obtained in a simple manner by markedly intensifying the heating and heating the measuring cuvette as a result to the extent that the relative humidity of the air in the measuring cuvette will be reduced to values between 5% and 10% relative air humidity. The consequence of this is always an undesired, high energy consumption for such a measurement arrangement.
Any increase in the heat output during the operation is associated, however, with the drawback for mobile devices, of both an explosion-proof design and a non-explosion-proof design, that the quantity of electric energy needed therefore must be carried along additionally in the form of an energy storage device (batteries rechargeable batteries), which would result in a disadvantageous excess weight for mobile applications, or that the available operating time becomes shorter for mobile application without increasing the weight of the device, which is not realistic in case of the application scenarios of mobile gas-measuring devices in practical use.
The explosion protection measures must be massively intensified for a measurement arrangement of an explosion-proof design, which is likewise associated again with drawbacks for the mobile use, besides a globally increased weight and volume, and additionally also has consequences for the construction and design of the protective element at the gas inlet. This protective element, made of sintered material, sintered metal or metal gauze, must be designed structurally, like the other components of the housing of the measurement arrangement as well, such that the quantity of energy made available for the heating can be retained in the measurement arrangement in case of an incident. This circumstance leads to a very massive construction for the protective element, which makes the access of gas difficult and causes disadvantageous changes in the measurement properties, and, in particular, the response characteristic in case of a gas exchange, usually characterized by the so-called t10-90 time, is adversely effected by the longer diffusion time of the gas through the protective element, which is now necessary, in such a way that the warning function of the measurement arrangement will not occur with a short delay after a change in concentration in the measurement environment. The t10-90 time is defined for a gas-measurement arrangement as the time needed for detecting, outputting and displaying a change in the gas concentration from 10% of a target gas concentration to 90% of a target gas concentration. Further difficulties arise in the embodiment for the use of the measurement arrangement in areas with explosion hazard, because the quantity of energy being carried along and the temperatures of elements in the measurement arrangements are limited by regulatory requirements.
Thus, it is not possible in a practical embodiment to prevent condensation nearly completely by means of increasing the heat output while bringing about a marked reduction of the relative humidity of the air in the measuring cuvette to values between 5% and 10% for both a measuring cuvette of non-explosion-proof design and a measuring cuvette of an explosion-proof design.
A device and a method for compensating environmental effects by means of two reference wavelengths is described for an open-pass measuring system with an optical path length of one meter to one thousand meters in U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,854. A wavelength range of 2,100 nm to 2,400 nm with one measurement wavelength and two reference wavelengths, which range is suitable for the optical path length of one meter to one thousand meters, is used here for the measurement of alkanes. The reference wavelengths are characterized in that they are not subject, in principle, to any effect of the measured gas or other gases of the measurement environment. At 2,300 nm, the measurement wavelength is selected essentially in the middle between a first reference wavelength R1 at 2,215 nm and a second reference wavelength R2 at 2,385 nm. According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,854, the effect of fog and rain on the absorption at the measurement wavelength is compensated by the effect at the first reference wavelength R1 with the effect at the second reference wavelength R2 having the same effect as the effect at the measurement wavelength.
The wavelengths selected in U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,854 (2,215 nm, 2,300 nm, 2,385 nm) are suitable, according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,854, for optical measured sections with lengths ranging from one to a thousand m. Due to this length, the absorption of the IR light by the target gas is high enough to obtain a metrological effect.
The wavelengths selected in U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,854 (2,215 nm, 2,300 nm, 2,385 mm) are thus suitable for the metrological monitoring of large areas with an open measured section (open path). The light-emitting light source (transmitter) and the light-receiving detector (receiver) or the light-receiving detectors (receivers) are arranged at great distances from each other in space (1 m<1<1,000 m), ranging from a few m to a thousand m in an open-path measuring system according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,854.
The wavelengths selected in U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,854 (2,215 nm, 2,300 nm, 2,385 nm) are less suitable for substantially shorter optical measured sections, as they are used in measuring devices with a closed optical measured section (1<0.3 m), in which the light-emitting light source (transmitter) and the light-receiving detector (receiver) or the light-receiving detectors (receivers) are arranged close next to each other together in a measuring cuvette as point detectors with an optical measured section shorter than 0.3 m, because the absorption of the IR light by the target gas over the optical measured section (1<0.3 m) is not high enough at these wavelengths to achieve an appreciable measurable and useful effect to detect, for example, a lower explosion limit (LEL) with the required accuracy. The consequence of this is that these wavelengths (2,215 nm, 2,300 nm, 2,385 nm) are unsuitable for a measurement arrangement designed as a point detector for the measurement of alkanes by means of a cuvette, whose effective optical path length is markedly shorter than 30 cm due to the overall size.
The combination of a moisture effect with a salt effect occurs as a special environmental effect during operation especially in a maritime environment. The ambient air additionally contains very fine salt crystals, besides the moisture, e.g., on an offshore drilling platform or onboard ships. These salt crystals enter the measuring cuvette in the form of an aerosol and are deposited as a very thin crystalline salt film on the inner walls of the measuring cuvette, as well as on the optical components, such as lenses, filters and mirrors.
This salt film has a hygroscopic action and causes more moisture to be "drawn into" the measuring cuvette continually from the measurement environment after a single-time contamination with salt-containing aerosol. The degree of relative humidity itself is determined by the intrinsic heating by the radiation source and can be reduced by an additional heating of the detector and/or of the cuvette to values in the range of 80%, so that contamination with the formation of larger drops of water on the optical components and on the inner walls of the cuvette can then be avoided. It is ensured hereby that the measurement arrangement does not become "optically blind." The term "optically blind" means in the sense of the present invention that a reflection does not occur any more on the optical elements provided for that purpose during the operation.
Due to the hygroscopic properties of the crystalline salt film, moisture is drawn into the measuring cuvette from the measurement environment, which represents a nearly permanent operating situation with atmospheric humidity in the measuring cuvette following a single-time contamination by salt-containing ambient air. This permanent operating situation determines the measurement conditions for the measurement properties of the measurement arrangement over rather long periods of time ranging from months to years as a measurement condition with the continuous presence of atmospheric humidity in the measuring cuvette, and only the formation of condensation and droplets of water on the walls of the cuvette and the optical components, such as lenses, filters and mirrors can be prevented by heating, but the continuous presence of atmospheric humidity at variable and unknown concentrations cannot. This atmospheric humidity does affect the light absorption at the measurement wavelength and hence the possibility of metrologically detecting the target gas concentration and the metrological precision and reproducibility of such detection.
Furthermore, the ambient air frequently contains further components which can adhere with the water film to the surfaces of the cuvette, to the detectors and the optical elements in many areas of application.
Combustion residues of fossil fuels, such as smoke and soot particles, may be mentioned as such other components of the ambient air, especially in an ambient air with high atmospheric humidity, for example, fog. The effect of these environmental effects, especially of the continual, further supply of atmospheric humidity into the cuvette by the crystalline hygroscopic salt film, cannot be compensated by heating alone, especially for a measurement arrangement of an explosion-proof design in scenarios of use such as offshore drilling platforms or onboard ships.
The continual penetration of atmospheric humidity into the cuvette due to the hygroscopic effect of the fine crystalline salt films cannot be fully compensated even for a measurement arrangement of a non-explosion-proof design by changing the heating of the detector and/or cuvette, e.g., by increasing the heat output or by raising the heating temperature or even by a cyclically performed heating of the entire measurement arrangement.
These environmental effects likewise cannot be fully compensated either by the use of additional sensors, such as temperature, moisture and pressure sensors in the cuvette or at the detectors.

Device with a measurement arrangement for optical measurement of gases and gas mixtures, with compensation of environmental effects


A pallet is configured to be stackable in a plurality of stages. The pallet includes a bottom plate, a top plate on which an object to be packed is placed, a leg member, and a sidewall member. The leg member connects the bottom plate and the top plate and is disposed along the outer edges of the bottom plate and the top plate. The sidewall member are vertically installed along the outer edge of the top plate and are formed with a connection hole to be used in a connection of an outside packing case that covers the object to be packed. When the pallet is stacked on a top plate of another pallet the leg member is provided with an engagement portion that is disposed in correspondence to a connection hole of a sidewall member of the other pallet.

Conventionally, for the carrying, storage and the like of an object to be packed of an electronic device and the like, there has been widely used a pallet on which the object to be packed is placed. In many cases, such a pallet is collected after being used (after being unpacked) and is reused (a so-called returnable type pallet) in consideration of environmental problems.
As such a type of pallet, for example, there has been proposed a rack for transportation including a pair of strut members vertically installed on a pallet member and a stay that connects the pair of strut members to each other. The rack for transportation is unpacked and then is collected in the state in which the stay and the strut members have been disassembled and sequentially stacked and received on the pallet member.


In a photographic film or paper web handling system, a vacuum drum carried by a moveable carriage automatically picks up the end of a web roll and feeds it to a web path. The location of the roll surface is sensed and the carriage is positioned in close proximity to the roll surface. The pickup of the web end by the vacuum drum is sensed and the carriage is moved from the web roll to a position adjacent the web path. An air chute is provided for transporting the web along the film path to a web perforator. A drive for the web roll is placed in a constant torque mode for maintaining web tension during initial threading and a loop position servo controlled mode for maintaining a loop height in a slack box after threading.

In film finishing operations, it is desirable to eliminate the need for operations personnel to work in darkroom conditions. It is also desirable to automate the film handling system to relieve operations personnel of routine manual labor and allow them to perform more important higher level functions.
It is known to use white light proof containers for photographic film and paper handling. However, such containers generally require manual removal of the film from the cassette and/or manual threading of the film into processing machinery.


The invention includes apparatus and methods for instantiating and quantum printing materials, such as elemental metals, in a nanoporous carbon powder.

The detection of metals and other elements in materials subjected to harmonic electromagnetic fields in metal baths and other environments has been documented. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,238,297 and 9,790,574 to Christopher Nagel, which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to the discovery that carbon matrices can be used to produce nano-deposits, nanostructures, nanowires and nuggets comprising metals using the processes described herein. The processes of the invention include the application of electromagnetic radiation, directly and/or indirectly, to gases, nano-porous carbon, or compositions and combinations thereof, thereby pre-treating the gas, and exposing a carbon matrix to pre-treated gas in an apparatus of the invention to cause metal instantiation, nucleation, growth and/or deposition within the carbon matrix.


A system of interconnected chips comprising a multi-chip module (MCM) includes a first processor chip, a system function chip, and an MCM package configured to include the first processor chip and the system function chip. The first processor chip is configured to include a first ground-referenced single-ended signaling (GRS) interface circuit. The system function chip is configured to include a second GRS interface circuit. A first set of electrical traces are fabricated within the MCM package and coupled to the first GRS interface circuit and to the second GRS interface circuit. The first GRS interface circuit and second GRS interface circuit together provide a communication channel between the first processor chip and the system function chip.

Sequential generations of computing systems typically require higher degrees of performance and feature integration. A typical computing system includes a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a high-capacity memory subsystem, and set of interface subsystems. The interface subsystems may include audio and video interfaces, signal processing blocks, a digital modem block, a wireless communications block, and the like. Conventional computing systems achieve higher degrees of performance and integration by implementing one or more CPU cores, one or more GPU cores, and a set of feature-specific subsystems, such as interface blocks, on a single die or chip. Such highly integrated chips are referred to in the art as a system-on-a-chip (SoC). Measures of die area for SoC devices have increased over time, as more CPU cores, GPU cores, on-chip cache memory, and additional interface blocks are integrated into a single SoC die. One advantage of integrating multiple processing cores and interface subsystems onto a single die is that high-performance may be achieved using conventional design techniques.
However, one disadvantage of integrating multiple processing cores and other subsystems onto a single SoC die is that die cost can increase disproportionately with respect to die area. More specifically, die area is typically a strong function of die area, which, in many cases, increases above a characteristic cost knee, leading to disproportionate cost inefficiencies associated with very large die. However, conventional chip-to-chip signaling techniques do not efficiently support multiprocessing performance targets commonly associated with high-performance SoC devices. As a consequence, only wide, on-chip interconnects are conventionally feasible options to achieve overall system performance targets.
One disadvantage of integrating certain feature-specific subsystems onto a given SoC device is that performance of a feature-specific subsystem may be compromised by a particular die fabrication process that may be optimized for other SoC subsystems, such as CPU and GPU processing cores. For example, a feature-specific subsystem implementing a digital radio modem comprising a mix of analog and digital circuit elements may require very different device characteristics for optimal performance than a CPU core comprising only digital circuit elements. In this example, selecting a die fabrication process optimized for the CPU core may lead to compromised performance of the digital radio modem.
Thus, there is a need for improving signaling and/or other issues associated with the prior art.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A gaming system and method of rewarding players of electronic gaming machines connected by a network to a host computer which stores player-useable points at a network-accessible location, awards a personal points multiplier to a player, and applies the personal points multiplier to at least some of the points.

Linking together electronic gaming machines on a computer network is known. It is also known for such electronic gaming machines to provide various different bonuses which provide awards to players at their respective gaming machines that are over and above any awards dictated by the pay tables of the gaming machines
One such known bonus award is paid randomly to one of the players via that player's gaming machine. Once a gaming machine is selected for this type of bonus award, a computer on the network transmits a command to the gaming machine that causes the gaming machine to pay a predetermined amount to the player.
Another known type of award is personal to each player and is based on the level of that player's play. For example, a player may be issued a player-tracking card that is insertable into a card reader associated with each gaming machine. The network collects data relating to the player's play and stores it in a central computer. Known personal awards to the player may be a predetermined amount or a percentage of the player's total play. They are awarded upon the occurrence of a predetermined event such as when the player's cumulative wagers exceed a predetermined level.
Player tracking points is another benefit sometimes given to players of networked gaming machines. Each player who uses their card accrues a predetermined number of points for each dollar wagered on the networking gaming machines. Some systems award points for jackpots won on the gaming machines. In any event, the player is eligible to redeem his or her points for complimentary meals, merchandise, or other awards determined by the gaming venue that operates the gaming machines.
One concern of the gaming establishments operating gaming machines is the overhead caused by unused gaming machines. Gaming establishment operators are also interested in rewarding players of gaming machines by providing extra benefits to those players.
In light of the competitiveness of the gaming industry, there remains a need by gaming establishment operators to better reward players of gaming machines by the provision of awards to desired players.

Gaming system and method for rewarding players


A testing system for use in measuring thermal properties of material is described herein. The testing system includes a testing apparatus and monitoring system coupled to the testing apparatus. The testing apparatus includes a housing assembly that is configured to receive a material. A heating assembly is coupled to the housing assembly to supply a heat to at least a portion of the material to increase the temperature of the material. A sensing assembly is coupled to the housing assembly and is configured to sense a temperature of the material. The monitoring system comprises a controller having a processor comprising computer-readable instructions for operating the heating assembly to apply a heat to the material volume, receiving signals from the sensing assembly indicative of a temperature of the material, and estimating at least one thermal property of the material utilizing the sensed temperature of the material volume.

Functional foods, which have also been referred to as nutraceuticals, are foods that promote health and/or prevent disease. Examples of functional foods include, but are not limited to, omega-3 fatty acids (found in many fish, flaxseed oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and walnuts) which reduce risk of coronary heart disease, blueberries which may have anti-aging effects, and lycopene (found in tomatoes) which has been associated with reduced risk of certain cancers.
Many companies are looking for new ways to develop and incorporate functional foods into their products. Currently, functional foods may be incorporated into a product utilizing high-temperature-short-time (HTST) processes, such as extrusion and aseptic processes. These processes generally require tracking of the food temperature. However, when the food temperature is unknown, the thermal properties of the food may be utilized to estimate the food temperature. The thermal properties of the food may be estimated, for example, using an isothermal line-source method. While this method is useful for determining the thermal properties of the food at low temperatures (e.g. temperatures less than 100° C.), this method often poses a challenge when estimating thermal properties at high temperatures (e.g. temperatures greater than 100° C.). This is due, at least in part, to the degradation of the quality of the food as the food is exposed to the high temperatures. In many instances, the nutrients in the food are degraded and the food ends up burned or even charred.
Accordingly, there is a need for a convenient and efficient testing system for estimating the thermal properties of a material (such as food) at temperatures greater than 100° C.

Testing system for estimating thermal properties of a material

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY


Systems and methods are provided for configuring a Network Element (NE) to transport data within a network. A system configured accordingly may include a Transport Automation Tool (TAT) which can initiate, at a server on a network, a communication channel with a NE on the network. The TAT can determine or receive a network plan providing information about a circuit to be initiated or decommissioned on the network. The network plan may include a first port on the NE which is to be connected via a cross-connect (or disconnected) to a second port on the NE. The TAT can then establish or remove, using the communication channel, the cross-connect on the NE such that the NE is added to or removed from a circuit design utilizing the NE as a transport NE within the circuit.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to automatically generating connections within a network element of a telecommunications network.
2. Introduction
Computer networks are formed by linking together computers, servers, other computing equipment using networking elements to transport the data on the network. While some networking elements (such as routers and switches) have many ports through which they can transport data, other networking elements may only have a single input port and a single output port. However, regardless of the size and complexity of the network elements being used to transport data in the network, configuring the network elements to carry correctly carry traffic can be a difficult and time-consuming process.
Typically, a customer connected to the network requests one or more services from the network. Providing these services often requires configuring one or more network elements to carry traffic related to the services to and from the customer's network. A network engineer will often create a circuit design that is to be implemented on the network devices that connects the user's network to the telecommunications network to begin receiving the requested services. This circuit design is then implemented in the network by a technician connecting or otherwise configuring the network elements (NEs) together per the design.
Similarly, sometimes the overall plan and configuration of the network changes, which in turn forces updates and changes to the NEs. When these network updates occur, any individual switch, router, or other NE affected by the change must be individually updated.
While the amount of human time spent configuring NEs to transport data on the network per a circuit design can be substantial, it does not necessarily lead to higher quality or fewer configuration errors. Instead, errors are often introduced into the overall system by requiring so much human interaction. The present disclosure addresses these and other deficiencies in the current commissioning process.

System and method for automatic transport connection of a network element


A friction roller of a winding station of a winding machine is driven at a base angular velocity and is alternately accelerated and braked when the winding ratio is otherwise within a predetermined range of a selected whole number for causing slippage between the friction roller and a yarn package whereby the winding ratio is changed between values above and below the preselected range of the whole number. An evaluation device that calculates acceleration and braking values and a motor responsive to the evaluation device for driving the friction roller control the accelerating and decelerating of the friction roller when the winding ratio would otherwise be within the predetermined range of the selected whole number. Pattern windings of the yarn package are thus avoided.

When producing cylindrical or conical randomly cross-wound yarn packages, the winding ratio, i.e., the number of revolutions of the yarn package for each back and forth traverse of the yarn being wound, hyperbolically decreases as a function of time when the circumferential speed of the yarn package is maintained constant. Within defined ranges or areas when the winding ratio assumes a whole number value (hereinafter "pattern zone"), so-called winding patterns or mirrors are generated on the yarn package being wound. During time periods of these pattern zones the yarn of several successive wound layers tend to lie on top of each other or to lie very close to each other and result in the yarn package being compacted so that during a dyeing process, for example, irregular dyeing occurs. A further problem is that the yarn which lie on top of or close to each other tend to slip laterally off and become wedged in between each other greatly diminishing the unwinding properties of the yarn package.
It is well known to prevent the formation of yarn patterns during the winding process by means of pattern disruption methods or pattern disruption devices. For instance, to avoid these yarn winding patterns it is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,370 and corresponding German Patent Publication DE 39 16 918 A1 to continuously accelerate and decelerate the angular velocity of a grooved drive drum in accordance with a predeterminable periodic function over short intervals starting from a base angular velocity, whereby slippage between the yarn package and the grooved drum occurs both during acceleration and deceleration.
In connection with a device having a friction roller embodied as a grooved roller, it is also known from German Patent Publication DE 42 39 579 A1 to determine with a computer by measurements of the angles of rotation of the yarn package and the grooved roller when, during the winding process, a pattern zone will be encountered causing the generation of yarn pattern windings. During the anticipated pattern zone the yarn package is partially braked relative to the grooved roller causing slippage therebetween, since the yarn package is forced to run at a slower circumferential speed than the grooved roller. However, once the pattern zone has been passed, the brake is released and the yarn package is again driven at the same circumferential speed as the grooved roller without slippage.
A winding device is also known from European Patent Publication EP-B 0 093 258, which has a friction roller that drives the yarn package and a traversing device which is independent thereof. The traversing speed of the traversing device is continuously changed between a maximum value and a minimum value. In addition, the mean value of the traversing speed is suddenly changed at a distance from an anticipated pattern zone so that generation of pattern windings is prevented. After having passed the anticipated time of the pattern zone, the mean value of the traversing speed is then returned to the former mean value.

Method and device for preparing randomly cross-wound yarn packages


Device for detection of out-of-round on an angle sensor including a disc supporting angle coding means rigidly attached to a rotating shaft and at least one fixed optical system including a coherent light source emitting a beam interfering with the angle coding means of the support disc in order to code its angular position, means for collimation of the said beam before interference and a photodetector of the modulated beam after interference. In accordance with one possibility, it includes two optical systems arranged 90° from each other.

The example acting as the guiding thread of the present description is the steering column of a vehicle. The existence of out-of-round, resulting directly from the manufacture of the steering column, distorts the angular measurement by sometimes accelerating and sometimes retarding the rotation. The curve of the measured angle as a function of the true angle is not, therefore, linear. The rotating system, in particular formed of the steering column and the disc supporting the means for angular coding not being a homokinetic system, it is necessary to measure the out-of-round to perform an angle correction in order to linearize the output signal.
Until now, the means to remedy this problem was principally mechanically formed, i.e. extremely precise mechanical solutions were implemented, with altogether unfavourable economic and therefore industrial consequences.

Abstract: Alternatively, there is only one optical system and the disc includes a circular track radially centered in at least one of its angular positions relative to the incident collimated light beam, and a radially orientated photodetector.


A tunable device includes a deformable dielectric unit formed with a receiving space, and a tunable member received in the receiving space and responsible to an electric field applied to the tunable member. A transducer is also provided, and includes at least one of the tunable device and one of a driver unit, a sensing unit and the combination thereof in signal transmission with the tunable device. A method of tuning the tunable device is also provided.

A conventional sensing transducer is used for interconversion of physical quantities from one form to another, such as converting an external force into signals, so that interaction between the conventional transducer and an external input can be identified. The conventional transducer may be configured to a sensing device, such as a force sensor, a triaxial accelerometer, a pressure sensor or a speaker, for applying to various fields including robotics, gaming entertainment, biomedical technologies, etc.
Indifferent applications or different environments, requirements for the conventional transducer, such as sensitivity, sensing range or driving range, will be varied. A tactile device is one of the few conventional transducers that are adjustable in the process of manufacturing.
The conventional tactile device frequently employs a dielectric polymer such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for making a sensing member. However, properties of the dielectric polymer traditionally used in the sensing member is hard to be changed, which causes the tactile devices to have a fixed sensing range. In an attempt to vary the sensing range of the conventional tactile device, adjustment of the degree of crosslinking of PDMS (achieved by changing the proportion of curing agents used in formation of PDMS) is proposed, which gives the sensing member an adjustable stiffness and changes the sensing range of the tactile device. In other words, in case that the sensing range of the conventional tactile device is needed to be changed for a multitasking robotic grapping application, the sensing range of the conventional tactile device is needed to be changed for a multitasking robotic grapping application, the sensing member made of the traditional dielectric polymer must be replaced with one made of a modified dielectric polymer as described above. The replacement of the sensing member leads to reduced flexibility of the conventional tactile devices and the sensing range thereof is still needed to be improved.
Furthermore, properties (e.g., sensitivity) of most of the conventional transducers cannot be adjusted in the manufacturing process or in use after the structural design of the transducers is accomplished. Therefore, the transducers must be remade to cater for different needs, leading to increased manufacturing costs.

Tunable device including tunable member responsible to electric field applied thereto, transducer including the tunable device, and method of changing one of stiffness and damping coefficient of tuning the tunable device


An electronic circuit for protecting a field effect transistor from high voltage includes a switching device having a first state in which the switching device turns the field effect transistor ON, and a second state in which the switching device turns the field effect transistor OFF. A charging device is connected to the switching device and receives an electrical charge when an electrode of the field effect transistor is shorted to a voltage source. The charging device applies the electrical charge to the switching device to thereby place the switching device in the second state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to field effect transistors and, more particularly, to circuits for driving field effect transistors.
2. Description of the Related Art
High power field effect transistors (FETs) may be driven by what is referred to as Pre-FET drivers in the form of integrated circuits (ICs). Such Pre-FET drivers may also function to protect the FETs in case of fault conditions such as short-to-battery and short-to-ground, etc. For example, FETs are often used in automotive electronic devices, such as engine control modules (ECMs). If a load connected to the FET shorts out, or if a service technician inadvertently connects a wiring harness in a wrong orientation, it is possible that a FET may be directly,connected to battery voltage, which may result in costly damage to the FET. Another possible function of the Pre-FET driver is to report the fault status back to the microprocessor for further processing.
A problem is that Pre-FET driver ICs are relatively costly. Depending upon the number of channels used, i.e., the number of FETs to be driven, the price of a Pre-FET driver can vary from $0.70 to $1.40. Pre-FET drivers are inflexible in that they are configured to drive four, six or eight channels. Thus, even if only one FET needs to be driven, the minimum configuration of a four channel driving device must be used, which is a relatively costly way to drive a single FET.
Another problem with Pre-FET driver ICs is that each of the channels has a common short-to-battery detection voltage threshold. Thus, it is difficult to interface one single pre-FET driver with a group of FETs that have very large differences in their internal resistances.
Yet another problem with Pre-FET driver ICs is that they require a fixed turn-off time to switch off their outputs in order to protect the FETs in the event of a short-to-battery. More particularly, during and after turn-on, the drain voltages of the external FETs are compared against a fixed short-to-battery threshold voltage, which is generated outside the IC. If the drain voltage exceeds the short-to-battery threshold voltage, then the gate drive will be disabled after a fixed duration. This short-to-battery detection and disable time can vary from 60 to 90 μsec. During this time, the peak short circuit current can rise up to a maximum of 28 to 40 Amps, which can result in damage to the FETs.
What is needed in the art is an inexpensive method of driving power FETs which overcomes the problems associated with Pre-FET driver ICs.

Discrete circuit for driving field effect transistors


A method for end-capping polycarbonate resins, comprising the step of processing a mixture comprising a polycarbonate having free hydroxyl-end groups and an end-capping reagent in a melt transesterification reaction to produce a polycarbonate resin, wherein the end-capping reagent comprises a mixture of:(a) at least one species of a symmetrical activated aromatic carbonate, and (b) at least one species of a symmetrical non-activated aromatic carbonate, whereby said end-capping reagent reacts with at least some of the free hydroxyl end-groups of the polycarbonate to produce an end-capped polycarbonate resin.

This application relates to a method for end-capping polycarbonate resins and to end-capping compositions useful in such a method.
Polycarbonates prepared by the reaction of a dihydric phenol (such as bisphenol A, xe2x80x9cBPAxe2x80x9d) and a diaryl carbonate (such as diphenyl carbonate, xe2x80x9cDPCxe2x80x9d) in a melt transesterification process generally contain significant levels of uncapped chains (7-50%) as compared to interfacially prepared polycarbonates. These uncapped chains can have a significant impact on the resulting properties of polycarbonate, and it is therefore desirable in many instances to include an end-capping agent with a higher capping efficiency than DPC during or after the polymerization reaction which terminates the uncapped chains.
Known end-capping reagents are frequently carbonate or ester derivatives of phenol. U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,372 discloses the use of phenyl benzoate as an end-capping reagent to terminate polymers formed by melt polymerization of a bisphenol and an aromatic dicarboxylic acid such as terephthalic acid and/or isophthalic acid. U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,875 describes preparation of polyarylate compositions using diaryl carbonates, polyarylcarbonate oligomers or polyarylcarbonate polymers as end-capping agents. In particular, the Examples of the xe2x80x3875 patent teach the use of diphenyl carbonate or highly endcapped polycarbonate oligomers as end-capping agents. Unfortunately these end-capping reagents all yield the byproduct phenol, which then rapidly re-equilibrates with the polycarbonate to limit the achievable molar mass and end-cap level. Long reaction and devolatization times are required to counteract this effect.
Therefore known end-capping reagents are frequently also carbonate or ester derivatives of electronegatively-ortho-substituted phenols which are more reactive than DPC. U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,656 describes the transesterification of of bis (ortho-haloaryl)carbonates, haloaryl aryl carbonates, and a dihydric phenol, and indicates that controlled aryl end-capping is achieved. U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,905 describes the transesterification of of bis(ortho-nitroaryl)carbonates, nitro aryl aryl carbonates and a dihydric phenol, and indicates that controlled aryl end-capping is achieved. It should be noted though that both bis(ortho-haloaryl)carbonates and bis(ortho-nitroaryl)carbonates have quite different properties than DPC. Thus the replacement of DPC by these compounds requires considerably different equipment and operating conditions than typically found in melt polycarbonate production. In addition The use of these compounds results in the production of colored or potentially toxic or explosive byproducts or ones that produce gaseous products containing chlorine upon combustion. Thus from product quality (transparency), handling, and environmental considerations there is a demand for the use of carbonates that are free from chlorine and nitro-activating groups. U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,567 describes the use of vinylene carbonate derivatives as end-capping agents which are added to preformed polycarbonates to terminate the polymers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,222 describes a process for production of a terminally-blocked polycarbonate by melt transesterification of a dihydric phenol and a diaryl carbonate in the presence of an asymmetric substituted phenol ester or carbonate as an end-capping agent, and in particular end-capping agents which are salicylic acid derivatives. European Patent Publication No. 0 980 861 discloses an improved method for making such derivatives. These end-capping agents are derived from one salicylate (activated) and one non-activated phenol. While such end-capping agents are effective, they are not without their drawbacks. Specifically, such asymmetric carbonates require two separate steps for their preparation (generation of a chloroformate from one of the phenols, followed by condensation with the second phenol). This two step process adds significantly to the cost of the end-capping agent. An additional deficiency of this method is that the asymmetric mixed carbonates prepared in this way are often contaminated with traces of nitrogen- and halogen-containing impurities and with symmetrical carbonates derived from one or both of the phenols used in the reaction. As a consequence, in order to obtain materials of suitable quality for polymerization, purification is often both essential and difficult.
The xe2x80x3222 patent also describes the use of di-activated carbonates, for example derived from two salicylates to either couple polycarbonate chains to increase molecular weight, or to cap phenolic hydroxyl end groups. This method suffers from the fact that only salicylate (activated) end groups can be incorporated. These salicylate end groups are different from the conventional phenol or alkyl-substituted phenol end groups typically found in commercial polycarbonate resins. In addition, capping is accompanied by coupling so that it is difficult to only cap without increasing molecular weight, or to systematically vary the endcap level without varying also the polycarbonate molecular weight. Indeed, while increasing levels of conventional end-capping agents tend to decrease molecular weight, in the case of the di-activated species there are opposing tendencies where the end-capping function reduces molecular weight while the coupling function tends to increase molecular weight, making the characteristics of the product difficult to predict or control.
It has now been found that end-capping reagents which comprise a mixture of different species, including at least: (a) a symmetrical activated aromatic carbonate, and (b) a symmetrical non-activated aromatic carbonateprovide effective end-capping of polycarbonate resins and can avoid the deficiencies described above. Thus, the present invention provides an end-capping reagent, and a method for preparing an end-capped polycarbonate resin using the reagent. In accordance with an embodiment of the method of the invention a mixture comprising a polycarbonate having free hydroxyl-end groups and an end-capping reagent is processed in a melt transesterification reaction to produce a polycarbonate resin.
The carbonates of the end-capping reagent reacts with at least some of the free hydroxyl end-groups of the polycarbonate to produce an end-capped polycarbonate resin.
End-Capping Reagent: This application relates to an end-capping composition comprising a mixture of different species, including at least: (a) one species of symmetrical activated aromatic carbonate, and (b) one species of symmetrical non-activated aromatic carbonate.
This invention further relates to a method of making polycarbonate resin which uses an end-capping reagent of this type.
As used in the specification and claims of this application, the term xe2x80x9csymmetrical activated aromatic carbonatexe2x80x9d refers to compounds containing two phenolic groups linked through a carbonate bridge, with each phenol group being substituted with the same electronegative and therefore activating substituent at the ortho position. Many of these symmetrical activated aromatic carbonates can be represented by the general formula:
wherein R is the electronegative substituent. Preferred electronegative substituents are carbonyl-containing groups, nitro groups, and halo groups. Symmetrical activated aromatic carbonates of this type may be synthesized by the reaction of an appropriate ortho-substituted phenol with phosgene.
Symmetrical activated aromatic carbonates for use in compositions and methods in accordance with the invention may also be made either by reaction of two equivalents of an appropriate xe2x80x9cactivatedxe2x80x9d or ortho-substituted phenyl chloroformate with a bisphenol, such as bisphenol A, or by reaction of a bis-chloroformate with two equivalents of an xe2x80x9cactivatedxe2x80x9d or appropriate ortho-substituted phenol. Where bisphenol A is used, the resulting composition has the following general formula,
wherein R is as defined above.
Specific examples of symmetrical activated aromatic carbonates which may be used in the compositions and methods of the invention are summarized in Table 1.
As used in the specification and claims of this application, the term xe2x80x9csymmetrical non-activated aromatic carbonatexe2x80x9d refers to compounds containing two phenolic groups linked through a carbonate bridge. The phenol groups may be substituted or unsubstituted, provided that they do not include electronegative and therefore activating substituents at the ortho position. Suitable symmetrical and asymmetrical non-activated aromatic carbonates may be represented a compound of the formula:
wherein the R2 groups are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a C1-C36 alkyl, C1-C36 alkoxy group, C6-C36. aryl, C7-C36 aralkyl, and C7-C36 aralkyloxy and n is selected from the integers 1-5. Specific symmetrical non-limiting examples of nonactivated aromatic carbonates which may be used in the compositions and methods of the invention include diphenylcarbonate, di-p-cumylphenylcarbonate, di-(tert-butyl phenyl) carbonate, di-(octylphenyl) carbonate, di-(nonylphenyl) carbonate, di-(dodecylphenyl) carbonate, di-(3-pentadecyl)phenyl carbonate (also called cardanol carbonate) and di-(octadecylphenyl)carbonate.
Although it will generally increase the cost without providing a compensating benefit, in addition to the symmetrical carbonates, the end-capping reagent may also include asymmetric activated or non-activated carbonates. Examples of asymmetrical non-activated carbonates include p-cumylphenyl phenyl carbonate, tert-butylphenyl phenyl carbonate, octylphenyl phenyl carbonate, nonylphenyl phenyl carbonate, dodecylphenyl phenyl carbonate, 3-pentadecylphenyl phenyl carbonate. Exemplary asymmetrical activated carbonates have the general formula
wherein R is an electronegative substituent and R2 is selected from among hydrogen, C1 to C18 alkyl, C1 to C18 alkoxy, C6 to C18 aryl, C7 to C18 aralkyl, and C7 to C18 aralkoxy. The mixture of the symmetrical activated aromatic carbonate andsymmetrical non-activated aromatic carbonate may be preformed prior to addition to the melt transesterification reaction, or may be generated in situ by separate addition of the carbonate species to the melt transesterification. This mixture, whether preformed or generated in situ, is referred to herein as the xe2x80x9cend-capping reagent.xe2x80x9d In the case of a pre-formed end-capping reagent, the mixture may be neat, or it may include a suitable solvent, for example PETS, or a mixture of toluene and acetone.
The relative amounts of the two types of carbonates (activated and non-activated) in the end-capping reagent can be varied depending on the product characteristics desired. Higher amounts of activated carbonate will increase the degree of coupling obtained, while higher relative amounts of the non-activated carbonate can be used to enhance the amount of chain termination. In general, the mole ratio of non-activated to activated carbonates will suitably range from 10:90 to 90:10.
Preparation of the end-capping reagent In one embodiment of the invention, the symmetrical carbonates (both activated and non-activated) are prepared using a method in which two equivalents of a substituted phenol is reacted with one equivalent of phosgene in an interfacial reaction using water and a chlorinated solvent such as methylene chloride and in the presence of a base such as sodium hydroxide to neutralize the liberated HCl. Additional catalysts may be employed in this reaction to facilitate the condensation reaction. In one embodiment, the condensation catalyst is triethyl amine, quaternary alkyl ammonium salt, or mixtures thereof. After completion of the condensation reaction, the organic product phase is washed with aqueous acid and then with water until the washings are neutral. The organic solvent may be removed by distillation and the end-capper is crystallized or distilled and recovered.
End-capping Reaction in the Polycarbonate Production Process: The end-capping reagent of the present invention is used to rapidly cap the terminal hydroxy group of the polycarbonate. The ortho-substituted phenols generated in the capping reaction are less reactive than phenol in backbiting reactions, which lead to molecular weight degradation of the polycarbonate. Therefore, the by-product phenols are removed from the terminal-blocked polycarbonate by distillation to the over-head system using conventional means (i.e., freeze traps using chilled water as a coolant) where they can be condensed to expedite the end-capping reaction at high yields.
It should be noted that the end-capped polycarbonate may still contain small amounts of any unrecovered phenols, any unreacted end-capping reagent along with by-products of any side reactions to the end-capping reactions, e.g. terminal 2-(alkoxycarbonyl)phenyl groups and the like. In one embodiment, the end-capped polycarbonate contains about less than 500 ppm of ortho-substituted phenols and about 500 ppm of unreacted terminal blocking agent of the present invention. In another embodiment, the end-capped polycarbonate contains about 2,500 ppm or less of terminal 2-(alkoxycarbonyl)phenyl groups.
In one embodiment, the ortho-substituted phenol by-product of the following formula is recovered from the overhead system and reused to prepare new end-capping reagents.
In accordance with the method of the invention, end-capping reagent containing activated and non-activated carbonates is combined with a preformed polycarbonate polymer having free hydroxyl end groups. The preformed polycarbonate polymer may be any type of polycarbonate, and can be formed by either melt transesterification or an interfacial process, although most commonly the preformed polycarbonate polymer would be formed from the melt transesterification process.
Melt Polycarbonate Process The process of the present invention is a melt or transesterification process. The production of polycarbonates by transesterification is well-known in the art and described, for example, in Organic Polymer Chemistry by K. J. Saunders, 1973, Chapman and Hall Ltd., as well as in a number of U.S. patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,442,854; 5,026,817; 5,097,002; 5,142,018; 5,151,491; and 5,340,905.
In the melt process, polycarbonate is produced by the melt polycondensation of aromatic dihydroxy compounds (A) and carbonic acid diesters (B). The reaction can be carried out by either a batch mode or a continuous mode. The apparatus in which the reaction is carried out can be any suitable type of tank, tube, or column. The continuous processes usually involve the use of one or more CSTR""s and one or more finishing reactors.
Examples of the aromatic dihydroxy compounds (A) include bis(hydroxyaryl) alkanes such as bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane; 1,1 -bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane; 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (also known as bisphenol A); 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane; 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)octane; bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)phenylmethane; 2,2-bis(4-hydroxy-1-methylphenyl)propane; 1,1-bis(4-hydroxy-t-butylphenyl)propane; and 2,2-bis(4-hydroxy-3-bromophenyl)propane; bis (hydroxyaryl)cycloalkanes such as 1,1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclopentane and 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane; dihydroxyaryl ethers such as 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 4,4xe2x80x2dihydroxy-3,3xe2x80x2-dimethylphenyl ether; dihydroxydiaryl sulfides such as 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfide and 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxy-3,3xe2x80x2-dimethyldiphenyl sulfide; dihydroxydiaryl sulfoxides such as 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfoxide and 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxy-3,3xe2x80x2-dimethyldiphenyl sulfoxide; and dihydroxydiaryl sulfones such as 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfone and 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxy-3,3xe2x80x2-dimethyldiphenyl sulfone. In one embodiment, the aromatic dihydroxy compound is bisphenol A (BPA).
Examples of the carbonic acid diesters (B) include diphenyl carbonate; ditolyl carbonate; bis(chlorophenyl)carbonate; m-cresyl carbonnate; and dinaphthyl carbonate. In one embodiment of an industrial process, diphenyl carbonate (DPC) is used.
The carbonic diester component may also contain a minor amount, e.g., up to about 50 mole % of a dicarboxylic acid or its ester, such as terephthalic acid or diphenyl isophthalate, to prepare polyesterpolycarbonates. In preparing the polycarbonates, usually about 1.0 mole to about 1.30 moles of carbonic diester are utilized for every 1 mole of the aromatic dihydroxy compound. In one embodiment, about 1.01 moles to about 1.20 moles of the carbonic diester is utilized.
Optional Terminators/End-capping Agents. In one embodiment of the melt process, additional/optional terminators or end-capping agents of the prior art may also be used. Examples of terminators include phenol, p-tert-butylphenol, p-cumylphenol, octylphenol, nonylphenol and other end-capping agents well-known in the art.
Optional Branching Agents. In one embodiment of the process of the present invention, branching agents are used as needed. Branching agents are well-known and may comprise polyfunctional organic compounds containing at least three functional groups, which may be hydroxyl, carboxyl, carboxylic anhydride, and mixtures thereof. Specific examples include trimellitic anhydride, tris-p-hydroxy phenyl ethane, isatin-bis-phenol, tris-phenol TC (1,3,5-tris((p-hydroxyphenyl) isopropyl)benzene), tris-phenol PA (4(4(1,1-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)-ethyl) alpha,alpha-dimethyl benzyl)phenol, and benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid. Optional catalysts. The polycarbonate synthesis may be conducted in the presence of a catalyst to promote the transesterification reaction. Examples include alkali metals and alkaline earth metals by themselves or as oxides, hydroxides, amide compounds, alcoholates, and phenolates, basic metal oxides such as ZnO, PbO, and Sb2 O3, organotitanium compounds, soluble manganese compounds, nitrogen-containing basic compounds and acetates of calcium, magnesium, zinc, lead, tin, manganese, cadmium, and cobalt, and compound catalyst systems such as a nitrogen-containing basic compound and a boron compound, a nitrogen-containing basic compound and an alkali (alkaline earth) metal compound, and a nitrogen-containing basic compound, an alkali (alkaline earth) metal compound, and a boron compound.
In one embodiment of the invention, the transesterification catalyst is a quaternary ammonium compound or a quaternary phosphonium compound. Non-limiting examples of these compounds include tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide, tetramethyl ammonium acetate, tetramethyl ammonium fluoride, tetramethyl ammonium tetraphenyl borate, tetraphenyl phosphonium fluoride, tetraphenyl phosphonium tetraphenyl borate, tetrabutyl phosphonium hydroxide, tetrabutyl phosphonium acetate and dimethyl diphenyl ammonium hydroxide.
The above-mentioned catalysts may each be used by themselves, or, depending on the intended use, two or more types may be used in combination. When more than one catalyst is employed, each may be incorporated into the melt at a different stage of the reaction. In one embodiment of the invention, part or all of one catalyst is added together with the end-capping reagent.
The appropriate level of catalyst will depend in part on how many catalysts are being employed, e.g., one or two. In general, the total amount of catalyst is usually in the range of about 1xc3x9710xe2x88x928 to about 1.0 mole per mole of the dihydroxy compound. In one embodiment, the level is in the range of about 1xc3x9710xe2x88x925 to about 5xc3x9710xe2x88x922 mole per mole of dihydroxy compound. When more than one catalyst is employed, each may be incorporated into the melt at a different stage of the reaction.
In the present invention, the polycarbonate obtained may further contain at least one of a heat stabilizer, an ultraviolet absorbent, a mold releasing agent, a colorant, an anti-static agent, a lubricant, an anti-fogging agent, a natural oil, a synthetic oil, a wax, an organic filler and an inorganic filler, which are generally used in the art.
Adding the end-capping agent to the melt process The method of adding the end-capping agent to polycarbonate is not specially limited. For example, the end-capping agent may be added to the polycarbonate as a reaction product in a batch reactor or a continuous reactor system. In one embodiment, the end-capping agent is added to the melt polycarbonate just before or after a later reactor, i.e., a polymerizer, in a continuous reactor system. In a second embodiment, the end-capping agent is by reactive extrusion after the last polymerizer in the continuous reactor system. In a third embodiment, it is added between the 1st and 2nd polymerizer in a continuous reactor system. In yet another embodiment, the end-capping agent is added between the 2nd reactor and the 1st polymerizer.
The amount of end-capping reagent appropriately utilized can be quantified with reference to the amount of free hydroxyl end groups in the pre-formed polycarbonate polymer. In general, the mole ratio of total carbonate to free hydroxyl end groups is within the range of from 0.5 to 2.0, depending on the level of end-capping desired.
In some reactor systems, it may be difficult to reach the desired equilibrium ratio of introduced or incorporated non-activated and activated end-groups (the non-activated end groups are preferentially present at equilibrium) due to poor mixing, short residence time, or rapid volatilization of one component. In such a case the ratio of introduced non-activated to activated end groups can be favorably increased by melt mixing the activated and non-activated aromatic carbonates together in the presence of a small amount of basic catalyst (such as tetramethylammonium hydroxide) to produce a scrambled product consisting of a pre-equilibrated or statistical mixture of carbonates. The invention will now be further described with reference to the following non-limiting examples.
In all examples, either starting polycarbonate grade A, B, C, or D was used. The starting materials were prepared by a melt process in a continuous reactor system with the following properties:
In the Examples, the following measurements were made. a) Molecular weight: Mw and Mn were measured by GPC analysis of 1 mg/ml polymer solutions in methylene chloride versus polystyrene standards. Unless otherwise stated the measured polycarbonate Mw and Mn values were then corrected for the difference in retention volume between polycarbonate and polystyrene standards.
b) Free-OH content was measured by UV/Visible analysis of the complexes formed from the polymer with TiCl4 in methylene chloride solution. In some cases the Free OH content was measured by direct infrared or 31 P NMR methods.
c) End-cap levels were calculated from the free OH content and Mn values.
d)Incorporation levels of specific end groups were determined by NMR.
e)The glass transition temperature of some end-capped polycarbonates was measured by differential scanning calorimetry.

Method for end-capping polycarbonate resins and composition for use in same


The invention relates to an automatic continuously variable positive mechanical transmission, making it possible to avoid using a hydrodynamic torque converter and a switchable gearbox. A planetary unit (44) linking an input shaft (30), transmitting a working torque CM, to an output shaft (31) transmitting a load torque CR. A reaction torque RC resting on a fixed point (35) of the case is added to the working torque in the planetary unit (44) via two successive planetary centrifugal devices (36, 37) with eccentric weights. The second centrifugal device (37) permanently balances the three torques CM, CR and RC. The first centrifugal device (36) transmits the reaction torque CR to the second which it sets using a setting of the eccentricity for its weights. Such a transmission can drive the output shaft at a continuously variable speed between zero and a speed equal to or greater than that of the input shaft. It is applied to driving vehicles or variable speed machines.

Such a transmission is in particular usable in motor, rail or other vehicles, but also to drive any kind of variable speed machines, for example winches, ventilating fans, compressors, farmiing or public works machines, crushers, weaving machines, as well as to drive constant speed machines such as generators using wind power engines or variable speed turbines.
To drive motor vehicles, a standard type automatic transmission comprises a switchable gearbox, preceded by a fluffy torque converter. The latter presents losses of energy. At the present time, we are seeking to reduce these losses by adding a high gear clutch, as well as a power by-pass via a positive transmission channel arranged parallel to the converter. To make such a transmission work automatically and perfectly, an electronic control device is necessary. All these means further increase the complexity, the weight and the construction and maintenance costs.
This is why we are seeking to replace these transmissions by mechanisms of other types, which are continuously variable over the whole range of speeds of the output shaft, to avoid using a switchable gearbox. One known solution uses a variable speed belt and pulley drive with a variable diameter. These variable speed drives can have an automatic setting system based on the centrifugal force. However, the belt transmits the loads by friction and that always implies losses of energy and overheating problems which limit the application of these transmissions to the field of lower power outputs. Furthermore, there is always a risk of the belt slipping.
Moreover, we know of mechanical couplings allowing a difference in speed between the input shaft and the output shaft, due to a centrifugal torque compensation device which acts on a differential gear linking the input shaft to the output shaft. The patent GB-A-995305 describes a coupling of this type, where the planet wheels of the planetary differential gear each carry a secondary planetary gear train formed by a secondary planet wheel carrier integral with the main planet wheel four secondary planet wheels each provided with an eccentric weight, and a secondary planet pinion designed to hold each weight in a constant position in relation to the direction of the centrifugal force it is subject to, so that this force creates a centrifugal torque which is as even as possible while the unit rotates. A manual control device can act on the position of each secondary planet wheel to select one of four positions of the weights, i.e. in the respective positions of forward drive, neutral, reverse drive and lock against overdrive. In an alternative, the secondary planet wheels are replaced by a set of articulated levers carrying mobile weights which create a centrifugal torque on the main planet wheel. This is a complicated and delicate construction which is not suitable for transmitting high torques at high speeds. Above all, the major drawback inherent in such couplings is that they can not operate as torque converters, because there is no point of support or reaction point on a fixed part, for example a case. This is why they can not apply a torque greater than the input torque to the output shaft, whatever the speed of the output shaft.
The patent FR-A-842 760 describes a transmission of the kind mentioned in the preamble to claim 1. This device known under the name of Hobbs transmission actually operates like a torque converter, due to a bearing pressure on the case which makes it possible to multiply the torque when the output speed is low. The device comprises eccentric weights on planet wheels of two planetary gear trains which are centered on the common axis of the input and output shafts. During one revolution of a planetary gear train, the centrifugal forces produce varying centrifugal torques, i.e. which change direction because of the rotation of the planet wheels. This results in varying pulses, of which those in a positive direction are selected by a freewheel device which transmits them to the output shaft via an elastic or inertia device, which smooths the pulsed output torque. As freewheel devices do not at all withstand such varying or pulsed torques at a high frequency, which is of the same order of magnitude as the speeds of the input and output shafts, transmissions of this kind have not been able to break through in actual pratice.
The object of the present invention is to create an automatic continuously variable transmission which makes it possible to avoid the above-mentioned drawbacks of prior transmissions. The invention relates in particular to a continuous transmission entirely positive, avoiding any transmission of energy by friction or by a flow of fluid, which is capable of transmitting high and continuous torques in a wide output shaft speed range, particularly for the applications for driving vehicles, or conversely in a wide input shaft speed range if the output shaft has to rotate at a constant speed.

Automatic continuously variable positive mechanical transmission with adjustable centrifugal eccentric weights and method for actuating same


A detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes: an imaging unit; an illumination unit; a polarization control unit; and a generation unit. The imaging unit generates image data on the basis of incident light. The illumination unit illuminates a subject with linearly polarized light. The polarization control unit controls a polarization state of light to be detected, the light to be detected travelling toward the imaging unit. The generation unit generates information regarding a degree of linear polarization of the light to be detected, on the basis of image data regarding the light to be detected, the polarization state of the light to be detected having been controlled, the image data regarding the light to be detected being generated by the imaging unit.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a visual inspection apparatus for accurately inspecting the outer shape of a film-like transparent plate or the like. In this visual inspection apparatus, first and second polarization plates are disposed on an optical path between a light source and an imaging apparatus so as to have a crossed Nicols relationship. Then, an inspection target is disposed between the first and second polarization plates. As a result, a difference occurs between the amount of light that does not pass through the inspection target and the amount of light that passes through the inspection target, and a grayscale image in which the background portion is dark and the inspection target is bright is generated. By binarizing this grayscale image, it is possible to accurately inspect the outer shape of the inspection target (see, for example, [0009] to [0014] of the specification and FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 of Patent Literature 1).

Detection apparatus and method of producing electronic apparatus


An image processing device includes an input reception section that receives a learning image and a correct answer label, a processing section that performs a process that generates classifier data and a processing target image, and a storage section. The processing section generates the processing target image that is the entirety or part of the learning image, calculates a feature quantity of the processing target image, generates the classifier data based on training data that is a set of the feature quantity and the correct answer label assigned to the learning image that corresponds to the feature quantity, generates an image group based on the learning image or the processing target image, classifies each image of the image group using the classifier data to calculate a classification score of each image, and regenerates the processing target image based on the classification score and the image group.

The present invention relates to an image processing device, an information storage device, an image processing method, and the like.
In recent years, supervised learning has been studied in the field of machine learning. The contents of an image may be discriminated (classified) using a discriminator (classifier) that is generated by performing the learning process when it is desired to detect the position of an object within an image. The above technique may also be applied when it is desired to classify an image that partially includes an object or the like that is represented by the correct answer label. For example, JP-A-2008-282267 discloses a method that classifies such an image based on the feature quantity of part of the target image.
The discrimination accuracy (classification accuracy) achieved using the generated discriminator (classifier) normally increases as the amount of training data (i.e., the number of pieces of training data) used for the learning process increases, and it becomes possible to automatically assign a correct label to unlabeled data.
However, the correct answer label is normally manually assigned to the training data. Therefore, it may be difficult to provide a large amount of training data, or the cost required to generate the training data may increase.
When implementing a learning process that generates a classifier for detecting the position of an object or the like from an image that partially includes a scene or an object that is represented by the correct answer label, it is necessary to provide the position, the shape, and the like of the object within the image as training data. However, it takes time to manually provide information about the position and the shape of the object as compared with a process that assigns an attribute class label to an image. As a result, the number of pieces of training data to be provided decreases, and the performance of the classifier (i.e., learning results) deteriorates.
Semi-supervised learning has been developed from supervised learning. Semi-supervised learning utilizes unlabeled data as the training data in addition to data to which the correct answer label is assigned. Generative learning has been proposed as one type of semi-supervised learning in which image data is mainly used as the learning-discrimination target, and a new image is generated from an image to which the correct answer label is assigned, and used for the learning process.
However, when employing the assumption that, when a new image is generated from an image to which the correct answer label is assigned, the correct answer label assigned to the new image is the same as that assigned to the original image, the image to which the correct answer label is assigned can be changed on condition that the correct answer label does not change when generating a new image, and it is impossible to generate a large number of new images. Therefore, it is impossible to sufficiently increase the number of pieces of training data, and sufficiently improve the discrimination accuracy achieved using the discriminator.
When employing the assumption that the correct answer label may be changed when a new image is generated, a new image may be generated from an image to which the correct answer label is assigned using a method that segments the original image (to which the correct answer label is assigned) into a plurality of images, manually assigns the correct answer label to the generated image group, and uses the resulting image group for the learning process as new training data. In this case, it is possible to sufficiently increase the number of pieces of training data. However, the cost required to label the training data increases to a large extent.

Image processing device, information storage device, and image processing method


The invention relates to a composition comprising antibodies or binding portions thereof which bind to a naturally occurring or recombinant G-CSF receptor extracellular domain, and reduce tyrosine phosphorylation of a JAK molecule. The invention also relates to methods of using this composition for inhibiting or decreasing tyrosine phosphorylation of a JAK kinase and for inhibiting or decreasing G-CSF interaction with its receptor. Also described are antibodies which bind to a G-CSF receptor extracellular domain and which are produced by immunizing an animal with cells transfected with DNA encoding a G-CSF receptor.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) stimulates the proliferation and differentiation of neutrophil precursors via interaction with a specific cell surface receptor, the G-CSF receptor (G-CSF-R).
Although the G-CSF-R has been cloned (1) and is functionally active in several different cell types (2), little is known about the mechanism of signal transduction. The G-CSF-R is believed to consist of a single chain that is activated through ligand induced homodimerisation (3) as has been shown for the erythropoietin and growth hormone receptors (EPO-R, GH-R) (4). The G-CSF-R does not contain an intrinsic protein kinase domain (1) although tyrosine kinase activity seems to be required for transduction of the G-CSF signal (5). JAK kinases (6,7) are receptor-associated proteins which are rapidly phosphorylated after receptor activation. In particular, Tyk2 is phosphorylated following interferon .alpha.-receptor (IFN.alpha.-R) activation (8) and JAK2 following the binding of EPO (9), GH (10) and interleukin-3 (IL-3) (11) to their respective receptors.
In work leading up to the present invention, the inventors investigated early signal transduction events resulting from the association of G-CSF with its receptor and the role of JAK1 and JAK2.
In accordance with the present invention, antibodies were prepared to the extracellular domain of G-CSF-R. It has now been surprisingly discovered that G-CSF interaction with G-CSF-R is required for tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK kinases. The antibodies of the present invention now provide for a method of inhibiting G-CSF binding to its receptor and, by consequence, phosphorylation by JAK kinases. The present invention contemplates, therefore, a method for treating G-CSF related disease conditions or JAK1 and JAK2 phosphorylation associated disease conditions which result from G-CSF interaction with its receptor.

Antibodies which bind the G-CSF receptor extracelluar domain and methods of treatment


An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a curing apparatus comprising: a cassette; lamps configured in the cassette; a lamp housing having lamp accommodating portions disposed within the cassette to accommodate the lamps; and window plates separately configured so as to correspond to the positions of the lamp accommodating portions.

1. Field
This document relates to a curing apparatus.
2. Related Art
In a display device such as an organic light emitting display (OLED), an electrophoretic display (EPD), and a liquid crystal display (LCD), elements or lines are formed by depositing a thin film.
The above mentioned display devices require a curing process for forming a solid thin film after a deposition process. An example of a curing apparatus used in manufacturing a display device includes a chamber type in which a cassette structure is stacked in multiple stages.
Each cassette has a lamp configured therein which allows the temperature in the cassette to increase from ambient temperature to high temperature. Such a cassette is usually designed such that a single or multiple target substrates are put therein.
A window plate is applied to each cassette to uniformly radiate heat generated from the lamp and prevent the formation of smears in the target substrates. The window plate performs a variety of functions including isolating a process zone where the target substrates are located and a lamp zone.
To this end, the window plate is made of large-size, plate-like quartz. The plate-like window plate is configured by being fitted to a slot formed at a side of each cassette.
However, it is difficult to fabricate a large-area curing apparatus because the window plate applied to each cassette is in the shape of a large-size plate. For instance, if deflection prevention is performed on the window plate to realize a large-area window plate, there follows the difficulty of thickness compensation or structure addition. Moreover, investment cost is expected to rise due to an increase in material and processing costs because it is difficult to fabricate a large-size, plate-like window plate. Therefore, there is a need to seek a solution for fabricating the window plate applied to a conventional curing apparatus to have a larger area.