An applicator for applying a microprojection member to the stratum corneum of a patient having a housing, a piston moveable within the housing and a cap adapted to activate the applicator. The applicator is self-setting and auto-triggering, which allows the applicator to be used by patient's having neither the strength, nor the manual dexterity to pre-set and activate other types of applicator devices.

Active agents (or drugs) are most conventionally administered either orally or by injection. Unfortunately, many agents are completely ineffective or have radically reduced efficacy when orally administered since they either are not absorbed or are adversely affected before entering the bloodstream and thus do not possess the desired activity. Further, orally administered agents typically do not take effect as quickly as injected agents. On the other hand, the direct injection of the agent into the bloodstream, while assuring no modification of the agent during administration, is a difficult, inconvenient, painful and uncomfortable procedure which sometimes results in poor patient compliance.
Hence, in principle, transdermal delivery provides for a method of administering active agents that would otherwise need to be delivered via hypodermic injection or intravenous infusion. Transdermal agent delivery offers improvements in both of these areas. Transdermal delivery, when compared to oral delivery, avoids the harsh environment of the digestive tract, bypasses gastrointestinal drug metabolism, reduces first-pass effects and avoids the possible deactivation by digestive and liver enzymes.
The word "transdermal", as used herein, refers to delivery of an active agent (e.g., a therapeutic agent, such as a drug or an immunologically active agent, such as a vaccine) through the skin to the local tissue or systemic circulatory system without substantial cutting or penetration of the skin, such as cutting with a surgical knife or piercing the skin with a hypodermic needle.
Transdermal agent delivery systems generally rely on passive diffusion to administer the agent, while active transdermal agent delivery systems rely on an external energy source, including electricity (e.g., iontophoresis) and ultrasound (e.g., phonophoresis), to deliver the agent. Passive transdermal agent delivery systems, which are more common, typically include an agent reservoir containing a high concentration of the agent. The reservoir is adapted to contact the skin, which enables the agent to diffuse through the skin and into the body tissues or bloodstream of a patient.
As is well known in the art, transdermal agent flux is dependent upon the condition of the skin, the size and physical/chemical properties of the agent molecule, and the concentration gradient across the skin. Because of the low permeability of the skin to many active agents, transdermal delivery has had limited applications. This low permeability is attributed primarily to the stratum corneum, the outermost skin layer, which consists of flat, dead cells filled with keratin fibers (i.e., keratinocytes) surrounded by lipid bilayers. This highly-ordered structure of the lipid bilayers confers a relatively impermeable character to the stratum corneum.
One common method of increasing the passive transdermal diffusional agent flux involves pre-treating the skin with, or co-delivering with the drug, a skin permeation enhancer. A permeation enhancer, when applied to a body surface through which the agent is delivered, enhances the flux of the agent therethrough. However, the efficacy of these methods in enhancing transdermal protein flux has, in several instances, been limited.
As stated, active transport systems use an external energy source to assist and, in most instances, enhance agent flux through the stratum corneum. One such enhancement for transdermal agent delivery is referred to as "electrotransport." Electrotransport uses an electrical potential, which results in the application of electric current to aid in the transport of the agent through a body surface, such as skin.
There also have been many techniques and systems developed to mechanically penetrate or disrupt the outermost skin layers thereby creating pathways into the skin in order to enhance the amount of agent being transdermally delivered. Early vaccination devices, known as scarifiers, generally included a plurality of tines or needles that were applied to the skin to and scratch or make small cuts in the area of application. The vaccine was applied either topically on the skin, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,726, or as a wetted liquid applied to the scarifier tines, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,453,926, 4,109,655, and 3,136,314.
There are, however, numerous disadvantages and drawbacks associated with scarifiers. A serious disadvantage in using a scarifier to deliver an agent is the difficulty in determining the transdermal agent flux and the resulting dosage delivered. Also, due to the elastic, deforming and resilient nature of skin to deflect and resist puncturing, the tiny piercing elements often do not uniformly penetrate the skin and/or are wiped free of a liquid coating of an agent upon skin penetration.
Additionally, due to the self-healing process of the skin, the punctures or slits made in the skin tend to close up after removal of the piercing elements from the stratum corneum. Thus, the elastic nature of the skin acts to remove the active agent liquid coating that has been applied to the tiny piercing elements upon penetration of these elements into the skin. Furthermore, the tiny slits formed by the piercing elements heal quickly after removal of the device, thus limiting the passage of the liquid agent solution through the passageways created by the piercing elements and in turn limiting the transdermal flux of such devices.
Other systems and apparatus that employ tiny skin piercing elements to enhance transdermal drug delivery are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,879,326, 3,814,097, 5,250,023, 3,964,482, Reissue U.S. Pat. No. 25,637, and PCT Publication Nos. WO 96/37155, WO 96/37256, WO 96/17648, WO 97/03718, WO 98/11937, WO 98/00193, WO 97/48440, WO 97/48441, WO 97/48442, WO 99/64580, WO 98/28037, WO 98/29298, and WO 98/29365; all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The disclosed systems and apparatus employ piercing elements of various shapes, sizes and arrays to pierce the outermost layer (i.e., the stratum corneum) of the skin. The piercing elements disclosed in these references generally extend perpendicularly from a thin, flat member, such as a pad or sheet. The piercing elements in some of these devices are extremely small, some having a microprojection length of only about 25–400 microns and a microprojection thickness of only about 5–50 microns. These tiny piercing/cutting elements make correspondingly small microslits/microcuts in the stratum corneum for enhancing transdermal agent delivery therethrough.
The disclosed systems typically include a reservoir for holding the active agent and a delivery system that is adapted to transfer the agent from the reservoir through the stratum corneum, such as by hollow tines of the device itself. Illustrative is the device disclosed in PCT Pub. WO 93/17754, which has a liquid agent reservoir.
As disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/045,842, which is fully incorporated by reference herein, it is also possible to have the active agent that is to be delivered coated on the microprojections or microprojection array instead of contained in a physical reservoir. This eliminates the necessity of a separate physical reservoir and developing a agent formulation or composition specifically for the reservoir.
When microprojection arrays are used to improve delivery or sampling of agent through the skin, consistent, complete, and repeatable penetration is desired. Manual application of a skin patch, having microprojections protruding from its skin-contacting side, often results in significant variation in puncture depth across the length and width of the patch. In addition, manual application results in large variations in puncture depth between applications due to the manner in which the user applies the array a microprojection array to the stratum corneum with an automatic device, which provides in a consistent and repeatable manner, stratum corneum piercing, not only over the length and width of the microprotrusion array, but also from application of one microprojection array to the next.
Some known spring loaded applicator devices for delivery of lancets for body fluid (e.g., blood) sampling are described in PCT Pub. No. WO 99/26539 and WO 97/42886. However, these devices are difficult to use because they require two-handed pre-setting of the applicator device prior to the application. In particular, the known spring loaded lancet applicators require either two sections of the device to be pulled apart for pre-setting or require one part of the device to be pulled apart for pre-setting or require one part of the device to be twisted with respect to another part of the device for pre-setting. In both of these motions, a two-handed pre-setting operation is required. Many of the patients using these devices possess neither the strength, nor the manual dexterity to pre-set these known applicator devices.
In U.S. application Ser. No. 09/976,763 a further spring loaded applicator, which is adapted to apply a microprojection array, is disclosed. The noted applicator includes a pre-setting mechanism that allows one-handed pre-setting of the applicator.
A drawback of the applicator is thus that the applicator still requires a separate step of manually pre-setting the device prior to use. It would thus be desirable to provide an applicator that is eliminates the step of manually pre-setting the applicator prior to use.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an applicator for applying a microprojection member or array to a patient that substantially reduces or eliminates the aforementioned drawbacks and disadvantages associated with prior art applicator devices.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an auto pre-setting applicator that eliminates the step of manually pre-setting the applicator prior to use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an auto pre-setting and auto triggering applicator that is adapted to apply a microprojection member or array to a patient.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an auto pre-setting and auto triggering applicator that applies microprojection arrays in a consistent and repeatable manner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an auto pre-setting and auto triggering for applying a microprojection array that is compact in design.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an auto pre-setting and auto triggering applicator for applying a microprojection array that requires minimal components and has an extended useful life.

Self-actuating applicator for microprojection array


A system configured for a format to control streaming of content, comprising: a content player module configured to enable a first user to request contents on a first computing device through search keywords on the content player module; request continuous play of the contents from pre-established station on the content player module, the content streaming service module configured to send symmetric encryption keys to content player module on the first computing device through a secure communication between first user and second user, content streaming service module configured to deliver the requested contents to content player module through a payload data, when the content player module starts playing the contents, content player module configured to connect to the content streaming service module to identify which content is being used, by whom, on what device and in which location for accurate accounting of used contents and use in fraud prevention heuristics.

Over the years, a variety of different approaches have been developed to detect and prevent the fraudulent use of the content. The content includes audios, videos, images, and websites, text (multimedia content) that is being used, for example a movie or an audio track. Nowadays, to gain client confidence and prevent revenue loss, a content owner desires an accurate and trustworthy way of detecting possible fraud. Growing popularity with online services, including social networking, mobile banking, has increased the incidence and expense of identity and digital content fraud online Existing systems asking for the user name, address, phone number, and e-mail address may not be sufficient to detect and determine a probable fraudulent content because such information may be altered, manipulated, fraudulently obtained, or simply false.
Content owners often have very little visibility into who is using the content and where the stream content is being used within the internet from digital streaming platforms (DSP's), and non-digital streaming platforms (DP's). Tracking, accounting, and deleting of content is poor and content owners and digital platforms are often defrauded from being correctly compensated, and collecting their usage meta data. Tracking and controlling of the content, if it exists, is reactive as opposed to being proactive. There are several short comings in the architecture of the most current digital content streaming infrastructures, and most current multimedia formats: media content and digital platforms are subject to fraud by being susceptible to illegal piracy, copyright infringement, and a spectrum of illegal manipulative tactics: ripping or downloading the original content into a copy for other usage purposes, offline download and cache misusages to prevent further subscription transactions, copy and pasting an image or text from the internet to a user's device, virtual and artificial machine generated click-bot, such as fake streaming a content to get compensated or manipulate the streaming numbers, device screen and sound recordings, third party software that block ads and watermarks from freemium model revenues, and account password sharing.
In the light of the aforementioned discussion, there exists a need for a system that allows significant reduction in possibility of fraud and provides precise and up-to-the-minute tracking, management, governance, and accounting of the content.

System and method for secure content streaming, content governance and streaming fraud prevention


A process for obtaining pure 1,3-butadiene from crude 1,3-butadiene by distillation is carried out in a dividing wall column in which a dividing wall is located in the longitudinal direction of the column to form an upper common column region, a lower common column region, a feed section and an offtake section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for obtaining pure 1,3-butadiene from crude 1,3-butadiene by distillation and to an apparatus for carrying out this process.
2. Description of the Background
On an industrial scale, 1,3-butadiene is generally obtained from the C4 fraction, i.e. from a mixture of hydrocarbons in which the C4-hydrocarbons, in particular 1-butene, i-butene and 1,3-butadiene, predominate. Apart from small amounts of C3- and C5-hydrocarbons, the C4 fraction generally comprises butynes, in particular 1-butyne (ethylacetylene) and butenyne (vinyl-acetylene). Here, a crude 1,3-butadiene, i.e. a mixture comprising from about 89 to 99.5% by weight of 1,3-butadiene, remainder impurities, is obtained initially. In order to meet specifications, this subsequently has to be purified further by distillation to give pure 1,3-butadiene. The specifications for pure 1,3-butadiene provide, in particular, for a minimum 1,3-butadiene content of 99.6% by weight and a maximum permissible propyne content of 10 ppm and 1,2-butadiene content of 20 ppm.
Owing to the low differences in the relative volatilities of the components, the isolation of crude 1,3-butadiene from the C4 fraction is a complicated distillation problem and is therefore generally carried out by extractive distillation.
The acetylenic C4 impurities, in particular ethylacetylene and vinylacetylene, can also be particularly advantageously converted into the desired product 1,3-butadiene by carrying out a selective hydrogenation before the extractive distillation, for example as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,313, or particularly advantageously by carrying out extractive distillation and selective hydrogenation over a heterogeneous catalyst in a single column, preferably a dividing wall column, or in thermally coupled columns. Such a process is described in the German Patent Application 10022465.2, which is not a prior publication and is hereby fully incorporated by reference into the disclosure of the present invention. However, the known processes for extractive distillation or extractive distillation and selective hydrogenation, for example as described in DE 10022465.2, initially give a 1,3-butadiene which does not yet meet specifications and is therefore referred to as crude 1,3-butadiene.
According to the prior art, purification of crude 1,3-butadiene by distillation to give pure 1,3-butadiene is carried out in two stages: In a first stage, a mixture of predominantly propyne and propadiene is taken off at the top of the column at a column pressure of about 7 bar, and in a second downstream distillation column, 1,2-butadiene and C5-hydrocarbons are separated off as bottom product at a pressure of about 4.5 bar. About half of the cis-2-butyne present in the crude 1,3-butadiene appears at the top of the second distillation column and about half appears at the bottom of this column. The desired product, namely pure 1,3-butadiene, is taken off at the top of the second distillation column.
EP-B 284 971 discloses thermally coupled operation of the two distillation columns. In the process of EP-B 284 971, too, the two distillation columns are operated at different pressures and thus each have to be equipped with their own vaporizer and condenser, resulting in only a slight reduction in energy consumption compared to the variant using two distillation columns which are not coupled thermally.
All known process variants for obtaining pure 1,3-butadiene from crude 1,3-butadiene by distillation started from the assumption that operation at two different pressures, with the pressure in the second distillation column being lower than that in the first distillation column, is absolutely necessary in view of the thermally sensitive dienes which tend to polymerize and also to achieve better condensability of the propyne/propadiene mixture at the top of the first distillation column.

Method and device for obtaining 1,3 pure butadiene from 1,3 raw butadiene by distillation


An optical navigation device may have an adaptive sleep mode for preventing unwanted scrolling inputs. A motion indicator may move a device between a sleep mode and an active mode. According to the sleep mode, a number of different sleep states are defined which have further reduced frame rates. The device may be only woken from the deeper sleep modes once repeated motion events are detected. This may prevent the device from being woken accidentally, while preserving the user experience.

Fingermice are increasingly being used on electronic devices, such as mobile phones, keyboards, remote controls, laptops and tablet computers, as a way for providing a scrolling input. A fingermouse typically comprises a light source, an image sensor, and a mousing surface. Radiation is emitted by the light source towards the mousing surface. A user slides a finger across the mousing surface, and the sensor images light reflected by ridges and valleys on the fingerprint of the finger. By comparing subsequent images of the fingerprint captured by the sensor, motion vectors can be extracted. These motion vectors can then be translated into a scrolling input, for example, by a processor external to the image sensor.
As it is necessary for the mousing surface to be accessible, it usually faces the user during normal operation. Therefore, as there is typically a line of sight between the mousing surface and the image sensor, ambient light (e.g. sunlight) may impinge on the image sensor. If the ambient illumination is constant, filtering can reduce its effects. However, moving objects above the mousing surface (e.g. a user's fingers, hands, arms or leaves on a tree) and their shadows can cause changes in the image captured by the image sensor, ultimately causing unwanted scrolling inputs. Similarly, even if the objects above the mousing surface remain substantially still, movement of the device in which the image sensor is housed (e.g. mobile phone) may cause the image to move across the sensor, again causing unwanted scrolling inputs.
One possible solution to reducing unwanted scrolling inputs is to decrease the depth of focus of the imaging optics (e.g. by increasing the aperture or decreasing F number). This reduces the region around the fingermouse in which objects can be captured by the image sensor in sharp focus. However, the amount of blurring is not typically sufficient to prevent unwanted scrolling inputs. Decreasing the depth of focus also requires increased manufacturing tolerances, which increases costs. In addition, increasing the aperture of the imaging optics would require a higher quality and more costly imaging system.
Typically, fingermouse navigation algorithms may require images captured by the sensor to be processed, and a metric for the "number of features" is generated from the image. If this metric is higher than a predetermined threshold, the motion detection algorithm is enabled; otherwise, the motion detection algorithm is disabled. Thus, another possible solution to the problem of unwanted scrolling inputs is to increase the predetermined threshold required to enable the motion detection algorithm. However, this may cause the fingermouse to be unreliable, particularly for users with less well defined fingerprints (e.g. windsurfers). Thus, it is desirable to develop an improved fingermouse that may reduce unwanted scrolling inputs.

STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LIMITED


A tensioning system includes a combined rope gripper and tension cylinder. A rope passes through the combined rope gripper and tension cylinder. Once the length and/or tension of the rope has been adjusted, a reel lock handle can be actuated to prevent further rotation of the reel. The combined rope gripper and tension cylinder can be actuated to hold the rope. The combined rope gripper and tension cylinder can also be actuated to reduce or prevent the release of tension in the rope.

This disclosure relates to systems and methods for tethering subsea Blow-Out-Preventers.
Known tensioning systems for tethering subsea Blow-Out-Preventers ("BOPs") have included high load capacity—on the order of tens of Metric Tons ("MTs"), reels that are used with high stiffness synthetic ropes, or in-line tensioners that are used with pre-cut ropes—either wire ropes or synthetic ropes. Each of these known tensioning systems has strengths and flaws. On the one hand, the reels and locking mechanisms disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,359,852 can allow adjusting the tension in the rope attached between each reel and the subsea BOP with a good resolution. Also, a broad range of rope length can be unwound from each reel, therefore allowing tethering the subsea BOP to anchors located at variable distances from the subsea BOP using a standard set of ropes. However, the tension in the rope tends to relax during use because the rope loops wound on the reel drum can move relative to other rope loops wound on the reel drum. In general, the longer the rope wound on the reel drum is, the easier the tension relaxes. On the other hand, in-line tensioners are structurally simpler than the reels and locking mechanisms disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,359,852. However, in-line tensioners do not usually allow tethering the subsea BOP to anchors located at variable distances from the BOP using a standard set of ropes because the ropes must be pre-cut based on the measured distance between the subsea BOP to the anchors. Also, it is difficult to reuse the ropes so pre-cut on a different subsea BOP.
Thus, there is a continuing need in the art for systems and methods for tethering subsea Blow-Out-Preventers.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for tethering subsea blow-out-preventers


Example embodiments relate to controlling detection time in photodetectors. An example embodiment includes a device. The device includes a substrate. The device also includes a photodetector coupled to the substrate. The photodetector is arranged to detect light emitted from a light source that irradiates a top surface of the device. A depth of the substrate is at most 100 times a diffusion length of a minority carrier within the substrate so as to mitigate dark current arising from minority carriers photoexcited in the substrate based on the light emitted from the light source.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) devices may estimate distances to objects in a given environment. For example, an emitter subsystem of a LIDAR system may emit near-infrared light pulses, which may interact with objects in the system's environment. At least a portion of the light pulses may be redirected back toward the LIDAR (e.g., due to reflection or scattering) and detected by a receiver subsystem. Conventional receiver subsystems may include a plurality of detectors and a corresponding controller configured to determine an arrival time of the respective light pulses with high temporal resolution (e.g., ˜400 ps). The distance between the LIDAR system and a given object may be determined based on a time of flight of the corresponding light pulses that interact with the given object.
The detectors of such a LIDAR system may include one or more photodetectors. Such photodetectors may be especially sensitive detectors (e.g., avalanche photodiodes (APDs)). In some examples, such photodetectors may even be capable of detecting single photons (e.g., single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs)). In some cases, such photodetectors can be arranged (e.g., through an electrical connection in series) into an array (e.g., as in a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)).

Controlling detection time in photodetectors


An apparatus for concealing an AC power strip and organizing power cords connected thereto includes a top section; a middle section comprising a bottom portion and a top portion, the top portion including an AC power strip receiving section, the bottom portion including at least one slot formed on a top rim thereof, the slot sized and configured to allow passage of the power cords; a bottom section, the bottom section being attachable to the middle section. The top section is slidingly and frictionally attachable to the middle section and the top section, middle section and bottom section provide an enclosure therewithin in a closed configuration for concealing the AC power strip and connected power cords.

Electronic equipment, such as office equipment and audio/visual equipment in use in both home and office settings, typically includes at least a power cord and several signal cords. To locate electronic equipment in an area of a home or office away from a wall power receptacle, an AC power strip is conventionally used to provide power to each of a plurality of electronic devices such as a personal computer, a monitor, a printer, a telephone, and a facsimile machine. The AC power strip may be located on a floor proximate the electronic devices with the power cords of the connected electronic devices running from the AC power strip along the floor and elsewhere to power the electronic devices.
This arrangement of power cords and the AC power strip typically results in the AC power strip and the connected power cords being disposed in an unsafe and unsightly manner with excess sections of cord creating "rat's nests" of cords. In cases where the AC power strip and the connected power cords are concealed, the AC power strip and power cords are oftentimes disposed under or behind desks and other furniture making access to the AC power strip and power cords difficult.
Various solutions to the problem of managing electronic device cords, and more particularly, electronic device power cords and associated sources of AC power have been proposed in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. D411,177 entitled "Housing for Mounting, Arranging and Securing Electrical Power Lines to a Computer" shows a wire open mesh basket having a plurality of brackets attached to inside and outside portions of the basket for wrapping and securing power cords therearound. A power strip is shown attached to the outside portion the mesh basket. However, this basket does not provide for concealment of either the power strip or the power cords.
Another solution is shown in U.S. Pat. No. D445,766 entitled "Housing for Mounting, Arranging and Securing Electrical Power Lines to a Computer". A wire open mesh basket includes a hinged lid and a plurality of brackets attached to inside portions of the basket. A power strip is shown attached to the inside portion of the basket. However, this basket does not provide for concealment of either the power strip or the power cords.
Other solutions include U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,479 entitled "Power Surge Protector", U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,892 entitled "Device for Electrically Powering a Plurality of User Items Provided With Their Own Electrical Feed and Data Transfer Cables, to at Least Partially Contain These Cables During Said Feed", U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,228 entitled "Electrical Station", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0130492 A1 entitled "Receptacle Having Electric Power Cord Box Installed Therein" and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0164545 entitled "Apparatus for Connecting and Organizing Cords and Cables". These solutions generally provide for a plurality of power receptacles and a space for storing excess lengths of power cords connected to the receptacles. However, these solutions do not provide for a means of concealing an AC power strip and connected power cords.
There is therefore a need in the art for an apparatus for concealing and AC power strip and organizing power cords connected thereto that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. There is also a need for an apparatus that provides space for storing excess lengths of power cords connected to the concealed AC power strip. There is a further need for an apparatus that is compact and easy to use.

Apparatus for concealing an AC power strip and organizing power cords connected thereto


An apparatus and method capable of selecting and providing content while reducing the load on a user are provided. A controlled device is determined based on content identification information. Control information corresponding to the determined controlled device is generated and output to, for example, a remote controller, and device control is performed based on a control signal from the remote controller. The user can output and view content without performing processing necessary to output the content, such as processing on a control device, a channel operation to the control device, and searching for the content storage location. Further, content cards recording content information are displayed as a card group and content information of a card at a position of a cursor is displayed.

The present invention relates to a device control processing apparatus and method, a display processing apparatus and method, and a computer program for controlling a television receiver, a display device such as a display, and other various electronic devices to allow a user to efficiently select and output a content item while reducing the load on the user in selecting a content item and controlling the devices.
With the recent prevalence of data communication networks, so-called home networks in which, even at home, home electric devices, computers, and other peripheral devices are connected to a network so that these devices can communicate with one another have become increasingly popular. Home networks allow network-connected devices communicating with one another to share the data processing functions of the devices and allow content to be transmitted and received between the devices, thus providing usability and convenience for users. In the future, home networks will become more prevalent.
For example, ten or so years ago, the only networks connected to the home were terrestrial television broadcasting networks and telephone lines. Digital products, such as personal computers (PCs) and CD players, were not available at home, and an in-home network merely allowed connecting a television to a VTR to record a television program or connecting audio equipment.
Recently, however, "home network (customer network)" systems making use of intranet technology, such as a LAN, which has been developed mainly for business purposes have rapidly attracted attention. Navigation systems (EPG (Electronic Program Guide) systems) having a program guide function, called EPG, for providing information to users and guiding user operations, have been developed by broadcasting companies, such as CS broadcasting companies and CATV companies, and have been available to users.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-313291 (Patent Document 1) discloses a structure that allows selection of television programs (content) using program guide information provided by an EPG system without resorting to external information from a television program schedule in the newspaper, a television guide magazine, etc.
Recently, there also has been put into practice a structure that allows a user to access electronic devices in a house even from outside the house via a portable terminal using a home network and an external network, such as the Internet, to perform services. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-168471 (Patent Document 2) discloses a system for controlling various devices, such as a home air conditioner, using a terminal having a wireless communication function.
On the other hand, there have been a wide variety of content services available for users. For example, television broadcasts have been available via various data delivery methods, such as ground waves, CS and BS satellite broadcasting, and cable TVs, and video and music delivery services have also been increasingly available via the Internet or telephone lines. Content has also been increasingly provided via media, such as CDs, DVDs, and MDs.
However, due to the development of information devices and the diversification of content, the load on a user in selecting content by operating devices has increased. For example, a user needs to select one of a plurality of channels to watch TV. The number of CS broadcast channels ranges over 100 or more. A user needs to perform an operation to select a desired program from multiple broadcast programs.
Recent hard disk video recorders or DVD recorders that have become popular have a large data capacity. A large number of broadcast programs recorded by a user are stored in a DVD or an HD, and the number of recordings increases over time. In selecting data (content, programs) from such large-capacity data storage means, the user also needs to perform an operation to select desired data from a large volume of data.
Moreover, in a home network environment in which various information devices are connected, content is stored in not only a PC and a hard disk video recorder but also a home server, and a user needs to select a desired content item from multiple content items available from the multiple network-connected devices.
Therefore, a problem occurs in that the diversification and increase of information devices, media, and content providing services cause users to spend much time and labor in selecting content to be used.
Traditionally, a user needs to distinctly recognize an appropriate device to be operated and to operate the device, e.g., a television for television program application, a DVD player for DVD application, a CD player designed for music application, or a PC, a portable telephone, and a PDA designed for homepage application. For example, when a CS tuner and a hard disk video recorder are connected to or integrated into a television, there are three video content types the user can browse on the television: terrestrial broadcasts, CS channels, and video content stored in the hard disk video recorder.
These three different input content types are individually supported by three devices. Thus, the user needs to operate the CS tuner when he/she desires to view CS channel broadcasts. When the user desires to view the video content stored in the hard disk video recorder, he/she needs to operate the hard disk video recorder and further needs to perform an input switching operation on the television. Even if the channel of the CS tuner is set, the desired channel broadcast cannot be viewed until the input of the television is switched to the CS tuner. As such, multiple devices in the home increases the kinds of devices available for the user although it is necessary to understand the device configuration to enjoy content, which places a heavy load on the user.
Also in selecting one channel to be viewed from a plurality of terrestrial, BS, and CS channels, it takes a long time to search all broadcast programs by, for example, sequentially switching the channels, which places a load on the user.
There is a scroll bar serving as a screen display processor with an improved-efficiency selection operation of display data. The scroll bar allows data, such as motion pictures, still images, and text data, to be displayed on a screen. If all data is not on the screen, only a portion on which the user's attention is focused is visible, and the scroll bar is operated to switch the display to view a hidden portion.
Such a scroll bar mechanism has a problem in that although it is understandable which part of the entire data his/her focused portion displayed on the screen is located in, no information about the hidden elements is obtained.


Techniques for providing a number of precisely synchronized clock signals at a number of different frequencies at each of a plurality of locations on a chip. A number of synchronized clock signals are generated at an initial location on the chip, and distributed to the various locations with relative delay times that are equal to within a precision, which may be less than the ultimate precision required. A single synchronization signal is also generated at the initial location, and is distributed to the remote locations with delay times that are equal to each other to a precision that corresponds to the precision required of all the clock signals. Separate synchronization circuitry at each remote location receives the clock signals and the synchronization signal, and resynchronizes the clock signals to the precision with which the synchronization signal was distributed. The set of lines is configured as a tree structure. The clock generation system has a cycle-down mode wherein all the clock frequencies are divided by a desired divisor. The frequency division occurs in response to a cycle-down signal, but the different clock frequencies are not switched until all have their rising edges aligned. The result is that the state of the machine is preserved when the clocks are cycled down.

The present invention relates generally to integrated circuit devices (chips) and more specifically to techniques for distributing and synchronizing clock signals on a chip.
As semiconductor chips grow larger and faster, the need to control the timing becomes increasingly important. Many different functional portions of the chip are designed to be operating in a known time relationship to each other, and it is a fundamental assumption that a given clock signal at one portion of the chip will be substantially synchronized with the same clock signal at another portion of the chip. To the extent that the possibility of different delay times was recognized, a typical way of achieving a measure of synchronization was to attempt to equalize the various clock distribution lines. This is feasible, but becomes difficult when a large number of clock signals need to be synchronized at a number of locations on a large chip.
A further problem with high-speed processor chips is that they dissipate more power. While suitable heat sinks can avoid problems associated with the heat generated, the problem of power consumption remains. This can be a major issue with portable computers which run off a battery.

Clock distribution system for an integrated circuit device


Roofing granules are prepared by coating granule cores with a coating material including composite nanoparticles and curing the coating layer to dissolve the aggregate binder and disperse the nanoparticles in the coating.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to asphalt roofing shingles, protective granules for such shingles, and processes for making such granules and shingles.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Pigment-coated mineral rocks are commonly used as color granules in roofing applications to provide aesthetic as well as protective functions to the asphalt shingles. Dark blotches or streaks sometimes appear on the surfaces of asphalt shingles, especially in warmer humid climates, because of the growth of algae and other microorganisms. The predominant species responsible is Gloeocapsa magma, a blue-green algae. Eventually, severe discoloration of the entire roof can occur.
Various methods have been used in an attempt to remedy the roofing discoloration. For example, topical treatments with organic algaecides have been used. However, such topical treatments usually have only short term effectiveness, typically one to two years. Another approach is to add algaecidel metal oxides to the color granule coatings. This approach is likely to provide longer protection, for example, as long as ten years.
Companies, including Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) and GAF Materials Corporation/ISP Mineral Products Inc., have commercialized several algaecide granules that are effective in inhibiting algae growth.
A common method used to prepare algae-resistant (AR) roofing granules generally involves two major steps. In the first step, metal oxides such as cuprous oxide and/or zinc oxide are added to a clay and alkali metal silicate mixture. The mixture in turn is used to coat crushed mineral rocks. The mixture is rendered insoluble on the rock surfaces by firing at high temperatures, such as about 500° C., to provide a ceramic coating. In the second step, the oxide-covered rocks are coated with various color pigments to form colored algae-resistant roofing granules. The algae-resistant granules, alone, or in a mixture with conventional granules, are then used in the manufacture of asphalt shingles using conventional techniques. The presence of the algae-resistant granules confers algae-resistance on the shingles.
Roofing granules typically comprise crushed and screened mineral materials, which are subsequently coated with a binder containing one or more coloring pigments, such as suitable metal oxides. The binder can be a soluble alkaline silicate that is subsequently insolubilized by heat or by chemical reaction, such as by reaction between an acidic material and the alkaline silicate, resulting in an insoluble colored coating on the mineral particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,676 discloses roofing granules containing zinc, zinc oxide, or zinc sulfide, as an algaecide and fungicide.
Algae resistant shingles are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,664 assigned to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co., which discloses the use of a blend of algae-resistant granules and non-algae-resistant granules. The algae-resistant granules have an inner ceramic coating comprising cuprous oxide, and an outer seal coating initially devoid of copper.
Algae resistant roofing granules are also disclosed in U.S. Patent Publications 2004-0258835 A1, 2004-0255548 A1, 2007-0148342 A1, 2007-0148340 A1, and 2008-0118640 A1.
Nanoparticles are known to have interesting properties due to their small particle size and their large surface area and, in some cases, high aspect ratios. For instance, nano titanium dioxide and nano zinc oxide are widely used as UV blockers or for self-cleaning surfaces due to their photocatalytic effect; and nano-silver particles have been used as biocides in textiles, medical devices, etc. However, to incorporate the nanoparticles in an inorganic coating matrix has been a challenge, particularly when considering dispersing and handling such particles of nano-size. In addition, nanoparticles can easily become airborne and easily absorbed by the operator handling the nanoparticles, thus posing potentially serious but currently unknown health or safety issues.
Nanoparticles that are pre-dispersed in liquid medium are commercially available. However, they may not be suitable for some coating applications due to the presence of organic dispersants. Also, such pre-dispersed nanoparticles may require additional processing at a higher cost for use in some coatings applications. One approach to associate nanoparticles into micro-size particles is described in European patent application EP 1889810 A1 and in U.S. Patent Publication 2009/0131517 A1, which disclose dispersing nanoparticles of silver and/or copper and/or their oxides in silica using a flame spray pyrolysis technique to provide antibacterial and antifungal materials.
There is a continuing need for algae-resistant roofing products having algaecide leaching rates that can be controlled so that the roofing products can be tailored for specific local conditions.

Composite nanoparticles for roofing granules, roofing shingles containing such granules, and process for producing same


The spindle and the bearings for the spindle in a milling, boring or other machine are cooled by streams of air which is drawn from the surrounding atmosphere by one or more turbine wheels. The turbine wheel or wheels are rotated by the spindle or by a pulley which drives the spindle, and the air streams are caused to withdraw heat from one or more tubes which are adjacent and/or surround the bearings for the spindle. The feature that the turbine wheel or wheels are driven at a speed which is proportional to the RPM of the spindle ensures that the cooling action is also proportional to such speed.

The invention relates to a method of cooling rotary spindles and/or other sensitive parts of machines, e.g., to a method of cooling the spindle and the antifriction bearing or bearings in a milling machine, a boring or drilling machine or another machine tool. The invention also relates to improvements in machines wherein the spindles and/or other parts are cooled in accordance with the novel method.
Adequate cooling of rotary parts of certain recent types of machines, for example, adequate cooling of spindles and antifriction bearings in modern milling or boring machines and/or certain other machine tools, presents numerous problems. Accumulation of substantial quantities of heat in the column or head of a machine wherein the spindle and its bearings are mounted in the head can result in undesirable thermally induced expansion of the spindle with attendant reduction of the accuracy of finish of the workpieces. Moreover, overheating of the spindle and of its bearings can affect the ability of the machine to repeatedly treat workpieces, including shorter or longer series of successively treated workpieces, with the same degree of accuracy and reproducibility.
In many conventional machines wherein the spindle is driven by an electric motor through one or more gear transmissions or other types of transmissions, the head or column of the machine as well as the spindle and its bearings are cooled by oil or another lubricant which is used to lubricate the bearing or bearings and the transmission or transmissions as well as to withdraw heat from the column and from the spindle. The withdrawal of heat from the column and from the spindle is effected by a heat exchanger which causes the confined supply of oil to exchange heat with air or with another coolant, such as Freon (trademark). The heat exchanger contributes to the bulk and complexity as well as to the initial and maintenance cost of the cooling system and of the entire machine. Moreover, cooling systems which employ oil and means for effecting an exchange of heat between oil and air or another fluid coolant are satisfactory only when the rotational speed of the spindle does not exceed a relatively low value, such as approximately 3000 RPM.
Certain recent types of machines employ spindles which receive torque directly from high-speed electric motors capable of rotating the spindles at speeds of up to and even in excess of 4000 RPM. Such motors are often equipped with electronically operated speed regulating means which can rapidly accelerate the rotor of the motor and the spindle of a machine to a speed of at least 4000 RPM. The establishment of direct connection between the output element of a motor and the spindle of a milling, boring or other machine renders it possible to dispense with the gear transmission(s) and/or with other types of transmissions which are used in heretofore known machines to transmit torque from the motor to the spindle. This, in turn, renders it possible to dispense with means for lubricating and cooling the transmission or transmissions. Thus, if such machines continue to employ supplies of lubricant, the lubricant is used solely to perform a cooling action. It was believed that such cooling and lubricating means cannot be omitted because a relatively long spindle which is mounted in several antifriction bearings to rotate in the housing of a machine tool at speeds of up to 4000 RPM invariably causes the development of localized overheating, especially in the regions of the antifriction bearings. The bearings are likely to be overheated even if they contain encapsulated supplies of grease or another lubricant, i.e., even if the bearings are of the type requiring no outside lubrication in actual use. It has been found that bearings which contain encapsulated supplies of grease or another lubricant are still likely to be overheated in a machine wherein they are called upon to surround portions of a spindle or an analogous rotary part which is driven at speeds of up to and even in excess of 4000 RPM. Thus, it is necessary to adequately cool the spindle and the bearings in a machine wherein the bearings contain encapsulated supplies of grease or another lubricant and the spindle receives torque directly from a motor, i.e., without the interposition of one or more transmissions which employ gears and require continuous or frequent lubrication. If the cooling is effected by resorting to a liquid, a supply of such liquid must be confined in and circulated within the housing for the sole purpose of preventing overheating of the housing, bearings and spindle, i.e., such liquid need no longer perform any lubricating action. The installation of liquid-containing cooling systems in a machine tool or in another machine contributes excessively to the bulk and complexity as well as to the initial and maintenance cost of such machines.

Machine tool and method of cooling rotary parts thereof


A gasketless weather-resistant electrical outlet cover assembly includes a cover plate with a top wall and an aperture for exposing an electrical device and a door having a top wall which is hingedly connected to the cover plate top wall. The hinged connection includes at least one hook projecting up from the cover plate top wall, each hook having a slot extending into the space under the hook. The hinge connection also includes at least one laterally extending hinge pin on the door for pivotal engagement in the space under a hook on the cover plate through the slot therein so that the door can swing between a closed position wherein the cover covers the aperture in the cover plate to an open position wherein the door is swung away from the cover plate to expose that aperture. A cam is provided on the top wall of the door which is shaped to shift the door relative to the plate when the door is moved beyond a selected amount toward its closed position so that each hinge pin is raised above the corresponding hook slot. Preferably, each hinge pin is flattened so that it cannot be slid through the hook slot unless the door is in its fully open position. Interfitting latch members may be provided at the bottoms of the cover plate and door, respectively, which members interfit when the door is in its closed position to latch the door in that position.

Weather-proof and weather-resistant covers are used in conjunction with electrical boxes or other housings to protectively enclose various electrical devices. Such covers are particularly useful to afford ready access to exterior electrical outlets while protecting them from moisture and weather.
The typical electrical outlet box is generally rectangular and is closed on five sides and is recessed into or mounted exterially of a structure so that its open side is accessible. The box is typically sized to receive a standard electrical device such as a duplex outlet or switch and the device is secured to the box with its front face substantially flush with the open face of the box. An opening in a wall of the box permits passage of electrical leads for connecting the device to an electrical source or to another such fixture.
The cover assembly of the general type with which we are concerned here includes a cover plate which is co-extensive with the open side of the outlet box. That plate is provided with one or more apertures shaped and located so as to expose the working parts of the device contained in the box while isolating the electrically live parts of the device. The cover is usually secured in place by one or more threaded fasteners extending through an opening in the cover and turned down into a threaded hole in the box or in the device contained therein.
The usual weather-proof cover assembly also includes one or more doors or lids hinged to the cover plate to protect the electrical fixture mounted in the associated box from the weather when the fixture is not in use. In some cases, a single door protects an entire fixture, but sometimes, each aperture in the cover plate has its own door so that, for example, one receptacle of a duplex outlet can be in use while the other outlet receptacle is protected from the weather by an overlying door. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,134,516 and 4,342,493.
The prior weather-proof cover assemblies of this general type are usually relatively complex structures composed of several parts which are fairly difficult to make and to assemble. Some require separate hinge parts to connect each aperture door to the cover plate. Some require separate springs to bias each door to its closed position against the cover plate. During assembly, all of these various parts must be arranged and secured at their proper locations. Thus, all of the drilling, forming and connecting steps required to fabricate the prior box covers makes them relatively expensive hardware items.
Also, most prior outdoor cover assemblies are disadvantaged in that they provide protection against the weather only when the associated electrical fixtures are not in use, i.e., when the cover plate doors are closed. As soon as the doors are swung open to provide access to the associated electrical device, those fixtures are exposed to the elements and become vulnerable to damage from the elements.
However, there do exist some cover assemblies which do protect the associated electrical devices, usually electrical outlets, from the weather when the fixtures are in use. These known assemblies have hinged lids or doors which are deep enough to provide clearance for a plug or plugs plugged into the electrical outlet being protected by the cover assembly. Those assemblies also include openings for accommodating the electrical cords terminated by the plug or plugs, which openings are located at the bottoms of the assemblies so that the openings do not admit rainwater. Examples of such weather-resistant plug-enclosing outlet cover assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,510,745; 4,424,407; 4,803,307 and 4,874,906.
The above plug-enclosing outlet cover assemblies are disadvantaged somewhat in that the hinged doors or lids are not connected positively to the cover plates of those assemblies. Consequently, it is relatively easy for the doors or lids to become separated from the cover plates, with the result that it is relatively easy to avoid using the doors or lids so that the associated electrical devices are left unprotected. Also, being easily separated from the plates, the doors or lids can become lost.
Still further, the prior plug-enclosing cover assemblies all require special seals or gaskets between the doors and the cover plates to prevent infiltration of water when the doors are closed. The seals add to the overall cost of the assemblies and also they can deteriorate over time and loose their sealing ability, particularly if the associated electrical outlets have to accessed repeatedly.
Finally, prior plug-receiving outlet covers are composed of many different parts which are just as expensive to make as the parts of the prior covers discussed at the outset which do not protect the associated fixture when the fixture is being used.

Weather-resistant electrical outlet cover assembly


Labels for displaying information and particularly well suited for automated application to containers having curved outer surfaces, and methods for forming the labels. The labels each include a multipanel leaflet, a laminate cover and adhesive for securing the label to the container. In certain embodiments, a leaflet adhesive patch is disposed on a lower surface of the leaflet and a laminate adhesive underlies a portion of the laminate cover extending beyond the leaflet. An adhesive-free gap is defined between the leaflet and laminate adhesives. In a further embodiment, first and second leaflet adhesive patches are disposed on lower surfaces of the leaflet. An adhesive-free gap is defined between the first and second leaflet adhesive patches. In each embodiment, the respective adhesive-free gap facilitates proper application of the label to the curved container surface.

In the packaging of certain chemicals and pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer is often required or desires to provide a considerable amount of information concerning the chemical or pharmaceutical. In the case of pharmaceuticals, this is required by government regulations, however, the occasion may also arise, either separate from or in conjunction with government regulations, to provide the doctor, pharmacist or user with instructions on how the product should be used, what the product is, and safety precautions which should be followed in the use of the product. Sometimes the literature, which is generally in the form of folded leaflets, is placed within a box along with the container carrying the chemical or pharmaceutical (referred to as "inserts"). The placement of leaflets within the box is expensive and a cumbersome operation to perform. Also, it is difficult to insure by later inspection that the proper literature has been inserted in the proper package. Most all products are packaged in outer cartons and many are not compatible with inserts. Further, the use of folded cartons is under scrutiny by environmental groups, as involving excessive packaging. In an effort to meet this challenge, many companies are looking at ways to eliminate folding cartons that carry containers inside.
A different approach to solving this problem has developed over the last several years in which the folded literature is releasably attached to the face of the container (referred to as "outserts"), either directly to the container itself, or to a base label which, in turn, is secured to the container. The literature may then be removed by the customer. In such cases, the portion of the label remaining must carry both an "identification" of the product, for example, information such as trademark, manufacturer, etc., as well as certain "statutory information" (for example, lot number and expiration date).
Thus, in order to meet the objectives of such labeling techniques, certain criteria must be met. First of all, the portion of the label which remains after the folded literature product is removed must contain both the identification of the product, as well as the statutory information concerning the lot number and expiration date. Further, after the literature leaflet is assembled or affixed to the base label, the indicated area for statutory information concerning lot number and expiration date must be accessible for stamping or printing by the pharmaceutical company and visible to the consumer in addition to the identification of the product. The folded leaflet portion remains affixed to the label portion until the customer (doctor, pharmacist, consumer) desires its removal. It is critical that the proper literature must be affixed to the proper base label. Finally, all of the above criteria must be accomplished in a manufacturing technique that insures quality and is cost-effective.
Examples of labels designed to eliminate the separate base panel are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,616 to Cowan and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,207,746 and 5,263,743, each to Jones. While the Jones labels and similar known label constructions are well suited for many applications, they suffer from certain significant drawbacks and limitations in manufacture, application, and functionality.
Preferably, the labels are provided as a web comprising a succession of labels disposed on a release liner. It is often desirable to manufacture the labels using "multiple up" books or leaflets. That is, multiple up leaflets including two or more leaflets each are applied to a wide web. The multiple up leaflets are thereafter die cut to form the individual leaflets with strips of waste material disposed between the leaflets of each multiple up leaflet. If the leaflets are directly adhered to the release liner by an adhesive layer, as in the case of the Jones labels, then special provision must be made for removal of the waste portions. Such special provision, if feasible, is typically cumbersome and adds time and expense to the manufacture of the labels. Further, in manufacturing Jones type labels, the die cuts for forming tear lines for removal of selected panels must be accurately placed to avoid cutting through adjacent folds where tear lines are not intended.
When applying leaflets according to the Jones designs to containers, there is occasionally a tendency for the leaflet to lodge against or hang up on the applicator as it is transferred across turn bars and the like. Further, because only a relatively narrow strip of adhesive may feasibly be provided to hold closed the leaflet disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,746 to Jones, there exists a substantial risk of the label becoming unfolded during application.
After a label according to either design has been applied to a container, the paper stock from which the label is formed may be subjected to tearing and/or abrasive forces, for example when the container is dropped into a packing crate. The label may be torn to the extent that it is allowed to unfold prematurely.
The Jones type labels and many similar labels require a certain degree of dexterity on the part of the end user in order to open the labels. Also, once the label has been opened, the panels other than the base panel must be removed or otherwise allowed to dangle from the container. In many applications it is preferable that the user have the option of reclosing the label.
Thus, there exists a need for a multiple panel package label which resists tearing and abrasion. There exists a need for such a package label which has greater integrity. Further, there exists a need for a package label which allows for resealability and provides easy access to the multiple panels thereof. There exists a need for a package label as described above which may be efficiently and cost effectively manufactured, and, particularly, which lends itself to manufacture using multiple up leaflets.
One problem commonly encountered with extended text labels is that, because of the thickness of the extended text label, it is often difficult to apply the labels to round containers. When the label is applied to the round container, a substantial differential is created between the inner diameter of the label (i.e., essentially the outer surface of the container) and the outer diameter of the label (i.e., the outer surface of the laminate cover). The thicker the leaflet and the tighter the diameter of the container, the greater the differential will be. As a result, the laminate cover will be pulled overly tight as the label is applied. Such overtightening causes buckling of the laminate cover and may even cause the label to detach from or fail to fully attach to the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,243 to Van Veen and U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,239 to Anderson each disclose multipanel labels adapted for application to curved surfaces. Each of the labels disclosed includes one or more self-adhesive base labels to which a leaflet or booklet is adhered. The provision of such base labels increases the material costs of the labels and requires a relatively complicated manufacturing process. In particular, the booklets or leaflets must be properly registered with the base labels. Further, the base labels and the adhesive positioned between the base labels and the corresponding booklets or leaflets substantially add to the overall thickness of the label and, hence, the inner diameter/outer diameter differential.
Thus, there exists a need for a label having the features, characteristics and benefits discussed above, and further being well-suited for automated application to round containers. Moreover, such labels should be cost effective and convenient to manufacture.

Self-adhesive extended text label having laminate cover and adhesive-free gap


Disclosed are soft polymer compositions comprising an ethylene/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer and a crystalline polyolefin, such as polypropylene homopolymers or polypropylene copolymers, wherein the ethylene/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer has a higher melt viscosity than the polyolefin. Also disclosed are such compositions modified by materials that improve the scratch-and-mar properties of the blends, the preparation and use of these compositions in such processes as extrusion and injection molding, and articles made from these compositions.

Blends of an ethylene/alkyl acrylate copolymer with an ethylene/propylene copolymer having a melting point greater than 100° C., or polypropylene with an ethylene/ethyl acrylate copolymer in the presence of a peroxide have been disclosed. See, e.g., Japanese Patent Application JP6329744A and U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,656.
Thermoplastic elastomer compositions made by dynamic crosslinking have also been disclosed. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,544 and EP0964890 B1.
It is desirous to develop a new composition that maintains the preparation simplicity of an unmodified blend, but has an improved high temperature performance approaching that achievable in compositions where the compositions have been reactively modified by a crosslinking process.

Soft polymer compositions having improved high temperature properties


A TV receiver with built-in multiple functions such as TV, PIP, and VCR functions, is disclosed. The TV receiver processes a PIP signal in response to switching control by a microcomputer without using a separate tuner for PIP processing, and causes picture and audio signals to be selected for main and subscreen displays by controlling switches using a single microcomputer.

Korean Patent Application 91-22626, filed on Dec. 11, 1991, is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a TV receiver with built-in multiple functions, and more particularly, to a TV receiver incorporating a broadcasting satellite (hereinafter, termed "BS") decoder, a picture in picture feature (hereinafter, termed "PIP") and a video cassette recorder (hereinafter, termed "VCR"). The functions of these features are capable of being performed with a minimum number of tuners and a microcomputer (hereinafter, termed "MICOM").
Generally, consumer audio and video products tend to be complex; i.e. the product contains its related functions and devices internally. In the case of a TV receiver, it is becoming common to include therein a built-in BS decoder, a built-in VCR, and/or built-in PIP.
However, in case of a TV receiver with built-in BS decoder, PIP and VCR, it has been necessary to incorporate separate tuners for PIP functioning, BS decoding and TV reception, respectively, so that the circuit becomes complicated, and the cost of the product becomes high.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-299582 illustrated in FIG. 1, herein a TV receiver which includes BS and terrestrial broadcasting and discloses a technology providing a simple operation using a single remote controller.
The conventional receiver comprises an electric power source, a remote control decoder 15 supplied with power from the electric power source, a control MICOM 16, a character generator 49 coupled to the control MICOM 16 in accordance with a controlling signal from a remote controller 14, and a TV/Character interface circuit 33 coupled to the character generator 49.
The system is capable of presenting a clock display and a channel number display and is capable of inputting at least a TV picture signal and a BS picture signal to a video selector and picture cutting circuit at the same time. The arrangement of the video selector, picture cutting circuit and the TV/Character interface circuit 33, sequentially, results in a receiver that receives BS and terrestrial broadcasting and is capable of receiving simply BS and terrestrial broadcasting by a remote controller.
The receiver can receive a signal of BS and TV broadcasting, but it does not include diclosure of a signal processing technique for VCR and PIP. Accordingly, the prior art TV receiver does not match the trend of increasingly complex products being generally marketed at present.

PIP main and subscreen selection from among TV, BS, and VCR playback signals


A hydraulic control device for an automatic transmission comprises an engagement element pressure control section for controlling an engagement element pressure, engagement elements supplied with the engagement element pressure, and an oil pressure switches provided in oil supply paths of the engagement element pressure. The plural gear positions are achieved by engaging or disengaging the engagement elements. The engagement element pressure control section controls the engagement element pressure with a first gain when the engagement elements are in the shifting state and controls the engagement element pressure with a second gain when the engagement elements are in the engagement state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydraulic control device for an automatic transmission.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An automatic transmission has a transmission mechanism that is comprised of rotational elements such as planetary gear sets and engagement elements such as clutches and brakes that engage and disengage the rotational elements. The engagement elements are respectively actuated by oil pressure, and a plurality of gear positions are obtained by engaging and disengaging the engagement elements in predetermined combinations.
FIG. 13 shows a hydraulic circuit of an oil pressure that is supplied to the engagement elements.
The hydraulic circuit generating an engagement element pressure Pc that is supplied to an engagement element 60 is constituted by a regulating valve 62 for regulating a line pressure generated by a not-shown oil pump by means of pressure reduction control and outputting as an output pressure Po and a switching valve 61 for switching the output pressure Po generated by the regulating valve 62 to the line pressure and outputting as the engagement element pressure Pc to the engagement element 60.
The regulating valve 62 uses a solenoid pressure (SOL pressure) and the output pressure Po as operation signal pressures and regulates the line pressure from zero pressure to a maximum pressure.
In the switching valve 61, one end of a spool is biased by a spring 63, and the output pressure Po is applied to the other end of the spool. If a pressing force generated by the output pressure Po from the regulating valve 62 exceeds a pressing force generated by the spring 63, the switching valve 61 is a valve that switches to take a position to supply the line pressure to the engagement element 60.
Therefore, as seen from oil pressure characteristics of the engagement element pressure Pc shown in FIG. 14, a gain is controlled by a small proportional characteristics till the engagement element pressure Pc reaches a set switching pressure Pco, and if the engagement element pressure Pc becomes higher than the set switching pressure Pco, the gain instantly rises to reach the line pressure by a switching operation of the switching valve 61.
In short, an accurate oil pressure control can be performed by proportional characteristics of a small gain in the shift transition period, and the engagement element pressure Pc is changed to the line pressure after shift termination, whereby torque capacity required for keeping engagement can be ensured (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-12588).
If oil pressure is supplied at the time of requirement of drain of oil pressure or is drained at the time of requirement of supply of oil pressure due to a failure of a hydraulic control device, clutches or brakes are engaged or disengaged inversely with control of the hydraulic control device to be brought into an interlocked state or a neutral state. However, an oil pressure switch 65 for detecting oil pressure condition of the engagement element pressure Pc is provided to a supply oil path for supplying the engagement element pressure Pc to the engagement element 60, whereby supply or drain of the oil pressure is detected so that a control to avoid an improper supply or drain of the oil pressure can be performed.
However, in this conventional hydraulic control device for the automatic transmission, once the engagement element is engaged, line pressure is supplied directly to the engagement element. Oil pressure including hydraulic vibration acts on the engagement element, and an effective value of the oil pressure including vibration actually determines the torque transmission capacity of the clutch. Therefore, if hydraulic vibration occurring due to the structure of the oil pump is included in the line pressure, the hydraulic vibration is directly applied to the oil pressure switch.
A mean value of the oil pressure including vibration is called an effective pressure. In the case of high-frequency hydraulic vibration, even if the effective pressure of the oil pressure applied to the engagement element is low, a momentary high pressure exceeding an allowable pressure which is allowed as an input oil pressure to the oil pressure switch acts on that oil pressure switch due to action of the hydraulic vibration. Since the oil pressure switch and peripheral hydraulic circuits thereof are configured to have a high responsiveness, the direct application of the hydraulic vibration exceeding the allowable pressure to the oil pressure switch causes a failure thereof.

Hydraulic control device for automatic transmission


A display includes a rotary molded base with an elongate protrusion located along the parting line of the molded base, and further includes a frame having a pair of elongate legs with shaped grooves therein, the protrusion and grooves being slideably engageable to securely retain the frame over the base. The base further includes a concavely shaped face for receiving a flexible panel therein. Multiple frames are engageable with the base. Also, an embodiment of a frame leg is provided for interconnecting two bases placed side-by-side. Also, an embodiment including an extrusion having a sectional shape adapted to facilitate forming the frame is provided.

The present invention pertains to display stands, and in particular to a display stand having a unique base, frame, and base-to-frame interconnection.
Increasingly, merchandisers are interested in display stands which are easy to assemble and use, but which provide the flexibility necessary to permit adaptation to various merchandising needs. For example, some merchandise is best displayed by use of brochures (e.g. large or bulky merchandise), while other merchandise is best displayed on rotating turntables (e.g. low cost jewelry) or lockable shelves (e.g. watches or expensive jewelry). Further, needs change as various items are displayed, thus necessitating the need to change the display stands to various types Also, it is desirable to exhibit product logos or other advertising information along with the products or items presented for viewing.


A spurious outlier detection-system is provided. The system includes a memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein and a processor configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to receive time-series data from one or more sensors and/or applications, process the time-series data to detect one or more change points based on a pre-defined cost function. The processor is configured to identify data chunks between the change points using pre-determined window sizes and to estimate smooth reconstructed values (SRVs) for each of the change point data chunks between two consecutive change points to identify one or more global outliers from the SRVs. The processor is configured to determine distribution of the global outliers using kernel density for each change point data chunk and identify one or more true outliers from the distribution of the global outliers based upon a skewness of the distribution.

A variety of sensors are utilized in different environments to track and monitor operations of applications/units/devices in such environments. For example, Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors may be used in manufacturing environments to monitor operations of equipment and/or detect any malfunction of equipment used in such environments. Typically, sensor data received from such sensors is high frequency time-series data with non-constant mean and variation.
An anomaly in IoT sensor data may be identified as an outlier and represents behaviour that deviates from normal plant or asset operations. For example, a number of sensors may be used to automate steel mills and to improve overall productivity and product quality. Outliers due to technical errors in sensor data from such environments can bring down the data quality. Typically, anomalies may be about less than 2-3% of such data. Such anomalies when correctly detected may be used as early warning systems to inform operators and maintenance technicians on equipment malfunctions & impending failure.
Contextual outliers or anomalies are especially valid for IoT data related to manufacturing where context is important to understand normal vs abnormal process behaviour. In operation, more than about 50% of these anomalies may be noisy signals that shift the scale between contextual versus spurious behaviour. Some of the current techniques to identify these outliers include broad global removal of noisy signals using simple statistical means. Such techniques are not robust and do not provide accurate detection and information about the outliers.

Spurious outlier detection system and method


In a signal receiver of GPS and a demodulation processing control method, since satellite signals to be transmitted respectively from multiple GPS satellites in the GPS system are received and the demodulation processings of satellite signals by the demodulator are time division controlled by the control circuit based on the demodulation timing with respect to satellite signals received respectively, demodulation processing can be executed even thougha demodulator corresponding to each of GPS is not provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal receiver of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and a demodulation processing control method, and more particularly, is suitably applied to such as a signal receiver of GPS for measuring the positioning of mobile units.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, in the GPS satellite signals to be transmitted respectively from the plural number of GPS satellites revolving about over the earth are received by the GPS signal receiver, and by analyzing said satellite signals received, the distance between said GPS signal receiver and each GPS satellite is obtained and based on this, the present position of the mobile unit is calculated.
The satellite signals to be transmitted from these GPS satellites are the signal spectrum diffused by the pseudo noise (PN) code formed of a series of codes of different types in each GPS satellite.
Accordingly, the GPS signal receiver can generate local PN codes corresponding respectively to multiple kinds of GPS satellites, and secures synchronism by matching the phases of the local PN codes generated with the phase of the PN code of the satellite signal. And after adding synchronism by tracking the satellite signal by applying an inverse spread spectrum processing, the GPS signal receiver demodulates the navigation message (such as orbit information for positioning measurement) from the GPS satellite.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the GPS signal receiver 1 receives satellite signals S1 to S4 to be transmitted from the plural number of the first GPS satellite 2 to the fourth GPS satellite 5 via a GPS antenna 6 and a signal receiver circuit 7, and supplies the satellite signal S1 to the first demodulator 8, the satellite signal S2 to the second demodulator 9, the satellite signal S3 to the third demodulator 10, and the satellite signal S4 to the fourth demodulator 11.
The first demodulator 8 to the fourth demodulator 11, after acquiring synchronism and adding synchronism to the satellite signals S1 to S4, applies the inverse spread spectrum processing, and demodulates the satellite signals S1 to S4. And as well as transmitting the demodulation result data S5 to S8 to the circuit of the latter stage (not shown in Fig.), the first demodulator 8 to the fourth demodulator 11 transmit these to the control circuit 12.
The control circuit 12 assumes the demodulation condition of the first demodulator 8 to the fourth demodulator 11 based on the demodulation result data S5 to S8 to be supplied from the first demodulator 8 to the fourth demodulator 11, and by supplying the demodulation control signals S11 to S14 according to said demodulation condition to the first demodulator 8 to the fourth demodulator 11, it controls the demodulation condition in the first demodulator 8 to the fourth demodulator 11.
With this arrangement, the GPS signal receiver 1 calculates the distance between multiple GPS satellites by demodulating satellite signals S1 to S4 from the first GPS satellite 2 to the fourth GPS satellite 5 at the first demodulator 8 to the fourth demodulator 11 in parallel respectively. And based on the distance relation between these, the current position will be measured.
In the GPS signal receiver 1 thus constructed, since synchronism acquisitions are conducted to satellite signals S1 to S4 from the first GPS satellite 2 to the fourth GPS satellite 5 respectively, it is required to have the same number of demodulators as the number of GPS satellites existing in the signal receivable range (the first demodulator 8 to the fourth demodulator 11) or more than that number of demodulators. And this has created a problem that the circuit construction has become large-sized.
Moreover, since the GPS signal receiver 1 operates the first demodulator 8 to the fourth demodulator 11 simultaneously in parallel as shown in FIG. 3B, it has created a problem that the consumption of electric power has increased.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the invention is to provide a signal receiver of GPS with small sized and consuming few electric power and demodulation processing control method.
The foregoing object and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of a signal receiver of GPS. Satellite signals to be transmitted are received from multiple satellites respectively in the GPS and the demodulation processing of the satellite signals by means of demodulation means is time division controlled based on the demodulation timing to each of said satellite signals received. In this way, the demodulation processing can be executed without providing the demodulator corresponding to each of satellites.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.


A reaction vessel for use in photoelectrochemical reactions includes as its reactive surface a metal oxide porous ceramic membrane of a catalytic metal such as titanium. The reaction vessel includes a light source and a counter electrode. A provision for applying an electrical bias between the membrane and the counter electrode permits the Fermi levels of potential reaction to be favored so that certain reactions may be favored in the vessel. The electrical biasing is also useful for the cleaning of the catalytic membrane. Also disclosed is a method regenerating a porous metal oxide ceramic membrane used in a photoelectrochemical catalytic process by periodically removing the reactants and regenerating the membrane using a variety of chemical, thermal, and electrical techniques.

It has previously been known that certain photochemical reactions may be performed more readily in an apparatus or a vessel which includes a provision for photoillumination of the reaction substrates, as well as their exposure to certain catalytic agents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,667 discloses an apparatus for a photochemical reaction which includes a series of lamps disposed in the reaction vessel and suitable means to stir an appropriate solution within the reaction vessel to ensure mixing of reactives. Cooling tubes may also be provided in such a device to facilitate any necessary cooling to dissipate excess heat created by the energy released from the reaction.
Certain types of photochemical reactions in which the incident energy of reaction is provided by light radiation can be electrically biased to facilitate certain reaction products. At least one example is known, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,464, of the use of a catalytic semiconductor anode in a water photolysis cell driven by incident solar radiation and in which the catalytic electrode is electrically biased so as to facilitate the hydrolysis of water in the desired reaction. It has been the previous practice in the art for such a reactor, which requires a transition metal electrode to properly catalyze the reaction, to fabricate the transition metal electrode in a single piece, the surface area of which is increased by scoring or other forms of indentation, such as disclosed in the above identified patent.
It has been previously demonstrated in the art that certain forms of metal oxide materials can be created which have a greatly enhanced surface area. One form of such metal oxide materials is known as a metal oxide ceramic membrane. The metal oxide ceramic membranes are typically formed of transition metal elements, such as titanium, silicon, zinc or other similar elements which have useful catalytic or photocatalytic properties. The metal oxide membranes are ceramic in that they are formed of a plurality of initially discrete particles which are fused together in a sintering or fusing process, usually by baking in an oven, to form a continuous unitary and solid material. Such metal oxide ceramic materials are referred to as membranes in that, when fired at appropriate temperatures (e.g. up to 550.degree. C. for TiO.sub.2 and 1000.degree. C. for Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), the resulting materials are porous, in the sense that materials may actually flow through the membranes if the support substrate is porous. Thus, the membranes may be thought of as analogous to biological membranes in that they are porous to materials of certain sizes, have a characteristic particle size and size of typical and maximum pores, but are by contrast formed of relatively rigid and stable inorganic metal oxide covalent bonds. It has been previously demonstrated, as exemplified by published PCT application WO 89/00985, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,784 that a metal oxide ceramic membrane can be usefully applied to the photodegradation of complex organic molecules. The use of ceramic membranes to treat waste streams to degrade environmental contaminants would be greatly facilitated if methods existed to regenerate such catalytic membranes as they become fouled, a regular occurrence in waste stream treatment.

Reactor process using metal oxide ceramic membranes


A proton conductive membrane displays sufficient proton conductivity even at low humidities and low temperatures.

A fuel cell essentially consists of two catalyst electrodes and a solid electrolyte membrane sandwiched between the electrodes. Hydrogen, the fuel, is ionized at one of the electrodes, and the hydrogen ions diffuse through the solid electrolyte membrane and combine with oxygen at the other electrode. When the two electrodes are connected through an external circuit, an electric current flows and electric power is supplied to the external circuit. Here, the solid electrolyte membrane has functions to diffuse the hydrogen ions, as well as to physically isolate the fuel gas (hydrogen) and oxygen and to block the flow of electrons.

Proton conducting membrane and process for producing the same

Abstract: The proton conductive membrane includes:                a block copolymer including an ion conductive polymer segment (A) and an ion nonconductive polymer segment (B), the segment (A) and the segment (B) being covalently bound in a manner such that main chain skeletons of the segments are covalently bound at aromatic rings thereof through binding groups,        (i) the membrane having a morphology including a microphase separated structure,        (ii) the ion conductive polymer segment (A) forming a continuous phase.


There is provided a dental primer composition capable of obtaining high adhesive strength to both dentin and enamel, as a pretreatment material for a chemically polymerizable adhesive. This composition is a dental primer composition comprising a polymerizable monomer containing an acidic group, water, aryl borate and transition metal compound.

To repair a tooth damaged by dental caries or by accident, a crown repair material such as a composite resin, metal, ceramic or the like is bonded to the tooth by an adhesive. As the adhesive for bonding a crown repair material to the tooth, there are currently available optically polymerizable adhesives and chemically polymerizable adhesives which are used depending on the type of a crown material. For example, an optically curable bonding material is used for repairing by using optically curable composite resins, while a resin cement which is a chemically polymerizable adhesive is used for repairing by using metal casts and ceramics.
The adhesive is required to keep the crown repair material firmly bonded to the tooth for a long time in such a severe environment as the oral cavity. If the adhesive strength of the adhesive is low or the durability of the adhesive is insufficient, the repair material may fall off, or a gap may be produced between the tooth and the repair material with the result that bacteria may enter the gap, causing secondary dental caries.
The hard tissue of a tooth consists of enamel and dentin and a crown repair material is required to be bonded to both enamel and dentin clinically. Heretofore, to improve adhesion, the surface of a tooth has been pretreated prior to the application of an adhesive. A material for this pretreatment is generally an acidic aqueous solution for demineralizing the surface of a tooth, such as an aqueous solution of phosphoric acid, maleic acid or citric acid. In the case of enamel, the adhesion mechanism to the treated surface is mechanical macroscopic retention produced when an adhesive permeates the surface that has been made rough by demineralizing with an acidic aqueous solution, and hardens. Thereby, sufficient adhesive strength is obtained clinically. On the other hand, in the case of dentin, the adhesion mechanism is mechanical microscopic retention produced when an adhesive infiltrates into micro voids of a sponge-like collagen fiber exposed to the surface of a tooth after demineralizing, and hardens. However, since the infiltration of the adhesive into the exposed collagen layer is not easy, a generally called primer which is a permeation accelerating material is used and hence, operation becomes complicated.
To cope with this problem, for the purpose of simplifying bonding operation, a primer for the simultaneous pretreatment of both enamel and dentin has been studied. Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Hei 3-240712 discloses a primer composition comprising a polymerizable monomer containing an acidic group, a polymerizable monomer containing a hydroxyl group, water and a curing material; Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Hei 4-8368 a primer composition comprising a polymerizable monomer containing an acidic group, a polymerizable monomer containing a hydroxyl group, water and an amino compound having an acid group; Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Hei 6-192029 discloses a pretreatment material comprising vinyl phosphonic acid, vinyl phosphonic acid metal salt, carboxylic acid having a hydrophobic group, water and alcohol; Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Hei 6-192030 a pretreatment material comprising an organic sulfonic acid metal salt, organic carboxylic acid having a hydrophobic group, water and alcohol; Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Hei 7-82115 a primer composition comprising a vinyl compound having an acidic group, a vinyl compound having a hydroxyl group, water, aromatic sulfinic acid and amine; Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Hei 7-89820 a primer composition comprising a polymerizable monomer having an acidic group, water and a compound having an amide group and a hydroxyl group in the molecule; and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Hei 7-97306 a primer comprising a polymerizable monomer having an acidic group, an organic solvent and water as well as an adhesive system in which a curable composition comprising a polymerizable monomer having an acidic group, a polymerizable monomer having a hydroxyl group and a polymerization initiator are used.
However, when an optically curable adhesive such as a bonding material for composite resins or the like is used, all of the above compositions have adhesive force to both enamel and dentin. However, when a chemically polymerizable adhesive such as resin cement or the like is used, the compositions cannot necessarily have sufficient adhesive force yet. Chemically polymerizable adhesives generally have a lower rate of polymerization than optically polymerizable adhesives and hence, are inferior in adhesive strength. When trialkyl boron (or partial oxide thereof) which has high catalytic activity among the chemically polymerizable adhesives is used, high adhesive strength can be obtained, but it is necessary to separately keep the catalyst from a polymerizable compound before use because the catalyst is chemically unstable. Or rather, therefore, it involves a drawback that operation becomes complicated.
To cope with this problem, not only when an optically polymerizable adhesive is used but also when a chemically polymerizable adhesive is used, the development of a pretreatment material which can gain excellent adhesive strength has been desired.

Dental primer composition and polymerization catalyst


A transmission mechanism for an outward turning wheel set of a toy car, including a casing and a gear set, wherein the gear set is received in the casing and driven by a motor to rotate a cam. The cam is driven to forcedly swing a cantilever between a first and a second position. The cantilever has a free end connected with a pressing lever. When the cantilever is swung to the second position, an elevating seat, a board member and a slide block are pressed downward, whereby when the car body is lifted, a linkage and multiple elbow joints forcedly turn the car wheels outward.

The present invention relates to a transmission mechanism for outward turning wheel set of toy car.
A conventional toy car is able to emit sound and light during moving. Such toy car lacks attractivity nowadays. In order to create novel entertaining effect, the existing toy car is designed with versatile operations during moving. For example, the car body can be moved up and down and the car wheels can be turned and displaced . Generally, for sequentially or simultaneously outward turning four car wheels during moving, two symmetrical sets of transmission mechanisms are necessary. This complicates the structure of the toy car and increases the manufacturing cost thereof .

Transmission mechanism for outward turning wheel set of toy car