The present invention provides a differentially driven monolithic inductor circuit having a shield differentially driven by phase shift buffers and a single-ended monolithic inductor circuit having single-ended shields driven by phase shift buffers, both inductor circuit types providing high Quality factor (Q) at operating frequencies in the multi-GHz range and circuits incorporating the same.

The present invention relates to monolithic inductors, more particularly, to high Quality factor monolithic inductors for use in differential circuits and circuits incorporating the same.
Monolithic inductors are important components for various circuit types such as low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs), filters, impedance matching networks, etc. External components can be minimized when all passive components are integrated on-chip, so monolithic inductors are often used as narrow-band loads in various circuits such as amplifiers, oscillators, and mixers. Monolithic inductors can take either a planar form (e.g. single layer) or spiral form (e.g. where adjacent turns are interconnected by vias).
The quality factor (Q) of an inductor, measured by 2π ω [(peak magnetic energy—peak electric energy)/(energy loss in one oscillation cycle)], is primarily limited by conductor losses arising from metallization resistance, the conductive silicon substrate, and parasitic substrate capacitances (which lower the inductor self-resonant frequency). Time-varying magnetic fields penetrate the silicon substrate and cause eddy currents as per Lenz's law, thus resulting in power loss. Additionally, eddy currents create their own magnetic fields that oppose those of the monolithic inductor. This decreases the inductance of the inductor.
Conventional techniques for addressing the negative effects silicon substrates have on inductor Q include applying Q-enhancement through the use of active negative resistance elements (e.g. transconductors in positive feedback), use of high resistivity (>1 k Ω-cm) silicon substrates, and etching a pit in the silicon substrate under the inductors. However, many of these techniques are difficult and expensive to implement with conventional CMOS processing, and additionally, each of these techniques do not provide sufficient Q-enhancement for inductors operating in the multi-GHz frequency range. For example, at 10 GHz, substrate losses are more pronounced than at lower frequencies. Although eddy currents are still negligible when the substrate resistivity is at least 10 Ω-cm, the currents induced in the substrate by the capacitance between the inductor coil and the substrate dissipate energy and reduce the maximum achievable Q. Such capacitive substrate currents are shunted when a highly conductive solid ground shield is inserted between the coil and the substrate. This significantly increases Q at the expense of a somewhat reduced resonance frequency. However, one critical drawback with a solid ground shield is that the shield disturbs the magnetic field of the inductor. According to Lenz's law, image current, also known as loop current, will be induced in the solid ground shield by the magnetic field of the spiral inductor. The image current in the solid ground shield will flow in a direction opposite to that of the current in the spiral. The resulting negative mutual coupling between the currents reduces the magnetic field, and thus the overall inductance. Patterned ground shields overcome this limitation. By patterning the ground shield, the loop current path can be effectively cutoff. However, patterned ground shields allow capacitive current to flow. Additionally, patterned ground shields add capacitance which reduces the resonant frequency of the inductor. Furthermore, the ground line(s) coupled to the patterned shield can have significant currents induced therein, thus decreasing the total magnetic field, the inductance, and inductor Q.
Another conventional technique for further improving inductor Q includes differentially driving an unshielded symmetric spiral inductor with signals (e.g., voltages and currents) that are 180° out of phase (i.e. differential). See, for example, Danesh et al., "Differentially Driven Symmetric Microstrip Inductors," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, pp. 332-341, Vol. 50, No. 1, January 2002. By driving an unshielded symmetric inductor with differential signals, the magnetic field produced by the parallel groups of conductors is reinforced and the overall inductance per unit area is increased. FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional unshielded symmetric inductor 100 comprising first coil 110 and second coil 120. Coil 110 can be driven by a signal at port 112 and coil 120 can be driven by a 180° phase-shifted version of the same signal at port 122. Although the voltages on adjacent conducting strips are anti-phase, current flows in the same direction along each adjacent conductor (i.e., signal currents i1 and i2 flow in the same direction on any particular side). The symmetric inductor is realized by joining groups of coupled conductive strips from one side of an axis of symmetry to the other using a number of cross-over and cross-under connections.
At lower frequencies, the input impedance in either a single-ended or differential connection is approximately the same, but as operating frequency increases, parasitic substrate capacitance and resistance become a factor. For differential excitation, parasitic substrate capacitance and resistance have a higher impedance at a given frequency as compared to single-ended excitation. This reduces the real part of the input impedance and increases the reactive component of the input impedance. Therefore, the inductor is improved when driven differentially, and the self-resonant frequency (or usable bandwidth of the inductor) increases due to the reduction in the effective parasitic capacitance.
To further enhance inductor Q, others have augmented the un-shielded differentially driven symmetric inductor concept as illustrated in FIG. 1 with a floating shield formed under the inductor. See, for example, Cheung et al., "Differentially-Shielded Monolithic Inductors," IEEE 2003 Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, Proceedings of the IEEE, pp. 95-98, September 2003. By incorporating a floating shield between a differentially driven symmetric inductor and the substrate, the inductor Q is improved because the parasitic coupling effects of the substrate are reduced as described supra. Because the shield is floating, a virtual ground is realized on the shield.
Alternatively, a single-ended shield formed under a wire can be driven by a buffer amplifier having as close to unity gain and 0° phase shift as possible so to reduce the wiring capacitance between the wire and shield to equivalently zero. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,952 entitled "Semiconductor Device with structure to decrease wiring capacitance" (the '952 patent) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,833,603 (the '603 patent) assigned to the assignee hereof. In the '952 and '603 patents, the shield is driven by the output of a buffer amplifier having approximately the same voltage and phase as the wire or inductor to be shielded. Shunt capacitance can be reduced because it is proportional to the first time derivative of the voltage across the dielectric of the capacitor. In the ideal dynamically shielded inductor, there is no change in voltage across the parasitic shunt capacitance of the inductor coil. This can greatly increase Q. In the past, such as in the '952 and '603 Patents, this has been done using a buffer amplifier comprising either a common drain or common collector, because such devices have 0° phase shift from input to output. Both common drain and common collector are well known in the art. For example, see Gray and Meyer, Analysis and Design of ANALOG INTEGRATED CIRCUITS, 3rd Ed. (1993), pp. 210-215, TK7874.G688. However, common drain and common collector configurations have less than unity gain, typically −1 to −2 dB, and require a great deal of power to achieve close to unity gain. The low gain of these buffers makes it difficult to drive a single-ended shield with a sufficiently high enough voltage to realize the benefit in Q without consuming excessive DC power. Two stages of common source/emitter buffers can also be used, but the delay associated with both stages is typically too large to drive the shield effectively, especially at multi-GHz frequencies. Additionally, the bandwidth of common drain and common collector configurations have an upper limit for 0° phase shifted signals, thus limiting the application of such shields. Furthermore, by having the buffer amplifier external to the integrated circuit containing the inductor to be shielded as is the case in the '952 patent severely limits the effective frequency range of circuit to the MHz range due to the long feedback path and the parasitic effects associated with a signal received off-chip.
Therefore, there exists a need for monolithic inductors having a high Quality factor at operating frequencies in the multi-GHz range.

High Q monolithic inductors for use in differential circuits

International Business Machines Corporation


An electrostatic latent image developing toner includes toner particles that each include a toner mother particle. The toner mother particle includes a toner core, a shell layer disposed over a surface of the toner core, and inorganic particles. The inorganic particles are located at an interface between the toner core and the shell layer, or within the shell layer. The shell layer contains a thermosetting component. The toner mother particle has a BET specific surface area of at least 0.95 m2/g.

The present disclosure relates to an electrostatic latent image developing toner and a manufacturing method of the same.
A toner that has favorable fixability even when heating thereof by a fixing roller is kept at a minimal level is preferable in terms of energy efficiency and device miniaturization. In one known example proposed in relation to an objective of obtaining a toner having excellent low-temperature fixability, toner particles have a capsule structure in which shell layers formed from a resin coat toner cores containing a binder resin that has a low melting point. The resin forming the shell layers has a higher glass transition point than a glass transition point (Tgc) of the binder resin contained in the toner cores. In another known example, toner particles having a capsule structure such as described above are used as toner mother particles and inorganic particles are added onto the surfaces of the toner mother particles as an external additive in order to improve fluidity and handleability.
In one such known example in which inorganic particles are added to toner mother particles having a capsule structure, silica is used as the inorganic particles added to the toner mother particles as an external additive.

Electrostatic latent image developing toner and manufacturing method of the same


Described is a method of producing mammalian ADH in plants and a method of producing mammalian ALDH in plants. The ADH and ALDH is preferably of human origin and preferably human class IV .sigma. ADH and human ALDH2. Mammalian ADH and ALDH is recovered from the plants and packaged with NAD and a suitable buffer as a pill, paste, or food snack. The composition is taken orally or otherwise before engaging in social drinking to prevent or ameliorate the effects of alcohol consumption.

The invention disclosed herein employs or may employ some of the subject matter disclosed in commonly-owned U.S. patent Ser. No. 08/429,427 filed on Jul. 19, 1995 titled Collagen Compound Production in Plants. The disclosure of Ser. No. 08/429,427 is incorporated herein by reference.
The consumption of alcohol is rapidly increasing as leisure time increases and economic circumstances improve. Recent studies have shown that ninety percent of all Americans drink beverage alcohol, known chemically as ethanol. Between 40% to 50% of American men have a temporary alcohol-induced problem or display occasional drunkenness. Alcohol abuse by non-dependent persons involves patterns of considerable alcohol consumption associated with negative health consequences and/or impairment in social functioning. At least 10% of men and between 3%-5% of women are alcoholics or alcohol dependent. Alcohol dependence or alcoholism manifests itself in craving, tolerance and physical dependence that interfere with the ability to exercise restraint over drinking. Alcoholics display excessive alcohol consumption surpassing caloric or dietary needs or norms resulting in adverse health, social and economic consequences. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence (i.e., alcoholism) are serious worldwide public health problems. The international medical and economic cost of alcohol abuse. dependence and withdrawal are enormous; the social repercussions and psychological damage inflicted as a result of alcohol abuse on individuals, on children born with fetal alcohol syndrome, and on victims of alcohol-related accidental death, homicide and suicide are no less costly.
Ingested orally, ethanol is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the circulatory system and diffuses readily and uniformly throughout the body's tissues and fluids. About 90% of the absorbed alcohol is metabolized in the liver. Alcohol may induce various toxic effects in the human body. Short term toxic effects include confused consciousness, ataxia, headache, vomiting, facial flushing, tachycardia, and heart palpitations. Long term effects of excessive alcohol intake include liver cirrhosis, alcohol liver disease, neurological abnormalities, depression of the immune system, alcoholic muscle disease, tissue damage, malnutrition weight loss, increased blood pressure and risk of cancer, predisposition to infectious diseases, and gastrointestinal disorders such as bleeding. Even individuals engaged in social drinking may develop lapses in mental impairment while driving or may even develop mild medical problems related to their drinking. For instance, blood alcohol levels between 0.5%-0.15% can cause decreased inhibitions of personality traits, slight visual impairment, slight muscular incoordination and slowing of reaction time (reflexes). Twenty -five percent of this group are clinically intoxicated. R. H. Dreisbach, Handbook of Poisoning, Lange Medical Publications, Los Altos, Calif., 1980.
On a biochemical and cellular level, alcohol acts as a continuous depressant of the central nervous system much like a general anesthetic. The apparent stimulation that individuals sense after alcohol ingestion results from the unrestrained activity of various parts of the brain that have been freed from inhibition by the alcohol as alcohol exerts its effects upon those parts of the brain, such as the cortex, involved in the most highly integrated functions. The first mental processes that are affected are those that depend on training and previous experience. In individuals ingesting alcohol, confidence initially abounds, the personality becomes expansive and vivacious and speech may become eloquent and occasionally brilliant. Mood swings are uncontrolled and emotional outbursts are displayed frequently. With respect to motor functions, alcohol affects both sensory and motor functions. Spinal reflexes are initially enhanced because they have been freed from central inhibition. Subsequently, these reflexes are impaired. In addition. intake of alcohol affects the efficacy of many classes of drugs. Drugs that interact negatively with alcohol include analgesic agents, oral hypoglycemic agents, and anticoagulants. Goodman and Gilman, The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, McMillan Publishing Co., New York, pp. 137-142 (1990).
The adverse effects of alcohol consumption are due to ethanol, the main ingredient of alcohol. The level of ethanol in the blood is a major correlative factor in determining the adverse effects of alcohol. Ethanol is a weakly charged molecule that moves easily through and across cell membranes and rapidly equilibrates between the blood and tissues. After ingestion, small amounts of ethanol are absorbed from the mucus membranes of the mouth and esophagus into the blood. As the alcohol passes into the stomach, about 10% of the alcohol is absorbed from the stomach into the blood. The remaining alcohol of the digestive tract is absorbed by the small intestine. Once absorbed into the blood supply, a small amount (approximately 10%) is excreted out of the body via the lungs, urine or sweat. The remaining blood alcohol is metabolized by the liver to acetaldehyde by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). The acetaldehyde is then rapidly converted to acetate/acetic acid in the liver by the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). The acetic acid is then converted to carbon dioxide and water. Each of these enzymatic steps requires oxidized nicotinomide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) as a co-factor.
ADH is necessary in the metabolism of retinol or vitamin A, the production of rhodopsin, a vital protein in vision function, and the production of the male hormone, testosterone. Thus, chronic alcoholics often exhibit night blindness reflecting the lack of vitamin A metabolism. In addition, alcoholics may exhibit sterility and effeminization resulting from the decreased production of testosterone.
Many adverse effects of alcohol consumption may be related to the metabolism of alcohol to acetaldehyde by the liver. If acetaldehyde is formed and not further metabolized to acetate, it may cause liver and other tissue damage and toxicity. Acetaldehyde may also enter the blood stream and travel to the brain where it may block certain neurotransmitter activity causing changes in behavior, memory and motor functions. Alcoholism--The Biochemical Connection. Joan Mathews Larson, Ph.D., Willard Books, New York, 1992.
Both environmental and genetic factors influence the rate of alcohol degradation. People vary in their susceptibility to the toxic effects of alcohol due to differences in the biological activities of their ADH and ALDH enzymes. There is general agreement that alcoholism is a multifactorial disorder in which there is a significant genetic component, as illustrated by the twin and adoption studies performed over the past twenty years. Women have higher blood alcohol levels than men after consuming comparable amounts of ethanol. Frezza et al., N. Engl. J Med. 233:127-129 (1990). Men with an alcoholic biological parent are more than three times more likely to become alcoholic than are men with non-alcoholic biological parents. Several epidemiological surveys have shown that alcoholism is more prevalent in certain nationalities and racial groups than others. N. S. Cotton, J. Stud Alcohol 40:89-116 (1940). Other studies comparing alcoholism in identical versus fraternal twins highlight a genetic determinant. The molecular basis for a predisposition towards alcoholism is thought to be related to the various ways that alcohol is metabolized.
Oriental people respond differently than non-Oriental people to alcohol consumption, due, at least in part, to decreased ALDH activity, as described below. Additional factors may be involved such as the deficiency of .sigma.-ADH in the stomachs of Japanese subjects. Baraona et al., Life Sciences 49:1929-1934 (1991).
The human gastric ADH enzyme is complex, with ADHs of classes I, III and IV. Mareno et al., J. Biol Chem. 266:1128-1133 (1991). The main form of stomach ADH is a class IV .sigma.-ADH which exhibits an affinity toward ethanol much higher than that of the classical liver enzyme. Class IV .sigma.-ADH can metabolize between 10%-20% of the ethanol ingested. The ability to metabolize ethanol is assessed by measuring both the K.sub.m, V.sub.max and k.sub.cat values of an enzyme. K.sub.m, is equal to the substrate concentration (moles/liter) that results in one-half of the numerical maximum velocity (V.sub.max) of the enzyme. k.sub.cat is the maximal catalytic rate. Class IV .sigma.-ADH has an exceptionally high k.sub.cat value for ethanol. The k.sub.cat value of human class IV .sigma.-ADH is about 1000 at pH 7.5. The k.sub.cat value of classical human class I liver ADH is between 54 and 143 depending on isozyme. Thus, .sigma.-ADH processes ethanol about at least 10 to 20 times more efficiently than liver ADH. Current evidence suggests that in individuals consuming relatively high amounts of alcohol, it is the class IV .sigma.-ADH that probably is most responsible for metabolizing ethanol in the stomach.
Alcohol may begin being metabolized immediately upon entering the stomach. Any alcohol not metabolized in the stomach is absorbed from either the stomach or the small intestine and transported to the liver. Ethanol oxidation during this first cycle through the stomach, small intestine and liver is called "first-pass" metabolism.
Human class IV .sigma.-ADH has been detected in the mucosa of the upper digestive tract, specifically in the mouth, esophagus, stomach and in the cornea, but not in liver. Farres et al., Eur. J Biochem. 224, 549-557 (1994). This specific distribution suggests a distinct role for the class IV .sigma.-ADH enzyme, different from that of the hepatic ADH, i.e., it may be responsible, in part, for the first-pass metabolism of ingested ethanol in the stomach prior to its distribution into the systemic circulation.
With alcohol doses relevant to social drinking, stomach ADH acts as a barrier against toxic alcohol blood levels. The activity of stomach ADH correlates with the amount of alcohol metabolized by the stomach. In women, alcoholics, and patients treated with cimetidine, a drug used to treat stomach ulcers, the activity of stomach ADH is significantly reduced and more alcohol is absorbed into the blood. R. Gugler, Review! Drug Safety 10(4):271-280 (1994). Several other drugs, such as aspirin, inhibit the enzymatic activity of stomach ADH. Thus, subjects taking aspirin or cimetidine have increased blood alcohol levels, especially after repeated small drinks, which may result in unexpected impairment to perform complex tasks such as driving. Women under the age of 50 express significantly less activity of stomach ADH than age matched men. In addition, extremely low levels of these enzymes are found in young male alcoholics. Once these alcoholics abstained from alcohol for 2-3 weeks, their levels of stomach ADH returned to normal. Seitz et al., Gut, 34(10):1433-7 (1993). These studies concluded that the first-pass metabolism of alcohol is related to the activity of stomach class IV ADH. Similarly, studies by Frezza et al., N. Engl. J Med. 322(2):95-99 (1990) show that increased bioavailabilty of ethanol resulting from decreased stomach oxidation of ethanol may contribute to the enhanced vulnerability of women to acute and chronic complications of alcoholism.

Mammalian alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase production in plants


A method of processing a silver halide color photographic material using a carbamoyl or imidazole type organic metal complex bleaching agent of any of compounds of formulae (I), (II), (III), (IV), and (V) and a mercapto, mesoionic or thioether fixing agent of compounds of formulae (A), (B) and (C). A bleach-fixing composition containing the bleaching agent and fixing agent is also disclosed. The processing method provides good desilvering with little bleach fogging of the processed photographic material, and the processing composition has good stability. W in formula (III) below represents a divalent linking group. ##STR1##

In general, the processing of a silver halide color photographic material comprises a color development step and a desilvering step. In the latter desilvering step, the developed silver formed in the color development step is oxidized to a silver salt with a bleaching agent having an oxidizing ability (bleaching), and the silver salt is then removed from the photographic layer by a fixing agent which forms soluble silver along with the non-used silver halide (fixation). Bleaching and fixation are effected either independently as separate bleaching and fixing steps, or simultaneously as a bleach-fixing step. The details of the processing steps are described in James, The Theory of Photographic Process, 4th Ed. (1977).
The above-described processing is generally carried out using an automatic developing machine. Recently, the use of a small-sized automatic developing machine called a mini-laboratory in photo processing shops has become popular for providing rapid processing service to customers.
Under these circumstances, rapid processing of photographic materials is presently in strong demand, such that further enhancements in rapid processing of the bleaching step, fixing step and bleach-fixing step are increasingly desired.
Since photographic processing has come to be carried out in various places, treatment of the waste liquid generated from the processing has become a serious problem.
Ferric ethylenediaminetetraacetate complex which has heretofore been used in a bleaching step has a fatal drawback characterized by a weak oxidizing capacity. Even when concurrently using a bleaching accelerator, the ferric complex still does not provide rapid bleaching.
Known bleaching agents useful for rapid bleaching include red prussiate of potash, iron chloride and bromates. However, these bleaching agents can not be widely used due to various problems. Particularly, red prussiate of potash causes environmental pollution; iron chloride causes corrosion of metals; and bromates are unstable in the form of a solution thereof. Accordingly, bleaching agents are desired which provide rapid bleaching, which can be handled with ease and which are free from the problem of generating harmful wastes.
Recently, as a bleaching agent satisfying the above-described conditions, ferric 1,3-diaminopropanetetraacetate complex has been proposed. However, this bleaching agent causes bleaching fog, and therefore is not entirely satisfactory.
On the other hand, thiosulfates are generally used as a fixing agent in a fixing step. However, the salts are oxidized and decompose to form sulfide precipitates. In most cases, therefore, sulfites are added to the step as a preservative for preventing oxidation and deterioration of the fixing agent. Further improvement of the stability of the fixing processing liquid is desired, while also reducing the replenishment amount. When an elevated amount of sulfites is added to the fixing step to reduce the amount of replenisher thereto, the additional sulfite does not fully dissolve in the bath or tends to be oxidized to form salt cake precipitates. In order to overcome these problems and to attain rapid processing, compounds having a better fixing capacity than thiosulfates are desired.
In processing color photographic papers, the bleaching agent and the fixing agent are contained in a common bath as a bleach-fixing bath, for attaining rapid processing. The bleaching agent generally used in this case is a ferric ethylenediaminetetraacetate complex. Recently, in order to further advance rapid processing, an oxidizing agent having a higher oxidizing power (or having a higher redox potential), such as ferric 1,3-diaminopropanetetraacetate complex, has been used in a bleach-fixing bath. However, the above noted oxidizing agent causes extreme bleaching fog and further contributes to oxidation and deterioration of thiosulfates in the bath, and is therefore not practically useful. In particular, the problems of the complex, as an oxidizing agent, are inconsistent with the development of processing systems using a reduced amount of replenisher.
In view of the above, the development of a bleaching agent and fixing agent which are free from the above-described problems and a processing composition containing the same, as well as a processing method using these processing compositions is highly desired.

Method of processing silver halide color photographic material and photographic bleach-fixing composition


An echo processing technique for attenuating echo components of a direct signal X1n in a return signal Y2n. A receive gain Grn and a send gain Gen are calculated. The receive gain Grn is applied to the direct signal and an input signal X2n is produced and emitted into an echo generator system. The send gain Gen is applied to an output signal Y1n from the echo generator system and the return signal Y2n is produced. A coupling variable COR is calculated which is characteristic of the acoustic coupling between the direct signal X1n or the input signal X2n and the output signal Y1n. The receive gain Grn and the send gain Gen are calculated on the basis of the coupling variable.

Acoustic echoes occur primarily in certain types of communication in which a remote user terminal comprises one or more directional microphones and one or more loudspeakers instead of an earpiece. Examples include audioconference equipment and hands-free telephones, such as mobile telephones. The source of the echoes is simple: failing special precautions, sound emitted by the loudspeaker(s) is reflected many times (from walls, the ceiling, etc.), constituting as many different echoes which are picked up by the microphone(s) on the same terms as wanted speech. Thus the combination of the loudspeaker(s), the microphone(s), and their physical environment constitutes an echo generator system.
The acoustic echo problem has been the subject of much research, both in the case of single-channel systems (one microphone and one loudspeaker) and in the case of multichannel systems (a plurality of microphones and a plurality of loudspeakers). The echo problem in the multichannel situation is similar to that in the single-channel situation except that all possible acoustic couplings between the various microphones and loudspeakers must be considered.
The echo processing techniques most widely used include echo suppression techniques using gain variation and echo cancellation techniques using adaptive filtering.
In a variable-gain echo suppression system, a receive gain is applied to the signal for application to the loudspeaker (the direct signal at the input of the echo generator system) and a send gain is applied to the signal coming from the microphone (at the output of the echo generator system), forming the return signal. An echo suppression system of this type is described in French Patent No. 2 748 184.
Receive voice activity detectors (RVAD), send voice activity detectors (SVAD), and double speech detectors (DSD) typically supply the necessary information to the modules that calculate the send and receive gains. Thus when the remote party is speaking (detected by the RVAD), the send gain is reduced to attenuate the echo. If the local party begins to speak (detected by the SVAD), this constraint on the send gain is removed and the receive gain is reduced. In the event of double speech (both parties speaking simultaneously, detected by the DSD), either a comparator determines which speaker is louder and gives priority to that speaker's sending direction or an intermediate setting of the send and receive gains is established.
In an acoustic echo canceller (AEC) using adaptive filtering, an identification filter estimates the acoustic coupling between the loudspeaker and the microphone and generates a signal that is used to cancel the echo. The identification filter is conventionally a programmable finite impulse response filter whose coefficients need to be adapted by a predetermined algorithm for updating coefficients using an adaptation step. The coefficients are adapted on the basis of the signal to be applied to the loudspeaker. An echo canceller of this type is described in French Patent No. 2 738 695.
A variable gain echo suppression system is often combined with an echo canceller to eliminate the residual echo that remains after echo cancellation.
However, the above-mentioned echo processing systems have the drawback that they are not able to take account of variations in the acoustic coupling between the loudspeaker and the microphone if those variations are independent of the signal applied to the loudspeaker.
This is the case, for example, if there is an external facility for adjusting the sound level reproduced by the loudspeaker (for example by means of a potentiometer). Any variation in the reproduced sound level modifies the acoustic coupling between the loudspeaker and the microphone and therefore the echo(es) picked up by the microphone. The echo processing system takes account only of the signal that is applied to the loudspeaker, and not of the sound that is actually reproduced by the loudspeaker, and is therefore unable to take this kind of modification of the acoustic coupling into account in its calculation process.
For example, if the sound reproduction level is reduced after the system has been initialized with a maximum sound level setting, in a double speech situation the remote speech emitted by the loudspeaker may be broken up or truncated.
Similarly, if the microphone and the loudspeaker in the communications terminal being used are physically independent of each other, the distance between them may be varied, which varies the acoustic coupling between the loudspeaker and the microphone, with the same consequences.
The problem is the same in a multichannel situation except that it generalized to the multiple couplings between the various microphones and loudspeakers.

Echo processing devices for single-channel or multichannel communication systems


In various embodiments, a chip arrangement includes a first chip having a first antenna which is monolithically integrated in the first chip and is intended to communicate with at least one of an external reader or an external writer; a second chip having a second antenna which is monolithically integrated in the second chip and is intended to communicate with the at least one of the external reader or the external writer; and a booster antenna which is coupled to the first antenna in a first coupling area in order to increase a range of the first antenna and is coupled to the second antenna in a second coupling area in order to increase a range of the second antenna.

A conventional chip arrangement may have, for example, a chip. The chip may have, for example, an integrated circuit which may have, inter alia, a storage element. The storage element may store data which may have specific information, for example. The chip may have an antenna, for example an antenna monolithically integrated in the chip. The antenna integrated in the chip may have, for example, a conductor loop and/or a coil with one, two or more windings and/or may be referred to as a "coil on module". The chip may be, for example, a communication chip, for example a transponder chip, for example an RFID transponder, for example an RFID tag. The chip arrangement may be an RFID apparatus and/or a chip card, for example.
The antenna may contribute, for example, to an external reader and/or writer being able to communicate with the chip and/or being able to read the data on the chip and/or being able to write the data to the chip, for example being able to store the data in the storage element. In addition, the chip may be inductively supplied with energy via the antenna and the chip can be operated with the aid of the transmitted energy. A long range of the chip during data transmission, for example a read and/or write distance, and/or a range during energy transmission can be achieved, for example, with a booster antenna outside the chip. The booster antenna may be an element of the chip arrangement. The booster antenna is relatively large in comparison with the antenna integrated in the chip. A plurality of chips having a corresponding plurality of booster antennas therefore require considerably more space than a chip having one booster antenna.

Chip arrangement, analysis apparatus, receiving container, and receiving container system


In a method for displaying an input interface on a touch panel of an electronic device, a first display area and a second display area are determined on the touch panel according to touch ranges of touch operations on the touch panel. The method obtains a first sub-keyboard and a second sub-keyboard of the input interface, displays the first sub-keyboard in the first display area by performing a zoom operation on the first sub-keyboard, and displays the second sub-keyboard in the second display area by performing the zoom operation on the second sub-keyboard.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to software interface displaying technology, and particularly to an electronic device and method for separately displaying a software input interface in two display areas of a touch panel of the electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
Many electronic devices are equipped with touch panels (e.g., a tablet computer), so that a user can input data through touch operations on a software input interface on the touch panel with a finger or a stylus. For example, the user can hold a left side and a right side of a tablet with two hands, and perform touch operations on the software input interface using two thumbs. However, because touch panels have become bigger and bigger, the thumbs cannot reach a center position (refer to an area "A" in FIG. 1) of the software input interface when holding the electronic device with two hands. Therefore, an improved method for displaying a software input interface on a touch panel of an electronic device is desired.

Electronic device and method for displaying software input interface


The invention relates to a method and a system for synthesizing a medical preparation, a peristaltic pump being used for pumping liquid from a plurality of source containers. According to the invention, the individual metering steps are verified by a weighing process, even the metering of micro-amounts being verifiable.

Preparations for parenteral nutrition are produced in a patient-specific manner, for example in pharmacies or hospitals. These preparations are mixtures of different basic nutrients, trace elements and vitamins, if appropriate also together with a pharmaceutical, which are transferred individually into an infusion bag.
TPN compounders (TPN=total parenteral nutrition) are used for this purpose. Installations known in practice and commercially available, for example the MultiComp® system from Fresenius, comprise a computer-controlled pump unit by means of which the constituents of the composition are transferred from different source containers into a target container located on a balance.
There are strict safety requirements governing the production of medical preparations of this kind. In particular, a high degree of precision in the metering of all the constituents must be ensured.
The target container can be weighed in order to check the metering.
A problem is that that the medical preparations to be produced comprise components with main constituents such as water, fat, sugar and amino acids, which are delivered in quite a large quantity. In addition to these, there are components which comprise, for example, certain vitamins, minerals or also a pharmaceutical, which have to be delivered in a substantial smaller quantity, in particular in the milliliter range. Such constituents are also referred to as micro-quantities.

Method for producing a medical preparation


A fuel cell system having a fuel cell stack (9) employs a group of fuel cells between corresponding cooler plates (55). The system utilizes single phase coolant, the outflow of the coolant plates (55) being divided into a flow (78) just sufficient to provide adequate steam (68, 79) to a fuel reformer (58), the remainder of the coolant outlet flowing (76) directly to heat recovery and utilization apparatus (77), which may include fuel cell power plant accessories (85), such as chillers or boilers.

In a known fuel cell system employing phosphoric acid electrolyte, cooler plates interposed between groups of fuel cells have a simple serpentine cooler flow path and utilize water coolant. Liquid water enters the cooler plates and a two-phase, water/steam mixture exits the cooler plates. A small fraction of the heat removal is due to increasing the sensible heat of the water as it increases to its boiling temperature, and a major fraction of heat removal is due to the latent heat of evaporation of liquid water to steam. U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,145 describes such a coolant system.
As is known, the pressure drop across a typical cooler is diatonic if the inlet pressure is such that at some coolant flow rate and resulting pressure drop and temperature rise vapor is produced. Because the pressure drop characteristic is diatonic there are three flow rates that give the same pressure drop, one that is low flow with high vapor content, one that is moderate flow with lower vapor content, and one that is high flow with no vapor content. This means that in a typical coolant manifold design that attempts to minimize the pressure variation in the inlet and exit manifolds, the flow to any of more than 30 cooler plates could be any one of the three coolant flow rates that give the desired pressure difference between the coolant manifolds. Typical cooler plates want to run at a moderate flow rate that gives a low quality (low vapor content) two phase flow. The potential variation in flow rates between more than 30 cooler plates would result in temperature variations, and therefore performance variations which are undesirable.
A seemingly simple solution to this problem is the use of flow control devices, which basically raise the total pressure across each cooler plate so as to provide a pressure/flow characteristic which is monotonic. This may be done with flow restriction orifices as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,767; flow control devices which comprise tortuous flow path coolant tubes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,112.
The cooler to cooler flow distribution problems associated with generating a vapor phase in the coolers can be avoided if the coolers were run in a single phase mode, in this case all liquid flow. This is because in the range of flows associated with all liquid flow the pressure drop characteristic is monotonic. The advantages of a single phase coolant, however, are offset by the need to provide steam for fuel processing (such as a conventional reformer), in order to generate fuel for the fuel cell stack.
The benefit of single phase flow versus two phase flow can be seen in the example illustrated in FIG. 1. The coolant flow ranges from a low of 80 pounds per hour (pph) (36 kgm/hr) to a high of 350 pph (158 kgm/hr) for the two phase flow case without flow control devices. Fifty percent of the coolant flows through seven of the thirty-three coolers. The cells adjacent to low flow coolers will have a higher than desired temperature as a consequence of the low coolant flow. This will lead to a more rapid performance decay, a higher acid loss rate and a reduced cell stack life.
The coolant flow ranges from a low of 150 pph (66 kgm/hr) to a high of 210 pph (95 kgm/hr) for the two phase flow case with flow control devices. This improved flow uniformity results in an increased life at the expense of installing flow control devices on each cooler.
However, the flow distribution for a single phase coolant is very uniform at about 190 pph (86 kgm/hr) without the added cost of complicated flow restriction devices.
The flow control devices increase the cost of fuel cell stacks and present a reliability problem, due to the potential for the distribution devices to become plugged after extended operation.

Fuel cell in combined heat and electric power system


A standard cell architecture with a basic cell that spans multiple rows of the standard cell. This multi-row basic cell may be a dual-height cell that spans two rows, or it may span more than two rows. The multi-row basic cell may be intermixed in a standard cell design with smaller, single-height cells for high-density applications. The single-height cells may be used where possible and higher-drive dual-height basic cells where larger transistors are desired. Other multiple height cells may also be included if even more current is desirable. The power rail may include conductors of varying width.

The present invention relates, in general, to cell-based integrated circuits such as standard cells, and in particular, to an improved standard cell architecture to achieve high density and improved power distribution.
Standard cell design technology has been developed as a method of quickly and efficiently designing integrated circuits. Standard cell technology is characterized by its fixed set of predesigned basic cells, which are preferably configured for dense placement and efficient signal routing. Typically, these basic cells are placed on the integrated circuit in an array pattern with rows and columns and are interconnected by conductive traces to form more complex logic structures.
To aid the designer, pre-designed circuit units generally known as "macro cells" comprising one or more basic cells are provided in libraries. Macro cells include commonly used elements such as NAND gates, NOR gates, and flip-flops. These libraries may also include macro cells specially designed for a particular task. A designer selects desired elements from the library of macro cells and places them in a design. The macro cells may then be further interconnected with other elements in a variety of ways to perform desired functions. By selecting macro cells from a library and placing them into a design, a designer can quickly design complex functions without having to worry about the details of each individual transistor. Typically, a library of macro cells is designed for a certain IC manufacturing technology, and their design characteristics are fixed for that technology.
One of the design tradeoffs in a macro cell library is the height of the basic cells. Standard cell sizes ranging in height from 7 to 15 tracks or more have been provided in previous standard cell architectures. As a general rule, a smaller cell height results in a higher gate density and hence a lower cost, but a small height cell has a small transistor that may not be able to deliver sufficient current for high-speed applications. So, standard cell architectures have typically provided standard cell sizes that are relatively large (10–12 tracks high) in order to handle those applications that require higher current. Unfortunately, these large cells sizes are inefficient for many specific instances in which the macro cells do not need the extra current generated by larger transistors.
To combat this problem, a technique has been developed in which two basic cells are stacked together to make a single large double high cell for those macro cells in which larger transistors are needed. However, this technique introduced additional routing problems because of interconnections between the top and bottom stacked cells. The power rails (VDD and VSS) were routed horizontally through the cell on first level metal and, as a result, the second metal layer was used to make vertical connections between the top and the bottom halves of the stacked cell. In a three metal layer design, the second metal layer is important for global routing of signals and for accessing the input and output terminals inside of a cell. Consequently, these conventional dual-height cells resulted in designs with low area efficiency and have therefore not been popular.

Dual-height cell with variable width power rail architecture


An apparatus for manipulating a spray device having a spray nozzle relative to a target substrate, which apparatus includes drive mechanisms for moving the spray device in the X, Y and Z directions, and separate mechanisms for rotating the spray nozzle relative to the spray device and for tilting the spray nozzle relative to the spray device and including a pressure regulator to vary the width of the spray pattern as the spray device moves relative to the target substrate.

Packaged circuit boards for electronic instruments are typically coated by a moisture-proof insulator film to protect the circuit boards from moisture, electric leakage and dust. Preferably, the moisture-proof insulator films are what are known as conformal coatings, such as acrylic, polyurethane or epoxy synthetic resins dissolved in a volatile solvent. When applied to a clean printed circuit board, a uniform thickness insulative resin film is formed as the solvent evaporates on a continuous basis.
In the past, five principal methods have been used to apply coatings of moisture-proof insulators to printed circuit boards. These methods are discussed in prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,819, entitled "Method For Applying A Moisture-Proof Insulator Coating on Packaged Circuit Boards", in the name of Takagi Shimada; and, in the continuation-in-part of such patent, namely, U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,663 in the name of Takagi Shimada, entitled "Method of Applying A Moisture-Proof Insulative Coating To Printed Circuit Boards Using Triangular or Dovetail-Shaped Liquid Film Emitted From A Flat-Pattern Nozzle". The disclosures of these patents are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
As discussed in such patents, the principal methods of applying coatings of moisture-proof insulators to printed circuit boards include:
(a) the immersion method, in which packaged circuit boards are immersed in an immersion tank containing the moisture-proof insulator; PA1 (b) the brush coating method, in which the moisture-proof insulator is applied manually by a brush to the printed circuit board; PA1 (c) the roller method, in which a sheep's wool roll impregnated with a moisture-proof insulator is rolled onto the surface of the printed circuit board to coat it; PA1 (d) the spray method, in which the moisture-proof insulator is applied to the printed circuit board by spraying techniques; and PA1 (e) the slit die method, in which the moisture-proof insulator is pressurized and extruded from the slit die to eject a film for coating the printed circuit board surface.
As discussed in the above-referenced Shimada patents, each of the foregoing methods have certain advantages and disadvantages. For example, all methods except brush coating require masking for those parts of the printed circuit board to be left uncoated. The mounting and removal of masks from the board must be done manually which can create a bottleneck in the mass production of circuit boards. Brush coating, while not requiring masking, is labor-intensive and otherwise unsuitable for mass production.
In order to satisfy demand, the most commonly used insulative coating method employed in mass production is the spraying method. Each of the above-referenced Shimada patents discloses a method of spraying insulative liquid coating material onto a printed circuit board in which a flat pattern nozzle is employed and relative movement is effected between the nozzle and circuit board. Commonly, an external heater is employed to heat the coating material prior to its introduction into the dispenser. In mass production, robot arms have often been employed to manipulate the spray guns having spray nozzles which are mounted in a fixed position thereon. These robot arms are capable of moving the spray gun and its spray nozzle in a Z direction, i.e., toward and away from the printed circuit board, and in the X and Y directions, i.e., along the length and width of the circuit board.
The method and apparatus disclosed in the Shimada U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,819 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,663 results in the production of a "leaf-shaped" pattern of coating material which is emitted from the discharge outlet of the nozzle of the spray device. This leaf-shaped pattern has a width dimension which increases in a direction from the discharge outlet of the nozzle outwardly to a maximum width, and then tapers inwardly back to a minimum width. Accordingly, the width of the pattern of coating material which is applied to the circuit board is dependent upon the spacing between the discharge outlet of the nozzle and the circuit board. This spacing can be varied as required for a given circuit board configuration with robot arms capable of moving the spray device and nozzle in the Z direction, as noted above, i.e., toward and away from the circuit board.
The problem with varying the width of the spray pattern on the circuit board by adjusting or varying the distance between the nozzle and circuit board along the Z axis is that an uneven thickness of coating material is applied to the circuit board. This is because the same flow or quantity of coating material is discharged from the nozzle regardless of its position relative to the circuit board. A thinner layer of coating material is applied to the circuit board when the width dimension of the spray pattern is greatest because the coating material is applied over a larger area. A proportionately thicker layer of coating material is applied by the spray nozzle when the width of the pattern is narrow because the same quantity or flow of coating material is discharged onto a smaller area. In many instances, it is preferable to obtain a coating of uniform thickness across the entire circuit board to ensure the components thereon are all properly coated and that coating material is not wasted.
Another problem area in the application of coating material onto circuit boards involves changing the direction of movement of the spray gun in the X and Y directions. In the past, in order to ensure that the desired pattern of coating material is applied by the spray nozzle in both the X and Y directions of movement of the spray gun, it has been necessary to reorient the spray nozzle, and thus the spray gun, 90.degree. each time the direction of movement is changed from the X direction to the Y direction or vice versa. Rotation of the entire spray gun requires relatively heavy mechanisms which often are difficult to support on a robot arm and/or which reduce the speed of movement of the robot arm. Not only have such mechanisms proven to be cumbersome, but they are capable of reorienting the spray gun at only 90.degree. increments so that the spray pattern is properly aligned for movement along either the X axis or Y axis. Additionally, in some applications, it is desirable to apply the coating material along a non-linear path, e.g., circular or semicircular, instead of a straight line path along an X or Y axis. Because robot manipulators of the type described above are only capable of orienting the spray device at 90.degree. increments, non-linear patterns cannot be obtained without unduly overlapping the coating material thus producing a layer on the printed circuit board having a non-uniform thickness.
Another difficulty associated with prior art circuit board coating devices is that the circuit boards are not necessarily planar because circuit components and the like can protrude from the surface thereof. In some applications, it is desirable to coat the vertical sides or underneath portion of a component carried on a circuit board. This cannot readily be accomplished with robot arms capable of moving a spray gun solely in the X, Y and Z directions.

Coating apparatus with pattern width control


The invention includes systems and methods for identifying and verifying the identity of a user of a kiosk using an external verification system. The kiosk receives customer input data that indicates the identity of the user of the kiosk. The kiosk generates an identification query that includes at least some customer input data. The kiosk transmits the identification query to an external verification system. The kiosk receives a verification response from the external verification system. The kiosk then processes the verification response to verify the identity of the user of the kiosk. These systems and methods advantageously provide identification and verification of the identity of a user of a kiosk. With sufficient identification and verification, financial institutions can comply with government regulations designed to reduce the opportunity for money laundering, terrorism, fraud, and identity theft while offering users of kiosks a wider range of financial services.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to financial services, and more particularly, to systems and methods for identifying and verifying a user of a kiosk using an external verification system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Remote access to financial services, such as banking transactions, has become ubiquitous. However, customers continue to be required to personally visit a bank and/or complete extensive forms in order to obtain a traditional bank account or a credit card prior to being able to gain remote access to financial services. The bank is required to identify and verify the customer's identity prior to account creation in order to comply with government regulations designed to prevent illegal activities such as money laundering and funding for terrorism. An example of such government regulations includes the USA Patriot Act of 2001. In one example, a customer's identity and account information is checked against a government database that comprises a list of suspected individuals and accounts involved in money laundering. In another example, the customer's identity is checked against a government database of known and suspected terrorists. It is also necessary for the bank to verify the customer's identity in order to reduce fraud and challenge identity theft.
Automatic teller machines (or ATM machines) allow a customer to conduct only a limited number of financial transactions because ATM machines lack the ability to initially obtain the identity of and subsequently verify the identities of their users. Once the bank satisfies government regulations, which require identification and verification of the identity of the customer, the bank may open a customer account and issue a debit card with an associated coded key, or Personal Identification Number (PIN). Once the debit card and the proper PIN number are provided to an ATM machine, regardless of the actual identity of the user, access to accounts and services is granted. Although current ATM machines include video cameras, these cameras are typically used to provide security and do not verify identity.
In one prior art solution provided by 7-Eleven, a VCOM kiosk provides banking transactions such as money transfer, printing checks, and check cashing based on a deposited amount. However, prior to the completion of any banking transactions, the customer must interact with a cashier so that the cashier may properly identify and verify the identity of the customer. Also, the card associated with the VCOM kiosk is only used for identification purposes. Other kiosks manufactured by Blackstone issue cards, but the cards are calling cards.
In other prior art solutions, Coinstar, a kiosk maker, and Next Estate, a card issuer, offer their customers a kiosk-based service where a customer may indicate their desire to obtain a card. Once the customer receives a receipt from the kiosk, an agent calls the customer to identify the customer and verify their identity. A card is then sent to the customer through the mail.
Some companies offer stored-value cards for goods and services. Typically, however, companies do not verify the identity of their stored-value card customers because the stored-value cards generally hold less than a few hundred dollars and are not covered by the government regulations concerning customer identification and verification. Furthermore, consumer purchases with stored-value cards are generally limited to simple goods and services such as bagels, books, coffee, copies, and gifts.

Systems and methods for identifying and verifying a user of a kiosk using an external verification system


Disclosed is a process to produce a purified carboxylic acid product. The process comprises removing impurities from a crude carboxylic acid slurry in a solid-liquid displacement zone to form a slurry product. The slurry product if further treated in a staged oxidation zone and a crystallization zone to from a crystallized product. The crystallized product is further cooled in a cooling zone and subsequently filtered and dried in a filtration and drying zone. The process produces purified carboxylic acid product having good color and low impurity levels without the use of purification steps like hydrogenation.

Terephthalic acid is commercially produced by oxidation of paraxylene in the presence of a catalyst, such as, for example, Co, Mn, Br and a solvent. Terephthalic acid used in the production of polyester fibers, films, and resins must be further treated to remove impurities present due to the oxidation of para-xylene. Typical commercial process produce a crude terephthalic acid then dissolve the solid crude terephthalic acid in water at high temperatures and pressures, hydrogenate the resultant solution, cool and crystallize the terephthalic acid product out of solution, and separate the solid terephthalic product from the liquid as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,039 herein incorporated by reference.
A number of processes for producing the purified terephthalic acid solid have been developed and are commercially available. Usually, the purified terephthalic acid solid is produced in a multi-step process wherein a crude terephthalic acid is produced. The crude terephthalic acid does not have sufficient quality for direct use as starting material in commercial polyethylene terephthalate(PET). Instead, the crude terephthalic acid is usually refined to purified terephthalic acid solid.
Liquid phase oxidation of p-xylene produces crude terephthalic acid. The crude terephthalic acid is dissolved in water and hydrogenated for the purpose of converting 4-carboxybenzaldehyde to p-toluic acid, which is a more water-soluble derivative, and for the purpose of converting characteristically yellow compounds to colorless derivatives. Significant 4-carboxybenzaldehyde and p-toluic acid in the final purified terephthalic acid product is particularly detrimental to polymerization processes as they may act as chain terminators during the condensation reaction between terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol in the production of PET. Typical purified terephthalic acid contains on a weight basis less than 250 parts per million (ppm) 4-carboxybenzaldehyde and less than 150 ppm p-toluic acid.
The crude terephthalic acid typically contains on a weight basis from about 800 to 7,000 parts per million (ppm) 4-carboxybenzaldehyde and about 200 to 1,500 ppm p-toluic acid as the main impurities. The crude terephthalic acid also contains lesser amounts, about 20–200 ppm range, of aromatic compounds having the structures derived from benzil, fluorenone, and/or anthraquinone, which are characteristically yellow compounds as impurities resulting from coupling side reactions occurring during oxidation of p-xylene
Such a purification process typically comprises adding water to the crude terephthalic acid to form a crude terephthalic acid slurry, which is heated to dissolve the crude terephthalic acid. The crude terephthalic acid solution is then passed to a reactor zone in which the solution is contacted with hydrogen in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst at temperatures of about 200° to about 375° C. This reduction step converts the various color causing compounds present in the crude terephthalic acid to colorless derivatives. The principal impurity, 4-carboxybenzaldehyde, is converted to p-toluic acid.
Typical crude terephthalic acid contains excessive amounts of both 4-carboxybenzaldehyde and p-toluic acid on a weight basis. Therefore, to achieve less than 250 ppmw 4-carboxybenzaldehyde and less than 150 ppmw p-toluic acid in the purified terephthalic acid requires mechanisms for purifying the crude terephthalic acid and removing the contaminants.
In many processes, colored impurities are hydrogenated to colorless derivatives and leave the process with the terephthalic acid solid product and waste water streams. However, one embodiment of this invention provides an attractive process to produce a purified carboxylic acid slurry by utilizing a solid-liquid displacement zone comprising a solid-liquid separator after oxidation of a crude carboxylic acid slurry product and prior to final filtration and drying without the use of an hydrogenation step.

Process for the purification of a crude carboxylic acid slurry


A piercing-cutting device for plastic wrap removed from an object, which includes a handle, a complex blade connected to the handle, the complex blade having a piercing blade section and a cutting blade section, the piercing blade section and the cutting blade section being at substantially right angles to one another, and the cutting blade section being a concave, crescent cutting blade. In some present embodiments, the piercing blade section and the cutting blade section are located contiguously and establish a generally L-shaped or T-shaped relationship relative to one another. In other embodiments the handle is elongated with an imaginary centerline and the complex blade is connected to the handle so as to extend outwardly therefrom at a substantially right angle from the imaginary center line. In yet other present embodiments, the piercing-cutting device of the handle has a front and the complex blade extends outwardly from the front of the handle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention involves a device for piercing and cutting wrap and other piercable, cuttable materials. More specifically, it involves a unique device with a complex cutting blade which performs rapid, efficient piercing and cutting in a single flow motion.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
U.S. Pat. No. 1,498,753 to Daniel I. Rendlich discloses a carcass opening device having a steel blade with a sharp point on one end and at the other end a flat shank with a flat handle secured on it. Near the handle, there is a branch blade spaced from the main blade with a bead-like element at its end point. A U-shaped curve with continuous sharp edges is formed between the main blade and its branch.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,610,399 to Adams et al. describes and illustrates a ripper for seams having a protected recessed cutting edge with a relatively thin tooth-like probe extending therefrom for insertion between the members to be ripped.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,764,814 to Gustav Jecker discloses a ripping tool having a substantially flat metal shank with two prongs at it ends forming a fork. One of the prongs is elongated and has a pointed end while the other prong is relatively short and has a round enlargement. There are depressions between the prongs which leave a thin counter-sunk web being inwardly curved and forming a cutting blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,028,670 to J. O. Tilly teaches a slitting device having a body portion of generally flat plate-like construction. The body is provided with a slot extending close to one edge and parallel thereto, and in the base of which a removable cutting blade is provided. The blade has a generally hook-shaped cutting edge to prevent jamming of paper or other cut material at an edge of the slot and the blade is further permanently secured to a blade holder removable from the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,117 to Walter Fogg describes and illustrates a disposable blade device having at one end a pair of spaced blunt unsharpened projections joined by a concave sharpened area and having at its opposite end a blunt point and a narrow stitch picker with a concave edge portion between them.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,822 to Richard Mobus discloses a needlepoint and crewel-embroidery stitch remover having a handle secured to a member. The member terminates in a bifurcation with a long tine and a short tine with a cutting surface in the crotch between the tines.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,152 to John Mull discloses a suture removing device having a body with a handle portion, a head portion and a cutting edge provided in the handle portion. The head portion has a leading end with a forked tip and a surface extending rearwardly of the tip to the cutting edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,340 to Hartwig Kahlcke describes and illustrates a parting tool which has and arc shaped blade located between two tines of unequal length to effect a cut. The long tine may have a thorn-like point and the short tine may have a spherical thickening above the blade. The tines pass over into a shaft which is fastened to one end of a shaft holder.
Thus, while various opening and cutting devices have been developed, none teach the complex blade structure having a blade section and a cutting section at substantially right angles to each other of the present invention. Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.


The present invention provides a maintenance operation method for a wind turbine generator and a wind turbine generator, which can effectively utilize a phase advance capacitor equipped in the wind turbine generator and contribute to the phase factor improvement of the system side. A maintenance operation method for a wind turbine generator including an induction generator 3 driven by rotation of blades 2, a power output line 5 for outputting power of the induction generator 3 to a distribution system 5, and at least one phase advance capacitor 10 parallel-connected to the power output line, comprises: a first step of releasing connection between the phase advanced capacitor 10 and the power output line 5 when a maintenance mode is selected; and a second step of returning the connection between the phase advanced capacitor 10 and the power output line 5 by a manual operation or an automatic operation, wherein the phase advance capacitor 10 returned to the connection with the power output line 5 performs a power factor improvement of reactor loads 53, 54 in the distribution system 50 side through a linkage portion 60 with the distribution system 50.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a maintenance operation method for a wind turbine generator including an induction generator and a phase advance capacitor, and a wind turbine generator thereof. In particular, the invention relates to a maintenance operation method for a wind turbine generator including a tower provided to stand on the ground or on the water, a nacelle supported on the tower to be controlled to rotate in the yaw direction, and a plurality of rotatable blades with blade pitch control provided to the nacelle, wherein a power factor of a induction generator can be improved, and a wind turbine generator thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the use of a wind turbine generator to generate renewable energy has become popular in view of environmental preservation.
A large size wind turbine generator often adopts the so-called a nacelle type wind turbine generator comprising a rotor head equipped with blades, a nacelle for accommodating a drive train and a generator, and a tower for supporting the nacelle. The drive train is for transmitting a torque from the rotor head side to the generator side, and usually includes a speed increasing gear so that rotational speed of the rotor head is increased to transmit to the generator
In this type of wind turbine generator, an induction generator has been in general use. However, a power factor control cannot be performed because the operation power factor is decided corresponding to the output power of the generator. Therefore, in the conventional generator, a phase advance capacitor is parallel-connected to the power output line 5 so as to improve the lagging power factor of the power output.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H11-41990 (Patent Publication 1) shows a construction in which a plurality of the power generator units are arranged in parallel, and each of the power generator units includes a phase advanced capacitor connected to an output line of the power generator via a magnetic switch, respectively, wherein the number of the connected phase advanced capacitor is increased according to decline of the total power output so that a power factor of the power output is controlled to keep a constant value. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-109568 (Patent Publication 2) shows a construction in which a linkage device is inserted in an output line connecting an induction generator and a distribution system, wherein the linkage device includes a contactor for linking the induction generator with the distribution system, wherein the phase advance capacitor is connected via a switching element to the output line between the contactor and the distribution system. According to the construction described above, the phase advance capacitor is connected to the output line before the contactor is turning ON, thereby controlling the voltage fluctuation.

Maintenance operation method for wind turbine generator and wind turbine generator


A method and apparatus for representing and controlling documents including rich text for Web based applications and browsers is provided so that editing of rich text can be facilitated within the browsers. The rich text is represented in a memory structure so that various formats may be flexible maintained. Text, images, tables, links and the like are represented in the memory structure, which may be maintained in databases for eventual editing. A controller class and subsidiary classes represent the rich text and provide methods to convert html to the memory structure and back, representing the rich text in a relational database, retrieving the rich text from a relational database, and presenting the rich text for editing. A spell checking facility for the rich text is included.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to rich text capability for Web based applications and Web browsers, and more specifically, to a system and method for representing and controlling rich text in memory and various text representations.
2. Background Description
Web browser based applications are becoming increasingly popular. These browser based applications necessarily handle documents of various types. However, document handling and management of documents as they change over time to include new or varying content can be very expensive and cumbersome. Flexibility in representing and handling documents, including those stored in relational databases, is limited. One specific example of a major drawback is the lack of a robust rich text capability.
Standard Web browsers do not provide full feature rich text edit functions. This includes, for example, the general lack of ability to change font face, size and color, underline, bold, italic, to create tables and lists (both ordered and unordered), to check spelling, and to add in-line images or file attachments. Further, images and file attachments typically cannot be added as links to other Uniform Resource Locators (URL), or uploaded from a local file system into Binary Large Object (BLOB) data stored on a server.
Some known web browsers have features that allow direct editing of hypertext mark-up language (html) features of a page (i.e., the "content editable" feature) which effectively creates a text area that allows limited rich text editing. These browsers, however, do not provide any method to save changes to rich text that have been made through its editing facilities. Most browsers, however, do not provide any rudimentary text or other type of editing features.
The present invention overcomes the problems set forth.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Rich text handling for a web application


In micromanipulator apparatus having fine instrument mechanism translation drivers movable along three axes within a defined space, an operating system directing uniplanar movement of the translation drivers. The system is realized in operating apparatus including a mouse as an operational data input device which, via an analogue movement thereof generating drive data, directs a correspondingly mapped uniplanar movement of the fine instrument translation drivers concerning two of the three axes, in an actual selection from a repeating sequence of dual combinations via a click button of the mouse. A controller, accordingly responsive to the drive and axes selection data input from the mouse, commands, via output to the translation drivers, movement in a plane through the two axes actually in selection. Thus operational movement and data input via the mouse effect constantly uniplanar translation of the fine instrument mechanisms, the plane of translation being continuously switchable among three planes of movement. Stable operative control of complicated micromanipulator movements, especially in micrometer increments, is furthermore enabled to be single-handed, such that two micromanipulating fine instrument mechanisms can be operated by an operator using both hands to handle the pair of corresponding mouse devices.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to fine instrument movement in micromanipulator apparatus and, more specifically, it relates to an operating system and operation apparatus directing uniplanar movement of fine instrument mechanisms movable along three axes within a defined space by corresponding drivers.
2. Description of the Background
An exemplary micromanipulator is equipped with a fine needle instrument in an independently movable mechanism, opposed to which is a holding needle instrument in a separate independently movable mechanism, in conventional use for the injection of DNA solution into a cell. The micromanipulator is thus used to perform a given treatment on a microscopic object such as a cell, placed for example in a Petri dish, by manipulating the minute appliances such as the fine needle or holding needle instruments within the field of a microscope.
One operating system for such a micromanipulator comprises a Z-axis (vertical) control stick pivotal upward and downward, and an X-Y axis (horizontal) control stick pivotal back and forth and from side to side, wherein with one control stick in each of an operator's hands, a given minute appliance is manipulated three-dimensionally. In addition, there are micromanipulator systems operable by one hand, one of which comprises a dial for controlling movement in the Z-axis direction provided on the tip of a control stick pivotal both back and forth and from side to side, and another comprising three dials for controlling movement in the three axial directions provided on a fixed stick; thus the minute appliance is movable three-dimensionally through single-handed control movements.
Wherein the manipulator system is operated with both hands, the two opposed micromanipulator fine instrument mechanisms cannot be operated simultaneously by a single operator. Moreover, wherein the manipulator system is controlled with one hand, it is difficult to operate the system to bring about a uniplanar curved or straight movement of either of the minute appliances. Particularly, when the micromanipulator is to be operated in the directions of the Z-X axes or of the Z-Y axes at the same time, an operator must move the control stick back and forth or from side to side meanwhile turning the Z-axis control dial, or turn the X- or Y-axis control dials meanwhile turning the Z-axis control dial as the case may be, requiring a high level of manipulating skill. For example, wherein a cell is to be pricked with the fine needle from above at an angle and then lifted upward at an angle, it is difficult to manipulate the movement with one hand.
Therein, movement of the minute appliance, especially in micrometer increments, is more stably effected if the driven movement is restricted to be within a single plane as defined by two of the three possible axes of motion.

Operating system for uniplanar translation of micromanipulator instruments


Apparatus for inserting a substrate surrounded by a compressible mat into a compartment of a housing of an exhaust treatment device includes an insertion member having a bore shaped substantially identically to a shape of an opening to the housing compartment and a fluid bearing generator establishing a compressed fluid bearing at a surface of the bore. The fluid bearing is operative to reduce a coefficient of friction between the compressible mat and a surface of the bore when the substrate/mat combination is moved axially in the bore into the compartment opening.

The invention relates generally to assembly of exhaust treatment devices, such as catalytic converters. More specifically, the invention concerns substrate insertion apparatus utilizing a compressed fluid bearing.
Gas, e.g., exhaust gas, treatment devices such as catalytic converters, evaporative emission devices, scrubbing devices, diesel particulate traps, and the like are employed in various applications to physically and/or catalytically treat environmentally unfriendly gas emission. Such gas treatment devices typically incorporate a substrate or brick which includes catalyst coating. A mounting device such as a support mat comprising a compressible material is typically disposed about the substrate forming a mat support material/substrate subassembly prior to being inserted into a housing compartment of the gas treatment device.
One conventional method for inserting a mat/substrate combination into the housing compartment comprises using a stuffing cone, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,532,659 and 6,732,432. With devices as shown in these patents, an outlet of the stuffing cone is disposed adjacent to an inlet or opening of the housing compartment. The cone structure has an inner diameter less than the inner diameter of the housing compartment. As the mat/substrate combination moves through the stuffing cone toward the housing compartment, the cone compresses the compressible mat about the substrate so that the subassembly can be disposed into the housing compartment. As the mat/substrate combination slides against the inwardly tapered interior of the stuffing cone, the mat compresses about the substrate until the combination has an outer diameter less than the outer diameter of the housing compartment opening. At this point, the combination is pushed or stuffed into the exhaust treatment device housing.
During this conventional stuffing cone process, the support mat performance is degraded (i.e., its holding forces are reduced) as a result of shear damage to the mat material during the stuffing process. This shear damage is caused principally by the pulling/pushing of the mat during compression and friction between the mat and the stuffing device.
The relationship between stuffing speed and radial compression speed of the mat is fixed by the stuffing cone geometry and cannot be varied independently. The mat is dragged into the narrowing frustoconical device and is therefore subjected to tensile elongation and shear damage. The tensile elongation results in a reduced gap bulk density of the mat and fiber breakage. A coefficient of friction between the stuffing cone and the compressible mat cannot be effectively improved. Films, coatings or lubricant have been employed to reduce friction but have a decidedly negative impact on mat in-service performance.
Hence, there is seen to be a need in the pertinent art for a mat/substrate stuffing or insertion mechanism which minimizes shear damage to the compressible mat by, in turn, minimizing a coefficient of friction between the mat and the insertion device during the stuffing process and independently permitting optimization of compression speed.

Fluid bearing assisted assembly of an exhaust treatment device

Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.


A protection switching architecture is used in a telecommunications system such as a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) telecommunications system to replace a failed transmission line or a failed wavelength processing device. A spare wavelength processing device transmitter replaces a failed service wavelength processing device transmitter. A spare transmission line replaces a failed service transmission line. A spare wavelength processing device receiver monitors the optical signals, one wavelength at a time, on either the spare transmission line or the service transmission line and replaces one of the service wavelength processing device receivers. Wavelength selection equipment routes either the service transmission line or the service transmission line to the service wavelength processing device receivers and selects wavelengths to be monitored by the spare wavelength processing device receiver.

Protection switching is a general term used to describe a technique for maintaining communication services in the event of a failure in certain equipment, for example, within a given telecommunications network. Protection switching is commonly used in electronic, optical or electronic/optical telecommunications networks. A failure may occur in either the electronic or optical equipment or in both. The failure also may occur in the physical medium used to transmit the optical signal, such as through a break in a fiber optic cable. This break may be caused by external aggressions such as through the misuse of a backhoe, a ship's anchor, a shark bite or an operator pulling out the wrong connection or turning off the wrong switch.
Referring to FIGS. 1–4, existing telecommunications systems use various protection switching techniques. The telecommunications system typically includes a physical medium or line 10 with electronic and optical equipment 12 located at regular intervals along the medium 10 and terminal equipment 14, 15 at each end of the medium 10. Transmitting terminal equipment 14 is used to prepare signals for transmitting information over the medium 10, and receiving terminal equipment 15 is used to recover the information at the receiving end of the medium. The electronic and optical equipment 12 is used in connection with the physical medium 10 to enable transmission, for example, by amplifying or regenerating the signals. Although only one direction of transmission is shown with transmitting terminal equipment at one end and receiving terminal equipment at the other end, the telecommunications system includes both receiving and transmitting terminal equipment at each end to provide transmission in both directions.
As shown in FIG. 1, many telecommunications systems protect the main physical medium 10 by providing a separate physical medium 10a installed on a physically separate route, where simultaneous damage to both media is very unlikely. Various protection-switching architectures exist to transfer communications traffic from one medium to the next in the event of a failure in the former. Spontaneous failures may also occur in the complex electronic and optical equipment 12. Where electrical and optical equipment 12 is located at regular intervals, such equipment is frequently protected in conjunction with the medium 10 by moving the traffic to the separate medium 10a, which is equipped with its own separate electronic and optical equipment 12a. In the existing system, the transmitting terminal equipment 14 can be coupled to the lines or physical media 10, 10a with a splitter 11 to provide duplicate signals over the lines 10, 10a. The receiving terminal equipment 15 can be coupled to the lines or physical media 10, 10a with a selector 13 (e.g., a 2:1 switch) to select the signal from either of the lines 10, 10a. This protection switching technique is often referred to as 1+1 line protection.
Failures also may occur in the terminal equipment 14, 15 at the ends of the medium 10. Several methods currently exist to protect terminal equipment against failure. One known method provides separate terminal equipment 14a, 15a, as shown in FIG. 2, for the separate, physically diverse transmission medium 10a. In this existing system, the splitter 11 is outside the transmitting terminal equipment 14, 14a to provide the same data stream to both the transmitting terminal equipment 14 and the spare transmitting terminal equipment 14a. The selector 13 is located outside of the receiving terminal equipment 15, 15a to select the data stream from either the receiving terminal equipment 15 or the spare receiving terminal equipment 15a. This protection switching technique is sometimes called 1+1 combined terminal and line protection.
This 1+1 combined terminal and line protection method requires full duplication of the terminal equipment. Because the terminal equipment can represent a large fraction of the total cost of a transmission system, this duplication of equipment adds considerable cost to the overall system. Another disadvantage to this method is the amount of physical space needed to house the extra sets of terminal equipment. Effectively, each terminal facility is likely to be double in size.
In one type of telecommunications system, shown in FIG. 3, separate wavelength processing devices 16, 18 are provided for separate information channels provided over the same physical medium 10, for example, through wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) of multiple channels over a single optical fiber. In a WDM system, a wavelength combining device 20 (e.g., a multiplexer) combines the separate wavelengths (λ1, λ2, . . . λN) from the respective wavelength processing device transmitters 16 and a wavelength separating device 22 (e.g., demultiplexer) separates the wavelengths (λ1, λ2, . . . λN) to be received by the respective wavelength processing device receivers 18. Where protection against a failure of the transmission medium is desired in such cases, a separate cable 10a with a similar number of constituent fibers is provided. Each fiber in one cable can carry multiple wavelengths, acting to protect its counterpart in the other cable. To provide 1+1 combined terminal and line protection in this case, full duplication of the terminal equipment requires duplicative wavelength processing devices 16a, 18a for each and every wavelength, again representing a considerable expense and increased floor space in the terminal facility.
Where a system includes a plurality of channels and associated wavelength processing devices 16, another approach in protecting terminal equipment is to provide a single spare wavelength processing device 16a, as shown in FIG. 4. Through switching circuits (e.g., splitters 11, selector 24, splitter 25 and selectors 26), the spare wavelength processing device 16a can be substituted for any one of the wavelength processing devices 16 at one end of the transmission path. In this system, the wavelength combining device 20 combines the N wavelengths from the wavelength processing devices 16 and the spare wavelength processing device 16a when it is substituted. This protection switching technique is commonly known as 1×N or 1:N equipment protection.
According to a variation of this method, as shown in FIG. 5, the physical transmission medium 10 includes an additional transmission path, such as an additional fiber in a cable or an additional wavelength on the same fiber in a WDM system. The additional fiber (or wavelength) is used to interconnect the spare wavelength processing devices 16a, 18a at the two ends of the system. A N+1 wavelength combining device 28 combines the wavelengths from the wavelength processing devices 16 in addition to the additional wavelength from the spare wavelength processing device 16b. The spare wavelength processing devices 16a, 18a at each end are used to protect against a failure of any one of the wavelength processing devices 16 and 18, using switching arrangements at the two ends of the transmission system. This protection switching technique is sometimes referred to as the 1×N end-to-end path protection. However, this method may not protect against damage to the physical transmission medium 10, such as a cable, unless N separate diverse routes are provided, which is practically uneconomical.
In many cases, the terminal equipment at the ends of the system is used to identify failures in the transmission medium and to initiate a protection switch. This is especially true as the length of the transmission path increases. In some systems, the presence or absence of a signal is one way of detecting a failure on the medium without the use of terminal equipment. In very long systems, however, the presence or absence of a signal does not indicate the "health" of the transmitted signal and is not necessarily an indication that the medium is capable of transmitting the signal with sufficient integrity.
Use of terminal equipment to monitor performance allows actual monitoring of bit error rate (BER) performance in a digital system. The BER verifies the measure of performance typically of importance to customers. Where the transmission method is WDM, detection of media failures with the terminal or wavelength processing device associated with each individual wavelength is desired. In general, it is desirable to monitor both diversely routed cables—to identify failures in the channel carrying traffic and to assure that the redundant channel is ready to carry service in the event the other cable fails. To provide this type of monitoring in existing systems requires separate terminal or wavelength processing devices on every wavelength of each of the two (or more) diversely routed cables. This again leads to inordinate costs and floor space.
In view of the disadvantages of the protection switching techniques mentioned above, there is a need for a protection switching system and method in telecommunications systems, especially WDM systems, which reduces the number of spare wavelength processing devices and assures proper operation of all physical media using the capabilities of the terminal equipment.

Protection switching architecture and method of use