A deflection device for a projection tube includes a main deflection device for generating a raster and an auxiliary deflection device for correcting a convergence. The auxiliary deflection device includes a toroidal auxiliary horizontal coil, a saddle-type auxiliary vertical coil, and a ferrite core. According to this configuration, the deflection efficiency is enhanced, and pincushion distortion in upper and lower portions can be corrected efficiently while a change in the shape of a beam spot is reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a deflection device for a projection tube, and a projection tube apparatus provided with the deflection device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, in order to satisfy market demands for the enlargement of a screen and the reduction in price, a projection TV is being used widely. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of the projection TV. The projection TV includes projection tube apparatuses 1 to 3 corresponding to respective colors of red, green, and blue, and the projection tube apparatuses 1 to 3 respectively are provided with a deflection device 4. Rasters generated from the projection tube apparatuses 1 to 3 of the respective colors are projected onto a screen 5, whereby a color image is formed.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the deflection device 4 provided on each of the projection tube apparatuses 1 to 3 used for the projection TV. A main deflection device 6 generating a raster is composed of a main horizontal coil 43, a main vertical coil 7, and a main core 8. On a neck side of the main deflection device 6, there is provided an auxiliary deflection device 9 for correcting a raster shift (misconvergence) occurring on the screen 5 of the projection TV due to the error when the projection tube apparatuses (projection tube apparatuses 1 to 3 in FIG. 1) of the respective colors of red, green, and blue are incorporated into a projection TV set.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the auxiliary deflection device 9. Herein, an XYZ rectangular coordinate system is defined, in which a tube axis of the projection tube apparatus (projection tube apparatuses 1 to 3 in FIG. 1) having the main deflection device 6 is a Z-axis, a horizontal axis orthogonal to the Z-axis is an X-axis, and a vertical axis orthogonal to the X-axis and the Z-axis is a Y-axis. The auxiliary deflection device 9 is composed of an auxiliary core 10, an auxiliary horizontal coil 11, and an auxiliary vertical coil 12. The auxiliary horizontal coil 11 is wound in a toroidal shape in the vicinity of a position of the auxiliary core 10 where the X-axis crosses, and the auxiliary vertical coil 12 is wound in a toroidal shape in the vicinity of a position of the auxiliary core 10 where the Y-axis crosses. An appropriate current is supplied to the auxiliary deflection device 9 with such a configuration, whereby a convergence is corrected so as to obtain an appropriate color image without any color displacement on the screen (screen 5 in FIG. 1) of the projection TV.
In the case of a toroidal auxiliary deflection coil, as shown in FIG. 4A, for example, a deflection magnetic field 13 of the main horizontal coil 43 of the main deflection device 6 is interlinked with the auxiliary horizontal coil 11, whereby an induced voltage Vt in a pulse shape with the same period as a horizontal period is generated between terminals of the auxiliary horizontal coil 11, as shown in FIG. 4B. Thus, in order to correct a convergence appropriately, a high voltage for canceling the induced voltage Vt is required as a driving voltage for the auxiliary deflection device, which increases power consumption.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the auxiliary horizontal coil 11 and the auxiliary vertical coil 12 are wound in a toroidal shape. Therefore, a magnetic field generated from a winding present outside with respect to the auxiliary core 10 becomes a leakage magnetic field 14 that does not contribute to the deflection, resulting in a low deflection efficiency.
JP 2002-330446 A discloses a deflection device that solves the above-mentioned problems. FIG. 6A is a front view of an auxiliary deflection device 19 of JP 2002-330446 A, and FIG. 6B is a side view thereof. The auxiliary deflection device 19 is composed of a saddle-type auxiliary horizontal coil 15, a saddle-type auxiliary vertical coil 16, and an auxiliary core 17. The auxiliary horizontal coil 15 and the auxiliary vertical coil 16 respectively generate an auxiliary horizontal magnetic field 18 and an auxiliary vertical magnetic field 20. The auxiliary horizontal coil 15 is of a saddle type. Therefore, for example, the number of magnetic fluxes of the deflection magnetic field 13 of the main horizontal coil 43 of the main deflection device 6, which are interlinked with the auxiliary horizontal coil 15, is small. Thus, an induced voltage Vs generated between terminals of the auxiliary horizontal coil 15 is smaller than the induced voltage Vt, so that the power consumption can be reduced.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line VII—VII in FIG. 6B. The auxiliary deflection device 19 is symmetrical with respect to an XZ-plane and a YZ-plane. Therefore, FIG. 7 shows only a first quadrant. Both of the auxiliary horizontal coil 15 and the auxiliary vertical coil 16 are of a saddle type, and their windings are wound inside of the auxiliary core 17, so that the deflection efficiency thereof is higher than that of the toroidal type.
In the above-mentioned deflection device of JP 2002-330446 A in which both of the auxiliary horizontal coil 15 and the auxiliary vertical coil 16 are of a saddle type, although the power consumption can be reduced by decreasing an induced voltage caused by a main deflection magnetic field generated by the main deflection coil, compared with the deflection device in which both of the auxiliary horizontal coil 11 and the auxiliary vertical coil 12 are of a toroidal type, there is a problem that the effect of the reduction in power consumption is not sufficient. Hereinafter, the reason for this will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.
FIG. 8 is a graph showing results obtained by measuring a Y-axis direction component By of the auxiliary horizontal magnetic field 18 generated by the auxiliary horizontal coil 15 along the X-axis. As shown in FIG. 8, the Y-axis direction component By becomes maximum when X=0, and decreases with distance from X=0 (i.e., Y-axis). A magnetic field 21 having such an intensity distribution generally is called a barrel type. As shown in FIG. 7, when a winding angle θH of the auxiliary horizontal coil 15 is larger than 30° and smaller than 90°, the auxiliary horizontal magnetic field becomes a barrel-type magnetic field. Herein, the winding angle θH is defined by an angle, in an XY-plane, formed by the X-axis and a straight line passing through the Z-axis and a midpoint of the auxiliary horizontal coil 15 in a circumferential direction with respect to the Z-axis, which is present in each quadrant partitioned by the XZ-plane and the YZ-plane. The winding angle θH at which the deflection efficiency of the auxiliary horizontal coil 15 becomes maximum is 0°. As the winding angle θH increases, the deflection efficiency decreases, and becomes minimum when θH=90°.
The auxiliary horizontal coil 15 has been described above. The above description also applies to the auxiliary vertical coil 16. A winding angle θV of the auxiliary vertical coil 16 is defined by an angle, in the XY-plane, formed by the Y-axis and a straight line passing through the Z-axis and a midpoint of the auxiliary vertical coil 16 in a circumferential direction with respect to the Z-axis, which is present in each quadrant partitioned by the XZ-plane and the YZ-plane.
As is understood from FIG. 7, in the deflection device of JP 2002-330446 A, respective inner diameters DH, DV of the auxiliary horizontal coil 15 and the auxiliary vertical coil 16 are the same, and in order to prevent the auxiliary horizontal coil 15 and the auxiliary vertical coil 16 from interfering with each other, the respective winding angles θH, θV cannot help being set to be larger than 30°. Consequently, the magnetic fields generated by the auxiliary horizontal coil 15 and the auxiliary vertical coil 16 both become barrel-type magnetic fields. Thus, in the deflection device of JP 2002-330446 A, the deflection efficiency is low, and although the induced voltage Vs caused by the deflection magnetic field 13 of the main horizontal coil 43 can be reduced by making the auxiliary horizontal coil 15 and the auxiliary vertical coil 16 to be a saddle type, the power consumption cannot be reduced sufficiently as a whole.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, by making the inner diameter DH of the saddle-type auxiliary horizontal coil 15 to be different from the inner diameter DV of the saddle-type auxiliary vertical coil 16, the winding angles θH, θV can be set appropriately to a certain degree. However, in this case, it is necessary to stack the auxiliary horizontal coil 15, the auxiliary vertical coil 16, and the auxiliary core 17 successively from the Z-axis toward the outside, which increases the inner diameters of the auxiliary vertical coil 16 and the auxiliary core 17, and enlarges the distance of the auxiliary vertical coil 16 and the auxiliary core 17 from an electron beam, resulting in a decrease in a deflection efficiency.
Furthermore, generally, in the case of a projection TV, the auxiliary deflection device has a function of correcting pincushion distortion in upper and lower portions of a screen, as well as the function of correcting a convergence. The power required for correcting pincushion distortion in upper and lower portions of a screen is remarkably larger than the power consumption during correction of a convergence. Thus, in order to efficiently reduce the power consumption with a projection TV set, it is important to enhance the deflection efficiency of the auxiliary vertical coil for deflection, particularly in vertical directions of the auxiliary deflection device.
Furthermore, in the deflection device of JP 2002-330446 A, both of the auxiliary horizontal magnetic field and the auxiliary vertical magnetic field are barrel-type magnetic fields, as described above. Therefore, the spot shape of an electron beam in a circumferential region of a screen changes when the auxiliary deflection device is operated. FIG. 10 shows beam spots in a first quadrant of a screen. First, an electron beam 22 on the X-axis will be described. The auxiliary horizontal magnetic field is of a barrel type, so that a Lorentz force Fa acting on an electron 22a of the electron beam 22 closer to the Y-axis is larger than a Lorentz force Fb acting on an electron 22b of the electron beam 22 farther from the Y-axis. Consequently, the electron beam 22 has a vertically oriented shape as represented by a broken line 23, which degrades image quality. An electron beam 22′ on the Y-axis has a horizontally oriented shape as represented by a broken line 23′ due to the barrel-type auxiliary vertical magnetic field for the same reason as the above. Therefore, the cross-sectional shape of an electron beam is varied depending upon the degree of an operation of the auxiliary deflection device, and there is a great variation among mass-produced deflection devices.

Deflection device for projection tube and projection tube apparatus

Matsushita Toshiba Picture Display Co., Ltd.


An attachment for the enhanced measurement accuracy of a combination square is provided which consists of a horizontally elongated base of generally rectangular shape. A rectangular base indentation is positioned along the horizontal centerline of the base, and forms a plane that is parallel to the bottom surface of the base. The base indentation lateral walls are equidistant from the horizontal centerline of the base, and are of sufficient lateral distance to allow the handle lower contact surface of a combination square to have sufficient lateral clearance to slidably engage the base indentation and rest against the base indentation contact surface. The vertical depth of the base indentation provides sufficient vertical clearance for the handle upper contact surface to fit within the assembled device. A combination square blade receiving slot runs along the horizontal centerline of the base, and has a lateral width, vertical height, and horizontal depth sufficient to permit the combination square blade to slide into and become seated within it. Removably positioned against the base upper surface are two impingement plates, secured to the base by removable impingement plate securement means. When the impingement plates are secured to the base, a bounded area is created, partially bounded on the top by the impingement plate bottom surface, bounded completely on the sides by the base indentation lateral walls, and bounded on the bottom by the base indentation contact surface. An interference notch on each impingement plate stops the forward movement of the combination square into the present invention.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hand-held measurement devices and, more particularly, to an attachment for the enhanced measurement accuracy of a combination square.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, the combination square performs numerous functions. The graduated numbering on the blade allows the combination square to be used as a normal ruler. When placed on its side, with the blade lying flat against a working surface, such as a table, the combination square is used to square a working surface in the horizontal plane.
When the combination square is placed in the vertical position, with the blade extending out from the handle in the vertical plane, the combination square helps to square an object in the vertical plane.
In order to utilize the ruler portion of the blade and obtain accurate measurements, it is critical that the working surface be squared properly. However, utilizing the combination square to square a working surface is problematic in certain situations.
The first situation problematic for the use of combination squares is squaring an object in the vertical plane. The lower surface of the combination square handle, which horizontally engages and rests upon the working surface being squared, has a small cross sectional area. This small cross sectional area facilitates the rotation of the combination square along the horizontal axis of the handle. This results in inaccurate vertical readings of the object being measured.
Second, this rotational problem is magnified when the working surface being measured has no flat surface in the vertical or horizontal planes to engage the lower surface of the combination square handle. This occurs most often when measuring rounded corners.
Another problem created from the small surface area of the lower surface of the combination square handle involves the use of levels. Several combination squares utilize a bubble level positioned within the handle of the combination square, in a plane parallel to the lower surface of the handle and perpendicular to the edge of the blade. The limited surface area of the lower surface of the handle precipitates rotational distortion of the handle, as discussed above. As a result of this distortion, a stable, accurate, level measurement is made more difficult to obtain.
Examples of devices in the previous art that incorporate plumb levels are U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,935, issued in the name of Paulson et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,522, issued in the name of Kook et. al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,624, issued in the name of Whiteford.
These devices, however, do not address the rotational problems addressed by the present invention. Furthermore, only the '624 device discloses a combination square. In addition, the '935, '522, and '624 devices disclose squares with additional technology designed to increase measurement accuracy. As such, none of these devices address the need for an attachment that will increase the accuracy of existing, traditional combination squares. Also, the devices do not address the torsional distortion problem discussed above.
Other devices in the previous art disclose various attachments for combination square. These devices, however, are designed to address different needs than that of the present invention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,973, issued in the name of Rakauskas, discloses a combination square height/width gage. The device consists of a head portion slidably engaged to the blade of the combination square. It was specifically designed to set the height of a tale saw, to set the position of a rip fence, to set the drill depth on a drill press, etc. It does not address the rotational problems discussed above.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,165, issued in the name of Larsen, discloses a vernier attachment for a combination square. However, this device is only designed to assist in the measurement of distances parallel to the blade of the combination square. As such, it does not address the rotational problems of squaring a surface area discussed above.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention.
Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus which overcomes the problems cited above.

Attachment for the enhanced measurement accuracy of a combination square


A burner assembly having improved flame length and shape control is presented, which includes in exemplary embodiments at least one fuel fluid inlet and at least one oxidant fluid inlet, means for transporting the fuel fluid from the fuel inlet to a plurality of fuel outlets, the fuel fluid leaving the fuel outlets in fuel streams that are injected into a combustion chamber, means for transporting the oxidant fluid from the oxidant inlets to at least one oxidant outlet, the oxidant fluid leaving the oxidant outlets in oxidant fluid streams that are injected into the combustion chamber, with the fuel and oxidant outlets being physically separated, and geometrically arranged in order to impart to the fuel fluid streams and the oxidant fluid streams angles and velocities that allow combustion of the fuel fluid with the oxidant in a stable, wide, and luminous flame. Alternatively, injectors may be used alone or with the refractory block to inject oxidant and fuel gases. The burner assembly affords improved control over flame size and shape and may be adjusted for use with a particular furnace as required.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combustion process and an apparatus therefor containing separate injectors to introduce separately a fuel and an oxidant in the combustion chamber of a furnace, so that the fuel burns with the oxidant in a wide luminous flame, and whereby the combustion of the fuel with the oxidant generates reduced quantities of nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x)
2. Related Art
Industrial high temperature processes, such as glass or frit melting, ferrous and non ferrous materials smelting, use large amounts of energy to transform a variety of raw materials into a hot molten product, that is then casted, formed or otherwise disposed of in further stages of the industrial process. This operation is generally performed in large furnaces, that can produce as much as 500 tons per day of molten material. Combustion in the furnace of a fossil fuel, such as natural gas, atomized fuel oil, propane, or the like, with an oxidant that contains oxygen is a preferred method of supplying the energy. In some cases, the combustion is supplemented by electric heating. Most of the time, the fuel and the oxidant are introduced in the furnace through burners, in order to generate flames. The transfer of energy from the flames to the material to be melted results from the combination of convection at the surface of the material, and radiation to the surface or into the material if it is transparent to the radiation. Flames that are highly radiative (usually referred to as luminous flames), are usually preferred, because they provide better heat transfer and, thus, higher fuel efficiency.
For flame heating, it is also very important to have the energy from the flame evenly distributed above the surface of the material to be melted, Otherwise, hot and cold regions may co-exist in the furnace, which is not desirable The quality of products manufactured with material melted in such a furnace is often poor. For example, in a bath of molten glass, there may be glass stones in cold regions, and accelerated volatilization of glass in hot regions. Also, broad flames are preferred because they yield a better bath coverage.
In many countries, particularly the United States, increasingly stringent regulations are being promulgated regarding emissions of NO.sub.x. It is, therefore, important to develop combustion techniques wherein NO.sub.x formation is limited. In very high temperature processes, NO.sub.x formation is promoted by long residence times of oxygen and nitrogen molecules in hot regions of the flame and the furnace. The use of substantially pure oxygen (about 90% O.sub.2 or higher) instead of air as the oxidant has proven to be very successful in reducing the NO.sub.x emissions by as much as 90%, since all nitrogen is eliminated. However, substitution of air by substantially pure oxygen increases the flame temperature, and thus creates regions in the furnace where the reactivity of nitrogen with oxygen is high, and wherein the formation of NO.sub.x may proportionally increase, even though it is globally decreased when compared to combustion with air. Also, it is impossible in practice to eliminate all nitrogen from a furnace, because industrial furnaces are not tight to air leaks, the fuel usually contains some nitrogen, and oxygen supplied from non-cryogenic sources, such as oxygen produced by a Vacuum Swing Adsorption plant (VSA), contains a small residual nitrogen concentration.
Conventional methods of combusting fuel and oxygen for heating furnaces utilize post mix oxy-fuel burners. Conventional oxy-fuel burners have a metallic body with inlets for a fuel and an oxidant with a high concentration of molecular oxygen, and means to transport the streams with separate coaxially oriented channels to multiple injectors located at the burner tip. These burners generate high temperature flames with the shape of a narrow pencil at the burner tip, which needs to be located far enough into the furnace, to avoid or reduce overheating of the furnace walls. As a consequence of the high temperatures encountered in melting furnaces, one important drawback of these burners is the need for cooling, usually a jacket where a circulating fluid such as water provides the cooling. Such a burner is described, for example, in British Patent 1,215,925. Severe corrosion problems for the cooling jacket can arise particularly when the furnace atmosphere contains condensable vapors.
The gas cooled oxy-fuel burner is an improvement of the water-cooled burner. The body of the burner is protected from the furnace radiation by a refractory brick often referred to as a burner block, that possesses a substantially cylindrical cavity that opens into the furnace. The burner is usually mounted at the back of the cavity, and it usually contains concentric injectors of fuel and oxidant located in the cavity, recessed from the furnace inner wall. The brick and the burner are cooled by a peripheral annular flow of gas, usually the oxidant gas. Such burners are described e.g. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,390 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,850. With this type of burner, combustion starts in the burner block before reaching the furnace. Thus, the flame is confined in and directed by the cylindrical cavity as a narrow axisymmetric jet, and provides insufficient covering of the melt in the furnace, These flames have high peak temperatures and generate relatively large amounts of NO.sub.x, because there is a direct contact between the oxygen and the fuel without dilution by the combustion products.
Another drawback of these gas cooled burners is that the flame may overheat and damage the furnace refractory wall because it starts in the wall itself. Also recirculation zones under the flame itself tend to accelerate refractory wear when the furnace atmosphere chemically reacts with the refractory material of the furnace wall which may reduce the furnace lifetime.
British Patent 1,074,826 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,929 disclose burners containing alternated multiple oxygen and fuel injectors in parallel rows in order to obtain a flatter Llame. Although this brings an improvement in terms of coverage of the melt, these burners still produce relatively large amounts of NO.sub.x. Another drawback of these burners is that they are mechanically complex to build in order to obtain a flat flame.
It is also known to inject fuel and oxidant streams by separate, distinct injectors into a combustion chamber to generate flames detached from the furnace wall, with the aim of reducing refractory wear. One such apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,112 wherein fuel and oxidant jets are injected at a converging angle into a furnace, which yields good mixing of the oxidant and fuel gases at the converging point of the two jets, thus enhancing the combustion rate but shortening the flame. However, the flame of such a burner has a high peak temperature and large quantities of nitrogen oxides are created in the furnace. To decrease this high peak temperature and significantly reduce formation of NO.sub.x it has been suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,205 to inject the fuel and/or the oxidant jets at very high velocities and to use separate injections of fuel and oxidant gases wherein the fuel and/or the oxidant jets entrain combustion products contained in the furnace atmosphere, and are diluted before the actual combustion between the fuel and the oxidant. However, the flames generated by these burners are almost invisible, as disclosed therein, col. 9, lines 58-65. It is, thus, extremely difficult for a furnace operator to determine and/or control the location of the combustion zones, and whether or not the burner apparatus is actually turned on, which may be hazardous. Another drawback of this burner is that the entrainment of combustion products promotes strong recirculation streams of gases in the furnace, which in turn accelerates the wear of the refractory walls of the furnace. Also, the use of high velocity oxidant jets requires the use of a high pressure oxidant supply, which means that the oxidant gas needs to be either produced or delivered at high pressure (the fuel gas is usually at relatively high pressure) or that the oxidant gas, such as the low pressure oxygen gas usually supplied by a VSA unit, has to be recompressed before being injected into the furnace.
Burners in use today typically are only designed to use gaseous fuel or liquid fuels (perhaps by spray of the liquid fuel), but cannot burn both types of fuel simultaneously, or switch easily from gaseous fuel to liquid fuel.
Liquid fuels present their own problems to the combustion artisan. The liquid fuel is typically atomized, and there are several different techniques available for the atomization of liquid fluids. The object is to produce jets of liquid fluid droplets (also called "spray") which have defined geometric characteristics. The usual liquid fuels are not particularly flammable in the liquid state: only in the gaseous state are they able to support an oxidation reaction sufficiently rapid to give rise to the appearance of a flame. When one wishes to obtain stable flames with fuels that are liquid or viscous at ambient temperature, the principal difficulty is thus to "shrewdly condition" this liquid in such a way that it evaporates rapidly in order to support oxidation reactions in the interior of the flame.
The method currently used to achieve this "shrewd conditioning" consists of atomizing the fuel in the form of droplets: thus, for a given quantity of fuel, this makes possible a substantial increase in the amount of liquid surface exposed to the oxidant (the smaller the drops are, the greater will be the interfacial surface--the site of evaporation).
In simplified terms there are three major methods for achieving atomization of a liquid:
1. rotating cup atomization involves shredding the fluid with the air of a moving mechanical element. PA1 2. in mechanical atomization the fuel is compressed to very high pressures (15 to 30 bars), thus imparting to it a high kinetic energy. This energy results in shearing of the liquid when it is brought into contact with the exterior atmosphere and thus results in the formation of droplets. PA1 3. gaseous-fluid-assisted atomization can be used to arrive at a similar result while achieving a saving on high pressures (2 to 6 bars). PA1 a refractory block adapted to be in fluid connection with sources of oxidant and fuel, the refractory block having a fuel and oxidant entrance end and a fuel and oxidant exit end, the exit end having fuel exits and oxidant exits, the refractory block further having a plurality of fuel cavities, at least two of the fuel cavities defining a first fuel plane, and a plurality of oxidant cavities defining a second oxidant plane, the fuel cavities being more numerous than the oxidant cavities. PA1 a) at least two fuel injectors defining a first plane; PA1 b) at least one oxidant injector; PA1 c) a wall through which the oxidant and the fuel injectors protrude into a combustion chamber, the injectors removably secured in the wall; PA1 a) providing a supply of an oxidant fluid stream; PA1 b) injecting the oxidant fluid stream into a combustion chamber to create at least one injected oxidant fluid stream; PA1 c) providing a supply of a fuel fluid stream; PA1 d) injecting the fuel fluid stream into the combustion chamber to create at least two injected fuel fluid streams; PA1 e) creating a substantially planar sheet of fuel fluid in the combustion chamber by injecting the at least two injected fuel fluid streams into the combustion chamber, at least two of the injected fuel fluid streams being substantially located in a first fuel plane; PA1 f) intersecting the oxidant fluid stream with the sheet of fuel fluid in the combustion chamber; and PA1 g) combusting the fuel fluid with the oxidant fluid in the combustion chamber.
In simplified terms one can distinguish two types of gaseous-fluid-assisted atomization according to whether the liquid fuel and atomizing fluid are brought into contact inside or outside the atomizer head. These types may be referred to as internal atomization and external atomization.
Internal atomization is characterized by confinement of the liquid fuel and atomizing fluid in an emulsion chamber. The mode of introduction of the two fluids into this chamber can vary considerably and has a direct influence on the characteristics of the emulsion that exits from the chamber. Likewise, the internal geometry of this chamber (overall volume, vanes for producing rotation, number and diameters of the inlet and outlet orifices, and so forth) also affects the specific characteristics of the fuel/atomizing fluid mixture to be burned.
This mode of atomization generally affords an excellent quality of atomization, that is, an emulsion composed of very small particles with a very narrow particle size distribution about these small diameters. At a given fuel delivery rate, this emulsion quality is naturally a function of the atomizing fluid delivery rate employed and the pressure level prevailing in the interior of the atomizing chamber.
For external atomization, where contact between the two phases takes place outside of any confining enclosure, the emulsion is created mainly by shearing of the jet of liquid fuel by the atomizing fluid. The geometry of the outlets for the two fluids completely determines the quality of the atomization, and particle size analysis of the drops resulting from the contact shows a relatively wide diameter distribution (simultaneous presence of small and large particles).
In the field of liquid fuel atomization, the principal known priority for the invention is published European Patent Application No. 0687858 A1, which claims an external atomization device that produces a very narrow spray angle (less than 15.degree.). This published application in particular claims that to successfully achieve this specific characteristic the angle formed between the atomizing fluid and the liquid fuel must be between 5.degree. and 30.degree..
Another disclosed liquid fuel atomization device is the one disclosed in European Patent Application No. 0335728 A2, which claims a device for the introduction of a fluid into a combustion enclosure through the expedient of several distinct conduits branching from a common main conduit.
A need exists for a burner which may operate at low pressure, particularly for the oxidant gas, while producing a wide, flat luminous flame with reduced NO.sub.x emissions, and which affords a manner of controlling flame length so as to adapt the flame to the furnace in which it is used. There also exists a need in the art for a burner having the capability of burning gaseous fuels and liquid fuels, either at the same time or in the alternative. There is a need in the combustion art for a liquid fuel atomizer that falls within the scope of the third mode of atomization, a complete device that makes possible a controlled fluid introduction into the combustion zone that is a two-phase mixture of atomizing gas and droplets of liquid fuel, wherein atomization takes place outside of the nozzle (external atomization) and yet permits forming distinct spray jets having high relative angles (5.degree. to 30.degree.). In particular the combustion art is desirous of a device for atomization of a liquid fuel using a gaseous fluid and the application of this device to a burner such as the burner assemblies described herein.

Combustion process and apparatus therefore containing separate injection of fuel and oxidant streams

L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude


A controller for a microscope is configured to receive image data representing a wound and to determine a line of sight to a bottom of the wound using the image data. The controller is further configured to output a control signal for the microscope, the control signal instructing the microscope to align its optical axis with the line of sight.

Surgeons may require a microscope in order to perform a surgery at the bottom of deep wounds, i.e. for wounds that form a deep cavity within human tissue. For example, in brain surgeries the wound is typically deep in order to be able to access the tissue within the brain that is to be operated on. The tissue to be operated on is typically at the bottom of the cavity and a microscope is used to enable the surgeon to monitor the tools used at the bottom of the cavity.

Controller for a microscope, a corresponding method and a microscope system


According to one embodiment, a storage controller includes a dividing unit, a duplication manager, and a duplication determination unit. The dividing unit divides data specified in a write request from a host computer into a plurality of chunks. The duplication manager preferentially stores a first hash value of a first chunk in a first table in a hash table in association with the first chunk when the first chunk is written to a storage device. The hash table includes a second table having more entries than the first table. The duplication determination unit first searches the first table for a third hash value matching a second hash value of a second chunk when the second hash value has been calculated.

In recent years, an increase in the capacities of storage devices has been promoted in order to allow storage of big data used for information processing systems. Big data generally includes many duplicate data. Thus, if big data is stored in a storage device, a part of the storage area in the storage device is occupied by many duplicate data. This results in wastage of the storage capacity of the storage device. Hence, for effective use of the limited storage capacity of the storage device, the duplicate data needs to be eliminated from the data to be stored in the storage device.
An example of a conventional method for eliminating duplicate data will be described. When writing data to a storage device, a storage controller determines whether the same data as the data to be written has already been written to the storage device. For such determination, the storage controller divides the data (file) to be written into masses of data of fixed length, referred to as chunks.
The storage controller uses a hash function to calculate a hash value for each of the chunks. When writing the chunk used to calculate a hash value to the storage device, the storage controller stores the hash value in a hash table in association with the chunk.
Thus, in calculating the hash value of a first chunk to be newly written to the storage device, the storage controller determines whether the same hash value as the hash value of the first chunk is stored in the hash table. More specifically, the storage controller determines whether data overlapping the first chunk has already been written to the storage device based on whether the same hash value is stored in the hash table. The storage controller writes the first chunk to the storage device only if no data overlapping the first chunk has been written to the storage device. This eliminates the duplicate data from the storage device.
An increased number of chunks written to the storage device increase the number of hash values stored in the hash table in association with the chunks. Thus, in order to allow many hash values to be stored, the conventional technique applies a hash table having a multistage configuration including a plurality of tables each having the same number of entries.
As described above, if the hash table is used to store a large number of hash values, the storage capacity needed to store the hash table increases. It is difficult to store the entire such hash table in a memory provided in the storage controller. Thus, the hash table is generally stored in a large-capacity storage device used to store big data or a local storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) which is provided in the storage controller. On the other hand, the conventional technique applies the hash table having the multistage configuration including a plurality of tables each having the same number of entries.
Thus, when the storage controller searches a hash table configured as described above in order to compare hash values with each other, many input/output (I/O) processes occur between the storage controller and the storage device. When many I/O processes result from the comparison of hash values for elimination of duplicate data, the write performance (write speed) of the storage device is degraded.

Storage system, storage controller, and method for eliminating data duplication based on hash table


A nutritious fruit juice supplement with the major components coming from Passiflora edulis and Galium aparine, which contain several compounds including flavonoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, cyanogenic compounds, glycosides, vitamins A and C, riboflaurniacin, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, copper, terpenoid compounds, and protein. The innovating processing techniques increase the activity of antioxidant and anti-cancer properties already found in the fruit juice from P. edulis and G. aparine and create new compounds that should have additional antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.

The present application relates generally to a nutritious fruit juice supplement, and more specifically, to a nutritious fruit juice supplement which primary ingredients are passion fruit and an extract from Galium aparine.
Note that the points discussed below may reflect the hindsight gained from the disclosed inventions, and are not necessarily admitted to be prior art.
Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) is an exotic climbing vine originating in South America. It is grown worldwide as an edible fruit for food industry. It has been used widely in folk medicine. The constituents of different extracts include flavonoids, alkaloids, cyanogenic compounds, glycosides, vitamins minerals and terpenoid compounds.
Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) is an intriguing and mysterious fruit that has a surprising number of health and medicinal benefits for those who love the fruit. Some of these benefits include passion fruit ability to prevent cancerous growth among others such as boasting immune system, lowering blood pressure etc. Passion fruit also contains vitamins, A, C various flavonoids and phenolic compounds all of which have been linked to anti-cancer properties particularly in terms of oral and lung cancer.
The long list of benefits commonly attributed to passion fruit is due to the nutrient, mineral, and vitamin content of the fruit which include antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamins A and C, riboflaurniacin, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, copper, fiber and protein. The percentage of many of the vitamins and minerals are shockingly high.
Passiflora edulis is a vine species of passion flower is native to southern Brazil through Paraguay to Northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet seedy fruit. The passion fruit is a type of berry, round to oval, either yellow or dark purple at maturity with a soft to firm juicy interior filled with numerous seeds. The fruit can be both eaten or juiced. Passion fruit powder can also be used to produce delectable smoothies and bubble tea drinks. It is often added to other fruit juices to enhance aroma.
The passion fruit is so called because it is one of the many species of passion flower, leading to the English translation of the latin genus name Passiflora. Around year 1700, the name was given by missionaries in Brazil as an educational aid while trying to convert the indigenous inhabitants to Christianity. Its name was flor das cinco Chagas or "flower of the five wounds". This was to illustrate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, with other plant components also named after an emblem in the passion of Jesus Christ.
There are two varieties in the vine species of Passiflora. One is a shallow rooted woody perennial that possess many tendrils. The other variety is deeply rooted. The dark purple edulis variety is smaller than a lemon. It is less acidic than the yellow passion fruit and has a richer aroma and flavor.

Nutritious fruit juice supplement and method of making


Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for implementing a bitmap for a column store database. An embodiment operates by creating, by at least one processor, a bitmap identifying rows in a column store database. The bitmap may include a list of bit chunks, a bit chunk including an offset being a natural number indicating a chunk size, and a bit specification including one of an ordered row id list, a contiguous row id sequence, and a bit vector. In addition, the embodiment includes performing database operations using the bitmap.

Commercial database systems rely on representations of data stored in the database in order to efficiently query the data. Column-store database systems may have tables with billions of rows. Current disk-based methods of querying these numerous rows may be inoperable or impractical for use with in-memory column store operations. In addition, conventional ways of representing data can be slow and memory expensive.
In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical or similar elements. Additionally, generally, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears.

In-memory bitmap for column store operations


The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a silicon wafer where a defect does not exist at a wafer surface layer part on which a device is formed, without affecting productivity and production costs of the wafer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a silicon wafer and a silicon wafer, in particular to a method of manufacturing a silicon wafer using a laser spike anneal process.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is important for a surface layer part of a silicon wafer for manufacturing a device to have substantially no defects in order to improve electrical characteristics of the wafer, especially an oxide film withstand voltage characteristic.
Usually, in most cases, a void type defect (also referred to as a grown-in defect) referred to as COP (Crystal Originated Particle) introduced at the time of crystal growth exists in the surface layer part of the silicon wafer manufactured by way of Czochralski method (the CZ method).
Such a void type defect existing in the surface layer part of the silicon wafer damages an oxide film withstand voltage characteristic and may be a reason for adversely affecting an electrical property of the semiconductor device formed at the wafer. For this reason, especially in recent years, there is a strong need for a wafer having a defectless surface layer in which there is no such a defect at the surface layer, thus using a Si/Si epitaxial growth wafer in which a silicon epitaxial growth film is provided on the wafer surface, a wafer manufactured by way of a reduced growth rate at the time of growing a single crystal, etc.
However, there is a problem in that such a wafer has poor productivity and is very costly.
Then, for example, patent document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 3346249), patent document 2 (Japanese Patent No. 3410828), and patent document 3 (Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2005-123241 propose that, in order to improve the oxide film withstand voltage characteristic of a silicon wafer and to raise productivity, a silicon wafer should be heat-treated in a hydrogen and argon gas atmosphere by way of a method called rapid heating and rapid quench thermal treatment (Rapid Thermal Annealing: RTA).
As already described, the silicon wafer grown by using the CZ method has the defects (grown-in defects) introduced into its surface and inside at the time of growing the crystal. This grown-in defect has an octahedral structure when it is inside the crystal. In the case where the grown-in defect is exposed to the surface after being formed into the wafer, it is observed as a concave pit of a pyramid form, and an oxide film having a thickness of several nm is formed on a wall of the concave pit.
The hydrogen atmosphere as disclosed in the above-mentioned patent documents 1-3 allows removal of the inner wall oxide film of the grown-in defect exposed to the wafer surface by way of RTA process for the silicon wafer.
In addition, when the wafer is heated to a high temperature in such an RTA process, inter-lattice silicon (Si) and point defects of cavities take place inside the wafer at a high concentration.
Then, rapid quench (cooling) of the wafer causes the point defects to be excessive and diffuse outwards to the wafer surface. At this time, as inter-lattice silicon diffuses externally which has a large diffusion coefficient in the crystal and quickly diffuses, the inter-lattice silicon is captured by the grown-in defect on the surface of the wafer. Thus the grown-in defects are filled. As a result, the grown-in defects which exist in the wafer surface can be reduced.
In such rapid heating and rapid quench thermal treatment process (RTA process), it is often the case that an apparatus is used in which a silicon wafer is laid within a bell jar type container made of quartz, silicon carbide (for example), and a lamp heating system by means of a halogen lamp etc. is employed as a source of heating.
Therefore, since the process is carried out by using such an apparatus, the processing conditions are usually such that a rise-and-fall speed in temperature is 150° C./sec or less, a heat treatment temperature is 1200° C.-1350° C., and a period of time is 10 seconds or more.
However, when the rise speed in temperature is equal to or less than 150° C./sec within the above-mentioned range of the heat treatment temperature, the inter-lattice Si out of the inter-lattice silicon (Si) and the cavity generated due to the rising temperature is emitted towards the wafer surface by diffusion., Thus, the grown-in defect on the above-mentioned surface of the wafer is removed, but the grown-in defect existing inside the wafer surface layer cannot be removed, which results in a disadvantage that the grown-in defect remains in a device activity layer of the wafer surface layer part.

Abstract: An ingot of a silicon single crystal is grown by way of Czochralski single crystal pulling method, this silicon single crystal ingot is sliced to produce a wafer, then a surface layer of the wafer is annealed for between 0.01 microseconds and 10 seconds (inclusive) by means of a laser spike annealing apparatus such that a temperature of a wafer surface layer part is between 1250° C. and 1400° C. (inclusive).


A honeycomb heater has a honeycomb structure having a number of passages defined by partition walls, at least two electrodes in electrical contact with the honeycomb structure, a catalyst composition formed on partition walls of the honeycomb structure, including zirconia powder loaded with Rh, an inorganic heat-resistant oxide and a rare earth element oxide. A catalytic converter has at least one or two main monolithic catalyst(s) and a honeycomb heater disposed upstream, downstream or between the main monolithic catalysts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a honeycomb heater and a catalytic converter wherein a honeycomb structure is coated with a specific catalyst composition.
2. Description of the Related Art
Honeycomb heaters of the above-described type can be employed as heaters for domestic use, such as hot air heaters, or as industrial heaters, such as preheaters used for control of automobile exhaust emission. The abovedescribed catalytic converters can be used in automobile exhaust emission control.
Catalytic converters for use in automobile exhaust gas control must have a predetermined temperature or above when operated so as to cause its catalyst to undergo catalytic action. Hence, the catalyst must be heated when the temperature thereof is not sufficiently high, i.e., at the beginning of running of a vehicle.
Such techniques for heating the catalyst have been proposed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 67609/1988. This disclosed technique is a catalytic converter comprised of a metal monolithic catalyst disposed upstream of and adjacent to a main ceramic monolithic catalyst. The metal monolithic catalyst comprises an electrically conductive metal substrate with alumina coated thereon.
Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 156545/1988 and 185451/1988, catalysts for purifying exhaust gas of harmful components such as hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x) have been proposed.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 156545/1988, for the purpose of obtaining a three-way catalyst for automotive exhaust gas having high initial activity and durability, it is disclosed that a honeycomb substrate having unitary (monolithic) structure is coated with a catalyst composition which comprises zirconia loaded with a platinum-group metal, a refractory inorganic oxide such as activated alumina, and a rare earth element oxide such as a cerium oxide.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 185451/1988, for the same purpose as aforesaid Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 156545/1988, a purification catalyst for exhaust gas which comprises a honeycomb substrate with a catalyst composition coated thereon is disclosed, the catalyst composition containing a refractory inorganic oxide in a form of particles such as alumina and zirconia whose average particle diameter ranges 0.5-20 .mu.m; and supporting 5-30% platinum by weight and 1-20% rhodium by weight.
Also, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 156545/1988 and 185451/1988, it is described that a metal monolith substrate such as an alloy of Fe-Cr-Al is employed as a honeycomb substrate.
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 67609/1988, however, does not disclose any adequate catalyst composition specifically. However, it is important that a metal monolithic catalyst which is electrically conductive disposed upstream of the main monolithic catalyst have adequate light-off performance at low temperatures thermal resistance and durability against poisonous substances, such as Pb and P.
Both the catalysts for purifying exhaust gas disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 156545/1988 and 185451/1988 were not developed for use with a heater; therefore, when they are coated on a heaters, durability and the like of the heater and the coating needs to be developed, due to high operating temperatures thereof.

Honeycomb heater and catalytic converter


A controller for automatically controlling aircraft thrust during a noise abatement climb operates so as to smoothly reduce aircraft thrust during a reduction in aircraft climb angle at the noise abatement altitude so as to maintain a selected noise abatement climb gradient dependent upon the pilot maintaining a recommended climb airspeed. The selected noise abatement climb gradient is compared with a measured climb gradient to generate an error term. The measured climb gradient is adjusted by a acceleration correction term in order to make the resulting measured climb gradient term independent of airspeed changes. The climb gradient error term is added to the selected climb gradient to generate a commanded climb gradient which is converted to an equivalent thrust (noise abatement thrust). The resulting noise abatement thrust is compared with measured engine thrust to generate an error term for controlling engine thrust so that the aircraft follows the noise abatement climb gradient.

A number of airports in the United States require airplanes to follow noise abatement procedures when taking off and climbing out. Typically, these procedures require a steep climb to a designated altitude. During the climb the pilot flies at a recommended airspeed which is a function of aircraft weight and flap setting. This steep climb is followed at the designed altitude by a sharp reduction in thrust and climb angle to achieve a minimum required climb gradient (and recommended airspeed) until the airplane is out of the noise abatement area. In this manner the airplane traverses the noise abatement area at a maximum altitude and minimum thrust level so that the perceived noise on the ground is minimized.
Previously, during the time the aircraft was transitioning from the steep climb angle/high thrust mode to the relatively shallow climb angle/low thrust mode, the pilot simply estimated the throttle position necessary to maintain the required airspeed and climb gradient. Typically, this procedure involved manually readjusting the throttle position and aircraft pitch attitude several times by trial-and-error before the correct throttle position and pitch attitude was finally reached.
Due to the time and effort involved in determining the correct throttle position, it is preferable that the throttle be positioned automatically during this transition to avoid the aforementioned trial and error procedure and to allow the pilot to direct his attention to other matters.
Conventionally, a number of autothrottle devices have been disclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,702 by Annin (assigned to the assignee of the present application) discloses a pilot guidance system that displays pitch and speed commands during takeoff climb for engine noise abatement purposes.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,171 by Jackson et al (assigned to the assignee of the present application), the contents of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses an autothrottle control system for automatically increasing the thrust of a working engine(s) of an aircraft if power is lost on a different engine while the aircraft is operating at reduced thrust during a takeoff noise abatement maneuver.
These conventional devices, however, do not automatically position the throttle to maintain a selected climb gradient when the pilot is making a reduction in pitch attitude.

Apparatus and methods for controlling aircraft thrust during a climb


A circuit operator with a push to test arrangement includes a housing. A first switch is mounted in the housing and has a toggle lever pivotably connected thereto so as to place the toggle switch in its on or off state. A second switch is also mounted in the housing and is connected to a push button for initiating tests. A single switch actuator allows a user to actuate the first switch and/or the second switch from an exterior of the housing.

The use of switches in electrical circuits associated with machinery and other equipment are known in the art. Switches such as circuit breakers typically control the flow of electrical current and may take the form of a toggle switch with a lever that is manually operated between the ON and OFF positions to complete or interrupt the electrical circuit. Such switches are frequently placed in protective enclosures when used in explosive atmospheres (i.e., an environment containing flammable vapors) or otherwise harsh environments. Protective enclosures provide a measure of safety, i.e., by creating a barrier between flaming gases and the personnel operating the switches.
For switches housed in an enclosure, a remote operating device may be utilized to penetrate the enclosure walls and allow the switches to be externally operated. This is often the case for explosion-proof or hazardous location-related enclosures in which an externally operated switch may be required.
Prior art remote operators, however, are limited in their function. They are only capable of turning ON or OFF a single corresponding switch per remote operator. However, in practice, circuits may have coupled thereto a plurality of switches such as a circuit breaker, fault test initiators and so forth. Given the limitations of current remote operators, the additional switches associated with the circuits must either be operated by a person from an internal position in the enclosure (i.e., opening the panel and operating the switch), or a separate remote operator must be incorporated into the enclosure for those additional switches. For the former case, the internal operation of a switch is impractical and especially dangerous for explosion-proof or hazardous location-related enclosures, as described above. For the latter case, the incorporation of additional remote operators into the enclosure increases the overall cost of the system and, more importantly, decreases the overall integrity of the enclosure by requiring additional holes to be drilled into the enclosure.
Accordingly, there is a desire to provide a remote operator that is capable of functioning to operate a toggle switch in a circuit breaker or the like, and concomitantly therewith a push to test switch.
Other problems associated with prior art remote operators also involve the misalignment of the remote operator with respect to the toggle lever, when the panel of the enclosure is in the closed position. For example, during product assembly, installation and maintenance, the door must be opened and the remote operator disengaged with the circuit breaker in either the ON or OFF position. Reclosing the door with a misaligned operator prevents the operator from engaging the breaker toggle, leaving the circuit breaker inoperable. Moreover, the occurrence of a misalignment may not be apparent, particularly in light of the fact that the door is in the closed position thereby preventing a view of the operator and switch.
In addition, misalignment is typically remedied by painstakingly guiding the operator onto a toggle lever (for actuating a switch) as the door closes. This task is performed blindly, requiring the person making the adjustment to do so with the enclosure door closed (i.e., not seeing how the operator mates with the toggle lever).
One approach to remedy the above problem is to employ a remote, self-adjusting operator as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,935 to Mina et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,603 to Bogdanovs et al. Both remote operators automatically move into an aligned position with respect to the toggle lever, when the door to the enclosure is closed. Such devices do not provide or require an indication of a misalignment.
There is a desire to provide an alternative approach to the misalignment problem in which a circuit operator is capable of indicating a misalignment of the circuit operator with respect to the toggle lever, when the door of the enclosure is in the closed position. There is also a desire to provide a circuit operator that provides a safe and easy method for realigning the circuit operator with the toggle lever when the door of the enclosure is in the closed position.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a circuit operator that is capable of externally operating multiple switches, i.e., a circuit breaker and fault test switch, maintained in a housing.
It is a further object of the invention to construct the above circuit operator such that fewer holes need to be drilled in the housing, thereby proving a stronger housing that requires less materials and reduces the assembly time of the overall device.
Another object of the invention is to provide a misalignment indicator which indicates a misalignment of a switch actuator, when a cover of the housing is in the closed position.
It is still yet a further object of the invention to provide a circuit operator that provides a simple, easy method for realigning the switch actuator, when an openable cover of the housing is in the closed position.

Circuit breaker operator which actuates toggle and push button switches and has a misalignment indicator


Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of systems and methods for facilitating payment account transactions to acquirers, based on purchase requests by Internet of Things (IoT) devices. In an exemplary embodiment, a method generally includes receiving, by an interface processor, a message from an IoT device at a premises where the message includes a condition related to the IoT device, and determining, by the interface processor, based on at least one rule in memory, whether to initiate a transaction at a merchant to purchase a product and/or a related product based on the condition. The method then further includes transmitting to an acquirer associated with the merchant, by the interface processor, rather than to the merchant, an authorization request for the transaction for the product and/or the related product when the condition satisfies the at least one rule.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Payment account transactions are knowns as a means for funding the purchase of goods and services (broadly, products) from merchants. Consumers often initiate such payment account transactions by presenting credentials for their corresponding payment accounts to the merchants. Then, once the desired products are purchased, the use of the products may give rise to the need for the consumers to replenish or repurchase the products. In such instances, the consumers return to the merchants, or to different merchants, to repurchase the products, again often relying on their payment accounts to fund the purchases for the products. Separately, devices are increasingly known to be equipped with network connectivity technology, enabling them to connect to each other and to the Internet, and thereby generally forming the "Internet of Things" (IoT). Examples of such devices include washing machines, refrigerators, televisions, security devices, thermostats, etc. In many cases, these devices have primary purposes or functionality unrelated to the transfer of data over a network (e.g., refrigerators are intended to maintain food products at specified temperatures, etc.).
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Systems and methods for use in initiating payment account transactions to acquirers


A gift item which is illustrated in the form of a stuffed teddy bear houses a control system which incorporates a re-programmable solid state analog memory device which is used to record a message. In the illustrated embodiment, a write switch is housed in the teddy bear's ear, and while it is being squeezed, a microphone in the main control system will record a spoken message into the non-volatile analog memory. The recording will take place as long as the two-contact switch is squeezed, and will stop upon release of the switch or expiration of the memory capacity of the memory device, which is about 20 seconds. The message is played back by momentary compression of another two-contact switch placed in the bear's paw, which would typically be done by a child. Replacement of a prior message with a subsequent one can be done at will by closing the write switch again as was done initially.

Recording and played-back devices utilized in toys, books and other educational items have become increasingly popular in the last decade and are now a dominant feature of the Christmas season. Items of this nature include books, animals and displays that play back messages, music, or animal sounds, etc. which have been prerecorded in read-only memory chips (ROM). This type of device of course cannot be re-programmed, and although it may have several alternative messages, they cannot be overwritten or changed.
There are older toys and the like which enable the owner to record messages, for example on a tape cassette in a tape player housed within the toy, to be played back later by a child. Though this non-volatile memory is effective in recording and subsequently playing back a message, it is of course rather cumbersome for the purpose, being mechanical and unnecessarily having a number of moving parts.
Yet another gift item or novelty is one which can repeat back something spoken to it or another noise delivered to it immediately after the audio input. These devices, such as parrots which will repeat the child's words after the child says them, utilize digital RAM chips, which are of course volatile memory devices and cannot retain the message when powered down, which is why they will only repeat the message immediately after it is input into the device. However, this system does have the advantage of being overwritable innumerable times.
The final development of such a trend would be a gift item such as a stuffed animal which has all of the advantages of the above-stated devices incorporated into a single unit.


A restraining element for preventing separation of telescoped pipes comprising a compressible body of elastomeric material, the compressible body having metal segments spaced equidistantly around an exposed face of the body, each of the metal segments having a first exposed face with a row of teeth extending radially inwardly and a single acutely pointed tooth extending radially outwardly beyond the face of metal segment opposite said first exposed face.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of joints for ductile iron pressure pipe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many applications where pipes are joined in telescoping relationship, the smooth or spigot end of one pipe is inserted into the socket end of the engaging pipe. The socket end has an opening large enough to receive the spigot end of the enclosed pipe. A gasket is inserted in the socket end of the enclosing pipe and prevents leakage of fluid from the joint by forming a seal between the two pipes.
In applications where the fluid such as water for fire mains or water distribution in municipalities is under high pressure, various means are used to prevent separation of the two pipes.
In some instances the pipes are fitted with flanges which are bolted together to prevent separation. This method is costly and time consuming because of the extra steps of inserting and tightening the bolts.
Another method to prevent separation of the pipes is to use blocks or external restraining devices. This method also is expensive and requires careful placement of the blocks.
A still further method is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,963,298 and 4,229,026 in which a rubber gasket which serves as a fluid seal also has toothed metal segments spaced uniformly around its inner perimeter. The toothed metal segments bite into the outer surface of the spigot of the inserted pipe and prevent withdrawal of the inserted pipe. The metal segment pivot about a bead to allow the spigot end of one pipe to be inserted into the socket end of the other pipe while preventing withdrawal of the inserted pipe under high fluid pressure conditions.
However, a drawback of this arrangement has been the fracture or breaking of the socket portion of the inserted pipe when the teeth of the metal segments dig too deeply into the outer surface of the inserted pipe. This fracture has been noted when the metal segments rotate too far around the bead.

Restraining element for pressure pipe joints


A method of fabricating split-gate slash memory can define source and drain regions by using a self-alignment process. Thus, the uniformity of the split-gate flash memory performance is better controlled. This method comprises a floating gate oxide layer, a first polysilicon layer and a mask layer formed sequentially over a first type substrate. The mask layer and the first polysilicon layer are patterned to form a floating gate. A photoresist layer is coated over the substrate and then a pattern is defined on the photoresist layer to expose portion of the substrate. Second type ions are implanted into the exposed substrate to form a drain region. Then, the photoresist layer is removed. An insulating layer is formed over the substrate and then is etched back to form spacers on one side of the floating gate. The second type ions are implanted into the substrate to form a source region. The spacers and the mask layer are removed. A control gate layer and a control gate are formed sequentially over the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to the fabrication of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs), and more particularly to the fabrication of split-gate flash memory cells.
2. Description of Related Art
A flash memory is one of erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROM) and is also called a non-volatile memory device. Usually, EPROM comprises tow gates, floating gate and control gate. The purpose of a floating gate is to storage charges and the purpose of a control gate is to control data access. The control gate is located above the floating gate and they do not have contact with each other. The floating gate does not connect to any wiring lines but the control gate connects to word lines. The flash memory cell can erase data "block by block", so it can run with higher speed, for example, 1 to 2 seconds.
Recently, a split-gate flash memory has been developed. FIG. 1A through 1D show the manufacturing progression of a split-gate flash memory according to the conventional method. Referring to FIG. 1A, a photoresist layer 11 is formed over a substrate 10 and then a pattern is defined on the photoresist layer 11. Using photoresist layer 11 as a mask, ions, for example, N-type ions, are implanted into the substrate 10 to form source region 12 and drain region 13. Then, the photoresist layer 11 is stripped.
Next, referring to FIG. 1B, a gate oxide layer 14 and a polysilicon layer 16 are formed sequentially over the substrate 10. A pattern is defined on polysilicon layer 16 to form a floating gate 17 as shown in FIG. 1C.
Then, referring to FIG. 1D, a gate oxide layer 18, for example, a silicon dielectric layer, formed by thermal oxidation is formed over floating gate 17. A control gate 19 is formed over gate oxide layer 14 and gate oxide layer 18 by defining a polysilicon layer.
FIG. 2 shows a top view of the forementioned split-gate flash memory. Because source/drain regions are formed before floating gate formation, the alignment accuracy of floating gate to source/drain regions affects the channel length of L1, L2, L1', and L2'. Due to this misalignment, the length of L1 and L1' is not the same and the length of L2 and L2' is not the same. This misalignment results in poor uniformity of cell performance.

Method of fabricating split-gate flash memory


A monitoring device, method and system are disclosed herein. The monitoring device is capable of determine when a user's wrist is at rest using a motion sensor disposed within a wrist module that is attached to the user's wrist. When at rest, the monitoring device utilizes a vital sign monitor to determine a plurality of vital signs of the user. The vital sign monitor preferably comprises a light source and photodetector in communication with a pulse-oximetry circuit. The motion sensor is preferably an accelerometer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for monitoring vital signs. More specifically, the present invention relates to devices for monitoring blood pressure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Blood within a patient's body is characterized by a baseline pressure value, called the diastolic pressure. Diastolic pressure indicates a pressure in an artery when the blood it contains is static. A heartbeat forces a time-dependent volume of blood through the artery, causing the baseline pressure to increase in a pulse-like manner to a value called the systolic pressure. The systolic pressure indicates a maximum pressure in a portion of the artery that contains a flowing volume of blood.
Pressure in the artery periodically increases from the diastolic pressure to the systolic pressure in a pulsatile manner, with each pulse corresponding to a single heartbeat. Blood pressure then returns to the diastolic pressure when the flowing pulse of blood passes through the artery.
Both invasive and non-invasive devices can measure a patient's systolic and diastolic blood pressure. A non-invasive medical device called a sphygmomanometer measures a patient's blood pressure using an inflatable cuff and a sensor (e.g., a stethoscope) that detects blood flow by listening for sounds called the Korotkoff sounds. During a measurement, a medical professional typically places the cuff around the patient's arm and inflates it to a pressure that exceeds the systolic blood pressure. The medical professional then incrementally reduces pressure in the cuff while listening for flowing blood with the stethoscope. The pressure value at which blood first begins to flow past the deflating cuff, indicated by a Korotkoff sound, is the systolic pressure. The stethoscope monitors this pressure by detecting strong, periodic acoustic 'beats' or 'taps' indicating that the blood is flowing past the cuff (i.e., the systolic pressure barely exceeds the cuff pressure). The minimum pressure in the cuff that restricts blood flow, as detected by the stethoscope, is the diastolic pressure. The stethoscope monitors this pressure by detecting another Korotkoff sound, in this case a 'leveling off' or disappearance in the acoustic magnitude of the periodic beats, indicating that the cuff no longer restricts blood flow (i.e., the diastolic pressure barely exceeds the cuff pressure).
Low-cost, automated devices measure blood pressure using an inflatable cuff and an automated acoustic or pressure sensor that measures blood flow. These devices typically feature cuffs fitted to measure blood pressure in a patient's wrist, arm or finger. During a measurement, the cuff automatically inflates and then incrementally deflates while the automated sensor monitors blood flow. A microcontroller in the automated device then calculates blood pressure. Cuff-based blood-pressure measurements such as these typically only determine the systolic and diastolic blood pressures; they do not measure dynamic, time-dependent blood pressure.
Time-dependent blood pressure can be measured with a device called a tonometer. The tonometer typically includes a sensitive transducer that contacts a patient's skin and compresses an underlying artery against a portion of bone. The transducer then measures blood pressure in the form of a time-dependent waveform. The waveform features a baseline that indicates the diastolic pressure, and time-dependent pulses, each corresponding to individual heartbeats. The maximum and minimum values of each pulse are, respectively, the systolic and diastolic pressures. The rising and falling edges of each pulse correspond to pressure values that lie between the systolic and diastolic pressures.
Data indicating blood pressure are most accurately measured during a patient's appointment with a medical professional, such as a doctor or a nurse. Once measured, the medical professional manually records these data in either a written or electronic file. Appointments typically take place a few times each year. Unfortunately, in some cases, patients experience 'white coat syndrome' where anxiety during the appointment affects the blood pressure that is measured. White coat syndrome typically elevates a patient's heart rate and blood pressure; this, in turn, can lead to an inaccurate diagnoses.
Blood pressure monitors can also be used in an ambulatory setting to counteract white coat syndrome. In this case, the monitors are worn by patients over a short (e.g., 24-hour) period, and are programmed to make periodic measurements (e.g., once every hour). Some ambulatory blood pressure monitors include systems for transmitting data from a remote site, such as the patient's home, to a central database. These systems can include a conventional computer modem that transmits data through a telephone line to the database. Or alternatively they can include a wireless transmitter, such as a cellular telephone, which wirelessly transmits the data through a wireless network.
Monitoring a patient's blood pressure, particularly in an ambulatory setting, can be difficult since a measurement may be taken when the patient's limb is in motion, thereby skewing the reading. It would therefore be desirable to have a device that indicates when the patient's limb is at rest and at an optimal time to take a blood pressure measurement.

Device, system and method for monitoring vital signs


The invention provides a 1,3,5-tris(diarylamino)benzene represented by the general formula (I)

In recent years, a variety of electronic devices such as light-emitting elements or organic semiconductors in which an organic compound which has photoelectric function as well as reversible oxidation-reduction characteristics and can form amorphous film by itself is used as an organo-electronic material, for example, as a hole transporting agent, have attracted considerable attention. Such an amorphous film of organic compound is formed by preparing a coating composition comprised of a binder resin such as polycarbonate resin and the organic compound dissolved in a suitable organic solvent and then by coating and drying the composition (JP-A-11-174707). In the case of a polynuclear aromatic tertiary amine called a "star-burst" compound, it is vacuum evaporated onto a substrate to directly form a thin film (JP-A-08-291115).
According to a method using a binder resin among the methods mentioned above, the organic compound is diluted with the binder resin in the resulting thin film and influenced by the binder resin so that the organic compound cannot exhibit sufficiently the functions that it originally has as an organo-electronic functional material. In addition, if the organic compound forms a thin film that is stable at normal temperature with the aid of a binder resin, the organic compound has a low glass transition temperature so that the film is poor in heat resistance and has a problem in stability and life.
Under these circumstances, polynuclear aromatic tertiary amine compounds called the "star-burst" molecules are attracting considerable attention as organo-electronic functional materials since they are capable of forming stable thin film by vacuum evaporation. The star-burst molecules are divided into three groups based on their molecular structures: compounds having a triphenylamine structure (triphenylamines), compounds having a triaminobenzene structure (triaminobenzenes) and compounds having a triphenylbenzene structure (triphenylbenzenes).
A variety of "star-burst" molecules inclusive of the triaminobenzenes have been proposed. For example, as such triaminobenzenes, 1,3,5-tris(N-(p-methylphenyl)-N-(1-naphthyl))-amino benzene (p-MTPNAB) and 1,3,5-tris(N-(p-methylphenyl)-N-(4-biphenylyl)amino)benzene (p-MTPBAB) have been proposed (JP-A-2004-155754) These triaminobenzenes are reversible in oxidation-reduction process and have high relatively high glass transition temperatures, i.e., 87° C. and 98° C., respectively. However, there is still a fear that they have not enough stability in performance and durability for use as organo-electronic functional material.
Recently there have been proposed 1,3,5-tris(N-(4′-methyl-4-biphenylyl)-N-(4-methylphenyl)amino)benzene (JP-A-2005-190993) represented by the formula (1)
and 1,3,5-tris(N,N-bis(4′-methyl-4-biphenylyl)amino)benzene (JP-A-2005-276802) represented by the formula (2)

These 1,3,5-tris(diarylamino)benzenes are excellent in stability of repeated oxidation-reduction process compared with the triaminobenzenes which have hitherto been known, and have a higher glass transition temperatures. On the other hand, in these 1,3,5-tris-(diarylamino)benzenes, all the three diarylamino groups have the same chemical structure, that is, all the substituents which the three diaryl amino groups have are the same. Thus, these 1,3,5-tris-(diarylamino)benzenes have symmetry in molecular structure and high crystallinity, and accordingly, they have high melting points. As results, they need high evaporation temperature when they are vacuum evaporated to form thin film. Therefore, there is a problem that these 1,3,5-tris(diarylamino)benzenes thermally decompose when they are vacuum evaporated to form thin film.
The invention has been accomplished to solve the above-mentioned problems involved in the 1,3,5-tris(diarylamino)-benzenes which have heretofore been known. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a novel 1,3,5-tris(diarylamino)benzene which has characteristics excellent as organic electronic functional material, and which in addition can form thin film by vacuum evaporation at a relatively low temperature. It is a further object of the invention to provide an organic electronic functional material, in particular, a hole injecting and/or transporting agent which comprises such a 1,3,5-tris(diarylamino)benzene.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

1,3,5-tris(diarylamino)benzenes and use thereof

Abstract: wherein A and B are each independently a group represented by the general formula (II)

Abstract: in which R is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group of 1-6 carbons or a cycloalkyl group of 5 or 6 carbons and n is 0, 1, 2 or 3, provided that the values of n of A and B are not the same to each other. Such a 1,3,5-tris(diarylamino)benzene is able to form an amorphous film by vacuum evaporation at a relatively low temperature with almost or substantially no thermal decomposition, and is preferably used as organo-electronic functional material, in particular, as a hole injecting agent or a hole transporting agent.


A microcontroller with a mixed analog/digital architecture including multiple digital programmable blocks and multiple analog programmable blocks in a communication array having a programmable interconnect structure. The single chip design is implemented by integration of programmable digital and analog circuit blocks that are able to communicate with each other. Robust analog and digital blocks that are flash memory programmable can be utilized to realize complex design applications that otherwise would require multiple chips and/or separate applications. The programmable chip architecture includes a novel array having programmable digital blocks that can communicate with programmable analog blocks using a programmable interconnect structure. The programmable analog array contains a complement of Continuous Time (CT) blocks and a complement of Switched Capacitor (SC) blocks that can communicate together. The analog blocks consist of multi-function circuits programmable for one or more different analog functions, and fixed function circuits programmable for a fixed function with variable parameters. The digital blocks include standard multi-function circuits and enhanced circuits having functions not included in the standard digital circuits. The programmable array is programmed by flash memory and programming allows dynamic reconfiguration. That is, “on-the-fly” reconfiguration of the programmable blocks is allowed. The programmable analog array with both Continuous Time analog blocks and Switched Capacitor analog blocks are offered on a single chip along with programmable digital blocks. The programmable interconnect structure provides for communication of input/output data between all analog and digital blocks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of microcontrollers. More particularly, the present invention relates to the integration of programmable analog circuits and programmable digital circuits on a single semiconductor chip.
2. Related Art
Microcontrollers may have embedded processors, memories and special function analog and digital circuits. Typical analog circuits found in prior art microcontrollers include Continuous Time (CT) amplifiers having preset functions with given functional parameters. For instance, a CT analog amplifier might be configured as a fixed function circuit, such as a voltage amplifier, in which certain parameters, such as gain or bandwidth might be altered by programming.
Switched Capacitor (SC) analog circuits are also frequently incorporated into microcontroller designs. SC analog circuits in prior art are somewhat more versatile than CT analog circuits in that it might be possible to alter both the circuit function as well as the parameters of the circuit function by programming. However, both CT and SC analog circuits found in current microcontrollers generally require programming before utilization, and neither can be dynamically programmed (programmed "on-the-fly").
In the conventional art, general purpose digital circuits are frequently included in a microcontroller implementation. Such digital circuits are pre-programmed to realize certain digital functions such as logical operations, arithmetical functions, counting, etc. These digital circuits are generally in the form of a Programmed Logic Array (PLA) or FPGA. Furthermore, such digital circuits that require pre-programming are generally not dynamically programmable (programmable "on-the-fly"). The main difficulty here is in the generality of such a digital circuit, which requires an excessive amount of digital logic, which in turn occupies a large area on a semiconductor chip as well as an increased cost of manufacturing.
Several other design considerations related to microcontroller utilization either go unaddressed, or require separate functionalities to enable them. For instance, existing designs do not offer a programmable analog circuit array with both CT analog circuits and SC analog circuits on the same semiconductor chip with a programmable array of digital circuits. As a result, realization of a function requiring complex communication between analog circuits and digital circuits often requires the use of multiple semiconductor chips. Further, existing microcontroller realizations generally require pre-programming and cannot be dynamically programmed.
What is needed is a method and/or system which can be dynamically programmed to complete a complex communication interface between analog circuits and digital circuits in order to realize a desired microcontroller circuit function. What is also needed is a method and/or system that can utilize both CT and SC analog circuits implemented along with digital circuits on a single semiconductor chip. Further, what is needed is a method and/or system in which the functions and/or function parameters of the analog circuits and the digital circuits can be reconfigured by dynamic programming (programming "on-the-fly"). Further still, what is needed is a circuit and/or system in which a reduction of the digital logic implemented to realize a dynamically programmable digital circuit results in a reduction in required semiconductor chip area.

Programmable microcontroller architecture (mixed analog/digital)


Security credentials issued by an entity, such as an identity broker, can have a limited lifetime. Access to resources or content under those credentials then can only be obtained for a limited period of time, limiting the ability of an unauthorized entity obtaining the credentials to utilize those credentials for access. Along with the credentials, a refresh token can be issued to a requesting client that can enable the limited lifetime of the credentials to be renewed up to a maximum lifetime of the credentials and/or the token. A service providing access can determine that the client has a valid copy of the refresh token when the credentials are about to expire, and if so can cause the lifetime of the credentials to be extended another credential lifetime. This renewal can be done transparent to a user and without again contacting the identity broker.

Users are increasingly performing tasks using remote computing resources, often referred to as part of "the cloud." This has many advantages, as users do not have to purchase and maintain dedicated hardware and software, and instead can pay for only those resources that are needed at any given time, where those resources typically will be managed by a resource provider. Because a resource provider will often provide resource access to many different users, various types of credentials can be used to authenticate a source of the request, as well as to demonstrate that the source is authorized to access a resource to perform a task. These credentials can potentially be obtained by unintended third parties, who can gain unauthorized access to the resource environment, as well as the data and content stored therein. In order to minimize this potential problem, credentials can be given a limited lifetime such that any third party obtaining the credentials will only be able to use those credentials for their remaining lifetime. There is a tension in such an approach, however, as it is desirable to make the lifetime as short as possible to minimize the amount of time an unauthorized party obtaining the credentials can use them, but frequently having to obtain new credentials can be undesirable to a user, particularly when used for long tasks that may be difficult to complete if the credentials expire during the task.


Systems, methods and apparatus facilitating joint channel and routing assignment are provided. In some embodiments, a system includes nodes in a network configured to perform distributed joint channel and routing assignment of traffic through exchange of information with one another. The assignments are iteratively updated based on whether the update will result in an increase in a value of a function associated with throughput for traffic in the network. In some embodiments, the assignments are determined based on random decisions that are adopted if the function is improved utilizing the routing and channel information in the assignment. In some embodiments, the assignments are determined based on traffic prioritization in which destination nodes having a high level of traffic are assigned routes and channels having characteristics amenable to reduction of interference in the network.

A WMN is a communication network made up of radio nodes organized in a mesh topology. The WMN is typically self-organizable and self-configurable with the advantages of low cost, ease of deployment and/or high reliability. Due to these advantages, a WMN can have important commercial applications. For example, a WMN can be employed as community wireless network to provide broadband internet access to residential users.
A multi-radio multi-channel (MRMC) WMN is a multi-hop communication network made up of radio nodes (e.g., IEEE 802.11 radio nodes) that can transmit and/or receive data on different channels. For example, in an MRMC network, nodes can transmit and receive packets simultaneously by communicating with their neighbors via different orthogonal frequency channels. Hence, an MRMC WMN can achieve higher system throughput than a traditional single-channel single-radio WMN. As such, MRMC WMNs are of interest in academia and commercial sectors.
The throughput of an MRMC WMN can be largely affected by interference. Such interference can be caused or exacerbated by the channel and routing assignments in the MRMC WMN. Unfortunately, solving routing and channel assignment problems are complex. As a result, channel and routing assignments are typically performed separately as opposed to being performed jointly. In some conventional approaches to routing, a path between a source node and a destination node is routed via multiple hops. Many routing algorithms employ the shortest path first approach for assigning the route between the source node and the destination node. These algorithms consider the hop distance, expected transmission time and/or expected transmission count. Still other approaches perform channel assignment separate from routing assignment and then perform joint rate allocation and multipath routing, which results in high complexity and losses in computational efficiency. Other algorithms unfortunately either ignore the effect of traffic load on the interference of the network or are not adaptive to the changes of traffic load. Yet other algorithms require high-precision clock synchronization among the nodes. These algorithms require a selection of routing and channel according to the synchronized time slots, which is often impractical for reasons of cost in commodities. Further, numerous algorithms are limited by being centralized in nature and cannot be extended to a distributed environment. As such, systems, apparatus and methods that provide low-complexity joint channel and routing assignment considering traffic flow are desirable.

Systems and methods facilitating joint channel and routing assignment for wireless mesh networks

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